Bird fabric

I am considering this bird fabric as a cover for my sun room couch. It came from Dahrl Court in Spring Hill and looked awful where it was.
However in a different situation and the fact that the fabric is very good quality English linen - I think it deserves a second chance.
My friend C and I are going to 'workshop' some options. Until the fabric is all laid out we have no idea how much is usable. We may just make cushion covers so that sister J can have 2 as well.

Can I live with this?

Another view

The jury is still out

On a happier note my 'yesterday today & tomorrow' bushes (there is a real name for these but have no idea what it is), hardly ever flower. But this year there are some blooms.

A few brave souls

There are about 8 large bushes. Surely they can do better. I even watered them this year. I don't usually waste water on fully grown plants like this - too expensive

Nana's coral

Nana Jamieson had this coral on her stairs in Coorparoo. I always loved it. After she died I was visiting Uncle Andrew in Stanthorpe and there was the coral on his front step. I was a bit emotional when I saw it so he gave it to me. I just love it!
I am going to have another try at making focaccia this week.

This one worked

But the second one failed! I must try again.
After they rain in the past 2 weeks the ground covers are looking good. I want them to grow to beat the weeds.

I think it needs a yellow one now and a pink. Then some serious mulching. Lots to do before the heat comes.

Fruit Slice

I went to R & S for dinner last night. A mutual friend is leaving for Italy on Wednesday so we had a farewell dinner and I took my travel notes etc for her info.

She has never been to Italy before and wanted some tips.
I actioned the fruit slice as it is easy and goes down so well. Plus friend R will do anything for a good dessert.

Tastes like summer

With these ingredients, whats not to love

Orange liqueur - yum!

Hope mine look like this soon 

My agapanthus just did not flower well last year. So I have been working so hard on them to get good results this summer. Fingers crossed.

These are never a problem to grow

Because I have had more time in the garden this year everything is looking much better. After the 2 big storms in the past week I am very happy with the wet soil. Also the water tank now has water.

Waiting for these again

I look forward to my old neighbours tree supplying my frangipani flowers again for summer

Pink lemonade

I just wish we could have a gentle summer - like pink lemonade - without the searing heat

So clever

A little retro food

I have been reading the notes on my recipes. I make notations on every recipe that I cook - this way I know if they were successful and when/why I made a particular dish.

This has been a regular since May 1994. I then updated it in 2006 to fit a larger dish. No point in making this in small quantities.

Spinach and feta pie

I looked at the notes on the Banana nut bread recipe and saw that I have been making it since 1975. Apparently I was looking for something to use up very ripe banana's. Originally I made it with  peanuts, then by 1985 I had discovered pine nuts. In 2013 I made it with walnuts - so versatile - use up the nuts you have in the fridge.

This time it is pine nuts

My friend R was so concerned about son M being bored while recovering this week from chemo that he bought him 2 foodie magazines. I made a recipe from the NZ 'Dish' magazine called Mulled prunes.

Wonderful prunes

I thought that anything with citrus peel, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves had to be good. Not to mention the rum, red wine and sugar. I planned to have it with yoghurt for breakfast. I text R and told him about the taste and fragrance so he invited me to dinner and to bring the prunes. We had a lovely meal and ate all of the prunes with ice-cream. Now I have to make another lot.

Comforting polenta

I love my polenta full of cheese and herbs. Then chilled and fried until crisp.

Lavender

The lavender is finally in bloom. I keep a bag of dried lavender flowers in a muslin bag hanging in my linen closet - smells wonderful. I have also found some lavender furniture polish on the net and have been going crazy polishing all of my wood furniture.

Runner

I found this lovely fabric - a remnant. My friend C showed me how to 'fringe'. So simple so cost effective and original.

My next project

Garden in a bottle - I am doing this - watch this space

The latest cooking spree

I am determined to cook at least one new thing a week. I know I have tried this before and ran out of time/inspiration etc etc. BUT! I have so many recipes in my files - some from the mid 80's that I still have not cooked.
On Friday I came across a recipe for rosewater and cardamon biscuits that is from Vogue Entertaining magazine that I think is extinct by now. Anyhow I had all of the ingredients so it happened.

Made with rice flower so a little like shortbread

The hint or rosewater and cardamon is just lovely They have to be piped onto the biscuit trays and are supposed to look like 'a neat mullah's turban'

Not so neat turbans

I definitely need more practise at piping and a better piping implement

Red velvet cake

I found a box of Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix on special at Woolies. I have never heard of him before, but he is very well known American cook according to my friend R who knows the answers to everything. I am serious I test him out on the most random things all of the time - he is always right - not normal!  Anyhow I made the cake mix into 2 small cakes for the family and some cup cakes for G as it is his birthday. There was no frosting in the box so googled to find out what kind of icing goes on these cakes. It is traditionally a cream cheese one - but no cream cheese. So I made a very basic 'Aussie' icing with butter and vanilla etc.

Little A was impressed

The icing dissapeared in no time

I have decided that this would be a great cake for Christmas for our non fruit cake loving family. Red cake white cream cheese icing and a sprig of green holly on top. All the right colours for Christmas,
You know Christmas is coming when the 'Op shops' even have Christmas decorations out on display - not just the supermarkets etc.

Salmon slice

This is something I have been making since 1985 - I checked my notes. Apparently I was looking for something to use up the left over filo pastry. it is really a quiche type thing lovely with a salad for lunch

Comforting and creamy

Ode to the Pineapple

I recently visited GOMA for the Harvest Food Exhibition. I was not really impressed with the overall exhibition but they redeemed themselves with the Pineapple story.

The displays on the left hand side going into the gallery are usually very interesting and should not be missed.
This one was too too fabulous. Growing up in Queensland we all know about pineapples.

We all know someone who had one of these

I am sure that we owned one of those T towels bought from the Big Pineapple

Pineapple serving and salad bowls

One wonders where you store such things when they are not in use!

The fabric at the back has pineapple wreaths

I have never seen a pineapple wreath before. This lot of china was just ugly

I am sure that we also had one of those cook books

I certainly remember wanting to serve things in canned pineapple rings - so sophisticated. For some reason this remains me of the kitchen at Slack's Creek.

Cutlery and chillies

This was the next best thing at the exhibition. Starting in the centre with little butter and cheese knives then extending out using all kinds of cutlery mixed in with chillies - I loved this

New blooms

The tibouchina (sp) is looking just lovely. We had a very large tree of this in the last house that was a joy to behold at this time of the year. I had to settle for a dwarf plant here as there is no space for such a big tree

Orange trumpets

I have no idea what this is. It was here before me and never fails to flower and grow. The flowers are slightly sticky so I often find them in my hair if walk past

Plant in a glass bowl

This is all the fashion again. I remember planting things in big glass bottles in the 70's. There was stall at the Bulimba State School today just with plants in bottles.

Spring garden so far

My garden is a mixture of what was here originally when we moved into this house, plants I have bought on sale, cuttings that I have have begged or stolen. Most I do not know the names of.
The veggie and herb garden is looking lush after that week of rain.

You can never have too much parsley

If I have a good crop I make a parsley and macadamia nut pesto - it doesn't last long

Pot luck tomatoes

I bought a very expensive little punnet of fancy tomatoes, egg shaped, black, green with yellow stripes etc etc. Son M cut open one of each and squeased out the seeds to dry. I planted them and they all grew. Can't wait to see what I get

Asylum attracts the butterflies

Also makes a lovely border

Old school gerbra

This gerbra plant was in the garden when we came here. It still flowers every year - such good value

Ground cover

Neighbour C has this excellent ground cover in her garden - I dug up 3 pieces and within a week it was going great guns - better then weeds

Back again

The nastursians come back to visit every year. I even have a vase now especially for them

red geranium

I cut up an old geranium plant and made heaps of new ones. By summer these will be lovely

My favourite pink ones

Hopefully these will all fall over the driveway wall and greet us when we arrive home

These are packed away now until next winter

Iris for spring

It is not very often that I see white iris. So pleased with this bunch