PICKLING CUCUMBER and RADISHES
Summer means salads, but I get tired of the same things day in and day out. Most years I end up pickling some salad vegetables to add variety. The process of fermentation or pickling helps support a healthy gut, too..
I have pickled both the cucumber and the radishes using this pickling liquour ( here) Both are very fresh and readily available at the moment, so we are eating them raw and pickled. I added some very thinly sliced pickled ginger, also known as sushi ginger to the radishes.
The bunch of radishes was so pretty I did a quick painting before preparing them for pickling.
The slight pink tinge of pink is Himalayan salt and red from the radishes. Still tasted very good.
CELEBRATING
Our family had great news to celebrate this week. We enjoyed an evening with champagne and the next day we did what we nearly always do when we’re celebrating; that is, eat yum cha. We have a favourite Chinese restaurant where the little treats are always delicious. It is very popular and we often have to line up outside, waiting for a table. It is worth it!
Sometimes we have to queue to get into the yum cha restaurant but it’s worth the wait.
MAKING RYE SOURDOUGH
I’ve been experimenting and making sourdough using rye flour. For some years I have made sourdough using white flour. Recently I’ve tried rye sourdough. I followed some recipes online but did wonder if I could use the recipe I’ve always used for white flour sourdough to make rye sourdough. It is a straight forward process, probably because I’ve done it so often! I had already made a rye mother/starter
Rye flour, old recipe, delicious bread.
This is the loaf made from the recipe I have used for some time here. It is less dense and a bigger, lighter loaf compared to the special rye recipes but still very filling. I slice it into very thin slices and freeze most of it as we only eat a few pieces a day. This 100% rye flour sourdough has no sugar or molasses and this blend of sourdough and rye flavours tastes very good. It is a sticky dough so I used extra flour to knead it and generally handle it and then I lined the baking dish with baking paper. The loaf came out cleanly. We all like this bread and I will continue making this recipe.
REPAIRING PEBBLE INFILL
Used a little bit of the concrete I’d mixed to make an umbrella stand to repair the pebbles joining these two areas of brick paving. Some of the pebbles had come loose or disappeared so time to repair the infilled area.
I had to dig out the existing concrete and pebbles. Then I made a clean end to the channel using a piece of stiff cardboard. Not very high tech but it worked well.
Filled the channel with concrete, pushed in new pebbles, cleaned up any smudges and left it to dry. Also replaced individual pebbles in a few other places. I thought I’d collected the original pebbles as they became loose, but I didn’t have enough and had to use some new ones. They are very white but will blend in with time.
IRREGULAR SIZING IN WOMEN’S CLOTHES
Set off to buy new leggings. I wear these most days when I walk. I needed to replace my current leggings because constant wear and washing resulted in them getting baggy and they were beginning to look like trousers, not close fitting leggings. Not good.
The difference in length is surprising. The grey pair and the black pair under them are the same brand and size.
The waist size, leg length and overall sizing was so different.
I bought two pairs in one shop and one pair in another shop. All three are the same size and all three fit well. Strangely, when I laid them on top of one another they were three quite different sizes! One black pair and the grey pair are the same brand so I thought they would be very similar sizes.
So this is a problem for consumers. The clothing I’m comparing was stretchy, made from cotton and lycra and can easy accommodate the person wearing them. Fitted or tailored clothing cannot. All three pairs were made in the same country. It can be particularly difficult if clothes are ordered online. Why aren’t sizes universal? Am I the only person who finds this a problem?
January 15th was Hat Day. Hats come in all shapes, colours and sizes and are essential for protecting you from the sun. They also keep your head warm, safe (helmets) and can make a style statement.
Apparently, more heat is lost through your head than anywhere else on your body.
Living in the land of skin cancers, hats are essential. Many schools in Australia have a, ‘NO HAT, NO PLAY’ rule. So, get your hat on and be warm, safe, sun smart or stylish.