Saturday, July 13, 2013

Day 13 - Cat Cuddling and Couscous

Last night Chef Hubby and I went round to Ma and Pas for dinner. Mum asked me how my $30 a week limit on food spending was going. I confessed sheepishly to the overspend. (see me last post for details).

However!

 After intense discussion the Mater Familia (my Aunt and Mother) over-ruled...

"Cough medicine and codral shouldn't count" They declared.

"But why? I bought them at the supermarket!" I innocently countered.

"Well, next time buy them at the pharmacy and then it won't count as part of your supermarket spend." They cackled. And I was defeated. My spending on medicines wouldn't count as I previously had thought it would... who was I to argue with those powerful women?

But I knew I had still overspent some of the budget - on wine. I confessed this to Chef Hubby...

"That money we'll take it from your pocket money" He declared

"But..." I stuttered. It was useless. Who am I to argue with such logic? Corporations "write-off" stuff all the time!

So it turns out, due to some careful accounting, we haven't over spent at all! (Haha)

Tonight's dinner is grilled lamb chop, marinated in lemon juice and salt, coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise (a la' Chef Hubby) and couscous with fire-roasted capsicum, red onion and coriander too. And when I say 'fire-roasted' I literally mean we put them in the fire on a rack and charred them up! 

Today I did something cool. I took the girl I mentor and we went to the local SPCA and volunteered for the morning. We were given the tough job of "cat cuddling". Armed with a brush we patted, stroked, socialised and groomed over 30 cats. So much fun, and so rewarding and so lovely. An introduction to the idea of volunteerism for one eight year old achieved!