Possum Galore
A life ‘Down Under’!
A Grand Day Out
Our friends Tracey and Jen are up staying with us at the moment. They live about 3 hours away on the banks of the Clarence River.Today we all went out to Cedar Creek, below Mount Glorious for a picnic. We stopped at Andy Williams Park. I always liked Moon River and of course he was quite instrumental in introducing us to the Osmonds(!) so it is fitting he is celebrated with a a toilet block and 2 barbeque areas.I heard cicadas properly for the first time. I only heard one at first as I was walking along by the river, looking carefully where I was putting my feet. It sounded to me a bit like an angry rattlesnake...but they don't have rattlesnakes here...nowhere near dangerous enough for this place!
Cedar Creek
The sound of the cicadas came in waves. One would start off and then the rest would join in and the sound would seem to pass all around you and then slowly die down and stop.We had a lovely picnic, 5 different kinds of bread, houmous, tabbouleh, smoked salmon, pasta salad, etc. It was all very Famous Five...without the ginger beer.
The Famous Five
There was a kookaburra watching us and a bush turkey came wandering past.
Koszi and Chomo, Trace's dogs, chased it off!!After lunch we had a game of Euchre before heading back to Brisbane.In the evening Will and I went with Ros to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) to see Taikoz and their show 'Crimson Sky.'
Such rhythm, synchronisation and muscular torsos. It was real treat!
I thought Dulcie was pulling my leg when she read this out to me!Australian Masterchef Bake Off Masterclass with Australia’s Answer to Mary Berry.
No cleaning jobs today!(Although I have cleaned some bird pooh off the side of the house and swept out the garage...I mention this only in the interests of full disclosure!)Today we made a ‘batch a biscuits’! (I will post the recipe separately)I accepted my role as Sous Chef happily and watched Chef at work. I did offer to do some of the mixing and beating but I was just called upon to get ingredients and measure them out.At a crucial moment of the procedure...the actual formation of the biscuit and placing them on the baking tray...the phone rang and Chef was called away.‘You roll them out’ she said, ‘You know what to do.’I didn't. Oh Heck! The pressure was on!I did the best I could and when the phone call ended and Chef came back. I stood aside proudly and said ‘What do you think Chef?’There was quite a long moment of silence as she leaned upon the counter top and looked at them, then she said,‘Oh, you've only used 2 trays.’Yes, I had used 2 trays because that was all there was on the counter top ready laid with baking paper.‘There are some more here’ said Chef reaching to the side of the microwave.We ended up tipping all my carefully formed biscuits back into the mixing bowl, which I had cleaned and dried and put away like a good Sous Chef does, and starting again!Chef was happy now and it’s always good to keep Chef happy.When they were baked I tried one.‘They’re good,’ I said. I was relieved I hadn't ruined them.
Dulcie’s Jam Drops and Sultana Biscuits
150g butter1 cup of sugar1 lid of vanilla extract (5mls)2 eggs2 cups of self raising flourRaspberry jamDesiccated coconutSultanas(Makes about 3 dozen biscuits!)Method:Melt the butter in the microwave briefly to soften it slightly (Not until it is all melted!)Add it to the mixing bowl with the sugar. Add the vanilla extract. Cream these ingredients together.(For best effects use the old worn spoon that your mother gave you.)When they are thoroughly mixed add the 2 eggs and beat them in.Fold in the sifted self raising flour.Rest the dough for about 10 minutes.Heat the oven to 160 C.Cover three flat biscuit trays with baking paper, cut to fit.(Jam Drops)Dust the palm of your hand with a little flour and taking some dough, roll a small disc in the palm of your hand, about the size of a 50p or 50c piece. Press a finger into the centre to make a depression...‘Like a little bird’s nest’ says Chef.(We made 26 jam drops and got them on 2 trays)Put a little raspberry jam in the nest and sprinkle with a little desiccated coconut.
(Sultana Biscuits)We added half a cup of sultanas to the rest of the dough left in the bowl and mixed them in.Roll them out again, in the palm of your hand but this time you do not need to flour your palm.(We got about 12 of these biscuits on our third tray)Press the sultana biscuits flat with a fork (see illustration)
Put them in the oven for about 20 minutes then turn the trays round and bake for another 10 minutes until brown.
Store in an air tight container.Enjoy at your leisure!