Snippets of Our Days

Morning walks in the cold winter sunlight ...

... a trip to the market, and hot chips by the wharf with Papa and the seagulls ...

... Jumps chops and piles a mountain of firewood for the cold nights ahead ...

... a Bobcat in the garden, smoothing new gravel on the drive ...

... Boo and Mummy make a wormery -- which currently resides on Boo's bedside table (find out how at Hillbilly Jillies) ...

... enjoying the camellias and azaleas filling the cold days with pinpoints of brightness.

At the Front Door

Boo's decided that Red Hot Pokers are his favourite flowers. They do make a wonderful autumn show in this 'welcome back' bouquet which my mother made.

Lots to Do

Sometimes I wonder how we fill in our days. Then I actually start to list what we've done:

• fed chickens, hung washing, made beds;
• set the fire, vacuumed floors, cleaned the kitchen;
• crafted paper submarines (we put Fireman Sam and Superman peeking out of the windows);
• made pancakes as big as Boo's face;

• walked to Grandma's, shopped, ridden bikes in the skatepark and thrown the frisbee in the park;
• made dinner, bathed, and put on warm pajamas by the fire;
• read two books, kissed and put Boo to bed;
• relaxed with a cup of cocoa and a silly Terry Pratchett book by the fire.

Pear Pathway

I've only been away four days, but in that time the pear trees on the drive to the manor have transformed from dull green into vibrant shades of orange and gold.

What a homecoming!

Football by the Fire

Even with the barest understanding of the game -- and no idea of the rules -- I had a lovely night watching the State of Origin at a friend's house on Wednesday evening. Jac and Murray set the big screen out on the verandah, and we all pulled up chairs around the blazing fire drum in the backyard. Each family bought a homemade pizza to cook, and the kids ran around playing in the darkness. All except Boo -- who fell asleep in the car on the way to the party, and wouldn't be woken when we arrived. He spent the evening curled warmly in a blanket on the sofa, and barely stirred even when we popped him into his own warm bed at home.

Away

Where have I been?
Taking photos for the website of this beautiful B&B, which Jasmine and Bruce are set to open in July.
I stayed in the 'green room', and was spoilt to bits with warm fluffy towels, numerous pots of tea, delicious meals, and marvellous company. We worked hard, too, arranging, rearranging and photographing the rooms and nooks and crannies of this beautiful old building.
It was such a pleasure and honour to be invited to be the first to sample the delights and wonders of this exquisite place.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Do visit Peggy's to see all the Daybook links this week.

Wednesday June 17, 2009 ...

Outside My Window... The night is dark and cold ... but inside the fire is keeping my toes and nose toasty ...

I am thankful for... my tasty hot chocolate in a new pastel spotty mug ($2 at the thrift store!) ...

From the kitchen... butterflied chicken with Portuguese spices, steamed vegetables, baked potato coins and jerusalem artichokes (my fridge is bare -- which is how I like it to be the day before I shop -- it means I haven't wasted anything) ...

I am wearing... starry blue flannel pjs, bedsocks, and a warm woolen dressing gown ...

I am creating... embroidered leaves and flowers on a thick white bath towel ...

I am going... to take Grandma to the specialist at 9:30am (must be up and about early if I want to do my chores before we leave) ...

I am reading... The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie ...

One of my favorite things... is unexpected gifts -- a sandwich press from my Dad and (even better) the gift of time when he put up a huge shelf in my cupboard where I can store all my appliances ...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing (a splash of colour on the dining-room table) ...

Hot-'n'-Sweet Chilli Jam

(Recipe copied in entirety from Life is Better Barefoot.)

1 large capsicum (red or green)
24 chillies (um ... in my enthusiasm I used 36 ... which resulted in a slightly-too-hot-for-me jam -- so beware if you choose to add extra)
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups raw sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 pack of jamsetta

1. Process the capsicums and chillies until finely chopped.
2. Bring chilli mix and vinegar to boil - simmer 15-20 minutes.
3. Add sugar, jamsetta and salt - stir until dissolved then boil until ready (check according to instructions on jamsetta packet).
4. Ladle into sterile jars and seal.

Delicious smeared on crackers with a slice of cheddar on top. Also good for stir-fries, toasted cheese sandwiches, and as a baste for chicken.

A Train Trip

The cold weather broke today, with blue skies and a golden sun shining down at us. By all accounts the rest of the week will be grey and rainy, so we decided to have fun while the sun shines. So today Boo, Lexa, Grandma and I took a trip on the train. (This is the same trip Boo and I did years ago, when I first began this blog -- look how he's grown!)

There was plenty to see out the windows: green fields full of cows, sweeping rocky bays, bridges over rivers -- and sometimes just our faces, as the train went whistling through a tunnel.

We had time to spare, so once in Little Town, we unhurriedly made our way into town, stopping at two parks and the grandstand on the way.

Grandma generously offered to buy each of the children a cake: Boo immediately pointed to a chocolate donut, while Lexa finally settled on an enormous pink-iced cupcake.

Then a picnic in the park, a ride on the little car that sits outside the chemist shop -- and all of a sudden it was time to set off back to the station, and then home again.

Sometimes the cleaning and washing can wait. Today was one of those special days.

My Morning

Catching Up

As with so many things, once you break a habit it is difficult to put it into place again. I seem to have fallen out of the routine of blogging or photographing regularly, and although I intend to post every night, I always seem to be "too tired", or "too busy".

But this evening I logged onto Life is Better Barefoot, and realised again what a treasure there is in stored-up memories and images of everyday details and events. So this evening I've found a few photos and decided to use them to jog my memory of the past week.

One of the nicest things to happen was an invitation to photograph Jasmine and Bruce's spruced up Bed & Breakfast retreat, in Tasmania. I'll be flying in for a long weekend, so we will have plenty of time to set up photos (then take, retake and Photoshop them), and still fit in tea, baking and relaxing infront of the fire.

Dad has kindly lent me a camera body, wide-angle lenses and plenty of doo-dads, and spent an hour giving me tips and "how tos". I have plenty to learn, but with enough time to fiddle, and directions from the proprietors about what they want, I think we'll manage fine. I'm actually looking forward to the challenge as much towards the holiday.

There's a picture of Lexa here, too, as we've been so enjoying her company lately. She's a dear four-year-old, who is marvellous with Boo, as she plays with him and laughs at him, but she can also put her foot down if he gets too silly, so things don't get out of control. She's also a kind-hearted sweetheart, and I love having a quiet "pink" person to chat to.

The last week has been bitterly chilly, so our standard excursion has been a trip to the indoor swimming pool with the two littlies, then a walk to the supermarket where they each choose a 20c sweet from the machine, before accompanying me shopping. Two children really are easier to manage than one (especially when they are close in age), and luckily for us Lexa's mum is generous in lending her little girl to us.

Yesterday I had to find a JP to sign several documents (to update an Academic Transcript, since I'm toying with the idea of studying next year), and asked for assistance at the village Court House. The clerk was marvellously helpful, and kindly opened up the building to show us through. Boo sat in the judge's chair and delightedly yelled "Order in the court!", then pronouced the accused guilty (without any evidence!). It does make me wonder if one day perhaps my little boy will take that road as a career. He certainly has the gift of the gab!

And finally, today was Boo's four-year immunisation. Terese and I took all the kids, and promised Boo and Lexa sweets, toys and all manner of things as a reward for bravery. Both came out smiling -- "It didn't hurt at all!" said Boo -- and were delighted at being showered with treats after such a little discomfort.

Our Sunday

Crispy bread hot from the oven ...

... hard work in the garden ...

... waffles, toast with jam, warm hands and faces, and games of Thomas snap!...

... a bouquet of native flowers on the table.

Time spent at home is often the most rewarding of all.

Beef and Barley Soup

A morning puttering about the kitchen (in pajamas!) yielded a pot of hearty beef, barley and vegetable soup made from meaty bones.

There was just time for a quick change of clothes before surprise visitors arrived: Mark, Rach and Matilda who had been at a funeral nearby, and later the MacPhersons. We lit the fire, ate cheese, pickled onions and soup, and chatted about house-hunting and family.

After our guests had reluctantly left late in the evening, we were treated to dinner at the manor, and Axl's choice of movie: the Godfather. I normally shy away from violent films, but this was classic cinema at its best, and the storyline upheld any savagery (which anyhow wasn't anywhere near as graphic as most television programs these days).

Axl's here for the weekend to complete his diving certificate -- we're booked for a family holiday to Vanuatu in October, so then he'll be ready to experience the underwater wonders in tropical waters.

Never Never Say "No" to Creme Caramel

"Dinner-and-a-movie" nights are quickly becoming a favourite evening with all of us. Yesterday we joined my parents and their guest for a delicious sit-down dinner and drinks in the firelit loungeroom. I opted to make dessert, and as Michelle needs to avoid salicylates, I trawled the net for something we could all enjoy together. A classic creme caramel was perfect, and who would have thought it could be so incredibly easy to make?
I didn't have enough tiny ramekins for eight, so instead poured the uncooked custard into a large, round quiche dish. Although the cooking time was much longer, it was nicer to serve thick, creamy, silky, slabs of dessert. On the table I also put a large jug of extra caramel, some double-thick cream, poached peaches, and a small hillock of baby meringues.

After dinner we sipped coffee and hot chocolate while watching We of the Never Never -- quite frankly one of the most intriguing and beautiful movies I have seen in years. It tells the story of Jeannie Gunn, who in 1902 was the first white woman to live on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory. If you can see the movie, do. It's beautiful, thought-provoking, well-written and poignant.

And finally, here is the recipe for the creme caramel. I have since been given one that uses skim-milk powder and only four eggs, with the assurance that it is delicious. I will give it a try, but certainly wouldn't shy from making this richer version again. Especially when I next have a glut of homegrown eggs, which happens from time to time.

(Note: this recipe is from the marvellous SBS Food Safari -- the linked web page includes a step-by-step demonstration which helped me incredibly.)

Caramel
50 - 75 mls cold water
200g white sugar

Custard
200g white sugar
12 eggs
1 litre milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla essence

Caramel
Place water in a heavy saucepan. Add sugar, pouring into the centre of the water so it doesn't touch the edges. Cook over a medium heat for ten minutes. Do not stir. The caramel will slowly colour from blonde to brunette, to a dark, rich colour. Pour into ramekins.
Custard
Whisk eggs, one at a time into sugar until mixture is slightly frothy. Put milk, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and vanilla essence into a saucepan and bring to boil, remove from heat and stir into egg mixture (do not over mix). Pour mixture through a sieve into a jug and then pour into ramekins. Be careful when pouring over the caramel that you swirl a little as you pour so the warm mixture does not crack the toffee. Place ramekins in an overproof dish and fill half way up the sides of the dish with water.
Bake at 150°C for 30 minutes turning the baking dish around after 15 minutes to cook evenly. Rest for 30 mins. Run a knife around the edges of the ramekins before turning out onto a dish.

Fall

The leaves have fallen from the trees ...


... guess where they've ended up!

Lucky Boo and I like raking (and then jumping in the crackling, leafy mounds)!

Busy Days

Goodness, has it been a whole week since I last checked in here?

My only excuse (if I need one -- and I really only feel I need to apologise to myself, as I know that I'll regret it some time in the future if I stop) is a busy, happy weekend away visiting Margaret and her family. I did have an endo appointment, but always try to schedule these for late on a Friday afternoon, so that we can enjoy the whole wonderful weekend in the big city with friends and family.

The photo above is from the food and produce market which has recently opened in the old train sheds in Redfern. Robin generously offered to spend the morning with the children, so Mags and I met up with a group of girls to explore the stalls.

There were plenty of tastings to be had -- pate, cheeses, biscuits and chocolate brownies (my favourite!). We took home an enormous medieval-like loaf of sourdough bread, half a freshly-picked organic red cabbage, and a bunch of beetroot. All of which came together to create a juniper-infused bacon, cabbage and beetroot soup, fit for a peasant's feast!

Sunday morning Mags and I again had time to ourselves, and wandered round a trash-and-treasure market, picking up useful and pretty bits for pennies.
Oh, and we did catch up with this little treasure -- it's beautiful, smiley Tilda, in this photo 14 weeks old. She couldn't be sweeter!