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Archive for the ‘My Photos’ Category

Turkish Treasures

Posted in Cool Things, My Photos on October 7, 2015| 30 Comments »

My friends Metin and Moya of Turkuaz Motif are closing their store in Crows Nest. They’ll now be concentrating on their market stalls across Sydney (details here). If you’re in the area, you still have three days to pop into their shop (127 Willoughby Road) to pick up some last minute bargains.

I visited today and bought this stunning, hand-painted platter.  It’s very large – 42cm in diameter – and matches several smaller bowls and plates that I already own…

It’s a damaged piece that has been carefully repaired by Metin.

I love that, because it means that hours of meticulous craftsmanship haven’t gone to waste, the plate didn’t end up in landfill, and I had the opportunity to buy something at a massively discounted price that I couldn’t justify otherwise.

I’ll treasure this platter, because now it has a story. Perfection is overrated, and often very, very wasteful.

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The exquisitely detailed fabric below is known as a Suzani, and it’s an Uzbek wedding cloth.

It was hand-embroidered by a bride as part of her dowry in 1982 (the date is stitched into the fabric). Metin told me that often a spare would be made, which would then be sold if the wife didn’t need it or if funds were required. I can’t imagine anyone putting so much work into something and then selling it!

I’d never seen these traditional tribal textiles before and I was instantly smitten. At 1.5m x 2.6m, it will make an amazing tablecloth if I can find a sheet of plastic large enough to protect it. The second photo below (under the coffee cup) shows the needlepoint in more detail…

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I don’t have any affiliation with Turkuaz Motif, but Metin and Moya are incredibly lovely and I’m very keen to support them. When Mum and I walked by their stall at the Rocks Markets shortly after Dad passed away, Met went out of his way to give Mum a small bowl as a gift. She was very touched by his kindness. Today as I was leaving, he gave me this tiny espresso cup and saucer, and an enameled copper ring…

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If you’re in Sydney and a fan of Turkish ceramics or Central Asian textiles, you have until Saturday to pick up a bargain at their Crows Nest store. Otherwise, you can catch them at the Rocks Markets (every Saturday or Sunday) or the Kirribilli Markets (every fourth Saturday of the month). Say hi for me!

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Snippets

Posted in My Photos, Recipes on September 13, 2015| 27 Comments »

A few snippets from the past couple of weeks…

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Pete and I went into town for the opening of Barangaroo Reserve last Saturday. It’s a magnificent space…

The underground area is known as the Cut-Out, and it’s larger than a football field…

We bought a Thai yellow chicken curry from Martin Boetz’s stall and ate it overlooking the water on a gloriously moody, overcast day…

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Last week, the power in our neighbourhood went out for a couple of hours. So Big Boy and I went for coffee. It seemed the only sensible thing to do, and I love any excuse to spend time with him…

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I’ve been experimenting with the offcuts Johnny gives us. We carefully sliced off as much jamon as we could for sandwiches, but I couldn’t bear to waste the delicious fat…

So I added it to my raw rice and let it all cook together. It infused the rice with a delicate smoky flavour…

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We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night, so I popped in to see my friend Dotti at the Paesanella Cheese Shop in Haberfield. It’s the easy way to entertain…

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I’ve been baking an insane amount of focaccia. The first batch was made with this truffle salt, a gift from lovely Jay at Bistro Cocotte (best not to ask how many times we’ve eaten there now)…

I used truffle oil on the top as well…and took a loaf down to Jay to thank him…

The second batch of our regular sourdough focaccia was gigantic…

It’s always so much fun to bake! We ate some for lunch, delivered large pieces to the neighbours, then sliced the rest up and baked it in a 100C oven for two and a half hours. As you can probably imagine, crackers made from oily, salty focaccia are incredibly moreish…

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The manic dishcloth knitting continues…this one was made on slightly larger needles…

I’ve come up with the world’s easiest knitting pattern for a dishcloth (this is for you, Tania!)…using 8ply cotton and 5mm needles, cast on 38 stitches and knit in straight garter stitch (all knit, no purl) for 60 rows (or until it’s large enough), then cast off. Stripes are optional…

As it seems ridiculous to blog about something so simple, I thought I’d make it up to you with a photo of Maude’s current work in progress. It’s a crocheted blanket made in 10ply Australian cotton, and it will be three times this size when it’s finished (this photo is for Nancy)…

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Finally, Sunday morning baking – a couple of mocha bars for dinner tonight, and a batch of gluten-free chocolate cakes, made with Cacao Barry Tanzanie Origin chocolate…

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Hope you’re all having a glorious weekend!  ♥

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Bits and Pieces

Posted in My Photos on August 24, 2015| 82 Comments »

An eclectic assortment of bits and pieces from the past couple of months…

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I recently found myself with a Wednesday morning free, so I asked Big Boy if I could keep him company while he ran errands. We chatted as he drove, and then we went and had a coffee. How often does life give you the chance to spend quality time with your adult children?

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I didn’t take the photo below, but Bethany sent it to me because she knows how much I adore Not-A-Baby-Anymore Grace. Small bossy girl decided she would put on an impromptu ballet performance for patrons of the Revesby Worker’s Club…

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We sat at St George Hospital for 22 days. It was a hard time. But the kindness of the nursing staff – their compassion and patience and competence – made things just a little bit easier. Robyn the physio took us under her wing and made Dad as comfortable as possible. We will be forever grateful to them…

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My beloved nieces live in Singapore, so I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like. They’re both world class fencers. The youngest gave me the pins she’d received from the Sea Games (where she won a bronze medal), including the coveted red pin only given to competitors. I’m so proud of them that it feels like my heart might burst…

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My fossil collection has now outgrown the mantlepiece. A vintage crystal spider guards our treasures while we sleep…

Our latest addition is this 145 million year old ammonite in matrix from South Dakota. It’s hard to see from the photo, but the shell has a pearly shimmer to it…

The stunning specimen below isn’t in my collection (from memory, it retails for over $600), but lovely Tom at the Living Fossil Gallery was more than happy for me to take a photo of it. I think it’s absolutely magnificent…

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Happy Snack in Homebush West (formerly Flemington) make my favourite banh mi – it’s filled with pork balls, salad, paté and sauces, then toasted to perfection. My personal recommendation is to ask for chilli, then carefully remove every piece before eating (or risk spontaneous combustion)…

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Small Man and Big Boy, having a Garcia and De Niro moment. It makes me incredibly happy that they’re so close, even as adults…

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Our friend Will introduced me to Coffee Alchemy. They make the best decaf I’ve ever tasted…

Coffee is a very serious business at this little Marrickville café and roaster, and on Saturday mornings, one barista makes the shots, the other does milk. No food on offer, just elegant, perfectly crafted brews. Owner Hazel de los Reyes holds the Australian Cupping title (bean selection) as well as a variety of other barista titles. If you’re passionate about coffee, seek these people out…

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Big Boy took us to his favourite all-you-can-eat Korean barbeque. Wagyu House in Croydon is a hoot – $29.90 per person for all the meat and sides you can consume in a three hour sitting – served in a converted car yard on Parramatta Road. I really like that the meat is cooked over hot charcoal rather than gas…

I don’t get my money’s worth there, as I just want to eat banchan and side dishes, but Small Man more than makes up for me…

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Pete and I spent a sunny afternoon beachcombing at Warriewood recently. I picked up these pieces of pumice – it’s amazing to think that they were spewed out of a volcano half a world away. They’re as light as air…

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I hope you’re all having a lovely month! ♥

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Interesting Times

Posted in Food & Friends, Frugal Living, Garden, My Photos on May 3, 2015| 129 Comments »

There is an old Chinese curse…”May you live in interesting times”. (Actually, it’s apocryphal, but an apt way to start this post.)

The second half of April was indeed an interesting time. My poor mum fell and broke her wrist, requiring surgery on the same day that Small Man started his HSC mid-year exams. Which coincidentally happened to be the same day the huge Sydney storm hit (it lasted three days). The weather dropped fifteen degrees overnight and our gas heater died, joining the long list of breakages we’ve had in the last six months – the dishwasher, oven, airconditioner, microwave, alarm and our entire computer system have all needed repair or replacement.

Later that same week, we had a massive hailstorm (be warned, the video below is very loud). The hail obstructed all the gutters and drains on the roof, causing the skylight in the kitchen to leak like a sieve. The garden was completely shredded, but the chickens were fine. While we were trying to sort out the kitchen, water came in through the bedroom ceiling and soaked our bed.

It was a very interesting week.

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Maintaining routine seems to be the only sensible option at times like these.

I continued to bake – I find it very therapeutic – and our overnight sourdough loaves are perfect when things are chaotic. Because they involve so little hands-on effort and prove on the bench while everyone is asleep, they’re easy to fit into our routine, regardless of whatever else is happening. I baked these two loaves to trade with Andy the dishwasher repairman in exchange for a new seal on the powder dispenser. I gave him one loaf for the rubber seal, and one for being kind enough to deliver it to us…

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Fulfilling a promise I’d made the week before, I bought Grace a $10 pink wig. She refers to it as her mermaid hair. If you ever need to buy a hairpiece, I ordered this one online from The Wig Outlet and found them most efficient to deal with…

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On ANZAC Day, after clambering onto the kitchen roof to scrape off hail and positioning buckets under the skylight and hairdryering the bed, we needed a simple dinner. God bless Tanya and her easy Spanish recipes – chorizo tapas and vegetarian arroz caldoso, accompanied by garlic and cheese bread – were quick to make and perfect comfort food for a cold, wet evening…

 

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Over dinner, I raised the question of whether or not to cancel a $5 a month data plan on my phone. We’d put it in place when we were last away, but it hadn’t been used much in recent months. I pointed out that $5 was basically a takeaway coffee and it was good to have it there if we needed it.

Then Small Man said, “Mum, that’s $60 a year.”

Big Boy added…”That’s two dinners from the charcoal chicken place…”

Small Man.. “or a dozen games at the next Steam sale…”

Big Boy…”or eighty coffee pods…”

I can’t tell you how happy that conversation made me. It was reassuring to know that they’ve listened and absorbed the conversations we’ve had over the years about living within our means. Our sons never take anything for granted. I honestly couldn’t be any prouder of them. Needless to say, I’ve cancelled the data plan.

And you know, that three minute conversation was all it took to make everything right again. To readjust my brain and see the day as exciting rather than arduous, to give thanks for warm food shared with a loving family, to sit back and hold Pete’s hand and watch our sons animatedly converse over dinner as they always do.

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Even during the most interesting of times, life is always grand!

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A Slower Pace

Posted in My Photos on August 25, 2014| 36 Comments »

As I mentioned last month, I’m making a concerted effort to slow down.

That means I’m not online very much at the moment, so please forgive me for not visiting your blogs more diligently or responding to comments promptly.

What I am doing instead is spending time with my family, hanging out with old friends, experimenting in the kitchen, and playing board games with Small Man. Our youngest son had a birthday recently and we went to the Mythbusters Live Show to celebrate…

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We’ve been blowing and catching touchable bubbles with baby M…

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I found the bubble solution at Terrific Scientific in Annandale for just $3.95…

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I’ve been taking arty photos on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic Camera App…

Please Mind the Gap when Boarding the Light Rail…

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…and pottering about in our wet garden…

It’s been raining so much that our muddy backyard eggs look like potatoes!

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Hope you’ve all been well and happy! Talk soon! ♥

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