lunch time treats that don't piss me off

I have been annoyed lately. Not so much by the world economic crisis, or the destruction of the environment - I have different part of my brain for being annoyed about those - but this current annoyance has been about those very small little pottles of fruit in jelly or custard or what-not that you can buy from the supermarket for between $4 and $7 dollars for an over packaged bundle of 4 100-150 ml tubs. I had been occasionally buying 6 packs of yoghurt pottles for a small lunch time treat for the boys - good source of calcium, quick and easy ra-de-ra. Mr 7 however has decided that pottles of yoghurt no longer meet the school yard standard and he is grossly deprived by the lack of little pottles of jelly and fruit - a most high status provision he has witnessed at school. O.k - it was the weekend, shopping day - there was no way I was parting with $5 for such an over packaged ultra-instant bit of marketing. Since when did jelly crystals and custard powder become so inconvenient?? So, brain wave - bought a packet of jelly crystals, a can of fruit salad in juice ($1.70 total) and got Mr Demanding to make some, he made six (plenty to share with his little bro over the week) - and we still had some fruit left to scoff (cooks privilege). Totally fun activity, another step towards self-feeding child.

Ahh but it gets better! I remembered last time we went to stay at Mum and Dad's Mum made an old family dessert from her Granny's cook book called 'Pineapple Fruit Cream' absolutey delish and one of those recipes which although scrummy and treaty and enjoyed by almost everybody is also surprisingly nutritious (high in calcium, protein, fibre, plus low in fat and -potentially- sugar). So I've whipped up a batch - and low and behold there is enough (with less than $4 of ingredients) to make not only 8 mini puddings to go in school lunches, but also a large dollop for the four of us for pudding tonight! (secret ingredient: air!)
So, here is the recipe

Pineapple Fruit Cream (Granny Bull)
1 tin crushed pineapple (I used pineapple in juice)
2 level dessert spoons gelatine
1/2 c sugar (I used 1/4 c)
1 tin evaporated milk (I used 98.5% fat free) which has been in the fridge for at least 1 hour (helps it whip).
1. Pour juice from pineapple over gelatine, add sugar and stand bowl in hot water until dissolved, allow to cool.
2. Whip evaporated milk (I hadn't tried this before, but it work really fast!)
3. Beat both mixtures together
4. Stir in pineapple pulp.
5. Pour into containers and set in the fridge.

I assume you could use any fruit, and in the absence of gelatine you could use a packet of jelly crystals (and omit the sugar).

And here is Little and Furps nesting.

crafts and someone's really bad day

I was going to make this post about the nifty crafts I've been working on. But before I do I feel compelled to write about a boy I saw today having quite probably the worst day of his life so far. I'm not sure that I should call him a boy because he was probably late teens, possibly even early twenties, but I use the term 'youth' in jest so often that I can't use it in this circumstance. I saw this boy being arrested by 5 large police officers. The body language was extreme, the boy had his hoody pulled up over his head and his head as far down as is humanly possible. He had his back to the police men and he was hanging his arms and head over a fence almost like he was already in a cage, his feet were almost off the ground. In contrast the body language of the police was relaxed, so relaxed that I think 'how to look relaxed even when you're not' must be covered fairly thoroughly in police training. When they decided to act - manhandling the boy into a police car they were quick and his resistance was completely ineffective.

In more cheerful happenings I have made a cell phone pouch for my sister, who gave me no specifications other than 'funky fabrics' so I think I met the brief.

I also (during the last school holidays) discovered the wonderful knitting designer Hansi Singh and gave her cuttlefish knitting pattern a try. The first knitting I have done for ages and I'm definitely hooked again. I'm doing one of her starfish now and have plans to attempt the deep sea lantern fish complete with it's parasitic male.