Our Trip to Sydney

Even though I grew up it Sydney it has been lovely to spend time there as a tourist over the past couple of weeks.  Every time I visit I gain a new appreciation for the exquisite beauty of the harbourside city, but also for the terrible traffic and the overwhelming number of people who live there.

Our trip began with my little brother's wedding. The ceremony was held in a park on the harbour and the reception at the restaurant next door.  The sky was overcast when we arrived but this quickly changed to glorious Sydney sunshine.  

What a wonderful night we had!  It was an absolute joy to welcome my new sister-in-law into the family, and to see my extended family again.  Having only lived in Adelaide for two years, it was marvellous to be able to talk with people I have known longer than that, people who know my history and who love my family and me unconditionally.

The view from the park.  In the distance you can just see Centrepoint tower, a Sydney landmark.

The beautiful bride with her father...

Signing the register.

Later in the week we rode the River Cat into the city to show the kids the sights.  We were escorted by my husband's sister and her three kids.  After a picnic in the Royal Botanical Gardens we walked to Darling Harbour where we visited the Aquarium.

The Opera House (never, in a million years, could I deign to call it the 'Oprah' House - sheesh, the egotism of the woman!)

Brolgas dancing at Darling Harbour

Oh my! A chocolate sundae from the Lindt Cafe.

For us out-of-towners it was wonderful to have a Christmas where we could spend time with both sides of the family.  These biscuits were a gift from my husband's niece, who baked and decorated them.

After our week in Sydney we drove to Canberra for a few days' break.  A highlight was a visit to the Australian War Memorial.  This is not just a monument but a fabulous and poignant museum, the best museum in Australia, I think.  I could easily spend days in there.

Simpson and his Donkey

The War Memorial

Looking from the War Memorial across to Parliament House

We're back home now and I'm happily getting dirt under my fingernails in the garden again.  Today I picked the first zucchinis and made a cheesy zucchini slice for tea.  I added in some diced ham and it was delicious!

Thank you for sharing 2010 with me.  May you all have a magnificent year in 2011!

Back from the Wedding and Christmas Road Trip

Well, we're finally home from our two week road trip to Sydney and Canberra.  We experienced flood detours, my dear youngest brother's wedding, and a fabulous family Christmas.  We went to the beach, picnicked by Sydney Harbour, and spent much-needed time with family and friends.  

And there was lots and lots of driving - the round trip ended up being over 3,000 kilometres.

We arrived home this afternoon to much browner South Australian countryside than that we left.  The garden is looking sad and bedraggled from today's intense heat.  I'm hoping to get up early tomorrow before it gets too hot and work out what has survived and what, unfortunately, is headed for the compost bin.

I'm looking forward to sharing some of the hundreds of photos with you over the next few days.  However now I need to clean the kitchen, have a shower, and drag this poor, tired body off to bed.

Away

For the next week or two we will be travelling, first to an interstate wedding, then for Christmas with family in Sydney.

I am not clear how much, if any, computer access I shall have in that time, so I may not be able to write on my blog.  I promise to take lots of photos to share when I get back.

Until then, I hope you all enjoy a wonderful festive season with your family and friends.  

And Merry Christmas to you all!

The Correct Way to Wash Dishes

 My dishwasher (electric, not husband!) is out of action, which means that I have been washing lots of dishes by hand lately.  Hence this post.

From America's Housekeeping Book, 1941.

How to Wash Dishes

1.Prepare hot soapsuds

2.Wash in any preferred order.  The usual order is:
       a) Glassware
       b) Silver
       c) Dishes
       d) Cooking utensils

3. Change the suds frequently.  Dirty water won't make the dishes clean.

4. Stack the dishes in the dish drainer as they are washed.

5. Rinse immediately with hot, not scalding, water so that soapy water won't dry on the dishes.  A spray attachment for the faucet (tap) makes easy work of this.

6. Dry glassware and silver with clean, lintless towels.  If dishes are rinsed with hot water they will dry by themselves and can be put away at your convenience.
   

Kate's tip:  Scrape all your dishes first with a cake scraper or spatula, then hopefully you will only need one sinkful of soapy water to wash all your dishes.  Very environmentally friendly!

Unintentional Peas

A fine crop of peas has sprung up from the pea straw that I am using to mulch one of my vegetable beds.  As is so often the case, these unintentional peas are growing much more strongly than the peas I planted and nurtured early in the spring.

Unsupported by a trellis, the pea plants are rising up from the soil supported only by each other.  I love the determined way those delicate tendrils wind and curl and twist around each other.

Chocolate Eclairs

Some leftover sweetened, chocolate-flavoured cream from my daughter's birthday cake meant that I just had to make chocolate eclairs to use it up.

I had forgotten how good home-made choux pastry tastes - especially when cream-filled and covered in chocolate icing.

Heart-Shaped Chocolate Ice Cream Cake - With a Smile

 We're having a birthday party-free year here at our red house, but that does not mean for a moment that we are not celebrating birthdays.

Yesterday my daughter turned 14 and today she celebrated by inviting a friend over for dinner, some DVDs and a sleepover.  As usual for my summer baby, the cake was a home-made ice cream cake (recipe here).  Miss 14 made the filling and I decorated with sweetened chocolate-flavoured whipped cream.  She asked for a smiley face to decorate and it suited her bright personality perfectly.

Happy birthday beautiful girl!

Child-Made Christmas

Over the years we have acquired quite a collection of Christmas decorations and pictures made by our children at kindergarten or school.  They come out every year to go proudly on display.  The kids can always remember who made what and which year.

The glass bead picture above arrived home in Master 7's schoolbag a week or two ago and now graces our sitting room windowsill.

I am constantly amazed by, and thankful for, the creativity of the teachers of young children.

Cosmos

The cosmos plants in my front yard are just starting to come into flower.  Having never grown cosmos before, I am amazed at how fast they grow from seed.

I have read that if you let them cosmos will take over your whole garden.  Could that possibly be a bad thing? 

Stormy Weather

I stood outside for ten minutes trying to get a photo of the thunder storm raging around me, to no avail, so I have borrowed a photo online for this post.

It was lovely outside; cool and breezy and wet.

Like most of the rest of Australia, it seems, Adelaide is having a wetter than usual December.  That is not saying much, mind you.  Today was the wettest December day in Adelaide since 1936 and  we only got 43 mm of rain (a bit under two inches).  I know many parts of Australia can easily double or triple this figure in a day.

 Personally, I am thrilled about the rain.  It gives me confidence that none of the fruit trees I planted over winter will die from lack of water.  It gives me confidence that my new vegie patch will survive.  The cooler weather is exquisite after the extreme heat of the past few summers.

The weather today reminds me of summer weather during my childhood in Sydney: hot and muggy, then a storm that clears the air and makes everything fresh and clean for the new day.

image is from http://blogs.sundaymercury.net/brummie-broad/2008/07/

Little Biscuit House for Christmas

My daughter made this adorable little biscuit house at school and I thought it was such a lovely idea for a kids' Christmas activity or home-made gift that I'd share it here.

You can see that she has used Iced VoVos,  Hundreds and Thousands biscuits, various cream wafers and sponge fingers for the walls, roof and floor.  I'm sure that you could substitute any square or rectangular biscuits/cookies, either commercial or home-made.  

The chimney is made out of a licorice allsort cut on the diagonal and the bushes out front are spearmint leaves.

The 'glue' that binds the house together is a simple icing made out of icing (confectioner's) sugar and water.  The girls piped the icing on using piping bags made out of cones of baking paper with the corner snipped off.  An extra dusting of icing sugar made snow for the roof.

I had never seen a biscuit house like this before.  I love it when my kids teach me something new!

Gifts That Make a Difference

Whoever thought up the idea of encouraging people to buy a goat or chicken or seeds on someone else's behalf as a Christmas gift had a stroke of genius.   People are helped, less unnecessary junk is purchased, and both giver and receiver get lots of warm, fuzzy feelings.

We'll be doing this for my sister-in-law's family this year and they'll be doing the same for us - although we've agreed to buy clutter-free presents such as movie tickets for the younger kids.

If you too would like to give to a charity this Christmas here are some to consider (some of these are Australian links):

Oxfam Unwrapped

Tear Useful Gifts

World Vision Smiles
Heifer International

If there are others you know of please leave a comment and I'll add them to the list.