Roast chicken recipe

Recorded here so I can remember it for next time, and the time after that.

Yesterday, I decided that I was going to do some of the “usual” Easter things that I’ve either done in the past or have been new additions to the Easter routine in the last few years. So I bought myself some Easter chocolate, watched my church’s online Easter service, and, in the evening, cooked a roast chook we’d bought the day before.

First note: make sure you allow enough time for cooking the whole chook! I misremembered the cooking time and got started a bit late, so was very hungry by the time it was all ready. The packaging the chicken comes in should say how long to cook it for. Ours was 25-30 minutes per 500g.

So, the recipe. I began with a recipe from my Great Australian Cookbook, for “summer roast chicken”. Then I adapted it a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chook
• 1 lemon
• 2-4 garlic cloves
• breadcrumbs
• mixed herbs
• paprika, salt & pepper
• canola oil
• potato, carrot, other roasting veg
• corn, peas, Warrigal greens & other veg for steaming

Materials:

• roasting tray(s)
• chopping board
• knives
• bowl
• spoons

Method:

1. Take chicken out of its packaging and let it rest, out of the fridge, for 15-30 minutes before preparing it.
2. Preheat the oven to the required temperature (this will also be on the packaging).
3. Halve the lemon and skin the garlic cloves. Set aside.
4. Make the rest of the stuffing: in a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, salt, paprika, pepper and a little oil. Stuffing should be fairly red in colour.
5. Back to the chicken.
   If you have sensory sensitivities, this is the step where things get gross and messy for a bit, FYI.
6. Dislocate the leg bones at the top of the thigh to flatten the chicken; also, remove the wishbone.
7. Open the cavity and stuff a lemon half and half the garlic cloves in, so they’re right at the end of the cavity.
8. Add the stuffing. Pack it in.
9. Shove the other lemon half and remaining garlic in, then close the skin flaps over the hole.
   If you care about properly closing it, seal the hole with a skewer or toothpicks (keeps more juices in).
10. Now for the outside of the chicken. Drizzle oil, salt and paprika over the outer surface of the chicken. Use your fingers to smear them into the skin.
    Phew! Wash your hands! You’re finished with the messy gross bit!
11. Put the chicken in the oven for the required time in a roasting tray.
12. Prepare your root veg for roasting and put them in later. They’ll need maybe an hour, it depends. (I’m still figuring this bit out!)
13. Prepare and steam the other veg in the last half an hour of the roasting. Steamed veg shouldn’t take more than 12-15 minutes on the stove in a steamer pot.
14. Test the chicken for readiness by sticking a knife or skewer into the breast and seeing if the juices run clear and the meat around the incision is white.
15. Serve!

Rubbing the oil and salt and paprika into the chicken skin gives crispy, seasoned skin (it literally cracked open when I stuck my knife in to check for doneness!). The lemons, garlic and paprika mix give a zesty, flavourful stuffing. The chicken meat inside should be tender and juicy.

Image description: a whole roasted chicken with reddish brown seasoned skin rests on a white plate. The plate is on a brown table.

My next project is figuring out what to do with the juices that leaked out during the cooking process…I’ve got enough for a stock base or something. Any ideas?

Staying home and staying connected

Hi all. Well, it’s been over a month since I last posted. *sigh*. I wanted to post more thoughts, sooner, but got caught up in work stuff and when that happens, I don’t want to think enough for blogging on my days off. Motivation goes away. Then the whole thing with this virus started.

I have many, many thoughts, but these days it’s often easier to share them in short-form conversations, such as Twitter threads. You can follow me there if you like. (I’ve been very into fandom on there lately!)

This post was started two to three weeks ago, but then WordPress had a hissy fit when I tried to post it and refused to save. I’m just hoping this one works. It feels like it’s been three months since then, not three weeks. Supanova feels so far away too…

Supanova Melbourne is going to be my marker in all of this in terms of when things started. I attended with some caution, but on the second weekend of March, cases in Australia were still limited to international arrivals. I’m also privileged in that I’m not immunocompromised or otherwise at risk, so the risk felt minimal. A week later, Supanova Gold Coast only went ahead because our Prime Minister decided to time the first community restrictions to start on the Monday, not the Saturday. If Supanova GC had been first and Melbourne second, I wouldn’t have gone to it, because things changed so much so fast in that first week. It’s surreal.

How are we all going, people? Hope you’re as okay as possible, right now, physically and mentally. In Victoria, it’s week three of shutdown. (Australia, too, but the way this crisis has been managed so far, the states have had to take the lead and done everything slightly differently to each other, so I’m referencing my home state only.) No-one’s allowed out of the house unless it’s for one of four very specific reasons, with specifications in the fine print. We’ve been told to expect changes in some form for at least six months.

Councils have closed libraries and pools/ activity centres, initially until the start of April, but now indefinitely. University choirs, including my local one, LaTUCS, have paused or suspended activities. (Even this year’s national intervarsity choral festival has been postponed and won’t happen this year – a first!) My church has gone virtual, live-streaming pre-recorded services. Schools will be operating with online/ remote learning procedures and end-of-year exams have been postponed.

Despite the inevitability of the Victorian shutdown decision, its suddenness still took me by surprise. While I’m very pleased it happened – it gives me confidence that our premier and his government are on top of things as much as they can be – it’s still disconcerting.

My brain thrives on predictability and certainty. I was anxious during the week prior to the shutdown due to the uncertain circumstances. I had a meltdown after I went home on the last day of onsite school work actually, because it had built too much. It’s still unsettling that this is going to continue indefinitely and I don’t know when I’ll be able to be physically close to my friends, family and colleagues again.

I’m sure I’m not the only one struggling with feelings around this. In these times, we all need to be gentle with ourselves. We need to support those who work in essential services, like health care workers, cleaners & garbage collectors, posties, and supermarket (etc.) workers. Give them a smile, don’t be a dick to them. The current chaos isn’t their fault.

Honour your own feelings at this time. It’s scary, frustrating, tiring, sad. I’ve found acknowledging the feeling and brainstorming what could help is useful. As well as things like seeking out favourite activities, watching calming/ funny/ moving videos, snuggling with warm (and/or weighted) blankets, taking warm showers and listening to music. All the usual advice applies about trying to get enough sleep, food, physical activity, mental stimulation and social contact. Keyword there being “trying to”.

I’ve been creating daily schedules for myself using Google Calendar. They’re loose and flexible but provide my brain with the structure it needs. I schedule needed activities first, so I can reward myself with the wanted ones after. I also make sure to include reminders for breaks for food and movement.

One of the things I’ve organised are scheduled “virtual café” catchups with friends and family. The idea is we each grab a beverage of choice then phone or video call at a pre-determined time. I love having catchups with friends, and moving this online during this time seems like a great way to stay connected when every other way of socialising is restricted.

Another idea is to do something like what’s suggested by the Black Dog Institute in this article: a self-care plan. They have a template you can follow, it’s quite easy. Give it a go; we all need to think about taking care of ourselves in this time, especially if we’re supporting others.

Everyone needs to figure out how to do stay connected during these times. What works for you? (Please comment! I’d love to get some virtual conversations going!)

I’m going to aim for blogging once a week – I want to get into the habit again. Until next time, remember you can find me on Twitter, like I said at the start of this post.

Ugh. June is the month of sickness apparently

Hi all. Last week I did lots of fun and busy things, so no blog posts.

I’d hoped to remedy that this week, but woke up crook with some sort of gastro thing on Monday. I thought it had gone away by the end of Tuesday, but it reappeared yesterday. Yuck.

So I’m on the couch today with only podcasts and hydrolyte solution for company. (I’d like to do more, but anything that makes my eyes focus for too long isn’t helpful to recovery.)

Maybe after the GP visit today I’ll go back to bed. I slept through the afternoon on Monday.

*sigh* why did this had to hit the last week of term instead of the first school holiday week? idk. I wanted to do fun end-of-term stuff with the students…

In the meantime, I’m listening to a podcast that I’d saved from last year about the idea of a universal basic income and other so-called radical ideas. Fascinating stuff. I must remember to get the book they’re talking about, “Utopia for realists”. Sounds interesting.

podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/conversations/id94688506

After that extended break…

Hi there. Hope you all had a good holiday period. My Christmas/ early January holiday was lovely, followed by a great AIV2019. Fun times, nice places, great people. Many thoughts and feels.

Now, it’s back home to work and the like. I’ve started my new job and feel good. I’m looking forward to where 2019 leads. I’ve got a few plans in mind – Monday and Wednesday will be my blogging days, with the occasional scheduled post on other days, due to work commitments. I’ve started a Twitter account today, where these blog posts will also be published under the same handle (@myzania15).

I really hope that 2019 leads to better leadership on climate change; it’s sorely needed. The hot weather lately has been quite something. I’ve activated my “hot weather operating procedure”: any errands to be completed in the morning before 11/12, or after 16:00; windows shut and blinds down during the day, to be flung open if it cools in the evening. I’ll manage. 🙂 I just hope that the weather improves down south so that the fires in Tasmania can be fully contained and put out. It doesn’t look good down there. Meanwhile, in Townsville and far north Queensland, they’re bracing for flooding and thunderstorms. Including in places where I visited earlier this month! Wow.

I’ll write more soon. Below is a picture of sunrise at Pallarenda beach, Townsville that I took during my holiday there. I had to set my alarm for a 05:15 wake up to get it, but it was lovely.

Central Australia trip report #7 & 8

Wow. I didn’t realise I’d forgotten to upload the last two days of these.

 

Day 7

The next morning we were up and going early. We soon arrived in Alice Springs.

We saw the sights and had a drive around. Including Charles Darwin University:

And a place called “Anzac Hill”, a memorial to those who’d died and served in war.

At the top, I realised that I’d been up Anzac Hill before – when I went to Central Australia with school, some seven (!) years ago now.

Then:

…and now:

We drove on through and around the town and found other things to see. Like the monument to four people who died during the “Inaugural Cannonball Run” in 1994. You can find out more information about the race and monument here. (It’s located to the south of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway.)

We also took a squiz at the Cultural Centre and town square. We’d had the luck to visit during NAIDOC week, so there were events going on. Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of those.

Eventually, we had to travel on, aiming for Uluru.

Day 8

The next morning, we awoke early. We’d spent another night “free-camping” just outside the national park (Uluru campsite itself – Yulara – was full), to take the total to three. We had set our alarms to wake us before dawn. I remembered seeing the sunset at Uluru last time and wanted to experience a sunrise with family.

So off we went.

We found a good spot in the designated viewing area (they have different ones for sunrise and sunset), then set up to take photos.

Hello, Uluru.

I’m so glad the climbing ban’s been placed… There are plenty of different ways to experience the place with respect.

We took photos of the distant Olgas too.

It would’ve been nice to do a ranger-guided walk around all of Uluru, as I’d done with school, but time was against us. The tour started too late and went too “long” for our purposes, due to a scheduled flight. Before I left on that plane though we went close to the Rock at Mutitjulu waterhole and did a little walk, exploring the story told there.

We visited the Uluru cultural centre and saw the displays. Including hearing a talk by a ranger and Indigenous people about various tools the Indigenous people of the area use/d. Hint: boomerang is not universal. The Pitjantjatjara people call it a kali. (For more words, see this link: Pitjantjatjara words – Tools.)

And then we were off on the road again, for the last time on the trip together…. (For context, I had made the decision to fly back to Melbourne while others continued back down the highway, because it got me back in time for placement with a couple of days to regroup.)

Before long, we arrived at the airport…and it was soon time for boarding.

Then lift-off.

As we were told at the start of the flight by the pilot, the flight took us south of Coober Pedy, near Leigh Creek (? At least, I think that was the name of it), over Lake Eyre North, south of the Flinders Ranges, above Mildura to Bendigo then over the outer suburbs to land in Melbourne. In other words, I reflected, it used a similar route to our trip. I liked the symmetry of that.

Here’s Lake Eyre North:

The flight was pretty good. Before long though – quicker than I’d expected – we were flying over the outskirts of Melbourne…

Ready for landing.

But my journey back wasn’t yet complete. I went out and had to choose between the SkyBus then train, or a PTV bus and ended up choosing the latter (cheaper and not much longer). After another hour and a half, I was back home.

 

An image sourced from Google as illustration – obviously going the opposite direction than me!

 

Book Review: Letters of Love

My weekend was busy in some aspects – travel here, do this, travel there (with an early start), do that. But it meant I got to see family (yay!) and then, at the end of it all, I spent a lazy late Sunday afternoon reading and chatting with housemates.

The book I read was a non-fiction one. It was a series of letters written by Prominent Australians, to people and things they love. Including their older and younger selves, their children (currently born or yet-to-be), football (Aussie Rules), childhood, love, parents, partner, friends, grandparents, Australia, and more.

This book is a beautiful treasure, a tribute to life in many forms and often thought-provoking. It left me feeling calm and reinvigorated, as well as making me reflect on what things I would say to different people in my life if given the chance. It makes me want to create that chance and write letters to them.

I highly recommend the book.

Orange Sky charity for homelessness

Got plenty of things to say, but in the meantime (because I ran out of time today), here’s something I’ve wanted to post about for a while.

See, a couple of weeks ago, I went to a fancy dinner to celebrate the year. It was organised through uni. At the dinner, between main course and dessert, we heard a talk from Nic and Lucas, the guys behind Orange Sky Laundry.

It’s a pretty awesome story about community and people helping people. As Nic and Lucas told it, they had an idea, to wash the clothes of homeless people using a mobile laundry service in the back of a van. They had a few setbacks in starting up, but now they’ve got services in different places across Australia. They’ve also started up a mobile shower service that accompanies the laundry.

Here’s a screenshot of the front page of their website, for some visuals. The real thing can be found by clicking here: http://www.orangeskylaundry.com.au/

The laundry service fills a physical need. It also fills social and emotional ones. It creates community.

 

The way they told the story got me thinking.

It reminded me of the connection I made for a little while with a homeless woman, who used to beg on Londsdale Street near Parliament Station. I think her name was Sally. The first time I met her, I was walking quickly towards the station from the bus stop, on my way back home. It was 2015 I think. I remember, the fact that made me pause was that she had a dog. An old corgie if I recall correctly. As I paused I listened to her telling her story to another person. Over time, through more stops, I’d hear more of it.

She was homeless due to domestic violence. She had had a pretty rough life. It seemed like life had dealt her a series of blows – her own child died young, for example. She lived for her dog; the money she got was first spent on dog-food, then on accommodation for the night, then food for herself.

She had cancer too and had been told she only had a year to live, which dwindled away as I visited.

How do I know she was telling the truth?

I don’t. Not really. But her eyes – the pain in them – I saw that. It felt real to me.

 

I don’t see her anymore. I haven’t done since about this time last year. I think she’s passed on.

I wonder what happened to her dog? That was her biggest fear.

Life Update!

It’s raining/wet! Yay!

Not something I thought I’d say much….but I’ve been reflecting lately. This winter has been too dry (multiple sources have confirmed it) and it’s nice to have rain. Including proper heavy rain-on-roof pattering, not just grey drizzle (looking at you, hometown, and your three plus weeks of nothing but that in the past). What’s the weather been like in other places?

Also, last week I finished placement.

I had a routine while on placement for the start and end of the day. Upon arrival at the community health centre I worked in for placement, I’d sign myself in, receive my student/visitor pass and stick that in my pocket, looping the lanyard through my belt-loops or similar (hate wearing those things ’round my neck). I’d then put my name-badge on. The afternoon ritual was the reverse. Sign out, return pass and take name-badge off as I put on my coat, scarf and beanie. Then I’d walk to the bus stop and head off on my way home.

Rituals and routines are interesting things. They make us as humans – we’re creatures of habit and without them, we feel uncomfortable, some more than others. I bookended the start and end of my day with the ritual of pass + badge on and off because I’d learnt in the mental health subject just prior to placement that those sort of rituals are useful to separate “work” and “life”. It really helped, too, in that first week when everything was a little overwhelming and intense. It was an “I don’t have to think about that anymore today!” trick.

But that meant it left me with a funny feeling when I signed myself out that last time (at least, that I know of….). I worked with a great bunch of people and I learnt heaps. I’m already applying it in my next subject. 🙂

My weekend was a mix of busy, relaxing and fun. In different intervals. Organising something is good – even better when people respond to it with enthusiasm. Hanging out with people and letting other people do the organising (while being very appreciative of them) is also good.

I had fun with friends and made a few new ones, as well as enjoying plenty of good food. I reflected after the second event that when it comes to me and social events, I tend to measure how good of an event it was for me by the quality of the conversations I had with people at that event. If I talked deeply with someone or shared stories with them about mutual interests or an interesting topic that I hadn’t heard about before or something. Bonus points if in one of those conversations, I made a new connection or two or learnt something new about a friend. Light and fluffy conversations are cool too.

Oh yeah, and on Saturday I made myself brunch of sourdough toast (last slices before it went bad 😦 ), beetroot and chickpea dip, “boiled” egg, bocconcini balls and lettuce – leftovers from an event the night before. Verdict: delicious.

Today’s breakfast was a smoothie with wholegrain toast slathered with margarine. Yum!

Smoothie ingredients: 2x overripe bananas, 8x soft strawberries, 1x 250mL orange juice bottle – all of which needed using up. Plus 2-3 tablespoons Greek-style yoghurt and Weetabix Bites crumbs (i.e. wheat flakes with the occasional berry piece). Blend all together until smooth, then enjoy. As you can see, I’ll be having this tomorrow as well… I made nearly a litre of the stuff – the cup below was my second and that jar is 500mL! :O 😀

 

 

Finally…. I haven’t written a political post in a while, because these days I don’t really have much headspace for it. But today, let’s just say that the note on my About page saying that I “reserve the right to disown the govt we’ve got, because they don’t speak for me” really applies on several fronts – namely, regarding refugees and marriage equality. It’d be nice if we had people in govt who had spines and a sense of decency… Some things have gone on for too bloody long. -_-

 

 

 

#Lest We Forget

Today is a day of reflection and commemoration (not celebration) for many Australians. We do this in different ways. The marches and speeches and so on are one way. I saw another way via Facebook last night, when the floodlights of the MCG were off and thousands of people stood in silence for a minute – you could only see the light of their phones, across the ground.

The link I’ve embedded below is another. We should remember those who fought and died as well as those who returned home wounded in body and spirit.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Funcannyannieblog%2Fposts%2F1339439599436336&width=500

It’s also worth reflecting that the first ANZAC Day – the landing at Gallipoli – was 102 years ago and was part of a war they’d called “the war to end all wars”. Yet so many more have followed…

As said by Costa A here:

“ANZAC Day is about remembering how awful war is, how many Aussies died because of it, how many Aussies were brave enough to put themselves in harm’s way to protect us, and how – out of respect for all of this – we have to work as hard as we can to avoid the need for future wars. This means combating climate change, not taking the bait of dickhead Islamic extremists, and learning from our (Iraq, Vietnam) mistakes. Having a big strong tough-as-fuck army is important too. But it’s a Plan B we wanna have to use as little as possible. #lestweforget “

 

Reblog: Melbourne weather: ‘Extraordinary’ autumn hotter than summer – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I love warm weather. But the current circumstances are a bit out of the ordinary….

And I’m having to be so very busy in it.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-15/melbourne-warm-march-weather-is-setting-records/8354396?pfmredir=sm