Daily Archives: April 29, 2010

Lest we never forget…

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This post is brought to you by my huband…

Over the weekend we celebrated ANZAC day, ANZAC as in Australia New Zealand Army Corp, the day we celebrated veterans and their contribution. In Australia this means two-up! This is a game the “diggers” (read Soldiers) played. ANZAC day is the only day it is played (legally) in pubs and clubs throughout Australia, in part to mark a shared experience with Diggers through the ages. Both being Australia, my neighbor and I decided to to the the local RSL for our shared experience.

The game involves 2 coins and a spinner. The spinner is selected from the crowd, and puts the 2 coins of what looks like a wooden spoon and proceeds to “spin” aka toss the coins. The possible outcomes being: 2 heads, a head and a tail or 2 tails. This by itself would not be that interesting if it were not for the gambling on the outcome. So before the spin you pick an outcome, heads or tails then you look for someone, more than likely a complete stranger, to take the other side of the bet. There is not bookie involved, you simply shout out “10 heads”  and wait for someone who wants “10 Tails” to tap you on the shoulder and take the bet. Heads always holds the bet and then you wait for the spinner to do their part and based on the spin you either keep the cash or give it straight back to the other person!

I have to say the game in conjunction with the RSL having the cheapest beer in town made for a great afternoon! Notwithstanding that fact that this is tossing a coin, it is amazing how superstitious one gets, looking for streaks of the outcomes, changing the timing of placing the bet, changing the bet based on the spinner, right down to changing the person you gamble with based on the previous outcomes…..

So there you have it, gambling with complete strangers on the toss of a coin and cheap beer. Lest we forget…..





Quinoa Salad

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Although I am Christian, I never proselytize. Yet if I cook a yummy meal, I can not help myself, but share.

One of our all-time favorite recipes is our Quinoa Salad. We all (yes, even Lana) love it. But even better than that, is that it is SO good for you. I found the recipe at Sensible Living. The only problem with her recipe is that the ingredients are all out of order which just made the cooking process a little frustrating.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

  • 1 cup raw Quinoa
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Black Beans, cooked (since black beans are expensive and hard to find here, we often use kidney beans)
  • 2 cups Corn
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 cups or 1 large Onion, finely chopped
  • 2-4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 1-2 tsp Garlic Chili Paste or 1 fresh Chile, finely chopped (I find this is optional)
  • 2 Red Peppers, diced
  • 1 large Tomato, diced
  • 2 tbsp Parsley, chopped (my husband prefers I omit this)
  • 1-2 tbsp Cilantro (Coriander to the Aussies & Kiwis), chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  1. Rinse quinoa and set aside.
  2. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, add paprika and stir constantly for about 1 minute.
  3. Add the quinoa, water and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10- 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender but still a little chewy.
  4. In a skillet, heat oil and sauté onions, garlic, cumin and coriander until onions are translucent.
  5. Stir in corn, red peppers, chili paste and cilantro. Sauté for another 5 minutes or so.
  6. In a large bowl, combine quinoa and sautéed veggies and chill for 15 minutes.
  7. Add black beans, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.