10 November 2016

Saffy and Cakes






Last night Paul and I joined the young ones for drinks and burgers at The Hold in Manly.  It was absolutely pouring with rain as we stood at the bus-stop in our old fogey waterproof anoraks and we were a bit bedraggled by the time we arrived at the venue.  The bar was done out like an old ship’s hold and the decor was very effective without being too kitsch.  It was cosy sitting there and watching the storm outside.  Before long the noise and general hubbub reached such a level I could no longer follow the conversation (mainly about Trump) so I just sat quietly and enjoyed my glass of wine and fries.

Earlier in the evening Paul had totally befuddled the waitress by asking for chips with his fries.  Sarah had patiently sorted the out the confusion and it was at that point she reminded me of Saffy, the long suffering, straight-laced daughter from Absolutely Fabulous.  There comes a point in a parent/child relationship where there is a reversal of roles.  Living closely with grown up children for a couple of months is not easy and Paul and I are very conscious that we probably drive Sarah to distraction; she certainly has the knack of making me feel like a naughty child sometimes.


Mum, have you been ironing again?  (young people in Oz don’t iron)
What is this cheese doing in my vegan fridge? (she didn’t find the pork sausages)
Don’t give Buddy any cake, he’s getting fat. (he doesn’t like vegan dog food)
Where did you go today? (we spend too much time at home)
You really don’t have to stash those packets of ginger in your handbag (free from Sushi Train and great for adding to my curries)


This morning I made some vegan rock buns.  I substituted egg with a mixture of cider vinegar and baking powder (the same mix you use for chemical volcanoes).  They turned out well, maybe a little too much bicarbonate.  I accidentally doubled the amount of vinegar but you can’t taste it in the finished bun.



 

16 comments:

  1. I know exactly what you mean about the role reversal. I sometimes feel as if I'm having my head patted.

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  2. Was she a Vegan when living with you 'at home'? Are you allowed to eat what you like when out?
    I've no children, maybe I would like to have my head patted on the odd occaision.

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    1. No, she was a big meat eater and only turned vegan a couple of years ago. We tend to go out to vegan places with them as regular restaurants don't offer much of a selection when it comes to vegan food. I'm not sure what we would do if she ever visits us in France.

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  3. You and Paul had best be extra nice to Sarah as one day she'll be pushing the pair of you to vegan cafes in your double wheelchair - like a double buggy for twin toddlers - and you'll both be wearing disposable nappies and drooling. What goes around comes around.

    But the main question is this, what were the burgers like in The Hold?

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    1. Oh my goodness, Paul and me in a double buggy! (I already drool anyway.) The burgers were extremely good, couldn't tell they weren't meat. The fries were brilliant.

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  4. Oh, how I'd wish I could be a fly on the wall in your household, Sue; your family has a lovely sense of humour and you always make me laugh!
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. I'm rather fond of the ridiculous. Life is too short to be sad.

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  5. You should start calling Sarah "Saffy" and "Sweety Darling" whenever you feel the roles reversing! :)

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    1. I tried calling her Sweety Darling this morning and she just glared at me!

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  6. Had to laugh at the chemical volcano mix. If I used it they would probably explode in the oven ! They look good, but did they taste OK?

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    1. They tasted OK but nothing like rock cakes. More like slightly chewy fruit and nut bars.

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  7. Now you know why children leave home - they don't like the responsibility of educating the parents.

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  8. What an amazing substitute for eggs! Where ever did you learn that? I think we'd starve if we had to go vegan. Vegetarian I could manage easily but vegan is very restricting isn't it? You really have to learn a new way of cooking. Do you slip out during the day and get stuck into the bad stuff ?

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  9. As if we'd do a thing like that!!! Yes, it is a whole new way of cooking. Much harder to make things tasty and more expensive.

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