Suburban Life – Page 18 – MakeCookGrow.com

How to Marble Paper with Shaving Cream and What Is Countrycore?

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SHAVING CREAM MARBLED PAPER

For many years I have written a daily journal. I buy the red and black A5 sized notebooks you can easily find at news agencies. Recently these books have been available in other colours on the spine and corners, so easy to match with your chosen gift wrap covers. This is a convenient size to take traveling. I write with a fine 0.4 felt tipped pen as this doesn’t seep through the paper, discolouring the reverse page. I cover the front and back with gift wrap or some similar paper, leaving the spine uncovered.

Journals with traditional red spines and ones with pink spines. I’ve also seen these diaries with lime green and bright blue spines now available.

I glue a calendar in the back and also glue lining papers in the front and back covers. Up until now I have marbled the papers using non-toxic Japanese inks. (http://: https://www.makecookgrow.com/2017/08/how-to-marble-wi…water-based-inks/) Today I decided to try a technique I have used to decorate hard boiled eggs at Easter time, but not paper.

Japanese ink marbling

SHAVING CREAM MARBLED PAPER

Gather:

1. a can of shaving cream

2. several colours of food dye

3. paper to print on. I recycled A4 photocopy paper

4. a container bigger than the sheet of paper to be printed

5. protective plastic for your work surface

6. an old credit card, or similar rigid material to scrape the shaving cream off the paper.

7. rubber gloves. This way of printing is messy!

Shake the shaving cream vigorously then squirt it into the container until the base is covered. Spread to make a smooth surface, then drizzle with food dye. Mix the colours to create swirled patterns. I used a chopstick for this.

Smoothed the dye with gloved hands, drizzled food dye, swirled with a chopstick.

I flattened the cream a bit, then after squirting on the dye, placed the paper on top. Smoothed over the paper to ensure all of it was in contact with the dye.

When you’re happy with the colour distribution, smooth your paper over the surface, peel off and then scrape the surplus cream off the paper. Place flat to dry. Add other colours to the cream or just reuse the existing dye to print more papers. I don’t have an old credit card to scrape off the residual foam so used some stiff cardboard. It got very messy and needed replacing half way through the process.

This is a cheap and easy way to print faux marbled papers. The colours are generally stronger on recycled photocopy paper than when I print with water based Japanese inks. Other papers grip the colour differently.These are strong, vibrantly coloured patterns and I’ve decided I prefer the more traditional colours I achieve with Japanese inks.

I would do this activity outside if I was working with children as it is messy. I’d also recommend they wear art shirts or aprons. I used recycled A4 printer paper and bought food dye and shaving foam. I estimate my cost for this project to be less than AU$10. The Japanese inks I like to use cost about AU$50 but last a long time.

COUNTRYCORE

So what is Countrycore? Apparently, it is the biggest lifestyle trend during quarantine and it just passed me by! Countrycore is all about living like your Grandma did, supported by modern technology. It’s about living in an imaginary cottage in the country where you grow your own food and flowers, have animals, surrounded by peace and calm and nature. You bake and cook from scratch and practice many crafts to decorate your environment, relax and reuse materials. All this involves wearing floral, tiered dresses ( think Laura Ashley from the 1970s ) to go searching for mushrooms complete with wicker basket and hair ribbon.

So it’s like I lived as a child, growing up on a farm, surrounded by nature, chintz, wholesome food, animals, a make and mend attitude, but no floral frocks. I can only think of one frock photo and that featured a tulle petticoat. I generally wore hand-me-downs from my brothers, so there’s photos of me in jeans and checked shirts although Mum was keen on plaiting my hair, another Countrycore passion.. No mention on Instagram of over three hours a day spent on the school bus either! Nor milking the cow every third morning.

Social media is hopping with Countrycore lifestyle images and I can see the appeal of a slower life eating fresh food surrounded by nature. Apparently there’s over 700 000 posts on Instagram on the subject. I think many people have re-assessed how they live and what is really important to them during this year. And there are so many enticing photos on Instagram!

November 7th is NUMBAT DAY. Above is a photograph of a numbat (Myrmecobius faciatus) as you may not have seen one before. Numbats are a small marsupial common in the south west regions of Western Australia although they used to be found in the east coast, too. They are threatened with extinction, with only about 1000 left in the wild.

We celebrate Numbat Day to draw attention to the need to conserve the species. Introduced predators such as foxes but particularly feral cats are threatening their survival. Unneutered cats left to wander and breed are threatening many small bush animals. The day focuses on responsible pet ownership and reminds us to never remove hollow logs, the natural home of numbats, from the bush.

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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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Repurposing, Growing, Eating and Recycling

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REPURPOSING

Last week this terracotta pot held a collection of succulents. Then I planted the succulents elsewhere, emptied the pot, scrubbed it and left it to dry. My plan was to turn it into a bee bath. The water in the existing bee bath seems to evaporate very quickly. I had to put it up on a ledge as Louis, our dog, considered it his outdoor water bowl.

When the terracotta pot was dry I rubbed it down then wiped it with a damp cloth and placed it on some newspaper before spraying it with blue paint. This is the paint I used on the metal chairs hanging on the wall behind. During the next three days I painted the outside and inside twice to get good coverage. I had also coated the inside with a terracotta sealant to retard water seepage.

The next job was sealing the drainage hole in the base. I used a silicone sealant which I’ve used successfully on similar jobs in the past. Fingers crossed it is long lasting. I am assuming the silicone sealer wont effect the water quality in any way.

Finally, the pot is painted and water tight, so I filled it and then put a small, solar powered fountain in it. I’m hoping the base of the floating fountain will be a safe bee landing spot as the water slightly overlaps the base.

So far the only visitor I have seen is a honey eater, but the fountain has been there less than 24 hours, so time will tell.

GROWING

Gorgeous when the hippiastra bloom each year. I have two different red ones and some dwarf white ones. Big, bold and pretty.

This hippiastrum was given to me by a family friend many years ago. I was able to harvest some seeds and grow seedlings to give to his daughter recently.

Abraham Darby sprawling roses with alstromerias growing under. Reliable cut flowers.

The only way we get tomatoes is to protect them in exclusion bags! This delicious voluntary tomato bush is very big and spreads over several metres growing along the top of a bed of agapanthus. The tomatoes taste sweet and remind me of old fashioned, thin skinned tomatoes, easy to cut and tasting of sunshine!

I am assuming the next lot would have tasted wonderful, too, but wont be finding out as this was what remained of the exclusion bag when we returned from down south. I will surrounded the heritage tomatoes growing in pots with wire netting, but the bush producing these tomatoes sprawls several metres along the top of other plants. Netting is not really possible. Our back garden is really quite small but obviously jumping with wildlife. Annoying.

Spent two nights at Mum’s on the way home from Bunker Bay and couldn’t resist these roses. Her spring garden is a riot of colour. Next weekend would have been the Brunswick Show, the local Agricultural Society show but it is cancelled due to CV-19. She enters flowers in many sections and always wins prizes. Last year she was awarded a certificate celebrating the 50 years she has entered things in the show. Her flowers would have done well this year, too.

BLUE AND WHITE CHINA FISH

First saw these fish at a garden centre where I’d met a friend for lunch. Intended to buy some on the way out but forgot. Thought that was a good excuse to arrange lunch there with her again. Then I walked into a homewares shop in Dunsborough when we were down south and there they were, dear little blue and white fish. I really like blue and white china and now I have three blue and white china fish floating in the fountain.

COOKING

Making and eating Fish Curry. I’m not really keen on curries with coconut milk and creams, so the cooked onions and warmed spices are mixed with tomatoes. Added a dollop of yoghurt. Don’t eat a lot of rice, either, so cooked some mashed potatoes because you need something to soak up the wonderful, rich curry juice! Finished with a good squeeze of lime.

Now days I try to cook recipes to make two meals for two people. Sometimes I put one in the freezer for busy days but more often we eat it within two days. Might change the cooked vegetables for salad but we don’t mind the same thing two nights in a row.

RECYCLING

Western Australia has introduced a new system for recycling glass and plastics, with many local collection sites for dropping off these containers. This is a great idea. Each plastic or glass container returned attracts a 10 cents refund which you can direct to charity at the collection site or take as cash. The biggest problem for us was storing the containers until we had enough to go to the drop off point.

Image Containers for Change

Problem solved. I had this faux greenhouse, a plastic crate I drilled air holes in to grow mushrooms, on a shelf in the garage. Now we store the clean containers in the crate until we take them for recycling. The plastics are reused in plastic and the glass, similarly, is reused in glass.

Our newspapers are delivered rolled in a sheet of single use plastic. I’ve asked people how the sheet can be reused, I’ve looked online, but still these sheets go straight in the bin. I appreciate a dry newspaper, but not the plastic! Any suggestions?

October 22nd is COLOUR DAY. Think about how colours effect our mood, productivity and behaviour. Interestingly, blue poles have been used in Scotland to minimize violence and also in Japan to dissuade suicides. Both projects have been successful.

Some colour themed idioms that come to mind:

out of the blue, feeling blue, once in a blue moon*, green with envy, caught red handed, green thumb, black thumb, black sheep, a grey area, tickled pink, white lie and probably many more!

*A blue moon is an extra full moon in a given period, such as a second full moon in a month, which occurs this month.

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Going Down South to Bunker Bay

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For many West Australians, holidays means “going down south,” to swim, visit vineyards, eat local foods, go for beach or forest walks, meet friends and eat icecream. We like to flock down south, referring to the area south of Bunbury. This region abounds in beaches, vineyards, forests and interesting, small towns. There’s galleries and boutiques, restaurants and cafes, whales and wild flowers and beautiful coastal walks, plus unique animals. Lots of good fishing spots, plus, at the moment, sharks!

We have spent this week at a resort at Bunker Bay, a beautiful bay, quite close to more amazing beaches, wineries, galleries, restaurants and a lighthouse. The weather has be perfect, the resort lovely and the beaches are beautiful. I bought a new rashie, a long sleeved swimming top, to protect me from the sun after having basal cell carcenomas burnt off and cut out lately, only to find a seal colony on the peninsula is attracting sharks close to shore. There’s been several sightings of 3 – 5 metre sharks along the coast, so beach walks and pool swims, unfortunately. So no beach swimming.

After we’d checked into the resort we set off for the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. Built in 1903, it was manned by a shift of three men until 1987, when it was automated. The three lighthouse keepers’ houses are now an entrance point to the precinct, an interpretive centre and a cafe.

There’s a viewing platform in front of the lighthouse. This is where you can see the migrating whales between September and December. We did, too, which was very exciting. We peered out into the ocean, sometimes locating white, disturbed areas and after about twenty minutes, saw a whale break the surface and then one appear out of the water! All happened too fast to take a photo.

There’s lots of information about several lovely walks around the coast of Cape Naturaliste National Park, some taking sixty minutes, some taking hours. Take water, a hat and beware of snakes on warm days.

Looking back across the bay to the resort.

We had coffee and cake on the trip down and stopped in Dunsborough for lunch so settled to a “bed picnic” for dinner. We often do this when we’re traveling and have had a big lunch. Some of these treats were part of a ‘welcome’ platter with additional tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, goats’ cheese and more cold meats and crackers. This spread fed us for two nights!

Red and pink bottlebrush. Up close they were covered in bees. Endemic to Australia, bottlebrush are now widely cultivated throughout the world

White grevillea, also full of bees. Native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Sulawesi and some other Indonesian Islands.

The next day we went to the Vasse Felix vineyard in Cowaramup to visit the Holmes à Court Gallery. The exhibition was titled “Tracing the Swan” . The black swan is endemic to Western Australia and features in this exhibition, which aims to show how historically WA was presented as an ideal destination, although history reveals the harsh realities of this era were very different. The river going from Guildford, though Perth and on to the ocean at Fremantle is called the Swan River.

An etching from 1800 of the iconic black swan.

The swan was a significant creature in Indigenous folklore. Represented here by Deborah Bonar 2012.

An interesting exhibition focusing on aspects of our history not often described in terms of wildlife, in this case, the black swan.

Met this chap in the tasting room on the way out.

Gunyulgup Gallery and Little Fish Restaurant where we enjoyed a very good lunch. Simple ingredients, beautifully cooked and presented.

Fresh fillet of local fish, a rack of lamb and a trio of local icecream.

Walked along the beach later in the afternoon hoping for a pretty sunset, but it was too cloudy.

Another beautiful day and we set to do some jobs in Dunsborough. Met Craig Silvey in the local bookshop. He is the multiple award winning author of “Rhubarb”, 2004, “The World According to Warren”, 2007, “Jasper Jones” 2009, made into a film 2015 and his latest, “Honeybee”, just published.

Set off for another art gallery then a silver smith’s studio. Saw so many lovely things but we’re at a stage where we want less, not more! Besides, we have no wall room for more art, and I thought the silver smith’s work was very beautiful but I don’t wear the precious pieces I already have, so no more for me! Then we heading to a brewery where we’d booked for lunch.

The trimmed lavender hedge looks very pretty. Each block has a big cauldron like pot in the middle on a limestone plinth with contrasting red geraniums.

Hardy plantings needing little upkeep except regular trimming. Very big koi in the ponds under the walkway to the entrance.

More highly fragrant lavender swaying in the afternoon breeze plus contrasting foliage and clusters of seed pods hanging from the tree.

Two views of Gracetown, mainly a holiday house destination. The town is about 21 kilometres northwest of Margaret River, set on the Indian Ocean. Gracetown offers world class surfing breaks close to the town.

Gracetown was named after local heroine, Grace Bussel who, in 1876, rode into the surf in a terrible storm to rescue the crew of the SS Georgette which was sinking off the coast.

Two views of Meelup Beach. Protected in the bay with miles of white sand. So pretty.

Lush, cool forest in the Meelup Regional Park. Wish you could hear the birdsong, too.

Today we are on our way back to Perth. This has been a wonderful holiday, with beautiful weather, lots of lovely things to see and do and some great food. The resort was been very good, too, and we hope to return soon.

Did you know today is World Food Day? No, neither did I, but I’m willing to celebrate by eating whatever is necessary!

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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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Special Birthdays, Making, Cooking, Growing, Cleaning, Eating

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SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK

Last weekend was a long weekend in Western Australia . It’s a holiday to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. It’s an example of Australian pragmatism, as the Queen’s actual birthday is 21st April, when we celebrate other significant events, such as ANZAC Day. So, this year we celebrate the Queen’s birthday on 28th September. Usually it is in October to coincide with the beginning of the school holidays.

My Mother ( in the plaid skirt) with her parents and sister, 1949

My family are celebrating a more significant birthday this week. It is my Mother’s 89th birthday. She has been celebrating for a week already, with her gym friends, other friends with birthdays around the same date and family members.

At the farm with my brothers and me, 1959.

My Mother lives about two hours away down south and she is coming to stay for a few days. Our son is flying down from Kalgoorlie and my brother and sister in law will travel from the country, too, so we will all meet for lunch in the Swan Valley.

My parents outside their local church, St Nicholas, the smallest Anglican Church in Western Australia. 2009

Many Happy Returns, Mum!

MAKING

Every few days I make a 100% rye sourdough loaf. I make it in this shape as it is easier to slice a standardized piece. Not as beautiful as a rustic boule, but it tastes very good. This one is plainer than usual as I forgot to slash the top after its final rise. The whole process takes two days from “waking” the mother/starter to eating the bread but is worth the time and effort involved.

COOKING

We are enjoying a bumper crop of asparagus this year. The shops have lots of it and it is a good price. Was our asparagus exported previously? I steam it and serve it with butter and black pepper.

GROWING

This dear little savoy cabbage is growing from a kitchen scrap. Instead of chopping the core and putting it out for the worms, I planted it. Within days little leaves began to appear. I have grown celery and bok choy from kitchen scraps this year and both seem to regenerate at least twice. Very frugal! Also very handy.

Starting heirloom tomatoes in mini greenhouses, aka strawberry punnets. Easy to keep moist and I leave the lid shut on dull or cold days. They need to be a bit bigger before I plant them in pots.

CLEANING

I’ve been wearing these shoes on and off for about three years. They’re spring shoes; not as heavy as boots and not open toed like sandals. They had become scruffy. Scrubbed them with soap and a toothbrush and covered the marked leather using a grout pen! It has done a very good job.

EATING

Took the train into the City to do some jobs and had Japanese food for lunch. Two of us shared this delicious treat, followed by coffee and cake from an Italian shop. Very satisfying.

This week is INTERNATIONAL COFFEE WEEK.

Launched six years ago in Milan, I think we should celebrate everything coffee, too, so raise your macchiato, espresso or cappuccino and toast the coffee bean. Love the history, the flavour, the versatility and the aroma plus the sociability of a cup of coffee. Or coffee walnut loaf, coffee flavoured cupcakes or a coffee roll. Interestingly, caffeine is the new “go to” ingredient in skincare.

Today we acknowledge the coffee farmers of the world, those hard working men and women creating and sustaining strong communities in Ethiopia, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, India and Nicaragua. These communities are supported in their work creating sustainable and stable communities with developing educational systems by the Rainforest Alliance, the Fair Labour Association, Fairtrade International, Technoservice, the Pur Project and the Federacion Nacional de Cafeterios.

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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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Collie Art Gallery and Other Things This Week

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One day last week we drove two hours to Australind, where we picked up my Mother and then set off for Collie, about three quarters of an hour from her home. We drove through rolling green hilly farmland and bush. Our main goal was to visit the Collie Art Gallery and see their current exhibition,” A Glimpse of the Collie Art Collection”.

Collie was established in 1896 and named after the nearby Collie River. Coal mined from Collie traditionally supplied Western Australia with the energy to power railways, shipping and to generate electricity.

Karin Stein Sensational Southwest 2015 These grass trees are endemic to Western Australia.

Guy Grey-Smith Mount Clarence, Albany (Claude Hotchkin Bequest)

Old hotels I really enjoyed seeing some of the remaining old buildings.

The Collie Art Gallery, opened in 2015, holds a bi-annual art prize with a total prize pool of $69 000. The competition attracts works from all over Australia. The two winning pieces from the inaugural 2018 Collie Art Prize are both on display in the gallery.

The current exhibition involves work from the galleries own collection. We were particularly interested in seeing the works from the Claude Hotchkin Bequest. He bequeathed 36 pieces to Collie. Claude Hotchkin believed access to good paintings would inspire people, especially young people. He donated an estimated 2 000 pieces to West Australian galleries, town councils and other public institutions. He donated works by Hans Heysen, Rupert Bunny, Elizabeth Durack, Guy Grey-Smith, Norman Lindsay, Sir Arthur Streeton and my particular favourite, Kathleen O’Connor, to various collections. His bequest also consisted of many other Australian artists.

EATING

West Australia climatic zones range from tropical in the north to temperate, or Mediterranean climate in the south, so we still have fresh citrus fruit, a winter crop and also strawberries, a summer crop and everything in between.

My favourite treat at the moment is a thin rice cracker, with a wedge of blue vein goat cheese and half a strawberry on top. Delicious!

PLAYING

Mahjong was popular amongst the expats when we lived in China. I missed playing when we returned to Western Australia, so taught some friends the game and they gathered here, weekly, at my house to play. Then work intervened and I seldom played until I retired and joined a group who play each week at the local library. It requires concentration and well thought out strategies. I enjoy it and the company of the other players, enormously.

Although we play with a modern set my Husband has an old bamboo and ivory set his grandfather brought back from the China Station in he 1890’s. It is housed in silk lined drawers in a camphor wood box along with a set of ivory gambling tokens. Traditionally the Chinese loved to gamble playing mahjong and play much more quickly than we do.

GROWING

The first tomato to ripen on the voluntary plant. There are many more. It was sweet and firm and tasted very good. Picking lots of limes now, too.

The first iris has also bloomed. It is almost pure white! Not what I expected.

This week I have planted cos lettuces and petunias. The pruned rose bushes all have buds. Spring has arrived in the garden.

EXERCISING

My yoga group hasn’t returned since everything stopped in April due to CV-19. I tried Zoom sessions and Youtube but eventually gave up on both formats. I’ve been told Yoga will probably start again in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.

I still walk 14 000+ steps every day, but my new formal exercise routine involves pilates. So many people I know rave about pilates but it wasn’t until last week I really understood their enthusiasm. Now I’m a convert but it took a few weeks of one on one sessions to get there! Are you a pilates fan?

This weekend is Talk Like A Pirate Day. Yes, I missed it last year and will miss it again this year. The last well known “pirate” to visit Australia was Johnny Depp. He’ll always be remembered for smuggling his two Yorkshire Terriers into Australia, contravening Quarantine laws.

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Planting and Growing, Mending and Fast Dinner

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PLANTING and GROWING

Planted some Heirloom Tomato Seeds, but will only know which ones I’ve put in when they start producing tomatoes.Some went into a pot where they will grow and some went into faux mini greenhouses, actually lidded strawberry punnets. Now I wait! Also monitoring tomatoes on a self seeded tomato bush, hoping they will go red.

REPAIRING

For years I have kept embroidery hoops and floss, darning mushrooms, cottons and threads, bobbins, lace and other sewing notions in this picnic basket. I pulled it out of the cupboard looking for some tape I needed to mend something and noticed the wicker was damaged. I like to repair things, if possible, as soon as I notice they are broken.

There were two areas requiring attention; the handle and a loop on the lid. I used contact cement to glue the pieces, some masking tape to keep the mended loop secure and my very favourite tool for so many jobs, pegs, on the handle. Pegs are so useful for holding things in place while the glue dries!

So I mended the broken pieces and left them to set while I foraged through the contents of the basket. Now all the spare buttons are in colour coded jars, the sewing threads are upstairs with the machine, and the embroidery threads are all together in a ziplock bag.

I gently wound the wicker back around the rest of the loop, glued it with contact cement and taped it with masking tape until it was dry. Job done!

Mending the handle was more difficult as some of the wicker wound around the frame was missing. I have secured both loose ends and will look for a small piece to glue into the gap.

Also mended the turned edge of this sheet. These sheets are quite old and regularly used and I have repaired the edges often. This time the cotton has just worn through, so I decided to sew cotton tape over the worn out strip. Sometimes I have to hand stitch the lace, sometimes cover a worn piece with tape and sometimes I do a little bit of both. I’ll keep mending this sheet until I can’t fix it anymore and I suppose then I’ll use it for something else!

PRETTY LAVENDER ENVELOPES

These adorable paper envelopes are based on a design from Diana’s dreamfactory (here) . Diana’s envelopes are more ornately aged and coloured. I made the mid-sized envelopes from her download . When they were finished I filled them with dried lavender and gave them to friends. I thought they could be placed under pillows and the scent of lavender might encourage sleep. So many of my friends struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep. ( More about the naturally dyed, lavender filled hearts here https://www.makecookgrow.com/2019/08/making-natural-dyes-and-lavender-hearts/)

Printed the template, speckled them with strong coffee, left them to dry. I used an old toothbrush and very strong instant coffee to “splatter” the paper. I diluted the coffee when the first lots had dried on the paper and added lighted spots.

Using just my finger I smudged some of the bigger blobs of coffee.

I “aged” half of the envelopes and left the others plain as I wanted to use them to line the envelopes. Glued an aged envelope and a plain envelope together when I had cut them all out. Trimmed any pieces which didn’t match exactly. Put them carefully under a heavy book until they dried. This resulted in flat, smooth envelopes

Glued each envelope and left them to dry. Gently shook some dried lavender into each envelope, sealed them, gave them to friends. They smell very pretty and were fun to make. I really enjoy Diana’s blog and her craft activities.

FAST DINNER

Quick Vegetable Stir-Fry ( to use up all the vegies before I go shopping.) The bok choy is going to seed, and I had plenty of celery ready to pick. I was making dinner for two people but could easily add more vegetables for more people.

I picked, washed and cut up the celery and bok choy. Sliced an onion and 3 cloves of garlic and browned them slightly in 1 tbspn olive oil. Added the Dutch carrots, some bits of broccoli, cauliflower and a few green beans which were in the fridge. While they cooked I whisked 3 tbspn brown sugar, ¼ cp chicken stock, ¼ cp soy sauce (low salt) and 1 tbspn cornstarch. ( I didn’t add the thickening this time, but usually do.) Move the cooking vegetables frequently so they cook but not burn. Add the mixed sugar, stock, soy sauce and cornflour then pour over the now cooked vegetables. Give it a minute to thicken, then serve. This also works with baby corn, mushrooms and snow peas. This time I added slithers of steak but chicken goes well, too.

Wednesday 8th of September was TEDDY BEAR DAY. A favourite toy for many children and adults, too, teddy bears evolved about 118 years ago. Apparently, Theodore Roosevelt, the then president of the United States, refused to shoot a bear cub when he was out hunting.

A store owner in New York, inspired by a popular cartoon published after the event, created a bear and wrote to Roosevelt asking if he could name the toy after him. Teddy bears were born! Their popularity continues today.

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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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