Day 15 - The Aftermath

I'm writing this at 12pm. Tim slept on the lounge because his bed was confiscated because it was a king size and could accommodate two people. (We had 5 extras stay over last night) He's only just surfaced to go and reclaim his bed upstairs. I doubt we'll see much of him today.

I woke at about 7.30am but was not interested in the devastation waiting downstairs. As the relations eventually began to surface they sat around outside and drank coffee and smoked.

I knew that the milk was low so used the excuse to go for a walk to the shops. The parking lot country markets were open for business and they were selling heads of lettuce and other salad vegetables. Spring onions were large enough to buy in singles.

In the picture, you will notice the single pick up truck and the lonely table that constitutes the Slater Fresh Country Market Inc. I've given them this official title as it was too sad not to have a name for these people.


On the menu for breakfast:
Biscuits and gravy

Biscuits are the size of large scones but more of a bread consistency than scone. They come in the tube packs you see in the pic and when you break the seal, they puff slightly. They separate easily enough and go onto a baking dish to go in the oven for 15 mins.

Gravy is a bit more involved. You get a package of Oldham Country Sausage (the consistency of the uncooked sausage from a butcher), pinch it out into 1/2 teaspoon size chunks and fry. Then you make a white sauce (maybe with a little cheese but you couldn't really tell) and pour it over the mince balls. They break up the biscuits into little pieces  on their plate and spoon the gravy over it. Biscuits can also be had like scones with jelly (jam).

Menu from the party last night:
I quickly made guacamole dip because nobody thought of anything like that and there were things in the cupboard that I could use. Also found some Philly cream cheese and added chilli sauce and mixed. Split both dips onto two serving plates and surrounded with CCs and they were amazed and the cooking ability of Aussies.

One of the guests (not sure where she fits in) who looks disturbingly like David Spade in his Joe Dirt
character (pictured here) except without the moustache and beard***, wanted to know what was in the Philly dip (it was just soooooo gooooood) I explained that it was simply Philly with chilli sauce tipped in and she asked for the recipe. I explained again that is was simply Philly and chilli sauce and she asked me to write down the recipe for her. Think I might bring out my own Missouri Cook Book (limited edition.) The concept of what Ben, Jake and Kristina are capable would be too difficult to try to explain. They can bring out their own books later.

*** Took me quite a while to work out that this dude in jeans and a baseball shirt was a dudette! She had already packed away a few brewskis and was starting to talk in American Braille.

As I'm writing this, the conversation on the patio ranges from Obamacare, to "What the hell was that animal thing in my backyard?", to alien sightings, Clare's childhood, the benefits of a home garden versus canned goods, how arrogant we are to think that these aliens can't just smite us where we stand so they must just want to be friendly, "How the hell you 'gonna' trap that thing hanging around your backyard?", how community support in Japan after disasters is second to none, through to healthy eating. All of these segueing quite neatly through a nicely woven narrative.

Just chilllin' on a Sunday afternoon.