deborah – Page 30 – MakeCookGrow.com

Six Almost Free Luxuries

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What is your definition of luxury?

What would you do if you won $40 million dollars?

Listening to the radio when I was driving recently the announcer was discussing a $4o million dollar Lotto ( lottery) draw. He said the winner would be, “Living in the lap of luxury.” Listeners were invited to phone in and describe their idea of luxury.

Generally people listed building or buying dream homes, first class world travel, especially cruises, cars, boats, bikes and 4WD vehicles. One man said he’d pay for his Nanna’s hip surgery as she’d been waiting for it a long time, but mostly listeners wanted to buy similar things; houses, travel and vehicles.

I didn’t win Lotto and am not in the market for any of those things but I do like luxurious little treats around the house which make life very comfortable. They’re much cheaper than the list above, too!

1. My mother always has FRESH FLOWERS in the house. Like her, I mostly grow them in the garden, so minimal cost. I like pretty relaxed arrangements of whatever is flowering. I specifically grow roses, alstromerias, tulips and irises as cut flowers and create contrasting colours using ivy, rosemary and lavender. ( If the ivy roots whilst in the vase, I plant it on the verge where I’m creating a low maintenance garden. Lawn needs mowing and constant watering, but ivy is easy and lush) I also have an orchid which blooms every year and stays inside for about five weeks.

2. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY accessed through our local library. I can download books, DVDs, order books, magazines and DVDs from their catalogue, send printing and pick it up later and also read current magazines and newspapers.

3. The best COFFEE and TEA. Since my niece told me about a coffee capsule strong enough for my preferred double espressos, I’d rather drink coffee at home and really enjoy the flavour. Espressos arrive cold in coffee shops, at home I have the luxury of great flavour, fine china and hot coffee. It is consistently good and I can recycle the capsule. My son, a keen tea drinker, has a cupboard full of his favourite blends. He uses loose leaves in a teapot or a tea infuser. This way he avoids the plastic in many teabags and has a very good cup of tea.

4. LEMONS and LIMES. Zest and a fresh flavour hit for fish, salad dressing, Asian flavoured foods, pancakes, chutney and in bottles of water. I love the smell, flavour and versatility of these common citrus. They add luxury to everything! And vitamin C.

5. FRESH AIR and SUNLIGHT. In winter the light comes right into the back of the house. It adds warmth and brightness. First thing in the morning, while the coffee machine warms up, I go around and open the shutters. I also open doors to let the air circulate and freshen the house. Everything feels clean and lighter.

This one always finds the warm sunlit patches.

6. Retirement has brought the luxury of using TIME how I like, including lying in bed some mornings, reading, and going to activities such as painting, mahjong, yoga and bookclub during the day. I walk 12 000+ steps a day and used to do this mostly at night. Now I have the time to do two or three long walks a day. I still vacuum, shop, cook and tidy up, but not at a frantic pace. Being able to choose how I spend my time is luxurious!

Apart from being my brother’s birthday, yesterday was Caviar Day. True caviar comes from only a few types of sturgeon. So, celebrate with a bowl of caviar eaten from a mother of pearl spoon and enjoy its salty deliciousness.

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Plastic Free July: 9 Easy Changes

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Plastic Free July is run by the Plastic Free foundation, which aims for a world without plastic waste. Plastic Free July is a time to consider alternatives to single use plastics in your life.

What is the problem with plastics?

Plastic isn’t biodegradable, it is photodegradable, which means it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, but never goes away. These smaller pieces easily enter the food chain. Micro-plastic particles have even been found in drinking water, both bottled and tap water.

Can’t I just recycle plastics?

Recycling is not really the solution, either. Until recently, recyclable products were compressed into bales and sent to China, but since 2018 China has not been accepting the huge amounts of rubbish traditionally shipped to, and in a small way, recycled in China. Plastic is now sent to landfill.

The problem with recycling plastic is that it loses quality when it is broken down and this degraded material is then used in carpets or some fleece clothing textiles. One load of washing of textiles made from recycled plastics have been seen to shed up to 700,000 micro-plastic particles into our waterways. We don’t know what this is doing to our health, but we know it weakens sealife and they stop reproducing and are easy prey for other fish, so the contamination continues.

Plastic is a useful and cheap product, but there are so many ways to move away from single use plastics. Pick some changes which are easy to make and start with them. Later you can make other substitutions. Change can be gradual as your find alternatives which suit you.

Nine easy, everyday ways to use less plastics are

1. Reusable shopping bags instead of single use plastic bags. Just put them at the door or back into your car when you unpack your shopping and you wont forget to take them.

The large fabric bags have handles stitched right around them so can carry heavy goods without too much strain on the bag. I can also wash them.

These lightweight little pouches store big bags. Handy when you forget your shopping bags or make unplanned purchases. Keep one or two in your handbag, car or pocket.

2. Avoid cling film and instead cover bowls with silicone lids which are reusable. You can also use beeswax covers which are reusable for about 12 months then go in the compost. There’s so many tutorials online for making beeswax covers or buy them. You can put a saucer or plate over bowls in the fridge or, my new favourite, especially on bowls of bread dough I’ve left out to rise, a clear hotel style shower cap! They wipe clean, dry quickly and fit perfectly.

Re-using a hotel shower cap as a bowl cover, secure fit and strong enough to last for a long time.

These silicone covers stretch over so many containers.

3. Take you own cup in your bag for takeaway coffee. If you forget, consider drinking your coffee on site from the cafe’s ceramic mug.

4. If you’re buying taking away food, replace plastic cutlery with a bamboo set or even spare cutlery from home. These can be carried in a Cutlery Roll, a pencil case or even wrapped in a tea towel, secured with a rubber band.

Many shops will pack your order into your own containers, but ask first and not when they’re really, really busy. Luckily, you can compost a pizza box and the wrapping from fish and chips!

5. Use a metal drinking bottle instead of buying bottled water. Buy an aluminum straw. If you forget, look around and see if there’s a drinking fountain. If you need to buy a drink, buy something in a glass bottle you can wash and re-use. Glass is just sand, a mineral and infinitely recyclable without loss of quality.

6. Buy fruit and vegetables loose. Gather fabric bags of various sizes and keep them in your shopping bags. You can make the bags from old netting curtains, thin cotton or take pillowcases. Try asking for paper bags if you forget your bags. Buying loose fruit and veg also means you get select the pieces you prefer.

7. Look for online recipes for making yoghurt if this is something you frequently buy. I don’t think the bought tubs are easy to re-use and you can make your own yoghurt cheaply at home in a glass jar.

8. Buy what you can in glass, paper or cardboard. Jars are useful for storage, paper and cardboard can be recycled, put in the compost or in your worm farm. I re-use jars with a wide openings most often.

9. Look for bars of soap and toilet paper wrapped in paper or similar products. The wrappers can be shredded for compost, dug into the garden or recycled. Sometimes the wrappers smell pretty enough to put in your sock drawer.

I’d love to know if you have a clever idea for re-using the length of plastic the newspaper comes in. I like a dry newspaper, but the wrapper goes in the bin. Not good.

To get more ideas, channel your grandmother, especially if she is pre-plastic!

Yesterday was World Population Day, intended to focus on the ever growing world population and the adverse effect of this on the environment. The belief is that the world cannot sustain the social and logistical pressures that increasing population will create. There is also an emphasis on reproductive health, particularly in developing countries and how this impacts on population growth.

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Rottnest Island in Winter, June 2019

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Rottnest Island, a favourite holiday destination, is 19km off Western Australia’s coast. It was originally home to the Aboriginal people until rising sea levels separated the island from the mainland about 7000 years ago. Rotto, as the locals say, is an A Class reserve, which represents the highest level of protection for public land.

We boarded the ferry at the Fremantle Wharf. The journey was very rough with a high swell and waves, so we bumped and crashed our way across. Normally this trip takes 30 minutes, ours took 80 via Rous Head, so I was relieved to step onto the jetty.

This sailing ship moored at the wharf is the STS Leeuwin, Australia’s largest sail training tall ship. Built and based in Fremantle, it is a three masted 1850’s style barquentine replica, built in WA.

The ferry jetty in Thomsons Bay where visitors arrive and leave. The barges also dock here to deliver their cargo.

Looking south along the beach at Thomsons Bay. Stunning in summer and pretty good in winter, too. Rottnest is great for swimming, snorkeling, diving ( so many shipwrecks!) surfing, fishing, long bike rides, two lighthouses and lovely walks. Only service vehicles are allowed so it is safe to wander and ride all around the island. Hire bikes are available, both traditional and electric.

We were there during two major storms. The days were wet and gloomy at times but we were able to walk to favourite spots and when the sun was shining it was lovely and warm. Weren’t able to do big walks to other bays due to the rain but we still enjoyed our break and looking at the wildlife.

Rottnest Island Pine, a conifer endemic to the Island, grows to medium height and has dense green foliage.

Evidence of strong winds on a path to the beach.

Branch of Rottnest Island Pine cones.

Looking back towards the mainland. In summer the bay is full of boats.

Older cottage. When I stayed in these cottages as a child there were no bathrooms and we wandered over to the shower block each evening.

Newer cottages, about 40 years old and older cottages along the front road in Thomsons Bay.

All the accommodation is painted in shades of ochre, specific to the Island.

Originally built in 1848 as the Second Superintendent’s House and Military Barracks , built in 1844, these buildings are available for rent.

The Museum which used to be the Library. Built in 1857 it has also been a mill and hay store. There are many old and interesting buildings on Rottnest. There’s also many attractive bays and beaches, lighthouses and lakes to visit.

The top of the Pilot Boathouse, built in 1859. It was also thought to have been used as a transit cell for prisoners awaiting transportation to the mainland.

The Salt Store, built 1886 has also been used as a bank, a library, office and museum. It now has art exhibitions and other displays. The museum, Salt House and guided walks are all done by volunteers who are very well informed.

Famous for selfies with Roger Federer, quokkas are small native marsupials found in very few other locations. Other easily spotted animals are Australian Sea Lions and also Southern Fur Seals.

There used to be so many peacocks on Rottnest but because they are an introduced species the peahens have been removed to prevent breeding. Only two peacocks remain and will not be replaced. We have a photo of our son as a small boy feeding the birds but apparently they became feral and demanded food from visitors.

Looking north across Thomson Bay. Bathurst Lighthouse is visible on the left of the skyline. The other light house on Rottnest is Wadjemup near Salmon Bay.

The Garden Lake from our veranda. Pretty view, great location and a large room but the Karma Lodge is overdue for a thorough renovation and intensive staff training and supervision.

Entrance to Karma Resort. The white building on the left is the Anglican Chapel. Built in 1856-57 it was a school during the week and a Chapel on the weekend. Services ceased in 1910 with the chapel being re-dedicated by the Anglican Archbishop of Perth in 1965. There is also an old, attractive Catholic Church nearby.

Walkway from Karma to the lake side.

Wonderfully fresh and delicious yeast bun from The Bakery. It was so big we shared it! We enjoyed a lovely curried pie and vanilla slice from The Bakery, too. Following the advice of the local policeman we went across the square for good coffee from The Lane. Great icecream from Simmo’s, too.

This is the scroll we bought at a coffee shop. It was stale. My husband returned it and the manager said, “It was fresh on Monday.” This was Thursday. It was awful.

it’s July and we are halfway through 2019. July was named after the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar by decision of the Roman Senate, in 44BC. It was originally the fifth month in the old calendar and was known as Quintilis, meaning fifth. Happy halfway July!

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Winter Food and Fixing the Clock

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In the Southern Hemisphere we have just experienced the Winter Solistice with the shortest day and the longest night. It has also been very wet and wintery so perfect for roasted, baked warming foods.

The lush, colourful spinach was a gift which I turned into Impossible Spinach Pie and we enjoyed it over two days.

One day we ate it hot with roasted vegetables and the second day we ate it cold with a salad. It was tasty and delicious. Normally I add fetta cheese but I didn’t have any and it was still very good.

Roasted vegetables including Jap pumpkin, potatoes and blistered truss cherry tomatoes all served with roasted turkey breast and cranberry sauce.

Just what we needed on a very wet evening following a day of constant rain. The rain is so welcome and has reached inland to the farming regions.

Rummaging through the freezer, sorting and repacking for better access, I found two ham bones leftover from summer. My son hacksawed each in half and I put them in a big pot to boil with yellow split peas.

This lovely Pea and Ham soup was ready by lunchtime. We had it with toast and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is after all, the Year of the Pig, so we’re doing our bit.

I’d like to say I made cake because it was so wet, but really we like cake when it’s wet, when it’s dry, when it’s any sort of weather!

Look at these beautiful homemade chocolates, a gift from a neighbour. There’s chocolate bark, peanut butter cupcake and assorted dark chocolates with ganache and caramel. Luscious!

The David Austin “Abraham Darby” rose continues to bloom despite the heavy downfalls. These roses are very pretty with a light scent and I really like the way the bush sprawls with long stems of flowers.

We have had this clock on the wall in our family room for years. When it started slowing down and then stopped, we put a new battery in it and re-hung it. Time stood still! The clock was dead.

Went to several shopping centres looking for a replacement but Roman Numerals aren’t fashionable and this clock has a 40cm diameter and modern clocks are either much bigger or more commonly, 30cm, with Arabic numerals.

Came home and searched online. I looked at several hundred clocks over a few days and only one was suitable and it was very, very expensive. After looking at it online a few times the vendor sent a 10% off offer, but with postage and handling, it was still very expensive!

Scrolling through an online auction site I saw lots of replacement movements for less than $5.00 delivered. Could I just take out the old movement and put in a new one? Turns out I could, so the clock is back on the wall and keeping good time. A big win; less landfill and saved nearly $100.00.

June is Audiobook Month. A few people I talk to still listen to audiobooks, especially on long distance road trips, but most people said they listen to podcasts. Which do you prefer?

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West Australian Wildflowers: Philippa Nikulinsky

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There are more than 12 000 species of wild flowers identified in Western Australia and 60 % of these are endemic to WA. From about June onwards we are surrounded by beautiful wild flowers in parks, home gardens and bushland.

These amazing botanical works are created by Philippa Nikulinsky AM, an internationally recognized botanical and wildlife artist. She is currently exhibiting works from the 1970s until now in the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery at the University of Western Australia.

Philippa Nikulinsky has traveled throughout Western Australia for more than 50 years recording, drawing and painting its natural history.

Nikulinsky also designed artworks for the Australian Fine China Company for their crockery.

For many years. Nikulinsky illustrated the cover of the Landscope Magazine, which focuses on conservation, wildlife and parks. There were copies of many of these illustrations as part of the exhibition and they were fabulous!

In 2016, she was awarded an AM in the general order of Australian awards for “significant service to the visual arts as a botanical painter and illustrator, to professional organizations and as a painter.”

At the bottom of the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery gallery stairs, just before the Sunken Garden, are these wildflowers, all blooming. This bottlebrush is one of many forms of this plant.

These pretty blooms are Hakea laurina.

One of hundreds of types of Grevillea.

Today is the 21st of June, the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, so it will be the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Of course, it is the reverse in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice.

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Omakase Degustation Menu at Marumo

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An Omakase Menu at a Japanese restaurant means the chef has decided on the ingredients and presentation of the menu based on the quality of seasonal produce available. You entrust the chef to make the best decision to showcase the ingredients.

We were pleased to get a booking at Marumo, a local Japanese restaurant where the bookings open quarterly in three month blocks for a one night booking in the 28 seat venue at 7pm for four nights a week. Our seven course menu, plus two amuse bouche, was based on winter ingredients and featured a lot of seafood.

Our dinner began with an Amuse Bouche, Pickled Squid, a good indication of the flavours and tastes to follow.

First course: Shokoku Buri ( yellowtail) Looked enticing, tasted very good.

Second Course: Shark Bay Amaebi.

Third Course: Duck, Mushroom and Miso Egg Yolk, delicious and surprising textures and colours.

Fourth Course: Chef’s Selection of Sashimi. Wonderful clean fresh flavours.

Fifth Course: Tasmanian Salmon Belly Sushi, with a lovely range of textures.

Sixth Course: Yearling Beef, Onion and Puffed Rice, the only beef course and the only one I forgot to photograph. It was beautiful to look at and beautiful to eat.

Amuse Bouche: A yuzu sorbet, made from a tart but aromatic citrus fruit not commonly available locally, but delicious.

Seventh Course: Shio Koji, Popcorn and Chestnut. A grand finale!

This was a special night for us. We really enjoyed the carefully chosen and beautifully presented food.

Yesterday was SEWING MACHINE DAY. A sewing machine, capable of stitching saddles and canvas sails was invented in 1755. The more familiar style of sewing machine was invented in 1842.

Most of the clothes we wear today were stitched on a sewing machine. This means people have more clothes as hand sewing is slower and more expensive and machine sewing is fast and cheap.

I have a love/hate relationship with my sewing machine, so when it is working smoothly and the bobbin is full and the needle doesn’t become unthreaded, I love it, but when those things happen, I hate it! These things, of course, are all the fault of the machine.

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Officially Winter: Reading, Making Sourdough and Winter Food

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READING

Finished Latika Bourke’s “From India With Love”, her account of being adopted from India and growing up in Australia. One of many children in a devout Catholic family, her story is joyful and her account of visiting India, which was deeply personal, sometimes harrowing and always interesting. Now a political reporter in Canberra, Bourke has written a lovely tribute to her family, to Australia and to India, as well. A good read.

Also read the very popular “Where The Crawdads Sing”, by Delia Owens. Beautiful descriptions of the north Carolina coast, but I found it unbelievable and the story almost predictable. I finished it, but didn’t find it remarkable at all, but lots of people did, so you must make up your own mind!

My new favourite book was a Mother’s Day gift. It is Alan Marshall’s “The Illustrated Garden”, the perfect gift for someone who paints botanicals and loves gardens and gardening. This book is a collection of garden themed paintings and prints. A celebration of natural beauty but also a showcase for the work of many modern artists in the UK. I find something fabulous on every page.

Paul Torday’s The Girl On The Landing is my bookclub book this month. Utterly reliable, decent and dull, Michael is attractive to Elizabeth for these characteristics, so different from her father. After ten years of boring, predicitable marriage, Michael stops taking his medication and life begins to change for this couple. A rather unremarkable story slowly becomes very gripping! I read this thriller in two sittings and really enjoyed it. Thought provoking, informative ( about schizophrenia) and totally engaging.

MAKING SOURDOUGH

Within hours of arriving back in Perth from Bali I had taken the mother/starter for sourdough out of the fridge to “wake up”. I started the bread making process the next day and finally baked this loaf a day later. I used to make lovely, rustic looking round loaves in a dutch oven but find the rectangular shape easier to fit in the toaster and easier to predict how much I’m eating and when I need when to start the process again. Making sourdough does not happen quickly!

I have reduced the use of single use plastics and was trying instead beeswax covers but they never sealed properly for me and often fell off in the fridge which rather defeated the purpose of covering things anyway. I have ordered a set of silicone stretchy lids but for now I use clear, hotel shower caps to cover the rising bread and a lot of other things in the fridge, too. I can fit them over a number of bowls and plates, wipe them clean and re-use them and I can still see what they’re covering!

WINTER FOODS

This afternoon we have had rain. Apart from the relief that farmers and the garden have had rain, my thoughts turn towards soups, casseroles and, of course, citrus fruit. It is cool enough to roast vegetables and slow cook thick, hearty meals, to throw a rug over our knees in the evening and to put an extra blanket on the bed.

Vegetables for roasting, citrus fruit for jam making and tomatoes and avocados to make salsas to drizzle on roasted vegetables. The rain, which is so welcome, turns our focus on indoor activities.

What do you do differently in winter?

World Environment Day 05/06/2019

This day is about worldwide awareness and protection of the environment. The theme this year is Air Polution and what needs to be done to reduce it in industry, transport, agriculture, wastes disposal and households. Search online for detailed information.

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10 Great Things About Bali

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Bali is less than three and a half hours flying time from Perth where we live and is a very popular tourist destination for all Australians. There are so many reasons we go to Bali every year. I’ve only listed ten of them!

1. THE PEOPLE

The Balinese people are so welcoming and friendly. They are very tolerant and hospitable and we feel so comfortable and pleased to spend some time amongst them. Many people in Bali are Hindus and their architecturally intricate and attractive temples are an integral part of Balinese life.

2. THE ACCOMODATION

Bali offers rooms in houses plus hostels, hotels and villas. Most villas have private pools. Many hotels and resorts have amazing pool complexes and gardens. Bali offers everything from modest to truly luxurious. We stay at the same resort, Kamuela Villas in Seminyak, every year. We love the people, the villa, our pool, the serenity and closeness to restaurants, spas for reflexology, pedicures and facials, cafes and shops. We use their shuttle service for short trips plus hire their car and driver for traveling greater distances.

3. FOOD

Back to our favourite cafes and restaurants for consistently fabulous food plus we found some new, great places, too. Beautifully presented, wonderfully tasty, healthy food made from fresh ingredients and reasonably priced. You can enjoy every possible cuisine and style. A foodie wonderland!

4.COOKING SCHOOLS

My son and I spent six hours doing a Spice Mixing Course in Nusa Dua. Not all that time was cooking, there was a lot of eating and chatting, too! There were twelve of us on the course and we all helped make a few dishes each, plus lots of demonstrations and information and a detailed takeaway package of recipes and resources. Our session was in an open air kitchen surrounded by lush gardens. The instructors were very good and we left well fed and well informed!

There are also schools to master surfing, SUP boarding, white water rafting and so many other things, especially yoga classes and retreats. Search online.

5. PERFUME MAKING

I spent two hours at L’ Atelier Parfums & Creations defining my preferred scents and then selecting the top, middle and bottom notes I wanted to incorporate in my personal perfume. My instructor was Vemi and I was the only one in this session and probably benefited from the personal instruction. I learnt a lot about the common ingredients used in perfume making, their origins, their staying power and how they blend together. The final product, my personal perfume, is very pretty. It was a fun and interesting activity.

5. SHOPPING

We are not really shoppers on holidays but in all the years we’ve been going to Bali I’d only been to one shopping centre and that was a brief visit. Looking online I discovered there are several new, big shopping centres so we set off for one in Kuta. Wandering through the SOGO Department Store we saw the shoes my husband wears a lot and, jokingly, asked if they had his size (13 mens, hard to find) and they did have them so now he has them and is very pleased!

I also bought another basket. They are so useful with their drawstring linings and I use them instead of plastic bags when I go shopping. Bali is the home of desirable baskets in every shape, size and colour.

6. PEDICURES, MANICURES and FACIALS

This is the lovely Evelyn giving me a pedicure. The best pedicure although I had to re-apply the fake tan after the leg scrub! There are spas to suit every price point and treatments to suit every skin type. So relaxing.

7. REFLEXOLOGY

Love a good foot rub and after all the walking we do this is a lovely way to cool down and relax. We always feel great after really good reflexology. There are no set methods in Bali and you might get a gentle, soothing foot and leg rub or you might get a methodical and strong work out but every session has its benefits and is so affordable.

8. BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS, LUSH TROPICAL GARDENS

Flowers, especially orchids, green, cool gardens and my favourite, red heliconias. There are many variations in Bali but this red one is my absolute favourite! Everywhere you look there’s greenery.

9. SERENITY

Step outside your accommodation and you’ll find chaos; scooters, bikes, general traffic and crowded footpaths, but within your room, suite or villa it will be cool and quiet. After dinner, back at our villa, we often marvel at the peace and tranquillity.

The outer areas of Bali can offer totally peaceful villas and hotel rooms surrounded by lush gardens and jungle.

10. Bali is not just sun, surf, food and fun but also beautiful countryside. Visit the rice terraces, the Botanic Garden, lakes and temples and coffee plantations. Admire the mountains and Agung volcano, which erupted hours after we flew out.

Sad to leave Bali but flew back to Perth and this beautiful sunset as we landed.

Thursday was Learn About Composting Day. I would love to make nutrient rich compost from kitchen and garden waste but despite trying several different “fail proof” methods all I have ever made is evil smelling mush.

I hope you make wonderful compost!

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Big Day Out In The Bali Hills

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Bali, a popular tourist destination, especially for Australians, is best known for its beaches, restaurants, massages, hotels and resorts and temples, eating and shopping. The best known Indonesian island, Bali is also known for its volcanic soil and the occasional volcanic rumble.

This year when our son joined us for a week during our annual visit to Bali we decided to head out of town for a day.

Our first stop was to look at rice terraces. Rice is the staple food for half the world’s population and its cultivation can be traced back for at least 8000 years. It is the mainstay of Balinese cuisine and features in every meal and influences every aspect of Balinese cultural life.

Rice paddies are managed by the local priests and guarded by water temples. These terraces are surrounded by jungle and some other agricultural activity.

Surrounding farmland.

This small building is probably a gathering point for the farmers to eat in.

From the rice fields to the Bali Botanic Gardens, known locally as Kebun Raya Bali. This is not a typical botanical garden with beds of named specimens, but more a green place with local plantings and some wild areas, too.

Green, clean and well looked after with many interesting plants, mostly shrubs, bushes and trees, but also some flower beds. Plant collections here include orchids, ferns, cacti and carnivorous plants.

Into the cactus house.

Some very strange looking cacti, especially these knobbly ones. Some locals have carved their names into the plants.

Small, natural waterfall into one of the ponds.

Lush, cool and green, the gardens are popular on Fridays for family picnics and bus loads of school groups or for work lunches. It’s easy to see why they’d choose this isolated and green garden to relax and eat.

Fabulous vista of this lake and temple compound from the Botanic Garden, so this was our next stop. Beratan Lake, with its mountainous backdrop, is home to the Ulun Danu Temple, built in 1633. Architecturally beautiful with intricate carving and ornate finishes, this water temple is very important as the lake is the main source of water for irrigation in this area. There are other smaller temples along the lake shore.

It was a little cooler in the mountains and we enjoyed walking around this temple compound and admiring the view.

From the temple to a restaurant overlooking another valley. The satay sticks were very good and so was the coffee from their Italian coffee machine! Bit unexpected as we were a long way from mainstream Bali, but very welcome and we each had two coffees and plantan cakes.

Our view from the outdoor terrace at the restaurant.

To a coffee plantation. They also grew cocoa, turmeric, vanilla and ginger which were all used to make tea.

This is a demonstration of the old way of roasting the coffee bean and takes about an hour per kilo. Hot and smoky!

The famous luwak coffee from this area actually is harvested from the coffee beans which have passed through the civet and been collected. The civet, a cat-like animal, is nocturnal and this curled up ball is the best I could do as they were fast asleep! I didn’t try those coffee beans, either.

This farm produces coffee beans, cacao which they sell to a famous chocolatier in Belgium, pink, black and white pepper corns, ginger and turmeric. Lovely wander through their garden and tasting tables.

Types of teas available at the coffee plantation. We bought mangosteen tea and ginger tea, but there was a huge variety and we enjoyed tasting them all.

This was the last place on our list so we headed back to our villa in Seminyak.

Today, 25th of May, is Tap Dance Day, which began in 1989. The day celebrates the origins and heritage of the genre and remembers famous tap dancers.

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Making a Quick Cutlery Roll

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Just as Northern Hemisphere blog writers are pleased with the signs of Spring, I am pleased with the indications of Autumn! We had some rain yesterday and it is cool outside. The frog chorus is rowdy tonight. So my thoughts are directed at making, cooking and growing. I am enjoying doing things around the house.

MAKING a CUTLERY ROLL Often when we are travelling we eat breakfast and lunch and then something light in the room for dinner. These hotel room picnics can consist of bought ready-made salads, cheese, bread, fruit or cold meats. I saved these bamboo knives, forks and spoons and carry them for our picnics.

There is a plethora of instructions online for making cutlery rolls, but I wanted something light, quick and easy. This one took half an hour if you don’t include the washing and drying of the fabric. This actually is a hemmed rectangle with one end folded up and stitched into three slots and finally rolled and held in place with ribbon. Too easy!

I washed and ironed a remnant piece of fabric and then cut a rectangle to make the cutlery roll. My piece of fabric measured 50cm x 25cm (about 20″ x 9″) including seam allowances.

After I’d sewn down one side and across the bottom, I snipped the corner, turned the rectangle back to the right side and ironed it, making sure the raw edge at the top was folded over into the middle so I could sew it closed.

After I’d stitched the raw edge, I placed the cutlery on the rectangle so I could fold the end up to create the pouches to the right height to hold it (your chosen cutlery will determine the size of the folded piece) then stitched it to make three slots or pouches. I just guessed the measurements.

I hand stitched a length of grosgrain ribbon in the middle on the back, to tie the roll, after folding each third to make the roll.

Fold, tie and all done!

Light, quick and very useful, my super easy cutlery roll.

GROWING Went to an Open Garden afternoon with Sophie Thompson, a columnist, national public speaker,TEDx presenter, author, broadcaster, horticulturalist and weekly presenter on Gardening Australia on ABCtv. She focuses on sustainable gardening and promotes water wise and climate compatible gardening. Sophie spoke about the natural ways to control pests. Extremely well informed and funny, it was a great afternoon held in a wonderful garden. Very motivational

There are still some flowers in the garden. My Amaryllis Belladonna Lily (Naked Lady Bulb) thrives in our hot climate, grows in full sun and blooms late in summer when other flowers are finished.

This Abraham Darby is a lovely fragrant rose which sprawls out of its pot.

I collected seeds from this hippiastrum late last year and have five small plants. It has beautiful flowers several times during the year.

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