MakeCookGrow.com – Page 43 – Some gardening, cooking, creating and everyday suburban life

St Patrick’s Day and Visiting Australind

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Celebrated St Patrick’s Day with Pea and Ham Soup served with Irish Potato Scones. I froze the ham bone in January and made the soup on Friday because it needs to be boiled for several hours and it’s becoming a bit cooler. My parents married on St Patrick’s Day 67 years ago.

Visited my mother for the day in Australind, a town on the Leschenault Inlet. Her swathes of lavender are full of bees, smell beautiful and look lovely.

Her Cape Gooseberries (physalis peruviana) known as Goldenberry and the French name amour en cage, (love in a cage), are so pretty and she loves eating them.

I helped myself to some of her wonderful roses. They smell divine!

Our chillies love this hot weather. Delicious curries coming soon.

Enjoy International Read To Me Day where ever you are in the world.

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Summer Salads and Dressing for Retirement

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Roasted kumara, beetroot with beans, dressing and toasted pine nuts.

A garden salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

Too hot for too long to have many flowers to choose from in the garden, so cobbled together cannas, carnations, alstroemerias and one Father’s Love rosebud.

For years I’ve had a well established work wardrobe but now I’m semi-retired I’m not sure what to wear at home. I’d like clothes suitable for gardening, housekeeping and craft activities. I want to look reasonable if people drop in, I’d like wash and wear but can only come up with athletic gear! Not sure I’m quite the right shape for all over Lycra! Any ideas?

Hope you enjoyed Plant a Flower Day yesterday wherever you are in the world!

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Some Watching, Some Reading, Some Cooking

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Reading Death of an Owl by Paul Torday about British politics and really enjoying it. Also re-reading Annie Poulx’s unsentimental but carefully researched story of immigration to America and the ownership of an accordion through many generations. Drusilla Modjeska’s Timepieces is a snapshot of the energy and beliefs of the women’s movement in the 70s told through her memories of family, love, place and friendship. A Manual For Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin has great reviews but I’ve only read three stories so far!

Watching Coco and Igor, a partly fictionalised affair between Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky set when she launches Chanel 5 and he has just written the poorly received music for The Rites of Spring. Anna Mouglalis is superbly dressed in Chanel. Just as wonderful are the interiors of Chanel’s country house Bel Respiro and her apartment in Rue de Cambon.

Eating Beef and Broccoli made by my son.

The first sign of ripening lemons and I make Lemon Drizzle Cake.

Hope you celebrated International Women’s Day this week!

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A Tourist In My Own Town

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Our friends from China are in Perth for their daughter’s graduation from university.

We had a lovely day showing them around despite the heat and humidity.

Enjoyed a very coastal type of lunch at a beach side restaurant. The sea breeze had arrived and it was less humid and hot than in the morning.

These Haemanthus have bloomed in the sun bleached garden. When the flowers have died down two thick, dark green leaves will appear from the bulb.

Enjoy Women of Aviation Worldwide Week wherever you are in the World.

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Birdcages

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When we lived in China I watched the old men walking their birds in birdcages down to the park. They’d hang their cages in the trees and sit and talk and smoke. Sometimes I could hear the birds singing.

We brought most of these cages back with us to Australia. Some are intended for birds, but most are decorative.

The bird market had cages of all sizes and colours. They were handmade in many different materials. You could buy everything you needed for your bird: seed, cage covers, ceramic food and water bowls and many different breeds of small birds.

Happy Childrens’ Authors and Illustrators Week wherever you are in the World

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Edible Garden Workshop

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Spent the morning at an Edible Garden Workshop. Such a lot of great information.

We have three small courtyard gardens and what grows well is determined by the sun. I have espaliered an apricot tree and would like more fruit trees.