Preserving Lemons and a Study About Rat Behaviour.

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preserving lemons

Are you a fan of lemons? I think almost everything I make is lemon scented or lemon flavoured at the moment. We have so many lemons! Today I am preserving lemons, so I’ve picked fresh ones, the jars are in the dishwasher and I’m about to start preparing the brine. The size of your jar dictates how many lemons you will need.

Glass jars for storing food can be used and re-used multiple times. They are strong, easy to see the contents and easily cleaned and reused. Of course, they are useful for storing many other things, too, but they are perfect for food.

sterilizing the jars

I’ve listed three common methods for sterilising jars. For each method you begin by washing the jars in hot soapy water, rinse but don’t towel dry. I wash them in the dishwasher although they have been stored after being cleaned previously.

1. Set the oven to 110°C, place the jars on an oven tray, place in the oven for 15 minutes, carefully remove and leave to cool.

2.Alternatively if you have a pot deep enough you can set the washed jars in it, cover with water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove carefully and leave to cool.

3. Or you could place washed jars in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove carefully and allow to cool. This is how I sterilised the jars when they came out of the dishwasher.

Preserved lemons are pickled in their own juice and salt for three weeks. Originating in Morocco and Middle Eastern recipes I find a little preserved lemon adds zing to everything from salads to stews. Select and sterilise the jar you want to use to preserve your lemons. A wide opening makes it easy to insert them. Cut off the tops and bottoms of each lemon after you have washed and dried them. Then cut your lemons into quarters leaving them joined at the base. Spoon two dessert spoons of salt into the jar and spoon more salt into the first lemon. Place it in the bottom of the jar.

Continue adding salted lemons, squashing them down and releasing juice. Finally, when the jar is full of salted lemons top up with extra lemon juice.

Leave in the fridge for four weeks before adding to salads, soups, stews and casseroles, or whatever takes your fancy! I turn the jars every few days during the process. Be sure to scrape the pulp from the skin before using the preserved lemon.

rats

Back in 1962 an experimental psychologist John Calhoun published an article in the Scientific American, after considerable research, on rat behaviour in growing populations. He observed that growing populations with increasing physical proximity induced stress and that the birth rate then decreased to reduce crowding.

However when he increased physical proximity by reducing rats personal space all sorts of other behaviours were triggered. Violence and homosexuality rocketed, females ceased to nurture and suckle their young which were then eaten by male rats. Some adults survived by avoiding social contact and spent their time grooming themselves. The population collapsed. The survivors with few social skills lived passively alone.

In another experiment rats in a closed environment were never allowed to become ill or run out of food. Once they reached a certain population density vice wiped them out. Food for thought when you consider the pressure in Australia for people to adopt tower block living in apartments in preference to our traditional way of life of living in separate houses on separate blocks of land. We are not exactly running out of room, are we? Points to ponder!

Taken from a book review in the Spectator of a book written by Lee Dugatkin’s, Dr Calhoun’s Mousery; The Strange Tale of a Celebrated Scientist, a Rodent Dystopia, and the Future of Humanity, published October, 2024.

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Plastics and Autism, Lemons and Printing

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plastics and autism

Plastics have made so many aspects of our lives easy and disposable. But there is a dark side to plastics, too. The Florey Institute has just released the results from a decade long study clearly connecting a biological pathway between autism spectrum disorder and BPA (the plastic chemical bisphenol A). Boys are particularly affected by BPA. It can disrupt male fetal development.

Autism is defined as a neurodevelopment disorder with a wide spectrum of cognitive and behavioural changes. The research has shown that high BPA exposure suppresses aromatase, a key brain development enzyme. This has been noted particularly in males and has been linked to an increased likelihood of autism.

Image Pixabay

BPA is found in packaging, food and drink containers, cosmetics, even some foods, such as chewing gum. Common items with this plastic are food packaging, water dispensers, reusable plastic drink bottles, plastic wrap, takeaway cups, waterproof clothing, kitchenware and even sunscreen. Plastic makes these products stronger and more durable. There are many reusable alternatives.

lemons

No risk of scurvy in this house! The lemons are plentiful this year and we’ve been enjoying them in both sweet and savoury dishes. We had leftover lemon juice after I’d prepared dinner but my husband had a solution. It went into a glass with a generous splash of gin. Very nice, apparently.

The Lemon Chicken I normally make is a Greek recipe. This recipe has an Asian flavoured sauce, which was a lovely change. I served it with the pieces of lemon from the roasting dish but my husband found them too strong. I really enjoyed the intense flavour. Also, I used maple syrup rather than honey. I served it on mashed potatoes but rice would be good, too, except I don’t eat rice.

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/recipes/easy-lemon-chicken

One lemon provides about 31mg vitamin C which is 51% of the recommended daily intake. Vitamin C reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, as does their fibre and plant compounds. Vitamin C plus citric acid, both in lemons, may help prevent anemia by aiding the absorption of iron. And they smell wonderful!

Also made these Lemon Crackle Biscuits. I omitted the desiccated coconut from the mix, so the biscuits were softer and spread out. They were delicious!

https://author-p35852-e148706.adobeaemcloud.com/shop/recipes/lemon-crackle-biscuits

We had leftover Lemon Chicken for lunch. Added mashed potato, carrots with mint and butter and baby beans. I also had leftover apples I wanted to use before we shopped again. Made an Apple Slice recipe which was easy and tasted great. The recipe actually states ‘green apples’ but I took a risk and used red apples. The slice was very good. Ran out of raw brown sugar so also used some brown sugar.

Visitors so I made a Lemon Cake which also had lemon flavoured icing and Brownies, no lemon at all!

printing

Our local library closes this afternoon and will be relocated to another building in the future. I have played mahjong there for years and also was part of an art group. We don’t know if we will be accommodated in the new venue. So we were just finishing off some printing projects this afternoon.

I had been very disappointed with the crispness of my previous prints. I cut a new plate, using the inside lining of a long life milk carton. I spent a lot of time pressing the image into the foil to ensure a crisp edge. Then I printed it in blue a few times and finally, in black. Quite pleased with the final monoprint. I have a piece of lino ready for my next project so will be drawing, carving and printing with lino.

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Literacy and Numeracy Week, Printing and Reading

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literacy and numeracy week

Celebrated on 29th -4th September, this week recognises that literacy and numeracy are the cornerstones of learning. The most recent OECD Program for International Student Assessment reveals more than half Australian students fail to reach proficiency standards in maths and 43% fail to become proficient in reading. Australian students are four years behind Singaporian students in maths and more than two years behind in reading and science.

The report also grades Australian classrooms as amongst the most disruptive ( in terms of disorder and noise.) We rank 71 out of 81! This makes me question the role of ‘student- centric learning’, the fashion of recent years. The teacher is seen as a guide or partner in the child’s education, not as a responsible adult familiar with educational philosophy. Education moved from a system based on knowledge, facts and experience to one based on political ideology.

This appalling information was published around the same time as the Australian Education Union rejected the Victorian Education Minister’s directive that all school in that state would employ the explicit teaching of phonics for a minimum of 25 minutes a day. The union says this displays a breathtaking disregard for teachers and advised their members to ignore it. Phonics is one of the most efficient and powerful ways for children to learn to read and spell.

Countries performing well according to statistics, employ ‘old fashioned’ educational styles. The slightest errors (eg. forgetting a pen) can result in demerits (two equal detention). The students sit up straight, all facing the front. Strict and explicit teaching methods, walking quietly between classes and being prepared plus greeting teachers politely are some of the criteria putting the children at these schools in the highest performing levels. Many are in disadvantaged areas. There is enormous parental support for these schools.

(Some of these figures are taken from an article written by Colleen Harkin, published 31 July 2024.) https://www.spectator.com.au/author/colleen-harkin

printing

Following the felting activity last week, I did a printing session this week. No, not learning upper and lower case letter formation! We created a template from a milk carton, inked it, pressed paper over the template then rubbed the paper to transfer the image onto the paper. Basic but satisfying activity.

Not really pleased with my print but next week will refine the activity.

reading

Piglet, by Lottie Hazell, was a very popular book earlier this year. Now I’ve read it, too. This is the story of Kit and Piglet getting married. Thirteen days before the wedding Kit reveals an awful truth ( it’s never actually named, but you imagine infidelity). They go ahead. They’ve bought and decorated a house, planned a honeymoon, sorted the flowers, the feast, her parents have paid for the wedding gown and all is set to go.

I was very surprised at the complex planning that goes into a grand wedding and the cost. Do the bride’s parents still pay for the wedding? This wedding was very grand until Piglet, the bride, realised at the altar she didn’t want to go ahead. The dream was spoilt. What happened next was pretty awful.

Piglet is a successful publisher of cookery books and I wondered what she was called at work. Her family, his family and all their friends called her Piglet, or Pig. Her family called her that as a child because she had a healthy appetite. Awkward name for an adult. Her younger sister was anorexic. This is a story about appetite and ambition.

I can see why it was a popular bookclub book. Feisty discussions, I’m sure!

I also read Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls. We follow the lives of several girls in a toxic foster house. A sobering book but it does have a happy ending. I’ve read other books by Hepworth, an Australian author. This is a thrilling psychological murder story. Hepworth apparently interviewed social workers, psychologists, police, lawyers and foster families before writing this book. I read it in a day and a half. Not much else got done.

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Making Felt and Seasonal Vegetables

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making felt

I enrolled in a FELT MAKING course. I’ve made felt before but it was a long time ago. We were given 30g of wool. We set up our work places and began teasing our skeins of wool into small pieces. We created a square of five layers of the wool, each layer place in opposite directions, teased out and overlapping each other. We were shown how thick the finished piece should be and how to tidy the edges. Then we rolled the square onto a sushi mat and covered it in a sheet of plastic to create a sausage. Then we rolled this back and forward.

Teasing the wool into thin sections, each overlapping to create a square. We created five layers.

We all worked on the same project.

The wool was rolled many, many times to make the felt.

In the second session we unrolled our fabric, covered it in a piece of tulle, drizzled some liquid soap onto it, sprayed it with water and began rubbing it with a scrunched up soft plastic bag. After rubbing it repeatedly, we rolled it up and secured it, then rolled it backwards and forwards on a hard surface about one hundred times. Uncovered the felt, washed it repeatedly in warm water, then ‘bashed’ it on the draining board. Rinsed it after multiple ‘smashings’ on the draining board.

By now the piece of felt had shrunk and was quite compressed. Later I washed the rest of the soap out then ironed it with a steam iron. Finished!

seasonal vegetables

Our green grocer only sells seasonal vegetables. This suits us as it generally means the produce was grown nearby. I’d decided to stir fry some vegetables to go with some salmon and wanted Chinese cabbage. The Chinese cabbages were really fresh and attractive, but were being sold in lots of four. I only needed two for dinner but ended up with four.

I had already made some of Nagi’s (recipetineats.com) Asian Cooking Sauce which she calls Charlie-My All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce, so prepared the salmon and a pile of vegetables. This included zucchini as I’d used some in a ratatouille I was making and there was some left. Regular readers know my ratatouille mix never includes eggplant but often includes all sorts of other things. This time its Chinese cabbage! I try to avoid food waste.

All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce.

I cooked rice for this salmon stir fry. I don’t really eat rice, which often caused comment when we were in Asia, especially when we lived there, but my husband likes it. Rice is almost sacred in Asia but I become very skilled at avoiding it. I would cover it with sauce or food and leave it on the plate. It was considered polite to leave food on your plate! There’s no photo of the stir fry because the minute it was done, we ate it.

The other seasonal food on display at the green grocer was apples. So many types of apples! We bought Pink Ladies and Gala, a big, flavoursome, crunchy apple. We eat them raw, stewed or baked. Plus an end of season pineapple which was very sweet and delicious. Also eaten before I thought to photograph it!

Enjoying the apple season. The Gala apples are crisp and very sweet.

The next day I grated a zucchini to make a Zucchini Slice. I followed an online recipe. There were interesting comments about Zucchini Slice recipes. One site said it was their most often hit on recipe, another asked if it was a typical Australian recipe as it was very popular. One of my neighbours makes it every week for breakfast, lunch or dinner, whatever she fancies. It is delicious and versatile. You can eat it hot or cold, take it in a lunchbox and even freeze it.

Traditionally, Zucchini Slice has grated zucchini (courgettes), grated cheese, beaten eggs, S.R. flour, an onion, some bacon and some mildly flavoured oil. Of course, mine was a bit different as I had a Chinese cabbage to use up ( they don’t keep for very long after picking) so that was finely chopped and added. Also, I had some cheeses left from a grazing board and some other knobby bits, too, so grated them and used them up. There was a wedge of camembert, too, but that didn’t make it into the slice. I ate it.

The Zucchini Slice was very good. It made three generous meals for two. It was easy to make and we enjoyed the mix of flavours. So many recipes online if you’re interested!

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Draught Stopper

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How do you keep the cold out in winter? After six months of high temperatures and no rain, Western Australia’s southern areas are making up for lost time! Very cold nights and a lot of rain. It feels like the winters we had as kids. Cold nights, frost on the grass then warming sunshine around mid-morning then more rain. It’s an old fashioned winter.

Our house is pretty draught free, except the door in from the garage rattles in the wind. When I tackled a low shelf in the laundry, untouched since we unpacked our things out of storage, nearly fifteen years ago, I found a thick mattress topper and a polyester filled pillow. No idea where they were used before but I immediately knew how I could used both items. I’d make a draught stopper to put against the garage door. Last year I used a bolster off an upstairs settee, time for a purpose built, recycled material draught stopper. Draught stoppers are also called draft excluders and door snakes.

Folded the topper in half longitudinally and rolled it up after I’d teased the polyester out of the pillow and placed that in the middle. Nice fat sausage. Stitched it up. Knew I had a metre or so of red velvet. Measured out how much I needed and cut. The next drama was finding a zip as long as the sausage.

Off to the fabric shop. A lovely assistant asked me what length I was looking when I was standing in front of the zipper display. I explained the length I needed and she told me zips are not available in that length. She then took a roll to the cutting table and showed me a continuous zipper. Never seen one before. She showed me how they work and cut off the length I needed. Worked like a dream!

Once I’d stitched in the zipper I cut two end pieces using a bread and butter plate as a template. I had some pretty pink piping which I thought would look good at each end but when I was looking at the door where the stopper will be, I realised it is very close to a Burmese red altar table with all the carved details highlighted in gold.

Originally thought I’d use this pretty pink and white piping but realised the light gold and dark gold piping would work beautifully next to the Burmese Red and gold altar table.

Burmese red Chinese altar table.

I had used a gold and cream piping on two tapestry cushions I’d made some years ago. Found the piping and there was just enough! Next challenge was working out how to join the ends. Thank goodness for YouTube. Bit of a faff, but I couldn’t remember how I’d done it before and watching how it was done professionally set me on the right track.

Used some leftover piping from these tapestry decorated cushions I made many years ago.

Not confident to just machine sew both layers of velvet and the piping I pinned then hand tacked it. Much easier to accurately machine sew the two layers of velvet and the piping. Pleased with how it looks. Now in position against the door. Stopped the draught, looks good next to the red altar table.

I have made many draught stoppers, door sausages, whatever you call them. I made four for my Mother who always felt cold and thought the sliding doors let in cold air. I made some for my son. I have made bolsters for our bed and for an upstairs settee. I haven’t ever made them with piping/cording. I wont be doing it again, either, anytime soon. It was fiddly and took ages to get just right. Of course, now it is finished I am pleased with it!

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Olive Oil, Mother’s Day and Recycling Beads

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extra virgin olive oil

Having trouble sourcing your favourite extra virgin olive oil? Australian olive oil is in short supply due to the poor fruit harvest in 2023. Outside the Mediterranean, Australia is the greatest consumer of olive oil in the World. Each Australian consumes 2.1 litres of olive oil every year.

Image Pixabay

This doesn’t surprise me as I slosh, drip and drizzle EVOO on things I cook every day. I buy 3 litre ( 101.4 oz) tins and decant them into a one litre dark glass bottle kept within easy reach of the hotplates and food preparation area. The bottle has a pop up pourer, so no mess. Buying in bulk and decanting is more economical than buying small bottles. Storing in a dark glass bottle protects its purity.

Apparently, in Europe, the price of olive oil in January 2024 was 50% higher than January 2023. This jump in price is due to olive oil producing nations experiencing longer and hotter summers resulting in poor harvests. Some sources also mention the increased interest in the Mediterranean diet which promotes olive oil, adding greater demand in an already diminished supply chain.

mother’s day

I hope all the Mother’s had a lovely day with their families celebrating Mother’s Day. Or doing something else if that’s what they wanted! We didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day this year because I’m too sad. My Mother died in March. In memory of her I bought bunches of flowers in her favourite colours, so lilac, purple, cream, white with a dash of red. I also put a little arrangement of lilac and white lissianthus next to her photo. I miss her!

Mother’s Day Sunday was also the day we celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary. Forty years! On the Friday before we went to a restaurant on the beach and ate fish tacos, a crayfish taco and Fremantle octopus tentacles, plus roasted butternut and chips. Beautifully presented and delicious. Rain and stormy conditions were forecast but in reality there was a clear blue sky and a bright blue ocean and we were hot. A lovely way to celebrate.

Dessert of burnt honey cream brûlée with pear sorbet plus an extra scoop of pear sorbet because my husband knew I’d want to taste the sorbet even though I declined dessert. Soon it’s pear season so I’ll try making pear sorbet. It was very good.

jewellery

Last week I did a jewellery recycling workshop. Our instructor had bundles of old bits and pieces to be remade into something we’d use. I made a necklace with a ring in it to hang my reading glasses from so I knew where they were. Great idea but it was so long and so heavy it knocked things over or off the bench. Put it away to consider at a later date as the beads are very pretty.

Meanwhile, I gathered all my necklaces secured not by jewellery catches, but with safety pins. When the catches broke, as they always did, I’d secure both ends together with a small pin. As a junior primary teacher, I always had safety pins, bandaids and tissues in my bag. Today I mended every broken necklace catch. Really pleased with my fully fixed collection. Plus I’ve used some very bright beads from old necklaces to made new, less bold necklaces, more suited to my current lifestyle.

Sorting and fixing my necklaces made me realise I have a lot of jewellery I don’t use anymore. I don’t have pierced ears but had a lot of clip on earrings but I don’t wear them now. I have some pretty bracelets, too, along with a pile of necklaces. Some of the sweetest bracelets were made by children I’ve taught. I’m keeping them! Happy memories. The rest are in a bag, ready to go to the Salvation Army along with three other bags of things I’ve sorted. I quite like going into the city to drop things at their depot as I then go across the road to an Asian supermarket, buy the best fish balls and speak appalling Mandarin/Putonghua to the checkout girl. She is so polite about my accent!

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Cooking, Author Talk and Reworking Jewellery

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cooking

Are you trying not to throw away fresh food? Me too. Recently when I opened a packet of chicken breasts I wondered if they were actually turkey breasts or maybe emu! I eyed off the enormous chicken breasts for a while then decided that rather than cut them in half as the recipe directed, I needed to cut each into about six pieces. I’d chosen the recipe because I needed to use some baby romano tomatoes, baby spinach and the chicken. Plus I had everything else listed. I got to use up lots of ingredients already in the fridge.

I had to adjust the quantities of the ingredients to accommodate all the chicken! So I had to make it in two frying pans. Luckily we like chicken. We will be eating Tomato, Spinach, White Wine Chicken for quite a while. I’ve served this chicken dish with mashed potato and will also serve it with spicy rice, then couscous. The author also suggests thick noodles. Recipe (here)

At the same time I baked a loaf of sourdough. Due the heat in Western Australia, the starter was very energetic! I thought the loaf was going to bubble over the edges of the baking tin, but it didn’t and it tasted great!

Sourdough with caraway seeds. Delicious.

When rain was forecast for Sunday I decided to cook a traditional roast lunch. Our son was here for the weekend and we like to sit at the table and talk. I had to sort out so much stuff on the table, it had become a sort of dumping ground.

Sunday morning arrived bright and sunny and 21ºC. No rain in sight. Put the meat to roast, prepared the vegetables and opened the French doors so we could hear the fountain. Faux rain. Lunch was long and lovely, plus there was leftovers for a light dinner and cold roast beef and pickle sandwiches the next day.

Apple crumble and icecream with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

author talk

A while ago I wrote a review about a book I’d read by Rachel Johns called, ‘The Other Bridget’ a joke on Helen Fielding’s book ‘Bridget Jones Diary.’ Although written to appeal to a younger reader, I suspect, I really enjoyed it. The plot was clever with lots of twists and turns and it was written about an area I know well. I read a lot and it’s not often novels are set in Fremantle, Western Australia.

We were going away for a break so I borrowed two more books by the same author. Again I enjoyed the local settings and the clever story line. So when the Fremantle Library advertised an author talk with the author, Rachel Johns, I responded immediately and got a ticket. I am so glad I did, too.

Glancing around the room it became apparent those women attending were aged from their twenties through to about 70. Johns’ presentation and following open discussion with the audience was just like the books, that is, fast, funny and full of current affairs. So entertaining.

Some of the bright, chunky beads I wanted to reuse.

I had also enrolled in a course run earlier that day called UNIQUE JEWELLERY. When I was working as a junior primary teacher I always wore bright, chunky necklaces as the children liked them so much. Not really suitable for the life I live now, so I wanted to convert some of them to be more toned down. I also needed to mend some of the clasps and just work out what I could retrieve from my colourful collection.

I made a necklace with a ring for my glasses as I lose them all the time! I was inspired by the necklace the tutor was wearing with her glasses hooked on it. I think I could just wear it as a necklace, too. I also had time to repair the clasps on some necklaces. Later, I took apart some pieces to make new, less colourful necklace. I have bought a kit to renew more clasps and to make new necklaces.

Reusing beads to make a new necklace. Satisfying project.

P.S. There’s a problem with the necklace I made to hold my glasses; it is too long and heavy and crashes into the bench top and whatever I’m working on and is annoying. I’ll probably take it apart and make a new necklace. So, still misplacing my glasses, so I’ve bought a few extra pairs to limit the time spent hunting for reading glasses.

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Making, Cooking and Growing

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making

Some time ago I made covers for some of the tissue boxes around the house. I made the covers from delivery boxes (here) then covered them to suit the area where they would be placed. The tissue box in the kitchen is in constant use and was showing a lot of grubby marks! The stains could not be removed using a wet cloth so time to recover.

The original cover was black and white zebra print paper. I was unable to remove the unidentified stains.

The black and white pattern suited where the tissues sit so I stayed with the black and white theme. I had to cover one side and the top, then the second side as I wanted the print to be the right way up. Then I cut two rectangles for either end.

I cut a cross into the piece covering the oval hole in the top. Then I trimmed it and snipped the little edges. Glued each one pressing the edge to create a perfect oval shape.

The previous zebra print cover had been sealed with Mod Podge but this certainly didn’t prevent staining. This time I used diluted PVA glue applied with a foam brush. Time will tell how effective that has been.

I chose black and white gift wrap for the new cover as this fits well with the other items nearby and I already had it. It is an Emma Bridgewater design called Black Toast. I have collected a lot of crockery in this design over the years and am making a point of using it regularly.

cooking

Poached Eggs Arriving back in Perth late in the evening after a few days visiting my Mother more than two hours away I looked in the fridge. I was hoping for something quick and easy for dinner but no such luck. Decided poached eggs on toast would have to do this time. This is how I poach eggs. Take two large mugs and half fill them with boiling water from the kettle. Add a splash of vinegar. Gently crack an egg into each mug then microwave on full for 90 seconds. Meanwhile, make two pieces of toast. (I spread pesto on mine!) Place the toast on a plate and gently remove the cooked eggs from the mugs using a slotted spoon. Slide onto the toast. Grind of pepper and some salt. A couple of tomatoes from the garden. Delicious.

Sourdough Bread. Articles about sourdough bread always show gorgeous rustic boules, but I like fairly regular slices. For years I have baked my bread in a parchment lined, rectangular glass Pyrex dish. Then I bought a double walled metal bread baking tin. Cooked at the usual temperature and for the same time, the loaf from the tin was more golden all over and beautifully cooked. So now I will use the tin to cook my bread.

KNIVES I have a rack of kitchen knives and like to keep them very sharp. One of my jobs was to soak the whet stone and then sharpen and wash the knives. Also bought a new bread knife but it has been a huge disappointment so I’m back using the semi-blunt one. Seeking a new knife. Any recommendations?

growing

I regularly apply Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate) to my gardenia bushes. They are healthy and well established. They are covered in blooms twice a year. I mention their health and generous blooms because I just read on the packet the Epsom Salt came in that it should be diluted in 4 litres of water then poured around the base of the bushes. For about thirteen years I have scattered the salt around stems, then watered them, so not the recommended way to use Epsom Salts but no damage so far!

Other uses listed on the packet include relieving sore or tired muscles, soothe aching joints, fabric softener and general plant nutrient. For tomatoes, citrus and lettuce the recommended dose is 25 tablespoons of salt dissolved in 4 litres of water then sprayed on the plants when it is cool. If you’re applying Epsom Salt to remedy magnesium deficiency in the soil, dissolve 2 tablespoons in 4 litres of water. Make sure the salt is dissolved. Magnesium Sulphate is also used in flotation tanks instead of sodium chloride.

The gardenias have thrived on wrongly applied Epsom Salt.

A quick review of the common uses of Epsom Salt just before I posted revealed many more uses, such as a warm bath with added Epsom Salts just before bed aids sleep, it reduces the swelling of sprains and bruises and helps reduce swollen feet and draw out splinters. The list continues with using diluted ES to treat insect bites and bee stings and spray it on sunburn. Interestingly, 1 tablespoon of ES diluted in 1 litre of water poured around the base of tomato bushes results in more fruit. Have I missed anything?

Regular readers know I am growing a tomato forest. These mid-sized fruit taste so good and we often eat them before they get inside. For years I read about people who weigh every tomato and calculate their harvest at the end of the season but I’m just keeping a tally of how many tomatoes we pick.

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Post Christmas Occupations

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post christmas

The longest ever Christmas celebrations end today. Family parties, here and at my Mother’s, Christmas lunch with wonderful friends, a Boxing Day party with our lovely neighbours and some visiting in between. Enormous amounts of food prepared and eaten, thoughtful gifts and treats shared and slowly things are returning to normal. The fridge wouldn’t agree, but we’re working on it!

Our son had ordered a large ham and a turkey roast from his butcher then found he had to go away for a fortnight, only flying back late Christmas night. I’d cooked a smaller ham and turkey breast already, plus all the usual trays of star biscuits and shortbread to share and then the ham and chicken breast rolls he’d brought. So food, food, every where food, or so it seems.

The second ham, almost ready to go into the oven.

Christmas also brought each of us a haul of books, our favourite sort of present. My Christmas stocking included two luxe magazine as well (goodie). So, eating mostly out of the fridge and reading in between socialising and gardening. It has been dreadfully hot and the now rather large tomatoes need regular watering and staking.

When I planted the tomatoes in these troughs I thought I’d be able to protect them from the river rats by putting the cover over the frame but the tomatoes are way too big now.

marbling

Even as a child I really liked the marbled pages lining the front and back pages of books. They’re called endpapers. I especially liked the marbled lining papers in the family atlas despite the evidence of silverfish activity. Years ago I did some marbling using enameled paints but the paint was slow to dry, messy and awkward to clean up afterwards.

A newly covered journal with a marbled back end paper.

Then I discovered Japanese inks. The Japanese traditionally used calligraphy inks for marbling, but modern inks are easy to obtain and use. The Japanese embrace the concept of things not being perfect or unpredictable outcomes and developed techniques of floating the ink, or ‘suminagashi’ which involves dropping the inks on water. The inks naturally disperse but can also be manipulated by blowing on the water’s surface.

Recently I was reading about a professional marbler in the UK, Nat Maks. (natmaks.com Her works on her site are beautiful!) She marbles on sheets of paper 3m in length. These sheets are used as wall hangings and wall art. She has designed and had a 3m x 1.5m bath built to print these large sheets. Inspired by her beautiful papers, I assembled Japanese inks, gloves and paper.

I have always marbled on recycled A4 paper but this time I decided to print on some lithograph paper I found when I tidied the laundry cupboards. Bought when I was designing this house and doing lots of plans and drawings for the draughtsman, the large, once flat sheets had been rolled, then at some later date, squashed on a shelf in the laundry. I cut the paper to the size needed to line the front and back pages of my journals, then ironed the rectangles as the paper wasn’t flat. I experimented inking the rough and smooth sides of the paper and settled on printing the smooth side. I really like the soft, gentle colours created.

Don’t normally iron paper before I print but I cut these rectangles from large sheets of lithograph paper which had been squashed in a cupboard.

While I was ironing I gathered all the grosgrain ribbons I use year after year on our gifts. I really like large, generous bows. I bought a 50 metre spool of this ribbon years ago and recycled ever since it.

While the sheets were drying I covered some new journals. I have bought these black books with a red spine for more than 20 years but they are getting harder to find. I write every day. Sometimes I draw, too, or glue in photos or tickets or other ephemera from our travels. I list daily and long term TO DO lists and enjoy ticking jobs off as they are done. After I’d covered the journals I glued the marbled papers as front and back covers. Added a calendar. That’s my journals sorted for about a year!

I trim then smooth the photocopied images front and back, fold them in, glue then down then cover the end pages with a sheet of marbled paper.

VERY BEST WISHES FOR A

HAPPY and HEALTHY

NEW YEAR!

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It’s December!

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And just like that, it’s the first of December and I’m not really ready!

Luckily, I began soaking the fruit for the two Christmas cakes we make each year ages ago, so when the opportunity arose to mix and cook the cakes, I was ready. Ably assisted by my husband, both cakes were in the oven and the kitchen was cleaned within two hours. Smells very good.

Every so often I’m tempted by a Christmas Cake recipe described as ‘fabulous’,’ quick’, ‘ready in no time’ and we’re always disappointed. The recipe I use came from my Aunt via my Mother and the photocopy is stained and showing signs of being folded year after year. It is still the best cake! The list of ingredients is long and converted from Imperial to metric measurements. I assemble everything on the kitchen bench before I begin, streamlining the actual mixing time. Who doesn’t enjoy the distinct aromas of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, a splash of almond essence and vanilla? And the mixed dried fruit has been soaking in port for about two months and smells pretty good, too.

So, I line the tins with brown paper, then parchment paper, holding the layers in place with pegs! It works. I remove them before the cake tins are really full. Once the cakes are cooked, which takes about four hours, they’re left to cool in the tins in the oven. Some days later, my husband begins dosing them with the port drained from the mixed fruit and kept in a jar. Using a skewer, he pokes the cakes then drizzles them with the port. These are rich and beautifully moist cakes by the time we start eating them!

Ready for the oven. I simply decorate the top of the cakes with cherries and almonds. I am the only one who likes the traditional layer of marzipan and icing, so I don’t bother anymore.

CRAFT

My other Christmas occupation has always been craft. Inspired by a lovely gift from a friend, I have made air dried hearts. My dear friend gave us the blue and white porcelain heart when our adored dog Louis left us suddenly on the 9th of March.

I rolled the air dry clay on a bread board and used a cookie cutter to cut the heart shapes. Previously, I’d made holes in ornaments I intend to hang using a straw. No plastic straws in this house anymore! Resorted to the sharp end of a temperature probe. Not perfect.

Left the hearts to dry for a few days, turning them regularly. I think I should have made them thicker as these needed flattening as they curled a little on the edges.

The process is similar to covering the baubles. ( here) Using the same 3 ply patterned paper napkins/serviettes, I separated the layers. I glued the blue and white patterned paper onto the now dry hearts. I used a UHU glue stick. ( I use a lot of this glue on all sorts of projects, so I look for the multiple packs on sale before school goes back. Buying three at a time can be very economical!)

Needed small, very sharp scissors to trim the paper in line with the edges. Then I realised it was far easier to trim the overhanging paper, leaving enough to glue onto the sides. Quicker, easier. Then I poked the hole through the paper napkin layer and added a ribbon to hang the hearts or tie them to gifts. I’ll be making more of these!

This flurry of activity has been prompted not only by Christmas approaching but also because I had my second eye surgery last week. I had very poor eyesight, now I am really pleased by my restored vision. It is life changing. I will start driving again this week, I can read easily without holding the text right up to my eye, watching the television is amazing and I can see faces.

The first surgery was perfect, the second not so easy. By the time I was discharged from hospital my eye was really uncomfortable. Eventually needed pain relief, at which point we discovered we had an almost empty packet of Panadol. Had no impact at all. Another search revealed some codeine. Slight reduction of pain but the codeine did let me sleep for a few hours. It was an extremely long, painful night. Saw the surgeon early the next morning and he told me the cornea had been injured. Anaesthetic eye drops helped but I was also sent off to get better pain relief. We’ll be prepared in future for treating any sort of pain with a supply of effective pain relief.

Eight days later, my right eye is still extremely bloodshot, with occasional pain, but remarkable vision, too. I wander around, looking at the house, at the garden, just taking everything in. Really photophobic, so only going outside without sunglasses in the evening, but it’s early days. I feel very lucky.

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