family flex friday

mum and dad visited today, and after a relaxing lunch, and a tour of the garden, dad inspected some of the handyman jobs completed, in progress and stalled. He also measured up other jobs that needed doing. Mum noted that she would also need to come back soon to finish the roman blind for the door in the dining room, to complement the curtains she made for the bay window about a year ago. So I guess they will be back for a working bee in the not too distant future.

road milling & road-resurfacing
It was lovely to have them visit as it has been quite a while since they have been to our house, although it couldn't have happened on a worse day as the council was resurfacing the road. To escape the dust and noise we took a drive to Hargraves Nursery and discovered a great antique shop. So many great things, so little money at the moment. I have made a mental note and hopefully before christmas we can return and some of the treasures we eyed off will still be there. I really loved this stuffed puppy but he was NFS.

puppy
Mum treated us to a couple of plants whilst at the nursery, one for the pond and a silk tree for the nature strip. B has been after a silk tree for months now, well actually years, we did get one earlier this year but it was quite small and over winter when it just looked like a stick stuck in the ground someone snapped it at the base and it was no more. This one is about 3 foot tall and protected by a stake. We will be nurturing it along so that by winter when it becomes deciduous it looks a bit more substantial than its predecesor.

With the parents needing to get home, we would have liked them to stay for dinner but they had the next-sister-down coming to collect her dog, we treated ourselves to dinner out - payella, and dropped into B's mum for coffee. It had been some time since we had visited her at her place so it was a nice way to round off family flex friday.

biscuits mark II

biscuits markII
I can report that the chocolate ripple version of my biscuits is even better. Although I think I prefer the original version, the compliments from my work colleagues and B confirm this one is best.

so simple biscuit treat

Whilst at the hairdressers, flipping through a magazine, as you do, I came across a recipe for wagon wheel type biscuits. So simple is the recipe, that I could remember the ingredients and instructions a week later when called upon to make something for a morning tea at work.

Ingredients
Marie biscuits, 'top and fill' caramel stuff, marshmallows, chocolate

Instructions on how to make
Spread 'top and fill' caramel stuff on half of the biscuits. Place a marshmallow on each of the remaining biscuits, and doing a few at a time, microwave for 30 seconds or so. The marshmallow will soften/melt and expand. Remove from the microwave and join to the biscuit you have spread with caramel stuff. When this step has been completed, melt some chocolate and ideally with a piping bag, otherwise a snap-lock plastic bag with the corner snipped, pipe melted chocolate over the biscuits. Allow chocolate to set, and serve, or store in an airtight container.

biscuits
I love these biscuits, they take 10 minutes to make, are guaranteed fool-proof (If you don’t pick up the ceramic plate you have been using in the microwave too soon. This has no effect on the biscuits, unless you drop them of course, but does burn the fingers.), and people seem to like them.

With success going to my head I feel the need to share the recipe with the world. The potential for birthday parties, as a special treat, for school fetes, and morning teas, the opportunities are endless.

The variations are also endless. I am sure if you don’t like the caramel you could substitute for jam, just like a real wagon wheel. Also, if you don’t have the Marie biscuits another plain biscuit could be an interesting twist. On a creative roll now and with a work morning tea tomorrow, this evening I shall be giving Chocolate Ripples a go.

Too exciting!

Seed

clivia seeds
At the wedding of the ‘next sister down’ the weekend before last, the no 1 nephew and I collected clivia seeds*. Clivia’s are one of my favorite plants, with their dark green glossy leaves and bright orange flowers. Their seeds when ripe turn a deep orange to red, and are just the thing for a four year old with lots of energy to go in search of, when the adults are busy mingling. About a dozen seeds were collected, and would not be wasted; as a momento of the day, my old school and all of that; I plan to grow them.

I commenced the process last weekend by rummaging through recent issues of Gardening Australia, remembering there were instructions specifically on clivia seed germination. I found them in the September issue.

Step 1 ~ Remove seed from the fleshy pod and soak seed overnight in water with a drop of bleach
Step 2 ~ Soak two paper towels in a weak solution of bleach and water, drain off the paper towels so they are not too wet
Step 3 ~ Line the bottom of a container with the paper towels, place seeds, and cover with another bleach-dipped layer of paper towel. Cover the container with an airtight lid.
Step 4 ~ Rest seeds in the warmest part of the house to germinate. This can take two to six weeks.

With step one underway, a spot reserved in the laundry for step four, and all going well I should have some well advanced seedlings in progress by the time the nephew is down at Christmas time.

*My apologies for the marigold that got uprooted, there was some confusion given the similarity in colours.

commitment

Wedding
congratulations to the next sister down and her new husband on getting married last weekend. May romance and love continue to grow each year through the lifetime you'll share. It was a beautiful day.

Reception venue

momentous birthdays

today is the allocated* birthday for our little Jasmine who is five. This is her 2006 birthday portrait.

Jasmine 5th birthday

And before time gets too far away and we are on momentous birthdays, we had the pleasure of celebrating little B's first birthday, last Sunday. And you've just got to love the cake made by her dad 'faeries and mushroom', it was just too cute.

Breanna's Cake

*the people we rescued her from didn't know the date she was born or even how many weeks old she was when they gave her to us, I am guessing she was only about 6 weeks old. She was too young really but as the mother and litter had to fend for themselves, all but two, including our Jas were no longer. So from our estimations we set the first of October as her birthday.

strange customs

we keep a lidded container the size of a very small bucket (4L) on our kitchen bench, it is for fruit and vegetable scraps to be collected. On a regular enough basis the bucket is emptied onto the compost heap which is located down the back of our yard. I instigated the scrap bucket when B and I first moved in together, although the scrap bucket was used to feed our worm farm. We were renting, and the landlord may not have approved of a compost heap. When we got our own place I introduced a neat compost bin (less fuss than the worm farm, no need to filter out the onion and citrus skins) and vegetable scrap collections resumed. With yet another move and a bigger yard, the bin is no longer and we have a full scale compost going. Now where was I going with this.... yes I instigated the scrap bucket, my mum had one which she emptied on a compost heap, my grandmother, and great grandmother on my mothers side had one, and they too had compost heaps. Although now my grandmother digs a hole in her garden and buries the buckets contents, moving from petunia patch to rose bed, and so on. I can't remember whether my grandmother on my dad's side had one or not. The point is, and yes I am getting to it, it seems like a fairly normal doesn't require explanation sort of thing to do. But, maybe it is. You see we have a house guest with us, and she has taken to the scrap bucket without question, and has even taken on the responsibility of emptying it. The only thing is I believe that she is emptying it when the garbage gets emptied, into the garbage bin. So it is not making it to the compost. I can't imagine what she must think, why we would separate, only to put it all in the garbage bin. Do others have a compost, a vege scrap bucket for the compost, or a vege scrap bucket for the garbage bin? I am intrigued. Is my family weird carrying out a strange custom? Even if we are, we are doing our little bit for the planet, and our gardens. But it does make me wonder about others and their compost heaps and how they manage the kitchen to heap process*.

* I wonder a lot when I am meant to be doing an assignment.

craft withdrawl

there has been a distinct lack of craft posts due to no craft projects being undertaken in recent weeks, or is it months??? I have been loathe to do anything as I am meant to be studying. Keeping up to date on readings, writing assignments, and studying for an exam always provides more than enough motivation to be distracted by a craft project, to clean the house, or weed the garden. And whilst knitting or cross-stitch have been favourite distractions in the past, this time round weeding the garden has probably come in first, followed by cleaning the house, although the standards here are slipping.

This weekend the garden was again the focus of my distraction, with visits to The Indian Bazaar and Wisteria Gardens where we picked up Clivias and Bromeliads respectively for massed displays in the backyard.

Bromeliad bargain

The Indian Bazaar also provided a much needed craft infusion with this find of fabrics and lace.

pretty paisley patchwork fabric

laces

barkcloth

funky fabric

linen bag

7 weeks and counting and I will be MBA free forever.

All about poo and worms

I have a new toy, as seen on Better Homes and Gardens, a tumbleweed pet poo converter. My new toy is going to make the regular collection of Macc’s droppings so much fun, because a slick team of worms are going to turn dog ‘do do’ into worm poo that will be the best fertilizer the non-edible parts of my garden will get.

pet poo convertor
The Tumbleweed Pet Poo Converter is just a tumbleweed worm farm, but actually any old worm farm will do. I just like the tumbleweed one as it seems a bit better designed than its competitors, I particularly like the hinged lid, and the pet poo (how many times can I say this in the one post?) converter tag. And in case you are after the Tumbleweed Pet Poo Converter and can’t find one, it is exactly the same as the Tumbleweed Worm Farm except it comes with different instructions. Tumbleweed Sales will provide you with these instructions if you ask nicely.

Basically, the only difference from the standard worm farm is that you can only feed the worms pet poo. Apparently if you feed them anything but poo, they won't eat it. Can't blame them really!

Ewwww
I have had a standard worm farm in the past, but prefer to compost my vege scraps, it is much simpler than having to worry about sorting the onion skins, citrus, etc from the rest.

I am hoping pet poo conversion will be less smelly than bagging the business for the bin. However, I am concerned that Macc's monthly combined heartworm, intestinal worm tablet might have a deadly impact on the pet poo factory workers. The instructions say not to feed them for at least 24hours following a worming tablet but it didn't specify what worming tablet they were referring to. I shot off an email to Dr Harry, but have not had a response to my question. So I guess I am running my own experiment, which I can report back on here. Has anyone had any experience with this already, I would love to hear from you.

there'll be no pictures for this post

and I should really keep this to myself but, there really is nothing like getting a new bra, and tonight I got three! After putting it off and putting it off, I finally made the trip to Debra's. With time running out to find an outfit for the wedding of the next sister down, it was decided to sort out the support, improve the shape, and get a boost in confidence* that a new (proper fitting) bra gives.

I went with designer styles by Oroton, Trent Nathan, and a third I can't remember but is a pretty cappuccino colour. Ohhh the choices for tomorrow.

So if you are in Western Sydney (it would be worth the trip even if you are from further abroad)and have not been fitted for a bra, I thorougly recommend the great personal service of Debra's.

*It's hard having stick sisters as siblings. Particularly when your mother goes into shops with you and tells you how great the clothes would look on either of them. Hmmmmmm, pass me another mint slice B.