Tag Archives: Photography

seven

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I was linked up by the wonderful blog Bagni di Lucca for a look at seven of my older posts. I don’t usually do award things (as I’m a bit of a poop), but this wasn’t anyway and I really was interested in what had worked, what hadn’t, and just a general going through the archives as did Bagni di Lucca and other bloggers before her.

So I looked, and this is what I came up with…

1. Most Beautiful post.

I still think of the two little old ladies that I wrote of in this post from time to time, wondering how they are… A little Sunshine in your Sunflower Bread.

Sunflower Bread

2. Most popular post.

This was a tricky one to decide on as I wasn’t sure how to define it. Tasmania was certainly popular though. It seems a lot of people have similar dreams of Tasmanian holidays or possibly a lifestyle change. Keeps me inspired just reading what others had to say…Tasmanian wanderings.

3. Most controversial post.

It’s been a while since I wrote something a little controversial, so it was good to re-read this one. I loved the fact that so many people were willing to comment on how they felt on the topic… Meat…could you? would you? 

4. Most helpful post.

A lot of people come looking for Love Cake, (with a name like that, it’s rather tempting) so I guess that’s helpful. Along with tips on using Bicarbonate Soda, which is also helpful…maybe just not used together…. Sri Lankan Love Cake

Sri Lankan Love Cake

5. Most surprisingly successful post.

Actually this recent one on eating through kids books, thrilled me that so many people felt in a similar way. I loved reading every single comment, as this was a topic really close to my heart and I could have waffled on for quite a while…. Eating through kids books.

Kingcup Cottage

6. Most underrated post.

This one was back in the early days of blogging…Why cafes and kids simply don’t mix.

7. The post I am most proud of.

I’m still happy with this one. It was a post I did when the blog was still fairly new once again. I really enjoyed researching it though, as this is my family through the dinner plate ages… Evolution of Frugal Food

For the next part I thought I would mix it up a little, and instead choose seven posts from seven different blogs that I have really enjoyed over the past seven weeks. Go on, take a peek, I think you’ll love them too.

Che and Fidel– I’m a sucker for a newborn, especially a perfect little one like this…sigh.

Just the here and now– this gal makes me think, especially if you have a look at her 21st July post.

Myrtle and Eunice– pom pom bombing? This inspiring lady makes me want to find my nearest tree and pretty it up a little.

Richard Tulloch’s life on the road– I had no idea that I wanted to go to Iceland, now I know I do. Stunning.

Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide– Peach margarita’s surely would have to be definitive summer…which is kind of nice as it’s winter here.

She of 108 Names– food markets Chiang Mai style. We still reminisce about the street side roti with condensed milk wrapped in newspaper… So good.

Spice and More– the imagery of riding a bicycle through Denmark and eating strawberries from the front basket pedalling along, was wonderful.

* Oodles more wonderful posts over the past seven weeks from lots of other bloggers around… It was rather hard to whittle it down to just seven.

top tips for apple and rhubarb crumble

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 Always wash your rhubarb really well.

 Use a chopping board to chop the rhubarb stalks. Don’t use the back of your thumb. It leads to ‘old lady cracked thumb chopping syndrome’, and it’s tricky to get rid of.

Be careful not to overfill your baking dish.

ginger bread men out and about

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hippy gingerbread man

it’s a little cold out today

crime scene

comes from a big family

*****

Ginger Bread

125 grams softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 beaten egg

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup golden syrup

4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tps cardamom

3 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Mix wet ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix them all together. Knead it a little on a floured surface, until you get a smooth dough. Let it rest in the fridge for 1/2 an hour, then roll out dough .5cm thickness (or thicker if you prefer) and shape.

Bake at 190C for approximately 20 minutes, or until light golden.

Cool and then dress appropriately.

chasing the sun

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A nudge awake at 5am.

A frantic run towards the coast.

No buses.

Just have to leg it.

Wait sun!

Wait until I get closer to raise your sunny head above the horizon.

Please wait…I’m coming.

Chest heaving, legs running.

It feels so good. The Monkeys are still tucked up in bed, their Dadda can whisper the good mornings today.

It’s 5am, and it’s my time this morning.

My time to chase the sun…

birds and the bee

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from  The Winds Message

A.B ‘Banjo’ Patterson

There came a whisper down the Bland between the dawn and dark,
Above the tossing of the pines, above the river’s flow;
It stirred the boughs of giant gums and stalwart iron-bark;
It drifted where the wild ducks played amid the swamps below;
It brought a breath of mountain air from off the hills of pine,
A scent of eucalyptus trees in honey-laden bloom;
And drifting, drifting far away along the Southern line
It caught from leaf and grass and fern a subtle strange perfume.
It reached the toiling city folk, but few there were that heard–

The rattle of their busy life had choked the whisper down;
And some but caught a fresh-blown breeze with scent of pine that stirred
A thought of blue hills far away beyond the smoky town;
And others heard the whisper pass, but could not understand
The magic of the breeze’s breath that set their hearts aglow,
Nor how the roving wind could bring across the Overland
A sound of voices silent now and songs of long ago.

The week that was…

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The week started off with a little playground action.

Visited the our wonderful local council nursery. So many great plants to buy. Also got some good tips for my worm farm.

Actually I am loving our local council nursery, an un-utilised resource for people. I’m trying to spread the word but I have seen a few glazed eyes as I tell people how great it is. Most people still like to keep to what they know and that’s a chain hardware/nursery supplies shop.

…..then we had  some  playground action.

The old favourite banana cake was made once more. Tried and true and eaten in a day. Its too easy not to make when those bananas are racing out the door in their black coats. And you can dress ’em up or dress them down’.

Depends on my mood whether it’s a sweet banana cake made with brown sugar and is lovely, light and fluffy or it can be a healthy little brick that involves a whole lot of pepitas, sunflowers seeds, linseed meal and honey. I like the brick but the boys like the fluffy.

After the cake was polished off, the monkeys and I had a little more play ground action.

Then some white nectarine jam. I wasn’t sure about this one. I’m not a big fan of white nectarines to begin with. I find them, not particularly juicy and the flavour is a little perfume-y. So when a whole lot of end of season fruit found their way in to my kitchen, I was unsure of what to do with them. So jam it was.

1kg white nectarines

600 ml water

600 gms sugar

juice of 2 lemons

1 large strip of lemon rind

It has actually grown on me. I thought initially it was too tasteless and just sweet in taste. However the next day after it had had time to think about things a little, the subtlty of the nectarine is a bit more apparent. The consistency is great too. Thick and delicious. Actually it was the consistency that made me re- think the whole jam and find something else to like about it. I don’t love it, but it still sure beats a generic shop one.

That ended our week, right after we went to the playground.