Warming Foods for Cold Days

My DH loves to cook.  This is a good thing – especially when I am having a ‘slack attack’.

He has always wanted to bake bread, so he set to a couple of days ago and took the journey.

Soooooooooooo happy he did, because ( a ) it was Yummy with a capital Y and ( b ) he wants to make more.

This one was a pull apart with a cheese and herb filling and I wish I could share the aroma of it cooking with you all.

My dear Dad turned 86 on 7 July and my sister and I took some lunch to his house to share with him.  I did a hearty beef casserole and my sister did a soup and his favourite dessert of milky, creamy baked rice and the simple cake dessert with apricot which we used for his candle.  Oh heaven! 

The weather has been cold in the mornings and when the westerly wind comes up the chill factor goes up with it.  My Dad lives on the plains 20 minutes from here and it is ffffffreezing.  It was –1 the morning of his birthday, but the company and food warmed us up.  The delightful Lilian was able to join us too.

My friend, Joan, gifted me a stack of lemons, so of course, I had to do one of our favourite desserts.  It is an easy lemon coconut tart and it is beautiful served with cream, ice cream and blueberries. No calories – ahem.

It is basically like the old impossible pie only lemony.  I am sorry I can’t remember where I originally got this recipe.

 

Easy Lemon Coconut Tart:

1` tablespoon grated lemon rind

1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice

1 cup 220gr caster suger

4 eggs, beaten lightly

1 2/3 cups (410ml) milk

1/2 cup (75g) flour

1 cup (90gr) desiccated coconut

125 g butter, melted (I use about 110 g)

icing sugar

Grease 24cm pie dish.  Combine all ingredients except icing sugar in large bowl; mix well.  Pour mixture into prepared dish.  Bake in moderate oven about 50 minutes or until browned lightly and set.  Cover loosely with foil if over-browning.   Dust with sifted icing sugar.  Serve tart warm with cream and blueberries if desired.  Serves 8

Another birthday at this time of year is our puppy dog.  Bella is now 13 years old, and although her senses are diminished and her legs aren’t carrying her as well as they used to, she is still going along well and is a big part of our family.  She is a border collie cross and if you have ever had one of these dogs you know how faithful they are, and the great temperament they have. 

It is school holidays and we are looking after Lilian during the day this week while her Mummy is at work.  We are so very proud of our daughter, and the wonderful job she is doing of bringing up Lilian mostly on her own.  Lilian was chuffed when I gave her her very own old book to alter into a little art journal.

Her very first page signed and sealed with a heart and hugs.

Until next time – happy creating………………………Dianne.

Birds, Trees, & A Little bit of Creating

Firstly, Joan LOVED her little memory book.

I have to share with you this most extraordinary stitchery which Alison made for Joan.  It is done on the finest linen and she doesn’t even use a magnifier.  Fantastic work! 

It reads: “ He who loves an old house never loves in vane…how can an old house used to sun and rain to wattle and flame tree and a tall silky oak ever fail to answer the heart that shows it love”.  These trees mentioned are all in Joan and her husband’s garden. 

Left to Right, Alison, Irene, Dianne, Joan, Marleen and Shirley. Vicky was the photographer!

  We had a lovely lunch at a local cafe called “Two Birds” in Duggan St.  I can highly recommend this place.  Hot coffee and delicious light meals and yummy cakes, AND BEST OF ALL, everything is homemade – there on the premises.

Now for some birds of a different kind…..

One of the hardest living things to photograph has to be birds in my opinion.  Just when you press the shutter, they decide to move.  Here are a few I managed to capture on the last trip away to the Gulf.

At Waruma Dam – I think this bird is trying to grow his neck as long as that tree!!

Peacocks at Burdekin Dam – the colours are amazing and he has his very own ‘zentangle’ © on his top wing.

Peahens – not so attractive.  Why is it so?

Red Tailed Black cockatoo at Karumba having breakfast.

One lone pelican at Warumba Dam – This photos shows the cooking and wash up area on our slide on camper. Not a bad view to have while washing up!!

I love, love, love trees and often photograph them on our travels and at home.

Our big, huge tree at the back in wintertime.  All the leaves underneath will be used in the garden as mulch.

These long tall skinny things used to be trees until they were drowned at some time in the past!

Bottle trees near Jandowae in south western Queensland.

Tall Kauri at Paronella Park near Innisfail, northern Queensland.  They were planted in 1933 to form an avenue in this most wonderful park (more about it in another post).

Our poor little mandarin tree which is badly in need of some TLC but still produces fruit faithfully for us.

This is the collage card I made for Joan’s birthday – front and back.

 

First layout of ferris wheel blocks for my daughter’s friend’s quilt.  22 more blocks to go!!!!

This is a Karen Griska pattern and is available here if you would like to whip one up.

Until next time – happy creating – Dianne…………………………………………….

Seventy Surprise & Sunsets

Today one of my dear friends turns 70. 

We met at Toowoomba Quilters in the year 2000 and when I went to work at Blue Care, who should be also working there?  Joan.  We worked together for some 5 years and became firm friends.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN!!
We have been sneaking around behind her back and have put together a little photo/memento book for her. It will be a complete surprise when we present it to her at lunch today.

This is the front of the book.  I did an ink drawing of Joan & her husband’s house.  It is an historic old house built in the 1800’s which they love. I used my favourite pen the Sakura sepia pen.


Page by Shirley

Page by Marleen

Page by Vicky

Page by Loretta

My Zentangle page – All the items listed on the right appear somewhere in the doodle drawing.  This concept was from my friend Kerry’s website, “All About Drawings .com”

Page by Alison.  Alison has done a colour photocopy of the actual stitchery she has done for Joan.  Can’t wait to see the real thing!!
On each page spread I have also included some photographs of Joan with her friends.

We have recently returned from a trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria.  Our first camp spot was at Lake Waruma (near Eidsvold).  We have voted it our most favourite campsite ever.  The sunsets were amazing.  There were no bugs, it was peaceful and warm and we had this area to ourselves. 


I nicknamed it “On Golden Pond”!

The mix of colours changed as the sun started to disappear.  The sky remained a beautiful turquoise blue – so many different colours appeared.  

Until next time...........................Dianne