Weeds to the rescue

Summer in Brisbane is not the time to invest money on cut flowers. They barely last a few days. A potted flowering plant is a better option.

However I have been using the flowers 'I find' on the footpaths - thanks to the council's flowering tree programme, and just stuff in my garden.

My friend R gave me a russian tarragon plant. Smells good looks good and is useless for cooking - only the french one will do for me. It doesn't grow here so have to be content with dried.
However -

Looks great in jug in the kitchen

I follow a blog called 'Slim Paley'. Recently she travelled to Patagonia and there was a vase of flowers in one of her images like this:

I thought they were weeds

I have lots of this growing in my garden. I leave some as the flowers give colour but often I pull them out. This is how the flowers were arranged and placed on a table in a very lovely hotel.

Now seen in a different light

The following is not a weed, but in the found and discovered concept - the terrarium was found on the side of the road on my way home a couple of weeks ago.

No damage

I bought a little maiden hair fern for it.

Inexpensive delight

I have used chive flowers previously in my decor and lots of dried berries and shells. I am going to open my mind to lots more options so save money on cut flowers.
Flowers give a house a feeling of home.

A big cooking week

It all started when Nev bought over a packet of bread and pizza flour. I decided to bite the bullet and experiment with 'yeast' cooking.
I tried this once in the 60's and was so discouraged with the result I didn't try again.

I started with a yeast pastry and made a salami and eggplant torte.

Looks amazing

I was so excited with the look of the finished product I didn't want to cut it.

Lovely layers

This will be great for a picnic

The next night I made a pizza. I used to make pizza for the boys when they were young on a savoury scone dough. This time I used the yeast.

Ready for the oven

Yes I ate half

The base was a little too think for me but G said it was good for him. He also liked the pastry on the torte.
On a roll - the next day I made my first ever Focaccia.

Olive and rosemary

This was wonderful

I have eaten it hot and fresh, toasted with tomato and cheese, and then yesterday I made croutons with it to put in a salad with goats cheese. This is going to be a staple for me.

Anzac biscuits

I will take some of these to the Historical Society meeting on Tuesday night. I made them with shredded coconut instead of dessicated and it worked just as well.

I saw a Greek walnut cake being made on MKR on Wednesday night and decided to find a recipe. I remembered the Greek cook book that I won at a Panyiri Festival one year for answering all of the correct ingredient for a particular recipe.

It needs 2 cups of walnuts

A lovely mixture

Another success

When the cake comes out of the oven it is soaked in a sugar syrup flavoured with lemon juice and cinnamon. There is nothing better that a syrup cake I have decided. I am serving this with yoghurt.  I will make another for a family lunch at Palm Beach next weekend.
A GOOD WEEK…...

Soothing walks on Coochiemudlo Island

Every afternoon of our little sojourn on Coochie we took a long walk. Firstly because we had just slept/read for approximately 3 hours and then had afternoon tea.
The next project was dinner and wine so had to do something in-between.

Built in the mid 1800's

This causeway was built through the mangroves to access a jetty and a sea pool. No signs of either left but the causeway is still solid.

Stone steps

These steps go down from the road to access the causeway and the track through the mangroves.

Walking track

This track was so lovely in the late afternoon. So cool and quiet with the smell of the sea and mangroves.

Golf course

Each time we walked near or on the gold course there were people playing in the afternoons. So relaxing to watch them in such a lovely quiet setting.

View from Red Rock

This is called Red Rock. From the water it is a high cliff face in the Redlands area RED soil and rock. This shot was take from the top at low tide.

The tide was way out in the afternoons while we were there. We walk around the perimeter as far as we could go in the space of 4 days.

A short break on Coochiemudlo Island

C and I decided that we should have a swimming in the ocean, walking, relaxing holiday before the cold weather comes.
Coochiemudlo fitted with our budget and C could bring 'Val' the dog. He is a very good holiday companion. Always ready for a swim a walk or a little lie down in the afternoons.

The car ferry

It is not a long trip

The 'Cow House' was a little scary. Everywhere there were cow cushions, ornaments etc.

This was the signal that we were in the right place

Yes, we knew it was a 'cow obsessed' place that we stayed. But it was in the budget. After a while we were so relaxed we didn't notice. In the end I took very few pictures of the house.

A little example of the decor

Val on the couch

Yes i know 'on the couch', but really - it was purple plastic. What could he do to make it worse. Surprisingly it was comfortable! Note the cow cushions.
My room had 52 images of ornaments, cushions, fluffy toys in either the shape of a cow or a gerbra. The curtains had giant orange pom pom fringe.

This is where we ate breakfast and lunch

Cow print on the railings and up the posts.

The only bowls that were not cow print

The best paintings were on the outside wall

Yes - on the outside wall

Our private beach- Morwong Beach

The water was cool and fabulous.

We swam for over an hour every day, walking to and from the beach. After lunch we slept and read for a few hours and then walked for at least another hour in the cool of the afternoon.
All in all a wonderful relaxing break.
As usual we prepared all of our food ahead each doing a prepared menu.

Polenta

I really love polenta. Excellent comfort food. I am planning to make it often this winter. Especially with cheese and parsley. I also want to try it with blue cheese.

Cold ready for cutting into shapes

I love it cut into diamond shapes but have a problem working this out. Intricate math problems are not my strong point.

Assorted shapes

Fried in olive oil and butter it can't help but taste good. I will work on the even shape thingie. I think that I could eat this with just a salad. But of course delicious with braised beef cheeks, Osso Bucco, or any slow braised meat with lots of gravy.

Looking forward to cooler evenings.

BREAD

I have only ever made bread once before and it was not good. My friend S was given a very posh gift basket of food for Christmas. It included this box of bread mix.

Even the box was expensive

She was not in the frame of mind to make the bread after she read the instructions.

All that kneading and sitting

So I went home with the box!
Finally on Monday I decided this was the day to make bread.

All of the ingredients in seperate packets 

I started at 7am - the seeds had to be soaked for an hour.

Then we got down to business

I know that I am not a good baker - not like No 1 son M. I don't have the patience but I really kneaded this as well as I could.

After resting (the dough) more kneading

It looked good

Not bad

It actually tasted very good. I took half of the loaf to S so that she could try it. Was even great toasted the next day. I was happy with the result but will not put bread making on my list of things to do.

Chicken and Leek Pie

My father used to make the most wonderful chicken pies to sell in our cafe (and wholesale to department stores for their cafeterias). I used to know the recipe for the filling but it was never written down that I know of. I haven't made the mixture since I was 15 years old (over 50 years ago) I don't remember it.
I suspect that he used a base recipe from Fanny Farmer's Boston School Cook Book and just went from there.

His cooking bible

He even used rendered chicken fat in his pastry. I was nostalgic for a chicken pie and researched some recipes in my library. I found one by Stephanie Alexander that uses my favourite ingredients, Chicken thighs, leeks, butter and cream. It had to be a winner.

I started with these

Fry the leeks, cut the chicken into small pieces flour and fry. Mix the lot with cream, parsley and seasonings and add the pastry.

The big pie

I made this a few times as it turned out so well. This week I made individual pies as I had lots of puff pastry in the freezer almost out of date. A good reason to use it up.

The same mixture made 12 pies

Just fabulous. I even ate one cold - had to do a test - as I thought they would be great for a picnic. I was right! Delicious!

Just the right size

The mixture can be made the previous day and then baked early in the morning. Packed when room temperature and bingo good solid picnic food with a crunchy salad.