The Week After Christmas

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entertaining

Our son’s diabolical rum balls. You shouldn’t drive after you’ve eaten three of these!

Fruit pudding, so rich, so delicious.

We’ve enjoyed the company of close family and friends. We had a much smaller than usual gathering on Christmas Day. It is summer and hot here, so easy food is best. My Mother and son have been staying, so lots of people dropping in.

reading

We’re keen readers and have each enjoyed a pile of new books as Christmas gifts. Since early childhood the post Christmas Days, when I have savoured the stack of unread books waiting for me, has been a special time. A pile of unread books, waiting, is such a treat! There is a calm , uncommitted time before the New Year, so time to relax. We read so much as a family that we generally get books from the library but also find books we want to own, to refer to again or to share. Here are three I’ve just read.

A Year at the Château by Dick and Angel Strawbridge is a written account month by month about their first year at the 19th century Château de-la-Motte Hussan. It is very closely related to the television series called Escape to the Château. The energy, determination and ingenuity of this couple is amazing. Set in the context of a decrepit, huge house with two children under two years of age and no electricity and only one tap with running water, it is amazing what they achieve in a year.

Pre CV-19 the Strawbridges were offering gourmet weekends and grand weekend weddings at their château. I’d really like to stay there to spend a week in Angel’s attic, working with her and using all her craft equipment to print tiles and fabrics and recycle old pieces! My idea of bliss.

Patchwork A Life Amongst Clothes by Claire Wilcox is a unique memoir written by a curator of fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her own story is beautifully stitched into the treasures of the museum and the fabrics, buttons, stitching and designs of the collection. She marvels at the lives lived by previous owners of the textiles and writes about her own clothes, her family when she was growing up and her marriage and three children.

These are short, individual stories, prompted by random daily experiences that are related to her work. Her knowledge of clothing since the sixteenth century makes each chapter intriguing and interesting. These are not really stories about modern designers, although the works of a few are described whilst the designers remain nameless, but really the author focuses on the people who might have owned each artifact and their lives.

Easy to read, thought provoking and relevant in a time when so many of us are eschewing fast fashion and seeking natural fabrics and long lasting pieces of clothing.

Tamsin Westhope’s “Diary of a Modern Country Gardener Secrets for Every Season, Straight from the Potting Shed” is written about her family garden at Stockton Bury Gardens in Herefordshire. So the seasons are the opposite to what is happening in Australia.

I started reading from the beginning but then started jumping from month to month, enjoying the stories of a fifth generation gardener and also her hints for success. Her humour and sometimes droll comments keep this diary fresh and very readable. One of her claims will interest my Mother, the The Determined Snail Hunter. Westhorpe says a snail will breed four times a year and lay as many as 350 eggs a year. Kill them immediately is her advice.

Westhope’s four acre garden, open to the public at certain times of the year, is within a working farm which has been in her family for over 100 years. So her gardening activities are very different from mine in a tiny, private garden at the front and back of our house, overflowing a bit onto the verge, too. Despite the differences in size, I found many gardening tips I could apply to my own garden. A great book for dipping into for advice or just to enjoy the photos.

eating

The main overseas market for our crayfish/lobster have been disrupted, so here in Western Australia we’re enjoying very, very affordable seafood.

Delicious cassata, eaten with or without the fruit pudding.

Post Christmas meals means leftovers presented in less and less inventive ways! The best bit was four crayfish/lobsters, steamed and served with garlic butter. Still eating the ham and some turkey breast.

The masses of cooking just before the big day means we have good supplies of shortbread, chocolates, rum balls and fruit mince pies. Also lots of cherries. Delicious.

picking

The garden is a mass of roses and agapanthus. The alstromerias have given up in the heat, so I’ll wait for them to really die back before cleaning up the bed ready to improve the soil. I use bentonite, slow release fertiliser and then pea straw.

watching

Source sbs.com.au

We finally listened to the recommendations of so many people and have started watching the Danish thriller DNA. Yes, it’s great.

Photo Channel 5

I am also totally addicted to Our Yorkshire Farm. This is the story of hill farmers in Yorkshire. Their 2000 acre farm looks lovely in summer and very harsh in winter. Amanda, a shepherdess and Clive have nine children and this is a record of their seasonal activities on their mainly sheep farm. They have some cattle and horses, too. Hard work but really interesting although sometimes repetitive.

As this difficult year finishes and we’re all hoping for a CV-19 vaccine and economic stability it will be interesting to reflect on permanent changes as a result of restrictions. Will people continue to work from home, eschew large crowds, use hand gel frequently? Time will tell.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY,

HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

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The Week Before Christmas

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giftboxes with shortbread and chocolate ginger

Lots of lunch catchups this month so I’ve made giftboxes with shortbread and chocolate dipped ginger as little Christmas presents. I added the gorgeous 3D birds because they are so pretty.

These gorgeous birds are from here. I printed off these Blue Bird of Happiness images and glued them to brown paper to make the finished bird a bit stronger. They are small and fiddly and took ages to cut out. I used a craft knife where possible and small scissors for the other bits. They look great but I don’t know if I’d do it again. It’s too busy this time of the year!

I have been using this tatty template for years. It began as a download from a long forgotten source but over the years I have modified it to suit my needs. There are many similar templates available online. I glue the printed side of the template onto the gift wrap I am using to make the gift boxes as the fold lines are still apparent. This way the inside of the finished box doesn’t really show the printed lines. I fold the lines using an old school ruler, and that works well, but a boning tool would be good too.

Completed boxes and the little cellophane bags of shortbread and chocolate dipped ginger.

The finished boxes ready to give to friends this week.

I dipped pieces of crystallized ginger into melted 90% cocoa chocolate using a skewer. Left them to set in the fridge, peeled them off the baking/parchment paper and sealed them in little cellophane bags. Tried not to eat too many. Very, very delicious. These I added to bigger bags of shortbread I’d also made that morning. Both went into the gift boxes.

Then I began on cellophane wrapped bowls of shortbread, rum balls and chocolate ginger for our very special neighbours. These pretty little bowls are fine to take up and down the street but the lighter boxes are easier to carry to lunches.

Gifts for neighbours.

two book reviews

One of the good things about being away was time to read without the distraction of jobs that need doing at home. So I have read two books, both thought provoking.

The first is journalist Frank Langfitt’s ‘The Shanghai Free Taxi, Journeys with the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China”. He writes about his time in China in Shanghai 2011-2016. We also lived in China during the time of his earlier posting in the late 1990s. He lived in Beijing, we lived in Guangzhou.

To talk to locals and really understand their beliefs about modern China, Langfitt offers free taxi rides, not just within the city but also carrying people to weddings and other celebrations in far away provinces. He assumed everyone talks to taxi drivers and his premise seems to work. He is fluent in Mandarin and also has an interpreter with him.

Conversations cover wide ranging views of modern China, the difficulties created by leaving family behind in their villages and finding work in fast moving cities. Many people not only leave their parents and extended family for 12 months at a time, only returning, if they can, for Chinese New Year, but they also leave their only child in the care of family.

This is a thought provoking book. The author compares Chinese beliefs and political systems of America and China and relates this to various conversations in his taxi.

The goals of modern China result in frequent change. Wide sweeping, interesting and sometimes hard to believe how people in China still live and the rules they must follow but always very readable.

The second book is JD Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy, A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis’, an autobiography about growing up poor in Kentucky. I think of an elegy as a sung lament. This account is certainly a lament, but also a call to action.

A member of a sprawling, under educated family group, Vance writes eloquently about his multi partnered/married Mother and her battle with addiction, his grandmother and her belief in him and the ever present violence and poverty. These are the problems facing all under educated children in all first world countries, not just America.

Poor nutrition, unstable homes, school systems with few expectations of student achievement and casual violence is self perpetuating. Vance, who regularly lives with his Grandmother, hasn’t done well at high school and signs up for the Marines. The discipline and expectations of the Marines shows Vance possibilities away from Middletown and the future there.

Through hard work and observing how other people live plus support from the Marines, Ohio State University then Yale, Vance becomes a lawyer. Completing the course requirements was not easy as his Grandmother, his chief support, dies during this time and his Mother succumbs to drug addiction again and becomes homeless.

A testament to human strength and determination, this book has been made into a film of the same name showing on Netflix. The film cannot convey the shocking deprivation Vance describes in his book which should be a set text for every politician and educator.

the summer garden

This hippeastrum flowers for months at a time.

Lots of flowers on the passion fruit vines, so lots of fruit to follow, I hope!

Glorious hydrangeas.

As this very strange year draws to a close, I keep hearing people saying they’re having a low key Christmas. Big family gatherings and all out partying sit uncomfortably with the events of CV-19 and this year. We too have planned a small and fairly quiet Christmas. My Mother and our son are staying with us. I’ve cooked a ham and roasted a turkey breast and we have a cassatta in the freezer and a Christmas pudding, too, but mostly we will eat simply and be grateful for the company of family and for good health.

Merry Christmas

and Best Wishes for a

Happy New Year!

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Bees, Christmas Cake, Books and Spring Flowers

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BEES

During the week I was asked why I put out water for the bees. Nearly half of everything we eat relies on bees for pollination. Unfortunately bees and butterflies are under threat worldwide. There’s several very easy things you can do, even if you only have a balcony or window sill, to provide water for bees. Here’s a short list of easy bee friendly ideas.

Shallow containers of water with stepping stones or twigs create landing pads and can be put anywhere for bees to drink and cool off.
Look at your use of any of the “cides” in your garden. These are insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. They kill insects randomly.

3. Create a bee hotel, a collection of hollow bamboo and other short sticks housed in a box or buy a smart “Bee Hotel” designed for this purpose.

4. Bees benefit from visiting a range of plants with different nectar and pollen, so aim for diversity if you have a garden.

I have added a bee hotel to the garden, selecting a shady, protected position under a blueberry bush. No point in looking for the berries, because I ate them all while I was setting up the bee hotel. The new bee hotel sits above the previous, fast evaporating bee bath.

I’ll plant the seeds included with the bee hotel in a few days.

CHRISTMAS CAKES

During the week someone told me that it’s less than two months until Christmas. That was a surprise, but this has been the fastest year ever. The first job, soaking the fruit in brandy for the Christmas cakes, is now done, but sorting the boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations, a job planned for this year, is not done. Maybe next year.

READING

I’ve read two books this week . One is my book club book which we will discuss on Friday and the other is by local award winning author, Craig Silvey. When we were down south I wandered into a bookshop where Silvey was promoting his latest book, “Honeybee” and I was introduced to him. I worked with his father years ago and knew immediately who he was and enjoyed hearing news about his family. It wasn’t until we came back to Perth that I started his book and couldn’t put it down!

Sam Watson, aka Honeybee, is the narrator and protagonist in this account of how a teenager comes to be standing on an overpass, about to jump. As his story unfolds we understand his despair and confusion. Sam is transgender in a society which neither understands or sympathizes.

Sam’s recognition of and need to be seen as transgender is portrayed with great compassion by Silvey. These are richly described characters. Sam , who feels ” wrong or damaged”, eventually overcomes the difficulties and traumas of his early life. With support and encouragement he discovers acceptance and a future where he feels he belongs.

( I describe Sam as “he” as the sometimes preferred term, “they”, feels awkward and is not used in this story)

Crossing To Safety

Our book club book this month is Wallace Stegner’s “Crossing to Safety”. It is the story of two couples and how their friendship and marriages evolve over 35 years. It is the last book written by Wallace before he died and I wondered if it was based partly on his own life in academia.

Beautifully written, although sometimes challenging unless you are widely read in the classics, we watch as the characters develop as circumstances change, and also how they essentially stay the same throughout the story.

Stegner describes nature beautifully and his sharp observations of human nature make this a special story. I am looking forward to our book club discussion on Friday, waiting to hear how others have reacted to this complex story.

SPRING GARDEN

The spring garden; not mine, my Mother’s! I have been staying with her and wandering around her garden is lovely. The garden is full of colour and bees.

and finally, some of my roses ( Pierre de Ronsard, Abraham Darby and Father’s Love) and my bonsai.

If your read any American posts you’ll know tomorrow is Halloween. You’ll also know that at this time of the year, in American, there’s thousands of recipes for sweet pumpkin pies, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cookies, cakes and other sweet treats. This puzzles the rest of the world who consider pumpkin a savoury food, to be roasted or boiled and served as a soup or with the main course as a vegetable. We mix pureed butternut pumpkin to make pumpkin scones, otherwise it is not a sweet food.

So, if you celebrate this ancient Celtic tradition, enjoy and eat whatever you fancy!

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How I Grew and Cooked King Oyster Mushrooms and Three Book Reviews

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KING OYSTER MUSHROOMS

I really like mushrooms. I’ve bought button mushroom kits in the past and been disappointed by the harvest. Earlier this year I tasted several different mushrooms at a market and knew I wanted to try growing the King Oyster Mushrooms.

These mushrooms are quite fragile so I needed to eat them quickly! It was no effort. These are all oyster mushrooms.

There are many ways to use these mushrooms but I simply cooked each in frothy butter and sprinkled some Himalayan salt and parsley over them. I was focused on choosing the type of mushroom I wanted to grow.

When I decided I wanted to grow the King Oyster Mushrooms I rang a local supplier of mushrooms and mushroom kits and was pleased they were able to deliver that afternoon. I had prepared a faux greenhouse by drilling multiple holes in the sides of a plastic storage crate. The only other things I needed were a few blocks to elevate the grow block kit and a water spray bottle.

The kit arrived as a grow block in a plastic bag. It consists of 100% West Australian hardwood sawdust, soy bean hulls and wheat bran, so is suited to local growing conditions. This was put in the fridge overnight to initiate growth. The next day I cut a small slit in the bag to open it and I began misting the block three times a day.

Pins, little mushrooms, appeared within days. It was on a bench in the laundry. The grow blocks are inoculated with the King Oyster spores.

The mushrooms look strange but taste wonderful. In fact, photos text to friends didn’t result in encouraging comments, but really quite rude ones. No, they are not fledgling aliens.

I began harvesting the bigger mushrooms on the 17th day. I cut them off with a knife, wiped them, sliced them, then cooked them.

These are simply cooked in a frypan with butter. I ate them on toast. I really enjoyed the firm feel of the cooked mushroom.

Eventually I harvested just over a kilo of mushrooms. I was expecting more but the little ones, the pins, started going dry. They were no longer thick and failed to develop.

Thinking the grow block was exhausted, I put it in a big pot out in the garden which I was preparing for a rose, then it rained and three days later I had about six more mushrooms! Lovely.

Will I buy another grow block? Probably not. I’ll buy the King Oyster Mushrooms from the grocers four or five at a time for about the same overall cost as buying and nurturing a kit.

READING

Petal, Adriana Picker

Cover of Petal, a world of flowers through an artist's eye by Adriana Picker

This comprehensive compendium by Australian Adriana Picker, “Petal” features flowers from every corner of the world. There are over two hundred flower illustrations from twenty seven plant families. These digitally prepared illustrations are accompanied by Nina Rousseau’s text on facts and folklore for each plant family.

A fabulous resource, with eye poppingly bright illustrations, I read this book from cover to cover. So did my Mother! Even if you’re not very interested in gardening, the accurate and beautiful digital drawings will probably hold your attention.

Spring has arrived in Australia and gardens are full of pretty, scented flowers. A quick flick through decorator magazines indicates floral fabrics, tiles and artwork are very popular. A walk through the local shopping centre confirms the passion for florals as shop windows burst with colourful, flower printed dresses.

A Gentleman In Moscow

Also reading “A Gentleman In Moscow”, a novel by Amor Towles, who is described ” as a master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction”. I’ve worked my way through a few of the current novels about pre and post revolutionary Russia, including the raw, brutal and exhausting “Tzarina” by Ellen Alpsten and wasn’t keen on reading another one.

I am glad I did, as “A Gentleman In Moscow” is a very gentle book, telling the story of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov. He is under house arrest at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow for the rest of his life. Stripped of his title and wealth by the Bolsheviks, the Count thoughtfully lives his life with grace and dignity. He is an optimistic character in awful times.

Many reviewers say this book changed their lives, that it is beautiful, whimsical, fantastic. I also enjoyed it and would recommend it for a slow read in a quiet corner.

I really enjoyed the two books I’ve already mentioned, but I loved Jane Harper’s new book, “The Survivors”. It’s another cleverly crafted thriller from the author of “Force of Nature”, “The Dry” and “The Lost Man”, all great reads, too. I read this book over two very busy days, struggling to be sensible and put it down and do other things I should have been doing. It is a ripping yarn.

Redolent with Harper’s usual red herrings, this is the story of Kieran Elliott, who returns to the coastal Tasmanian small town where he grew up. Guilt, suspicion and another murder stir up all sorts of memories and accusations. A great thriller.

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY 5th October

It is school holidays in Australia, so celebrations will be held on 30th October after school resumes.

In a year when many parents have become acutely aware of the tasks teachers undertake every school day, the theme for this year is especially apt: A Bright Future. Teachers, with the support of parents and carers, ensured educational programs continued across the world despite major challenges.

According to UNESCO “The day provides an occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, take stock of achievements, who are at the heart of efforts to attain the global education target of leaving no one behind.”

Do you remember the bumper sticker “If you can read this, thank a teacher”?

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Modifying a Mat, Reading and Eating

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MODIFYING A MAT

Bought this mat to put in the laundry at the door going outside. This is where our dog, Louis, goes in and out. I chose this rough textured mat hoping it would remove some of the winter debris walked inside whenever he uses the door. Unfortunately, I soon realised the fringes on each end were getting tangled when Louis exited at speed, something he does if the dog next door barks, or the lady on the other side goes out her back door, or if a cat dares walk along our fence.

Initially, I thought I’d leave a smaller amount of the fringe exposed by partially covering it with hessian fabric tape, but changed my mind. So, pinned on the tape, sewed by hand along the top and then trimmed the fringe to make it shorter than the hessian edging. Then stitched along the bottom edge. It was hard work and I don’t know how many times I pricked my finger.

Enclosing the fringe in the hessian means the knots holding the mat together were still intact, just stitched inside the hessian edging. I couldn’t machine stitch the hessian onto the mat as it is too thick for my elderly, domestic sewing machine. But I’m happy with how it turned out and how well it is wearing.

READING

This is the year of vicarious travel for West Australians and many other people, too. Although we went of the Silo Art Trail and thoroughly enjoyed it and have another road trip booked, we cannot leave Western Australia due to the hard border.

So when I saw Janice MacLeod’s A Paris Year, My Day To Day Adventures In The Most Romantic City In The World I knew it would be high on my weekend list of things to read. Best known for her previous book, Paris Letters, MacLeod illustrates or photographs and writes about daily discoveries in Paris. She combines personal anecdotes along with historical information about landmarks, monuments and people.

Took me a while to tune into her handwritten text but once I did I really enjoyed this record of MacLeod’s year in Paris. Plus I learnt the history of things I’d seen, such as the Wallace Fountains, funded by Richard Wallace and all painted carriage green and intended to provide free, fresh water for those wandering around Paris. He created the fountains with each of the four sides decorated by a beautiful sister, representing kindness, simplicity, charity and sobriety.

A long but interesting love letter from MacLeod to Paris. I really enjoyed it. It’s a book you can flick through, reading those entries with illustrations or photos which appeal or read from the beginning to the end.

EATING

Fresh mulberries, picked this morning from an abandoned tree. Some of the berries were sweet and some were a little tart, but they tasted good, anyway. Served on sheeps’ yoghurt at breakfast. The immature berries at the front are good for removing the ripe berry stains.

Collateral damage. An abandoned mulberry tree is carpeted thickly with fallen, overly ripe berries. I had to scrub my shoes as the soles were stained and impacted with squashed berries. I had already scrubbed them before coming indoors.

Amazingly, the stained soles came clean after some vigorous scrubbing. I’ll be better prepared next time we go picking mulberries.

A wonderful snack! There isn’t an Aldi supermarket close to us but when we do go to one I always buy anchovies, ginger biscuits, their 1 kg tub of hommus and now, their spreadable Goats Cheese made in France. It is very good. I pick some chives from the garden and chop them, using kitchen scissors, into the cheese then spread it on a cracker.

We had planned to have fish for dinner so I was keen to try this David Herbert recipe in the Weekend Australian Magazine. This is his recipe for CANTONESE STYLE STEAMED FISH. Although the steamed fish follows the recipe, my bok choy wasn’t ready for picking but we had some cabbage and also fresh asparagus, so I used them instead. (https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/cantonesestyle-steamed-fish-and-garlic-prawns/news-story/2f12f44f1b9e7e957db748077abb272ere)

The fish, flavoured with ginger and sitting in a little water and Shaoxing wine, was steamed on a plate over boiling water for about five minutes. Then I added the finely cut cabbage and continued steaming until the fish was quite white and opaque.

The steamed fish was placed on the plate and then drizzled with the cooking juices, soy sauce and sesame oil and served with the cabbage, plus the asparagus which was steamed separately. This is not genuine Cantonese cuisine but we really enjoyed it!

More cooking, this time scones. Friends were coming for morning tea and it was wet and windy, so I made PUMPKIN SCONES. These are served steaming and hot straight from the oven, with butter. Butternut pumpkins are in season and plentiful, so we have been enjoying them roasted, too.

I used a recipe from a very old cookbook called The Golden Wattle Cookbook. Reliable recipes but I have to look up the Imperial measurements to convert them to metric.

Eaten hot from the oven, enjoyed with butter and good friends.

September 24th is WORLD MARITIME DAY. The United Nations Sustainable Development goals intended this day to showcase their work regarding “sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet”. Disrupted supply chains and severely reduced cruises traffic has shown clearly the damage shipping does to the environment.

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Eating, Reading and Decorating

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EATING

We went to the Farmers’ Market in Albany and bought these three small cabbages, a red cabbage, a savoy cabbage and a Chinese cabbage. They were very attractive.

I cooked the red cabbage in butter drizzled with apple cider vinegar. Crisp, crunchy and very tasty. Served with meatballs in a thick, garlicky tomato sauce. Delicious. I cooked the Chinese cabbage much the same way after I’d cut it in half longways and removed the very small core.

Removed the core from the miniature savoy cabbage and cooked it in olive oil with a splash of apple cider vinegar towards the end. I added it to leftover roasted pumpkin and sliced chicken breast to make a light lunch. The flavour of these small cabbages is very strong.

MORE EATING

Then on the weekend we ate at ANGEL’S HOUSE in Essex Street in Fremantle, run by Jeremy and Anthony Blanchet. We have eaten at Jeremy’s restaurants before and were always delighted at the food and presentation. The restaurant is located in a 1880’s heritage house and is fresh and modern. We were keen to try Angel’s House as soon as it opened. We were not disappointed.

Photo used with permission.

This French Bistro offers a small but perfect menu featuring classic French bistro food and both Australian and French wines. ( There is a new menu starting today, reflecting seasonal change) The dishes are beautifully prepared and presented and the wine list is varied and very good.

To begin we had French Onion Soup with Emmantal and Croutons and Salmon Gravlax with Celery Remoulade and Brioche Both were delicious. Followed up with Boeuf Bourguinon on Creamy Polenta and the amazing Cassoulet Toulousain. These were both hearty, traditionally prepared dishes, full of flavour and substance. Warm, tasty and delicious on a cold and windy day. Our lunch dishes were perfectly matched with Zarephath Pinot Noir and Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône.

Photo used with permission.

We ending this very satisfactory lunch with Poached Pear with Walnut Candy and Chantilly Creme and a Creme Brulée with Mandarin Confiture. My double espresso, the perfect way to finish a meal, was perfect! This is a gem of a restaurant. Highly recommended.

READING

So while we’re on a French theme, let me tell you about this gorgeous French magazine, My French Country Home.

This fabulous magazine about living in France is the work of the well known French based author and blogger, Sharon Santoni (here) and her team. I have read digital editions of the magazine and looked at subscribing but the postal charges to send it to Australian were a bit fierce! Then I asked my local library to subscribe and I get to enjoy the hard copy now. And I really, really enjoy it.

During this time when we have hard borders in Western Australia the magazine is a lovely glimpse into life outside our shores. The photographs are gorgeous, the stories engaging and the insight into life in France enticing. Now I just have to find an affordable way to have her divine seasonal French boxes delivered!

DECORATING

These pretty flowers are from the bok choy. It has gone to seed! So pretty, so I put them in a vase.

Some years ago I saw this mirror for sale in the eastern States. The cost, plus secure shipping, made it very expensive. I often thought about how much I liked it with is intricate, classic Chinese lacquer work. Then I was looking at an overseas decorator’s blog and saw it again. And really wanted it! Searched online for a few days and found it again, for sale, in the Eastern States.

Inspired by Chinese pagodas, it is carved from mahogany to look like faux bamboo and finished in a gloss black lacquer. It is heavy and large and joins three other mirrors in this room!

Ordered it at the beginning of the CV-19 crisis in Australia. Supply of so many things was disrupted so it took months to arrive. Now it hangs in our sitting room along with other Chinese influenced furniture and other decorator pieces, reflecting the years we lived in China. I love it!

Did you know September 1st was Letter Writing Day? Sending someone a letter takes effort. You need a pen, some paper and envelope and stamp and usually have to leave the house to post it. It takes days or even weeks to arrive at its destination. You consider the content more carefully than an email or quick text.

Letter writing was once the most common means of global communication. Apparently, the benefits of writing a letter include making the recipient happy, promoting mindfulness as you focus and consider what you write and generating self reflection. Time to write someone a letter?

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How To Make Microwave Marmalade, An Author Review and Local Iconic Images

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MAKING MARMALADE IN THE MICROWAVE.

A bumper year for citrus and my friends and neighbours are very generous, sharing their surplus crops of kumquats, limes, lemons and grapefruit. We have our own lime tree, too. I make marmalade, a favourite of my husband. Last month I tried making it in the slow cooker and it was a total fail. Tasted great but wouldn’t set, so I devised a cake/cupcake/pudding recipe to use the non-setting but delicious failed marmalade.(Refer blog 17/07/2020) So back to cooking it in the microwave, a method which has never failed for me.

I peel the fruit, except the kumquats, remove the pith ( the white layer between the skin and the pulp) and chop it into small pieces as my husband likes a chunky marmalade. I don’t process the fruit to make a smooth puree. I thinly slice some of the peel and add that, too.

I cannot find the little muslin bags I made for cooking the pips, pith and some peel in to add pectin, the setting agent, to my marmalade, so back to fresh dishcloths. So unattractive! I cut a square from a new dishcloth, put the pips, pith and peel in the middle, gather it all up and tie it tightly with kitchen string. ( I kept the seeds from the kumquats I candied before and put them in with the other pectin rich seeds, pith and peel.) Add it to the fruit while it cooks.

When the fruit is ready weigh it and add 75% of the total weight in sugar, stir, add the pectin bag and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Carefully remove from the microwave and stir. Return it and cook another 8 minutes, stir, cook another 8 minutes, stir and then judge how thick and cooked your marmalade looks. It should be getting thicker, more golden and glossy in appearance. I needed to cook it for a fourth lot of eight minutes. At this point I dropped a spoonful on a chilled saucer, let it cool a little then dragged my finger across the surface. It wrinkled, indicating it was ready to bottle.

I’d already sterilized the recycled jam jars in the dishwasher. I used a ladle to fill the jars with hot marmalade. At this point it is still a little bit runny but sets to a firm, thick jam. Left them to cool while I printed some labels. Glued the labels on, all done!

Last time I wrote about making marmalade I was asked what I thought it cost to make my own. All the fruit I use is free from our own tree or from friends and neighbours. The sugar for three jars cost about 75 cents and we have solar panels which provide most of our electricity. The majority of our electricity bill is for administration, sustainability research and maintenance of supply. The jars I use are recycled time and time again. I have no way of valuing my time spent picking, washing, preparing, cooking and bottling the marmalade. It takes about 90 minutes but I do other tasks while it is cooking. So, really I don’t know what it costs but probably not very much for delicious, thick marmalade made of fresh fruit and sugar, nothing else.

READING

Talking about books we’d read, a friend suggested I would enjoy a series written about Venice. She’s right, I am really enjoying them! So is my husband. The author is an American who until two years ago lived in Venice. Donna Leon and her books feature Commissario Guido Brunetti. These books are a travelogue and thriller all in one. We travel Venice as Commissario Brunetta gently and thoughtfully solves murders, usually only one per book, but sometimes more. History, culture, architecture, music and of course food are all part of these stories about human frailties. The way courts deal with murder cases is different, too, based more on the passion resulting in the crime.

Leon’s books are enjoyed by millions of readers in 35 countries. Although translated into many languages she will not allow her books to be published in Italian. She has written 26 Commissario Guido Brunetti novels. We have only read five but I’ve ordered more.

LOCAL ICONIC IMAGES

Western Australia has adopted a hard border for some months to prevent the spread of CV-19. We have been very lucky. The infection rate and death rates are very low here. The economy is effected by the lack of tourists but things can change very quickly. Meanwhile, here are a few iconic images from my local area.

THE DINGO FLOUR MILL

This historic and heritage listed silhouette of a red dingo is part of a flour milling complex on the highway going to Fremantle. The site has been used as a flour mill since 1922. The image is reproduced on a wide range of merchandise, from T-Shirts to stubby holders and tea towels.

COTTESLOE BEACH

This beautiful beach, recognisable for its pylon and Rottnest Island on the horizon is a favourite with tourists and locals. Known for good surf and amazing sunsets, Cottesloe Beach also is home to the yearly Sculptures By The Sea Exhibition.

The concrete pylon, on the left, is part of a failed attempt in 1936 to build a shark proof fence. It is now popular with swimmers who swim from the beach to the pylon then back again.

THE BLUE BOAT HOUSE

Owned by a local family since 1944, the Boat House, on the Swan River in Crawley, used to attract long queues of tourists, mostly Asian, wanting to take photos of themselves in front of it. A huge social media hit, the Boat House is mainly deserted nowdays but recognised world wide after featuring in advertisements for Singapore Airlines, Qantas and many Japanese ads.

AND IN THE GARDEN

Very little blooming in the garden except this camellia which survived the last storm so we’re enjoying it inside.

WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

August 19th was World Humanitarian Day. This day is observed world wide each year to pay tribute to all the aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian services. As the world fights CV-19, aid workers are facing enormous problems helping those most in need.

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Everyday August Activities and Two Book Reviews

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August brings change as we move from winter towards spring in September, although there are few signs yet! We are experiencing very cold weather but I notice new growth in the garden.The days are already a little longer; it is lighter earlier and sunset is later. Time to finish pruning the roses and transplanting one which becomes overwhelmed every year by it’s huge neighbours. And I am watching the self seeded tomato closely, hoping the green tomatoes will turn red.

AUGUST FOOD

Winter eating! We like to shop for fruit and vegetables at a green grocer we’ve been going to for a long time. Lots of fresh produce to be eaten raw (apples, tomatoes and mandarins), roasted (sweet potato, butternut pumpkin, Dutch carrots) and steamed ( cabbage and broccoli) The limes and lemons are used mostly on fish. The clips around the fruit bowl are used to seal the top of bags, they aren’t for eating!

After a happy break from bread making I am back making my own sourdough. I have had to use the ‘proving’ setting on the oven to get the starter and then the dough to rise as it is very cold now. Well, cold for Western Australia! This homemade bread is simply made from sourdough starter, flour, water, a little olive oil and salt. It takes nearly two days from waking the starter to eating the cooled bread and is worth the effort.

Lunch for my mother. She has been staying for a few days to go to a specialist doctor’s appointment. She grew the lettuce. I added cheese, cucumber, ratatouille, mushrooms, hommus and crackers.

My husband has become a regular customer of a nearby bakery along with many, many other keen bread eaters, too. He loves their white loaf, thickly buttered and even more thickly covered in honey or marmalade. It is very good bread, but I prefer sourdough! Bread from this bakery comes wrapped in tissue paper.

WINTER ROAD RE-SURFACING

We went to look at this local road which has been re-surfaced with asphalt made from sustainable and recycled materials. The asphalt is made from more than 125 tonne of recycled materials including over 30 000 glass bottles, 50 000 plastic bottles and tyres and recycled asphalt. This has resulted in a durable and long lasting road surface considered to be equal to traditional road surfaces. This is the first recycled material surface in our area and only the second in Western Australia. This is a good way to use rubbish!

WINTER FLOWERS

I don’t remember another winter when the roses have flowered for so long or been so beautiful. I have benefited from my Mother’s garden, a neighbour’s generosity and a few remaining blooms from my own garden. The table is covered in vases of flowers and I love it!

The bromeliad blooms are such gorgeous colours but they droop almost as soon as they are cut. I used green garden wire to attach the blooms to recycled chopsticks!

Most of the roses have been pruned but the few remaining ones will be done tomorrow. We have three rubbish bins; a general one, one for recycling and the best one, for someone who can’t make compost, a bin for green waste. I like the green waste bin to be really full when it is emptied every fortnight. We have lots of roses so pruning is spread over two bin emptying days!

WINTER READING

I’m not really interested in magazines about clothes and celebrities or reality TV stars, but I love decorator magazines! I enjoy seeing how people live, how they integrate old and new but mostly, how they make their houses their own, how they show their interests and what they like to have around them.

So, when I picked up this decorator book by Tara Shaw, called SOUL OF THE HOME: Designing with Antiques, I was really interested. Then I read her comment about your house being your biography, a true reflection of your passions and interests. I really like individualistic houses, reflecting the owners. She says, ” Always feather your nest with things that are meaningful to you. You should be able to ‘read’ a great house just like a biography.”

This book is full of great houses and great ideas. Like so many books I read, and I read many, I borrowed it from the library.

The second book I’ve been reading is Michael Moseley’s FAST ASLEEP. I’m a MM fan after repairing my gut following his Clever Guts system from a book of the same name. It took a while but has been a great relief. Living with constant gut pain is very tiring.

Getting enough sleep is challenging at times. I have read about cognitive therapy recently to treat poor sleep but find this book far easier to follow. It includes information on diet, fasting, settling to sleep and how to ‘retrain’ yourself to get to sleep and stay asleep. All his ideas are backed by recent science. Still a work in progress for me but his system is easy to follow.

I’m not a fan of magazines in general but subscribe to lots of decorator magazines and country life magazines. Probably too many but I really enjoy them. My most recent haul of four magazines included two from the UK in paper or compostable wrappers. Good. The two Australian ones were delivered in plastic. Annoying, but I carefully slit the top and re-use the plastic but would prefer paper wrappers. The magazines from the UK always arrive safely.

This is National MISSING PERSONS WEEK in Australia. This program is organised by the Federal Police and aims to raise awareness about the significant number of people, particularly young people, who are reported missing every year. Of the approximately 35 000 people reported as missing each year in Australia, approximately 20 000 are under the age of 18.

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What’s in the Box, The Winter Garden, Mussels and a Book Review

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MATTRESS IN A BOX

We needed a new mattress and went to the bed shop to start looking at what was available. We’d done some online research and knew the level of support we’d prefer. The sales lady was lovely and showed us two suitable mattresses and we lay on both. They were very comfortable.

We went away to consider our options. Both mattresses recommended were expensive, but really about the price we’d expected from our research. Later that evening my husband was looking at information about the two recommended brands and came across a Choice ( consumer testing and recommendation publication) site which had assessed a range of Mattress in a Box products.

They rated very well. He looked at user reviews, most of which were very good, too. We started looking at what was available and decided we would try one! The obvious advantage was the price difference for a mattress with similar springs, latex, memory foam and other features. We’d been looking at the mattresses with bases costing $1800 and $2500. The boxed mattress delivered was a fifth of the cost of most expensive mattress.

The box finally arrived. We expected it to come within five days. We ordered 3rd of July, it arrived 24th of July after many, many texts and phone calls.

The compressed mattress is well protected and was clean and fresh. We rolled it out on the floor and left it to settle.

Wheezing and sighing, the mattress quickly decompressed and puffed up into a proper shape.

The literature which came with the mattress recommended leaving it 24 hours to fully expand. We have been unable to register the mattress to activate the warranty as the site doesn’t work. I’ll try scanning the Q code and see what happens.

After 24 hours it looked like a regular mattress. We re-used our previous base. The mattresses we looked at in the bed shop were pairs, that is a base and mattress.

The first tester is still assessing the comfort and suitability of the mattress. We will sleep on it tonight.

General Comments.

This is a very economical mattress by comparison but we could find no reviews from people who had slept on them for more than four years. We are happy to wait and see.

We ordered online and could only text the company representative. This became very frustrating as delivery was such a problem. Expected within days it actually took 21 days and that eventually involved daily texts and promises about delivery on Monday 13th, then Tuesday 14th, then “later in the week” so stayed at home Thursday and Friday. No mattress. Started texting again on Monday, then Tuesday 21st at which point we were sent a tracking number. The freight company didn’t recognise the number and it took A LOT of time and effort for them to find the box. It sat at their depot until Friday 24th July when it was delivered mid-morning. We were enormously inconvenienced by staying home waiting for delivery which failed to eventuate, day after day.

The mattresses we looked at in the bed shop were made in Australia. The mattress we bought gave no country of origin information online but is made in China.

CV-19 is very well controlled in Western Australia but we didn’t want to go into the bed shop and lie on mattresses. The pillows supplied were covered in protective sheets for our use but we’d rather avoid doing this again at this time.

THE WINTER GARDEN

The self seeded tomato was covered in flowers and I was very pleased to see some grow into fruit. I don’t know if they will mature into red tomatoes, but I have my fingers crossed.

The arum lily has begun to bloom, too. These are considered a weed in Western Australia but I really like the large, lush green leaves and the beautiful white bloom. I grow them in a garden bed where they can’t escape! I really like to cut them and bring them indoors, too, but also enjoy looking at them out of the window.

WINTER EATING: MUSSELS

Fresh and available here in winter, these are local Leeuwin Coast mussels. I prefer to eat them at home because I always make such a mess prising those tiny delicious morsels of meat from the shell. The little bowls of lemon scented water accompanying mussels in restaurants can’t compete with the mess I make enjoying my seasonal feast, so I eat them in the privacy of my own home!

I make simple sauces to enjoy with the mussels. This year I made a cooking broth from onion, garlic, tomato, white wine, parsley and tinned tomatoes.

Cook the mussels until the bivalve pops open. That means they are cooked. Discard any shells that don’t open, ladle some into a bowl, add a few slices of toasted sourdough ( or any other bread) and another sprinkle of parsley and enjoy.

The recipe is available here. https://www.google.co/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=delish+recipe+mussels+in+tomato+and+garlic

READING

I know botanical art is not of interest to everyone and hesitated to review this book which I enjoyed so much. Ellis Rowan was a successful, fearless and very talented artist who thrived during a period when most respected artist were male. She lived her life on her own terms and created accurate paintings of botanical subjects from many countries but particularly Australia. Her works are still recognised as accurate representations of Australia’s flora in the 1800s. Strong and determined, she succeeded against the odds.

Christine Norton-Evans book about the Australian botanical painter, Ellis Rowan called ELLIS ROWAN: A LIFE IN PICTURES is an amazing account of a remarkable botanical artist and her astounding 50 years of adventure and achievement. This resulted in more than 3 000 works now in private collections and the National Library.

Rowan traveled the world, painting and exploring, often alone, and becoming engaged in 1873 didn’t slow her down. She was known for her glamorous and immaculate grooming but mostly for her botanically accurate representations. Her works depict accurate plants and colours. She generally painted water colours but in later years also used oils.

Cluster fig (Ficus racemosa )

This is the story of an energetic, gifted and determined artist who thrived in a time when males dominated the artistic world. I bought it after reading a review and began flicking through, really enjoying the paintings but then went back and read it properly. It is a great read!

Plastic Free July RECYCLE/REDUCE/REUSE

The old mattress was picked up by a company who recycle all the components. It cost $50 and all work is done in a sheltered workshop. Check options online.

Coffee pods can be recycled by the company who manufactures them. Nespresso have their own collection points and other brands have similar arrangements. Look online for options near you. Percolators, plungers and cafeteria coffee makers (pots used on a hotplate) result in grounds which can be disposed of in the garden or bin.

Please let me know if you have any clever tips.

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Making, Cooking, Growing and Reading

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MAKING

SUPER EASY, SUPER FAST BOOKMARKS. I read a lot and I’m often searching for a bookmark. I have so many but I still misplace them. I read mostly books from the library and the one I’m reading at the moment suggests bookmarks were few and few between in the previous readers life, too, as annoyingly, every 40 or so pages, the edge of the page has been folded over!

So I was thinking about bookmarks. I wanted something bright so it’s easily found, cheap so it’s not too sad if it goes missing, quick to make and clearly visible in the book. These book marks also have the advantage of being stored on the book, for instance slipped over the back cover, while you’re reading, so less chance of it being lost.

I save the coloured envelopes birthday cards come in as they’re such pretty colours. Of course, I don’t really have a use for them, so I had lots to choose from when I decided to make these bookmarks.

You need

coloured envelopes or paper to fold and glue like the corner of envelope
glue
pencil and eraser
scissors
feltpen, Sharpie or similar if you’re making the slice of watermelon

For sheer simplicity I chose to make hearts and slices of watermelon. I’m planning to make these as little treats for the members of my bookclub and will use similar designs.

I drew half a heart shape on a folded piece of scrap paper and cut it out. Flattened it and traced it onto the corner of an envelope. Make sure it’s on the glued up corner, not the flap for sealing!

Cut on your pencil line, slip over the page of your book, close the book. Page saved by a secure and attractive bookmark.

To make the slice of watermelon, cut a curved piece the size of your completed bookmark from scrap paper. Trace the curve onto the envelope and cut. Use the same scrap piece to cut a white piece and glue it onto the green base. Use the curved scrap again to cut a red piece and glue it on. I used a Sharpie to draw seeds randomly on the red part. Done!

COOKING

After a brief but happy dalliance with bought rye bread, I “woke” up my starter/mother and made my own loaf. Not rye this time, apart from the starter. I used Premium White Bread Making flour simply because it was easier to get out of the cupboard where the bulk flours are stored!

It was so cold the morning I began this process I knew the starter wouldn’t get bubbly and look puffy without artificial warmth. Usually I put it on the table and the sun coming through the French doors is enough to get it started. Not this morning! It was cold and bleak and there was no warmth in the sun. This is the first time I have used the PROVING setting on the oven. I was really pleased with how well the starter and then later the dough reacted to this setting.

This is the white sourdough loaf I made and we enjoyed.

Also made an Egg and Bacon Pie. So easy and delicious. Brown 250gm of bacon in a pan with a splash of oil. Remove to a plate then brown a finely chopped leek. I had to add some extra oil to cook the leek. Spread this in a glass dish lined with baking paper. (So much easier to clean up!) Then whisk six large eggs until frothy, add 1/4 cup of water, or milk, whisk again. Pour over the bacon and leek. Grind some pepper over it. Put in 165° fan forced oven for 35 minutes, or until the middle is set. Serves 4-6. We like to eat it cold.

I have made this with bacon and mushroom and it is lovely, too. If I’m cutting it up for a picnic or sharing as part of a spread, I bake it in a square or rectangular dish.

GROWING

The white camellia suffered enormous damage three weeks ago when we had storms and heavy rain. The white flowers had brown marks around the edges of the petals and didn’t really open properly. Luckily, it’s blooming happily again. As a little boost I had watered a tray of ash in around the roots.

Each year my mother and I order tulips from the same grower. These are the last of my crop.

My Mother lives further south than us and her tulips are only just beginning to bloom.

READING

A Theatre for Dreamers

A THEATRE FOR DREAMERS by Polly Samson

This is the imagined life of Australian author and columnist Charmain Clift and her husband, George Johnston during the time they spent living on Hydra during 1955-1964. They settled in cheap and sunny Hydra with their three children, where Clift scandalised the locals by wearing trousers and drinking in bars.

On the surface, they live an idyllic life. They attract other creative types, such as Canadian Leonard Cohen, who soon partners with the abandoned Norwegian, Marianne Ihlen. Racked with artistic doubts, rejections or requests for editing from publishers and criticism from other authors, this is a tense society.

Clift is the centre of the cosmopolitan society of international bohemians in Hydra, helping and compassionate and always resentful of time stolen from her own writing career, especially by her ill, heavy drinking husband, a once famous war correspondent. He later was best known for his book, My Brother Jack.

Focusing on the days before serious drug use was the norm in Hydra, this small community buzzed with sexual jealousies, alcohol and creative souls who often didn’t meet their own expectations. We learn a little about the extremely tolerant Greek population around them, but mostly, this story is told by a minor player, Erica, the daughter of Clift’s neighbour when she lived in London. She sets off for Hydra with her brother and her boyfriend when her mother dies and she receives a copy of Clift’s book, The Lotus Eaters.

This well researched book is an imagined account of the halcyon days in Hydra and I found it fascinating. It was from a time I didn’t really know, but about characters I did know of, and the descriptions of Hydra were enticing. I thought this was a great read and would recommend it.

The other book I have been reading is THE GIRL WHO READS ON THE METRO by Christine Foret-Fleury.

Reviews describe this book as a “gem”, a “joy” and a “delight”. Juliette, our main protagonist, leaves her dull job in a real estate agency and takes over the book business of a mysterious character. Her job is to follow strangers and observe their behaviour to decide the perfect book for them. Juliette believes in the power of books to change peoples’ live.

This whimsical book, part literary reference and part fairy tale was a quick and easy read and really didn’t have much of a story! I think the whole point was showing the power of the written word to change how people feel. The online reviews are mixed, but the book has been translated into English due to its popularity in France. You decide! I’ve gone back to reading an Australian murder series.

We’re still in PLASTIC FREE JULY so please consider ways you can reduce your use of plastics. Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, founder of Plastic Free July reminds us that only 9% of all plastics are recycled and only 0.9% are recycled more than once. Plastics don’t actually break down completely, they simply become smaller and smaller, but never disappear.

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