Crikey!

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Oh my word! I have finally discovered why Americans don't eat lamb. It costs a fortune over here, seriously.

I have been craving that delectable meat, so beloved Downunder, and recently went foraging around the local stores looking for some loin chops. I managed to track down 4 tiny chops for the magnificent sum of $14.55 USD. I'm not talking about a crown roast or even a rack of lamb, oh no. Some measly scraps, mostly bone and fat with a little bit of meat on them cost that much!

Lamb was pricey in Tampa but it was not even close to this. I could give up lamb and start eating pork but quite frankly, that would be un-Australian.
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Despite the 'Get some pork on your fork' slogan, which is very catchy I might add, I just cannot bring myself to eat Pork. It's a shame because here it is cheap and plentiful while my lamb chops, obviously are not.

I am saving my small chops for April 25th, Anzac Day. I will fire up the BBQ and indulge in lamb, smothered generously in tomato sauce, (weirdly, people here find that disgusting), while toasting my heroes, the Anzacs.

On a brighter note, we chanced upon some Kraft Cheddar Cheese Spread at the grocery store. What a find! I've already indulged in dry biscuits with the good stuff lavishly heaped on top. It's amazing how certain foods bring such happy memories of home.

I am awaiting an order placed with an Australian grocery store online for Vegemite. I have been out of it for some time but have reached the point where I can go on without Vegemite no longer. The prices these Aussie groceries charge is downright highway robbery, but what is an Aussie Countess who is such a long way from home to do?

While ordering the marvellous black stuff, I had to throw in some Cadbury blocks, custard powder and Choc Ripple biscuits. I can't wait to make a Chocolate Ripple Cake!
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To digress from food adventures for just a moment, I am happy that the roads here have dried out, which means no more mud! I love driving up and down the mountain, taking in the amazing views and pretending to be Michael Shumacher tearing up the hill.


The road is so nice now that we have been able to get the Vintage Volvo out of the garage and gad about town. In May there will be a vintage car parade and we are thinking of joining in and entering the Volvo.
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When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading

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Yesterday I rebelled at having been too long deprived of some classic Aussie tucker and set about making a meat pie. The trouble is, one cannot buy shortcrust pastry here in the US. Why? Such a simple and common food item, it seems strange that it is not readily available.

Pastry making is a chore best avoided, thank heavens for the ready-made sheets of short crust and puff pastry in the freezer at any supermarket in Australia.

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A recipe was sought for the flaky delight. Nigella Lawson has always provided excellent recipes that convert into delicious and popular treats. This time the results were not so pleasing. Oh dear, it was very buttery and not at all suitable, back to the books to find another. Nigella, how could you let me down like that? I thought we were friends?

Puff pastry sheets are impossible to get, but I did manage to find long rectangles of it which were combined to make one flat sheet.

The flavoursome filling as it cooked.

The pie turned out really well and is heartily recommended for my fellow Aussies, expats and anyone who just likes to eat yummy things.

Meat Pie

short crust pastry (store bought for the lucky ones)

2 tablespoons olive oil

400g chuck or blade steak, diced

1 onion, sliced

150g button mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 teaspoon Vegemite

1 tablespoons plain flour

1tablespoon bisto

200 mls red wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup (250 mls) beef stock

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

sea salt and pepper

1 sheet puff pastry

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten


Preheat oven to 200°C/400F Lightly spray a pie pan, lay sheet of pastry in with enough to cover the edges. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Not the prettiest looking pie, but a scrumptious one.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Brown meat in batches. Add remaining oil to pan and reduce temperature to medium, add vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Return meat to the pan and stir through the flour and Bisto. Cook for one minute then add the wine, tomato paste, vegemite stock and rosemary. Stir and cook for 50 mins- 1 hour or until tender. Season to taste and stir through parsley. Set aside to cool.

Spoon beef mixture into pastry case. Place on the top of the pie and press edges with a fork. Brush generously with egg wash, pierce the top and bake for 12- 15 minutes or until golden.

Some may say a pie is a tad on the fattening side. Let that not get in the way of a hearty home cooked treat, 'Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart." Erma Bombeck

Title quote by Henry Youngman.

Things I like about America - Home shopping.

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There are 3 major home shopping networks here in the US, all three of them are wonderful. There is just something magical about shopping via the telly or the Internet. One can plonk one's arse on the couch and it's just like being out doing actual shopping all day, minus the stinky sweaty hordes, rude sales people and having to carry those heavy bags. Not to mention the sheer amount of choice that one just does not find going from store to store.

Thanks to the joys of home shopping I feel like a small child in a candy store, only it's so much better than that, more like a kid let loose in Willy Wonker's Chocolate Factory, minus those scary ooompa loompa's. Actually going to the mall one can see plenty of those, less fashionably dressed though. Home shopping means I don't have to go out and see the rabble in their t-shirt, shorts and thong finery. Another reason I like it so much.

I have to do all my coveting and shopping surreptitiously. The Colonel will chastise me if I shop too much. Still, like a juggernaut, I can't be stopped, I find myself watching the programs more and more or getting online and perusing the catalogue, to 'window shop'.
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On the weekend, one of the networks had a 5 value pay day. Anything purchased on that day came with the option of paying for it in 5 smaller payments over 5 months, interest free. Unbelievable. I bought a cheesecake, my first ever food purchase online. I am having a guest over for dinner this week, that's my excuse, really I just was salivating at the sight of the sumptuous desert. Made by Junior's bakery in Brooklyn, it has chocolate mousse on top, cheesecake on the bottom and is coated in a chocolate ganache, it looks so deliciously decadent.

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I love Jewelery, always have, always will. Like a magpie I am drawn to bright, sparkly objects and I love to line my nest with glittering baubles. Brummagem or real it's no difference to me as long as it shines.

On Sunday a new collection debuted on HSN. While the Colonel was outside working on his truck I was indulging in a fabulous jewelery show. Rarities by Carol Bodie, it was one sumptuous piece after another. A very popular show, the pieces were disappearing before a full presentation could be done on them. Some stunning gemstone earrings were shown briefly as an item that would be featured later on, but that never happened as they sold out immediately. It was like a shark attack, a veritable feeding frenzy. The pace blew me away. My head was spinning as each glorious piece was aired, only to see them disappear in rapid succession.

Ms Brodie spent many years working at Harry Winston. She told some colourful stories of working with all kinds of creative people, such as a jeweler to the Maharaja's of India. How very exotic. I was less interested in the stories about all the celebrities and their red carpet jewels and her work for films. True, the baubles are stunning, but I am so over the whole celebrity circus. What moron goes out and has to have a certain stone or look just because some whiney, mostly untalented celeb, has it? Sorry if I offended anyone but quite frankly, I am sure no one like that reads my blog.

Brodie told the story of how Jennifer Lopez's pink diamond engagement ring was made, how she scoured the world for the perfect stone. Pink diamond's are interesting but I really don't get excited that it was for some mediocre celebrity. What really piqued my interest was the story about the most delicious rings in the program. Brodie relayed the tale of a visit to a high end Jeweler in Capri she visited while on honeymoon. A gorgeous citrine ring was purchased there and she has copied the original for her collection. That's what I find enticing, the gorgeousness of Capri, knowing the ring was originally inspired by the idyllic Italian coast, not by some celebrity slags and their 'bling-bling'. Cringe. The ring I craved is the massive citrine and onyx featured in the picture. There is something about yellow stones and gold that I find enthralling. It sold out so fast, I was still in a mesmerised trance at it's loveliness when I saw the 'sold out' sign appear. Disappointment indeed. I was quite distraught at missing out, but worse than that alone, I could picture all the frumpy house fraus of America who had beaten me to it, wearing that darling 5th Ave ring around, complete with the tawdry or just plain matronly ensembles most people seem to attire themselves in over here.

I did take some consolation in doing a bit of an Internet search for Carol Brodie and seeing that posts had been made about her highly anticipated collection on blogs, thus ensuring a viewing audience of connoisseurs, not just connoi-bleuhs Apparently she is quite a celebrity herself and her Rarities collection has been awaited with some degree of excitement.

America may not have Vegemite or Red Rooster, but it does have some really great Home Shopping, and that makes Chichi a happy little Vegemite.