Remembering

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Posted on October 23, 2022

My posts have been a bit few and far between over the last couple of months as I am fully occupied with offline activities. I had fully intended getting things back on track with the blog in the past week but my world was turned upside-down when I received the news that a friend had passed away last Monday after a short illness.

I first ‘met’ Mimi online about 15 years ago and then in real life about five years ago. A truly wonderful woman who could simply light up the conversation with her presence. Mimi’s loves and interests were many and varied but it was was our shared love of frugal yet fancy cookery that drew us together,

Here are links to two recipes which began in her kitchen and have been firm favourites in our household for several years.

Refried beans

Balsamic syrup (I apologise for the lack of photos in this post.)

And finally, a link to her blog if you would like to discover a bit more for yourself. There is a wealth of grace, knowledge, love and inspiration here.

Rest in peace, dear one.

Play Time

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Posted on October 27, 2021

One of our favourite social events is attending live theatre. There have not been too many opportunities in the past 18 months during Covid19.

The Lind Lane Theatre is located in a town about 35 minutes away from us and we have attended one performance there a couple of years ago.

I recently saw an advertisement for their upcoming production of ‘Blithe Spirit’ by Noel Coward so we booked tickets and joined as members as well. This will mean that we have access to slightly discounted tickets, will receive notification of upcoming events and we will be supporting the arts community.

We are looking forward to attending their latest production next week.

A New Measuring Device

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Posted on August 20, 2020

We used to have a rain gauge but we removed the last one when the verandah railings were replaced. Like most rigid plastic items which are exposed to the weather, it had become brittle with time and a couple of pieces were cracked/broken so we decided that we needed to replace it.

This did not happen immediately and time went by. Fast forward about 4 years and a couple of things have changed. The local Council have done some remedial work to the verge adjacent to our driveway where the water used to pool. This had been our unofficial rain gauge for some time but now that the water seems to run off properly the ‘rain gauge’ is no longer much use.

GMan received some money for his recent birthday along with a suggestion that he put it towards buying a new rain gauge. This was just the impetus we needed.

After considerable research he made a decision about which one to buy. One of the considerations that needed to take into account is that we can receive in excess of 250mm rainfall in 24 hours so the rain gauge needs to have substantial capacity. However, he discovered a digital rain gauge which does not need to be manually emptied but the amount of water passing through it is measured using the sensor.

The gauge with sensor is mounted on the pergola (top right-hand corner).

The information is recorded on the screen which sits conveniently on the kitchen bench.

As an added bonus, it also records indoor and outdoor temperature as well as the indoor humidity.

He is very pleased with the new rain gauge and all we need to do now is to wait for it to rain. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a high chance of La Nina (significant rain event) occurring in 2020 so we will wait in anticipation. At least we are ready.

More Than Washing

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Posted on May 26, 2020

What does doing the washing mean to you? Grabbing an armful of used clothes and tossing them into the washing machine and then transferring them to the dryer? Or do you have a careful sorting and separating process?

I sort my washing into light and dark fabrics, check the pockets for errant coins, tissues or slips of paper and then turn the articles so that they are the right side out. They are then washed and hung on the clothesline under the verandah. When the clothes are dry I sort them into the items that need to be ironed and those that can be folded and put away immediately.

All of this process allows plenty of opportunity to examine items for any damage or wear and tear which requires repair. The old adage, ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ is very true.

This week I found a small hole and run in the front of one of GMan’s merino thermal tops.

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My darning skills are somewhat limited but I do have a rudimentary understanding of what is required. Since this is an undergarment, a perfect result is not essential. I found some similar coloured tapestry wool and split it to extract a single strand to use.

The end result is functional if not particularly pretty.

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Regardless of the type of garment, it is worth checking clothes regularly to ensure that they are maintained which will prolong the life of the garment. Things to look for include loose buttons, hems coming down, breakage of side seams near pockets or armholes.

Making a Mask

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Posted on March 26, 2020

**DISCLAIMER** Everything written in this post is based on my experience and the best information I can source. It is general information only and should not be taken as medical fact.

If you had seen this blog title a year ago you would have assumed that I had an invitation to a masquerade ball. Fast forward to March 2020 and many of us are thinking of some sort of protective mask. A couple of months ago in Australia, it was bushfire smoke and now it is coronavirus.

Wearing a mask is no substitute for practising ‘social distancing’ which means keeping a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between yourself and any other person when you are out in public or preferably, staying at home as much as possible.

A homemade, cotton fabric mask does not offer the same level of protection as masks manufactured as ‘fit for purpose’.

This article lists different types of masks and their intended purpose, cost and effectiveness as well as some general information on mask-wearing and control measures.

Due to the extent of the coronavirus outbreak, masks seem to be in short supply and people for whom they are not necessary or recommended should not be buying them.

If I don’t need to be wearing a mask why did I make some?

I am currently healthy but that may change
I will not feel like making masks if I am ill
A cotton mask worn correctly will reduce my risk if I have to leave my home for essential tasks
Wearing a mask will remind me not to touch my face when I am in public
A mask is a visual reminder to others to keep their distance

How to wear/use a mask:

Wear it once
Wear it over your mouth and nose – not around your neck or on top of your head
For maximum effectiveness masks should be changed every 20 minutes or after sneezing, coughing or talking
Handle only by the elastic/ties when removing after use
Disposable masks should be discarded as soon as removed
Reusable masks should be contained immediately in a lidded bucket, thoroughly washed and dried in sunlight

So, you want to make masks for you and your family?

There are many, many links, instructions and tutorials. Like all instructions, they vary enormously in the detail and quality. Furthermore, some do not look as though the finished product would be of any use at all while others are so complex that they would be beyond they capability of many people.

As a retired operating room nurse, I am very familiar with the general size and construction of a mask as I wore one every day of my working life for over 30 years. Therefore, I had several features in mind which I felt would make it as effective as possible under the circumstances:

Ties instead of elastic loops
Pleats to assist in contouring it to my face
Wire to conform over the bridge of the nose
Several layers of fabric
Tightly woven cotton fabric for the outer layer

I found this link which met my criteria.

I made 2 alterations to what is in the instructions:

The ties on my mask are only 36 inches in length rather than the 54 inches recommended. That was the length of bias binding I had available and it works well for me. You need to be guided by the size of the head of the intended wearer but you definitely do not want to be hampered by excessively long ties.
I added an additional layer to make a total of 3 – outer layer is a strong, tightly-woven cotton, middle layer is very fine, lightweight cotton and the inner layer (next to my face) is used cotton sheeting which is very soft and non-irritant.

The fabric you choose is important. A tightly woven outer layer will provide the best physical barrier while the inner layer should be soft and comfortable against your skin. If you add an extra layer keep it fairly lightweight otherwise it will be too bulky and sewing the pleats will be difficult.

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I bought a roll of plant tie wire from Bunnings for the wire to conform over the bridge of the nose but any plastic-coated twist tie would be suitable. Be sure to turn the ends over and flatten them.

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Remember, a mask may be an adjunct in preventing the spread of COVID19 when used properly and in conjunction with effective handwashing and keeping your distance as far as possible.

The better a mask fits, the more effective it will be. It must completely cover your mouth and nose at all times when you are wearing it. A neat fit, without being tight, over the bridge of your nose, under your chin and in front of your ears is desired.

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Please take care and stay safe.

What We Have

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Posted on February 18, 2020

Every day there are multiple instances where we simply use what we have and think nothing of it. Tonight I want to share a few examples of how we use what is available and minimise buying new items.

About 10 years ago I scored a small rainwater tank on Freecycle. It had some rust spots and was no longer suitable for collecting rainwater but I had other plans. GMan cut it into 3 sections which we have used variously for small, raised garden beds and compost heaps. You can see them in some of the photos in this early blog post from 2011.

Over the years they have continued to rust and deteriorate a bit more and when GMan moved one recently, he declared that it was at the end of its useful life. However, on reflection, we decided that if we cut the worst of the rusted edge off it would be a bit shallower and would make a perfect herb garden.

The next trick was to find the best location for it. Ideally, it would be relatively close to the house for easy picking. After some discussion, we decided to remove the chilli bush in the corner of the vegetable garden area and place it there. We have two other very prolific chilli bushes so removing this one was not a problem. I removed all of the ripe chillies and added them to the bag of chillies in the freezer.

With the bush removed, it was time to position the cut-down tank.

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The next job will be to fill it with soil and select what to plant in it.

Barely 2 months ago we had a Himalayan ash tree beside our driveway lopped. As you will see from the hyperlink, it is regarded as environmental weed where we live in southeast Queensland. The main tree and its multiple suckers had covered quite a large area and we immediately planted a selection of native shrubs and small trees in its place. One of these is a lovely grevillea which has grown very quickly but the 3 main branches were drooping badly. So, we decided that the best course of action was to create an enclosure with stakes that would help to support it until it develops enough strength of its own.

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The straps connecting the stakes are some old webbing from the seat of an old armchair that GMan recently dismantled. I stapled them to the stakes using an upholstery staple gun that has been lurking in my craft cupboard for many years.

Here is another garden project that made the most of what we had.

I needed a table for potting and planting seeds so we created this one a couple of months ago and it has proved to be very successful.

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We used an old bed frame and the slats which had previously been removed were replaced with some wire which we attached to the frame using fencing staples. A couple of timer crossbars allowed the attachment of a pair of metal legs. These had been salvaged from a table that my father had made many years ago. The wire top allows for easy watering and drainage while the location on the southern side of the house gets plenty of light and some sun while still being reasonably sheltered.

The final photo is not something we had but something we were given.

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GMan planted these 5 new pineapple tops along the fenceline of the vegie garden. Thanks, Sandra and Glenn. We are looking forward to watching them mature and hopefully produce some delicious fruit. It will entail being patient as pineapples take about 18 months to grow.

Gardening in Extreme Heat

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Posted on December 7, 2019

My apologies to those of you who live in the northern hemisphere. Here in Australia summer has just begun (officially) after having sweltered through the driest and second-hottest spring on record. Daily temperatures in excess of 30C, and sometimes 35C, have been the new normal here for several weeks. Hot, dry and windy days have increased the fire risk to ‘severe’ on many days. We live at about 400m above sea level and within 30km of the coast so our conditions are nothing like those facing the drought-stricken farmers further west.

Growing food in our current weather is a challenge but one I am prepared to try. Summer means salads and salads mean lettuce. So, I am growing lettuce. I have some in one of the main garden beds which was grown from seed as well as some in styrofoam boxes that were purchased seedlings.

I water the plants thoroughly twice a day – early in the morning and again late in the afternoon. I cover them during the day and so far this seems to be an effective strategy.

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We picked the first leaves today and are looking forward to plenty more salads based on lettuce grown without chemicals within 10 metres of our back door and completely devoid of packaging.

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Making a Difference

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Posted on December 2, 2019

Australia has just recorded the driest spring on record – EVER! Additionally, it was the second-hottest spring on record and fell just 0.04C short of the record.

We live in what is generally regarded as a high-rainfall, temperate sub-tropical area, however, that description seems but a distant memory. As the hot, dry weather continues we are constantly looking for ways to save our precious water.

Our water supply is entirely rainwater which we collect in the 2 large tanks with a combined capacity of close to 100,000 litres. In the 14 years we have lived here we have barely scratched the surface of that capacity, however, the current drought has made us consider what measures we can take to preserve every precious drop. If we were to run out, our only option is to buy water. Even purchased water has to come from somewhere and there does not seem to be an endless supply.

In an effort to be as self-reliant as possible we are trying to grow more of our own food which necessitates watering crops in the dry weather whereas during a ‘normal’ season they manage quite well on the natural rainfall except as very small seedlings.

We retrieved a square plastic washing-up dish from our camping equipment and it now lives in the kitchen sink to catch any excess water from washing hands, rinsing dishes etc and that is then tipped onto various ornamental shrubs to help keep them alive.

The other thing we did was to buy 10 metres of hose to attach to the washing machine outlet. Before I do a load of washing I unroll the hose out of the laundry and across the verandah so that it empties the washing water onto the hibiscus bushes at the front of the house. The only problem is what to do with 10 metres of hose when it is not in use.

Today, we located a bracket that we had and GMan kindly attached it to the wall above the sink and now the hose coils neatly in place when not in use.

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What changes have you made to save water or other resources?

A Golden Oldie

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Posted on May 5, 2019

Prompts from several different sources inspired me to make a Lemon Delicious pudding yesterday.

First, a Facebook group post encouraged members to make a post recipes for a childhood favourite food.

Second, my brother, sister and brother-in-law were coming for dinner. What better, than to share a dessert from our common childhood memories?

Third, another Facebook group discusses how our grandparents lived, including cooking and preparing food.

I had not made Lemon Delicious since 2012 when I began eating a gluten-free diet, however, I was not going to let that stop me.

I have posted the recipe for Lemon Delicious on the blog previously. See here. Unfortunately the photos have disappeared from the old post and I am unable to retrieve them.

So, here it is again – with the addition of the gluten-free option.

LEMON DELICIOUS

1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour (use gluten-free flour if required)
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar. Add flour, juice and rind. Mix well. Separate the eggs, add yolks and milk to mixture. Place the whites in a separate bowl and beat until stiff. Fold the beaten egg white into the mixture. Pour into an ovenproof dish. Stand the dish in a tray of water (about 2-3cm deep) and place in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is firm to touch and golden.

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The finished product is like a lemon self-saucing pudding. This can be served warm or cold with ice-cream, cream or custard.

NOTES:

As a nod to past generations, I did not use my Kitchen Aid mixer to cream the butter and sugar. I used a bowl and tablespoon – hard but satisfying work. I also beat the egg whites using a hand-held rotary beater. The results were equally as good as any I have made previously using electric appliances.

The ‘sauce’ of the pudding was somewhat thicker than other efforts and I think this was probably due to using gluten-free flour which does tend to absorb more moisture. I would probably ad the juice of another half a lemon in order to rectify this. Despite this, the pudding was extremely well-received by the dinner guests and I will definitely be making it again before too long – especially as the lemon trees are absolutely laden with fruit.

Warts and All

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Posted on November 23, 2018

I am sure we have all been guilty of only showing the good/perfect/happy stuff online. In fact, I do not believe we should feel guilty because none of us share everything about ourselves – either online or in real life.

However, I do try to keep things as real as possible in what I discuss here on the blog and today is no exception.

I have microwave oven which sits in a purpose-built cavity below the bench in my kitchen.

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For a number of years I have had a piece of non-slip mat under the microwave which which works reasonably well. I remove and clean this mat but over time it has become stained with mould and even soaking it in bleach and scrubbing does not restore it. This is not a long-term solution as I try not to use bleach.

After some particularly wet weather a couple of weeks ago it was looking awful and I decided that I had to change my strategy. I decided to make a towelling mat from an old bathmat.

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