I have a cold and do not feel up to writing even though I have several things I want to share with you. They will have to wait for another day.
Dragged Down
Leave a commentAs much as possible I try to keep my blog posts positive. Now I know why.
During the last few days I have stumbled on some really negative and downright depressing discussions on the internet. I have realised how much I have been dragged down by it all. This combined with being tired from a busy work schedule has drained my creative juices and made writing a blog post almost impossible.
One of the discussions was related to this article which is well-written and contains some really useful information in the article and also within the links. However, many of the responses were negative and ranged through bitterness, envy and disbelief.
The other was about global warming, although I prefer the term ‘climate change’ as a more accurate descriptor. I was astounded and dismayed at the number of people who seemed unable to accept the premise of human-induced climate change which is accelerating at an ever increasing rate. Even more worrying were the links being shared which referenced articles from such ‘luminaries’ as Ted Cruz, Andrew Bolt and Lord Monckton.
However, my faith was somewhat restored when I read this comment in the discussion.
Quote:
I thought I would add what I have been doing personally as I am very concerned about this issue myself.
I have read Naomi Klein book This changes everything. It was very hard to read for me as I need things set out more clearly in non fiction but she raised some good points. I also read Vandana Shiva Soil not oil which was much easier to read and something I felt I could do more about.
Switched to power shop for my electricity. Compost all food stuffs though council. Reduce car usage etc. Trying to cut down meat consumption. I know a lot of people think we should all just go vegan and angrily support that but I think think that would be like a badly failed diet for everyone. I think think you’re better off encouraging a slow change to encourage permanence.
I have joined one million women, 350. Org , green peace and a heap of others to support their works sign petitions etc.
Need to work on my plastic bag use and buying unnecessary packaging, although I am doing better than most I know.
It is lovely to hear of others who are prepared to do their bit and I applaud every small step that each and every one of us can take.
It is only 2 weeks until July – and that means 2 weeks until ‘Plastic-Free July’ so please take a look here and consider what you can do to make a difference.
Somewhere Different
1 CommentWe have been to Melbourne for a couple of days. The reason was to visit our daughter and celebrate her birthday. However, I managed to sneak in a spot of shopping.
Last year I got rid of my knee-high black boots as the heel was simply higher than what I was comfortable wearing. I had been debating for some time about replacing them and I finally found a pair that I was happy would suit my needs.
I wore them for most of the past two days, including quite a bit of walking and they are very comfortable. I am really pleased with my purchase and expect they will last me quite a few years.
My other purchase was at a small, independent fabric shop in the northern suburb of Ivanhoe. There were lots of beautiful winter fabrics but I bought a piece of linen to make something for myself next summer – probably a blouse of some description.
I fell in love with the colour and pattern of this piece and am sure it will make a gorgeous garment.
Business at Byron Bay
3 CommentsI have been away from home for a couple of days on a work-related trip. Byron Bay is a beach town close to the most easterly point of mainland Australia. This distinction is held by Cape Byron which, unsurprisingly, is marked with a lighthouse.
This was taken just before dawn on the second morning of my visit. There is quite an extensive area of beach which is designated for dogs and there were plenty of pooches and their owners taking advantage of the crisp, clear mornings.
I was able to witness the sun rise over the easternmost point of Australia, although the summit of Mt Warning, a little to the north-west, is actually the point that is first touched by sunlight.
A blush of orange heralds the sunrise.
The golden orb clears the horizon.
Dinner – Tuna Mornay
1 CommentHere is another dinner recipe and as a bonus, my version is gluten free.
I don’t remember tuna mornay being a meal we ate when I was a child but GMan certainly ate it when he was growing up. So, I learned how to make it. About 4 years ago I changed to a gluten free diet so tuna mornay was off the recipe plan.
After various experiments, I have managed to make a very satisfactory white sauce, therefore I can make tuna mornay as well as bechamel sauce for lasagne and cauliflower in cheese sauce.
Now, on to the recipe.
TUNA MORNAY
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 heaped tablespoons chickpea flour
2 heaped tablespoons potato flour
2 cups milk
Ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon herb salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large tin tuna
1/2 tin corn kernels
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Here are my ingredients assembled and ready to begin.
Method
Melt the butter over a low heat, add flour and stir until it combines to a stiff paste.
Cook for about 1 minute, making sure it does not burn. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.
The gluten free flours will not combine and thicken as nicely as regular wheat flour so my secret weapon is my hand-held stick blender.
I use this to combine the milk and flour mixture and it quickly thickens as required. Add seasonings and mustard to taste and then the drained tuna, drain corn kernels and peas.
Break up any large pieces of tuna and stir the tuna and vegetables through the sauce. Cook gently for a few minutes and finally add the grated cheese and stir through. The mornay is ready to serve with rice and/or vegetables.
There are many ways you can adapt this recipe.
I use powdered skim milk for cooking and make up 2 cups of milk before starting the cooking.
If you do not need it to be gluten free, simply use regular plain flour.
I choose to use a mixture of chickpea and potato flours as I find it gives the best result. The potato flour can be a bit like glue and the chickpea flour has a nice savoury flavour which offsets this.
You can also use this mixture as the base of a pie and top it with mashed potato – like a shepherd’s pie. Use as a filling for crepes or burritos for another variation. You may wish to use a bit less milk in order to create a stiffer mixture for these options.
Tinned salmon, leftover shredded chicken or a selection of vegetables could also be used.
I generally prefer to have more vegetables in my meal but this will not hurt you every now and then. It is a great last minute option as all of the ingredients come from the pantry and refrigerator.
Patience Pays Off
Leave a commentA few weeks ago I wrote this post about cleaning up the workshop area downstairs. One of the photos showed the old kitchen cupboards which we had been using as storage in this area for the last 7 years. We decided that it was time for them to go as the chipboard was all breaking up and we had eliminated enough stuff to longer require them as storage.
GMan cut the shelving into smaller pieces and broke down the cupboard shells and drawers. We only have a half size (120 litre) wheelie bin so we filled it with the cut pieces each week for 4 weeks.
Now it is completely gone.
The alternative was to pack it into the ute, drive 20kms to the nearest rubbish dump and pay about $15 to dump it. The end result is the same – it goes to landfill, which is not ideal but there is really no alternative for this sort of thing. However, we managed it at zero cost to us because we chose to take our time and dispose of it bit by bit.
What I Wear – 6 Month Update
4 CommentsIt is now 6 months since I began tracking what I wear. June signals the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere and we finally have some weather that can be regarded as appropriate for the season in our area. Therefore, some of the clothes I wore in the past month are ones that had barely been touched since I began recording what I wear at the beginning of December.
I have had a net increase to my wardrobe as I added 4 new items and discarded 2. One is not actually new, just new to the list. I can’t believe that I completely forgot to list my turquoise cardigan. Anyway, it is now on the list.
New additions:
The dress was actually bought in April but I had not added it to the tally since I was not sure that it would be a long-term addition. I have now decided that I will keep it. You can read more about it here. The trousers are slim-fitting pull-on tailored trousers that will be the mainstay of my work wardrobe during the cooler months. I like the fact that there are nor buttons, zips or other fastenings to spoil the line of tops worn with them.
Discarded:
I have now worn 79 of the 93 pieces in my wardrobe. I expect that there will be less than 5 unworn ones by the end of the month.
This is the selection that have yet to be worn during this experiment. They are mostly winter clothes with the exception of the cocktail dress and the formal dress.
I will miss half of the southern hemisphere winter this year as we will be in the USA and Canada for the latter part of July and almost all of August. By the time we return spring will be just around the corner and my small selection of winter clothes will not see the light of day for another 9 months.
What I have discovered is that I can probably streamline my wardrobe further to around 80 items to cover all weather and all occasions and activities. I also know that it is dynamic – an ever-changing process as pieces are worn, discarded and updated.
Until next month………
Food as Fuel
Leave a commentSometimes I think food is over-rated. Thanks to shows like Masterchef and others in the same vein, we have been conned into thinking that every meal needs to be a creation and cooking is a competition.
Cooking for your family is actually providing fuel for their bodies to perform the necessary tasks – nothing more, nothing less.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I love more than creating a special meal for family and friends. However, we need to look past the hype of cooking shows and concentrate on what is important – nutritious food to re-fuel.
Tonight I want to show you what I am making for dinner. It is not overly fancy but I know we will enjoy a wholesome meal made with basic ingredients.
Beef Casserole with Sweet Potato Mash, Broccoli and Balsamic-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
I made the casserole a couple of weeks ago in the slow-cooker and divided it into 2 containers. One container is 2 serves. This has been defrosting since I took it out of the freezer this morning. The sweet potato is already cooked and mashed from Sunday evening when I made a double quantity.
I will serve this with steamed broccoli and the cherry tomatoes.
I made the casserole using gravy beef (3 pieces), 1 onion (diced), 400g frozen cherry tomatoes (you can use a can of crushed tomatoes) and 1/4 cup homemade Worcestershire sauce. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker on High for about 6 hours or until the meat is tender and breaks apart easily with a fork. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of cornflour or arrowroot blended in 1/4 cup of water to thicken the mixture. This can been done in the last hour of cooking or transfer the casserole to a saucepan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. If you are going to freeze the casserole you may prefer to thicken it when you are ready to use it.
The sweet potato is mashed with some butter and a sprinkle of nutmeg for extra flavour.
To roast the cherry tomatoes place about 2 teaspoons of oil and an equal amount of balsamic syrup in a small pan with the tomatoes and place in an oven at 180C for 10 minutes. If you do not have the oven on, you can do it equally as well under the griller for about 5 – 8 minutes on ‘High’.
The sweet potato and cherry tomatoes are both from our garden.
Here is the meal served and ready to eat.
What is on your dinner plate tonight?
Welcome & the Work Begins
Leave a commentThis is just a quick blog post to welcome anyone who is new to the blog. If you are here for recipes, be sure to check out the tab ‘Recipes – Food’ at the top of the page. I have tried to add all of the recipes scattered throughout the blog to links on that page. There will be more add all the time.
In other breaking news, the work on replacing some of the verandah boards and all of the railings as well as some concreting and a new entrance to the verandah will be starting tomorrow. The will be some blog posts with photos coming up to show the progress.
This is what it currently looks like.
Behind the Scenes
Leave a commentJust because I have not posted very much recently does not mean there is nothing going on here at ‘The Castle’.
We have had 2 phone calls in the past 48 hours to confirm that some of our plans are coming to fruition. The first was from a tree lopper to confirm that he will be here early next week to remove a couple of very large trees and mulch them as well as the smaller ones that GMan cleared recently.
Once this is done we will be able to consider the next step in some of our long-term landscaping plans.
Yesterday we received a quote from the builder for the next major renovations. This will include replacement of some of the verandah floorboards, new railings, cafe blinds and screening and gate to provide added security to the verandah area. Some more concreting to finish the path near the steps and provide a base for an additional water tank will also be done. We will discuss the finer details with him this weekend and hope that the work will be completed with the next couple of months.
It is great to feel that some of our planning to beginning to come to fruition.
organised castle 