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Tag Archives: Vivienne

Biltong – sort of !

31 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by Therese Trouserzoff in The Dining Room, Vivienne

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Biltong, Vivienne

 

images

Vivienne patiently waits for her biltong

 

Recipe from our Chef du Jour Vivienne

Make this on the day you want to eat it.  Great as a pre-dinner/bbq/party nibble.

One whole skirt steak (which makes the quantity shown on the tray ready for the oven).

Usually too long, so cut in half and then cut into strips starting from what was the side – that is, you cut with the grain, not across it.  Where meat is thicker, tip strip on to side and cut in half again.

Cutting Biltong

In a glass bowl mix:

  • biltong mixing2 teaspoons of ground ginger
  • 2 minced cloves of garlic (I’ve use fresh and the jar stuff, either are fine)
  • Half a cup of brown sugar (not the dark stuff)
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon of fish sauce  (although I think I used more like a dessert spoon)
  • 3 tablespoons of kepjac manis
  • 3 tablespoons of regular soy
  • Salt – about 1 level teaspoon
  • Some pepper

Add the meat and ensure well coated.

Marinate for minimum of 1 hour but no more than 1 and a half hours – no need to put in fridge as is best at room temperature in your house.

Place on racks on a tray.  Close together.

biltong tray

Preheat oven to 140c and cook at least 1 and a half hours (up to no more than 2 hrs) – this depends on your oven (they do vary).  My oven is not fan forced.

Biltong Eat

Cool a little.  Eat

 

 

 

Nurse Barbara – Gravel Rock meets SAVLON

19 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by Mark in Mark, Vivienne

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Foodge, Mark, Nurse Barbara, Savlon, Vivienne

nurse03

Written by HOO aka Mark

“Why don’t people in these stories ever answer their phones, isn’t that why they were created” says Nurse Barbara to herself, odd seeing she actually is alone and no one is actually answering the phone. Sandy won’t answer, Gordon is watching TV and the Bish is smoking in his den. My bet is they’re down the pub. I’d tell the Bishop but he’ll just say lets bring it up at the meeting and then has any one ordered the pizza’s yet, a true leader as her thoughts waft to anchovy and olive pizza, hmm.

Anyhoo, down at the pub Foodge was feeling a little edgy till a Little Edgy moved away from Foodge to the end of the bar. See Little Edgy was a girls only kind of guy and didn’t like Foodge feeling him but lets face who would want to feel a Little Edgy all the time. Hmm.

“What’s with you Foodge?” asks Merv noticing Foodge, looking like he was a Little Edgy, given the few pints or so he had for breakfast and focusing postprandial is never a good time for Merv.

“Well Sandy won’t get out of bed. Now I have to take Nurse Barbara out to the farm, somethings happened” bemoans Foodge.

“I’ll take my bloody self” says Nurse Barbara as she strides into the bar. “Pass me the phone thingy on the counter Merv, I’m ringing Viv and she can come with me. None of you layabouts are any good to me” asserts Barbara.

“It’s Saturday afternoon for Gordon sake, every one will be on the grog or just about to” informs Merv in his laconic rasp.

“Not us nurses mate, never off duty” says Nurse Barbara.

The phone rings out on the farm. Viv’s Husband answers the phone “Hello, Hollow MagpiesHollow here, Viv’s Husband speaking” says Viv’s Husband surprisingly.

“Viv” continues Viv’s husband, as my fingers wish I had thought of shorter name to call him “It’s the telephone, you know with the wires and stuff, like the tin cans with strings, like in the good old days, it’s Nurse Barbara” laments you know who.

“Yes Nurse Barbara” Viv states as she marvels at the technology built into these tales, how quaint  “come over now and pick me up or at worst follow the script. It’s the girls, they’re into this new fad, gravel rock it’s called, No Through Road is the album they just all must have” continues Viv in concern for her two daughters DeeOne and DeeTwo, phew says my fingers.

“What’s the name of the band?” asks Nurse Barbara as she orders a pint at the bar. Bloody smokes, she thinks must give them up one day, next we will know that they’re harmful, can’t have that now can we.

“Boom Crash Opera or Severe Tonsillitis, something like that” says Viv thinking back to the good old days of gramophone records and that dinner music band, hmm, ACDC.

“I’ll be there straight away” says Nurse Barbara downing her pint and butting her fag out.

nev blond walk away survillanceNurse Barbara arrives at the farm and is greeted by Viv along with DeeOne and DeeTwo.

“Now it’s good to see that you girls are alright after that gravel rock, knock, knock, crying sort of stuff, music as you loosely describe it but it can causing bleeding and permanent damage” says Nurse Barbara.

“Oh, look Nurse Barbara” cries Viv, “My husbands toe has just dropped off” as the astonishment builds so much here it’s almost palpable, palpable a nice word used to describe something that barely has a pulse.

“Damn” says Viv’s Husband “was going to work on the lawn but looks like I might have to put up what remains of my feet and watch the cricket, cheery oh” as he strides to the lounge room  via the fridge to get a beer. Now that’s a man.

“See girls” says Nurse Barbara as she shakes her head at the waste of it all

Tacit pause while all players readjust their priorities. Usually happens after an event like this, a debrief so to speak, yes folks, gravel rock can ruin your life unless you have SAVLON(Super Anti Vaccine Lancomycin On NetGel), yes an acronym, finally, you all say.

savlon“No Barb it’s not wasted” says Viv as the typing gets harder “what you need is SAVLON see up and to the left of screen, yeah that will fix any girls desire for gravel rock, or boom crash crying whatever” talks Viv, as seen on TV, “even tipped some in hubby’s port, hasn’t had a drink since”

“But…” interjects Nurse Barbara  as her hit count drops.

“Barb, I’m telling you, this will stop sheep’s guts from going rotten, seen it myself  I did, own two eyes, yep, sheep lived long enough to make it to market, er, um, to, er, be, um….” says Viv

“Sheet Viv, sheet” is all Barbara could muster, eyes widened as the authors BGL levels diminish.

 

 

 

 

 

Nurse Barbara – Are you Serious?

19 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by Mark in Mark, Vivienne

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Beechworth, Mark, Nurse Barbara, Viv, Vivienne

Written by Mark. True stories by Vivienne.

If you haven’t read the first part go here

Nurse Barbara Bees Lips Misses Finger

After all this time writing here and elsewhere I have rarely written anything serious or should I say real or factual. This will be different for us both. No pictures but stick with me, I think this is important.

I have recently had some conversations with Vivienne asking if she could provide some snippets about Nurse Barbara, as you know Vivienne and Nurse Barbara are the same person. Vivienne sent half a dozen snippets or so and gave me editorial control of that information to use here at the Arms.

I used humour on some of the ones that had ready to go material in them but the real story is quite different. It shows a multiple skill set application used by someone who lives somewhat isolated. That skill set develops over time and often comes from events. Mainly these events are urgent  however you usually have to do something or you know that something bad is going to happen. So you do something. This needs to be recognised.

Now the dog was bitten on the lip by a bee, Viv’ husband called out to her that the dog didn’t look right and Nurse Barbara better come and attend.  Nurse Barbara removed the sting and applied Beechworth honey to the wound. The dog recovered half an hour later. The name Nurse Barbara has stuck ever since.

The said friend did have his finger saved by Nurse Barbara and the gag about the finger going the wrong way came from Viv or one of her family going to hospital and being asked why they thought their finger was broken to which they replied “well, it’s pointing in the opposite direction for a start…”

All what we would call the nursing process, assess, plan, implement and review.

Now here’s a first, well at the Arms any way. Here’s the next episode of Nurse Barbara but the truth first, Dr HOO’s version will come second. I’m combining these two snippets in to one story but I want you to hear the real ones first, unedited.

 

Road gravel and broken wrist

“Viv’s daughters were riding their bikes one Saturday afternoon. The road was safe, a gravel no through road. It was good as daughter No.2 had just recovered from a severe bout of tonsillitis. A lovely spring day too. Then knock knock and crying could be heard. Viv opened door to the sight of daughter No.1 covered in blood and crying in pain and panic. Daughter No.2 was okay but they were both exhausted. They’d crashed into each other. One hit the gravel badly. Nurse Barbara went into action. Where was the source of the blood. To the bathroom and a lot of gentle washing and picking out of gravel from chin and knees and hands. Then finally – oh dear, broken wrist. Panadol first, then phone off duty doctor. Drive to town. Doc wants an X-ray. Off to hospital –what a bugger. Back to doc who confirms what Nurse Barbara said – broken wrist (really!). Finally back home. The next day hubby cut off his big toe in ride-on mower accident. This time Nurse Barbara called the ambulance. She then hosed the blood off the verandah. Next day she fixed the mower so it automatically cut out the mower when no one on it. Then ensued three months of nursing. The toe did not grow back.”

That’s a busy weekend and when I read it, I could strongly identify with most of the aspects of the work. One of my nursing roles was, you’re it, look after anyone that comes through that door.

The other issue here is outcome. Injury and illness cause consequence. At many stages on our journey through life the truth tells us what those consequences really mean. Humour can but won’t necessarily do all of that for us. Again this requires recognition.

Now I am going to tie all this in with this gem. Excellent work here by Nurse Barbara.

The Mauled Lamb

“Savlon to the rescue. The lamb’s stomach was ripped open. Nurse Barbara – we have to save it says hubby as he pours himself a port. Do something! All I’ve got is Savlon and a sheet. Squeezed whole contents of tube of Savlon into open wound, cuts up sheet, winds it around lamb’s body, put lamb into laundry with a Hessian sack covering whole body. Next day – it was alive and got up and took off to join the other sheep. It recovered – sheet gradually unravelled after a few days. Got top money at market a year later.”

Clever work for certain. Now the Dr HOO version isn’t written yet but it will be soon as the writing bug continues. Nurse Barbara will have to go herself because Sandy won’t want to get out of bed, Gordon is busy watching TV and the Bish is in the den smoking. Can’t wait.

Cheers

Mark

 

 

 

 

Holly’s Korean Style Barbecue Steak

26 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by Therese Trouserzoff in Entertainment Upstairs, Vivienne

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

Holly, Korean Barbecue Steak, Vivienne

Vivs Daughters Recipe

VIVIENNE’s Daughter Can Cook Too

Recipe for one hungry person!

  • 1 good quality scotch fillet steak

Marinade

Holly Pic 2

  • Korean BBQ marinading sauce (see photo)
  • 1 glove garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp ginger diced very finely
  • 1 tblsp good quality soy sauce (I recommend the MegaChef brand)
  • 2 tsp good quality fish sauce (I recommend the MegaChef brand).

Accompaniments

Holly Pic 3

  • Kim Chi – available at your Asian grocer or Asian food market. Cabbage Kim Chi is most suitable.
  • Blanched julienne carrot (as much as you like)
  • Blanched julienne zucchini (as much as you like)
  • Blanched bean sprouts  (as much as you like)
  • White bean paste (see photo) (just a small ‘dollop’)
  • 1 small bowl of steamed jasmine rice (cooked in water with plenty of salt)

Method:

Slice steak into thin strips then mix in with the Marinade ingredients for at least ½ hour. No need to marinate for longer than an hour.

Heat a heavy based pan.  You can add a small amount of oil if you wish but if you know your pan can handle it, just leave it dry.  Once the pan is almost smoking hot, add the marinated steak and cook until well done, aromatic and caramelised.

Take half of the blanched zucchini and half the blanched bean sprouts and place in a small bowl with some Japanese style mayonnaise and a good squeeze of lemon. Mix together. This goes well with the plain crunchy vegetables.

Place the cooked beef on a suitable plate and add the side dishes but keep your rice bowl separate so you can have each mouthful as the perfect bite- a little bit of everything. You might like to use a nice big spoon and then with chopsticks put a bit of everything on the spoon and then shove it in your gob! Yummy!

Hung One On Whitman

08 Thursday May 2014

Posted by Therese Trouserzoff in Neville Cole, Poets Corner

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

'Shoe, Algy, Asty, Big M, Emmjay, Gez, Gregor, Helvi, Hung One On, Lehan Winifred Ramsay, Merv, Neville Cole, Vivienne, Voice, Warrigal

poets_pub

Story by Neville Cole

I’ll admit it. I tied one on with Hung One On down the Pub last night. As I recall, it all started amicably enough. All the locals were there celebrating the 5th Anniversary. Viv’s spread was a real treat. Gregor took to the mic early on and told some raunchy jokes. Big M was singing Karaoke. I had a grand old time catching up with Algy, Shoe, Voice, Asty, Lehan, Gerard, Helvi, Warrigal and, of course Emmjay. But, much, much later, as closing time drew nigh, things got a little…well, strange. Hung grew increasingly introspective, almost wistful, as the night went on and we began to talk – as we often do when we get this way – about life, about love, and about…poetry.

“Some day, Mate,” he says to me, “I’m gonna go walkabout. I gonna drop this…” he paused for a moment to choose just the right word, than added: “façade…and start living.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” I replied, appropriately emphasizing exactly in exactly the right way as I downed my last Trotters.

“I think you do. I think you do. I know you do!” Hung said with a sudden smile. “You and I aren’t the types to be penned in by… by rules…and, and rules. We are the truth tellers. We are the rebel alliance. We are poets, man…and we should be out there poeting our guts out.”

“We are poets,” I agreed with him. “When I look at you that’s exactly what I see.” I was at this time somewhat fixed on the word exactly as you might have already guessed. But I continued nevertheless: “You, for sure, are a fucking poet, Hung. Walt Whitman’s got nothing on you, brother.”

“Walt Whitman!” Hung leapt to his feet like a sleeping dog woken by a noisy cat. “That’s it!” Hung cried climbing his stool to reach the bar.

“Hey, hey,” Merv sang out. “Closing time, Hung. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

“Hear him out, Merv,” I said quietly. “He’s on a roll.”

“Warrigal kept to himself. Quietly sketching away in the corner; but I saw a wry smile break across his face as Hung began to recite a poem in a loud, clear voice.

“Song of MY self,” Hung announced to the almost empty bar. “By Hung One On Whitman.

And what followed, I recorded exactly as it poured from his soul…’cause no one would believe it if I didn’t write it down.

 

Song of my self

 

Come breathe the musk of morning
sit silent at the desert dawn;
Listen for my breath
Here me cry the empty sky
into being
Bathe in the light
I am not lost
nor hidden in rock
I am not dead
you are not dreaming
we are Life eternal.

Throw off your shoes
Did toes in solid earth
Draw kindred souls into your veins
There is not end in sight
no apocalypse is nigh
there is not one of us will die
we all are Life eternal
we are the one supernal
I take you in as you do I
Give yourself to the forests and the seas
We are all what feeds the other
There is no turning back
This is a never ending track that leads back to an open door
no floor
no ceiling to block the light
you are in my sight
no need to fear the night
Feel my warmth on you skin
Let me in
Turn your face to me
Give me a smile for today
You are Life eternal.

Look to the sky
Not a cloud to block the blue
This is my gift to you
This blue sky
that greenish-yellow leaf
the purple pinkness of the flowers
the richness and ceaseless variety
you are wrapped in a multitude of color
all for you this glorious display
I paint the world this way
To make each day your canvas
Take it in
Hold it with you to look upon
During the hours of grey and black
Remember my gift
Seek it out
The new day is just beyond the horizon
It will not be slowed or stopped
It will not hold back from you
Even if you doubt or despair
Even if you curse and cry
Even if you lose your way
Even if you forget
A new day is coming
Every moment
a hundred million every second
all across the Earth
a billion others like you and I
feeling with us
We are Life eternal.

Hung stopped for a moment, then a moment more, then paused, then graceful as a dancer, he bowed deeply and humbly. Emmjay and I cheered. Even Warrigal rose to his feet in applause.

I don’t remember much that happened after that. It’s a bit of a blur. I remember watching the sun come up a few hours later and replaying Hung’s poem in my head; but that’s about it. Still, it was a top notch 5th Birthday bash and I can’t wait till next year’s party.

 

Bumper Christmas Edition 2013 – VIVIENNE’s – photo story from home

25 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by Therese Trouserzoff in Vivienne

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

Vivienne

 

Photographs by Vivienne

Viv 1

Burning ‘orff’ commences (view from front of house)

Viv 2

Burning ‘orff’ in all its glory an hour later  (I zoomed in)

Viv RainbowA rainbow

Viv BirdiesArriving for breakfast

Viv Bread

Gluten-free bread – looks like a brick and just as heavy!

Viv YabbieA big yabbie – along with 7 others – became lunch.

Viv pork chopsRoast stuffed pork chops

Viv Preserved OlivesA reasonably good salad featuring my home grown preserved olives

Vi Home OfficeMy office at knock off time

Pig’s Arms Bumper Christmas Edition 2102 – Vivienne’s Tapas

25 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by Therese Trouserzoff in The Dining Room, Vivienne

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

Recipes, Tapas, Vivienne

Vivienne's Tapas

Vivienne’s Tapas

This is how I wrote the recipe down 20 plus years ago.  It was Maria’s dish from the Philippines.

500g of rump steak sliced thin and marinated in – vinegar, garlic (1 tsp), pinch of salt – for 12 hours or overnight.   Drain and dry off meat by cooking in frypan.  Remove and add cooking oil – fry up with some thick sliced onions and serve with dip.

Dip:  vinegar, garlic (half teaspoon), white sugar (1 tsp), pepper, salt and a little chilli.

The method was a bit too brief and needed some working on.  When Maria cooked the meat I thought my whole kitchen was going to go up in flames.  The temperature was so high that smoke obliterated the stove.  It tasted great but for indoor cooking it needed toning down.

Half a kilo of rump gives enough for everyone to have a snack, as in tapas.  However, we loved it too much to settle for a snack, so I do at least one kilo for four people.  The marinate mix needs to be just enough to barely cover the meat in a glass bowl.  I put in more minced garlic and a bit more salt.   I do this the day before.

When meal time comes around, preheat the oven or warming tray and serving dish.

Peel and thickly slice the onions (3 or 4 large ones).

Dry fry off the meat in batches in a large flat bottomed pan – the meat will be cooked and a bit dry.  Drain off any liquid which accumulates in the pan.  Then add some oil and fry in the oil – mix up some of the onion with the meat each time, doing this in say four lots, each time adding a little oil.  It is done when the onions are just done (not limp).

The dip can be done hours before – put into a screw top jar and give it plenty of good shakes.  I used to add chilli powder but have also used a little sweet chilli sauce and I add more garlic.  But the basic taste is vinegar with oomph.   Serve with dish surrounded by a few little bowls of the dip for each person.  Use fingers or a toothpick and dunk in dip and pop in mouth.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone.  With very best wishes from Vivienne.

 

Vivienne Says Hello

13 Monday Sep 2010

Posted by Therese Trouserzoff in Vivienne

≈ 55 Comments

Tags

Great Tits, Lola, Vivienne

Vivienne - last century - while on holiday in London. I'm the one with the great tits

By Vivienne

My motto in life:

I’ll come to that bridge when I’ve crossed it.

Two of my famous sayings are:

  • You could have knocked me over with a boulder.
  • Don’t make me the prawn in your sandwich.

I have a husband and two fabulous daughters and one little dog (Lola).

This is Lola not long after she turned up at our place.  She had been dumped, was on heat, hungry and had no microchip.  She is now fully grown though not much bigger, just on four kilos.  We have always loved dogs and the last one passed on the year before so there was a vacancy.

Our driveway.  The trees were planted in 1981 as little babies.  They look a bit light on in the foliage department as this photo was taken a couple of years ago.  With the wonderful rain we have had this year they are now looking much healthier.

I plan on writing some food articles for those interested in seafood, curries, old fashioned cooking and reasons you should indulge yourself every now and then.

PS:  merit certificates will be awarded to the wittiest remark as to who has the best tits in the photo.

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