Weather, markets and other events

Yesterday was very warm and the temperature round this way hit about 25C. Today it is about 14C with overcast and drizzle rain. My weather prophet has told me we can expect more like this right up until November and then a very long hot and dry summer.

Went over to the Markets at Belconnen yesterday - Senior's Day on Thursdays, so a 10% discount from all shops.

Got some nice fresh seafood marinara mix (sometimes also called 'Spanish stew' but what I bought does not have the chorizo sausage in it) which we cooked up last night in a tomato, garlic and herb stir through sauce. Tonight we have two Orange Roughy fillets which I will give a light coating of herbed flour and then toasting in some butter in the pan. I will serve those with some Parmesan roasted baby potatoes

The orange roughy, red roughy, or deep, sea perch.  

Conservation measures consist of imperfectly enforced catch limits, and listings on various endangered species and do-not-eat lists maintained by governments and environmental activist organizations make for Orange Roughy being a scarce commodity and also pricey when available.

According to sustainable seafood guides, such as Seafood Watch (USA), the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, the Marine Conservation Society (UK),consumers should strongly avoid the species, however, it also makes up for 18% of New Zealand's fin fish exports, so when it comes available I will buy it - the price is a deterrent to regular purchase, coming in at around $29AUS a kg ($15AUS a pound). I also bought a dozen Clyde River oysters in the half shell to go with the Orange Roughy .

I bought two fillets of South African smoked cod which I have frozen down for a dinner next week.

A fresh loaf of "Pasta Dura",  a coal fire baked Italian bread, goes lovely with seafood.

My seafood purchases and bread cost me $38AUS.

I added another $48AUS worth of fresh fruit and vegetables from the green grocer and $12AUS for six  lamb chops and two slices of porterhouse steak - so all up $98AUS and far superior quality to what we can get at the local supermarkets.

I treated myself to a glass of Jasmin tea, a duck roll (hot slices of roast duck breast wrapped in a rice flour wrapper) and four steamed "sticky prawn won tons" as a light lunch before driving home with all my shopping goodies.

Tomorrow we vote (compulsory) in our 4 yearly council elections and with so many experienced councillors, including our long-serving mayor, not running I dread to think what we will end up with for the next four years. We already have one political group of five running on a joint ticket in an attempt to gain absolute control of council. I hope they do not succeed but our voters are so politically inept I suspect a wave of "donkey votes" may usher them into power.

Daughter in Sydney is coming down next and bringing a new digital "Smart TV" which we had her purchase on our behalf. Will give us the ability to download movies direct from the internet (for a fee - no piracy) and also two hours of 'playback' facility so that we can do other things and then replay a show that we record into the TV's memory - eg. watch another movie and record a second show, or, eat a meal and then go and play a recorded TV.

Best news is that our local TV antennae installer is going to apply for us to have a VAST digital dish installation instead of the old style TV aerial as we get so much bad reception for digital TV. Could be instant approval or could take up to three weeks.

Well, that's all for now - must put Denny in the truck and take him down to Riverbank Park for his exercise run.