Fruit Mince

A feature of expat life is becoming increasingly clear: the constant flexibility and adaptation involved in adjusting your norms to fit in with the new environment.
Case study: Fruit mince
Problems:
No one had heard of fruit mince. It is definitely a British tradition that was not kept in the new world...
Suet - couldn't find it. Used butter instead.
mixed peel - ie, candied orange and lemon peel - couldn't find it
Raisins - don't exist in the Australian style. There are raisins that are our sultanas, but no raisin raisins. Mixed dried fruit doesn't exist here. On the other hand, dried cranberries are cheap!
Dried apricots appear to be exotic. You can find them, but we shopped around.
Glass jars for storing while it matured - we ended up buying some, as we hadn't thought to accumulate any in the last nine months!

Add to this our unfamiliarity with the recipe, and that is why, it took us two weeks to get to the point of actually mixing it (and even then, we were still phoning around to see if we could find suet or mixed peel!).  Hence, with the three week maturing time, our fruit mince will be just ready in time.
My worry now is that we've promised a taste to so many people that doubling the recipe won't be enough! The good thing was, with the spices and the brandy, it did actually smell like fruit mince. Now all we have to do is work out the making of the little pies!

Reading this you could well get the impression we're just one mean scientific adaptation machine - please don't keep this impression, it would be very wrong. There is plenty of complaining going on, it is just difficult to capture the true essence of that in a blog post.

British baked beans

Apparently it was Heinz that started the whole baked beans thing, but in wartime Britain, with the rationing, the bacon got left out, and the sauce got thinned, until the two different continents had two different products... So here, in the USA, it is all about molasses, and hickory smoked bacon bits, and cajun spices (no, really), while in Britain, it is essentially beans in a tomato sauce.
We found out early on that the local baked beans don't fill that baked beans shaped hole, and just stopped eating baked beans. But hubby had a plan, and the internet is a wonderful place, and last night we had British style baked beans. I'm pretty sure that in Australia I would have poo pooed the whole thing, but here, now, it is lovely, and I enjoyed every mouthful.

Black Friday

Black Friday is used to describe the Friday after Thanksgiving, and I'm guessing this wasn't part of the original Thanksgiving feasts. This is when, maybe because lots of workplaces are shut, there are huge sales in the stores (although, judging from the brochures, there are always huge sales on, so I'm not sure of exactly how big, on a scientific measurable scale, these sales are). I am starting to get the inkling that people even queue up from early morning (like, 2am early morning) to be first in the door of shops. Actually, I have brochures that indicate that you can get into the store at 4pm on Thanksgiving Day, which just seems a complete travesty.
The name Black Friday has its origins in Philadelphia in the 1960s and 1970s - the police department used the term to describe the chaos surrounding huge crowds going to sales, and also to attend the Army - Navy football game. It is a huge time for retailers, as it is when shoppers fully turn their attention to Christmas. I wonder if it is a bit like the Boxing Day Sales in Australia, but you're not shopping for Christmas presents, but half price Christmas decorations and cheap summer clothing!
It goes without saying that we will not be in the stores on Friday.
PS - Have been told another story about the origins of the name - this is apparently the first weekend in the year that retailers accounts move into the black...

Thanksgiving Dinner

We celebrated our first American Thanksgiving, and we enjoyed it so much. Essentially, it was a day off with dinner at a friends house. The dinner menu has a few traditional set pieces, the obvious being turkey. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, roast sweet potato, cranberry sauce and biscuits (our scones, but not with jam and cream, as a savory accompaniment, instead of buns). We also had asparagus, green salad, stuffing (both with sausage and without sausage) and cranberry bread (this is so yummy) and thai style mango and sticky rice care of another guest. For dessert - PIES!!! This deserves the capital, because there was not one pie but many - Pecan, pumpkin, Kentucky derby, apple and berry pies. I liked the pecan the best. I'm sure I've left out some food, but needless to say, no one was hungry.
Our sons loved it, because there was a collection of Thomas set up in another room and 3 other little boys to play with. (yes, five little boys in total, ages 5, 5, 3, 2.7, and 2.4!). Between courses we went and looked at some Christmas lights nearby - this person has set up so many, they create their own localized glow...
And the nicest thing was, amazing food, and a chance at conversation with adults. An excuse to not stress over what the boys are or aren't eating, and let them run pretty much as they pleased, and the warm glow of having done some much needed bathroom cleaning in the morning.

First Snow!

What a lovely way to remember our wedding anniversary...
It was already practically melted by the time it hit the ground, but at the height of the storm, there was a good cm of snow lying around. So looking forward to the next storm!

Dealing with leaves

Well, Fall grew up and lost those cute puppy eyes, and suddenly we didn't have a cute swirling of colourful leaves, we had leaves everywhere in great drifts, to the knees on the little one. But the other day, we saw how they deal with it here in our community - with a giant vacuum cleaner hitched to the back of a covered truck.

Winter!

I have been explaining to the 5 year old about how the seasons don't start and stop on certain dates, etc etc, but it does feel a touch like the Winter button has been pushed this week. Today it is max 30F(approx -2C), but with the wind chill, it feels like about 18F (about -10C). And that is from a weather site, not just my fevered imagination.
Trees that hadn't yet changed colour are finalising that quick smart, and it seems like then they lose their leaves over night. Pictured above - the sizable chunks of ice I found at 2pm in the sides of the children's picnic table (which has been in full sun for 2 hours).
There is starting to be agreement that it is unseasonably cold. I just need gloves and boots, and then I say, bring it on!

Broiling

When we moved in, we noted the oven didn't have a griller section, and sadly bought this huge thing called a toaster oven. You can even cook a pizza in it, according to the box. We bought it so we could do cheese on toast. We also cook our toast in it, but it is touch and go over burning the toast, and I find the toast a bit dry. As well as it taking a huge space on our bench top.
Well, enter dinner with friends and I finally remember to ask what the broil setting on the oven does... Turns out it is how you would brown something on top, or (da da daaahhh) make cheese on toast. It puts heat up to 500F (I assume it is F) out the top of your oven.
Good to find out eventually. I actually had thought that maybe broiling was a setting to keep stuff warm in the oven but not cook it, like a warming drawer, so I'm really glad I didn't try that one with pancakes or waffles.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

We came here after our trip up the giant pencil. This is the museum where the original 'star-spangled banner' is kept (try saying that 10 times fast in cold weather), along with displays about its origin and the writing of the national anthem. Also, a collection of memorabilia, including the original red shoes that Dorothy wore from the Wizard of Oz movie. The kids and dads went to see some sort of transport display, which included some trains while my friend and I went to see a display on food habits and changes, including (and I loved this one) a display of all the coffee cup tops patented over the years (pictured above) and a recreation of Julia Child's kitchen. It would be good to come again without tired children, so you could read the displays, and not have to worry about losing a toddler dressed in navy blue in the darkened display area for the old flag, for example.

Washington Monument - inside and up

We got tickets to go up to the top of the Giant Pencil this Saturday, and took some friends with us. It didn't get above 7C in Washington DC, with a bitter wind, although by about 1pm the wind seemed to have died down a bit. We were thankful for all our new winter gear, although Mr 5 is yet to get comfy with the bulkiness of his jacket. The view from the top was very good, because it was such a clear (cold) day. One thing we learned was how close the Pentagon is to the Mall - that is to say, just across the river really. I had the impression it was out in whoop-whoop somewhere.
HOT TIP for coming down - there are memorial stones all up the inside of the monument, and they slow the elevator and clear the glass a couple of times on the way down to show you, so get in position near the doors, and have your camera ready!! (we didn't, on either count, so just enjoyed).
Afterwards we went to the National Museum of American History, which is another post, because I can't summarise it in a sentence.

USA elections 2014

You may have heard about elections in the US recently. It sort of passed us by, as we didn't really understand the system, or whether it was national, state or local elections. But I did a bit of research, and here are my notes on the US Congress. This isn't all people voted on, I still have to work out what was voted on locally, because we were encouraged to vote on things like sheriffs and comptrollers, but this is a start. I also haven't gotten to learning about the two rounds of voting, and registering as a certain party voter, or why the Republican Party is also called the GOP and represented by an elephant in political cartoons (I think). There is still time!

Elections seem to be very low key in that I think only about 20% ish of Americans vote?! I would be very happy to be corrected on that, as it is a bit scary to think that the majority of the country apparently doesn't care who is in charge or doesn't feel like their vote matters, but that is what seems to be the case.

2014 election called Mid-Term election, as it didn’t coincide with a presidential election. Presidential elections are in November 2016.

United States House of Representatives – 435 seats set by law, 2 year term, number of reps per state based on census data (ie, California = 53 reps, Alaska = 1). Maryland has 8 representatives. Called The House for short.

Passes federal legislation (which must also be passed by Senate, and agreed to by US President). Can also impeach, initiate revenue bills, and elect US President if there is no majority in the ‘Electoral College’.

Speaker of house voted in by members, so usually member of majority party.

United States Senate – 100 seats, 2 per state. 6 year term BUT – staggered elections – Senate divided into Class 1, 2 and 3, and a class of senators is up for election every two years. This was set by founders, to prevent senators getting too comfortable (and corrupt) in the 6 year term. 2014 was electing Class 2 senators. (Maryland = Class 1 senators, so not up for re-election until Nov 2018. Term starts following January.

Consents to treaties as precondition to ratification

Consents/confirms appointments of Cabinet Secretaries, federal judges, other federal executive officials, military officers, regulatory officieals, ambassadors and other federal uniformed officers

Trial of impeached federal officials.

Considered more deliberative and more prestigious – less partisan

As a result of the 2014 election, the Republican Party have control over both the House and the Senate, which is going to be interesting for President Obama. 

Annapolis by Candlelight

We paid money, both for the tickets, and for the babysitter, to go on a cultural event (and therefore terribly high brow and worthy). It wasn't what we expected but it was enjoyable. I felt that people concentrated a bit too much on the furnishings, instead of the architecture, but I enjoyed seeing inside some of the houses in Annapolis.
Annapolis by Candlelight is an historical society organising for a group of about 9 houses, generally in one area of town, to open to the public. You get a brochure, and a map, and a torch, and take a self-guided tour to look at the houses, hear blurbs about their history from docents (volunteers) standing in each room, and learn a bit about what you walk by every day. All of the houses were historical/old, and quite interesting to see.
They had little paper bags weighted with sand with candles in them lighting the fronts of all the houses, which made it feel really special. I assume the paper bags are special candle ok paperbags -  I'm not sure I'd try it at home.

And that is how you pack a fridge!

We shop weekly - so we have become masters of fitting everything in the fridge... Yet by Thursday this will be nearly empty (except for the door with the condiments).

The morning after the night before

We had a rough night last night. Mr 5 is the only one who got uninterrupted sleep. Luckily today is Saturday!

Winter temperatures!

We are experiencing temperatures close to winter in  our part of Sydney at the moment - 50-56F (10-15C) during day (with bitterly cold winds, somedays) and down to 32-35F (0-2C) at night. Just in case anyone is curious - their late autumn is our winter...
Trees are starting to get seriously bare. Leaves are starting to pile up. Here is a sample of what is on our lawn.

Parking (on the stairs, of course)

Because that is the most logical place to set up a garage. I forgot to take a photo of the second garage I found upstairs behind the toilet in the boys bathroom...I acknowledge that the baby has brains, I am just a touch incredulous at how they are applied.

I should note that after this one was packed away, they all got parked on the TV cabinet at the bottom/underneath the TV screen.

Milk Duds (and other sweet discoveries)

These are Milk Duds. They are like Fantales, only small enough that they don't stick your teeth together (about the size of a yoghurt covered sultana?). Hence, they're awesome.
Other discoveries -
I like Snickers - had never tried them before, the picture of what the bar was just didn't appeal.
Twix bars are amazing - hubby has stories of his 4U maths class and their Twix habits. I wish I'd known about Twix bars sooner. Less sweet than a Mars Bar.
I don't like tropical flavoured Starbursts
Whoppers - "The Original Malted Milk Balls" - well, I think Maltesers have improved on the recipe, given that the first three ingredients of Whoppers are: Sugar, Corn Syrup and Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil...(Although I must admit, I don't know what the ingredients in Maltesers are. but in my memory they taste nicer and less grainy?)
Laffy Taffy: I am not game to try. The description is "Candy". 'Jokes on every wrapper' appears to be the selling point.
And, the final comment: Twizzlers - allegedly strawberry flavoured, I think meant to be some sort of liquorice strap sort of thing - actually very flavourless. Like eating edible leather. I think it is marketed as a low fat candy. Seriously...

I do it myself!

I know I have previously called Mr 5 Captain Fussy, but he is fast being out fussed by his little brother, Mr Indescribable (no, honestly, my mind goes blank when trying to think of a catchy one word description of him). Here is an example of his schedule recently.

Sunday morning. Daylight saving has finished, so he wakes at 6.12 am old time, 5.12 am new time. I have volunteered to give hubby the lie in and do breakfast.

• I don't want a nappy (after going to the toilet, so we need to replace the nappy, either with new or old, I don't care, I just want to see if I can convince him to go back to bed for 20 mins or so)
• I don't want undies either (so fine, I put PJ pants back on without anything, praying to the god of the toilet division that we'll get away with a dry bed, because although I tell myself I don't care, I know I'll regret it if he wets the bed)
• I don't want to hop back in bed, I want to lie on the floor in the corner in the 40F (about 4C) cold (Fine, I'll put a blanket on you, and threaten that if you don't lie quietly I'll shut the door)
• I want to hop up "I just awake" "it morning time" (it is black dark)  (but I lie possum in our room for about 20 mins, just to enforce the point)
• I want breakfast, so we go downstairs to get breakfast. but then we find something to play with, so 
• I don't want breakfast. but then we see big brother getting breakfast, so 
• I do want breakfast (and I'll whinge like you were starving me)
• I want cereal, starting with oats but 
• I want to get my own, while spilling half the container on the table, (and I'll get upset and frustrated about that too).
• I want cheerios (but "I do it myself", which we can't let him do, as he doesn't have the co-ordination to stop once he starts, with inevitable results)

And here is the clanger -

• I want rice pockets. After double checking, I pour them in, but once they are poured in:
• I don't want rice pockets (so I break every parenting rule in the book, and pick rice pockets out from amongst the cheerios. Thank goodness I hadn't mixed them in yet...) 
• I don't want milk (but we do eventually establish that he does want a spoon, presumably to eat it dry). Then - seeing as big brother is having fruit toast - 
• I want fruit toast (and whinges that it doesn't magically instantly appear on his plate) After coming into kitchen to supervise fruit toast, 
• I want milk but then for some reason, after the cup is poured, I don't want milk, but then when I go to put it away in the fridge, he gets upset about putting it away. Apparently he doesn't want milk, but he wants it on the table lined up beside the cereal he also doesn't want.
• I want jam on my fruit toast (seriously, this is an abomination on so many levels...)
• Dad arrives, and nearly pours milk on cereal after being asked for milk on cereal, and it is only at the last minute that he too is informed that he doesn't want milk...
• Finally, after eating all of his fruit toast, with jam (bleugh), and drinking the milk he doesn't want, he wants milk on his cereal - and HE EATS THE ENTIRE BOWLFUL. We are, understandably, a touch flabbergasted.

More Amazing Thai Food

How are the kids the day after Halloween? Fidgety and argumentative and slightly crazy. It could be the change in weather, we are having a bit of a cold snap (Snow in Maine!!), or the late night, or many different things completely unrelated to the previous evenings entertainment.
Thanks to a perceptive, generous friend, who happened to have some free time, we had already organised some play time away from us, so we got to eat Thai for lunch while they sorted out their wiggles (actually, apparently they were model citizens, but that's very typical). I think eating Thai is fast becoming my ultimate comfort food. Sitting by the window in the quiet restaurant, looking out at the rain watching people  hurry by, nursing my cup of green tea and eating the delicious seafood noodle dish (LHS of photo) that we discovered by dint of not ordering exactly the same thing as last time (I'm not sure if people realise, but this is an effort for us!)...mmmm
The downside of completely relaxing over lunch was feeling exhausted later on, because I had completely relaxed.

More beautiful leaves

It is so beautiful to watch the leaves change. It is not an overnight thing, but a progression, and it varies from year to year (apparently) and from tree to tree (and sometimes, from position to position!). I see more and more beauty, the more I look. My camera doesn't do it justice. And to walk in the warm sunshine, with the leaves gently spinning down out of the trees, a touch of haze in the air, and a bit of a chilly breeze, is really enjoyable.

Trick or Treating

Mr 5 graduated from only being happy to wear a helmet to being happy to wear the entire fireman's outfit in about three weeks of thinking about it, and we organised for me and him to walk around with a class mate and his parents down the street. It was a weird evening, because it isn't a common thing in Australia to knock on people's doors and for them to give out candy (lollies), so I felt a bit embarassed about it.
On one hand, it is an opportunity to say hi to people who live 5 m away from you that you see around, and on the other hand, in our neighbourhood kids were 'bused in' from outside by their parents, and it got rather busy around 7pm. Quite a few people were treating it as an evening to sit outside and chat with their neighbours and have a few beers, or have people over for dinner, with bonus evening activity for the kids.
I had walked the baby around to a few friends houses earlier on, and he got to say hello and talk about his costume (a borrowed pilots suit), and pat the dog, and although at the time I felt hugely stressed about being the only people on the street, in retrospect I enjoyed that sort of interaction better than when it was more rushed and there were heaps of people around. He was in bed asleep by the time the main action started, which we were pleased about.
The only dilemma - what to do with all the candy?! I'm hoping that out of sight = out of mind.
.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Turns out I don't like lager. Not even lime juice can redeem it, it is just so flavoursome (bitter...).
This is lager from Boston, which is apparently in the domestic imported category of beers - you pay import prices even in America. I don't quite get this, but it is still cheap, but I guess not as cheap as Bud?

Carving Pumpkins

Carving pumpkins was surprisingly easy. We bought a tool set from Target, which I thought would be very cheap, but turned out to be strong enough for our two little pumpkins. Mr 5 designed his own face and helped carve, and it was a nice little evening activity. We tested them with torches in the basement.

Undershirts

Hubby has discovered a beautiful thing - undershirts - sort of a cheap cotton Tshirt worn under a business shirt. They actually look a lot like the Tshirts that possibly the cool young things wore out in Sydney when I was last there.
Initially, he was a bit taken aback when the business shirt salesman asked if he had undershirts, but after ruminating on it for a couple of weeks, he decided that it might help with warmth in the office - the office being just cool enough in winter that something more than a business shirt is required, but a jumper is often too much. And then the bonus points started when he realised that wearing an undershirt meant he could get two wears out of his business shirts = less ironing. The joy of it.
I can't think of an appropriate photo to put with this one, so use your imaginations.