Tuesday 27 September 2011

Granny Square Love

I just stumbled upon this site while I was in the midst of crocheting a granny square.  How funny!  I really like the look of this book and there is even a crochet blog tour starting today of more crocheting blogs.  Except instead of actually crocheting more granny squares for sunny's blanket I will waste time looking at other peoples' crochet.  Hmmmmm.....that is the good and bad of the computer - good for ideas, bad for stealing away time.....

This is the you tube clip to go with the book....cool cool colours.....

Monday 26 September 2011

Don't risk coal seam gas


This is an advertisement  Getup has made to highlight the negative impacts of coal seam gas mining and it is raising money to put it on air to counteract the massive advertising campaign the mining industry has just launched.  Go to Getup for more information,  to make a donation  and to sign their petition......

We call on the Health, Environment, Water and Agriculture Ministers to urgently halt the unbridled expansion of the coal seam gas industry until we have fully understood the impacts the industry is having, and we have the proper regulations and safe-guards in place to protect our:
- farmers and farmland;
- homes and communities;
- precious natural areas; and
- drinking and groundwater.


Spread the word......

Somewhere over the rainbow....


Look at the rainbow we saw from our veranda yesterday afternoon.
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Friday 23 September 2011

Shakin all over















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I was lucky enough to go to Melbourne last week with some very good friends and without any children.  We had a lovely time eating, laughing, drinking, looking in cool vintage clothing shops, admiring the street art and visiting the Gustav Klimt exhibition at the Art Gallery. I also heard a new favourite song which is an old song and it seems many famous people have covered it - from Led Zepplin to Iggy  Pop.  It is called Shakin All over by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.                                                                                                                                 

Friday 9 September 2011

Cool Colouring In

I just found this cool site with lots of free downloadable colouring in patterns.  It is called Patterns for Colouring
(of course, what else would it be called?).

Sunday 4 September 2011

It is easier to start than finish!









I love starting a new project but I find finishing them more difficult. These are three projects I am working on but have not yet finished. I have made about 68 squares for Sunny's bedspread which is pretty good but I need to do heaps more!  I've nearly finished the knitted pants, then i'll get back to the embroidery. After that  I want to make these wings for Sunny, a new skirt for summer and some presants for friends......more ideas than time!

Friday 2 September 2011

You can't beat a root




I have been picking quite a bit of beetroot from the garden this week.  Two different types - blood red and pink and white striped. Both delicious.

What to do with it? Well so far I have made my usual grated raw carrot and beetroot salad with a garlicky vinaigrette. Simple, colourful and good. I also like to pickle it.  Here is the recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  An old American cookbook which my Granny loved and gave to me.

Pickled Beetroot
Mix half cup white vinegar with a quarter cup of sugar (or a bit less) and boil for 5 mins.  Add quarter teaspoon of salt.  Pour over about 2 cups of cooked, sliced beetroot.  (tastes remarkably liked the tinned stuff but better cause you know you grew and cooked it).  I love a bit of beetroot on my sandwiches!

I also made Madher Jaffrey's beetroot and onion curry for the first time.  It was ok, actually pretty good with the cucumber raita but I liked it even more cold the next day with the felafels and tabbouleh we had for dinner. Yum. (i love Madher Jaffrey's Indian Cookbook.) You can find some recipes on the internet here.     

  • 350 g raw beetroot
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
  • 100 g onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp plain flour
  • 0.125-0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 225 g tomatoes, peeled and very finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 300 ml water

Method

1. Peel the beetroot and cut them into wedges. A medium-sized beetroot, about 5cm in length, should, for example, be cut into 6 wedges.

2. Put the oil in a medium-sized pan and set over a medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 5 seconds. Put in the garlic. Stir and fry until the garlic pieces turn golden. Put in the onions. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Put in the flour and cayenne. Stir and fry for a minute. Now put in the beetroot, the tomatoes, salt and water. Bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the beetroot are tender. Remove lid, turn up heat to medium, and cook uncovered for about 7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

3. This dish may be made ahead of time and reheated.


(I just pasted this recipe on here and all the links came with it.!!Cool!)

On an internet cruise I found this site which has a recipe for Beetroot pakoras which I might try out next week....cause you can't beat a root!  ( I love a corny phrase!)

PS just saw this cool video of a beetroot cake on vimeo


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beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Quotes I like






All these posters are on my Pinterest board.  Have you heard of pinterest? Another addictive computery thing where you add pictures to make your own virtual pin board.  I've always been a fan of a notice board and have boxes of cards, pictures and bits of paper hanging around the place that I intend to pin up one day but have never done so in the seven years we have lived here.  Oh well.  This new computer pinboard at least does not contribute to my hoards of paper and card and it is a really good pictorial bookmark for the internet as all pictures you pin are linked to a blog or web site where you or someone else came across it.  To see mine click on the red P or here.  It is a bit of a time waster but no worse than TV!!

Silly Self Portraits








I've got red hair.....I put henna in it on the weekend and it went really red.
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