Holiday activities.

D'Arcy got a tie-dye kit for his birthday some years ago which he's been keen to use. I finally managed to get some plain shirts for him to dye...




Here are the results. It's not the immersion type, rather that you fill bottles with dye and squirt it on after you've tied. We weren't quite careful enough to get all the folded bits coloured, so might have another go at the very sparse white one. Just need to get more soda ash from the craft shop. There's dye left over and they claim it'll last two weeks. The kit was made by Jacquard and came with everything you need, except shirts. It's pretty good really and I'd recommend it as a birthday gift for someone in that 7-13 age range. Boys or girls.
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Liveblogging the pesto X

Happy.









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Liveblogging the pesto IX

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Liveblogging the pesto VIII

Mission accomplished. A lot of pesto.


I'll probably freeze most of this in little portions. It goes OK on pasta when thawed, better for pizzas or in other sauce-based things that can use a basil/garlic/tomato hit. I like my pesto reasonably chunky.

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Liveblogging the pesto VII

Parmesan in. I cheat and use shredded in a bag from the stupid market.



Water boiling.






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Liveblogging the pesto VI

Pine nuts in.





Better get the water on for the pasta, hey?

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Liveblogging the pesto V

In goes the basil, with more EVOO. Suddenly not convinced it's all going to fit.... Hmmm.


That's about half the basil so far.

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Liveblogging the pesto IV

Right. So after a short break to change a nappy and dome rigorous handwashing, we're back. Garlic in the whizzer with SDTs and some EVOO, as the toes were dry packed. Sadly, I just noticed they have preservative 220 in them, which I generally try to avoid.


Ooh, they match!

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Liveblogging the pesto III

Bugger. Forgot to get the pine nuts toasting before washing the basil.


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Liveblogging the pesto II

Washed and ready to go.



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Liveblogging the pesto I

One bunch washing. One waiting its turn.

It's been really hot on and off. Christmas eve was bad, and we went out and put Erik in a bucket to play. He had a great time, and I had to refill it several times. I think we'll do it again, as it's a really easy way for him to have some water play.




Erik was demonstrating his readiness for a ride-on toy by trying to ride his fire engine.




Fortunately we'd anticipated this and he got a Bob truck for Christmas. It has a little mobile phone handset (just under te steering wheel) and that's a big hit. Today while I was on the phone with a friend, Erik was wandering around with his phone at his ear, dragging on my hand. Very cute, for sure. We had a lovely Christmas with my family, who are all here.




It's been a hard holiday period. D'Arcy came to us on Christmas day with the news that his step-sister was sick, and sure enough, by the 28th he had a lovely high fever, followed by vomiting and all the rest. Fortunately for him it only lasted 24 hours and he was able to go with his dad to the coast for a while, but he kindly passed it on to Erik. Erik's manifestation was slightly different though - high fever, but no vomiting, then a very impressive rash that started on his hands and feet and around his mouth, then spread up his arms and legs and on to his face. It took about 5 days until his fever was gone, during which I got totally stir-crazy. Now I have a sore throat and the beloved has a runny nose.

Today I when I rang to talk to D'Arcy his dad said he was sick again, this time with something flu-ey so I'm not looking forward to that. Poor boy. I think they'll hang on to him for a bit longer though. He'll be extra annoyed as he's been asking me every day "is my bike ready?". His Christmas present from us was a new bike, which we went to the shops to choose just before he got sick, and the shop said they'd ring us when it was ready. Today it was, and I went to pick it up, but when I rang to tell him was when I got the news of his latest sickness, and he was asleep.

His knee has healed up nicely, but with a good scar. So that's something I guess.