Growing

Bookmarks and Reading, Tomatoes and Plastic Utensils

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bookmarks and reading

Tidying up and sorting through your Christmas and Valentines Day envelopes, do you wish you could recycle some of the very pretty envelopes? Me too. I read a lot and often scramble for a bookmark. Now I’ve made a few from leftover envelopes. You could use coloured or patterned envelopes to make the bookmark. Gather a few envelopes and a pair of scissors and you’re ready to create.

1. Cut a triangular corner off the envelope. Glue down the flap at the back. Let it dry.

2. Fold the triangle in half longways.

3. Cut an arc shape from side to side. You can pencil the arc before you cut.

4. Viola! Pretty heart shape bookmark.

If you lose it just make another one.

I’ve read four books lately. Three ‘whodunits’!

An engaging book, but not of the happy ending genre! This Australian author writes clever and rather scary books.

I enjoyed this clever story so much I recommended it to my husband. Then I borrowed another one of her books and suppose I will enjoy it when he’s finished it! Complex plot and an ending I didn’t see coming.

This starts off as a nice story about two women living next door to one another and how they became friends. It finishes with one of them in prison and the other hiding the truth and bringing up the prisoner’s children. No happy ending here !

Not a murder story, but an account of one woman’s life as a wife and mother. Anne Tyler is a prolific American author. She has a wonderful way with words and is keen observer of women’s lives. A reviewer whose column I enjoy recommended this book as one which had stayed in her mind for 20 odd years. I ordered the book. It began well, with typically lyrical descriptions of the main characters, but then, when the family was at the beach one day, the wife just walks away and hitches a ride to another town and starts another life.

Set in the late 50s, she successfully flies under the radar for a few months. She narrows her life to eating, sleeping, working and not much else. She doesn’t seem to miss her husband or children. When a family member finds her she pleased to hear news of her family but doesn’t return to her hometown.

Eventually she returns for her daughter’s wedding. It’s a total fiasco and she resorts to feeding everyone and cleaning up, just like she did before walking away. She decides to stay. A puzzling plot.

tomatoes

Tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, chopped red onion and basil. Delicious.

Sadly my tomato crop is coming to an end. Fresh, warm, thin skinned truss tomatoes are delicious! I have saved the seeds from one of the biggest, reddest tomatoes to plant next summer. These are heirloom seeds which are true to the parent plant. There’s no genetic modifications and the fruit is always predictable. I actually planted some seeds for another tomato this time, as well, and they didn’t fruit. Disappointing. So I just stay with the seeds I got from my Mother.

These truss tomatoes are reliable and explode in your mouth, releasing sweet flavour and no tough skin. At the end of the tomato season I chose a really luscious tomato, cut it in half and squeezed the seeds onto paper towel. When the seeds and remaining pulp was dry I wrote a label on the paper and stored it in an envelope in the laundry cupboard ready for the next tomato season.

Some growers suggest leaving the scooped out seeds and adhering pulp in a jar for a few days so they ferment. Apparently this prepares the seeds for germination. I have never done this and have always had great germination rates.

The tomato process is save seeds from the best tomatoes, plant the seeds, watch them grow, then paint the tomatoes and finally, eat the tomatoes.

plastic utensils

First we were told to throw out plastic utensils, particularly black plastic utensil, due to toxic chemicals. This still remains good advice, as concerning levels of cancer causing flame retardants are present in black utensils. One recent report has ‘corrected’ the probable risk of toxic chemicals but emphasize the risk is still concerning.

Meanwhile, the sales of stainless steel utensils increased by 13% last year . During the same period sales of silicone utensils increased by 70%. Do your own research and decide if you need new utensils!

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Making, Cooking and Other Things

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making

The collection of beads used to make a new necklace. The (sadly) broken white bead was right at the front.

When I was a junior primary teacher, my necklace made from these faux pieces of licorice allsorts was a bit of a hit. Not so much now when I go out to mahjong or shopping and certainly not at yoga! Then I bought a black and white striped shirt. Eying off my necklace collection inspiration struck and I knew I could reuse some of the licorice allsorts pieces and bigger beads from a necklace I dropped on the floor. One of the pieces broke on impact. I wore that necklace often, so hunted down a replacement. Now I will reuse pieces from the original.

Put the large beads from the broken necklace and pink pieces of licorice allsorts and smaller black pieces together. Changed things around a few times. Then I made the new necklace. I already had the string and the catch for this new necklace. There may be more soon. My elderly neighbour can’t be bothered with necklaces or earrings anymore and has given me several necklaces made from glass beads. Very pretty and ripe for reusing.

sourdough

I’ve been making sourdough bread years. My first sourdough starter died when we were away for a long period but the replacement has been bubbling away happily for a long time. Until it didn’t look sprightly at all. Read lots of articles abut reviving runny starter. Followed the instructions and fed it twice, using more flour than water, let it rest between each feeding and it’s back to normal. I will make a loaf tonight and bake it in the morning.

Most online examples of sourdough loaves are boulés, round balls, and are baked in a Dutch oven. I make my loaves in a loaf tin as this results in slices of similar size, which I prefer.

Sourdough baking appeals to a wide range of people. Reading some of the advice was daunting but I found an easy method which worked. Sourdough bakers who post online are totally passionate about their bread and jump through all sorts of hoops to make it and some, like me, use the same recipe and are happy with the outcome.

The newly ‘recovered’ sourdough starter made a very good loaf of bread.

There’s so many recipes for using the discard from feeding the starter and so many for adding things to the bread, too, but what really caught my attention was the names people give their starters! One blog lists 160 potential names, some very funny. Another list included Must-Tang-Sally, Lazarus, Doughkey Pokey, Festus and Sour Seymour. Mine is called The Flour Child!

other things

I’ve read two books this week. I spend quite a bit of time waiting while my husband has treatments and also, there’s not much on TV. Currently we are watching on ABC iview The Secret History of the English Garden. Monty Don is the commentator and it is one of many programs about gardens he’s has visited. It is very interesting and he is a born storyteller. Really enjoying it and learning a lot about the role of gardens in history. Also seeing some amazing gardens.

The first book I read was The Night We Lost Him written by Laura Dave. Like her previous book I wrote about The Last Thing He Told Me, this is a book about lies, intrigue and the secrets of successful men. The families left behind struggle to find out what really happened. A great read.

The second book written by Nadine Williams, an Australian journalist, is about her third marriage (having vowed to never marry again) and how it led her to France. From France With Love, A Story With Baggage details how she met Oliver, how they traveled together to France and then try to sort out their cultural differences on a road trip around the country. I seem to be attracted to books about visiting France, living in France, renovating in France….I enjoyed this book . It is funny, sad and informative. I am looking online for her second book.

Tim Spector’s book Food For Life which I wrote about a few weeks ago makes alot of sense. A diverse diet results in a healthy gut but I’m struggling to eat thirty different foods every week. I was relieved when I read spices and herbs count as different foods as that got me a bit closer to goal. Close but not perfect.

Meanwhile, I have picked my first tomato of the season. Two days later there were many ripe ones. Delicious. Do you grow any food?

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Cook, Grow, Read

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cooking

I need to be well prepared this week. Our days are full of appointments and other jobs. A quick survey of the fridge led me to using up most of the eggs. That involved a crustless quiche. I have made this in the past following recipetineats.com Crustless Quiche recipe and it was very good. This time I based my quiche on her quantities, sort of, but added chives to the spring onions, a tomato for some colour and used sheeps yoghurt instead of cream. No ham left from Christmas! I also used a Spanish goat and sheep cheese (El Hidalgo) because I had it in the fridge.

Aiming for 30 different foods a week.

There were leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch ( I love leftovers for lunch). After lunch we set off to the shops with a rather long shopping list. I like semi-emptying the fridge and getting everything fresh again and have a fair idea what I’ll be preparing this week. I also made a sourdough loaf but that’s going very quickly! I also bought watermelon, because what’s summer without watermelon? It lasted one day.

Image Pixabay

grow

Although I don’t have a big garden I make use of all the space I have available. I have a lime tree in the centre of the front courtyard which fruits at a different time from my neighbour’s lime tree, hanging over the fence. Fresh limes are wonderful!

Then I have a side courtyard and a back courtyard. I like fresh flowers in the garden all year round but I also like fresh herbs and vegetables. All my herbs and vegetables are grown in pots. This includes perpetual spinach, which can be added to almost anything savoury and a lot of herbs plus spring onions. At the moment, the entire side and back area are a bit overwhelmed by tomatoes! I have two sorts, one a cherry truss tomato my Mother grew forever and the other an unknown tomato. My friend gave me a tomato to taste when she was given a bag full and it was very good. I harvested the seeds and they are thriving. So, of course, I grow a lot of basil, too!

read

Do you keep some books because they were really engaging and you know you’ll read them again, one day? I have a few books in the category, one I reach for about every six years if I get a cold, and two I’d forgotten about but really enjoyed rereading now. The first book I referred to is Lisa St Aubin de Terran’s A House in Italy. The author is English but loves all things Italian and writes with great affection plus a little frustration about restoring a palazzo in Italy. She writes about her treasured collections being sent from England, Scotland and a few places she’s rented throughout Italy. Amusing to read, but no so funny to experience!

My other two books are both by Karen Wheeler, who writes articles for glossy magazines about beauty and health. After discovering her fiancé was otherwise engaged when he was away on work, she takes some time to consider her future. She travels to France to visit a friends and buys a derelict house in a small, rural town and sets about renovating it. This is a slow process as she still travels to interview famous designers, perfumeriers and grand hotels and spa resorts. It’s called Tout Sweet, Hanging Up My High Heels For A New Life In France’. Very entertaining.

Her third book Sweet Encore, A Road Trip From Paris to Portugal Via Northern Spain. ( I cannot find the second one in the series. All that tidying up!) is about driving through France, Spain and Portugal with her 16 year old niece who lives in the Caymans. A real travelogue. Whilst in Portugal she visits the grave of her long time boyfriend who died as the result of a car accident. She describes Portugal as warm, beautiful and very affordable, and Spain as the exact opposite!

I sympathise with her views on Spain. Even before we lived overseas we liked to travel and have been to some very underdeveloped areas. In forty plus years of traveling independently, Barcelona is the only place someone tried to mug me! I’m sure I’ve been overcharged and my poor language skills have annoyed, but I have never been attacked like I was in Spain. We packed and took the next train to Zurich.

The other book I have read is Kate Atkinson’s Big Sky. If you enjoy a gritty, fast moving ‘who dunnit” this is for you!

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Reading and In The Garden

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reading

Are you a reader? This time of the year is good for reading book reviews. Every book distributor, every newspaper and magazine literary editor has reviews of newly published books and old favourites. Interesting to scroll through the lists and see so many ‘old favourite’ authors have new books, but also the long lists of new authors whose books are recommended. Great if you buy from a list you’ve made of ‘interesting books’. Also useful if you belong to a bookclub or like giving books as gifts. I try to get most of my books from the library.

One reviewer, Laura Hackett, Deputy Book Reviewer, for the Sunday Times.UK, writes about her New Year Resolution, made every year, to read a hundred books. She isn’t always successful and thinks she’ll aim for 85 books this year. I gave up on New Year resolutions years ago, but I also read a lot of books, so have decided I’ll try this, too. It’s the first week of January and I have already read two and a half books, so feeling optimistic!

Image Pixabay

Hackett also refers to the Book Cover of the Week. Apparently,’ you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover’, but I do like a great cover! Although I scan titles and authors’ names on library shelves, I’ll often pull the book out to read the blurb on the back of the book but also then check out the cover. The font and the images used can suggest a lot about a book, too.

in the garden

It’s a bit hot to spend time in the garden during the day, but really very nice in the evening if there’s a breeze and the fountain is running. I’ve planted two types of tomatoes this year. I don’t know the names of either type because the tiny truss tomatoes came from my Mother years ago and the large bush tomatoes came from a friend. I don’t have very much space so I grow the tomatoes in pots. When you consider the cost of potting mix and fertiliser needed to grow them in pots, it’s probably not so economical but the tomatoes don’t have hard thick skins and they taste of sunshine. I’ve bought lots of tomatoes this summer which haven’t tasted wonderful at all. I stagger planting times to ensure supply over a longer period.

There’s also a pot of perpetual spinach. It’s what it’s called, a cut and come again spinach. I toss a handful of washed leaves in so many savoury things we eat. The wilted leaves add colour and flavour. The more I cut off, the more it grows. Good.

These cannas came from the farm. They just flower and flower and add masses of colour. The Gloriosa Lily is a Himalayan Select and came from a friend. It flowers in the middle of summer but the bloom only lasts a few days. Every year when it reappears, there’s an additional plant. I don’t remove the tubers in winter but it’s recommended in the northern hemisphere. I’m obviously a bit hit and miss removing tubers/corms/bulbs, anyway, as I thought I’d sifted out all the old dahlia corms from a pot I planted tomatoes in, but the tomatoes have company; two dahlias have appeared too!

Gloriosa lily

The outdoors table is a sheet of travertine on a wrought iron frame. The glue holding the top on had begun to fail and the top felt loose. We took the top off, used a flap disc to remove the old glue and rust from the frame. I picked, poked and peeled the glue off the travertine. New glue, top back on, scrubbed it clean. Now stable and back in use. Lovely sitting out there in the evening.

Flap disk for removing old glue and rust. Very efficient.

Metal frame cleaned of glue and rust, wiped down. Later we reapplied glue and positioned the travertine top and left it to dry.

Scrubbed the travertine. The table was back in use the next day.

If you’re interested in growing some herbs that flourish in full sun, plant thyme, basil, rosemary and mint. Coriander will just go to seed until it is a little cooler. Except the rosemary, all my herbs are planted in pots.

Image Pixabay

The hydrangeas are thriving, too. I hope you’re enjoying your garden, too!

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Empress Josephine’s Garden

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To the Maritime Museum in Fremantle to see the remarkable ‘Empress Joséphine’s Garden’. This project tells the story of Empress Joséphine from her life as a child in Martinique, where she was known as Rose, through to her time as the most powerful style icon in Europe and further afield.

Empress Joséphine in an empire style gown. She and Napoleon epitomized the Empire style in furniture, clothing, crockery and cutlery and interior decoration. The style was popular throughout Europe and the United Kingdom, where it was known as Regency style.

Botanical illustrations on crockery and fabrics.

Joséphine was betrothed to a French aristocrat Alexandre de Beauhamais in 1779 and after the marriage, returned with him to France. They had a son and a daughter and later separated. They never divorced. She had custody of the daughter, he had custody of the son. Her husband was beheaded in the French revolution, she escaped the same event by a change in the course in French politics. She married Napoleon Bonaparte in March 1796.

Empress Joséphine purchased the rundown estate known of Malmaison in 1799, making it her primary home. She hired a Scots gardener, Alexander Hawatson, to assist with the planning and construction of the garden. Unlike typically formal French gardens of the time, Malmaison’s garden was based on English designs. The garden featured winding paths, bridges, temples, lakes and little cottages, mimicking a grand English garden.

As an amateur botanist, Empress Joséphine sought flora and fauna from all over the World. She was especially fascinated with the newly discovered plants and animals from New Holland. She was determined and competitive about acquiring botanical specimens. She collected Australian specimens from Nicholas Baudin, who explored Australia and the Pacific as well as many other sources.

Empress Joséphine collected exotic specimens from Western Australia taken back to France by Nicholas Baudin, including melaleuca, eucalyptus, plus kangaroos, emus and black swans.

Leaders in all things fashionable, Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine were leading figures during the Age of Enlightenment. Along with the exotic plants and animals she coveted, she dressed in light transparent fabrics, which also immediately became fashionable. She created the Empire style of furniture, which reflected symbols of war and victory, such as golden eagles, classical palm leaves and laurels. Symbols of power linked the regime to the glory of the ancient Roman Emperors. This style was widely adopted throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.

Empress Joséphine developed Malmaison, 12 kilometres out of Paris, from a run down estate to the most fashionable destination in France.

Adept at promoting their style and influence, Bonaparte and Josephine dictated the style of everything. They dispersed paintings of themselves in Empire styled clothes and dictated what was fashionable. They entertained lavishly and shamelessly promoted their own style.

Empress Joséphine employed the then unknown botanical artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté to make a record of the plants at Malmaison. His exquisite artworks were acclaimed throughout Europe. Books of his works are still considered the epitome of flora illustration. His paintings and engravings, particularly of roses, are iconic and still appear on address book covers, note book covers and writing paper.

Unable to provide Bonaparte with children he divorced Joséphine and married a younger woman, Marie Louise, who became the second Empress of France. They had four children.

This presentation runs until January. All these images are from the audiovisual presentation.

We went back down the port to a brewery for lunch. It was lovely sitting in the gentle breeze eating squid and chips. The only problem was the Leeuwin, moored along side. Once the magnificent barquentine pictured above, it was hit by an enormous container ship entering port on a stormy night.

The hull. It will be repaired but is a very sad sight now.

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Arum Lilies, Vegan Leather and Other Things

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arum lilies

Arum lilies were originally introduced to Australia from Natal and the Cape Provinces in South Africa via UK gardens where they were very popular. They thrived in Australia and eventually ‘escaped’ from gardens. They are a declared a weed in most parts of Australia. Arum lilies thrive in wet conditions, particularly under trees in swampy areas. Many districts spray annually to eradicate them. They crowd out native vegetation, are toxic for animals and humans, they dominate wetlands and impede water flow.

Arum lilies are also very beautiful. They grew well where I grew up and even years after I’d left home my Father would bring me a bucket of lilies. I love them! I have grown a bed of arum lilies in our garden where they cannot escape. They continue to thrive and I enjoy having them indoors during their flowering season. I have never had any sort of reaction to them.

Image Pixabay

About forty years ago a visiting Dutch neighbour was aghast seeing a vase of lilies in my house! She told me Europeans considered them funeral flowers. Apparently the lily symbolises rebirth and are thought to give hope to the grieving family. Taking lilies into a hospital was also a faux pas. In contrast, they are commonly used as Easter decorations in churches. Lilies are seen in many of images of Christ’s resurrection.

vegan leather

I am not a vegetarian and like to think of all parts of animals butchered for meat being used in some way. I really like the nose to tail approach becoming more common. So I prefer leather handbags. They use by- products of meat production, they last a long time with little up keep and are usually strong.

Vegan leather is most commonly made from a polymer, polyurethane. Polyurethane is plastic. Vegan leather (pleather, faux leather, artificial leather) is usually wholly plastic but some designers only employ plastic to strengthen the plant based material being used, such as pineapple leaves, cactus, mushrooms and cork. But when the bag is no longer used, it is still a plastic bag.

Consumers avoiding ‘cruelty free’ materials, byproducts from turning animal skins into leather or have concerns about toxic waste and pollution should research the production and longevity of products made from plastic/polyurethane. Also, the alternate materials being promoted by PETA ( People For The Ethical treatment of Animals) rely heavily on fossil fuel to harvest, transport and manufacture vegan leather. Make up your own mind, but do some research first!

other things

Planted two different types of tomato seeds. One type, harvested from my Mother’s garden a few years ago, produces trusses of delicious, dark red, explode in your mouth tiny tomatoes. The bush grows quite tall and needs support.

The second lot of seeds I’ve planted were saved from a delicious tomato given to me by a lovely neighbour. She’d been given some tomatoes and kindly shared them. They were big and heavy and tasted wonderful. I think they will grow on a shorter, bushier plant. Fingers crossed I have two types during summer.

Also tidied up the remnant basil plant and added saved seeds to the pot. We use a lot of basil and I really like the scent. I bought pesto today because I’d been smelling basil. Looking forward to making it from my own plants, too.

Another blogger, sustainablemum. wrote explaining how she planned meals for her family. That was the push I needed to get organised. For months we’ve been spending a few days at a time away, returning home late in the evening. Dinner needs to be fast and easy. So often we have eggs on toast!

Beef Curry

Hungarian Goulash, looks a bit messy but smelt and tasted wonderful.

As suggested, I scrolled through a slow cooker recipe book I bought back from Australind, along with the slow cooker. Marked several recipes I knew would appeal to both of us and could be served with quickly steamed vegetables and noodles. Bulk bought the ingredients and made Beef Curry and Hungarian Goulash. The scents coming from two slow cookers was very tempting.

Will make another recipe I marked but have been online looking for a curry with more flavour. Probably do the same with the goulash because basically it was good but needed more oomph, too. I can take the precooked food from the freezer the morning we leave, put it in the fridge and it will be thawed and ready to heat when we get back. I also like the idea of not cooking every night, too!

Some for the freezer, some for the fridge.

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Triangle Families, Farmers and Menu Planning

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triangle families

Have you heard of Triangle Families? Me neither, until I read about it this morning. It was of particular interest as it turns out we are a triangle family, but I have never heard the expression before today. A triangle family is a couple with one child. Apparently Triangle Families have doubled in the past 40 years to the point where 40% of households in the EU with children are Triangle Families. ( here )

The reasons given for the growth of Triangle Families in Australia are complex and individual but include couples living in different circumstances from their parents and previous generations, couples wanting to further their careers and travel more frequently and rising infertility rates. Interestingly, 14% of couples feel they can’t afford to have any children, 9% are delaying having children and 6% have decided not to have children due to rising costs limiting their lifestyle choices.

Image Pixels

The article raises the common stigma attached to only children families. We have an only child, my Father became an only child due to the death of a young sibling, my cousin is an only child and has an only child herself, one of my brothers has one child and one of my nieces has one child, so it’s not uncommon in my family. The reasons are varied and complex and really nobody elses’ business but it was certainly of interest when I was younger with friends having their second, third and fourth babies. Close friends knew why and never commented. ( A friend with five planned children was often asked if they knew what was causing it or didn’t they have a TV!)

Although the article highlighted the apparent stigma surrounding Triangle Families, I’d like to think we are becoming more accepting of a range of situations and becoming a little kinder, too.

farmers

When you see the word ‘farmers’ did you immediately think of a male? Most people do! Can you believe until the 1990s women in agriculture couldn’t list themselves as ‘farmers’ on census forms? Change began with the creation of AWiA, Australian Women in Agriculture in 1994. This group set about changing how women on the land were perceived by the agricultural industry, government and the population generally.

Women have been an integral part of farming forever but were rarely recognised for their contribution. They did the same job as the men. Then the daughters of farmers began going to university and returning with degrees applicable to genetics, economics, diversifying farming practice and general skills used in efficient agricultural businesses.

Image Pixabay.

I frequently use ‘free to use images’ to support what I have written. I entered ‘women farms’ in the search box. There’s 555 pages of related images. I gave up after six pages as the only women in the images wore coolie hats, were up to their knees in water and obviously labouring in developing countries. Two others portrayed a woman draped over a lavender bush and another of a beautifully dressed woman standing amongst sunflowers. Finally found two acceptable images.

It has taken a long time for the work of women to be recognised. This is evident in the paucity of women representing farming on boards, in government and in the news. Women are not just labouring beside their husbands, they are running these businesses themselves. They are adept at using technology and data to make decisions and dictate change.

Image Pixabay.

This year AWiA celebrates 30 years of promoting women in agriculture. So, that’s something to consider as you eat your fruit and vegetables, add milk to your coffee, boil your egg and make your toast. Think about who might be responsible for that chicken breast you’re marinating for dinner, the steak in the fridge next to the bacon and butter. Things change slowly.

menu planning

I was reading a blog this morning I have followed for years. The author is recognised for her money management skills. Today she referred to menu planning, something I have never tried, but she runs a fortnightly list with some variations due to family celebrations or outings and what was well priced in the shops she visits.

The produce at the green grocer influences what I cook, along with time available and what I can pick from the garden. I have several perpetual spinach plants so we have spinach at least once a week, although I was away a while ago and came back to a big pot full of fresh leaves. Made a goats cheese and spinach pie. I always have herbs and lemons and there’s limes on the tree, too. I buy meat, chicken and fish depending on what looks really good.

Image Pixels

When I saw the glossy white to pale green to dark green leeks at the greengrocer I knew I was making Chicken and Leek Pie. It was very good. I often wonder how other people decide what they are making for dinner. Not only do I run out of ideas but the enthusiasm can be pretty low, too. That’s when we have oven roasted salmon in maple syrup and lime or lemon juice with boiled vegetables, because my husband makes one thing and that’s it! In warmer weather he’ll also barbecue some steak if he thinks to thaw it beforehand.

Chicken and leek pie.

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Half Way Through 2024

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CHRISTMAS IN JULY

We have great neighbours. We meet several times during the year at one another’s houses and catch up. We meet one another in the street in the street, or drop in for coffee or sometimes meet at the shops, but these planned catchups are a chance to eat and chat together. Everyone brings a plate of food to share and usually their dogs.

We’d invited everyone to a Christmas In July get together. I’d had plans to decorate and really get in the swing of things, but other events intervened. My husband made a slow cooker of glühwein and the gorgeous scent was still in the air the next morning. We had a delicious quiche, a poppy seed cake and a bowl of strawberries and raspberries, plus a grazing platter and sausage rolls. I heated and lit a plum pudding. Such a lovely evening.

The glüwhein smelt and tasted very good, especially on a cold night.

Many Christmas traditions followed in Australia originated in Europe. Winter in the Northern hemisphere is cold and there might be snow. Christmas in the Southern hemisphere in in the middle of summer and temperatures in the mid 30ºC and higher are common. Despite the heat many people continue to have a leg of ham but serve it with salads and seafood. The food served at Christmas time is changing. Summer fruits, such as watermelon, rock melon, pineapple, strawberries and stone fruit are in season and popular Christmas foods. We always have cherries!

planning

A report on the TV news the other night was urging us to get our Christmas gift shopping done. It’s still six months away! Supplies are slow to arrive. Due to the unrest in Yemen shipping routes have changed. Ships cannot use the Suez Canal and are going around the Cape of Good Hope, a much longer journey . Shipping costs have increased by at least 50%. Someone actually told me last week that she’d already bought all the gifts for her grandchildren and was giving gift cards to the adults on her list. I was very impressed! I’ll think about it soon. Maybe.

This is one wall of two walls of built in bookshelves in our upstairs sitting room. I keep suggesting an audit ( reducing the number of books) but the idea is not well received. Many of the shelves have books two layers deep. I try not to think about the dust.

Luckily we are a family of keen readers. It is wonderful to have a pile of new books to read as soon as Christmas Day is over. Usually we select our own books. I wrap them all. A few years ago I bought some pretty, printed fabric draw string bags to use instead of wrapping paper, then forgot all about them. Found them recently and have put them with other Christmas paraphernalia.

cooking

Our neighbour will be coming home from hospital tonight or tomorrow and will need to rest. Her family will be in and out, so I’ve made a lemon slice to take in when it’s cool. I actually made two because we have so many lemons this year and we really, really like this slice! Recipe (here)

Also made some Asian Fish Cakes. I tore the recipe out of the Sunday paper and assumed it would be online on their site. It’s not! I was attracted to the recipe because it used smoked salmon and we had quite a lot in the freezer. Apart from coriander (mine has gone to seed) I had everything else on hand. Strangely, the recipe stated one of the ingredients as ‘store bought mashed potato’. I’ve never actually seen mashed potato for sale, but I haven’t looked, either. I peeled and boiled some potatoes and used that instead. I hope the bought potato didn’t have some extra ingredient or flavouring, but the fishcakes I made still tasted very good.

Last week a friend expressed surprise that I used bought salad dressing on a salad I make regularly and had just written about in my blog. It set me thinking and I decided experiment with my favourite (currently) salad dressing. I grow shallots just to make this dressing! So, here it is….

DAVID LEBOVITZ VINAIGRETTE

Whisk* one tablespoon of Dijon Mustard and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Then gradually add 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until emulsified. Add one tablespoon of finely minced shallot, a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. It doesn’t separate or split.

*After I made this for the first time, I couldn’t be faffed whisking. Now I put the mustard and vinegar in a jar, shake, add the oil a tablespoon at a time, shake, add the shallots, salt and pepper, shake. Use immediately or store in the fridge in the jar. If it becomes too thick dilute with more EVOO.

Very good dressing.

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About Bali and Back to Australia

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about bali

Sometimes the skies in Bali are a mass of kites! Apparently June to September are the best times for flying kites. The Balinese fly kites to symbolise the spiritual connection between the Earth and the Heavens. These kites are not childrens’ toys, they are part of the Island’s Hindu customs, thanking the Gods for taking care of the Island and to request good harvests.

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When we first visited Bali (as a family, I first visited Bali in 1982) the kites were generally made of paper, bamboo and string. Now these family projects are often illuminated and huge, incorporating new technologies. They are very attractive.

street dogs in bali

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Wandering around laneways near our villa we are often confronted by fiercely barking dogs. Dogs within or around a family compound will bark to scare off intruders. I was surprised to find about 90% of dogs wandering around in Bali actually have homes. Often the dog will have a collar but there’s no real way of knowing if the dog is a stray or a pet. Best to leave them alone!

The dogs seen everywhere are Kintamani dogs with a recorded history as far back as 1400. They have thick fur, strong muscular bodies and a curved tail. They can be any colour, but yellow or tan fur is common. They are many charities in Bali caring for homeless dogs.

offerings

In the centre of every entrance to compounds, cafes, restaurants and every other business, the Balinese place offerings.They adorn household temples and even cars and motor bikes. The small basket shapes are made of woven palm leaves. Typically these offerings contain flowers, food, incense, rice and other symbolic offerings. Daily offerings are an important part of Balinese Hinduism.

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The offerings are part of the balance that exists between Balinese people and the spiritual and mortal realm of people. These beautiful offerings are made by women. It is important that you don’t step on them nor photograph them.

michelin restaurants

There are no Michelin starred restaurants in Indonesia. This doesn’t mean the food in Bali isn’t wonderful! The idea for rating cafes and restaurants originated in France. Brothers Èdouard and André Michelin came up with the idea in 1899. Producers of tyres, they wanted to encourage people to travel. At the time of conception there were only about 3000 cars in France and most people only traveled short distances.

Their plan included free travel guides with useful information such as maps, directions for changing a tyre, where to buy fuel and information on accommodation and dining. The dining information resonated with the French public as the best restaurants and cafes were awarded a rosette, or two, or three.

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The popularity of the guides meant the guides were redesigned the focus on food and the rosettes became stars. The Michelin star became the gold standard for culinary excellence. Interestingly, the gold star system is not about opulence, but rather the quality of the food coming from the kitchen. Currently, the guide features over 30 000 establishments in over 30 countries.

When we left Australia it hadn’t rained for months. While we were away the weather changed and we returned to cool days and rain. The garden has really perked up! So have the weeds. The shallots, chives, sweetpeas and perpetual spinach I planted have all germinated. I’ve just planted tulips, too. The roses I pruned before we left have all started to green up. Happy garden.

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I cut the stems of three moth ( Phalaenopsis ) orchids back to the second node on each stem after they bloomed last year and fed them. I am so pleased to see they are sending out new stems with flower buds. The blooms last for ages.

Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. Enjoy!

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Rain, ANZAC Day and Gardening

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rain

It’s autumn in Western Australia. We have had no rain since Christmas and are still experiencing summer like maximum temperatures. Then it rained last night. Everything looks damp, it is cooler and the air smells fresh. It’s such a relief! Old trees are dying from the heat and no rain, we were still running the air conditioner some days and I am tired of summer clothes and salads. We need a lot more rain!

Some of the pleasure of rain was diminished when I opened the fridge. A fortnight ago I put a bag of frozen prawns in the fridge to thaw. The bag had a hole in it. The mess I found the next morning took a long time, a lot of hot water and detergent and masses of scrubbing to clean up. So the fridge had an infrequent but thorough clean. Yesterday I opened the fridge and was confronted with another drama. My husband had put a two litre bottle of milk on its side on a shelf. Apparently the lid wasn’t screwed on tightly, so the fridge has had another thorough clean.

anzac day

Last week on 25th of April we commemorated ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. We remember those who have fought in all wars. Prior to Covid, we’d join the crowd at the War Memorial in our suburb for the Anzac Day service, which was followed by a community breakfast.

Resting on arms reversed.

Due to Covid it was suggested West Australians stand in their driveways before sunrise with candles and listen to the Dawn Service on the radio. We found ourselves on the driveway in the dark. Up and down the street there were neighbours also commemorating the ANZAC day. After the service our neighbour suggested she bring out her coffee machine, we all went indoors and got mugs and folding chairs, then sat on the verge, socially distanced and a very special yearly event was established.

Each year now, we gather in a neighbour’s carport or indoors if it is raining, still with our folding chairs, candles and delicious food to share, plus family dogs. We gathered there on Thursday and watched the moon disappearing over the ocean and the sun rising in the opposite direction, we listened to the service and stood silently for the Last Post and followed by one minute of silence. A group of FA18 fighters few over in formation. A beautiful way to remember those who have fought for our country and all those who have fought for other countries, too, and enjoy the company of our lovely neighbours.

This gathering of neighbours has led to another special event, too. At various times during the years we go to each other houses, with shared food, and sit and catch up with all the news. Usually we sit outside because most months of the years it is balmy and really enjoyable to sit in the garden.

plants

Now trialing 1.25ml bottle of water feeding into the terracotta spear.

While we were away recently I trialed some terracotta self watering plant spears. These are inserted into plant pots and then a plastic bottle of water is placed, quickly, into the top. The water then seeps through the terracotta and maintains moistness for the pot plant. They worked really well! I used 200ml bottles, which lasted four days and 6ooml which lasted 11 days. I am now experimenting with 1.25ml bottles

Soaked sweet pea seeds. I hoped to find seeds collected by my Mother who grew amazing crops of sweet peas but couldn’t find the seeds in her shed.

Finally it is a bit cooler so I have planted poppies, shallots, perpetual spinach and sweet peas. My Mother grew amazing sweet peas and collected the seeds every year. Her rule was they should be planted by Anzac Day. Mine were planted a day later after soaking overnight in a saucer of water. I have also finally pruned the hydrangeas. Due to the never ending summer they just kept blooming! I have potted up ‘sticks’ to share with friends when they are ready to plant.

I remember going to a plant nursery about 40 years ago to buy an indoor plant as a gift and being very surprised seeing potted hydrangeas for sale! I just assumed someone gave you a cutting from their plant. That’s how I grew my semi sun tolerant, very sturdy hydrangeas and I’ve always potted up cuttings for friends. I don’t think either of my Grandmothers or my Mother bought many plants from nurseries. All three were fans of sharing ‘cuttings’. I’d be interested to know if you share cuttings or buy new plants.

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