Toasted Marshmallows

Soft, fluffy and light. These fresh marshmallows are completely different from store-bought ones -- and much more enticing. And, provided you have a mixer with a bit of 'oomph', they're a doddle to make.


1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup water
5 t gelatine
1/2 cup water, extra
1t vanilla essence
1 cup dessicated coconut

1. Line a shallow 30cm x 20cm oblong cake tin with aluminium foil. Brush with melted butter.
2. Beat sugar and water in a large mixing bowl at high speed for 3 minutes.
3. Combine the gelatine with water in a small bowl. Stand bowl in hot water; stir until dissolved. Add to sugar mixture. Beat for 10 minutes at hight speed until the mixture is thick and white. Add essence.
4. Pour into tin and spread out evenly. Leave overnight to set at room temperature.
5. To toast coconut, preheat oven to 180C. Spread coconut on a flat baking tray and bake for about 3 minutes, or until golden (watch out -- this burns so quickly!)
6. Turn marshmallow out of tin and cut into cubes. Roll each side in toasted cocnut.
7. Store in a single layer in a cool dark place for up to 7 days. Keep flat.

Gran Makes it Better

Edible Plants

This afternoon I picked from the garden a bunch of edible flowers and herbs: nasturtiums, parley, basil, mint, thyme, oregano, rosemary, heartsease, strawberry and passionfruit flowers.

Frodo

Boo's little friend Frodo has been visiting often, and we all adore him.
He's the nicest sort of dog: affectionate without being overwhelming; content to sit calmly in a corner or with his head propped against your knee, but enthusiastically joining in any game or excursion that occurs; tolerant of Boo's occasional rough-housing or baby clumsiness; and utterly disinterested in chasing the chickens or cats.
He's a wanderer, known throughout the neigbourhood. And although Frodo has a kind and loving family of his own, with a little girl Boo's age and two other hounds to play with, he simply isn't a homebody. So he visits families around the village, begging for tidbits, joining in on walks and making friends.
Last week Frodo had been with us two days, so late on the second evening our neighbours offered to walk him home. As they slipped a lead around Frodo's head, Boo began wailing. He sobbed and rattled the gate, trying to get to Frodo, and Jumps had to hold him until the dog was out of sight.
And at 3am that night he woke crying, shouting out again and again, "They took my dog! Frodo! He's lost! They took him away."
I was nearly in tears, and promised that we would visit Frodo, which we did the next day. And there he was, happily at home, with a sweet family and a lovely house and garden.
But pathetically I still wanted to pick him up and take him back with us, to belong to Boo and be our dog.
This morning Frodo came to visit again, then left late in the afternoon, and Boo quite calmly let him go, simply waving goodbye and shouting out to Frodo to "come visit again!".
I, however, still wish he was with us, so I could gaze out my study window and see a furry bundle in the wicker basket I put there, lined with Boo's outworn baby blankets.

Carrot and Coriander Soup

This hearty, low-fat soup was devoured at our craft and cooking group for lunch today.
To my surprise, the recipe was requested (and immediately written down attentively) by both Monique and Kerry.
And, since it really was thrown together according to what I had in my pantry, I thought I should record it myself, as my unreliable memory simply won't stretch to recreating it at a later date.

Serves 4

1 medium brown onion, diced
1 T butter and 1 T oil
900g carrots, peeled and diced
1 t ground coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
1L chicken stock
4T skim milk powder
2T chopped fresh coriander

1. Saute onion in combined butter and oil over low heat until softened and golden.
2. Turn up heat and add the coriander powder. Fry until fragrant.
3. Add the garlic; cook one minute.
4. Add carrots and fry one minute.
5. Add stock; bring to the boil, then turn down heat and simmer until carrots are soft.
6. Cool. Pour in milk powder and puree with a hand blender.
7. Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh coriander.

'Eric' the Chicken

Actually, I can't say for sure that this is Eric, as we can't really tell our four chickens apart. But, since 'Eric' is the only chicken with a name, they may as well all be Eric, which means the title of this post is essentially true. Somehow they don't really need names; they are a group, collectively named 'the girls'.

Dressing Up

An Indian brave in the morning ...

... becomes a princess by afternoon (doesn't he make the dearest little girl?) ...



... or maybe a beautiful ballerina (with his cousin Cordelia as the dance instructor) ...


... and spiderman pops in from time to time, too.

Impossibly Easy: Impossibly Good

Boo and I took this pie to playgroup for morning tea today.

It's my new favourite: a delicious recipe that can be thrown together from store cupboard ingredients, and only takes minutes to make.

Simply mix the ingredients, pour into a dish and bake. The resulting pie is 'impossible' because it has three distinct layers: a pie crust, a layer of thick sweet custard, and a crunchy top.

Thanks to Terese for the recipe.

1/2 c flour (I used gluten-free with no problems)

1 c caster sugar

3/4 c coconut

125 g butter, melted

4 eggs

1t vanilla extract

1/2 c flaked almonds (can omit if desired)

2 c milk

1. Preheat overn to 180C. Grease a deep 24cm pie dish.
2. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, butter, eggs, vanilla and half the almonds. Gradually add milk, stirring until combined.
3. Bake 35 mins. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top, bake another 10 mins.

Special Delivery

Last weekend my kind Jumps made a special trip into the city to pick up several pieces of furniture that I recently bought on ebay.

Our house was pretty much filled with bits of furniture that we've been given over the years, or picked up cheaply as students. While some pieces are lovely, others have sentimental value, or are too practical to give up -- but several were disasters. It was when I had to vacuum my bedroom floor several times to collect all the bits of chipboard that were flaking off a veneer bedside table that I decided I'd had 'enough'!

However, we do have a budget to stick to, and I certainly don't want to become too precious about expensive 'stuff', especially since a busy, happy little person also lives here. And while I expect good, careful behaviour from Boo, he is allowed to drink his milk curled up on the sofas, and use cushions to make cubbyhouses and towers, and park his little cars along the shelves of the bookcases.

ebay was the solution. After several weeks searching, I found some good, solid, beautiful, preloved furniture, which will suit our whole family for many years to come.

Boo was very interested in the new arrivals.

So we now have two beautiful 'new' wooden bedside tables and a tallboy in my bedroom.

The family room houses a dear little old-fashioned cottage-like lounge suite, a little television table and a nest of three wooden tables.

In the lounge room I'm delighted with my ottoman (which serendipitously matches my lounge suite), a lovely wooden reading lamp, a bookshelf, a sweet folding wooden side table and a television table. (Goodness, such a large list does sound profligate -- but none of it was purchased on credit, and most pieces were far under $100.)

My house looks so lovely!

Sunday Morning at the Beach

The best days for the beach are those with overcast skies and balmy weather. Today was just right, so we packed our towels and swimmers, and drove just ten minutes to the sea.
The path down to the sand is strewn with white and purple morning glory ...

... and from the beach you can see the spectacular headlands that were once quarry sites for blue metal stone.

Boo and daddy quickly slipped into swimming costumes and headed for the waves ...

... until Boo decided that maybe the sea was a little too cold ...

... so, after a walk on the beach, the two swimmers headed back for a splash in the shallow lagoon, which was almost lukewarm ...

... and finally home to make gingerbeer and visit Granny and Papa, who arrived home from their holiday yesterday evening.

Dining Alfresco

On Friday our little cooking group whipped up large tins of cornbread -- a delicious, surprisingly sweet version of Martha Stewart's (see recipe below).
Then from Monique's burgeoning vegetable garden we plucked fresh red baby tomatoes, crisp lettuce and a Lebanese cucumber for a salad. Served on the verandah accompanied by my asparagus and mushroom frittata (gluten and lactose free, but unfortunately rather bland without the cheese I usually add), we had the perfect alfresco menu to devour while the babies splashed and squealed under her outdoor shower.
I do so enjoy having a project to complete with other women while we chat and the children play. Sipping cups of tea is delightful, but it's nice to share knowledge and create, rather than somehow having nothing concrete to show for the morning out. And there's plenty of everything left for dinner!


1/3 cup vegetable shortening, plus more for pan
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup stone-ground yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F) and coat a 20cm square pan with shortening.
2. Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat; add corn. Cook, stirring occasionally until the corn is softened and some of the kernels are a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.
4. Using a pastry blender (or a fork) cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles course meal.
5. Add milk, egg and corn, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 18-20 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

(The term 'dining alfresco' always reminds me of The Producers, that silly, charming movie -- the 1968 version, starring the gloriously neurotic Gene Wilder and bumptious Zero Mostel.)

A Fairy Umbrella?

Warm humid days after plenty of rain have wakened a multitude of beautiful fungi in the garden.

Today Boo and I counted four different kinds of mushrooms (including this shimmering white beauty), as well as galls and puffballs.

The Shining River

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

Soon we'll reach the shining river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease,
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

-- from Shall We Gather at The River? by Rev. Robert Lowry

Valentine's Day

Jumps and I celebrate Valentine's Day in a very low key way, usually by giving eachother homemade cards and maybe cooking a special dinner. It's a quiet and personal time, a few moments to recognise our enduring commitment to eachother and the love we share.
This year Boo and I added to the festivities by making some Valentine's decorations.


Yesterday we pegged together a pretty heart banner, which we strung it in the lounge room to display the message "We love Daddy".

On the dining room table is a cute bouquet of lollipop Valentine flowers (thanks to Skip to my Lou for this idea and template), which we made yesterday with the other toddlers at mother's group.

I woke up late this morning and was presented with a cup of tea in bed and a lovely Valentine's card from Jumps (homemade, with beautiful sentiments). At this Boo suddenly stopped jumping on my bed and looked at me plaintively, then asked sadly "Where's my card?"

So I sent him away on a mission to fetch a book from the family room, quickly cobbled together an offering from my card box (one featuring a happy pig), and placed it on his pillow.

He was thrilled!

So it seems this year I have two Valentines -- lucky me!

Savoury Hearts

Today mother's group met at my house for tea and a chat with a Valentine's Day theme. Everyone was asked to bring a teatime offering with a 'heart' shape.
Therese's little savoury hearts were the hit of the morning, both with the adults and children.
Simply cut heart shapes from ready-rolled sheets of puff pastry, top with a smear of tomato paste, a sprinkle of dried herbs, sliced olives and slices of baby tomato, then sprinkle over cheese. Bake in a hot oven for 5 minutes or until browned.

Sugar Biscuits

A simple, melt-in-the-mouth biscuit, perfect for making any cut-out shapes. Boo and I chose hearts in preparation for Valentine's Day.
Makes about 60 biscuits.


120g butter
1c sugar
1 egg
2T milk
1 t vanilla essence
2 1/2 cup cake flour
2t baking powder
1/2 t salt

1. Cream the butter and sugar. Once blended, add egg, milk and essence and mix well.
2. Add the sifted ingredients.
3. Mix well and leave for an hour or more in a cool place before rolling out.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C (375 F). Roll the dough out thinly, about 3mm thick, and cut with a knife or biscuit cutter into the required shapes.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Loved to Bits

Boo adores our chickens -- and so do I!
Our fat, friendly brown hens lay four eggs almost every day. At the moment my parents are visiting Lord Howe Island for a week (birdwatching), so we'll have almost 30 eggs to use up in one household this week! Luckily the neighbours are more than happy to help out, and all agree that our free-range eggs are much nicer than those bought at the supermarket (and nicer for the hens, too!).
Never having owned any birds before, I had no idea how marvellously friendly and charming they would be. And while even in my besotted state I can't claim that the girls are 'clever', they're not ridiculously stupid, either, and will come hurridly when I call, whatever they are doing.
On our afternoon jaunts around the garden Boo and I are generally followed by our small flock, who watch our every move with interest. They soon cluster around anyone who is gardening or digging, and can dig like puppies themselves, throwing up huge mounds of dirt and leaves.
Of course, this behaviour isn't popular in well-presented flower beds, so soon the girls will have a roomy fenced in area of their own, where they can dig as they please.
But for now Boo and I are enjoying our four companions who join us on afternoon walks.

Golden Afternoon

After the deluge of the last week, the world has become a picture daubed in vivid green and gold. Yesterday afternoon was magical as I wandered in the garden, watching Boo romp and cuddle with Frodo (a dear moppet of a dog who lives nearby and loves to visit and play).

Quick Gluten-free Lemon Cake

Both Boo and I woke late this morning, drank tea and read "The Cat in the Hat" lazily in bed together -- then suddenly remembered that we had a host of friends due in an hour!
This was the easiest recipe I've come across in ages, and simple to convert to gluten and milk free. Within 10 minutes it was ready to slip into the oven, and we had time to straighten up the house (and ourselves) before the doorbell rang at 10:30am!

2 cups gluten-free flour
4 t baking powder
½ cup caster sugar
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup soy milk
½ cup olive oil (not extra virgin)

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and zest.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil. Fold into dry ingredients.
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cooked when tested. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Dust with pure icing sugar (no gluten) to serve.

A Brighter View

Somehow, through my new kitchen curtains the world looks brighter, fresher and greener.
I've done very little sewing of soft furnishings before, so these are somewhat of a triumph.

The Big Wet

We had torrential rain overnight, recording falls of about 160 millimetres. The fields have been transformed into muddy brown lakes, dotted with haystacks like floating islands.

Even the little creek that flows through Tiny Town has become a swiftly running river ...

with no sign of the little bridge that Boo and I float paper boats under (this post will give you an idea of what our river usually looks like).

But the garden was transformed into a water wonderland. Boo and I grabbed his little surfboard and raced through giant puddles to the top of a newly born river ...

... then he swooshed down the rapids, rain pelting on his back and laughing with delight into Granny's waiting arms.

And finally into Mummy's warm embrace and home, to a hot chocolate and nest of soft blankets on the sofa.

Braai

My family emigrated from South Africa when I was six, and although we haven't retained much of the culture (we speak English at home, for example), we still enjoy some of the special foods of SA.
This weekend my parents held a South African night, inviting a host of friends for an evening braai (barbecue) outside on the verandah.
On the menu were great rings of boerwors ("farmers sausage"), biltong (dried spiced beef, somewhat like jerky), droewors (dried sausage), salads, lamb chops, chakalaka (a vegetable stew), boboutie (a curried meat loaf with a custardy topping), maize meal and mealie meal loaf.

The Afrikaans word for corn is "mealie", so essentially this is corn bread. But whatever you call it, mealie meal loaf tastes delicious. Serve warm slathered with butter, or spoon generous ladles of bean stew or chilli over the top.

This recipe comes from Mrs de Villier's iconic South African cook book, Cook and Enjoy It, although I did add the cheese and herbs. (As an aside, an early edition of this book, which my mother received as a wedding present, had a chapter titled "Maidless Meals". Just to be sure the mother of the family could turn out something when the maids were away!)

1 1/2 c milk

2c mealie meal (corn meal, or polenta)

1t salt

4T butter

1/2 c cheese

1t mixed herbs

3 eggs, well beaten

2t baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and butter a small loaf tin.
2. Heat 1c of the milk and blend the remaining milk with the mealie meal.
3. Add the meal, salt, cheese and butter to the hot milk and mix well.
4. Cool and add the eggs, herbs and baking powder.
5. Blend well and turn the mixture into the tin.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes.

For dessert we served koeksisters (plaits of sweet dough, fried and soaked in spiced syrup -- they really are as decadent as they sound) and milk tart. Divine!

Playing Tigers

Daddy and Boo make two fearsome tigers!
Often they also play "upside-down tiger", which is where the smallest tiger is held by the feet and growls as he is carried around the house.
I have two strange boys ... but aren't they delightful?

Show Prizes

A first and a second, both for breadmaking!

I now have $6 prizemoney at my disposal: what special little thing should I buy, just for me? (I'm leaning towards a small box of Lindt chocolates, scoffed greedily on my own.)

Anniversary

Cheryl Gad
5 June 1971 - 1 February 2007

The Bustle in a House
The Morning after Death

Is solemnest of industries
Enacted upon Earth--

The Sweeping up the Heart,
And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity.


-- Emily Dickinson