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Friday 31 January 2014

The Garden

After a boring day of chores I just went out to the garden to breathe in the  afternoon breeze and found there were loads of tomatoes that had ripened since yesterday.
Since it's now summer proper, and after the scorching hot spell, the poor tomato plants are looking crisp, brown and somewhat naked. The lush green foliage is a distant memory, but the tomatoes are abundant. This is what happens in my garden every year. I just can't keep the foliage healthy and have good tomatoes. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be - the plant gives up on its leaves to concentrate on the fruit. I have no idea, but it's a theory.



After having picked a bumper tomato harvest, I poked around to see how everything else was going.
The zucchini plants are enormous, prehistoric looking things now, and have just about taken over the raised planter bed. Now that's lush foliage. Underneath, umpteen tiny zucchini were reaching up to me. I cut a few thumb sized ones whilst they're still tender. I could use those in a salad.
A butternut pumpkin that was planted at the same time as the zucchini, is having a hard time standing it's ground. I've trained it up onto the top of the chicken run so it can have full sun, but it has different ideas and has run along behind the salad greens and is setting little pumpkins there. I hope they set properly this time. Last year they came to nothing when they lost out to another pumpkin variety that took over the whole yard.
The chilli plants and capsicums are finally starting to set fruit. I've not managed to grow either before, so fingers crossed.
The beetroot that I planted at the beginning of Spring have only just started forming. They're all foliage. All mouth and no trousers. They have been in the ground so long now I'm tempted to give up. I'll give them another fortnight and then it's curtains for them.
The rocket I planted just a few weeks ago has run rampant all over the more delicate salad greens, and is bolting in the heat. I should have a go at making rocket pesto so it doesn't go to waste.
The herbs are all looking healthy, and there's tonnes more tomatoes to still to come.
I think I'll make Jamie Oliver's tomato chutney over the weekend. Move over CWA, I'm going to start the WCWA (The Wannabe Country Women's Association).


Baby zucchini; Capsicums; I'd better get my pinny on - more tomatoes than you could poke a stick at.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Gluten Free Muffins

The girls and I were invited over to a new friend's house for morning last week, so as Miss E has coeliac disease, I got up early and baked a batch of gluten free raspberry and white chocolate muffins to take with us. I've been baking gluten free goodies for over 10 years now, since Miss E was diagnosed when she was 2 and a half. I bake often and freeze for school lunches, and since there's no way I'm baking separate batches, I've worked out recipes that are yummy, and appreciated by everyone. Having said that, this particular morning's muffins were a disaster of biblical proportions. They sank in the middle and were crispy little shells full of gooey uncooked glugginess. Our host was gracious and lied through gritted teeth to assure me they were delicious, but they were horrible. No idea why, as this recipe always (usually) works. I must have still been half asleep.
The girls are back to school today, so after having performed several star jumps of joy, I've had another go and baked this rather more delicious batch of orange and cranberry muffins to share with you, and to pop in their lunch boxes this week. The original recipe was from The Australian Coeliac Society magazine, now with my own refinements.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 small thin skinned oranges
1 handful of dried cranberries
3 tblsp natural yogurt - I use Greek yogurt.
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup gluten free self raising flour
1 cup almond meal - I used a raw health food type one for a change. Worked well.


Pre-heat oven to 200 C.
Place muffin liners in a 12 hole muffin pan. I made super stylish rustic ones for this post. Just cut baking parchment into squares, press into hole with a juice glass and press the creases in. I don't usually do this, I just use ordinary ones.
Wash oranges and chop up roughly, skin and all. Whizz in a food processor until a chunky salsa type consistency.
Beat sugar, oil and eggs thoroughly with an electric mixer.
Add orange mixture and cranberries to egg mixture.
Add gluten free flour and almond meal and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Dissolve baking soda in the yogurt and fold gently into the other ingredients.
Spoon into muffin cases and bake on the middle shelf for about 12 - 15 minutes, or when springy to touch.
Put the kettle on and make yourself a nice cup of tea and enjoy one while it's still warm from the oven.





Thursday 23 January 2014

The 'C' Word

It seems Craft is a dirty word at our house.
Last year I saw a beautiful cushion in the window of an expensive homewares shop. It was exactly what I had been looking for since we changed our lounge room around. I went inside and saw the price. I walked straight out again. Then I did something I'm not particularly proud of. I took a picture on my phone, and vowed to make it myself. As a designer, I abhor the copying of other peoples designs, but I wanted to make my own version and it was not for commercial gain, just for me. Inspiration if you will.
So I set to with fabric and scissors and I did make my own version, which I am extremely proud of. I've never made a cushion or done patchwork before. I made a very fine job of it if I say so myself. I even put a zip in the back quite competently. Mr. B was impressed.
Now my creative juices were flowing, and I thought up a whole range of designs to go with this one. I wanted to have a go at a more traditional form of hand sewn patchwork, inspired by a little patchwork smoking hat that my dad was given a long time ago, but with a more contemporary aesthetic. This was all new to me so I found an online tutorial. I used some of the fabrics from my original project and found some exquisite scraps of Japanese fabrics from a local emporium. I made a start. I had a vision. I was on a roll.
Then, one evening Mr. B. arrived home from work to find me surrounded by bits of thread and paper, sewing together tiny octagonal fabric pieces. "What's that?" he said. "It looks suspiciously like craft to me. You'd better get a job." He was only teasing, I think, but just like that, I put it all at the back of the cupboard and haven't touched it since.
That's not like me. Maybe I was more unsure of myself than I thought. Maybe I was just too busy. Anyway, near the end of last year a designer friend visiting from the UK took a look at my discarded pieces and thought I should give it another go. She saw my vision and fired me up again, and I have been champing at the bit to pick up where I left off, but Christmas and school holidays have distracted me.
Well, school's back next week and I'm thinking about the episode again. Does craft have a stigma attached? Maybe it does in the world of important architects. I don't care. I'm going to dive right in. It will be a kind of mild adventure. If it works I might share the results with you. I might even impress Mr. B.

My Shattered cushion - I'm quite impressed with my handiwork.


Work in progress . . . soon . . . maybe.

Monday 20 January 2014

Roast Tomato Pasta

Everyone has a few quick and easy favourite meals in their repertoire. My go-to meal is roast tomato pasta, especially in summer when I have plenty of tomatoes in the garden. It's so easy, pretty quick, and a complete no-brainer. We eat this on a weekly basis and it's always the meal I choose if I need to feed a crowd. I cooked it for my extended family in the UK when we were there last year - they absolutely loved it. Funny, one of my sisters asked me for the recipe when I'm sure I got it from her in the first place. Anyway, it's a crowd pleaser, and cheap and easy, which is always a plus.
Here's how I do it. You can make it your own.

About 500g ripe tomatoes - I use cherry tomatoes when I have to get them from the shops - halved width ways, otherwise, whatever oddly shaped ones you have in the garden, chopped to about that size, will do fine.
2 red capsicums de-seeded and cut into about 5 x 2cm pieces - no need to be very precise.
2 red onions peeled and cut into eighths lengthwise.
A few garlic cloves, unpeeled -  more or less depending on how much you like garlic.
1 cup pitted kalamata olives - cut in half if you can be bothered.
100g Greek Feta - I use Dodoni brand.
Fresh basil leaves torn - if you have it on hand.
Olive oil.
Sea salt flakes.
Pasta - I use penne - enough for 4 people

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees fan forced.
Pour enough olive oil into a large roasting pan to pretty much coat the bottom.
Do all your cutting and prepping and then throw tomatoes, capsicum, onions and garlic into the pan and turn to coat with the olive oil until glistening. Season with salt.
Put a pan of water on to boil, for the pasta. When boiling turn down to a simmer so it's ready when you need it.
Roast vegetables in the oven, on a middle to high shelf position, for about 15 minutes.
Check that the vegetables aren't burning, turn them about in the juices with a spatula.
The tomatoes should have collapsed and will become the sauce.
Return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, or until the juices have reduced a bit and become more saucy and sticky.
Meanwhile, put the pasta on to boil, for whatever time the packet says - usually 8 - 10 minutes.
Once the roast tomato mixture is ready add the olives to the pan, with the crumbled feta and mix to combine and for the feta to melt a bit into the sauce.
Drain the pasta well and add to the pan. Mix everything together to coat the pasta. If it's a bit dry I add a bit of extra virgin olive oil, or a splash of the pasta water and mix through.
Serve with torn basil leaves on top. Yummy!
Sometimes I add a few bacon rashers to the pan at the 15 minute mark, which gives it 10 minutes in the oven and then I break it up into the mixture when it's done.
Sometimes I add a few sprigs of thyme during roasting, and then take out the stalky bits at the end - also yummy.



Friday 17 January 2014

Phew What a Scorcher!

Hot damn! It's been a record week of soaring temperatures here in Melbourne. Apparently the hottest week in 100 years. Monday was 36 degrees, Tuesday 42.8, Wednesday 41.7, Thursday 43.5 and Friday 44 degrees. Quite apart from being truly uncomfortable and not being able to go about my normal daily life, I've been trying to keep all my creatures alive. Luckily we have air conditioning. Only evaporative mind you, which means that if it's 40 degrees outside it will be 34 degrees inside, but it's far better than the alternative.
So we've all been camped out inside the house, sheltering from the extreme heat. The guinea pigs have taken up residence in Miss E's bedroom. They're happy, but Miss E reports that they're party animals and keep waking her up through the night.
The chickens have been daily visitors to our ensuite. Let me tell you there's nothing charming about chooks in the shower. From my point of view they have trashed the place, and they smell terrible in confined quarters. From their point of view they get somewhat flustered upon arrival and departure, and seem quite bored without any ground to scratch or eggs to lay. Better than roast chicken though.
Poor Annie has had enough. Moping about the place and not being allowed to investigate the ensuite. She knows they are in there.
I've been hosing down the worm farm numerous times a day to try to keep the temperature down, and even put ice bricks inside. Unfortunately it wasn't enough and loads of them succumbed on Wednesday. Thursday saw the worm farm move into the kitchen.
As I type this, the much anticipated cool change has finally arrived. It's dropped from the high of 44 degrees at 4pm and is now a comfortable 31.4 degrees at 6pm. Cool even. OK everyone out - I want my house back!

Worm farm in the kitchen - yuck! Chooks in the shower - even yuckier!

Spot the guinea pigs -Buster and Smudge have an ET moment. Hot diggity dog - Annie is fed up.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Desert Island Discs

Mr. B and I are huge fans of Desert Island Discs. For those unfamiliar, it's a long running British radio series where presenter Kirsty Young asks castaways to choose eight records, a book and a luxury to take with them to the mythical desert island. The guests are all sorts of well known personalities from all manner of backgrounds and occupations. Quite apart from listening to favourite and well known personalities speak in a completely different forum, it's also great to be introduced to people you've never heard of, often experts in their field, and actually learn something interesting. We've been listening to the downloadable podcasts for many years now, and I have always mulled over which 8 records I would choose if I were to be marooned alone on a desert island. Music has such a profound link to memory and emotion that it's always quite revealing to hear the choices people make and the reasons behind them. So I finally gave this some serious thought and here are my choices. What do they reveal about me?



One Step Beyond - Madness
It was 1979 - the first live music gig I ever went to was Madness in Birmingham, where I grew up. They were beyond brilliant. I went with my best friend from school, and my sister Mich. We were so small the bouncers ushered us right to the front of the mosh pit and we were so close to a speaker that it seemed everyone was speaking with a lisp for hours afterwards.

I don't need no Doctor - Ray Charles
I was a 60's mod revivalist for a few years in the early 1980s. I loved the clothes, the music, the elitist nature of being part of a slightly underground movement. We weren't the new parka wearing, Quadrophenia loving fakes. We were into original soul music and clothes of the era. Some of us still are - you know who you are. Love of this music genre has stayed with me, and listening to the old tracks transports me back to 1984.

 
Perfect Day - Lou Red
When we first met, at Leicester Polytechnic back in 1986, Mr.B played this in his dodgy digs on high rotation. We once ditched college for the day, went down to London on the bus and spent a wonderful day at Regent's Park Zoo. This track reminds me so much of the earliest days of us. The uncertainty and passion of falling in love.

Come on Home - Everything But the Girl
In 1987, after graduating, I got my first job in London whilst Mr.B continued his post grad studies in Edinburgh. We lived apart for 2 years, and the longing between visits was almost unbearable. We wrote (how old fashioned) often and Mr.B made cards and sent drawings and once quoted from this song. I still have all his letters.


The Girl from Ipanema - Astrid Gilberto and Stan Getz
I went through a Bossa Nova phase in the late 1980's. I love the Latin rhythms and that Astrid Gilberto seems so laid back she can hardly be bothered singing. We were in Morocco whilst inter-railing after finishing college, and we got terrible food poisoning. We hadn't told anyone where we were, had no travel insurance and had almost run out of money at the end of our trip. We thought we might die in this strange land. Poor Mr. B requested I sing this over and over whilst we tried to recover before our horrendous 3 day train journey home. We made it, but had to be treated for severe dehydration on our return - I weighed 6 stone and my rucksack weighed 4 stone. Happy days!

 
The Gypsy Kings - Bamboleo
I've seen The Gypsy Kings live 3 times, and they never fail to make me want to pack my bags and run away with them - even if they are middle aged and somewhat stout. I first heard this track when on a trip to Hong Kong with my first job. It was on a boat trip on the harbour. We sat on the upper deck, drinking beer and sunbathing to the soundtrack of The Gypsy Kings. It seemed so decadent at the time. I felt I had made it.

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
I've long been a fan of Van Morrison, and Moondance used to be my favourite after seeing the movie An American Werewolf in London. When my girls were little this was their favourite track on the album we played in the car. I can just picture them with their brown eyes sparkling and their hair bobbing whilst they danced. They are my brown eyed girls.

Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees
I love New York. I think it may be the most exciting, upbeat place I've ever been. I used to go there on business, to show the Edenstar range at trade fairs twice a year. I always travelled with my good friends and business colleagues Jennie and Melissa, and we had the best time. When I'm striding the sidewalks of Manhattan, this is the soundtrack in my head.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

A Thing of Beauty . . . .

I harvested tomatoes yesterday, and they were so sumptuous it brought to mind a quote from the poet John Keats; A thing of beauty is a joy forever. They were a joy whilst I looked at them, and breathed in their special home grown tomato smell, but they did not last forever - only until we ate them.
They say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and though they were just tomatoes, readily available at any supermarket, they were incredibly beautiful to me, in that moment, like jewels. That colour, so, well, so tomatoey, for want of a more descriptive adjective. The texture, so smooth, the shapes so outrageous - they'd have never made it to the supermarket shelves. Only a mother could love them. But it's the smell that gets me every time - fresh and earthy and difficult to describe. It transports me back to childhood days spent in my grandpa's greenhouse. The memories of English summers at my grandparent's place. A thing of beauty undoubtedly.




Tuesday 14 January 2014

Time to say goodbye . . . .

It seems that what we had most of in the garden for the last few weeks was beans. We had crisp green 'Bonapartes', tender yellow 'Sex without Strings', magnificent climbing 'Purple King', and 'Crimson Flowered Broad beans'. Beans are the gift that keeps giving. We've feasted for weeks now, and they just kept coming. I've tossed them into salads, risotto, and dressed up left-over Christmas ham with them.
The broad beans were a bit tricky. This was the second crop as I had no luck at all with the first - planted too early and came to nothing. I persisted and was rewarded with a lovely crop this time. I made the most fantastic lunch of Stefano's Smashed Broad Beans from Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion. Unbelievably delicious. Broad beans are worth growing if only for this recipe, and if you don't have the book, go out and get it immediately.
If you've never grown beans before, they are easy, quick and gratifying. Give them a go. You don't need much room - all mine are in containers and pots.
Sadly, I'm going to have to say goodbye to them now. I think this very hot spell we're having in Melbourne this week will do them in, and I'll probably pull them up at the weekend when the cool change comes. I'm going to be disappointed to have to buy beans at the greengrocers again. Humph. Oh well, the tomatoes are ripening now, so mustn't grumble.







Thursday 9 January 2014

#365gratefuls - The First Week of 2014

Well the first week of 2014 was lovely. If you've been following my #365gratefuls project you'll know that I've had lots of things to make me happy.
On the 1st day of the year I cycled back from the New Year's Eve fireworks with Mr.B and the girls, through the dark streets, feeling euphoric.
On the 2nd, Saffron, our little Pekin bantam, finally gave up being broody and laid a tiny, pearly, perfect egg. Thank the Lord! She hasn't laid for 6 months.
On the 3rd the first tomatoes ripened. That's my cue for summer. Come on summer, you can start now.
On the 4th we had friends over for a BBQ. They were our next door neighbours for 10 years before moving overseas and selling their house to us. It was great to catch up and play a cheeky trick on them. They planted the ornamental grape vine that rules the garden. We fixed luscious bunches of grapes to it with wire and they fell for it hook line and sinker. That made me snort like a donkey!
On the 5th the weather couldn't make up it's mind. That's Melbourne - if you don't like it, just wait a minute. The rain was steady for hours, then suddenly the sun came out and all was radiant - for about 10 minutes!
On the 6th we had enough home grown tomatoes for the longed for Caprese salad. I've been dreaming about the silky texture of boconcini for weeks. We had our own basil and olives too. Now I just need to get my own cow for the complete home grown experience.
On the 7th we took a stroll down the St. Kilda foreshore. We rarely visit this popular beach side suburb due to never being able to find a parking spot. Incredulous? I'm afraid it's true. So it was a rare treat to have tea and cake in a café with a friend and then a promenade on the promenade.
On the 8th, we took a bike ride along the beach bike path from Brighton almost to Half Moon Bay. Blue skies and perfect weather. We stopped along the way for a fish and chip lunch and a paddle in crystal clear waters. 4 black swans flew over us in an arrow formation - magical - but I was too slow with my camera. You'll just have to imagine it.
So that's the first week in review. I'm loving my 365 gratefuls project. It really does make you see the fantastic in the every day.




Saturday 4 January 2014

New Year's Resolutions

This year my New Year's resolution list is quite eclectic. Research shows that learning to do new things keeps the brain flexible, so I'm aiming to add a few new skills to my portfolio. How about juggling and crochet for starters? I'm also aiming to complete some 'craft' projects I started last year - that's a whole story in itself. Watch this space for progress reports.
2012 was my Annus Horribilis - the worst year of my life saw me almost lose a loved one, almost lose my business, and almost lose my marbles.
2013 was my Annus Mirabilis - a miraculous recovery, our fantastic trip to celebrate a Golden Wedding anniversary, and the life changing discovery that my career does not define me, that there is happiness to be found in ordinary things if you slow down enough to see them.
My aspirations for 2014 include continuing last year's odyssey, and I think I may have found just the thing to help me. Have a look at this video about a project by an ordinary person called Hailey Bartholomew. Inspiring. I'm going to give this project a go and post the photos to Facebook each day. I have a few days to catch up on, and I'm sure I'm not going to remember every single day - I'm not going to set myself up to fail, but I think it will be fun, and a worthwhile thing to do. See what makes me happy this year. It might surprise us both.

 
If you can't see the video clip above, this link will take you there.

Friday 3 January 2014

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! May 2014 bring us all health, happiness and a good perspective on life.
Our usual way of celebrating New Year's Eve is to bunker down by ourselves at home and watch woeful movies on TV. On a few occasions over the years we have been doing a bit of DIY and painted our way into the new year. In other words, we usually opt out of the celebrations. All too hard.
This year Mr. B put his foot down. The four of us cycled into the CBD to be amongst it. We got there a few hours beforehand to bags a spot with a good view. Whilst we waited Mr. B and the girls played cards, and I fell asleep, on the rug, out in the open, in front of thousands of complete strangers. Profoundly asleep, probably snoring and dribbling, and mumbling. Should have taken the TV option. But when the fireworks went off it was brilliant. There's something so exhilarating about fireworks - the noise, the colour, but it was the goodwill wafting about that made the event so uplifting. As we slowly guided our bikes homeward through the happy crowds and then freewheeled through the dark backstreets, I felt an overwhelming feeling of contentment. Worth the effort. Good start to the year.