Missionaries for Dinner

Today I was at the supermarket and my phone rang.  It was the Elders, they were looking for a meal  (I had offered to feed them one day) so they were taking my offer up.  I didn't think it would be a problem and told them to come about 5.30pm.

Nicholas and I headed off to piano lessons after school, stopping off at the bakery for our weekly chocolate donut.  After piano lessons we drove home over three mile hill,  which happened to have road works going on to repair the damage due to a weeks worth of rain.  The road was frosty and we had to stop for a little while.  Looking at my watch it was 4.50pm I still had to pick up Kate from Montessorri and then get home to cook dinner YIKES. 

After getting Kate from daycare I rushed home and started cooking savioury mince on rice and a fruit crumble for dessert.  5.30pm the Elders hadn't arrived (thank goodness) then the phone rang it was them.  They were going to be 10min late.  I said with much relief be as late as you like.  They arrived approx 5.45pm I greeted them and they came in,  we sat and had a chat.  I then went to the kitchen to check on dinner and whilst there I informed the Elders it didn't matter they were late because Dave hadn't arrived home yet either.  Both missionaries stood up promptly and apologised and quickly went to leave.  I had totally forgotten that they couldn't be in the house without Dave being there.  I felt really bad for them as it was so cold, frosty cold they were going to stand outside and wait for Dave to come home.  I suggested they wait in the car instead. 

I text Dave to see how far away he was and unfortunately he was going to be another 30min.  I knew the missionaries had another appointment to go to and so I told them I would bring their dinner to them in the car.  I felt so embarrassed what I thought wouldn't be a problem was a nightmare. The missionaries came to the door and I had their dinner they insisted on standing outside in the freezing cold to eat their meal.

Luckily by the time they had finished their dinner Dave had arrived home thus they were able to eat their dessert in the warmth.  One of the Elders laughed and said our dinners in Mosgiel are always fun because the last dinner they had was at the Jenkins and they didn't realise Kate was in labour upstairs until they asked why she wasn't joining them for dinner.  Craig just casually informed them she was in labour the midwife will be here soon but we wanted to make sure you guys were fed (funny).

Remember This?

Remember this picture? I asked if anyone knew what it was? I took it to work and some of my colleagues thought it was a white pumpkin.  Well George (landlord) came the other day and I asked him what it was.  Its not a pumpkin its a courgette who would have guessed that.  Apparently very nice in salads, I told George I thought it was a pumpkin and had roasted it he grinned.  So readers mystery solved thanks for the imput.

Tough & Yuck

I consider myself to be a good cook. One of my favourite dishes I love to cook is a roast dinner.  Whilst at the supermarket I was in the meat department and I had an urge to cook a roast.  So I found a nice roast mutton @ $11.00 a little on the expensive side but I really wanted a roast dinner so I purchased it.  I prepared it with herbs and seasoning and placed it in my slow cooker and went off to bed leaving my roast to cook.  When I awoke the smell throughout the house was yummy. I so wanted to eat it right there and then.  However I refrained and went to get the children from school/daycare.  I prepared the veges and approx an hour later I took out the meat, which had been slowly cooking for 7 hours.  I was looking forward carving this soft tender juicey meat.  Oh my goodness it was as tough as old boots and full of gristle and fat and it was totally disgusting I needed a chainsaw to cut this rubber.  Oh how disappointed I felt for two reasons: 1) I had been dreaming about my dinner and was really looking forward to it and 2) The money I had spent made me a little bit angry.  Lucky the roast veges and gravey were still delicious.  I took a photo and when I look at it I can understand why some people are vegetarians.

What is this??

Every rent day I give George a jar of my preserving and he gives me vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, silverbeet) Today when I looked in the letter box I discovered this

What is it?

How do you cook it and do I trust it?