In my last post I promised that I would share a bit more about the French-themed event.
It was a film night at Maldon Golden Movies, our local community film society, where there was a screening of the 2021 film, Delicious. While GMan and I had actually seen it previously, it was fun to have the hall set up cabaret-style and provide some French-inspired nibbles including galettes and quiches from the local bakery.
I did not manage to get a photo in my full French outfit but this photo shows the navy trousers, Breton top and shoes that I teamed with the red beret which I shared previously. It drew many comments but the interesting thing is that apart from the beret, they are simply regular clothes from my wardrobe. I actually picked up the trousers and top in op shops late last year and have both become some of the most worn items in my wardrobe.
I made 8 white tablecloths from 2 sets of good quality cotton sheets which I sourced from the local op shop. These are bound to see numerous uses in the future as the format of the evening was very well received.
Tonight we are going to an event with a French theme. So, I decided that a French-inspired outfit would be a good idea and a beret was needed.
I watched a YouTube video on how to create a pattern to make a beret and then dived into my stash to find a suitable fabric. A piece of red uncut cord was the perfect weight and colour. For ease of fitting I chose to finish the inside edge with a piece of ribbing rather than the traditional binding.
There will be more details about the event and my whole outfit in the next blog post. Hint: There will be more of my sewing featured.
We have had a remarkably mild summer so far but yesterday it really kicked into gear. The outdoor temperature at our place peaked at 40.5C. This is not remarkable compared to other parts of the country but it was certainly enough to make us choose to stay indoors. With the blinds drawn and a couple of ceiling fans we were quite comfortable for most of the day before turning the airconditioning on in the family room for 2 hours in the late afternoon from about 5.30pm. The temperature was set on 24C and this soon made the room pleasantly comfortable.
I spent most of the day sewing and made two bags for a friend from fabric she had given me. They were mostly relatively small pieces of linen and cotton which had been carry bags from bed linen she had purchased at various times. I am really pleased with the results and looking forward to giving them to her.
Meanwhile, GMan was hardly being lazy either. He had picked 45 Nashi pears from one of our trees the previous day. This was after the birds had helped themselves. If we get organised and net the trees next year our harvest should be about doubled. Neither of us were smitten with eating the fruit raw so he decided to try stewing them. This was a raging success as they taste just like the tinned pears we both remember eating when we were growing up. It was a huge job to peel, core and slice them all but we now have one container in the refrigerator and several others in the freezer.
Today is a day of extreme to catastrophic fire danger across most of the state so we will be indoors, staying cool and most importantly, following any emergency reports and advice.
Today I can unveil the latest addition to the house.
A couple of weeks ago we ordered some blinds. The first was a roller blind for the front door which is glass and faces north. It does not get any direct sun on it because of the overhanging porch but the blind offers privacy as there is a direct view from the porch to the full length of the hallway as well as assisting with temperature regulation in both summer and winter. The was a previous blind in place, however, it was not made to measure so no an ideal size. The colour was not to my liking either.
The new blind.
When it is open we still have a view of gorgeous roses and the rural outlook across the road.
There is an opening between the family room and the small office which allows for plenty of natural light and creates a feeling of spaciousness. However, on cold winter nights when we are trying to keep the family room warm, it is a problem as much of the heat tends to drift up the hallway through this opening and the nearby doorway. We are waiting for the carpenter to install a door between the family room and the hall but that still left the issue of the opening which is about 1m x 1m.
So, we ordered a honeycomb blind to fit the opening. It fits neatly inside the recess.
When it is open it is barely noticeable.
We did notice that the movement of air in the family room means that the blind does tend to move back and forth in the opening so I intend to make a small draught stopper to lie on the ledge behind which will eliminate that problem. I am looking forward to the difference it will make to keeping the warmth in the family room in the colder weather.
After almost 13 years and over 1700 published blog posts it is sometimes a bit tricky to come up with an original title that is relatively short, snappy and relevant.
I can, and sometimes do use a title more than once. In fact, this post was going to be ‘Home, Sweet Home’ as I have been away for about 10 days. However, I found that I had actually just about worn that out with no fewer than 6 blog posts with that moniker.
Anyway, enough rambling. I am arrived home safely on Tuesday afternoon following a trip to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. It was not under the best of circumstances as I attended a funeral. It was for my cousin who is only a year older than me and sadly lost a battle with bowel cancer.
I chose to spend some extra time in Queensland with my daughter and granddaughters as well as my brother and sister.
I have unpacked, done some washing and prepared meals so nothing terribly exciting happening here at the moment. We bought some fruit and vegetables yesterday and I spotted a couple of trays of mangoes. This is not a common sight in Victoria so I bought a tray. 14 medium sized mangoes for $15. I am planning to dehydrate some, freeze others and keep at least one fresh to make mango salsa to go with our dinner tomorrow night.
I am always looking for ways to store the inevitable summer glut of home-grown tomatoes. I make tomato sauce (ketchup) but there is a limit to how much of that we need. The recipe is here if you are interested. I also used to freeze cherry tomatoes whole for use in casseroles and other cooking. I have dabbled in making tomato paste and tomato powder. These have all been reasonably successful but somewhat labour intensive.
Our tomatoes are not ready yet but the neighbours have generously shared their harvest.
I had these spread out to ripen and today I selected the reddest ones and cut them into quarters. I placed them into a round cake tin with 2 large cloves of garlic and a handful of basil leaves (all homegrown) and a drizzle of olive oil. I cooked them in the airfryer for 25 minutes at 170C then blitzed them in the high-speed blender.
I now have a couple of jars of delicious sauce which will be perfect for pizza bases, pasta dishes or adding to other dishes for a rich tomato flavour. This was super quick and easy and I will definitely be doing it again in the future. I choose not to process the sauce but simply store it in the freezer.
Many would say that idle scrolling through your social media feed is an appalling waste of time and a bad habit. Generally, I would agree with these sentiments but randomly checking Facebook has proved to be very worthwhile in the past week.
One evening I quickly checked and happened upon a small cupboard for sale on Marketplace. I showed GMan as he had been saying that he needed a stand for his BBQ (also sourced from Marketplace). He was also thinking that some storage underneath the stand would be useful. I checked the dimensions of the advertised cupboard and we decided that it would be perfect for this purpose.
A short drive and $20 later and we had a stand for the BBQ.
I could not believe my luck when I managed to follow up that win with another. Yesterday afternoon I spotted a sofa which looked perfect for our family room. We had a sofa bed there which we had brought from Queensland and although it is good for a spare bed it is not the most comfortable sofa in the world. This ‘new to us’ leather sofa is in excellent condition and is a welcome addition for $190. The sofa bed has been rehomed in the spare bedroom.
Of course, you can’t pick and choose exact colours when buying secondhand. This shows the colour of the sofa and that colour of the back of the sideboard which is quite close to it.
I am planning to find some fabric which incorporates the taupe and indigo/navy colours to make a couple of cushions for the sofa which will tie it all together colourwise. Perhaps something like this.
With a bit of creativity I think I can make it all work really well together.
Today we headed to Bendigo which is about 30 minutes from home. My mission was to collect a portable hanging rack that I had found on Marketplace. I wanted one that would be suitable for taking to the weekly LETS market that I could use to display bags and other items for sale. This one is perfect as it is telescopic and the height can be about 800mm when collapsed or extended to hold full-length garments if required. It is also easy to transport without disassembling it entirely.
While we were out and about and with no time constraints I checked out a few op shops that I had not been to previously.
I was fortunate to find a pair of black canvas casual shoes which appear to be unworn. They have a decent sole and are well-padded so a good buy at just $7. Whilst they are not required right now in the summer, I can see plenty of wear for them with jeans once autumn arrives.
I found this pretty blue linen top which is significantly oversized despite being marked as ‘Small’. There is a lot of fabric in it and I am planning to refashion it to a different style.
We also went to a native plant nursery where we bought 9 shrubs and groundcovers. I think tomorrow might be a day in the garden. More about those once they are planted.
Last week I joined our local LETS group. It is an anacronym for Local Exchange Trading System. This Wikipaedia entry gives a good general overview if you want to know more about the concept.
Meanwhile, back to the local group, known as MaLETS (Mount Alexander Local Exchange Trading System) which is based on our regional local government area of Mount Alexander. This article is an excellent explanation of LETS in general and the successful operation of MaLETS in particular.
It was easy to join and start trading straightaway. On Sunday I bought a dozen eggs and a cucumber from 2 different members and sold 2 tote bags that I had made. I am really excited about the possibilities this opens up.
I am making some more bags (as well as other things) in preparation for the next market.
I think everyone has a personal favourite way of making lasagne.
Lasagne was my ‘go to’ dish in the early days of our marriage. In fact, so much so that GMan once commented that our impending dinner guests had eaten at our place previously so we would need to think of something else!
My version of lasagne has evolved noticeably over almost 45 years due to a changing culinary landscape and a variety of dietary considerations. I have reduced the proportion of meat in the dish, eliminated cream, use gluten free flour and pasta. The latest iteration actually replaces the pasta with thin slices of zucchini and the bechamel sauce is made with cauliflower rather than a roux of flour and butter. Interested? Read on for the full details.
LASAGNE
Meat sauce
250g lean minced beef 1 cup dried red lentils 1 large onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large carrot, grated 2 sticks celery, finely chopped 2 teaspoons beef stock powder 2 tins crushed tomatoes } – whatever combination of fresh, dried or frozen tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste } you have on hand. More water may be required. Herbs (fresh or dried) to taste – I used a handful of fresh basil and 1 teaspoons of dried mixed herbs Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
Place the lentils in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. In a large saucepan fry the onion and garlic, add the mince and brown. Add the remaining ingredients including the drained lentils. Simmer gently until the lentils are tender. Add more water if the mixture becomes too dry.
Chop the cauliflower roughly. The stalk and small leave can be included in this recipe. Steam or microwave until tender. Place cooked cauliflower in blender and gradually add milk until the mixture is smooth and a suitable consistency. Add seasonings to taste. The quantities are only suggestion so add a bit at a time until it reaches your desired taste.
Set sauce aside until required. This sauce can be refrigerated for a couple of days or frozen if you have too much. It can be substituted in any recipe that requires a creamy white sauce. You can use plant-based milk if you choose.
Other
Zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise Grated cheese, I use a mixture of cheddar, parmesan and nutritional yeast
Assembly
Layer the various components in an ovenproof dish. I usually do meat sauce, zucchini, white sauce and then cheese and repeat 2-3 times until the dish is full.
Cook in the oven until heated through and browned on top. Alternatively, it can be heated in the microwave and finished off under the grill to brown the top.
Makes 6 generous serves.
This is the only photo I have as I did not think of writing this post until after we had eaten dinner. We ate 2 serves and the remainder were packed up and frozen in 4 individual serves.
