A Blue Flower Wasp, on the footpath outside my apartment, in St Kilda, Melbourne. First time I’ve seen one in Australia.

Don’t be deceived by it’s allure – it’s a parasitoid, and paralyses its prey, lays its eggs inside, and the hatched larvae slowly eat the living prey.

(I’ve known a few parasitoid colleagues😏)

Lockdown lunches: better than my last effort? Peppercorn’s grass fed, gluten free (don’t know why) beef sausages, with my home grown (not supposed to be “miniature”) tomatoes, and egg cooked with hot paprika and dried rosemary. Frying up nicely …
*Sausages kindly supplied by Trevor Burridge pantry
*Real, not enhanced pic: you’re really seeing what I’m really eating
*Life in the Time of Coronavirus

Well, it tastes much better than it looks😄. When you have to mix and match what’s in the cupboard and fridge, today’s winning combo: egg fried with hot paprika, pepper and dried rosemary, on wholemeal toast with tomato sauce, sliced baby beetroot, Smokey Baconnaise and – wait for it – Smokey Taramosalata dip. Oohh yeah!
*Tomato sauce optional ONLY if you are not an Aussie
*No staff were underpaid in the preparation and consumption of this meal

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Lockdown Lunch is very low/slow cooked turkey mince with smoked bacon, heaps and heaps of red wine, dried mixed herbs, coarse pepper, garlic, home grown chilli, tomato paste, frozen peas & corn, on wholemeal toast, finished with generous dollops of spicy pumpkin dip.

“Why served on a paper plate,” I hear you ask? Good question: it adds that rustic, picnicky feel as I eat in the living room on my own😁
(All ingredients sourced from ALDI Supermarket over several visits – no hoarding!)