Plastic Free July

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As we head into Plastic Free July, I’d like to write about some new research about the impact of plastic on the planet and specifically, on us!

In 2017, Dr Shanna Swan, professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Mt Sinai School of Medicine in New York City published evidence that the average sperm count among Western men has halved in the past 40 years.

Acknowledging the impact of delayed childbearing, choice or lifestyle, Swan concludes that chemicals have played a major causal role. She notes that younger women have increased impaired fecundity ( the ability to have children) than older women. The risk of miscarriage has also risen in the younger group of women.

So which chemicals in plastics are causing havoc? Phthalates, used to make plastics soft and flexible, mimic or interfere with the bodies sex hormones, testosterone and oestrogen. The body registers sufficient levels of these hormones, so reduces the production of both, interfering with fertility.

Exposure to plastics is through food manufacturing, processing and packaging. This diminishes sperm count as well effecting women. Another plastic posing risks is Bisphenol A (BPA) used to harden plastics. It mimics oestrogen. Found in the lining of some can linings and cash register receipts, it effects both males and females.

She summarises her research with the fact that if we “follow the curve from the 2017 sperm decline meta-analysis, it predicts that by 2045 we will have a median sperm count of zero.” Swan suggests we protect ourselves by eating unprocessed food cooked at home, avoid Teflon and don’t microwave anything in plastic.Store food stuffs in glass. Use basic, simple scent free cleaning and personal hygiene products and read labels to limit your exposure to plastics.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/28/shanna-swan-fertility-reproduction-count-down

All photos above Pixabay.com

In other research, by the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Queensland, 3 – 4 mg of microplastics was identified in every 100mg of uncooked rice. ( The West Australian newspaper, p14, 10/05/2021) The study, originally published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials also claims instant and pre-cooked rice contains four times more microplastics, averaging 13mg per 100gm serve.

The researchers used common brands of rice bought from local supermarkets. They tested for polyethylene and plastics used in laminates, technical engineering, polystyrene acrylics and tubing. The article notes that washing the rice before cooking reduces the plastic contamination by 20 to 40 percent.

SIMPLE WAYS TO USE LESS PLASTIC

1. Buy loose fruit and vegetables and pack them in reusable bags. Use the paper bags intended for mushroom if you forget your bags.

2. Reuse glass jars to store produce. Glass is infinitely recyclable.

3. Buy things in bulk to reduce packaging. Usually, you’ll save money, too.

4. Use beeswax covers, containers with lids or plates to cover leftovers in the fridge.

5. Take your own “keep” cup to cafes. Ask if you can have take-away food in your own, reusable containers.

6. Put reusable shopping bags back in the car when you’ve unpacked your shopping. Keep folded shopping bags in your handbag or pocket.

7.. Avoid buying plastic bottles of water by taking your own. Refuse plastic straws or plates.

8. Recycle any plastic optical products you use at your optometrist.

9. Consider the lifespan of plastic toys and what they offer your child in terms of imaginative or finer manipulative skills.

10. Look at the fabric information on swing tags before you buy clothing. Most artificial fabrics release micro plastics into waterways.

Look for posts about Plastic Free July for more ideas.

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Is This Built In Obsolescence? And a new FITBIT.

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We built this house in 2005 and moved in at the beginning of 2006. Fifteen years later we have replaced just about every electrical appliance in the kitchen. The first thing to go was the double oven. It was white, like all the other appliances. It may have just died from exhaustion because I cooked and cooked in both those ovens. The challenge was finding a replacement oven to fit the existing cavity. The replacement was stainless steel, no choice. I didn’t want any changes to the carpentry as we’d just had new cupboard doors put in the kitchen. For the same reason we had the exhaust fan repaired when it stopped working rather than replacing it. Nothing new fitted exactly and I felt it was a good idea to repair rather than replace. It cost more to repair than buying a new one. Not so good.

This oven has been a great success despite my concerns about it being stainless steel.

Next to go, at the beginning of CV-19, was the dishwasher. The technician arrived masked and gloved, announced the dishwasher wasn’t repairable and recommended to us a new dishwasher from his company, delivered and installed the next day . We didn’t have to go to any shops and it would fit the existing cavity. We took the easy option. So now, a stainless steel oven and a stainless steel dishwasher. Not really happy. Took me a while to adjust, but these were strange times. I designed and really liked the all white cupboards and electrical appliances with black speckled granite work tops.

The super shiny stainless steel dishwasher which doesn’t mark or need constant wiping.

Within months, while we were still avoiding shopping whenever possible, the fridge stopped working. It couldn’t be repaired, either. There was a lot of food in the freezer. A kind neighbour took it in! The pressure was on to replace the fridge/freezer. Couldn’t get a replacement one with the same configuration as the cavity dictated the size we could accommodate. Settled on one that fitted the cavity, and yes, it’s stainless steel. They were available in white but delivery would take at least ten weeks. Took me a while to get used to the stainless steel because it’s quite big.

Then the self ingnitor stopped working on the hotplate. The repairman thought he could repair it. A few weeks later he arrived with the replacement part to fix it but it wasn’t the right part! Weeks later he rang to say the proper replacement was no longer available. Our hotplate was too old. So we lit the hotplate with matches. That was fine until one day the flame flared and suddenly it seemed a bad idea. Again, the existing cavity dictated the replacement. Tracked down one to fit, luckily, as most didn’t and bought it. It looks similar to the original so sits well.

My much loved work horse on the way out.

New hotplate fits perfectly.

So, everything has been replaced except the microwave and every now and then it makes a funny noise. Again, its replacement will be dictated by its size. It will have to fit in the cavity. And it will probably be stainless steel.

All this makes me a bit cross. My Mother has two fridges. The one in her kitchen is about 25 years old. It looks modern but has to be manually defrosted it every now and then. Still in good working order despite it’s age. ( So is she!) The other one in her garage is about 40 years old and rarely used now as she doesn’t entertain a lot, but it still works well.

So why do our appliances break down? Although technically more advanced, my fridge, for instance, keeps some things frozen and other things chilled, just like my Mother’s 25 year old fridge. The only differences are mine beeps if the door is open for too long, it doesn’t need defrosting and has plastic instead of metal ice cube trays. Her microwave, replaced last year, was more than 40 years old before it stopped working. Ours is about twelve years old, so fingers crossed.

FITBIT

I got my first Fitbit in 2013. I have used a tracker every day of my life since. I started walking the usual 10 000 steps a day but slowly, over the years, have increased my daily count. I monitor my progress via my phone.

About four years ago Fitbit replaced my device as it wasn’t holding a charge for more than 24 hours. I was impressed with their service and the speed at which the replacement arrived.

My constant companion is no more.

So when my current Fitbit needing almost daily charging I rang Fitbit. This time I dealt with a service centre. The device was out of warranty but Fitbit would offer me a discount. I wanted a device I could clip on, not wear on my wrist. My husband gave me my watch 38 years ago and I love it and wanted to keep wearing it! The man at the service centre recommended a Fitbit which can be worn as a watch or clipped on. I bought it from another retailer for less than the discount offered by Fitbit. I had to order the clip separately. I am wearing the Fitbit on my wrist until the clip arrives.

The new Fitbit tells me the time, steps taken, monitors my heart beat, tells me how long I’ve slept and other things I didn’t know I wanted to know. Already, 24 hours after putting it on, I am checking my heart rate, how long I slept and calories burnt as well as the step count. Unfortunately, some of these things can only be monitored by wearing it on my wrist, not clipped on clothing. My sentimentally significant watch might be carefully put away very soon. A dilemma.

On June 24th in 1901 Pablo Picasso had his first exhibition in Paris.

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Some Sewing, Watching, ZOOM Painting and Chilli Thrip

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SEWING

Are you a home sewer? I had my sewing machine serviced this week. It was the first time in 34 years, so I thought it was due. Actually, I’d tried to mend my husband’s pyjamas and the machine made it clear things had to change. Off to the repair shop. Now it hums along happily. Mostly I mend and modify things, so nothing fancy, just practical.

Home sewing is experiencing a huge boom! Last year the UK recorded a 300% increase in sewing machines sales. Thought to be influenced by a program on television called “Great British Sewing Bee” and CV-19 resulting in more time at home, there’s also a move towards greater sustainability in clothing and a continuing reluctance to shop.

Not only has there been an explosion in the popularity of home sewing, but also knitting and crocheting are wildly popular, too. The UK Craft and Hobby Trade Association estimates over one million people have begun sewing for themselves in the past 3 years.

Sewing machine sales in Sweden have also increased more than 10 fold in the past year. A spokesman for Swiss sewing machine manufacturer, Bernina, says sales figures have literally exploded. (The West Australian newspaper 10/05/2021) Sales of knitting and crocheting materials have increased by eightfold. Availability of Australian grown and manufactured wool has increased enormously and can be found online or in craft suppliers. Good. In the past we sent most of it overseas.

So, is overt consumerism declining? Environmental concerns, a focus on individuality and the pleasure of creating all contribute to the increase in sewing, knitting and crocheting. Interestingly, many bloggers comment on the cost of these activities.

Once seen as thrifty, sewing machines and fabrics are quite expensive and mostly imported into Australia. Others suggest that having invested so much time, energy and money into making clothing or household pieces, they will take more care of them and keep them for much longer. It will be interesting to see if sewing clothes at home will continue.

WATCHING

I hate to admit it, but Jeremy Clarkson's farming show is really good TV | Television & radio | The Guardian The Guardian.UK

I enjoyed “Our Yorkshire Farm” and “Escape To The Farm With Katie Humble” but it all became a bit repetitive. Neither of these programs prepared me for ” Clarkson’s Farm”. Jeremy Clarkson has 1 000 acres in Oxfordshire. Fairly clueless, but with great enthusiasm and elan, he farms his 1000 acres. He employs a variety of advisors, farm hands and general contractors in typical Clarkson style.

Of course he buys a huge Lamborghini tractor which doesn’t fit in his shed and really requires an interpreter to keep it working. The pressures of getting jobs done in between rain results in him inventing his own, unsuccessful, methods. Very funny. Especially when his efforts are inspected by 21 year old contractor Kaleb who doesn’t hold back when he critiques Clarkson’s cultivating. The sometimes pointless but remnant EU rules baffle and annoy him, as did six weeks of non-stop rain. More rain than the UK had seen in a century. His farm becomes a quagmire.

So very funny and interesting, peppered with typical Clarkson observations and antics. All accompanied on a cool Saturday morning with a mug of Fridge Soup. In other words, all the vegetables that needed to be used up in the fridge, plus some meaty stock I had and curry paste. Bamixed, pasta added, left to cook some more, then ladled out and enjoyed. There we were, cuddled up with Louis the dog, comfortable and cosy on a cold morning, cackling at Clarkson. (Amazon Prime)

PAINTING

I really enjoy Amy Stewart’s painting tutorials on ZOOM. She delivers one each month. I’d signed up for a session painting monarch butterflies, so a few days before the lesson I found some images, studied the characteristics and painted one on my rose painting.

The monarch butterflies we painted were based on very quick, directed drawings. The focus was on impressions of butterflies, not so much on accuracy. After we’d drawn the shapes we applied a lot of water to each shape and then dropped paint into it. Unpredictable but colourful results. When the paint was dry we used felt and paint pens to add definition and detail. Very different from how I usually paint, but a wonderful opportunity to try other techniques.

Influenced by Amy Stewart’s use of felt pen to add definition and clarity, I completed this poppy painting by adding some pen drawing, too.

CHILLI THRIP

Continuing the war against chilli thrip. Some roses have responded well, others still look dire.

Some of the roses in the back garden have responded well to bi-weekly sprays, plant oil and Seasol. I have been picking the last flush of roses and there’s no sign of chilli thrip. At the end of July all the roses will be pruned right back. I hope they will be healthy next year! I will replace the top layer of soil where the thrip apparently breed with a fresh mix.

Roses out the front have not recovered at all. They had the same treatment as those in the back garden. Less sunlight?

The lime tree, on the other hand, next to the roses out the front, is covered in healthy, delicious fruit!

It’s International Men’s Health week focusing on the well being of all men. For more information www.menshealthweek.org.au/

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A Week of Verbs: Reading, Making, Buying and Painting

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READING

Really enjoy reading a good thriller and Kathy Reichs’s “The Bone Code” didn’t disappoint! She has written over twenty books in the Tempe Brennan series and they are all gripping, thrilling and a bit disturbing. A Forensic Anthropologist herself, her main protagonist works as a Forensic Anthropologist between Charlotte, North Carolina and Montreal, Québec, as does the author. Reichs is highly qualified and skilled at telling a great story. This book was also full of information about DNA. I really enjoyed it.

Also enjoyed Lily Brett’s ” Old Seems To Be Other People”. She has written six novels, nine books of poetry and four essay collections. Brett was born in the Feldafing Displaced Persons Camp in Bavaria. The family then came to Australia. She later moved to London as a journalist, back to Melbourne and finally, to New York where she lives with her husband, Australian painter David Rankin.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors, her works often focus on what it means to be Jewish. She frequently writes about the survivors of the death camps and the impact of this on their children and grand children. It is a theme common to all she writes, including her new book, “Old Seems To Be Other People”. This collection of 32 essays on ageing is witty, thoughtful and quite informative about NYC. A multi award winning author, Brett’s unique thoughts on getting older was an easy, funny and enjoyable read.

I hesitated before picking up Nina George’s “The Little French Bistro” because of the plethora of books with “Paris” or “France” in the title, intended to tempt the reader to buy a book they might otherwise leave on the shelf! Both words promise something special, mystical and stylish. This book is all that and more. A lovely surprise, this is the story of Marianne, who escapes after 41 years in a loveless marriage and finds a new life, new friends and hope in Brittany. This is a whimsical story with a happy ending, just like a fairy tale. Thoroughly enjoyed it and really liked reminiscing about our own holiday on the same stretch of Brittany’s coast.

As usual, these books were borrowed from the library.

MAKING

What do you do with a loaf of brioche that is nothing short of disappointing? De-core, peel and slice up three ageing apples and make an apple and brioche pudding! Layered buttered brioche and sliced apples with added currants in a casserole dish, poured over a jug of egg, sugar and milk custard. Sprinkled the top with nutmeg and weighted down the whole lot until the custard was absorbed. Cooked at 165º F for 45 minutes, delicious.

BUYING

I like all the pretty lacy, gathered, frothy nighties I see in shops and magazines, but I don’t want to wear them. I’m a fan of nighties that look like over grown T-shirts, prefer them without images or messages on the front and always look for 100% cotton. That’s the tricky bit! So I was really pleased when I found 100% cotton, patterned but fairly plain nighties and bought two for this winter. Unfortunately, they are not made in Australia but I’ll keep hoping and looking.

When I was a child my grandparents lived in a rambling old farmhouse along with my parents and brothers and myself. My Grandfather used a cologne called 4711. It was an eau de cologne so the scent disappeared quite quickly. So, wisps of the scent but not overpowering and not long lasting, either. I hadn’t thought about it for years until I saw a comment online about 4711 Aqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil eau de cologne.

I really like citrus smells. Not a big fan of candles and room sprays but I have both in various citrus scents. I cook a lot with lemon, lime and oranges. Also kumquat and grapefruit. So I set off to find 4711 Aqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil eau de cologne. Loved it! Started off with 50ml as a test, liked it so much I next bought 170ml. I spray it generously and enjoy little whiffs of the fruity scents throughout the day. Invigorating and refreshing. And a bit nostalgic.

PAINTING

Discovering painting lessons and demonstrations on ZOOM has resulted in me painting almost every day. I continue with flowers, enjoying a more relaxed, less formal and much faster style of paining than the classical botanical paintings I’ve done for years.

I’ve also fiddled about with blue and white vases and bowls because I have a house full of them.

I am really enjoying quick paintings and this week will do a session on butterflies.

Did you know, in Australia, you can take all your skincare and cosmetic containers back to David Jones and Mecca for recycling? They’ll take all empty tubes, jars and bottles and empty or near empty makeup containers? They will be recycled into pellets which can be used

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Flowers, Cavolo Nero, Painting and Reading

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CHANGE OF PLANS

I have been working on this blog well ahead of intended publication day as I was going to Canberra for two days and then Melbourne for three days. I’d done lots of research about the three exhibitions we’d booked tickets to see and had a list of other things I planned doing while I was in both Canberra and Melbourne. Then an outbreak of CV-19 changed our plans! Melbourne is in lockdown again. This must be very difficult for them. Anyway, I’m staying safely in Western Australia, at home and my son, who I was travelling East with is going to Darwin for four days instead. Bit sad about missing Botticelli to Van Gogh in Canberra and She-Oak and Sunlight, Australian Impressionism plus French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, in Melbourne.

FLOWERS

Do you like fresh flowers in the house? Me, too. Not surprising, really, as my Grandmother always had flowers on the table and my Mother has at least one vase of flowers on her table, too. I like to grow most of our cut flowers. It’s hard to find out where bought flowers come from but apparently most roses come from overseas. I enjoy gardening and these flowers are so freshly cut they last longer.

The roses above are mostly from my Mother’s garden. The entire area around where we live has a terrible infestation of chili thrip* which is decimating the roses. The recommended treatments are making very little difference. It’s early to prune the bushes but I’m considering it to try and nurture healthy roses in spring. Any advice about successful treatments would be very welcome!

*Chilli thrip (Scirtothrips dorsalis) feed on roses, all citrus as well as a range of fruit and vegetable hosts. Originally from Asia, chilli thrip is gradually achieving global distribution.

CAVOLO NERO

Common in Italian cuisine, cavolo nero is a blackish cabbage, very similar to kale. I bought it because it looked so interesting. I combined a Maggie Beer recipe with some other general directions and made this BRAISED CAVOLO NERO, which we ate with squid and potatoes.

Rinse the cavolo nero leaves and dry them. I used a bunch to make dinner for two but it would feed four if you were serving other vegetables, too. It tastes better than it looks!

The ingredients are simple. Gather the washed cavolo nero, two cloves of garlic, a lemon ( usually, but I only had fresh limes so that’s what I used and they tasted very good) about five anchovies, because I like the salty, surprising taste when they break up amongst the vegetable. You also need some olive oil for cooking and about half a cup of water.

Fold the cavolo nero leaf in half longways and slice out the stem. I kept the stems to make minestrone! Apparently that’s the typical thing to do in Italy. Then cut the leaves sideways into slices. Put the oil in a heavy based pan and when it’s hot add the garlic and anchovies. The anchovies disintegrate a bit during cooking. Add the leaves, squeeze on the citrus juice and stir them about. The leaves shrink quite a lot. After about five minutes add the water and let it cook until the water has evaporated.

Served with some flash fried squid, a potato and another squeeze of lime. Healthy and fast, although preparing the leaves is a bit of a faff.

I made a very traditional minestrone, including the stems from the cavolo nero this time, but I didn’t add the pasta when I was cooking it. As the soup lasts two of us about three days the pasta becomes mushy after the first day. So I cook a little fresh al dente pasta and put it into the minestrone just before I serve it each day.

PAINTING

I’ve discovered ZOOM painting sessions and have really enjoyed them. I did an Amy Stewart session and painted four birds. This led to me painting a fairy wren, too.

Later I did a session with Marietta Cohen. It began with a guided sketching and painting lesson of cherry blossom, based on a traditional Japanese painting “Fukurokuju Cherry Blossom” created by K Tsunoi, in 1921. Later I sourced the original piece of art and did a full sized painting.

Also did a couple of travel diary paintings on our time down south. I love seeing other peoples sketches and paintings from their trips and am working on doing the same thing. Needs more work!

For some years I have painted botanical paintings. I wanted to try more relaxed casual paintings of flowers. Just realised most of the flowers I’ve painted are pink!

READING

I’ve just read “The Only Street In Paris” written by Elaine Sciolino. First saw this author referred to a on a blog reviewing “Emily In Paris”, then she was mentioned in another review. So I bought the book and I’m so glad I did, too. Of course, I bought it through Book Depository, using the link on the blog side bar! The author, Elaine Sciolino is a contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for the New York Times. She has lived in Paris with her husband and two daughters since 2002.

“The Only Street In Paris, Life on the Rue des Martyrs” refers to the street in Paris where Sciolino and her family live in an apartment. Published in 2016, this book is the result of detailed research. Located in the ninth arrondissement, Sciolino introduces us to a rich collection of characters in her street. We meet the green grocer, the butcher, the baker, the cheese man, the knife sharpener and even a repairer of antique barometers. There’s a Synagogue, and a famous old church in dire need of restoration, so devout Catholic Sciolino writes to the Pope for assistance. There’s no reply.

There’s cafes, restaurants, bars and night clubs. She writes about famous people who have lived in the street and about the history of the street going back centuries. The buildings in many cases are untouched by progress and many shelter unseen gardens behind their remaining courtyard doors.

The survival of traditional specialist shops in Paris is made possible by legislation protecting them from multi-national and chain stores moving into some of these streets.Sciolino’s acute observations and mulinational cast of shopkeepers, mixed with the history of the area, makes this a compelling read.

Hello WINTER in the Southern Hemisphere, hello SUMMER in the Northern Hemisphere!

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On Being Frugal and Making Stem Ginger in Syrup

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ON BEING FRUGAL

I think being frugal is making the best use of available resources. It’s about preserving a box of gifted apples, mending clothing and extending its life and borrowing books from the library and only buying a copy if you don’t want to give the book back!

Being frugal is not about being mean. It’s not really about money, it’s about resources. It’s about being thoughtful about consuming. Spend less money on things which will be thrown out, enjoy beautiful things in your home, cook most of what you eat from the best ingredients and don’t waste food!

Most days of the week I walk with my 89 year old neighbour. We both grew up on farms where water was a much valued resource and yesterday, after heavy rain, noticed a neighbour’s reticulation was still running. Wasted water!

Using the least water possible was a way of life on the farm where I grew up. It was a precious resource. I have mixed memories about going away to school but one of them was discovering I could fill the bath up to my chin. I could tilt the plug with my toe to let some cooled water out and top the bath up again with hot. Bliss! Then the luxury of letting the water drain out of the bath. We weren’t expected to bucket it out into the garden to water the plants.

I wish I’d spent more time with my Father in his shed. A treasure trove of bits and pieces carefully stored in labeled boxes on shelves, it seemed he could make or repair anything. Jobs he couldn’t do were done by specialists. The saddlier came and took saddles away for repairs, the plumbing for a new bathroom was installed by a plumber and vehicles were sometimes repaired by mechanics but most jobs were done by him. Now I rely on YouTube, online posts and guesswork.

I really like the idea of things lasting for a long time. The blogs showing how people recycle a pair of jeans into storage pockets, aprons, bracelets, shorts and patches for other pairs of jeans are really interesting. I enjoy reading blogs demonstrating ways of getting the most out of what we have or intend buying.

Many years ago my husband gave me a designer hand bag. I adore it! I used it most days a week when I was working. It’s a thoughtful design so perfect for traveling. I still use it. About once a year I treat it with saddle dressing and it still looks new. It is 21 years old, so per use, it has been a really frugal buy. It would have been more frugal if I’d stopped at one but actually I have several much loved and frequently used bags from the same brand. As an aside, I asked two friends if they still have and use 21 year old handbags. Neither do and both said they donate their expensive leather bags to charity shops after two or three years.

Why does using less matter? The only free energy we have is the sun, so conserving energy is a worldwide consideration. Energy production results in pollution, either chemical or heat. Thoughtful use of energy is necessary because some popular energy saving methods actually cause more pollution, such as factory farming resulting in added food miles. Buy food locally produced and trucked to the shop.

Adding to landfill is an enormous problem. Many things disintegrate very slowly and can pollute the surrounding soil, waterways and the air. We should all try to create less landfill by discarding fewer clothes, food and general household waste. Many large Australian supermarkets are committed to reducing wasted food, directing it to gifted meals or compost, plus using less plastics. One of our major supermarket chains has already swapped the traditional polystyrene trays used for meat, fruit and vegetables, replacing them with a plant based product which is compostable.

MAKING STEM GINGER

We found a delicious sounding recipe for pear, ginger and rye cake. Couldn’t find any stem ginger in syrup. The recipe called for both the preserved ginger and some syrup. I found a way to make stem ginger in syrup online. Luckily I had a knob of fresh ginger. It wasn’t the weight recommended in the recipe but that was easily adjusted .

The recipe advised scraping the skin off the ginger using a spoon. Made an awful mess, went back to my usual tool, a potato peeler. Chopped the peeled ginger and boiled it for two and a half hours, just covered in water. Kept an eye on it and topped up the water when necessary.

Made the syrup by boiling equal amounts of water and sugar.

It was soft after two and a half hours, so I strained the liquid off the ginger. I had 130gm of ginger so added 130gm sugar and 130ml of drained off cooking water, brought it all to the boil and let it simmer for five minutes. Left it to cool a little, then packed the ginger into a sterilised jar and covered it with the syrup.

This made very strong ginger and delicious strong syrup. There was leftover syrup when I measured it, so we added some soda and enjoyed a very good sparkling ginger drink.

Sparkling ginger drink. Delicious preserved stem ginger.

Did you know recent research revealed Australian households annually throw out 2.5 million tonnes of edible food every year? The average household sends about 4.5kg of food to landfill each week.

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Teppanyaki, Eggs and ANZAC Biscuits

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Our son was spending the Anzac Day long weekend with us in Perth. He had made a booking at our local teppanyaki restaurant for Friday night. During the afternoon we heard a community spread case of CV-19, the first in Western Australia for more than 12 months, had been detected. This resulted in us going into a three day lockdown, starting at midnight.

The restaurant assured us they’d be open but we had to wear masks except when we were eating. No problem. There weren’t many people there although the restaurant is usually full on Friday evening. We sat with a young couple, socially distanced, around the teppan, the metal grill plate.

Teppanyaki is a post World War 11 style of Japanese cuisine which uses a hot iron griddle to cook the food. Teppanyaki comes from teppan, the grill, and yaki, meaning grilled or pan fried. But it is much more than just cooking.

Teppanyaki is theatre! As we sat around the grill the performance began with knife swirling and tapping and energetic air slicing. This continues through the preparation of the food with the salt and peeper shakers, too. All very entertaining.

Teppanyaki is a very old Japanese method of cooking but the modern ways were influenced by American cuisine in the 1940s.

So what did we eat? I’d chosen the Chicken /Seafood Set menu and my husband and son had chosen the Steak/Seafood Set menu. The moody lighting is apparent is the photos!

Both of these set menus started with edamame, boiled green soya bean plus shichimi salt. You split open the pod and eat the round bean.

ENTREE Wagyu gyoza

ENTREE Beef Tataki

MAIN COURSES Cooking on the grill is Tenyaki Chicken and Black Angus Tenderloin. Both main courses also had prawn, scallop, squid and fish of the day served with them, plus salad, fried rice and miso soup.

Black Angus Steak Tenderloin with prawn, scallop, squid and fish of the day plus vegetable. Delicious balance of colour, crunch and flavours.

Miso soup with tofu and seaweed.

Fried rice. The set menu was a very generous sized meal and the rice was too much for me! The intensity of the heat and the speed of cooking resulted in heightened flavours. We had three dipping sauces and they were good, too. My husband and son drank Yamaguchi Weizen, wheat beer.

Theatre, anticipation, wonderful flavours, teppanyaki had it all and we really enjoyed our dinner. At midnight, Perth, where we live and Peel, the region to the south went into lockdown for three days. That has now been lifted due to no other cases being detected but we still have to wear masks outdoors.

EGGSHELLS

I was collecting eggs from the fridge to bring to room temperature to cook them and there was a conversation about the colour of their shells. There’s white shells, pink shells and light brown ones. The theory was that they came from different breeds of chooks (chicken) But do they?

dozen eggs on tray

And actually, that’s right! Different breeds lay different coloured eggs. There can be variation in the intensity of colour but the breed dictates the colour of the shells. The most reliable layers are preferred for commercial suppliers of eggs. In Australia they mostly have cream through to light orange, brown shells. In Australia the best commercial layers are Hy-Line Browns, ISA Brown and Hi-Sex Brown. These breeds are brown in colour and have a red comb.

ANZAC BISCUITS

ANZAC biscuits are traditionally eaten on ANZAC Day in Australia. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and ANZAC Day is celebrated 25th April every year in these two countries and in some other places in the world where these forces were engaged in a theatre of conflict or a Peacekeeping mission.

Apparently created during 1915 when ANZAC became a word during World War 1. There were recipes for rolled oats biscuits before this, such as nutties, brownies and munchies, but these are eggless and didn’t spoil on the ship journey from Australia.

The recipe was originally called Soldiers Biscuits but after ANZACs landed at Gallipoli in 1915 they became known as ANZAC biscuits. The name is legally protected.

fried food on white plastic pack

The ingredients include rolled oats, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup and baking soda and desiccated coconut. The ones I made are from a very old recipe in an 80 year old recipe book and didn’t spread the way more modern recipes spread. They still tasted very good!

DID YOU KNOW it is scientifically estimated plastic containers take 50-80 years to breakdown in landfill. They become micro beads, tiny plastic beads which don’t seem to completely disappear all.

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Using My Handmade Book, Eating and Reading

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USING MY HANDMADE BOOK

I made this book, or zine, during a recent workshop. I knew I wanted to use it to record some of the things I planned to do this year. First on my list was a water colour course to learn how to do quick paintings of places we visit. I’d seen people with their papers, pens and small paint boxes drawing and painting when we traveled and I wanted to do that, too.

These gorgeous mementos feature quickly completed views. In our course we started with tonal paintings, then coloured versions of the same image. Our next lesson was using washes with black silhouettes.

I’ve always glued maps, tickets and photos into my journals when we travel but really like these quick paintings. I have illustrated my notes with sketches but I’ll create an outdoor paining kit and buy some water colour paper for our next trip and do some paintings. I’m looking for an A5 pad so I can paint then tear out the finished work and glue it into my every day journal.

Had some leftover papers of the right size and thickness and some embroidery thread so I made another book.

Used a template to mark the stitching holes. Poked them through using an awl.

Stitched the binding. The new book, for idle thoughts, is complete.

While I had scissors, glue and paper out on the table, I also made an insert for the card I’d painted for Mothers Day. Australians celebrate Mothers Day in May, so that’s when I’ll give this card to my Mother. She grows many, many carnations and has a constant supply of cut flowers. I love the peppery scent.

FAST, FABULOUS FOOD

Last week I made a pot of Guava Jam using divine smelling guavas given to me. Although I halved the amount of sugar suggested in the recipes I read, the Guava Jam was still very sweet. I heated a few dessertspoons of the jam in a cup in the microwave for 30 seconds and then drizzled the warm jam onto ice cream. Instant fabulous, delicious dessert! We really enjoyed it.

And not so fast, but equally easy to eat, Pear Crumble. Pears are in season so I made a Pear Crumble hoping for cooler evenings. Hasn’t really happened yet, but the dessert was great. I added nutmeg to the crumble and we enjoyed the extra depth of flavour. Looks a lot like icecream and guava sauce, tastes very different. I’ll be making that again!

READING

I’ve written about Kit Kemp, co-owner of Firmdale Hotels, interior decorator and author, twice in the past few blogs, so I’ll just write briefly about her latest book I’ve been reading. Called “A Living Space” it is actually one of her earlier publications.

Kit Kemp: A Living Space by Kemp, Kit | Hardcover | 2012

Kemp focuses on you trusting your instinct and ignoring the rules! She combines antiques with newly made objects or recycled pieces, bespoke with readily available furniture and very valuable artifacts with ephemera. She encourages her readers to look at texture, add some humour and surround yourself with comfort and colour. Live with what you really, really like around you.

Chapter headings include Bespoke And One Off’s, Antique With Modern, Compare And Contrast, Art And Collections and an amusing chapter called Dogs. Kemp champions emerging artist and crafters whose work sits comfortably with traditional furniture or family heirlooms.

Kemp often frames pieces of fabric or wallpaper which look interesting on the wall if you have any wall space to spare. I haven’t. Obviously, I enjoy her style of decorating, her combinations of affordable and valuable, her cheeky additions and the pages and pages of gorgeous photos.

A few weeks ago my husband read “The Man Who Wasn’t Maigret, A Portrait of Georges Simeon”. He is the author of the Chief Inspector Maigret series. This biography resulted in my husband getting fifteen Maigret books from the library. After he finished the first one he put it on my side of the bed and said, “You’ll enjoy this.” I’m on number nine, now and looking forward to the rest.

Some interesting facts about Georges Simeon:

1) He wrote 193 novels under his own name and another 200 under a variety of pseudonyms.

2) Maigret books sold over 500 million copies in 55 languages in Simeon’s lifetime. Only Jules Verne and Shakespeare have sold more.

3) Almost all of his books took less than 2 weeks to write. He wrote without any revision.

4) Simeon wrote two autobiographical novels, followed by a 1048 page autobiography and then a 21 volume memoir of his life. He frequently contradicted himself in them!

5) Simeon desperately wanted to be seen as a serious writer, an intellectual and to be nominated to the French Academy. It never happened.

Simeon is a marvelous story teller. His writing style is simple and shows a deep understanding of human nature. He limits the actual vocabulary he uses in the Maigret series to about 2000 words. He is Flemish, not French and a few of his stories are set in Belgium, others in Holland but mostly set in Paris. As a travel starved Francophile, I have enjoyed meandering around Paris with Maigret although I wouldn’t like to see some of the things he finds. He is famous for investigating murders.

Between 1931 and 1972, Georges Simeon published seventy five Chief Inspector Maigret stories as well as another twenty eight short stories. Most of these have been republished by Penguin in the past six years. Great reading.

Yesterday was Earth Day. The enormous drop in pollution resulting from less flying, cruising and manufacturing during the early days of CV-19 indicates we can make a change. And please try and reduce the use of single use plastics.

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Matryoshka Dolls, Tomatoes, Salsa Verde and Kit Kemp

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MATRYOSHKA DOLLS

Matryoshka Dolls, or Babushka Dolls, are wooden stacking dolls. Also known as Russian dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls or stacking dolls, they are a set of dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. They are called Matryoshka nesting dolls in Russia, where they originated.

Thought to be first made in 1890 the original designer is disputed but most often the first set of dolls is linked to wood worker Vasili Zvyozdochkin and toy painter Sergei Malyutin. Their popularity quickly spread across Europe after the original set was displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. The toy won a bronze medal and they became the “must have”toy!

No longer really considered toys, the Russian nesting dolls now made in the image of politicians, religious deities, a royal family, celebrities, even animals. Many are collectables. I like my traditional “matron” design with its links to fertility. This design portrays an old woman, a grandmother, generally associated with a headscarf tied under the chin. Probably because it was easier to say, my nesting dolls were called “Babushka Dolls” although this always reminds me of Kate Bush singing “Babooshka”, released in 1978.

Like so many people, our travel plans for 2020 were cancelled. We were going on a cruise which included a few days in St Petersburg. Apart from a planned visit to the Hermitage, I’d been looking forward to seeing the architecture. My other goal was to buy another Russian nesting doll. Instead I included my stacking doll with some Easter decorations. I’ve searched on the base and inside my dolls but cannot find where they were made.

The Russian nesting dolls can have five, six or seven dolls in each set. The smallest one is made first, then the others, getting bigger and bigger.

eating

TOMATOES

Tired of salads? Me too. Tomatoes still taste of sunshine so we keep eating them but needed some variety. These roasted tomatoes are so easy. I washed, dried and quartered some same sized tomatoes, taking care not to cut all the way through. I’d already drizzled olive oil in the glass baking dish. Used a teaspoon to put a little chopped garlic in the cut tomatoes, then sliced a leek and scattered it around them. Drizzled some more olive oil over the tomatoes. Added ground black pepper and sprinkled sea salt on them and roasted them 45 minutes at 190°C F/Forced ( 375ºF) . The hardest part is getting all the grit out of the leek.

Scattered some fresh basil on top. Delicious. Sweet and sticky and the flavours blended well. Light, easy end of summer food.

SALSA VERDE

Salsa verde is a green sauce. There’s so many recipes for it because the herbs you have available in abundance at the time will dictate your recipe. I like to add anchovies for depth of flavour but not all recipes do, and I add chopped, small gherkins, too. Originally this was based on a Jamie Oliver recipe but I have changed it to suit our tastes. The actual flavour can be different every time you make it depending on the ratio of herbs.

I used about four handfuls of basil, mint and common parsley, 1 tbspn chopped capers, 1 lge chopped gherkin, 6 anchovy fillets, 1 tbspn Dijon mustard, 20ml red wine vinegar and 60ml EVOO.

Pick over the herbs. It is easy to strip the mint and basil holding the top of the stem and running your fingers down, parsley takes longer. This part takes a while but the aroma of the herbs is lovely. Wash the leaves and leave to drain. Chopped the gherkin and capers if they’re large. I mash the anchovies with a fork in the jug later with the other ingredients.

Dice the herbs. Usually I chop them finely but this sauce is to go on turkey breast which is quite mild so I wanted a robust sauce. Mix everything together in a jug or serving bowl. Leave to amalgamate for an hour. Serve on meat, poultry, fish or stirred through salad leaves.

The basil is going to seed. As I picked it I stripped off the seeds and dropped them back in the soil for the next crop. I served this luscious sauce with turkey breast and oven roast sweet potato and Brussels sprouts. It was very good!

reading

One of the designers featured in the “British Designers At Home” book which I reviewed last week was Kit Kemp. Her own house was featured in the book and the vibrant designs led me to borrow her book “Design Thread” from the library.

Kit Kemp, with her husband Tim Kemp, is the founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels. They have a collection of eleven hotels in London and New York. She has won many awards for her work. Her interiors are vibrant and witty. She’s known for mixing antiques with junk shop treasures, bespoke wallpaper with simple finishes. Her interiors are individual and personal.

Kemp discusses the aspects of each room featured and talks about the decisions she made which result in the final decor. Each room is different and items are individually selected. She also talks about her holiday house and the influences which decided how it was finished.

Kemp’s style is bold, quirky and individual but also comfortable and welcoming. She cleverly mixes old and new, luxurious and the everyday plus classic and modern styles. Gorgeous rooms and an inspiring book.

Did you know it probably takes an aluminum can 200-500 years to decompose? They are easily and cheaply recycled. In some countries they attract a small refund when you drop them off at a recycling point.

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What Is Biophilia and Why Do We Care?

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So what is biophilia? Sounds like something needing urgent medical attention but actually it’s a verified human tendency to interact with or be associated with other forms of nature. The assumption is that we are born with an innate affinity for other forms of life.

By extension, we have always relied on nature and so responding positively to nature is part of our genetic makeup. This concept is apparently supported by a decade of research revealing how positively and strongly people respond to natural elements.

The hypotheses argues that a love of nature is instinctive. The focus is about reconnecting with nature, something lost in many modern houses and offices. The benefits, supported by massive amounts of research, are behavioural, mental and physical well being.

The term biophilia ( love of nature) was initially coined by social psychologist Eric Fromm in 1964 and later popularised by American biologist Edward O Wilson in his book “Biophilia”, published in 1984.

easy biophilia indoors

Your home should support your well being. Here are some easy ways to include biophiliac elements.

Aim for natural light and fresh air. If possible, open the windows and enjoy the sounds of nature. If the view outside is brick or a plain fence grow a creeper over it or add a fountain and plants. Your visual connection with nature can be plants, animals, water and moving water, scents and light.

Incorporate indoor plants and vases of fresh flowers or leaves. Research clearly shows incorporating plants into your environment lowers stress levels.

Add colour and texture with curtains, rugs and cushions plus wood grain or stone finishes. Look out for old weathered or new textural pieces. Contrast brick, timber and metal with cosy wool, linen and velvet.

Create outdoor sitting areas and enjoy your morning coffee, a meal or just sitting outside.

Pets in the house or going for a walk and seeing animals grazing in paddocks is good, too, as is bird life and birdsong. Interacting with animals is soothing.

Fresh air, sunlight, natural bed linen using fibres such as silk, linen , cotton or bamboo plus texture and colour in the mat. Growing evidence from psychologists and neuroscientists demonstrates that incorporating nature and natural elements into the built environment has been proven to reduce stress, enhance cognitive function and also speed up healing.

Goals to feel good…..

Enhance your connection with the real sensory forms of nature by wandering amongst plants.
Seek sunlight, a natural elixir for well being. Just not too much direst sunlight in Australia!
Ensure you have a range of places in your home where you can relax, work uninterrupted, or feel energised and like being with the family.

WELL DESIGNED WORK PLACES

Considering the amount of time people traditionally spent in their place of work, much of the research on biophiliac design had focused on this area. Since CV-19 some people have continued to work from home and are keen to make this an ongoing arrangement. Some people have reduced the amount of time spent in the office, away from home, going in for important meetings or set days a week, but many people have also returned to their work place.

Good office buildings incorporate natural lighting and ventilation. Thoughtful designs include views of nature from windows and lots of greenery inside. Not just a potted plant on the reception desk, but large, multi -planted pots and green walls, created with vertical pots. Greenery in nature is recognised for stimulating the vagas nerve, the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves, which is responsible for calmness and regeneration. This stimulation, telling your body to relax and de-stress, results in long term improvements in mood, well being and resilience.

A water view and the sound of running water, such as a fountain or crashing waves, promotes calmness.

This revival of nature appreciation, affected by urbanisation, the growth of cities and increased population, can be achieved by thoughtful decorations in the home and daily walks in parks, or along rivers or beaches. Biophiliac design concepts are harder to achieve in many existing office blocks but will probably influence architectural design in the future.

DID YOU KNOW?

Scientific modelling suggests it takes more than 200 years for a plastic bag to break down. Some experiments suggest 700 years is more likely. As it decomposes it becomes minute microbeads which easily enter the environment.

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FITBIT

SEWING

WATCHING

PAINTING

READING

MAKING

BUYING

PAINTING

CHANGE OF PLANS

CAVOLO NERO

PAINTING

READING

ON BEING FRUGAL

MAKING STEM GINGER

EGGSHELLS

ANZAC BISCUITS

USING MY HANDMADE BOOK

FAST, FABULOUS FOOD

READING

<img decoding=async class src=https://images.stockfreeimages.com/1360/sfi226w/13608751.jpg alt="Free Group Of Russian Nesting Dolls Stock Image - 13608751" width=348 height=522>

MATRYOSHKA DOLLS

eating

reading

easy biophilia indoors

WELL DESIGNED WORK PLACES

DID YOU KNOW?