tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13048825922399802412024-03-13T21:26:34.971+11:00Humble Habithumble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-20961039280293719472014-11-26T17:55:00.003+11:002014-11-26T17:55:48.854+11:00Recipe Wednesday - A Himalayan salted dulce de leche meringue<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15695384837" title="Swirls"><img alt="Swirls" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7465/15695384837_3ffd653cc6.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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A good friend, Laura Solis, asked me to create a sweet for her. Laura runs '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/solisyou" target="_blank">Sol is you</a>' where she offers some beautiful pampering services and also sells a range of Himalayan salts. I made a variation of a dulce de leche meringue, with the added zing of her salt. I love <a href="http://humblehabit.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/recipe-wednesday-chocolate-salted.html" target="_blank">salted caramel</a> like a boy loves his mother, I tell you.<br />
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This is, it must be said, a slightly epic recipe. Set an afternoon aside, send the kids to a sitter, and prepare to create something amazing. Laura and I had a great time making these!<br />
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<h3>
HIMALAYAN SALT DULCE DE LECHE MERINGUE </h3>
<h4>
MERUINGES </h4>
8 large egg whites<br />
400 g caster sugar<br />
1 ½ cocoa<br />
1 block dark choc (grate and small chunks for texture)<br />
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<h4>
FILLING </h4>
380g Dulce de leche (Caramel)<br />
½ tsp Himalayan salt<br />
600ml cream<br />
1 tbsp caster sugar<br />
½ tsp vanilla essence<br />
3 beurre bosc pears<br />
2 cups water<br />
2 tbsp brown sugar<br />
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<h4>
TOFFEE FLOSS </h4>
100g caster sugar<br />
water<br />
Himalayan salt<br />
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Preheat the oven to 130°C<br />
Whisk the egg whites in a mixer until they form stiff peaks, then with the mixer still running, very gradually add sugar. Turn to the highest setting and leave to mix for 6 minutes. Add cocoa powder, mix for another 2 minutes or until fully dissolved. Fold in the chocolate.<br />
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Line 2 large baking trays with greaseproof paper, then draw 24cm circle on each sheet of paper. Divide the mixture between 2 sheets and spread it out just inside your circles, then use the back of a spoon to flick up peaks and make troughes in the mixture to give your meringue a rustic look.<br />
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Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes then turn the oven off, leaving the meringues in until the oven is cool.<br />
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Peel and cut the pears into halves then core with a teaspoon and cut into sixths, leaving some with the stem intact, set aside.<br />
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Combine water, sugar and cook in medium saucepan over low heat. Cook stirring until sugar dissolves, then add the pear and stir to combine. Cover for 10-15 mins until the pear is tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove, set aside to cool.<br />
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Identify the prettiest meringue and set it aside (this will be for the top.) Spread the dulce de leche onto the swirly side of the other meringue and smooth it out right to the edge. Sprinkle the Himalayan salt over the dulce de leche.<br />
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In a mixing bowl whip cream with the caster sugar and vanilla essence until soft peaks form (making sure not to over whip). Dollop half of the cream over the dulce de leche place half of the pears (the ones without the stems) over the cream, bring some to the edge, so as they poke out when sandwiched with the top layer.<br />
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Place the second meringue on top, swirly side up. Spoon the remaining whipped cream over the top. Place the remaining pears with the stems if you have kept them intact, decoratively over the cream, make it look decadent and elegant.<br />
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For an extra wow factor, make the toffee floss. Melt the sugar in a medium pan with a splash of water over a medium heat until lightly golden-don’t stir! Allow it to cool a minute till thick, using one or two forks flick the toffee over pears, the fine strands should look gorgeous, get as creative as you like.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15881157595" title="Various sizes"><img alt="Various sizes" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7485/15881157595_8033f0472b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15881144945" title="Eat one, peel one"><img alt="Eat one, peel one" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7534/15881144945_7af602a460.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15881148295" title="Skinning"><img alt="Skinning" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7465/15881148295_a5f499622c.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15881146535" title="Naked pear"><img alt="Naked pear" height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8571/15881146535_06ee9a8710.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15881151945" title="Apples. Or maybe pears"><img alt="Apples. Or maybe pears" height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8564/15881151945_5743b704b7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15881155525" title="A strong foundation"><img alt="A strong foundation" height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8662/15881155525_750682b771.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15693879300" title="Layers"><img alt="Layers" height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8670/15693879300_582a9d5050.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15258901104" title="The best kind of sandwich"><img alt="The best kind of sandwich" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15258901104_eba73a5845.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15879193061" title="Top view of Mount Delicious"><img alt="Top view of Mount Delicious" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7578/15879193061_bc1b6601a4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/15693678268" title="Fancy top"><img alt="Fancy top" height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8662/15693678268_f3c2c87728.jpg" width="640" /></a>humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-71164076259400372652014-11-11T12:26:00.002+11:002014-11-11T12:32:27.175+11:00Chickpea, buckwheat bread and it's gluten free.I had posted up some photos of this loaf on facebook recently and requests came in for the recipe. This recipe is not my own but from a book called, Good without gluten.<br />
I will warn you that you will need to visit a health food store and an Asian grocer and you may never have had the need for Tapioca or potato starch. in my house these things are just a part of my staples.<br />
I don't suggest that you purchase the starches at a health food store as they are really pricey. I would also note that there is a difference between potato flour and potato starch, don't substitute. The Asian stores stock rice flour and the starches so try them first. Ohh and you may be asking what the heck is xanthan gum? It is a vegetable gum that will act like gluten so you cannot make this bread without it. Xanthum gum is available in the gluten free aisle in the supermarket or the health food store. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chickpea-buckwheat bread.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Preparation time: 15 min</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Resting time: 30 min</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"></span></i></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Cooking time: 35 min</span></i></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">435 ml (1 3/4 cups) water</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp olive oil</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp cider vinegar</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">3 eggs</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">125g chickpea flour ( besan flour)</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">50g buckwheat flour</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">100g rice flour</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">125g tapioca starch</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">125g potato starch,( not potato flour)</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp salt</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp sugar</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">3 1/4 tsp xanthan gum</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp dried yeast. </span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 180 deg c ( 350 deg f/ gas 4)</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Mix together the water, oil, vinegar and eggs in a mixer.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">In another bowl combine the flours, starches, salt, sugar, yeast and xanthan gum.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix for 2 minutes on a low speed.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Pour the dough into a greased loaf tin ( I use a large one)</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Smooth it out with wet hands.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Cover with a dry cloth and let it proof for 30 minutes at room temperature.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Bake for 30-35 minutes, it should sound be golden and hollow sounding when tapped.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Turn the bread out immediately to prevent moisture condensing in the tin and making the loaf soggy. </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> As with any bread, the loaf should rest for at least 45 minutes before cutting.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">This is so good eaten fresh, you can toast it too but you'll probably have none left. </span></i></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-blKZph83CAU/VGFjnw0tbAI/AAAAAAAAEpw/LXcyEze6rwQ/s1600/IMG_20141109_143138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-blKZph83CAU/VGFjnw0tbAI/AAAAAAAAEpw/LXcyEze6rwQ/s1600/IMG_20141109_143138.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vfvtm0FHrMg/VGFjny2_FoI/AAAAAAAAEpw/nOUn2XQ1S4U/s1600/IMG_20141109_142951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vfvtm0FHrMg/VGFjny2_FoI/AAAAAAAAEpw/nOUn2XQ1S4U/s1600/IMG_20141109_142951.jpg" height="640" width="473" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></span></span>humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-33928590611775284612014-05-01T23:23:00.001+11:002014-05-01T23:23:37.037+11:00Gluten free halva truffles<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/13893911958" title="rim shot"><img alt="rim shot" height="534" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5221/13893911958_21ca48d28b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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No explanations as to which face of the earth I fell off. But I am back.<br />
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<h4>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Halva <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">truffles</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><i>gluten free.</i></span></span></span> </h4>
1 1/2 cups of dates<br />
1 cup almond meal<br />
1/2.cup cocoa<br />
1/2 cup tahini<br />
2 tbsp of chia seeds<br />
2 tbsp of coconut.<br />
optional 1 tbsp of agave,or coconut necter, or brown sugar, I could go on and on.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/14077359922" title="clusters forming"><img alt="clusters forming" height="534" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5476/14077359922_90672fbcce_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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* Want to pimp it up for some crunch.<br />
1/4 c of rice pops, freedom brand gluten free are great. <br />
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You will need a food processor.<br />
Process the dates till they are finely chopped, I needed a little tiny bit of water to help it along. <br />
Add the almond meal, tahini, cocoa, and chia.<br />
It should all come together.<br />
Roll into little balls however small you like.<br />
Roll them into chia or coconut or cocoa, depending on your taste. <br />
Keep in a jar in the refrigerator, they are better cold.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/13893896247" title="together in perfect harmony"><img alt="together in perfect harmony" height="534" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5238/13893896247_034f0986e4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <br />
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<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-27535633922512855312013-12-10T21:31:00.000+11:002013-12-10T21:31:56.137+11:00Wreath making funMy old neighbour, old as in we have moved and therefore she used to be my neighbour, held a wreath making workshop at her house a couple of weeks back. I keep meaning to photograph Jen at work whilst she creates her arrangements however I haven't had the chance. So on this day I seized the opportunity to make a wreath as well as bring my camera along.<br />
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Jen has been learning to be florist, she has whipped up up some beautiful floral pieces a few of which we have been on the receiving end of. On this particular Sunday afternoon we had a go at our own after Jen gave us a demo and provided us with everything we needed.<br />
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We even had time for wine and some lovely food, thank you Jen this was a great afternoon good fun and great company.<br />
<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-48944962239286287232013-12-01T22:52:00.000+11:002013-12-01T22:52:17.359+11:00Thirteen, no way!Our eldest turned thirteen today, I cannot believe I have a teenager all of a sudden. I am so thankful for this girl she is a dream, she is my near miss. Beatrix was born under an emergency caesaren four weeks early, she just stopped moving. I had Cholestasis of pregnancy a nasty condition that just drove me so batty, I have had it with all my pregnacies but this one was the worst, see It went undiagnosed and therefore untreated.. I almost lost her that day but thanks to some snappy decisions by the obstetritians and the foetal monitering dept at the Mercy she made it.<br />
After much deliberation we named her, I say much because we are known to take 64 days, Beatrix was actually lucky I think it only took us less than two weeks. She is named after a painting called Beata Beatrix by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, one of my favorite paintings. <br />
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And here she now is at thirteen, this girl puts her heart and soul into whatever she does, whether it be her friendships, her school work, an intensly intricate drawing , her guitar playing or just hanging out with her siblings.<br />
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She is made of gold and we are keeping her.humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-72345558601858605402013-09-02T23:39:00.000+11:002013-09-02T23:39:37.280+11:00A snapshot of our Brunch.Sunday morning, Father's Day here in Australia, I let the Mr B sleep in.<br />
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Meanwhile I donned the gardening gloves and braved the sting of nettles for my pesto. I followed <a href="http://hellokateberry.com/lunchlady/nettle-pesto-is-the-besto/" target="_blank">Kates at Lunchlady's recipe</a>. I didn't have sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds worked fine. I must say I could not proceed beyond the pesto making as Mr B is the best egg poacher I know.<br />
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Mind you, no man minds being woken to be told that their poaching magic is required in the kitchen. I did have to butter him up with a kiss.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651058374/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Oh pesto, where is thy sting? by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="Oh pesto, where is thy sting?" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7315/9651058374_0187ba42c0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9647819935/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Egg releif by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="Egg releif" height="534" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5490/9647819935_cab355c52d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9647817911/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Approach by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="Approach " height="534" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/9647817911_e3a6c8e922_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9647816139/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Approach ii by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="Approach ii" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/9647816139_c0be37a340_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9647814393/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Approach iii by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="Approach iii" height="800" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/9647814393_3465b0a205_c.jpg" width="534" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651044724/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="sym by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="sym" height="534" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2808/9651044724_c68430f0e5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651042706/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="dainty by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="dainty" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7440/9651042706_490cfb4a1b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9647798543/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="ready for this by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="ready for this" height="534" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5494/9647798543_4f26dff5a2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651048530/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="golds by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="golds" height="800" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/9651048530_a10040e294_c.jpg" width="534" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651040646/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="multibite by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="multibite" height="534" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/9651040646_bdd90aeeff_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651036174/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="pensive by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="pensive" height="534" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/9651036174_5a7e2d14ed_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9647796425/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="get the hugs you can by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="get the hugs you can" height="800" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3798/9647796425_e30d655f53_c.jpg" width="534" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9651030088/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="rhino by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="rhino" height="800" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3701/9651030088_d9d2b3bd88_c.jpg" width="534" /></a></div>
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-48414769613458674792013-06-11T12:30:00.002+11:002013-06-11T12:30:53.695+11:00June Ten on TenJoining <a href="http://rebekahgough.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/ten-on-ten-june-2013.html" target="_blank">Ten on ten</a>, it's been a while but I always enjoy being here.<br />
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1. Why Hello there Miss Circe, is that outfit Numero Uno for the day ?<br />
2. Can you spot the kitties?<br />
3. My late breakfast of something gluten free.<br />
4. Circe wanted to box after my pilates class.<br />
5. Ikea is even harder when you add two kittens.<br />
6. My first ever attempt at a hoodie, the lining is a repurposed dress of Beatrix's Thank you for the help <a href="http://funkbunnysgarden.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Miss Funkbunny</a>.<br />
7. Kittens again, they were both unharmed.<br />
8. Beatrix and nutella by the spoonful.....<br />
9. I'm attempting to snack healthy, whilst a nutella jar is two feet away.<br />
10. Fuzzy Phoenix coming home from camping with our neighbour. Is he still in the same clothes he left in four days ago? <br />
11. Oops eleven. Too many I know, but Mr B looked too cute, earmuffs are a requirement in our kitchen. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9005091315/" title="June 2013 078 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 078" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7460/9005091315_121793cbb6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006277692/" title="June 2013 092 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 092" height="534" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2890/9006277692_c486cf5809_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006294828/" title="June 2013 113 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 113" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7443/9006294828_11b2d7ac83_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006297896/" title="June 2013 118 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 118" height="534" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/9006297896_47a7d3197d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006262456/" title="June 2013 058 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 058" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/9006262456_7214991cef_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9005105617/" title="June 2013 098 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 098" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8400/9005105617_40d061ed0e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006304752/" title="June 2013 151 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 151" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8276/9006304752_fa8469a39d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006313932/" title="June 2013 188 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 188" height="534" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5468/9006313932_3aa8a36a82_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006310998/" title="June 2013 174 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 174" height="534" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2863/9006310998_3ebaae6e60_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9006334584/" title="June 2013 230 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 230" height="534" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/9006334584_5acfa93434_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/9005147725/" title="June 2013 227 by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="June 2013 227" height="534" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5338/9005147725_56662332b0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-16114330671645165902013-04-15T00:09:00.000+11:002013-04-15T00:09:09.933+11:00We made breakfast in our local park.I woke this morning and just had the idea to make our breakfast in the park.<br />
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I jump on my ideas sometimes, last week it was to have a yard sale, today a humble brekkie in the park. Well it took some preparation but it was worth it.<br />
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The Autumn weather has been just perfect. So with basket in hand we simply crossed our street and headed to the park, how easy is that.<br />
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Whilst we were there we attempted a family shot what a flop that was, there was wiggling, sunlight in our eyes, one wanting to go home, oh well it was fun and comical none the less<br />
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If you are interested here is my recipe for Ricotta hotcakes is down below, they are gluten free.<br />
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The flour mixture used in my hotcakes is gluten free and is a blend of red sorghum flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, and yellow maize flour. I have learned a ratio method for flour blending which has been so successful. Basically It's a 40% wholegrain flour to a 60% starch ratio. It means as long as you stick to this and are accurately weighing you can mix whatever you have on hand to make up this ratio. I feel better adding in the whole grains, starches just make me feel like all the goodness is gone.
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Today's hotcakes were fluffy and light and so scrumptious.
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<br />
Here is my recipe.
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<br />
200g ricotta<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 1/2 cups milk<br />
1 1/4 cups of a gluten free flour<br />
3/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp xanthan gum<br />
2 pinches of bi carb soda<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl whisk together the ricotta, eggs and milk.<br />
In a separate bowl combine the flour, bicarb, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Sift these together.<br />
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix it all together.<br />
Pack in a container and head to the local park.<br />
The mixture keeps for the day quite well.<br />
If you need to add extra milk please do, as some flours may absorb more liquids. For me the batter should be dollopy not runny.
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<br />
Ricotta cream
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<br />
Ricotta as much as you like<br />
Runny honey<br />
Lemon zest <br />
<br />
Whisk the cream up till it's lovely and smooth.<br />
<br />
These are so good, Circe is eating pancakes for the first time in I don't even know how long. She loves them, I feel like I have conquered something, even if it is just pancakes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647386191/" title="family by various brennemans, on Flickr"> <img alt="family" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8647386191_d851025b32_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647354173/" title="what's in your basket, granny asked by various brennemans, on Flickr"> <img alt="what's in your basket, granny asked" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8647354173_f98b43a6a6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647356333/" title="working it by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="working it" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8647356333_83857b94b7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8648462910/" title="fixings by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="fixings" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8543/8648462910_75fc712158_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647361947/" title="sizzle by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="sizzle" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8647361947_74179f6ab8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647369899/" title="breakfast legs by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="breakfast legs" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8647369899_75000b5585_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647366775/" title="besmirched cream by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="besmirched cream" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8543/8647366775_defd41fb4a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8648471854/" title="'poon by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="'poon" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8648471854_fc0e16b7ba_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647384361/" title="grass by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="grass" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8263/8647384361_5974b37222_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647382823/" title="hat and son by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="hat and son" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8647382823_7341e290c3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8648480222/" title="tricycle by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="tricycle" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8648480222_44977bd072_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647379965/" title="speed by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="speed" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8647379965_19b7551e11_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647378449/" title="head shot by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="head shot" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8647378449_a2617cea97_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647377065/" title="head shot with man by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="head shot with man" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8647377065_d987cf01f2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8648473246/" title="sweet pile by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="sweet pile" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8648473246_d3b1c82df8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8648474512/" title="shades of blonde by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="shades of blonde" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8648474512_3a5a9eb15f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8648529478/" title="five shades of blonde by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="five shades of blonde" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8401/8648529478_be4435154f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8647360033/" title="goddess by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="goddess" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8647360033_65fec712ee_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-39468541670890523912013-04-11T01:48:00.002+11:002013-04-11T01:48:42.484+11:00Ten on Ten - It's been a while.I'm always inspired by <a href="http://rebekahgough.blogspot.com.au/">"ten on ten" over at a bit of sunshine</a>, where you take ten photos over ten hours on the tenth day of the month. Without further commentary, here's today's result.<br/>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8636511451/" title="breakfast how i like it"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8636511451_e95bae2203_c.jpg" width="800" alt="breakfast how i like it"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8636512405/" title="Fignation"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8636512405_2751b0456e_c.jpg" width="800" alt="Fignation"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8637620862/" title="Numeracy"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8637620862_5213635149_c.jpg" width="800" alt="Numeracy"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8636514649/" title="Circe and I"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8636514649_84f2df1298_c.jpg" width="800" alt="Circe and I"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8637622500/" title="frankie love"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8535/8637622500_329cfcf07a_c.jpg" width="800" alt="frankie love"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8637623322/" title="cheesecake makings"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8123/8637623322_33942b6020_c.jpg" width="800" alt="cheesecake makings"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8636517399/" title="replenished the stationary"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8636517399_508a9c2098_c.jpg" width="800" alt="replenished the stationary"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8636518237/" title="Tasmania"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8636518237_fa79968268_c.jpg" width="800" alt="Tasmania"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8637626014/" title="Oh taco my taco"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8637626014_2052fa4b7e_c.jpg" width="800" alt="Oh taco my taco"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8637628158/" title="Man and taco salad"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8637628158_0cbddf4f9e_c.jpg" width="800" alt="Man and taco salad"></a>
<br/>
<br/>
On other news, we've been eating up a storm! Banana cake to die for, ricotta pancakes, bread so good I forget what that other bread was even like, biscuits, it's all happening here. Circe's showing the goodness of all the eating, having gained two kilos in three months, huzzah!
<br/>
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<a href="http://www.coeliac.org.au/">Coeliac Australia</a> is an amazing resource, and we have the fatness to prove it.
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-90574941799784273182013-03-29T00:21:00.001+11:002013-03-29T00:21:32.281+11:00I'm a child of the tomato sauce day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
My husband finally got the tomato sauce.<br />
<br />
The sauce making day he's been wanting for the last, ohhh I don't know, eighteen years? Every year I ask what he wants for his birthday. Every year he asks "Can we make the sauce?" That's all he wants, no presents please, just 'can we make the sauce'.<br />
<br />
And I put it off. We don't do it. Every year. <br />
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I have childhood memories of making sauce, it was work, hard work. We would make thirty boxes or so. I will always remember our long hallway lined with cases and cases of tomatoes. The waking early, the washing, the cutting, the stinging hands, the old beer bottles needing washed. It was quite the production, there was nothing half hearted about it.<br />
<br />
Sauce making day holds memories in smells for me. You know those.... memories you can smell.<br />
It's cut tomatoes, the smell of them passing through the mincer, metalic acidy yet good. The smell of smoke, when all was ready to go a fire was lit. As a kid this was the best bit, it would be dark and we'd sit around tired yet not wanting to go inside.<br />
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The next day we'd wake to unload the barrel. Again the smells, a little more unpleasant this time. Old clothes wet with water and rust in an oil barrel between the beer bottles, the smell of a broken bottle, tomato and rust again.<br />
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Back to the now, as we processed our one box of tomatoes, all these memories came back to me. I'd always dreaded doing this at home for my family, always avoided it. But after yesterday, after our small scale production, the whole deal, the taking turns cranking the mincer, the kids helping with the bottling, seeing my husband buzzing and happy. I remembered that it was also a special time.<br />
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We were all together, all making something together all helping out, how often does that happen these days.<br />
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I think a little tradition has been reignited in my heart, sharing a piece of my past and giving my husband his wish and seeing my kids enjoy it all, I think it was worth it.<br />
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I'm ready to get another case before they are gone and <a href="http://foxslane.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/how-to-make-your-own-semi-dried-tomatoes.html" target="_blank">make some semi-dried tomatoes like foxes lane did</a>.<br />
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humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-76564703189523322282013-03-03T02:48:00.001+11:002013-03-03T22:29:04.242+11:00Last year's chestnuts makes today's cakeA chestnut tree is both a blessing and a curse.<br />
<br />
At the moment ours is looking spectacular, heavy with green spiky chestnuts in its branches. They are about a month away from falling, so we get to enjoy the look for a while.<br />
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The times this tree is a curse? When it is in flower it lets off quite a pungent smell, Luckily this doesn't last long.<br />
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Or when its spiky balls of pain turn our front yard into a mine field. During this time there are is a prickle in the foot once day or so. Depending on who it is and on the time of day you get reactions from toughness to tears. Wailing drama sometimes, if Circe is feeling small. "Please help me!", or "You have to carry me, spiky bombs are going to get me!", and "You can't leave me behind!".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8521262946/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="never kick an echidna by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="never kick an echidna" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8521262946_36f744f2b7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Pain and endless sweeping path aside, nothing beats collecting the actual chestnuts. Getting them down with the rake, whacking the big bursting-at-the-seams chestnut with a broom to get the nut out. Over a few week I collect at least three kilos from our tree.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8520152127/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="harvesting spiky bombs by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="harvesting spiky bombs" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8371/8520152127_7aba21e480.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>
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Once I've got enough to make a batch I process a big lot at once. I
split the shell without stabbing myself, boil them, peel them, and blitz
them to make chestnut meal. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8520153209/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="peel it by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="peel it" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8520153209_decaf182b0.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8520154737/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="piling up by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="piling up" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8520154737_5063e25192.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8520155925/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="last moments whole by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="last moments whole" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/8520155925_fc10cba91f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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This year I ended up with three one-kilo batches and kept them in my freezer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8521269734/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="bagged up by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="bagged up" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8521269734_6fc1646ee9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I pulled out a ziplock bag today and made this sweet chestnut cake from <a href="http://www.readings.com.au/product/9780670074419/dr-sue-shepherd-and-professor-peter-gibson-food-intolerance-management-plan" target="_blank">CSIRO's Food intolerance Management Plan book</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8520160179/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="by the book by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="by the book" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8520160179_5718647fff.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
It's quite good in that it gives some details on the science, I really like this book. But the picture did not appeal to me.<br />
<br />
The edges looked leathery, common with gluten free recipes, and reminded me unpleasantly of the banana bread I'd tried the week before. I didn't like it, the kids refused it in their lunches. Normally it'd all still go, disappearing from the tin late at night, but it was so tough on the outside that even Aaron wouldn't it eat.<br />
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Later I heard that the chickens wouldn't even it eat.<br />
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But once I got started, I was thrilled by this recipe, really thrilled. It took a lot of eggs, but by gosh I've got a lot of eggs since all the chickens are laying. (Sometimes it seems like they lay twice a day and I'm loving it. Eliza will eat scrambled eggs for breakfast.)<br />
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Everything had such beautiful textures and colours, I kept wanting to touch the batter. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8521271610/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="heterogeneous by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="heterogeneous" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8236/8521271610_08cf142f78.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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And making up the recipie to suit me felt good, empowering. I just loved the fact that I could do that, It felt really good making this cake.<br />
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I replaced the chestnut flour with my chestnut meal, and the rice flour and cornflour with a gluten free plain flour that I am really happy with. The cake was light moist and just gorgeous dusted with icing sugar. It had a real Italian cake flavour to me, I wanted to bring a piece to my Mum it was so good.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8521273278/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="looks better than the picture by various brennemans, on Flickr"><img alt="looks better than the picture" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8085/8521273278_1f8957ccaa.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Blessing I think, in the final accounting.<br />
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And thank all of you for the messages of support for Circe. She is getting stronger with almost every day, she is gaining weight and feeling much better. I cannot believe how frail and sick she was only five weeks ago. I keep squeezing the little plump legs she's getting and looking at her filled out cheeks. That's a blessing, too.humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-16607696183728747952013-02-18T23:54:00.005+11:002013-02-19T07:30:53.884+11:00"Oats, I liked you before, but now I have found quinoa flakes." <span style="font-size: small;">In light of our recent<span style="font-size: small;">ly diagnosed coeliac child I have di<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">scovered</span> some new <span style="font-size: small;"> ingredients <span style="font-size: small;">I had <span style="font-size: small;">seen but never<span style="font-size: small;"> used bef<span style="font-size: small;">ore.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">All of a sud<span style="font-size: small;">den i actually need to know what the heck Xanthan gum is. ( A great replacement for gluten)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Not to mention the fact that you need to stock way more flours <span style="font-size: small;">than <span style="font-size: small;">we</span> would have before<span style="font-size: small;">, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In my<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">cupboard</span> at this very minu<span style="font-size: small;">te.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Potato flour,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">rice flour </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">tapioca flour</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorghum flour </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">soy flour</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Buckwheat flour</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">cornflour</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">maiz<span style="font-size: small;">e </span>flour </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crazy i know, we<span style="font-size: small;"> even needed a new pan<span style="font-size: small;">try organisation system</span></span> and heaps more jars to keep it all.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have even been <span style="font-size: small;">experimenting with m<span style="font-size: small;">y own pancake mixes, the kids aren't co<span style="font-size: small;">mplaining at all. In fact I am getting good feedback<span style="font-size: small;">. <span style="font-size: small;">I don't mind the buckwheat box type but as a keen cook and a person that never bought packet cake<span style="font-size: small;">, pastry etc before I<span style="font-size: small;">'d rather steer clear of <span style="font-size: small;">them. </span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> In my hunt through heath food store<span style="font-size: small;">s<span style="font-size: small;">, I have di<span style="font-size: small;">scovered that these<span style="font-size: small;"> new found ingredients are not th<span style="font-size: small;">at cheap and nor are they in <span style="font-size: small;">quantities</span> I <span style="font-size: small;">want<span style="font-size: small;">, I used to buy <span style="font-size: small;">10 or 15 kgs of flour for goodness sakes. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I have found that my l<span style="font-size: small;">ocal <span style="font-size: small;">dried food and nuts store NSM has a<span style="font-size: small;">n <span style="font-size: small;">incredible selection of bulk ingredients and yes they had all <span style="font-size: small;">of the above at way cheaper prices.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also the<span style="font-size: small;"> Asian supermarke<span style="font-size: small;">ts are great for tapioca pearls<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">rice <span style="font-size: small;">vermicelli and rice paper<span style="font-size: small;">, all in larg<span style="font-size: small;">er packs than the supermarket<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> I have a rice paper eating machine at h<span style="font-size: small;">ome now, so I need the <span style="font-size: small;">30 pack th<span style="font-size: small;">ank you.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>I have absolutly been loving finding an <span style="font-size: small;">alternative</span> to oats. See I liked oats<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> as an ingredient I made my own m<span style="font-size: small;">ue</span>sl<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">is, bars, crum<span style="font-size: small;">bles, etc,</span></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;">We even <span style="font-size: small;">had a 5 Kg bag of beaut<span style="font-size: small;">iful organic oats that we swapped with our neigbour. </span></span></span> But oats as a porridge<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> <span style="font-size: small;">I have never really been a fan.I always felt like i was missing something, not q<span style="font-size: small;">uite getting what was so good about it.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I guess we</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> were</span> always eating it too late<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>It would set up or I couldn't summon the kids to the table</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> fast enough they'd come in dribs and <span style="font-size: small;">drabs</span> and the porridge would just <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">go all </span>blahhh.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now.... </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have now made rice flakes into porridge</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">and my new fa<span style="font-size: small;">vorite is quinoa flakes as a porridg<span style="font-size: small;">e<span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both of these maintain a creamy lovely texture and don't set up quite like<span style="font-size: small;"> oats<span style="font-size: small;">,<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span> love that<span style="font-size: small;"> it's what I wanted out of oats.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even my son who never liked <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">porridge oats is jus<span style="font-size: small;">t loving the rice porridge.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">As you may have read in my last post Circe ( the recently very ill one, or Coeliac Circe) is not yet back on the conventional breakfast bandwagon<span style="font-size: small;">. No she is <span style="font-size: small;">still getting the night befor<span style="font-size: small;">e leftovers, but that's ok I am rolling with it, she's eating that's all I care about.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am also using Physillium Husks to boost our fibre<span style="font-size: small;"> and LSA. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are eating more nuts and seeds, even more than we did before<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> Phoenix is eating <span style="font-size: small;">pepitas<span style="font-size: small;">, sunflower seeds<span style="font-size: small;"> cashews and almonds for goodness sakes,<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I always wishe<span style="font-size: small;">d he</span> would and now that our snacks are a little more limited he is trying new things. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was this morning's breakfast <span style="font-size: small;">for my high school<span style="font-size: small;">er,</span> and I<span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> </span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-17629282681179557792013-02-09T00:27:00.002+11:002013-02-09T22:53:48.903+11:00Sometimes you just gotta let it all go.I just hit delete on a big post about what we'd been up to. The start of high school the start of prep and the start of a new school, an illness that is still keeping my little darling Circe from doing all she wants to do, like wearing a ballet skirt and balancing bananas on her head and even both at the same time. I deleted it all, ever done that, I do it often now.<br />
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Instead I thought I'd tell you the funny things I've had to feed Circe at breakfast since she became ill and since her gluten free diet. She's not keen on the gluten free cereals, who is? I've been making some into honey joys and rice crackles, it's like a birthday party everyday here, minus the cake!<br />
So, Circe goes to bed each night thinking she'll eat more of her yummy dinner as soon as she opens her eyes ( and not a moment later.) No matter what it was she wants it.<br />
Now this is hard for a person like me Breakfast is breakfast, even if I wake at noon ( never happens) I want bacon and eggs or yoghurt and fruit. <br />
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Since being ill her appetite is all over the shop!, she eats constantly, her tiny body is working so hard to just feel full. She is not absorbing fats yet so she is just hungry all the time. Her tummy though is trying to process it all with a small intestine that has atrophied with coeliacs. Now this also seems to have made want foods that you would not normally eat first thing in the morning.<br />
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For example<br />
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I've fed her rice paper rolls with Tamari one day at breakfast, she'd even had them at 1.00 am in her bed half in her sleep.<br />
I've given her ginger ale with soda at 7.00 am.<br />
I've even cooked up a handful of rice noddles and last nights osso Buco for breakfast.<br />
She's had me reheat curry and rice first thing, before I can even have a cup of tea.<br />
She's had spaghetti bolognasie beside her beans on rice toast<br />
I have given her fried rice of which she'll eat two bowls. <br />
We've even had sushi.<br />
Her new thing is ham and cucumber on tooth picks.<br />
Not to mention the little addiction. <br />
She is so addicted to peckish thins, a plain gluten free rice cracker. She asks for them whist she waits for the breakfast/ dinner( whatever it is) when I say she can't have them till morning tea she thinks that's millions of moons away. And it is cause she is waking, starving at 6.30 am. <br />
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This is our conversation of late regarding the peckish thins<br />
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Circe: " Mum, can I have one of those crackers thingis, what are they called again?".<br />
Me:" rice crackers?"<br />
Circe: " Yes, they're so crunchy and a little bit salty"<br />
Me:" But you've had hundreds"<br />
Circe :" Mum.... I don't want hundreds, I just want one"<br />
Me: "You want one.... for the hundredth time today".<br />
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Seeing as I have been spending so much time in the kitchen and she is overseeing all that I am doing, I set up a little sleeping mat for her there.<br />
She gets quite tired, her legs get tired and achy so she spends hours on this mat. Today I snapped her having a colossal three hour nap. <br />
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Tomorrow I'll show you how I spent that nap time giving Miss five all of my attention, because she needed it, this has been really hard on her.humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-27485155558193514332013-01-25T00:25:00.000+11:002013-01-25T00:34:55.165+11:00My little girl has been so ill.My little poppit is ill, we have been in hospital since Sund<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ay.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><i> </i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></i>I will tell you now that she has been diagnosed with Coeliacs disease just to stop the worry and and save you reading what was going to be my long winded recount of events. </div>
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She is still in hospital, she has lost weight, all her muscle tone is gone,her little bottom is gone, fat stores are gone, her arms are about an inch in diameter, she was 9.7 kg that is two kg below the third percentile, she is three years old.<br />
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I couldn't help but feel that we should have acted sooner or that we should have kept up with her health checks, all our kids are small so we just assumed she was small too. I know that we fed her well and that we always made sure she drank, but when you see your child on the emergency bed and they look scrawny, pale and have a distended belly you cant help but feel like you did something wrong. But I know now that no matter how much she would have eatten on her current diet she would still be malnourished. Without us knowing her body stopped absorbing nutrients and fats, her
immune system was in shut down, she couldn't even move from wherever you
last placed her last, she'd fall asleep in that spot.<br />
The illness was too quick, unrelenting ,the lethagy and and weight loss took a very big toll on a little person. With symptoms of intermittent vomiting and diarrhoea we thought as did the GP that she had gastro. <br />
I never would have even thought coeliacs was like this at all. I didn't know much about this disease I only knew there was such a thing and that I was glad I didn't have to worry about it, It seemed like a difficult thing to live with. <br />
I also didn't know it could present in such a way and I wasn't aware one could become so ill just from gluten and that It's affects over time were so damaging, cancers, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue and damage to the small intestine and not to mention all the other problems with the gut that one might just live with.<br />
The wait this week to find if her screening was positive has been long and frustrating. We filled our time reading books when she felt up to it, cuddling lots and lots ,so many cuddles it's been so nice. All the time her condition has not improved, yesterday was our better day and we thought she was on the mend, today she slumped again. Today I had to continue feeding her gluten foods even after learning of the positive result this morning. Her diet needs to remain the same for the tests being done today. Feeding your child something you know is making them ill, was so hard, it felt like I was giving her poison.<br />
Our priority has been to have her gain weight whilst we waited for the result. I went home on Tuesday and made her favourite thing Lentil curry and rice. This morning she had it for breakfast even, as we were up too early for our breakfast tray and she was hungry" now"<br />
Circe's only concern in all of this has been for her poor tiny hands and her sucking thumbs,each hand has been poked with cannula and tomorrow one will have to be re cannuled.and again a thumb will be out of action. <br />
Today she became very concerned and rather distressed when the paediatrician was talking about how she will grow bigger and thrive on a gluten free diet. When he left she said " I don't want to grow I want to stay small" she thought he meant she would grow bigger straight away.<br />
I am so relieved that this was caught early and that the doctors at The
Royal Children's Hospital here in Melbourne are so darn good that I can
easily place my faith in them and hand my child over to them today when
she has an endoscopy under a general anaesthetic. I am still scared and
nervous but I know she is well looked after.<br />
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The pictures above were taken a a day before she was admitted into hospital, she was resting on my bed as she had done several times that week.Her sister Eliza wanted to look after her, I think she prepared her little sister well for what has followed this week.<br />
<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-30141964132806487202012-12-30T23:20:00.000+11:002012-12-30T23:20:34.146+11:00I made some harem pants for BeatrixI've taken to snipping out clothes from magazines, just little things to inspire and to reignite a sewing bug that has been in hibernation for too long. Have you had that happen ?, I know many of you have.<br />
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My life just got too busy to sew, I missed it terribly, I'd dust off my table but that was it.<br />
I am hoping that with the holiday's and nowhere in particular to be that I'll start up again.<br />
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I am not necessary going to find a pattern for any of this stuff I've cut out, but at least I have some idea of what fabric I like and what things I might make, see I get a little overwhelmed when faced with 100's of patterns.<br />
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I came across this picture of this little girl and loved her pants, I loved the carefree nature they inspired. So I took a pattern I had and for some pants, I added some length and also added the elastic at the bottom for the same kind of look, I guess It's a harem pant or a boho pant, i don't know I just know that they turned out just as I wanted them. I have orders from my other two girls and a pair for myself. The fabric I used is a lawn from spotlight, just wish I had bought metres and metres of it.<br />
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<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-34174236201441310842012-12-27T23:07:00.001+11:002012-12-27T23:07:53.115+11:00There's no saving face hereChristmas day has come and gone, I thought I'd share a moment from that morning where I nearly cried, but that now just makes me laugh.<br />
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After we'd opened our presents, had a lovely breakfast of waffles and tea, all was calm and quiet. Eliza and Beatrix were busy with a rockstar stencil book, a hobby they both share, Phoenix was busy with his new hobbit lego, Circe was watching her new DVD The Gruffalo's child. Time passed as time does when children are busy and you are actually in the kitchen alone. <br />
I wondered after a while what Circe might be up to.<br />
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Out loud I said " Where is Circe?, She's quiet, That's never good"<br />
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My husband called out to me that she was ".....In here", with that wait till you see what she's done tone.<br />
Now it was about 10 minutes before we were due to leave for Christmas lunch, at a friend's place. We all kind of like our kids to try to brush their hair and wear matching socks on such occasions, right?<br />
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Yeah, all that went out the window, Circe had covered her face in her new markers, mixing all the colours together to make some muddy greeny brown, she wanted to be a lion.<br />
I was a little peeved, considering we were still working to remove 2 week old tattoos she and Eliza had covered her arms and chest in.<br />
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Here is where I was really confronted,<br />
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Aaron: " Just leave her like that"<br />
Me: "what", I do not compute.<br />
Aaron:" Yeah we don't have time, just leave it"<br />
<br />Meanwhile Circe is freaking out because I want to wipe it off her face and she can't stand having her face wiped.<br />
So going like that was just fine for her.<br />
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Me, I am rationalising the situation, who is going to care and is this just me trying to make my kid look good on a special occasion.<br />
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Aaron, he's all cool with it. I just had to let it go, I put my expectations away for the day, My God that was really hard.<br />
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Long story short, nobody melted in a heap of social awkwardness or judged me for bringing her over with a face like that, we just laughed it off it was all fine we all had a kid that did something like that at one point or another.<br />
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Have you ever had one of your kids do something at the worst possible time? <br />
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<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-12519981554036766382012-11-18T00:03:00.000+11:002012-11-18T00:03:09.501+11:00A rather marvelous tea party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was fortunate to have an invitation to The Nelson Tea party this is the visual feast that followed. I did dress up but I didn't take pictures of myself, anyway I didn't look any where near as amazing as some of these guys. I love just how far they went on this event, I want to go to more parties like this.<br />
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Please note the new venture my partner and I are taking, personalised popsicles for your little do's and what nots. We will share more as we proceed, for the moment just a little peek at our first experimental attempt.<br />
<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-58538568739464245452012-11-07T23:41:00.000+11:002012-11-07T23:41:30.058+11:00Starry starry nightI went away this weekend, to a little place simple and peaceful.<br />
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I love getting away: I love the packing up, the drive, the unplanned stops. It's always a case of leaving later than we want, and usually getting lost along the way. This time we packed little, in fact I only took one t-shirt and you know what I was OK with that.
I didn't even pack my camera. Actually I didn't realise that I hadn't brought it until Aaron said that he was "glad I didn't pack it so I could enjoy the moments more". And he was right.<br />
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My best moment whilst away was one that <b>A)</b> I couldn't have taken a shot that would do it justice and <b>B)</b> I wasn't wearing anything.<br />
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The place had an outdoor bath which sits on a fire pit. During the day the girls had bathed together, as had Aaron and Phoenix. (That was some very cute father son time.) Aaron had thought the two of us should get in later that night. I thought it sounded like a crazy idea.<br />
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After we'd put them all to bed and I woke his sleepy head from beside our three girls I whispered "so are we going out?" I think he thought I'd back out, but no. I thought I'd get out there and step outside of my comfort zone.<br />
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It was so dark out! All we could see were the silhouettes of the trees, the fire still going, and the steam coming off the tub. Standing shivering in the dark, I was first to get in. It was truly amazing, being in a tub of hot water on a cool night in the middle of twenty acres under the most perfect midnight blue sky, dotted with more stars than I have ever seen.<br />
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We laid there we two and just enjoyed the peace, the escape from four children. Aaron for once didn't want to talk much, it was me chattering for a change. After a few minutes even I ran down, and we just quietly soaked it in. Bliss. There was even a meteor shower.<br />
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Falling stars, just for the two of us.humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-8689846897107081532012-10-17T23:11:00.000+11:002012-10-17T23:11:10.337+11:00it begins today<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today I saw an opportunity.
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I didn't procrastinate I didn't um and ahhh. I asked for what I wanted, what I needed, and I got it. Time to paint or draw, time to find the artist in me again.
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Aaron left the house with Circe in tow to pick up Eliza from kinder, and I didn't waste a minute. I knew how precious this time was, I got to work. I cleared our sun room. I washed the windows and floor in there, this room recently housed our baby chicks and it still smelt of hay. I moved a couple of tables in and set up my space.
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I dusted off the paints, threw out the hardened crusty ones,I discovered I had next to no paper to draw on except the end of an IKEA roll of paper, have to fix that mighty soon.
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My gosh I was home alone and I was drawing not doing housework, write this down I tell you. I did have one visitor, Calvin the cat that thinks he lives here. He sniffed and brushed up against all the new things he hadn't seen till now. I even wrote a corny note on my blackboard so as to trigger this feeling I have in me to start something today.
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<br />
My first projects are a commissioned painting, something botanical for a nursery.
Concurrently I will also aim to get out four pieces for an art show in November, and a donated piece for auction in the art show for my children's school. Oh and maybe even for a small run of my own fabric, is that dreaming too big? I think not!
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It begins today.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096650079/" title="where I sat"><img alt="where I sat" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8096650079_628d17a244.jpg" width="720" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096650743/" title="salad"><img alt="salad" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8096650743_8630e6fa33.jpg" width="720" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096664508/" title="portrait with flowers"><img alt="portrait with flowers" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8327/8096664508_5ab51ac333.jpg" width="720" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096663950/" title="desk studio"><img alt="desk studio" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8096663950_e3db022293.jpg" width="333" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096662778/" title="cat visitor"><img alt="cat visitor" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8096662778_24cf91c4b8.jpg" width="333" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096657241/" title="botanical drawing"><img alt="botanical drawing " src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8096657241_9ec96e8e3d.jpg" width="720" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096662182/" title="studio 3"><img alt="studio 3" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8096662182_3d7a1a2da0.jpg" width="720" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096652611/" title="keep calm"><img alt="keep calm" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8096652611_88a3b7ff3a.jpg" width="333" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8096665852/" title="studio"><img alt="studio " height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8096665852_a8c6377270.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-6462230566651476082012-10-12T23:33:00.001+11:002012-10-12T23:33:41.151+11:00campingDuring these last holidays we took a very spontaneous camping trip.<br />
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I like camping, there's not much else to say about that. I'm happy when I camp. Aaron gets to be fire boy, Phoenix gets to read, Eliza gathers sticks, Bea builds a shelter, Circe gets to be outside. It makes you feel more all together.<br />
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Everyone stuffs their face with marshmallows.<br />
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I'm happy when I camp.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079470652/" title="oranges"><img alt="oranges" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8079470652_16ee2b5351.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079441556/" title="bite"><img alt="bite" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8079441556_d0012e7607.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079438744/" title="drip"><img alt="drip" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8079438744_42e0ace43d.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079446457/" title="self shot"><img alt="self shot" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8079446457_09eb4989a0.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079445348/" title="weaving"><img alt="weaving" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8079445348_8667e6ddf8.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079452373/" title="red boots"><img alt="red boots" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8079452373_5588330128.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079448276/" title="blues"><img alt="blues" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8079448276_c9eca3e799.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079449984/" title="camp food - nachos 1"><img alt="camp food - nachos 1" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8079449984_a2ed34d4ba.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079451710/" title="camp food - the horde"><img alt="camp food - the horde" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8079451710_669bbb92c8.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079452374/" title="washing"><img alt="washing" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8079452374_d781c4834b.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079458713/" title="country style"><img alt="country style" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8079458713_5e832a74a7.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079454178/" title="overhead 1"><img alt="overhead 1" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8079454178_8127d921c7.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079460677/" title="overhead 2"><img alt="overhead 2" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8079460677_57b1d8b0bf.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079457240/" title="inside out"><img alt="inside out" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8079457240_5f788e2e29.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079457850/" title="nails"><img alt="nails" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8079457850_13d8aaa515.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079458888/" title="the laugh"><img alt="the laugh" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8079458888_97229786d3.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079459836/" title="lens flarte wine"><img alt="lens flarte wine" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8079459836_13a6945f6a.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079468885/" title="peep"><img alt="peep" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8079468885_ed691cd991.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079469557/" title="pensive"><img alt="pensive" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8079469557_a30c282690.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079470173/" title="nuzzle"><img alt="nuzzle" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8079470173_023ff7f0a7.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079472699/" title="the river"><img alt="the river" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8079472699_ac69f35639.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/8079469742/" title="nest"><img alt="nest" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8079469742_294784d48e.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-68440935452974665182012-10-09T00:22:00.000+11:002012-10-09T00:22:05.523+11:00happy birthday baby!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uukp5EJwvxM/UHLTEmYGRHI/AAAAAAAAAr8/WEwurAb0UHM/s1600/circe5birthday_612ms.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uukp5EJwvxM/UHLTEmYGRHI/AAAAAAAAAr8/WEwurAb0UHM/s640/circe5birthday_612ms.gif" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-10545498576752829642012-09-22T23:04:00.001+11:002012-09-24T13:49:16.453+11:00My best birthday brunchI am a little behind, these are some pictures from the brunch I had a couple of weeks ago for my... ahem 41st birthday.<ul>
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On our menu<ul>
<li> Poached eggs by the Poach-master General( Aaron)</li>
<li> Smashed potato roasted with sea salt </li>
<li> Home-grown sauteed spinach with garlic, lemon, olive oil</li>
<li> Lentil salad with baby spinach, home made goats cheese, mint, and lemon. (I think about four of us from the street each had a hand in this one each of us tweaking it just a bit.) It was divine.</li>
<li> Stuffed tomato with parsley, breadcrumbs, garlic, and parmesan</li>
<li> Bacon (of course) and baked beans on toast for the little ones</li>
<li>Home-made bread with fresh orange juice.</li>
<li>Caramel mud cake with a white chocolate ganache, thanks to my beautiful neighbour. This was the first time in ages that someone else made my birthday cake!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWcNrdrMp8Q/UF2m6p_3lRI/AAAAAAAAArM/Y43t7CSo8TY/s1600/Bithday%2Bines%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWcNrdrMp8Q/UF2m6p_3lRI/AAAAAAAAArM/Y43t7CSo8TY/s640/Bithday%2Bines%2B3.jpg" width="740" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6Pxf1hsBHk/UF2m4mdkyfI/AAAAAAAAAqc/gUVHIVLmtH0/s1600/Bithday%2Bines%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6Pxf1hsBHk/UF2m4mdkyfI/AAAAAAAAAqc/gUVHIVLmtH0/s640/Bithday%2Bines%2B4.jpg" width="740" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t8xxMH-Rmok/UF2m5rlVCKI/AAAAAAAAAq0/hPS2mNw3gUc/s1600/Birthday%2Bines.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t8xxMH-Rmok/UF2m5rlVCKI/AAAAAAAAAq0/hPS2mNw3gUc/s640/Birthday%2Bines.jpg" width="740" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sdP0J3AoLww/UF2m6GWuULI/AAAAAAAAArA/9XyReSUD3iM/s1600/Bithday%2Bines.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sdP0J3AoLww/UF2m6GWuULI/AAAAAAAAArA/9XyReSUD3iM/s640/Bithday%2Bines.jpg" width="740" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DxxnT6DM1os/UF2nQF8SG3I/AAAAAAAAArY/K5suPRMtEF4/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage%2Bbirthday.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DxxnT6DM1os/UF2nQF8SG3I/AAAAAAAAArY/K5suPRMtEF4/s640/PicMonkey%2BCollage%2Bbirthday.jpg" width="740" /></a></li>
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humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-41693679554618143722012-09-11T01:50:00.002+11:002012-09-11T21:10:11.120+11:00September ten-on-tenTen-on-ten is always a bit of a thrill. And a chore, too, but mostly a thrill.
Thanks to <a href="http://rebekahgough.blogspot.com.au/">a bit of sunshine</a> for the idea and the ongoing link-thing. Please head on over to see other's day in pictures.
Here's mine...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971328932/" title="oaty goodness"><img alt="oaty goodness" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7971328932_0aba780675_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971332500/" title="slightly frightening"><img alt="slightly frightening" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/7971332500_2676c6bbac_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971340268/" title="don't look back"><img alt="don't look back" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7971340268_98f1caaa46_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971351708/" title="gentle"><img alt="gentle" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/7971351708_80388906e9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971367824/" title="start of something big"><img alt="start of something big" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7971367824_237c0123d4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971371722/" title="sickie"><img alt="sickie" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/7971371722_d38307b862_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971375818/" title="there will be a piece missing"><img alt="there will be a piece missing" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7971375818_6aac9859a1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971384180/" title="brutal"><img alt="brutal" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/7971384180_27b3838815_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971387440/" title="false stereo"><img alt="false stereo" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/7971387440_3a9d356330_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenneman/7971401102/" title="don't share"><img alt="don't share" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7971401102_b46c5f5ff9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-53484852167361769312012-09-03T23:40:00.000+11:002012-09-03T23:40:29.321+11:00Caramel salted popcorn<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVGyG3UmM3A/UESe9rWsO0I/AAAAAAAAAp4/UhFME4NRJ44/s1600/September+2012+165.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVGyG3UmM3A/UESe9rWsO0I/AAAAAAAAAp4/UhFME4NRJ44/s640/September+2012+165.JPG" width="760" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
I am a fan of popcorn, who isn't?
I love the stuff, in fact one of the things I look forward to whenever I get to the United States is their popcorn, The cheese flavoured ones I could eat by the bag-full.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">One pre-made treat I do sometimes buy is the slightly sweet salted organic popcorn, my children love it. And husband.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Usually for a school snack I just microwave some popcorn, lightly salt it or leave it plain. Then I came up with this recipe and the little feet come pitter pattering out of bed at night to grab before it can even make it to the lunch box. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Caramel salted popcorn</span></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">1 cup popcorn</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">1 tbsp vegetable oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">1/4 cups raw sugar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">30 g butter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sea salt</span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">The popcorn</span> </span></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">In a large pot heat the vegetable oil.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Add the popcorn, I like to have a good layer of popcorn in the base of the pot. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Make sure the kernels of corn are all coated in the oil.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">With the lid on, allow them to pop, I remove them from the heat when they slow right down. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Leave the heat on though. </span></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">The caramel</span></span></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Now you need to remove the popcorn from the pot, put it into a large bowl.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Put the pot back on the stove, add the sugar and let it just come to melt without burning.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Add the butter and stir.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Add the popcorn back to the pot and toss it around in the caramel to coat it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Add as much or as little sea salt as you like.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">These are just beautifully lightly coated in caramel and are crisp, not sticky.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">They will keep in an airtight container for several days.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></span>
humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304882592239980241.post-32660800140500143222012-08-27T00:26:00.000+11:002012-09-03T23:42:25.603+11:00This is how Circe drinks tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXRntuCVu8A/UDojA25GEZI/AAAAAAAAApU/hPzVu4nLTWU/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+this+is+how+circe+drinks+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXRntuCVu8A/UDojA25GEZI/AAAAAAAAApU/hPzVu4nLTWU/s640/PicMonkey+Collage+this+is+how+circe+drinks+tea.jpg" width="780" /></a></div>
<br />humble habithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957058996766153624noreply@blogger.com2