In the Kitchen with Bebb, Part Two

Hello everyone, and I hope you're enjoying 2012 so far. Welcome to another installment of In the Kitchen with Bebb. I'll post my Wednesday movie review later today but for now I wanted to share one of my favourite recipes that is delicious and very simple. I've tweaked this over the years and have it just about perfect.

Bebb's Basil Pesto

Basil is probably my favourite herb and it's very easy to grow yourself- I highly recommend it as it tastes much, much better than the often wilted or blackened basil you get in supermarkets. It really is the definition of using fresh basil when you can pick a few leaves to go straight on a pizza, chop for a salad dressing, etc. All it needs to grow well in a pot from seeds is a sunny position, occasional feeding (I use organic Blood and Bone) and plenty of water. If you pick the leaves as needed, new ones are quickly put out and you'll never run out.

I've had an abundance of basil over the last few months and grew quite a few pots to give away as gifts. The Tupperware herb planter was courtesy of my mother-in-law for Christmas. My buddy MM came over yesterday afternoon and her eyes lit up when she saw it as she tends to, by her own admission, forget to water things. I promise I won't be mad if you kill your Christmas basil, MM!

Anyway, here are the ingredients you need:

-2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves (as basil tends to bruise very quickly once picked, it's best to leave it growing until you need it rather than pre-pick it. If you are buying your basil, store it with the stem ends in a glass of water and use as soon as possible.)

-2 cloves of garlic, or 2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic

-1/3 cup pine nuts (roasted if you prefer)

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

-3/4 cup olive oil

I do prefer to use fresh garlic and freshly grated parmesan cheese, but for impromptu or faster pesto it's fine to use garlic in a jar and pre-grated parmesan- it's something I always have in the fridge anyway.

In a food processor, process basil, garlic and pine nuts until finely chopped.

Add cheese and drizzle in half the olive oil. Whizz again until well combined.

Drizzle in the remaining oil and process once more until well combined. 

That's it! Very simple and delicious. To serve, toss through hot, drained, freshly cooked spinach fettucine or spaghetti and top with a little extra parmesan. If you only need to use a little bit, eg in a salad dressing or on bruschetta or pizza, you can keep the rest in the fridge for up to a week- simply spoon into a jar and cover the top with a thin layer of olive oil. It can be frozen as well.

Oh and yes, my cat is named Pesto as well. I got him when I was living in a flat with my sister and we had a huge outside basil patch in our tiny courtyard and were making lots of pesto. On his first day home I took him, a kitten and still nameless, outside and he rolled in the basil. I picked him up, cuddled him and said, "Mmm, you smell like pesto." Name sorted.

Have fun making some yummy pesto and let me know how it works out!

Glimpsing the Past

I had put a bit of thought into what I wanted to post on the last day of 2011. I was going to 'look back' at some of the things that happened in my life this year. Then, while looking through my craft cupboard this afternoon (yep, a rockin' New Years Eve afternoon spent sewing) I found the box of my old diaries. Remember paper diaries? It's what people wrote in before blogging. I used to be quite the diary-writer and have ramblings dating back to 1992, when I was seven years old. I had a look through them this afternoon- some stuff is hilarious to read now, a lot is too personal to share, some is sad, and most is melodramatic! I decided that instead of looking back over the year, I'd go back a little further and share a few snippets of my past musings with you. Enjoy...and keep in mind that I never thought anyone else would read this stuff, so I hope you all feel honoured!

2006: (Aged 22- living with my sister Lisa and about to start Honours in Performing Arts) "Lisa's crabby because we dyed her hair and it's gone kind of orange-y (was supposed to be blonde). Oh dear. I had some of the girls over last night- Katie, Georgie and Libby. I cooked dinner for everyone and we watched a sh** chick flick. It was really good to see them all. I'll be seeing heaps of Katie this year of course, seeing as we're both doing Honours, but Libby and possibly Georgie are off to Korea for 4 months to teach Drama to Korean schoolchildren. We all got offered the job- they need 10 people- but I don't want to go to Korea for four months. Was thinking of heading out to the RSPCA this arvo to walk some woofers and groom the pusskins. Hmm."

2002: (Aged 18- studying year 12 and living in a flat.) "I've got another sodding exam on Friday- 20th Century History. But I'm in denial. I'm lying fully dressed on my bed with a pounding headache, frantically eating an entire packet of Kool Fruits and staring worriedly at my work folder. The obvious solution would be to DO some STUDY but I keep putting it off...argh!" [Obviously this method of revision works, as I got one of the top marks in the school for that subject...if only more people knew!]

2000: (Aged 16- living in a small country town with my family and in Grade 10.) "You know what? Today was a good day. A lot of people were very tired after the Leaver's Dinner or, in the case of A, extremely grouchy, but I didn't feel in the least bit tired. I felt alive and happy. In Maths I turned to A and said, "You want to hear something wonderful? I'm actually happy!" She responded with a pissed off "Good for you." Ouch. But doesn't it make a nice change, Diary, to hear me say that I'm happy?"

1995: (Aged 10- same small country town) "We had to come into the city so Lisa could get braces put on. I'm in the waiting room of the orthodontist [nice job with the spelling, 10 year old me!] I am incredibly bored. I finished my Baby Sitters Club book and had nothing to do but watch crap soap operas on the TV. I couldn't change the channel because a boy appeared to be watching the crap. I was waiting for 4.30 because this game show, My Generation, is on then, but because it's Friday something else is on! Wouldn't you know it. I think the people who work at WIN TV are really ridiculous. Dad just told me Lisa is finished and he just has to go pay, so I guess once he parts with all his money for the braces we can go." [Some might say 'a precocious writer'. Others might say 'opinionated!']

1991: (Aged 7- my first ever diary entry. I'm going to type the words exactly as I spelt them at the time.) "Dear Dairy, Hi I'm your new writer. On Saturday we flew on an airiplain to meet Mummy's new family. Her real dad that she found. First we flew on an airiplain to Melbourne. On the plan Lisa and I got speicle childrens meals, you got to have a wagon wheel on the plate it was yummy. Then we flew to Sidney. Jeffrey who is mummy's new real dad picked us up and took us to Filisaties. She is my Mummy's new sister and is her real sister. I have new cusons and I love them allready."

I hope you enjoyed reading some of my old diary entries. It's been interesting reading back over them and seeing how much things have changed. I'm very lucky to still have them to look back on.

Happy New Year, everyone, and see you in 2012. I'm loving blogging and am grateful for all the kind words from friends who have been reading along in my own little corner of the Internet. To finish, I'd like to share a photo of one of my favourite experiences in 2011...

Be good, be careful, and see you next year!
Love Bebb xx

At the Movies with Bebb...Part Five...Lilya 4-ever

Welcome to another Wednesday movie review here at Bebb and the Bubs. I can't believe it's been 5 weeks since I started my little blog. I know quite a few people are reading it which is good and means I'm not just talking to myself.

Before I start the review, can I just say hooray for holidays! Today I finally feel like the holidays have arrived as I have a whole free day to just be at home. Not that I'm not enjoying catching up with people as well- especially my beautiful friend Dan who is home from the big smoke visiting her family. We caught up for lunch yesterday and laughed a lot about things that would make little to no sense to others, the way you do when the history of your friendship spans years. I wish I could see her more often but it makes the times we catch up extra special.

Anyway, onto today's review...

Lilya 4-ever (2002)

This film, made by a Swedish director but mainly shot in Russia, opens with a shot of Lilya, her face beaten to a pulp, running down a city street. We then jump back 3 months and begin the story of 15 year old Lilya (Oksana Akinshina) who is forced to fend for herself after her mother moves to America with her new lover and leaves Lilya behind in the nameless, poverty-stricken town they live in. Her aunt, appointed to care for her, instead moves Lilya into a tiny, squalid flat to live on her own, at the same time taking over the larger flat where Lilya lived with her mother. Lilya's best friend, 12 year old Volodya (Artyom Bogucharskiy) is often kicked out by his alcoholic father and seeks refuge with Lilya. With no money and no word from her mother, Lilya turns to prostitution. When she meets seemingly kind and gentle Andrei (Pavel Ponomaryov) and begins a relationship with him, things seem to be taking a turn for the better. But all is not as it seems and we are quickly thrust into the horrific practice of human trafficking and sexual slavery that occurs frequently in Europe.

I had first heard of this movie about 5 years ago. I read about it in a movie magazine and while offering very little in the way of plot details, the article praised it highly. I was intrigued and have been trying to track it down for years. I finally managed to rent it from Quickflix and sat down to watch it. All I knew was that it was an extremely well-made yet confronting and disturbing movie.

Well. What can I say, other than yes, it was very well-made with incredible acting, cinematography and directing, but it was one of the most disturbing, distressing and depressing movies I have ever seen. Throughout the entire movie, more and more terrible things happened to Lilya and when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, it did. Suicide, multiple rape scenes, violence, despair...awful things happened in quick succession and left us reeling.  It is not a movie I think I could ever watch again. I was even plagued by nightmares that night concerning the movie. It was made even worse when I looked it up and discovered that it was based entirely and very closely on a true story.

Oksana Akinshina was incredible as Lilya. She fully embodied the character and displayed both Lilya's tough survival skills and fragile vulnerability. I truly cared about what happened to her, which made it all the more upsetting. Likewise, Artyom Bogucharskiy was very powerful as her young friend Volodya. To see such stellar performances from two young actors (they actually were 15 and 12 when shooting the film) was rare and made the movie what it was- powerfully disturbing yet compelling. The director, Lukas Moodysson, created a truly outstanding film with a very dark subject matter and must be commended for bringing such a terrible story, based on events happening every day, into the public sphere. But as outstanding as the film was when you base your assessment on artistic merit alone, I find that I can't recommend this film to you simply because it was so difficult to watch and really did upset me. If you are brave, see it and make up your own mind, but go into it knowing that it won't be a pleasant viewing experience.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a tough one for me to rate and in the end I'll say yes, it was a skillfully made movie, but I won't be watching it again.

Before I go, I just want to say how sorry I am for my best friend MM's loss. Her beautiful budgie Mellow passed away last night at the ripe old age of 12. MM gave Mellow such a happy life and cared for her so well, so it was no wonder she lasted as long as she did. I know MM is very sad and hurting as Mellow really was a member of the family. We lay ourselves open to pain when we let animals into our lives, knowing their lives are so much shorter than ours,  but the joy they give us make it worth it and I couldn't imagine a life without animal family members. It doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye though. Thinking of you MM, and rest peacefully little Mellow.

Bebb's Busy Boxing Day

So for weeks I have been saying, "Oh, I can't wait to be on holidays and have Christmas over so I can sleep in and relax..." Come Boxing Day today and I was up by 6.15am. What?! I have no idea what's going on here. Though it was good in a way as Mum and Dad are staying with us over Christmas and are very early risers so I got to have breakfast with them. Mum (or Mebb as she has renamed herself after reading my blog...hi Mebb) was very surprised that I beat her out of bed on a non-work day as she knows how much I love to sleep in.

Anyway, Dad headed off to his shift as a volunteer ambulance officer in the city and Mum and I chatted, cuddled dogs and watched Sea Change, then set off for Hollybank for a bushwalk with the dogs at 9am...pretty good considering I had set my alarm for 9am.

We had a lovely walk at Hollybank and the dogs enjoyed it too.

The highlight was walking down to the river. It was the first time my young Bub hounds had visited a river and the results were pretty predictable.

Jack stood primly on a rock trying not to get his paws wet...

...while Johnny plunged straight in and swam around, ending up looking like a drowned rat.

Drowned rat standing behind 'Mebb'. After I took that photo, Mebb was heard to say, "That picture's going on the blog isn't it?"  I also copped teasing from Mebb who claimed I only wanted to go for a walk so I could blog about it! Not true...though having a blog does change your outlook slightly, I won't deny...especially when you find yourself planning blog posts in your head.

The water did look beautiful but I didn't have my bathers and we still had a 40 minute walk to get back to the car...can't imagine it would have been that fun in wet clothes. Next time...

After we drove back into the city we dropped the dogs home and then I took Mum (oh sorry, I mean Mebb- she has started calling herself that now which is a bit of a worry...) out to lunch at the Seaport.

After grocery shopping we headed back home, and everyone is now having some quiet time. Mum (Mebb!) is playing with Christmas presents- she is reading a book on the Kindle she got from Dad (look, I can't call him Debb. Mum's name is Deb and this is just all getting too weird).

I'll leave you with a shot of our relaxed Christmas lunch from yesterday. Here are my parents kicking back in our gazebo while I cooked steak, salmon and haloumi (the latter for my vegetarian self) on the barbeque.

Oh and finally...it was Johnny's first Christmas and Jack taught him the joys of ripping up wrapping paper and going manic amongst the shreds. I let them go for it...it is Christmas after all. 

Merry Christmas from Bebb and the Bubs.

Bookworm Time with Bebb...Part Four

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!I don't quite feel like I'm on holidays yet as I've had so much to do in the lead up to hosting Christmas lunch for the first time. I'm looking forwards to spending the day with family, but also having time to just do nothing in particular once it's all over. Saturday is Book Review day here at Bebb and the Bubs so I'm taking a break from cleaning/making Christmas crackers/making cauliflower cheese/making sorbet and ice cream cake/marinating salmon to bring you another of my favourite books. (One day I'll review some crappy books to keep it fair...but right now I'm enjoying sharing books that I love.)

We So Seldom Look on Love

by Barbara Gowdy

This collection of short stories from Canadian novelist Barbara Gowdy is populated by an assortment of highly unusual characters. Siamese twins, necrophiles, transsexuals, exhibitionists...they all find their way onto the pages. We meet Sylvie, who shares a body with her twin sister Sue, who is nothing but a pair of legs, and works as a circus freak. There is blind Terry and mentally handicapped Julie and their foster carer Aunt Bea. We peek inside the life of Ali, married to a wealthy doctor, dissatisfied with life and an exhibitionist. We see inside the mind of a young, beautiful, female necrophile in the titular story. All that is strange, out of the ordinary, disturbing and shocking are presented in this book, and it is easy to fall into.

Written skillfully and powerfully, this is a highly original collection of short stories that exerts a strong grip on the reader. Even while describing things that may sicken or disturb, the prose is elegant and beautiful and it is hard to stop reading. It is not for the faint of heart, for taboo topics are laid bare in devastating, yet straightforward fashion.

The stories are more than eye-opening, bizarre and disturbing, however- they are full of moments of poignant humour and often quite moving. Who would have thought that a tender love story concerning a necrophile could exist? Some stories are uplifting, others heartbreaking, and all are unexpected. While surreal, her stories are grounded in realism as we are shown the many different people that make up humankind, and the secret desires and character quirks that may only exist behind closed doors are brought into the light.

This is not a book to be read once, put aside and forgotten. Rather, it is a book to be returned to again and again, to be captivated by, thought over and not forgotten. Powerful, unsettling, and ultimately remarkable,

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I hope you enjoyed another book review. Let me know if you read any of my recommendations. Off to keep getting organised for Christmas now. We're all feeling the pressure of the Christmas preparations here in the house of Bebb and the Bubs...

Some of us more than others, it would seem. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Backyard Happenings

So today was the last day of school for students. I got lots of hugs and had a few of my gorgeous girls literally clinging to me in tears and begging me not to leave the school. I wish I could stay there too but alas it's not up to me. Last night was Presentation Night and I was given the role of 'prize coordinator'...hmmm...a fancy way of saying that as each presenter was called to the stage I had to collect the associated prize from a table and meet them at the foot of the stage stairs to give it to them. I was told to dress up as I was 'on view'...I felt very much on view and conscious that several hundred people were watching me as I appeared at the foot of the stairs with prizes all night. At one point I even made it on stage as a presenter hissed "I can't carry all of those- come up with me!" So prize girl did her bit...I actually felt slightly like this... 

After the evening finished, one of the presenters (some random politician) came up to me and said, "You did a great job with all of those prizes- very coordinated and you looked very confident."

"Oh thanks," I replied, before adding jokingly, "Yes, I have my Wheel of Fortune audition tomorrow!"

"Oh really?" he asked seriously. "That's great. Well, good luck with that. At least you've got teaching to fall back on if you don't get the role. Good, good." He then walked off leaving me somewhat speechless.  

So anyway. Let's move on from politicians who lack a sense of humour and irony.

After I got home today, I spent half an hour wrestling with metal poles, flapping canvas and surprisingly straightforward and easy to follow instructions in order to erect this in the backyard.

I will be having Christmas Day lunch here with my parents and decided it would be nice to have some shade, as if the weather is nice we are planning to have a barbeque and eat outside. It will also be great for barbeques with friends, and just to sit under and read, chat, relax, etc.

After we got it up I harvested some of the amazing bounty my garden is starting to put forth.

Snow peas, peas, parsley, cauliflower- lots more still growing! Pretty good for my first attempt at growing vegies on my own. There were more peas but I stood at the sink and ate a lot straight from the pod- delicious. We'll be having lots of fresh homegrown vegies on Christmas Day.

While I was outside I decided to take a photo of Jack lying on the grass, and just as I was about to do so, Johnny zoomed into shot and stood there like a little poser. I love this photo of my gorgeous boys.

It's quite a warm evening and we have all retreated inside now to relax in each other's company.

I'm still feeling exhausted but am starting to get very excited about finishing work for the year tomorrow and enjoying some glorious holiday time. And no, Mr Politician, I will not be joining Wheel of Fortune. They'll just have to get along without me as best they can.



At the Movies with Bebb...Part Four

Well, it's Wednesday and you know what that means- Movie Review day here at Bebb and the Bubs. And also...tomorrow is my last day of work before summer holidays! Very exciting yet I'm also feeling a little sad at leaving this school tomorrow and starting over at a new school yet again. There are some kids I've gotten to know really well, and friends I've made among the staff (particularly Lisa) who I'll miss. Ah well- onto new adventures! I know I'll keep in touch with Lisa and make new friends at my new school.

So today I am reviewing another Australian movie...

Sleeping Beauty (2011)

Lucy (Emily Browning) is a university student. She works three thankless jobs- as a test subject in a medical research lab, as a waitress, and in an office- to support herself. Lucy appears cut off from the world around her, completely disconnected from her housemates and engaging in meaningless liaisons with men she meets in bars. Her only real connection is the one she shares with her friend Birdmann (Ewan Leslie), an alcoholic who does not leave his flat. Their relationship is both intimate and strangely formal, and it is only with Birdmann that we see any vulnerability from beautiful, distant Lucy. Answering an ad in the student paper to work as a lingerie waitress, Lucy soon finds herself working for Clara (Rachael Blake) who runs a mysterious establishment in which young women are willingly put into a drugged sleep so that older men can spend the night with them- to look and touch only. As time passes, Lucy begins to grow increasingly curious as to what happens to her in the lost hours while she sleeps...

I wanted to love this movie. I really thought I would. The previews showed an ethereal, atmospheric arthouse movie, and I was excited to see author Julia Leigh's directorial debut. (She wrote, among other things, The Hunter, upon which the recent movie was based.) I had also noted that Julia Leigh had been mentored by Jane Campion, who directed one of my all time favourite movies, The Piano. 

But. Yes, but. I found the movie to be vastly disappointing. Though Emily Browning's acting was impressive, we had no chance to get to know Lucy on any real level as she was so detached and distant. I feel this was a deliberate effort to show her as being disconnected from the world around her and reckless in the risks she took, but instead it made us feel like we were only watching her from the outside with no view into her motives, feelings or thoughts, which was very unsatisfying. The times when we did see emotion and vulnerability from Lucy- during her scenes with Birdmann and in the final scene- were powerful moments when I did feel connected to her, and I was left wanting to feel the same way during the rest of the movie.  

This was quite an uncomfortable film to watch. Seeing Lucy, naked, unconscious and completely vulnerable, being handled by older men who seemed to have no regard for her wellbeing or safety made for difficult viewing. Dialogue that seemed intended to shock had the effect of distancing me further from the film. The script was well-written, but I question the desire to show humankind in its basest, vilest, most lust-driven form, and the decision to leave the audience so cut off from every single character. Another issue is that in such a controversial film, there were many scenes that I actually found quite dull. I debated whether to stop watching on several occasions, not because I was disturbed but because I was, quite simply, bored.

Visually, the film was beautifully shot and lit. Emily Browning looked breathtakingly stunning but her tiny, waifish frame made the scenes with the older men all the more uncomfortable. The film left me with many, many more questions than it answered and while this is all well and good and I do enjoy discussing the meaning behind movies with others, this movie went too far in leaving us with too much we did not know, understand or hope to understand. Overall the acting was good, and I had respect for Emily Browning's brave performance in particular, but this is not a movie I could say I enjoyed. I was left feeling churned up inside, uncomfortable, sad and confused. Certain scenes were with me that night as I tried to sleep, and were not scenes that I particularly wanted to revisit. Disappointing viewing and not a film I would recommend unless you really just need to satisfy your curiosity.  

My rating: If my rating was based only on the acting, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. However, overall I give it 2 out of 5 stars. It has potential, but does not deliver.