Green Tomato Jam

Dad used to make Green Tomato Jam at Coomera. They had a large vegetable garden so I presume that this was a way to use green tomatoes. Jonelle and I have both looked for his recipe in the usual places but can't find it. When we went to visit we always had breakfast from the bar b que. Bacon and eggs grilled tomato then toast with the heavenly jam. Some days my boys would clean up a whole jar of the jam at one breakfast sitting.
Nev planted tomatoes in the garden in November to be ready for summer. Something started to attack them so I picked all of the green ones before they were more damaged.

The produce from the garden yesterday

I googled and found numerous recipes - surprisingly in all of the recipe books I have there were none for Green Tomato Jam. I made the simplest one I could find. I can't imagine that in Coomera in the late 70's early 80's dad would have been sourcing fresh ginger and vanilla pods for a country style jam.

The finished jam

I think that it tastes just right.

Maxi supervising

The strawberry pot

My strawberry pot  has not been used yet for strawberries. 

Begonias

In the lead up to Christmas I wanted some new colour for the pot. I have always loved begonias - it worked.

I must find out when it is time to plant strawberry runners. 

Stone jar with leaves and berries

I have quite a collection of stone jars and vases. It is something that just seemed to evolve. I started saving European mustard pots (after I had eaten the mustard) in the 70's. In the early 80's My Aunt Billie was clearing out a storage shed and gave me a box full of very interesting stoneware pieces. When she moved again this year she gave me the balance of her collection.
This jar was sitting for ages on the shelf out side my laundry window with leaves and berries from an old flower arrangement. Whilst preparing for this Christmas Day I hastily put it on the bakers stand with the ferns etc to get it out of the way. Then all of a sudden on Christmas morning I saw how at home it looked in it's new surroundings.

So at home

Christmas Day Food Preparation

I do love planning food for any occasion. I had to stop myself from thinking about the menu for New Years eve when I hadn't even finalized what I was doing for Christmas Day.

I started with the cocktail. It has to be fruity and cold in the Queensland summer. I remembered the Planters Punch that I had within the first hour that I arrived on the Island of St Thomas in the Caribbean. Cold tall and lots of fruity zing. I have been looking in all of my books for a recipe. I finally found the right one.

So happy I found these straws

I just knew that I wanted to do the ham with the fig glaze again. I had already the made Peach Chutney for gifts.

Getting ready for the oven

Finished

I love a colourful table

The desserts

Sunbeam Mix Master

I really would like one of those fabulous Kenwood Chef mixers that do everything except bake the cake. However Graham inherited his grandmother's old Sunbeam.

This is definitely a 60's model

 It still goes! Not only that if it does eventually die we have a back up - his Mother's. She doesn't use it anymore. Every time I have to use this I am terrified that something will break. It never does.

I just can't bring myself to buy a new mixer for approximately $700 when we already have 2. Plus where to store it. Our kitchen cupboards are full.

Salad with Prawns and Poppy Seed Dressing

I first made this salad in 1995 for Christmas Lunch. A layer of salad greens topped with cherry tomatoes, blanched asparagas and sno peas, then add the prawns and avocado.

So fresh and colourful

I made it again for friends for a Christmas catch up last night.

Goma Members Christmas Party

I attended my first Goma members Christmas party on sunday night. What a glamorous affair. 5.30pm start looking out over the river. It was held in the 'drawing room' part of the Matisse exhibition.

A violinist was playing as we arrived, the room looked amazing.

A view out to the river

There were tables and benches set up all around the room and the idea was that you scetched the still life. The gallery supplied drawing paper, pencils and clip boards.

Even easels

Yes, even a live model

Another pose

A still life

Images of the artist at work

There were plants and shells everywhere

I loved the tropical feel of this

A lovely still life

A rainy Wednesday in December

Rain all day today. Our gardens need this rain very badly. It was the perfect weather to clean and to make 'Peach Chutney' for Christmas Gifts.

All tagged and ready

The house smelt of peaches and spice all day, very Christmasy.

Decorations Christmas 2011

Tree for this year

The coffee table

I have some new red birds this year from the Cornubia garage. They look wonderful. Maxi loves to sit under the tree. He knows he is a wonderful gift.

The vase of white sticks

I love these sticks with the red apples and silver ornaments. The colourful mexican ornaments and the Frieda Khalo image are from the Frieda Khalo exhibition in London that i went to years ago. Lovely memory.

The sun room table

Maxi loves to supervise

Thankfully he no longer runs up and down the tree as he did when he was a kitten.

Espresso Biscuits

I am making food as gifts for Christmas this year. The first party that I needed gifts for was on Saturday night.

I have made these biscuits now for 4 years running, they are great with a cup of coffee.

The gift boxes

I used small noodle boxes and made my own gift tags.

Donna Hay

I have always been a fan of Donna Hay's recipes, especially in the beginning when she was writing for Marie Claire magazine. She was a breath of fresh air to encourage younger girls to cook simple clean fresh modern food.

I knew that she had produced a line of cookware and bowls. Also that she has ventured into packaged food. I don't usually shop in the 'baking' isle of the supermarket as I very seldom bake sweets or cakes now. However I was looking for Cocoa powder to make biscuits for Christmas Gifts. I saw a box of cup cake mix by Donna Hay and just had to try it.

The packet comes with 12 patty papers

The raw mixture tasted very much like my favourite cup cake mixture from the 60's.

Good result

Just don't ask how much butter is in the frosting and the cake. Just be sure that with just one little cake you will have had enough butter and sugar for a month.

The first Agapanthus of the season

I love my Agapanthus flowers. They are very late blooming this year.

The first few blooms

I will add to this vase as the days progress, and more blooms open up.

A Lovely Spring Meal

My sage is growing very well along with all of the herbs. I wanted to use it in a recipe in case it suddenly dies. This does seem to happen to me with sage. So I made a Pumpkin, Ricotta and Sage.
 tart
The lemon thyme is looking good as well. I grow this especially for Chicken Thyme and Feta rissoles. This time I made them from turkey mince.

Pumpkin Tart, Turkey Rissoles and Grilled Asparagus

I am really loving the thin asparagus oiled and barbecued then tossed in lemon juice and sea salt.

The lovely trees on my daily walk

As the weather is so beautiful now I have increased my walking time. 25 Minutes in the morning and 30-40 minutes in the evening.

Jacaranda

A beautiful gum tree

Bouganvilla

Oleander

The lovely tree trunk

A lovely Sunday in October

Today I went to 'The Barracks' to go to the cinema and have lunch. This is the renovated old police barracks at the top of Caxton Street.

I arrived early to have a coffee before I met Ron and Stephen to see the latest Woody Allen movie "Midnight in Paris'.

So many lovely things
The first thing I saw was this lovely shop.

Another view

So many beautiful things.

Peasant Restaurant 

After the movie we had fabulous tapas and white Sangria. Home for a sleep, then a lovely walk in the park - one fabulous day.

Another Palm Tree - found in Cairns

Lipstick palm

I just love palm trees and was very excited to find this lipstick palm named for it's red trunk. It only grows in the tropics.

Todays garden delights

After the rain of this past week the veggies and herbs are growing like crazy. I ate beans, lettuce, rocket and radishes every day.

This mornings crop

There is so much parsley of both varieties that I have had to cut it and use is in vases in the kitchen in stead of flowers.
This morning I had scrambled eggs with wilted spinach ( just pout a kettle of boiling water over it in a colander' and I was eating it less than 15 minutes of it being picked. Can't get fresher than that.

Elandra Resort-South Mission Beach

The Lobby

The Pool deck

The view from our suite

The resort is on South Mission Beach 2 hours south of Cairns

Sunsets

The setting sun

This shot was taken from our top terrace. The colours were much brighter than this.

A minute later

This were taken during the smoke haze last week. Lovely atmosphere.

The refurbished screen

I acquired this screen from a friends 'throw out pile' about 10 years ago. It has woven slats and worked just fine to keep the summer sun from my books in the sunroom. Then one afternoon after about a year of good service, we had a big storm and the wind blew it down and smashed most of the slats.

This is it's second incarnation since that time.

3rd refurbishment

Mark painted it white for me and gave it a 'shabby chic' look and glued pink and white mattress ticking to board and nailed it on the frame. This made it very heavy so it didn't blow over again.

This time I stapled the fabric to the frame and used hot glue to trim with white cotton rope to cover the staples. It is now all fresh and new again. Hopefully this will last for a few more years.

Lunch September 2011

Table decoration. 

Our volunteer nasturtiums came to the rescue for the table decoration.

I haven't had a lunch out side since last summer. when I planned the menu early in the week I didn't expect it to be so unseasonably hot.

The table

By the door

I really like this little arrangement near the back door. It looks so welcoming.