MakeCookGrow.com – Page 4 – Some gardening, cooking, creating and everyday suburban life

Christmas Preparations, Spring Flowers and Fagioli Soup

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PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS

Do you remember for a few years before the pandemic arrived, Christmas parties and social commitments began to move from December into November? I actually quite like the festivities being spread over two months as it often meant some calm time to get ready for The Big Day. I have already started making plans.

We always soak the mixed fruit for the Christmas cakes for about two months before making the cakes. I like the cooked cakes (I make two) to ‘rest’ for a few weeks before cutting them. The tastes blend and mature, resulting in delicious, richly flavoured cakes which smell wonderful.The leftover port not absorbed by the fruit is adding to the cake mixture. Then when the cakes are cooked and ‘resting’ my husband drizzles a bit more alcohol onto the cakes. He likes moist cakes.

We have two bottles of mixed fruit soaking in port on the bench. We invert the jars every morning until I’m ready to cook. I no longer layer marzipan and then icing on the cakes as it seems too rich. I decorate the tops with flaked almonds and cherries.

Our second Christmas preparation was when our son was here for the long weekend we started to plan the flavours for the Christmas Day cassatas, his specialty.We planned three layers. The first was icecream flavoured by dried bitter orange powder then added dried mango. Eventually, we decided the bitter orange was too strong.

The middle layer was strawberry icecream, made using freeze dried strawberry powder. When the icecream was properly mixed, we added dried blue berries. This layer was delicious!

The top layer was freeze dried mango powder flavoured icecream with chopped freeze dried strawberries. Although the three colours looked pretty together and mostly tasted great, we have decided the bitter orange icecream flavour was very strong and too bitter for the other flavours.

Experimenting with various blends has resulting in plans for two separate cassatas: one which will suit my Mother made with glace fruit and another one with three flavours created with freeze dried powders and freeze dried fruit to result in three distinct flavours and colours. Each cassata will be served with raspberry crumble on top. Crunch, great flavour and very pretty.So, the dessert is decided and the fruit for the cakes is soaking.

Most of our preparations involve food and gifts. With no small children involved we don’t decorate a tree anymore, but I do a wreath on the door and a huge red bow on the gate and a few other decorations, too, such a baubles in the entrance. None of these things will happen until December. What plans have you made?

IN THE GARDEN

I renovated three painted ceramic spheres. They have been in the garden for many years and it was beginning to show! Not only did they need a good scrub, but I had to sand them as some paint had chipped off. Then after they’d dried in the sun, I painted them. Took a few days. Now they are back in the garden, looking good.

I find this petite sander really handy for small jobs.

Sanded smoothed edges and ready to paint.

Nasturtiums would take over the World left to their own devices. The yellow ones and the orange ones seemed to have created yellow and orange striped flowers.

The Keeper of the Limes. This gargoyle keeps a close eye on the back garden.

Tinkling fountain and blooms appearing everywhere. Spring is so pretty.

STANLEY TUCCI’S FAGIOLI SOUP

You might have first become aware of Stanley Tucci from his series ‘Stanley Tucci: Searching Italy. It’s obviously all about Italian cuisine and featured many producers and fabulous looking markets.He also acted in The Devil Wears Prada but is probably better known for his knowledge of food. Yesterday he shared his favoutite soup recipe. It is a traditional Italian recipe for Fagioli Soup. Not only is this soup delicious, Tucci says he turned to it frequently to rebuild his strength after treatment for oral cancer. He says it is ‘…easy to swallow and contained all all the nutrients to keep myself healthy.’

Adding the baby spinach to the bubbling soup.

Coincidentally, I’d made Fagioli Soup the day before. Tucci’s recipe used cannelloni beans but I used the less traditional lentils as that’s what I had and he used cavolo nero and I used baby spinach leaves, because again, that was what I had on hand. This is a wonderful, robust soap, full of flavour and economical, too. By the second day it was more like a stew, which apparently how it is sometimes made in Italy. The beans are a cheaper source of protein than meat. Look for recipes online, they’re all very similar.

I served this Fagioli Soup with crumbled pecorino, just as Stanley Tucci did, too. This may be old fashioned peasant soup but we thought it was wonderful.

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Field Mushrooms and Cashless Banks

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FIELD MUSHROOMS

Field mushrooms are large, almost flat mushrooms with dark gills. They grew down in the paddock when we were children and we’d be sent with knives and buckets to collect them. Visitors would come from town to pick these lovely mushrooms, too. They were cooked in a big pan with butter and served on toast. So when I saw these in the green grocer I bought a big bag full, just for myself! I am the only one who eats mushrooms.

Peeled off the skin, which is easy to remove, then trimmed the stalks and cut the mushrooms in half, only because they were so large. Cooked them in melted butter, served them on toast. Fabulous lunch. I’ll buy more while they are in season.

I haven’t seen any mushrooms growing in the wild for years. The French like to go mushroom hunting in the forest for their favourites. They consider mushroom collecting a national pastime. If they are unsure if a mushroom is safe to eat, they can go to their local pharmacist to check. All French pharmacists can identify edible mushrooms. The French have 3 ooo types of fungi, including girolles, chanterelles, cêpes, bolets, morilless and of course, truffles. As soon as autumn arrives and the rentrée is over and the new school year begins, the French go foraging.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know I am a fan of ratatouille made from seasonal vegetables. Not always traditional vegetables, as you wont find eggplant in my pot, but you will find other delicious vegetables because of their colour or because I have something fresh that will sit well with the other ingredients. So it will come as no surprise to learn that this week’s ratatouille has field mushrooms in it. Big, meaty, marvelous, halved field mushrooms cooked in butter with the zucchini and onions. Then I added the usual tomatoes and diced tomatoes and some herbs. Delicious!

On the topic of food, we were given a punnet of (out of season) strawberries. They looked ripe but tasted tart! Not keen on wasting food I halved the strawberries and marinated them in kumquat syrup for several hours. A couple of scoops of icecream and marinated strawberries plus the syrup drizzled on top made a lovely dessert.

CASHLESS BANKS

Recently, the Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, announced plans for major changes to Australia’s banking systems, including phasing out the use of cheques by 2030. He claims the current systems are inhibiting the adoption of cheaper and more modern payments methods. He claims it will increase productivity which has stagnated during the last three years.

Following this announcement, The Macquarrie Bank has announced today that between June 2024 and November 2024 they will phase out cash and cheque services across all their bank’s wealth management products, which includes pensions and super accounts. At the same time automated telephone services used to make payments will cease. It is expected the other major banks will follow with similar announcements in the near future.

Macquarrie Bank claims less than 1% of their transactions involved cash or cheques. There is a real problem with this plan. It will create difficulties for older clients who rely on cheques and are not confident using online banking, it assumes every client has access to digital technology and a reliable internet connection, which can be erratic or totally missing in regional areas, some clients do not feel online banking is safe and secure (with good reason) and some communities do not have access to ATMs. (My mother doesn’t have access to an ATM and relies on withdrawing limited amounts of cash at the supermarket checkout and pays larger accounts via cheques posted to the business. She no longer drives and will be struggling when cheques are phased out. Similarly, an elderly friend paid her care service provider’s account via a cheque at the local post office. Then the care provider stopped taking cheques as payment and she was completely at a loss. Eventually, her son solved the problem by digitally paying her account, resulting her feeling dependent on family members and also feeling her finances were no longer private. Not good.)

So now we wait and see if the other major banks follow suit.

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Gardening Apron, My New Favourite Lemon Slice and Reading

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GARDENING APRON

Despite looking like a faded grey apron it is actually black!

This gardening apron is my new favourite thing. I first saw them on Instagram and wanted to buy one but twice I got to ‘checkout’ and nothing happened. I was attracted to the canvas aprons initially because of the phone pocket. If I take my phone out into the garden I forget where I put it. Hours later, when I realise it’s missing I have to ask my husband to ring me so I can work out where I’ve left it. Sometimes I leave it inside, because I’m ‘only going to be a minute’ but I get distracted and spend ages out there. When I come in I have missed calls and texts and spend ages catching up.

This canvas apron has a phone pocket. My phone fits snugly in it and is easy to pull out when necessary. It also has two large, deep pockets for secateurs, ties, gloves, whatever you need. It is a great length and I like the faux leather detail, too. I found it on Ebay. I went looking because I realised I actually really wanted it.

My non consuming side reminded me I had a denim apron in the drawer; I could sew a pocket onto to hold the phone. My sensible side then reminded me I use that apron many times a week, especially for making bread. i don’t think a multi purpose apron would work. Garden, kitchen, garden. No.

LEMON SLICE

I really like Nagi’s recipetineats recipes and I’ve never been disappointed with the outcome. I often use recipes from her DINNER cookbook and flick through, looking for inspiration.

It is the citrus fruit season here now. Beautiful citrus fruit is available in the shops but also many homes, especially in old suburbs like the one I live in. I have a lime tree and access to lemons and kumquat. Citrus can be used in sweet and savoury dishes. Great scent and great flavour. Lovely colours.

If you’re a fan of citron tarts, you’ll like this slice. Quicker as you make a shortbread base, not a pastry base and then almost a lemon butter filling. Beautiful flavour, easy, very popular. The contrast of the shortbread base with the sharp lemon layer is delicious. ( recipe nagim@recipetineats.com and search for Easy Lemon Bars)

Also made Chicken Meat Balls. Just mix the chicken mince with spring onions and bread crumbs. Search online, many great recipes, some including spices I will use next time.

Really enthusiastic reviews for cabbage casseroles on American sites where apparently cabbage casseroles are very popular, especially in the south. Beautiful cabbages this time of the year, so I decided on one of the recipes and got to work. Thinly sliced cabbage and onions fried in a pan plus a bechamel sauce and cheese on top. All in the oven. Looked good, but not my favourite ever cabbage recipe. Look online for cabbage casseroles if you’re overwhelmed by lots of cabbages and want to try something new.

READING

WE SHALL BE MISSED, Donna Leon, a Commissano Guido Brunetti novel.

There’s an Italian theme to the first two books I’ve just finished. The first, by Donna Leon, was a lovely surprise in the library. We both enjoyed her many books for years and were disappointed when she said she wasn’t writing any more. Now, we have a new book, her 32nd. Actually, she is also publishing her autobiography this year called ‘Wandering Through Life: The Memoir’.

As always, this murder investigation is set in Venice where Leon lived for many years. Her stories reveal her great affection for every aspect of Venice and Venetian life. This is a typical Commissano Brunetti story. We learn about the impact of politics, tourists and undocumented workers have on Venice, whilst reading how Brunetti gently and skillfully solves another murder. I really enjoyed it.

The second book on an Italian theme was Dominic Smith’s RETURN TO VALETTO. The author is an Australlian now living in Seattle.

The main protagonist, a historian, is documenting vanishing and abandoned towns in Italy. He regularly spends holidays in Italy with his grandmother and aunts, his mother’s sisters, in a small almost abandoned town. They are all about to discover a terrible secret from WW2 which will unite the aunts and a now elderly woman who stayed with them when they were all children.

The revelation shatters but then strengthens the family and they decide to denounce the wrong doer, now in his mid 90s, at the Grandmother’s 100th birthday party. As much as I enjoyed this story I think the ending was clever but not very satisfying!

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Dry Cleaning v Surgical Spirits, Blue Moons and Old CDs

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SURGICAL SPIRITS

For too many years I regularly took suits and jackets, school blazers and trousers and sometimes ties to the dry cleaner. I loathed the odour when they were dry cleaned and as soon as I got home I’d remove the metres of plastic covering them and hang the lot, still on their nasty wire hangers, in the breeze to diminish the smell. The smell of dry cleaning gave me a headache.

Until recently, dry cleaning relied on Perchloroethylene (PERC) to clean. Recognised as causing many health and safety hazards* some dry cleaners have moved towards ‘greener’ products. A quick search in our local area did not specifically identify any dry cleaners using these less harmful products. My husband wears two casual coats regularly throughout winter and one needed cleaning. It’s label said ‘DRY CLEAN ONLY’.

A bit of searching online led me to surgical spirits. I bought some from the chemist. The label says ‘For drying or astringent action on skin or as a solvent.’ It cost $7.85 for 100ml. The smell evaporates almost immediately and it is very effective as a solvent.

Using a new kitchen wipe I dabbed away at the raised seams and the collar of the coat and was very pleased to see the marks disappear. The entire process took less than five minutes, there was no residual smell and I did it at the kitchen sink, wearing protective gloves. I only used a very small amount of the surgical spirit.

Then the jacket went into a QUICK, cold wash in the washing machine before it was hung on the line to dry. I shook it a few times to remove any wrinkles. So impressed. Now hunting around to see if anything else needs dry cleaning!

Totally clean and no product smell.

Surgical spirits, also known as rubbing alcohol, can be used to remove general stains and stains on upholstery, remove sticky labels and ink stains and can be used to make home made hand sanitizer.

*Perchloroethylene (PERC) is a potential human carcinogen. Common short term reactions are confusion, dizziness, headaches, drowsiness and ear, nose and throat irritations. Longer term issues have been identified as depression of the central nervous system, damage to the liver and kidneys and impaired memory.

Dry cleaning depots are recognised as having all the elements for uncontrolled fires; fuel, ignition and oxygen plus combustible materials.

THE BLUE MOON

We’ve all heard the expression ‘Once in a blue moon’ referring to something that happens only rarely. A blue moon is an extra full moon in a month so not blue at all! Even rarer than a full moon is a month with two full moons as happened in August, just last week. The sky was clear here and the second full moon, known as the Blue Moon, was big and bright. Two full moons in one month happens every 33 months.

We know the moon impacts tides but did you know the moon can also effect sleep, cardiovascular conditions and the health of plants? The moon also features in fairy tales (think of werewolves) and poetry. Did you know the 2023 full moons all have interesting names, such as Wolf, Snow, Worm, Pink, Stawberry, Black, Sturgeon, Blue, Harvest, Hunter, Beaver and Cold. No, I didn’t either!

OLD CDs

This piece of furniture hides an enormous collection of CDs. Every now and then I open one of the drawers, eye off the contents and shut it again. Most of the CDs don’t belong to me but neither of the two people who they do belong to have the slightest inclination to sort through them and discard most or any of them.

I used to have CDs in my car but now I stream music. My husband’s car can play CDs but I’ve never seen him using any. We have a CD player as part of a sound system but no motivation to play them. If we want to watch a series or film from the past we usually find it online.There’s games, music and films in the collection and I have no idea how to recycle them .

The problem with CDs is they are difficult to recycle. The actual disc is made of composite plastics and the covers are plastic, too. The mixed materials in the CD make them uneconomical to recycle. Some sites buy CDs for resale with offer only cents per item. I found only one business in Australia offering this service.

Please let me know if you have any clever ideas!

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In The Garden, Toothbrush Heads and Other Plastic

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THE WINTER GARDEN

Most of the roses are now pruned. Soon I will remove the first few centimetres of topsoil in an attempt to disrupt the chilli thrip from emerging. I will replace it with fresh garden soil. The roses in our suburb have been decimated for several years due to chilli thrip. I am also buying some bugs to spread around the roses when they have new topsoil to see if they control the pests. The final treatment if they appear will be chemical warfare but I’m trying everything else first.

Sadly I know several people with many roses who couldn’t continue trying to control the pests so they removed all their rose bushes. Some were very old and well established. Very sad. Unfortunately, if everyone around you doesn’t treat chilli thrip your plants will be infected, too. Annoying.

I’ve been mass weeding. We have never had weeds like we have this year. They are thick everywhere. I have discovered the best weeding gloves! They fit well, keep my hands dry, are cotton lined and I can dig deeply with my fingers to pull up the roots without piercing the fabric. No rose thorns in my fingers! They’re actually not gardening gloves but are industrial safety gloves to protect against oil and chemicals but they are great for weeding.

TOOTHBRUSHES

I’ve used the same electric toothbrush hand piece for years. Every so often I bulk buy new heads. This means I’m reducing about half the amount of plastic going into the environment by only needing to replace half the toothbrush! The only problem is the packaging. Each pack has two new heads. Both are also sealed in their own individual plastic cover. Ridiculous.

I’m sure the heads were delivered on a cardboard sheet previously, but of course I’ve thrown it out. I think each head was attached to a cardboard sheet by a twist of covered wire, like green gardening wire but it was white. So now I have a pile of cardboard, easily managed and a pile of molded plastic, which is not easy to manage. And yes, I will be writing to Oral B about this plastic overkill.

I actually needed a Stanley trimmer to open the packets. Tough plastic protection for toothbrush heads.

The other plastic aggravation this week has been the little desiccant cylinders in pill bottles. I had five little plastic cylinders in one bottle of tablets. I don’t know but assume the small paper sachets of desiccant are just as effective and certainly far easier to dispose of responsibly. The tablets are manufactured in Australia so it’s disappointing that they are packed with all this plastic.

IN THE KITCHEN

Winter vegetables are still available here in abundance so I’m still making big pots of ratatouille. Not traditional French ratatouillie because I don’t add that French staple, eggplant. I do add other fresh vegetables regularly. So, along with the onions, zucchini, tomatoes, tinned tomatoes all cooked in a splash of olive oil, I added cabbage this week. The cabbages at the green grocer are big, crisp and really fresh. The only way to manage these big ones is to start off cutting them in half after they’ve been washed. Then I cut a half in half and thinly shredded that piece and add it to the bubbling tomato mix it into the pot. I should shred the outer leaves and add them to other scraps for vegetable stocks but time doesn’t allow for any extras at the moment.

Four serves of ratatouille for lunch with added goat feta, goat ricotta, some grated parmigiano and one day, a poached egg on top. I also add two pieces of toasted sourdough to soak up the delicious juices. Our other meals this week have frequently come from things I froze for busy weeks and this has been a busy week.

DID YOU KNOW?

On August 29th we celebrate ‘According to Hoyle’ Day? This day caught my attention as the expression was frequently used in our family when we were growing up. My Mother actually used it only a week ago! So who was Hoyle? Edmond Hoyle was an authority on the prescribed rules and regulations for popular games. He is best known for writing the definitive books regarding the rules for card and board games. He had a vast knowledge of popular games and published books of rules, hence the expression, ‘According to Hoyle’.

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Car Batteries, Killing Weeds. and Batch Cooking

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CAR BATTERIES

Last week I wrote about the anomaly between producing electric car batteries and the supply of materials needed to be mined to enable their production. This week I’ll tell you about the battery in my husband’s car. When he had his car serviced, the mechanic said he needed a new battery. So he rang the RAC (Royal Automobile Club who provide road side assistance, insurance, batteries, travel and accommodation and other related services) and a van arrived half an hour later. The serviceman told him they installed the existing battery in 2015. It was guaranteed for two years. It had lasted eight years..

VINEGAR AND WEEDS

Vinegar is a multi purpose liquid. Essential in so many recipes, a great cleaner ( avoid using it on porous surfaces as it can etch the material), a disinfectant and also a stain remover. I’ve bought 4 litres of vinegar for a different purpose; I’m killing the weeds in the brick paths and paving. After the wettest winter I can remember for years and being away from the house often, the weeds are taking over.

I used to mix it with salt and detergent, but now I just tip it into a spray bottle and twist the nozzle to a very directed, narrow spray and hit the weeds! It’s important to only spray the vinegar onto pathways or paving as it will alter the ph of the soil. Vinegar will kill ants, spiders and mosquitos but also bees, so be mindful of this when spraying.

Usually the weeds will begin to wilt within 24 hours. I let them really dry out then remove the residual plant with a hoe. Sometimes , if it is really sunny, the weeds will be dry enough to just sweep up. Later, I’ll use a pressure washer to really clean but I really like the moss growing between the pavers in some areas. We never have moss!

WINTER COOKING

Zucchinis were 49c each at the green grocer so I knew I’d be making a big pot of ratatouille. Traditionally, the French made ratatouille using zucchini, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, plus extra virgin olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. We don’t eat eggplant ( well, I do, but nobody else likely to eat my ratatouille does) but I will add other vegetables which are abundant at the time. So, sometimes, sweet potato, or pumpkin or corn appear.

Ratatouille is a great side dish. I drizzle a tiny amount of extra virgin olive oil over it. I especially enjoy a bowl of it for lunch with crumbled fetta. At the moment I am resisting cutting the crust off the loaf of sourdough I have just taken out of the oven which would soak up some of the lovely juices, but the loaf tears easily if it’s cut while it is still hot!

This is goats’ milk fetta and doesn’t crumble well but tastes very good.

My Mother has been in hospital and then respite for a month or so, so we were going up and down to visit her. We’d stay for four days then come back, do what we needed to do here, then go back. We’d leave her for an hour or so while she had lunch and often enjoy going to a cafe or restaurant. Then we’d have something really light for dinner. When we’d get back to Perth there were a few things I’d quickly thaw from the freezer for dinner, but eventually the freezer was bare!

So when we settled for scrambled eggs on crumpets ( we had no bread for toast) I knew it was time to get cooking. I have restocked the freezer with tikka masala ( I microwave the rice while the vegetables boil to serve with it) and pad thai. We intersperse these with salmon fillets and occasionally, eggs! I read blogs about people who batch cook for a fortnight at a time and I’m so inspired but never actually follow through, but a week at a time is working. I was also inspired by the bloggers who precook all their meals for when they’re away but that is a stretch too far when every minute seems to be committed at the moment!

I have rarely used meal kits as I have always made our meals ‘from scratch’ except I rely quite a bit on red and green curry pastes as a basis for several things we frequently eat. Time poor and trying to do an enormous number of jobs in three days, I bought the tikka masala and the pad thai kits after seeing both brands recommended on Insta. They were delicious! Unfortunately, the same site recommended two new flavours of chocolate bars and I bought both of those, too. They were also delicious but long gone.

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Spots, Rubbish, Books and Electric Cars

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Several technological problems resulted in a muddled and late post last week. My apologies.

SPOTS AND RUBBISH

I have a navy cotton/linen blend dress with big white spots. It’s versatile and can be dressed up with strappy sandals and for a more casual occasion, worn with espadrilles. I’m telling you all this because I’ve just read in a decorating magazine that psychologist Dr Dion Terrelonge says we should avoid spots and polka dots as they can cause stress and a negative effect.

Instead we should opt for horizontal patterns. Apparently our eyes naturally scan horizontally so these designs echo patterns found in nature. Interestingly, the article acknowledge that spots and polka dots are big in fashion this year, but there’s no comment on how these patterns on clothing impact on our stress levels. I really like my navy and white dress and it will be out and about come spring. It will be worn frequently, unlike most pieces of clothing owned by Australian women, which are worn only seven times before being discarded.

Apparently, only 15% of clothing donated to op shops/thrift shops can be on sold. The rest goes overseas to developing countries or is sold by weight as rags. It all ends up as landfill. There’s lots of information online about effectively laundering clothes to keep them looking fresh, ways to invisibly and visibly mend everything, even zips, and reasons why we should all buy less and certainly less man made fibres.

Ahead of the annual Clean Up Australia Day, it has been revealed that beaches in Western Australia are the most littered in Australia. Although we have the least amount of plastics collected in the cleanup, we have the highest amount of other rubbish, mostly metal and glass. This results in 1100 tonnes of metal and glass going directly to landfill.

We pride ourselves on having one of the most beautiful coastlines in the World but the figures highlight the need for a different attitude towards caring for our beaches. The five most common pieces of rubbish are

1. cigarette buts

2. glass fragments

3. alcohol cans

4. alcohol bottles

5. bottle caps and lids

OTHER THINGS

I know you’re not supposed to play with your food but I like to paint mine before I eat it. My eyesight is not good so I’ve moved from botanical paintings to smaller, less detailed subjects.

Small paintings every day in an old, unused Moleskin diary. Not really water colour paper, but small, quick paintings are very satisfying when life is so busy.

Currently reading Large Print books leading up to eye surgery. The first, which I’m really enjoying is Louise Penny’s All The Devils Are Here, set in Quebec and Paris involving a Canadian detective investigating his French Godfather’s attempted murder. Shakespeare said,’Hell is empty and all the Devils are here’. which indicates the many twists and turns throughout this story.

Winner of the Agatha Christie Award For The Best Mystery Novel of 2021 this is Perry’s 16th Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sureté du Quebec series. I’ll be looking for more.

The other book is Claire Balding’s Walking Home, My Family and Other Ramblings. Balding is a well known horse race commentator in the UK and is also an award winning British radio announcer known for her commentaries from the Olympic Games. She’s prolific author. This book details her ‘rambles’ around the UK all recorded and broadcast on radio. She is eloquently describes the beauty of each of her walks while interviewing people of interest. Apparently, the broadcasts, called “Ramblings” are very popular.

As usual, both books are borrowed from the library.

A BATTERY ANOMALY

Last week a group of protesters gathered outside Western Australia’s Parliament House to protest about logging in native forests. All logging is banned in Western Australia’s native forests by 2024. WA already imports 80% of timber required.

Apparently, according to Green MLA Brad Pettitt, ‘The main issue in WA is the mining practices which would still be allowed in the forests after logging stops.”

Here’s the ANOMALY

To supply the quantities of lithium, copper, nickel etc required for electric car batteries and storage batteries will need more of all these metals in mineable deposits than is known to exist. These batteries are known to last for less than 10 years. Then those chemicals will need to be replaced with freshly mined chemicals as there is no effective method of recycling them at this time. They will become landfill.

Image Pexels

So we are saving the Planet by hugely increasing mining which is said to be destroying the environment with no end in sight. We must also ignore the well established but inconvenient fact the electric cars require six times more energy to manufacture than ordinary cars and that their manufacture produces much more CO2.

It is a dilemma which makes me think of the children’s story,’ The Emperors New Clothes’

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Melaka

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When we were planning our trip to Maleka I saw it written as Malacca, Melaca and Melakka so I decided to wait until I was there before I gave this blog a title. Most of the signs coming into town and all the hotel signage spells it Maleka, but even here there is some variation in spelling! Apparently, Malacca has now officially become Maleka.

I wanted to go to Maleka for years. The Arabs, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English have all left their mark on this once thriving shipping port. Originally a small fishing village, it was discovered and claimed by Iskander Sha around 1402. He was attracted by the good port and its location on the narrowest point of the Malacca Straits.

The original Dutch Church became the Church of England Church.

Interior of the Church.

Maleca quickly became a thriving trading port connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, enabling trade from India, Persia and the Arabian Peninsula. It was recognised for its safe and secure warehouses.

Modern temple.

Following the 1481 Papal Bull which was later called the Treaty of Tordesillas, Spain and Portugal agreed to divide the World into two spheres of expansion, the Portuguese settled in the Cape of Good Hope, India and parts of Asia as remote as Japan. They quickly conquered Melaka. They were trading in spices. Then in 1641 the Dutch claimed the area but later the British arrived and overpowered the Dutch. In 1824 the English negotiated control of the region. The Dutch had withdrawn by 1825.

This mix of nationalities has left a diverse array of buildings, maritime monuments, culture, religions and ethnic groups. Inter marriage of so many ethnic groups has created a unique cuisine called Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan. The City became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.

Old fort and Church.

Many of the older buildings are concentrated in one part of town near the river. Most are in use as shops, some are cafes, museums or galleries, some are neglected and falling apart and there are some signs of modern but sympathetic renovations.

Old shop fronts in Jonkers Street and traffic jam.

I like to view new places from the water, if possible. I like a river cruise, whether it’s on the Oxford River, the Rhine, in Saigon, a ferry taxi from our hotel in Bangkok, on the Hong Kong Harbour or on the river in Melaka.

Older buildings along the river.

Older, restored houses on the river contrasting with a modern tower block behind.

Old painted godowns along the river.

Setting off from the quay we were surprised to see unidentifiable animals in the water, swimming fast. (Later we discovered they were monitor lizards, . They live on the river banks and in the river and grow up to 3m (9 foot) in length. They have adapted to living in the water.) Many older buildings are on the edge of the river. A lot feature street art. So many places to eat! The river is crossed by several foot bridges.

We wanted to see more of the older buildings, so we organized a car and driver to take us to places of interest. It was very hot during the day, places we wanted to see were between the river and the sea, so covering a large area. We found the driver well informed. I was able to jump out and take photos and read the signage. It was really interesting seeing new apartments and shopping malls, too, plus the museums and art galleries.

Our hotel had been suggested to us by our nephew. We had a river view room with a balcony with chairs, a table and candles, lit at night. The hotel was so luxurious and comfortable. Our bathroom had sliding opaque windows allowing views of the river from the bath. It was so roomy and lovely after the last hotel we were in. The cafe and grill served meals throughout the day, there was a library with a coffee machine and snacks and a gym. I know, it’s crazy to still count minutes ‘in the zone’ when you’re on holidays, but I do, so I spent time in the gyms of the three hotels we’ve stayed in while we have been in Singapore and Melaka. I really like a good hotel gym.

View of our hotel from the river.

Hotel enfilade, with painted ceiling, one of many at our hotel.

Our balcony overlooked the river, one of the few cool places in the evening. Melakka was very hot!

Despite its rich history, many historical indicators have not been maintained, been built over or simply neglected. We were surprised at how few buildings remain. Do your own research before you go to Melaka if you’re interested in the history as information and maps are sketchy.

Melaka is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are some interesting things to see and read, numerous places to eat, plenty of opportunities to buy mementos and also modern shopping malls with all the usual brands and some particular to Malaysia. We took a car from Singapore for the three and a half hour drive and went on the river trip that afternoon after a wander down famous Jonker Street. The next day we arranged a car and driver to show us the historical sites and looked in local galleries and museums. I think we could have done every thing we wanted in two days and nights but we spent the third day wandering around and resting. Early the fourth day we took the car and driver back to Singapore.

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Singapore

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Singapore is less than six hours flying time from Perth. It is a very modern, clean and bustling city but still maintains some unique characteristics of ‘old Singapore’. Although I’ve been to Gardens on the Bay, an amazing botanical wonderland, twice before, I’d never really explored the surrounding parklands. That was my plan for this visit as I wanted to see The Planet sculpture, aka the Floating Baby.

This enormous artwork by British artist Mark Quinn is made of painted bronze and steel. The sculpture is of the artist’s 7 month old sleeping son. The baby seems to hover peacefully in the air, surrounded by green gardens. The artwork divided the masses; either you love it or you hate it! I love it and enjoyed walking around it a few times, seeing different details each time.

The gardens were green and beautiful but the late afternoon heat was stifling. We walked across to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and went straight up to the top for the sea breeze, coffee and a big bottle of sparkling water. Calm and cool but very misty over the water. Followed later by a relaxing hour of reflexology then yum cha. A lovely day.

Restoratives.

The heat and humidity was stifling and misty at times.

Great yum cha.

One of the other attractions of Singapore is the food! Singaporeans take food seriously and you can buy amazing food for a few dollars at a street stall or spend lots and eat in beautifully designed restaurants with carefully presented food. We ate at both and some places in between. We hadn’t had high tea at The Raffles for years nor been there since the major renovation was completed so we went there, too. It was lovely.

Scones, sandwiches, beautifully presented cakes and little chocolate treats….we enjoyed them all!

Since living in China over twenty years ago, we have sought out massages, particularly reflexology or foot massages. Although the cost in Singapore is similar to an hour long session in Perth we have never found a really good reflexologist. We’ve had lovely foot and leg rubs and very half hearted massages but nothing like the systematic reflexology we’ve had in China, in Vietnam, in Thailand and Singapore. Bali can be a bit hit and miss, too! So, several visits to the spa for reflexology for us.

Airy, colourful entrance, in glass roofed foyer created by joining the two buildings.

The National Gallery of Singapore is an amalgamation of the former Supreme Court and the original City Hall connected by a modern glass and steel structure. (There’s lots of information about the transformation from early planning and funding to constructing and utilizing the building available on Level 4, plus a daily walk and talk you can join and be shown around. Ask at the desk for daily times) The amalgamation works really well and has created a wonderful National Gallery of Singapore. It is always worth a visit. We skipped the regular exhibitions and went upstairs to the third floor for Living Pictures: Photography in South East Asia and fourth floor for Liu Kuo Sung: Experimentation As Method, both new, temporary exhibitions.

Sunlight pours in through the steel and glass middle section.

Followed by cold drinks and a snack in the cafe before a serious look around the gallery shop. Beautiful things but very expensive. A great range of art books, too.

Carefully restored former Supreme Court.

Enjoyed a wander through the National Design Museum, too, a bit different from the usual displays Really enjoyed walking around Chinatown again but got caught in a monsoonal downpour. Had a lovely chat with the shop owner until the rain stopped. Chinatown has so many wall murals designed for interaction. One difficult thing was the tour groups on bikes who really seemed unaware of the pedestrians they were running into. We visited on the weekend, so the temples were busy and loud. Chinatown is vibrant and interesting. Look out for the old shopfronts still up and down many streets.

Grand old buildings.

Interactive street art in Chinatown.

You’ve been warned.

Are you interested in the Barbie movie? I was a huge fan of Barbie when I was 10 and my Father brought me a Barbie from America with bendable legs and arms. She was followed by Ken and her little sister, Skipper. I loved my dolls and built and decorated houses for them and sewed clothes. My father made me perfect tiny wire hangers so I could organize their wardrobes. I’ve still got them. Still interested in houses, interior decoration and clothes but mention all of this because Barbie and the movie are BIG in Singapore.

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Confronted by a Barbie photo opportunity display in a shopping centre. Not only were there males and females from babies to about eighty dressed in pink having their photos taken clutching bunches of pink balloons amongst the Barbie paraphernalia, there was the Barbie jingle, ‘I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world’ warbling on repeat, very loudly. A quick look at the Sunday paper when we returned informed me Perth is going Barbie mad, too. So much pink! Plus a World record singalong attempt of Barbie World!

Next week’s blog will be about our visit to Melaka

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Capers and Some Interesting Road Safety Statistics

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CAPERS

As I arranged some capers on my smoked salmon sandwich, I wondered where they came from, did they grow on a bush and do we grow them in Australia? Capers are the edible flower buds of the capparis spinosa, the caper bush. It is a prickly bush which grows wild across the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa. Caper plants also grow well in the hot, dry regions of Australia. The capers I ate at lunchtime were pickled and bottled in Italy from ‘imported produce.’

Once picked, they are pickled to preserve them. Interestingly, preserved nasturtiums seeds can be used in place of capers. They are considered to be more pepppery than capers. The seeds are pickled in a brine of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper corns.

Although I don’t think people eat huge amounts of capers at any one time, one of the Australian growers claim capers contain two flavonoid compounds, rutin, which strengthens capillaries and prevents platelets clumping in blood vessels, and quercetin, considered to be anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and also an analgesic. So eat up and think of the benefits!

Now that your taste buds are tingling, I’ll share an amazing French Potato Salad recipe. It’s not creamy and thick with mayonnaise, but really delicious and, you guessed it, includes CAPERS! This French Potato Salad is more like a traditional German Potato Salad. I used small red potatoes because they taste so good and look attractive.

FRENCH POTATO SALAD

Try to make this at least one day before you need it for the flavours to blend and develop. You need

• 1 kg ( 2.2lb) potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

• ¼ cp vinegar, any sort you prefer ( I found apple cider vinegar was not sharp enough)

• 1/4 cp mild olive oil

• heaped dspn of drained capers, 2 dspn chopped parsley, 2 dspn chopped shallots, or red onion or chives

• salt and pepper

1. Cut the potatoes to bite size pieces, put in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Test doneness with a fork. Drain the potatoes, leave for a few minutes to cool slightly, then while potatoes are still warm, tip them into a bowl.

2. Shake the vinegar and oil in a screw capped jar to amalgamate then pour over the chunks of potato and stir. Repeat about every five minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. It doesn’t take long. Add some pepper and a good pinch of salt and stir again.

3. Stir and add the capers, chopped chives ( or red onion or thinly sliced shallots ) and the parsley.

4. Leave to cool then stir. All the liquid will now be absorbed. Cover and put in the fridge. This French Potato Salad will improve in flavour overnight and is even better the second day.

There are so many varieties of French Potato Salad. Although the basics are the same, some recipes add chopped gherkins, some add anchovies and some add celery for crunch. Many recipes include garlic in the dressing. It depends on what you have available and what you like!

This French Potato Salad is suitable for lactose and gluten intolerant people plus suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

I had to open a new jar of capers the second time I made this salad and although they were packed in Australia the capers had come from Morocco.

ROAD SAFETY STATISTICS

All statistics referred to in this section were obtained from August/September 2023 HORIZONS magazine printed by the RAC W.A. The information was collected from a number of member surveys.

Recently the sun was shining briefly after freezing cold days with frequent rain so we went for a drive along the beach. I was the passenger and was surprised at how many drivers along side me were using their mobile phones. It is illegal in Western Australia to use a mobile phone when driving. Then I read in the Horizons magazine that 15% of drivers surveyed thought using their mobiles to text, phone or watch movies is acceptable at traffic lights. At one set of traffic lights the female next to me was texting when she arrived, kept texting waiting for the lights to change and continued texting as she drove off. The survey revealed 27% of all respondents had used their mobile phones when driving and 44% of drivers under 30 admitted they they’d done it in the last year.

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In the same survey 93% say of people say they generally use private cars to get to work/study, 12% catch the train, 9% work from home, 7% walk and 5% cycle, including e-bikes. There’s some overlap as sometimes commuters used one or the other method of transport. Although people have varied reasons for driving their own cars to work the train network in Perth has been extended in the past few years. We were once regular train users to go to the Art Gallery WA, the Museum, to eat in Northbridge and shop in the City but the last two journeys were marred by unsociable behaviour. In fact, on one journey, many of us got off at the first station and went down a carriage rather than be abused. When we talked about this with friends, they agreed it was a problem but not so bad during the usual going to and from work times. They are the times we try to avoid! Do you feel safe on the train?

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