it aint over til...

Aug 22, 2010

Baking refreshes the mind

Ah, back in the kitchen, baking for the first time in nearly months!
A lovely Whole Orange Syrup Cake from the best cake book eva - Bake Your Cake and Eat It Too! from Tamara Milstein

Jun 20, 2010

Ethical giving & creative making

Here is a new blanket that I knitted for my new neice!

from natural-dyed organic cotton. Another punk-knit creation, for who wants to follow a pattern!

Cuddly!

And as an excited aunty, I couldn't help buying a few gifts to welcome her into the world!

The handwoven bunny and dog are from Oxfam. The little dog, known now as Henry, is actually a wheat bag for your eyes, but is just so cute and smells of lovely lavender for extra soothing goodness. He is by Mahaguthi, "craft with a conscience" in Nepal. The Red bunny is by the women’s skill development project Pokhara and is 100% cotton, vegetable dyes.

The rattle is from EarthTribe, who are my now favourite toy makers! Fair Trade, Ethical & sustainable timbers with natural dyes, created in tribes and communities by local craftspeople. I believe it is a melbourne based company. I'm going to watch closely for any new stuff they bring out.

I dared me - it's a hat stand!

I dared and I did it. here's our new hat stand!

Apr 17, 2010

Knitting is fun

Here is the latest creation - a blanket for my nephew. Knitted with bamboo, it's lovely and soft and suprisingly warm!

It's my 2nd only knitting project, the first a scarf for me.
I don't know what it is either, I just can't follow instructions! The same with my cooking where I often vear from the recipe, I had no pattern for this. Made it up as I went. I thought it may be too big, but the size is good. Fits a grown up (well a short one), over the knees or curled up!

Apr 4, 2010

dinner 27-04

All organic, local, seasonal ingredients used when available

Entree:
Fish cakes with Plum sauce -
        Wild Barramundi (normally only farmed Barra is found so glad the meal is kept sustainable)
Plum sauce from 'Barmera home supplies'

Prawn and Avocado on Corn cakes -
        Small aussie prawns at a bargain $10 a kilo
Avocado, sour cream, parsley and chilli sauce
        Corn cakes made with coarse polenta and fresh corn

Main:
Sourdough olive loaf
Green salad -
      Baby spinach, rocket and parsley
      Fried capers and bread chunks
      Olive tapenade, Balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil dressing
Sicilian Pasta -
        Bucatini pasta
        Fennel, canned tomato, red wine, raisins and sultanas, parsley sauce
        Aussie Parmesan

Dessert:
Upside down sticky peach cake care of Monsieur Black
Creamy Meredith Brie, Goats cheese Blue and a tasmanian "bush dust" cheddar with garlic rub pita