The daily grind...

This is what I look like almost every day of the week! Photos were taken in the pharmacy today.

And here is my view from the dispensary

The shop is actually a lot bigger than this photo shows, it is about the same again as wide to the left and another aisle to the right as well.  There is a fairly large (well the biggest in Carnarvon) photography development area down the front on the right.  The counter that I am standing in front of is at the professional services area to the left where people come for advice on medications.  I work mainly at Amcal (the name of the pharmacy) but also work up to ten hours a week at Carnarvon Hospital as a hospital pharmacist, doing ward rounds, checking medication charts, talking with doctors and nurses. I am one of those annoying people who love their job, I have a great boss and work with a group of girls who never fail to make me laugh everyday.  The work is always changing and challanging - new medicines come out, new drug interactions are discovered.  Another plus is that the chemist is less than five minutes drive from home! Not bad for work life balance!
The chemist is in Carnarvon's only shopping centre; it has a Woolworths grocery store, a clothes shop, a bakery, a discount store, a bottle shop an asian takeaway place and a newsagent and thats it!  Even though Carnarvon is quite small the pharmacy really busy, the next nearest pharmacy to us is 450km away!

Donna Hay Asian Chicken

Over the last couple of months I have started to like Donna Hay's recipes.... I have always seen her books and magazines around but the photography was so complicated and stylised that I assumed the recipes would be too.  Luckily for me I was given a recipe book of hers by Justin's brother and his other half and since then I am the converted! Her recipes are simple, beautiful, back to basics cooking.
Last night we made a recipe of hers that has become a routine weeknight dinner in our household.  Chicken breasts are poached for five minutes or so each side in a liquid made up of a splash of sesame oil, 2 star anise, a tablespoon or so of grated ginger, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 cup Chinese cooking wine and a cinnamon stick.  We just serve it with some veggies that have be stir fried in a wok with garlic and chili and a splash of stock and some rice and its delicious! I guess you could thicken up the sauce with some cornflour after the chicken is cooked but just poured over rice is very simple and good.

first few pics

Part of the enormous bushes of tomatos we have growing in the backyard... I say 'we' but really if it wasn't for Justin the backyard would be barren....

What will hopefully be mountains a snow peas in a few weeks! They got a little thirsty when we were away... while the house sitter was here I don't know that they got as much water as Justin normally lovingly gives them but they seem ok!

Of all the places to sit they both want to be in THE SAME box.  Of course.  Juliette is the white one and Bronson is the black one.  They are brother and sister from the same litter. 

The beginning

So.... after prompting from Leigh I have decided to start this blog... facebook is a great way to keep in touch with family and all... but there are somethings that just don't need to be shared with THAT many people! So hence the name of the blog - theaussiebitsandpieces says it all - these are the bits and pieces that have been happening but haven't and won't be shared on that site!
Last night we caught up with some friends we hadn't seen in a while.  These friends are good but dangerous in that they love wine and cheese as much as us! We drank Peperjack Cabernet Savignon, Mad Fish Cabernet Savignon and a few others.  They went beautifully with the King Island Brie and Roaring Forties Blue, dates and fig and pear paste.  On the side we had some beautiful steamed prawns (under tens - which means less than ten prawns per pound - so they were HUGE!) with lemon.
We swapped preserves (which makes us sound so old!!) we gave them some pickled onions we had made (well Justin had made!) and pickled green tomatoes.  We had wanted to make pickled green tomatoes ever since eating some beautiful ones at my aunty Vikki's house last year.  Also in our goody bag to them was chilli jam (which members of this household have been known to eat by the spoonful with no accompaniment required) and tomato relish - recipe compliments of the CWA.  One of the items they gave to us was a beautiful grapefruit marmalade, it was a little hard set but delicious on toast this morning with tea!
I thought I might also share some of my favourite sites with you (food related - surprised?)
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
I love how Ree writes and her recipes are great
http://www.thefoodpornographer.com/
The food pronographer is a writer who lives in Perth and loves photography and food.  She loves all types of food - from sushi to fast food and often reviews places that I have been to when I used to live in Perth.  Oh and she has two beautiful cats and takes great pictures of them too!
http://6230.christianbyrt.com/
And for one not food related - my beautiful friend Christian, he has moved to Bunbury now (a good 12 hour drive away!) and he is sorely missed.  Luckily through this website I can still see his gorgeous photos.