February 1993
Australia Day, a Couple of Recipes, and Too Many Sisters
For an introduction to what these Menu Diary posts are about, please click HERE. And for the reasons why you really should read this series, please click HERE.
Monday, 1 February. This was obviously the Australia Day long weekend, Monday holiday. As I mentioned before, these days the Australia Day (as it’s officially called) holiday is always on 26 January, but in those days it was always on a Monday. The “Skyshow” mentioned was a hugely popular, half hour fireworks display over the river, a short walk from our house.
Our friends Jan and Neale and their two children Michael and Kelly came over before the 1993 event. They had refreshments and played in the park across the road from our house – I took some nice photos of their family.
We must have had enough nibblies not to bother with dinner that night. Jan and Neale would have walked down to the Swan River to watch, Trenna and I would have caught what we could from our front porch.
The Perth Skyworks has had a chequered, and sometimes violent (and even deadly) side to it. This wikipedia page has a summary.
Wednesday, 3 February. Once again this easy meal gets a good wrap. I better give the recipe.
Monday, 8 February, and Tuesday 9. Italian Pork Meatballs in Rich Tomato Sauce was “Yummy”. When I read that I went and looked for the recipe. I’m pretty sure I found it, on a piece of scrap paper tucked inside a “Pasta Cookbook”. But also a sheet that pointed to it’s origin. The two sheets appear below.
Saturday, 13 February. “Very, very, very delish”. Three “verys”. I an SO going to see if I can find that curry recipe! I think it may be one that Trenna did with lamb chops. Often when we went camping she would make it ahead and take it with us for the first or second night’s meal. A great start to a weekend away.
Sunday, 14 February. “Brekky with M & D, Ag & Co at Burswood, $21”. This item has reminded me of a story which ISN’T related to February 1993…
How Many Sisters Do You Have?
I had been together with Trenna for close to a year when Christmas 1988 was approaching. I had told her all about my family, and I think she had met all my siblings.
Anyway, the discussion turned to how we would celebrate Christmas, and I said I wanted her to come to Christmas lunch at my sister Lorraine’s place.
“Lorraine! You’ve got another sister!? Why haven’t you told me about her!?”
“No. You’ve met her….”
“I’ve met Deb, I’ve met Ag, and now you tell me there is a Lorraine?”
Then the penny dropped for me. I only have two sisters. But for most of my life everyone in the family called Lorraine, “Ag”. It is just one of those family things.
I had always known that Ag and Lorraine are the same person, it just hadn’t occurred to me that in the year I had known Trenna I had never mentioned it.
More Menu Diary
So, back to Sunday 14 February. My Mum’s birthday was 17 February, so, I think Trenna and I and Lorraine’s family took Mum and Dad to the Burswood Casino complex and bought them a buffet breakfast to celebrate. Buffet breakfasts were big, in more ways than one, in 1993.
Wednesday, 24 February. The vegetable pies Trenna is referring to used to be available in the Deli section of a couple of specific shops. They were dense with grated vegetables and a mixture of herbs, with a delicious short crust pastry – they were open topped. We would take them home, heat them in the microwave and have them either as a lunch, or in this case, for dinner.
We were able to get them over several years and we had quite a few in that time. Then – couldn’t find them. Several times I bought what I thought might be them, but none of those ever got the tick of approval.
We missed those vegetable pies.
Saturday 27 February. The Northbridge Festival (in the entertainment/restaurant precinct of Perth) apparently wasn’t very good. I don’t think it is an event that is held any more.