today i made a rabbit casserole/stew with my dad. we improvised the whole thing and it worked out really, really well.
the maltese love their rabbit, so we're not unfamiliar with it. rabbit's great in that it's very lean and bonds with many flavours, but it can become tough quite quickly.
here's a basic recipe, from memory: rabbit casserole with gnocchi.
oil, for frying
onion, diced
tomato paste (as always, be liberal!)
2 wild rabbit (we bought them from coles, they were nice and clean)
fennel (not too much)
2 cans tomatoes (diced, preferably)
marsala (again, not too much)
peas
pepper
gnocchi (2 packets)
1. preheat the oven to 180 C (fan forced, so 200 C for a regular oven). heat the oil in a frypan over low-medium heat. add the onion and tomato paste and cook.
2. cut the rabbits into pieces, using a sharp knife. the bones are brittle and may break easily around the legs. add to the pan and bring to high heat (but keep an eye on it because you don't want the rabbit to get too tough). cook until lightly browned.
3. reduce to lower heat. add fennel, tomatoes, marsala and peas. season with pepper. place in a casserole dish and cook for around 1.5 hours, checking the meat occasionally.
4. bring a pot of salted water to the boil. add gnocchi and drain when the water reboils. serve with olives, bread and grated cheese if you wish.
serves 6-8.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
today's news.
today i went to see a cosmetic surgeon regarding potential facial surgery. it was a really, really enlightening appointment for several reasons.
he seemed to be a bit surprised when i told him that i had moebius syndrome, because moebius normally affects both sides of the face completely (my right side is partly affected by moebius). it just reminds me of not only how rare moebius is, but how rare my own case is.
the most clear surgical option for me is having my lip thinned out a bit. at the moment it just hangs there. i can't move the left corner of my mouth so my lips are sumply stretched when i smile and talk (like a chewing action). the gold weight is fine.
the doctor also shed some light on the future. because the only functioning muscle in the left side of my face is the transplanted muscle, i will have accelarated ageing in my face on the left side. my eyebrows and eyelids will droop down because i don't have muscle to hold them up. the muscle in my cheek will similarly slacken. so i may have to have more surgery or facelifts in the future, which is something i wasn't aware of.
and that was basically it. i can have surgery this year if i want to. i'm a bit confused by the whole situation, and don't know what i should do. i've been thinking about it a lot. i just need to consider my options and my motives and come to an informed decision that will hopefully keep me happy.
he seemed to be a bit surprised when i told him that i had moebius syndrome, because moebius normally affects both sides of the face completely (my right side is partly affected by moebius). it just reminds me of not only how rare moebius is, but how rare my own case is.
the most clear surgical option for me is having my lip thinned out a bit. at the moment it just hangs there. i can't move the left corner of my mouth so my lips are sumply stretched when i smile and talk (like a chewing action). the gold weight is fine.
the doctor also shed some light on the future. because the only functioning muscle in the left side of my face is the transplanted muscle, i will have accelarated ageing in my face on the left side. my eyebrows and eyelids will droop down because i don't have muscle to hold them up. the muscle in my cheek will similarly slacken. so i may have to have more surgery or facelifts in the future, which is something i wasn't aware of.
and that was basically it. i can have surgery this year if i want to. i'm a bit confused by the whole situation, and don't know what i should do. i've been thinking about it a lot. i just need to consider my options and my motives and come to an informed decision that will hopefully keep me happy.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
life, love and everything else!
finished exams on the 24th of June. how smashing! i feel i went rather well in them, and i know i prepared well. so hopefully my results are favourable.
this week has been good. it's been lovely to relax and spend time with my family. tomorrow we're going to our farm and we'll be there for a week, i'm really looking forward to it! the city is so oppressive sometimes, it's nice to get away and just clear the head.
i start uni again in late july. i'm halfway through my course! - isn't that bizarre? it will be nice to finish, though i haven't the foggiest idea what i'm going to do with myself after it's over. probably more study so i can actually get a job!
there's a lot more i could say here but whatever. it's for another day i guess. right now i'm tired and am about to have a nice mug of jasmine green tea :)
peace and love, friends!
this week has been good. it's been lovely to relax and spend time with my family. tomorrow we're going to our farm and we'll be there for a week, i'm really looking forward to it! the city is so oppressive sometimes, it's nice to get away and just clear the head.
i start uni again in late july. i'm halfway through my course! - isn't that bizarre? it will be nice to finish, though i haven't the foggiest idea what i'm going to do with myself after it's over. probably more study so i can actually get a job!
there's a lot more i could say here but whatever. it's for another day i guess. right now i'm tired and am about to have a nice mug of jasmine green tea :)
peace and love, friends!
Friday, June 10, 2011
for your listening pleasure!
in my opinion, some of the best music ever. always fills me with a wonderful sense of peace. plus the videos are quite entertaining and bizarre :) enjoy!
(the song (and album) my blog is named after :)
peace!
(the song (and album) my blog is named after :)
peace!
this week has been so wonderful. i really can't explain it...i don't think i've felt this great about things in quite a while. life is so beautiful, the world so so beautiful. though it is insanely cold here - i like cold weather, but right now my fingers feel like icicles :/
i'm really looking forward to the future and the opportunities it holds. last week my dad told me that the couple who works in the office next to his lost their 18 year-old son to suicide at the end of may. even though i didn't know the guy personally, it made me sad to know that he'd felt like there was no other option but to end his life. there is always another option.
this week has been very quiet. i haven't done much except study and cook. cooking is very, very therapeutic...but i confess i'm a little on the messy side :/
next week should be fun, i have one exam on tuesday and then the rest of the week to study. what an interesting life i lead! :P
i've started smiling more. i've realised it's such a nice feeling to smile...plus seeing as i can't frown or raise my eyebrows it's pretty much the only 'expression' i have :) sort of nice when i think about it. i hope i continue to smile more until i become a cheshire cat :P happiness is a great feeling. may you be happy always :)
peace.
i'm really looking forward to the future and the opportunities it holds. last week my dad told me that the couple who works in the office next to his lost their 18 year-old son to suicide at the end of may. even though i didn't know the guy personally, it made me sad to know that he'd felt like there was no other option but to end his life. there is always another option.
this week has been very quiet. i haven't done much except study and cook. cooking is very, very therapeutic...but i confess i'm a little on the messy side :/
next week should be fun, i have one exam on tuesday and then the rest of the week to study. what an interesting life i lead! :P
i've started smiling more. i've realised it's such a nice feeling to smile...plus seeing as i can't frown or raise my eyebrows it's pretty much the only 'expression' i have :) sort of nice when i think about it. i hope i continue to smile more until i become a cheshire cat :P happiness is a great feeling. may you be happy always :)
peace.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
falling leaves.
it's been so, so long since i posted on here. either i've thought about posting and have simply forgotten, or i've had other things on my mind. bit of a mix of the two.
so, what's life been like for me? rather brilliant. last week i finished semester one of 2011. it's great to have accomplished that, as i'm almost officially halfway through my course. i really enjoyed the subjects i took, though literary theory was insanely difficult to comprehend at times. but i had so much fun and learnt a lot.
so next week is stuvac, and i'm setting in for some study. holidays go for about a month, and it will be nice to relax for a while.
my health has been good. i've almost finished my prescription of iron supplements, and need to go back for a blood test to see if there's been any improvement. i haven't donated blood since january, and want to get back into it again. i've been feeling more tired than usual, but perhaps that's because i've been having late nights. :)
some slightly bigger news - in a few weeks i'm going to see a cosmetic surgeon to discuss my options regarding more surgery on my face. i'm not resigned as to whether i will actually do anything, but i would like some advice. moebius isn't causing me any significant problems - it never really has - but i'd like to know what choices i have. part of me does wish from time to time that i'd never had the surgery to begin with as i don't see that it was necessary. perhaps i would have been able to cope. i was pretty young when i had the muscle graft, and i don't remember making the choice. though, if i'd never had the surgery i doubt i would be able to do the things i can now.
in the end though, i think it all matters how i feel about myself. i don't really see it as about what others think so much anymore...perhaps that sounds a little selfish...not too sure... :/ in the end, it's my life and my face. i'm the one who has to live with it, so it needs to be my choice. sometimes i do still feel bad about the way i look, but in general moebius syndrome is the least of my worries (despite what people think). it makes me who i am.
i'm a little nervous (or rather apprehensive) regarding seeing the doctor. i'm not seeing my usual surgeon, and i feel a little 'iffy' about that. though i'm excited to hear what he will say and to know whether anything can be done for my eye and my mouth. i haven't done anything like this for quite a few years, so it's a rather big step for me and i'm looking forward to it.
i'm also saving up to go to america next year for the moebius syndrome foundation conference. i'm thinking about giving a presentation too, but not sure yet whether i'm even going. it's going to be quite a bit of money. but i'm really, really hoping to go.
i'm going to try and post more regularly. smile! :)
so, what's life been like for me? rather brilliant. last week i finished semester one of 2011. it's great to have accomplished that, as i'm almost officially halfway through my course. i really enjoyed the subjects i took, though literary theory was insanely difficult to comprehend at times. but i had so much fun and learnt a lot.
so next week is stuvac, and i'm setting in for some study. holidays go for about a month, and it will be nice to relax for a while.
my health has been good. i've almost finished my prescription of iron supplements, and need to go back for a blood test to see if there's been any improvement. i haven't donated blood since january, and want to get back into it again. i've been feeling more tired than usual, but perhaps that's because i've been having late nights. :)
some slightly bigger news - in a few weeks i'm going to see a cosmetic surgeon to discuss my options regarding more surgery on my face. i'm not resigned as to whether i will actually do anything, but i would like some advice. moebius isn't causing me any significant problems - it never really has - but i'd like to know what choices i have. part of me does wish from time to time that i'd never had the surgery to begin with as i don't see that it was necessary. perhaps i would have been able to cope. i was pretty young when i had the muscle graft, and i don't remember making the choice. though, if i'd never had the surgery i doubt i would be able to do the things i can now.
in the end though, i think it all matters how i feel about myself. i don't really see it as about what others think so much anymore...perhaps that sounds a little selfish...not too sure... :/ in the end, it's my life and my face. i'm the one who has to live with it, so it needs to be my choice. sometimes i do still feel bad about the way i look, but in general moebius syndrome is the least of my worries (despite what people think). it makes me who i am.
i'm a little nervous (or rather apprehensive) regarding seeing the doctor. i'm not seeing my usual surgeon, and i feel a little 'iffy' about that. though i'm excited to hear what he will say and to know whether anything can be done for my eye and my mouth. i haven't done anything like this for quite a few years, so it's a rather big step for me and i'm looking forward to it.
i'm also saving up to go to america next year for the moebius syndrome foundation conference. i'm thinking about giving a presentation too, but not sure yet whether i'm even going. it's going to be quite a bit of money. but i'm really, really hoping to go.
i'm going to try and post more regularly. smile! :)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Life Since Last Post
It's been uneventful. Uni's plodding along as usual, I've had a few assignments due and am trying to crack down on my other ones. There's not a heap of work on, which I'm thankful for. I love the people there, and have made some awesome friends.
A nice picture I found.
Till next time :)
Peace.
MY DAY: Today I went in for my 3-hour Literary Theory class. It takes me about an hour to get to uni (walking and train) so I got there about 10 minutes before class started. About half the class was already there. We were scheduled to have an in-class test and a guest lecturer so I started going over my notes.
10 minutes after class should have started, the lecturer still hadn't shown up. Turned out, our usual lecturer had 'had an accident' and all classes had been cancelled. Trekked it back home, great fun. But I did get to spend quality time with Mum, which was nice.
I can't believe it's April! This year's going so amazingly FAST.
I've had a few more issues in the health department, I need to go back for ANOTHER ultrasound :/ and got a bit sick from the iron supplements I was taking. Been really tired lately. Not fun.
Family are still wonderful. My brother's on a retreat somewhere (no one knows where). My sisters are doing well at school and uni. Friends aren't so great...not all, just a couple...more like one... But I've realised it doesn't matter anymore and that there's so much to focus on than why one friend doesn't seem to care about me anymore. While it's upsetting, it's starting to become less important.
I'm currently reading a book called 'Deaf Sentence' by David Lodge. It's a fictional story about a retired linguistics professor suffering from incurable deafness that worsens with age. Really, really funny, and a wonderfully good read.
I recently finished 'How I Live Now' by Meg Rosoff. It tells the story of 15-year-old, anorexic, self-absorbed Daisy, who is sent from her home in Manhattan to stay with cousins in the remote English countryside. The story is set around the outbreak of a fictional world war and revolves around the children's ability to survive when their idyllic lifestyle is torn apart. Great read.
A nice picture I found.
Till next time :)
Peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)