ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Time to stop and stretch those legs of ours. We could have had big gigantic prawns, you know those ones that are like the size of your palm. Instead we opted for the smaller school prawns. When you are in a fishing town like this, the school prawns are always the saltiest and the tastiest. They were a mission to peel but the taste sensation was worth it.

Can you guess where we stopped? I can give a hint if you ask nicely.

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MIDDLE BEACH AT MIDDAY

 

 

The beach was only a short drive, but inside of a hot car the minutes are like hours. We had the windows rolled down and the airconditioner blasting cool air through the vents, our hair tumbled into a hot mess as we eyed the bushy landscape buzzing alongside us as we drove.
Before making our way down to the beach we flicked off our thongs by the stairs and we hot stepped our way down to the beach. It wasn't long before we were dripping with sea water, including a rosey cheeked Vinnie who cried at her first dance in the ocean, I think that she was much happier to sit by the waters foamy edge and watch the rhythmic shoreline slither up to her porky little feet. We all walked down to the corner end of the beach and explored a cave which was nice and cool. Inside the cave we found a small rabbit hole of a cave entrance and of course I hitched up my skirt and I crawled into the darkness. The bravery was momentary, I shot out in a fast reverse crawl after something flew past my face in the pitch black. What I thought was a bat (or possibly a huge spider like the one from the 1986 movie classic, The Labyrinth) turned out to be one of many little  cutesy sparrows living inside of the cave. Hubby was laughing and kicking himself at not being quick enough with the camera to have captured my failed Indiana Jones moment.

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INSPIRATION AT THE MARKETS

 

Today was market day and we almost didn't make it there. I was flying solo with the kids as Matty was in Melbourne watching the demise of the Swannies at the grand final. After a relaxing morning pottering about at home, cleaning up my newest roadside fine (oh my glob, an amazing six piece retro/retractable dining table!!) driving around looking for a carpark for about thirty minutes was pretty annoying, I told Paddy that we were going to have to make this our last round drive and then we were going to drive home (a good idea for the markets would be to have a shuttle bus system running in from terrigal carpark). Circling around for the final time, we ended up scoring the best carpark in all of the land. Right out the front of the entrance to the markets.

We always head straight over to the gozleme stand and today we had a slight variation, instead of two cheese and spinach, we had one chicken, cheese and spinach for him and the usual for me. We plonked ourselves down in front of a wonderful blues band, I closed my eyes and I could have been in Byron. So at the table setting I spied a few pieces of table scape inspo, I was loving the different textures of the hangings, some crochet and some woven together. I love this idea of storing the pineapple, as there is never enough room in the fridge and the fruit basket is always too full. I want to do a weaving class, one of my darling friends pointed me in the direction of Kosklea and their workshops, one of which I spied is a weaving class - which I would to do one day.

What types of workshops are you interested in or have you attended?

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BROWNED BUTTER & SALTED HONEY PIE

A big storm was brewing up top and I had to look twice at the big plume of clouds loitering and looming in the far distance. I wasn't quiet sure if it was a big bright patch of light or a big fluffy ominous cloud. Then the wind seemed to change direction and pellets of rain began to splat onto our tin roof. The perfect weather to be channelling some Local Milk style and throw in some of my newly aquired workshop skills.

I had been eying off this pie recipe for a couple of weeks and today I made it happen. I have never made pie crust in my life. The sudden darkness and change in wind direction made it feel like something magical and powerful was about to happen and it certainly inspired me to make something different today. Before I started making the pie crust, I slid open the doors and stood by them as I began rubbing the cubes of butter into the flour. Then I felt a swoop. I looked to the right and there was a Kookaburra sitting on the table next to the spare cubes of butter. Cue the Benny Hill soundtrack for the next twenty or so minutes while I tried coaxing the Kookaburra back outside the open doors with a tea towel (I don't know what I was going to do with it should it have turned around and aimed it's huge beak at my face). I don't know what sign mother nature/the universe was trying to give me, perhaps it was telling me that it's time to get my hair in order, or maybe it was a swift reminder of practical advice to install  the flyscreens which Matty removed when we first moved in, all of those years ago. In the bathroom washing my hands, I looked in the mirror and the top knot bun sitting sideways on my head looked something like a rotund bush rat. Besides the Kookaburra this week we have had a menagerie of animals freuqent our home including the usual flurry of bush turkey's who seem to use our house as an actual thoroughfare, a mouse (eek, I seem to be the only one who seems to believe that this is a problem) and a couple of new tails who managed to grace our hallway while I was hanging out the washing to dry. After all of that commotion, the pie crust was rubbed, rolled and chillin' like a villain in  the fridge and the brown butter and honey filling was frothing away on the stovetop. During which I joined the rest of my family up in the backyard and after another comical attempt at rounding up our chickens to go back into their pen, I got my camera out and practiced doing some portrait shots of Matty looking pensive in front of the chicken coop. Yup, my ability to give direction needs a lot of practice...the photo looked like, 'oh hey, remember that time when you looked like a serial killer on death row'. Nailed it. On that note, below is the recipe for the pie, which I acquired from Kinfolk Volume 12. Hope you give it a go.

KINFOLKY BROWN BUTTER & SALTED HONEY PIE

Pie Crust:

1/2 cup of iced water

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp and cubed

1 and a half tsp of sugar

1 1/4 cup of plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg beaten with a splash of water

To make the pie crust, sift the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter and rub together with your fingers until it's roughly combined and slowly add water one tablespoon at a time. Once the dough comes together, ball it up and place on a floured surface and roll out so that it fits the base and up the sides of your pie dish. Cover in cling wrap and place in the fridge for at least one hour.

Filling:

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup honey

1 cup sugar

2 tbs plain flour

3/4 tsp of salt

1 tbs lemon juice

5 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla essence/paste

1 cup of thickened cream

Himalayan Salt or flaky sea salt for topping

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, bring it up to simmer and foam and will eventually calm down. Stir constantly  and watch it turn golden and then brown which takes about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat once it turns brown and stir in the honey until it melts and completely dissolves into the butter. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the salt, flour, sugar and then stir in the brown butter mixture, vanilla, lemon juice and whisk in one egg at a time until all combined. Then whisk in the thickened cream.

Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake on the center rack in the oven for 60 - 75 minutes, turning around halfway through the baking time. The pie is done when it is golden brown on top and it should look puffed and still jiggle in the middle quiet a bit. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 4 hours and serve with a sprinkling flaky sea salt.

Thank you for sharing Kinfolk!

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NANA & POP'S GARDEN

This is Spring at Nana and Pop's place. A tropical landscape of palm trees, elephant ears, shrubs, climbing vines, succulents and fruit trees. Randomly placed fruit trees. They are a result of birds and bats pooping out their seeds and then germinating into the ground if the conditions are just right. If you are careful enough to look around, you will spy little tomato vines growing up trees and pineapple tops growing out from underneath shrubs.

Home is always at Nana and Pop's place. A quaint little cottage sunken into a green foliage of bushy shrubs and plants which carpet the lower legs of the tall assortment of palm trees and eucalyptus trees who stand tall above their house. Green and pink are the colours that your eyes recognise as you walk closer down the drive. They are the decorative petals of the Azalea, a plant once known as the "thinking of home" bush and also once infamous for it's levels of toxicity. But I think that they are mostly known for their beauty. Well, that's how I know of them. It is very tempting to break off a branch and shake the petals off, just because they look so soft and delicate and somehow even more beautiful when the deep pink petals are scattered acrossed the stone pavement. I let them be and enjoyed their cheerful beauty everytime I walked through the front door.

What flowers do you most admire for their beauty? Camellia's and Marigolds would have to be some of my other favourites.

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NATURAL THERAPY

 

Stepping out into the salty air, sprinkles of sand made their way inbetween my foot and my sandal. If I were anywhere else, I would find that sensation to be annoying. The long and narrow path from the car park led us into the bush where patches of light and darkness balanced each other out. We spied lots of things; spiders webs, shells, crabs, make shift chairs, pumice stones and somewhere in the distance the glittering movements of the sea peeking through the tall scrubbery. Up a newly constructed boardwalk, the sandy dunes peaked up and down and led us down into a flat silky smooth beach. The water was several shades of blue and the grass dunes were a patchwork of greens and browns, dulling as the sun brightened in the sky. We all had a dip into the ocean, it was cold and fresh and just the type of sensation you crave when you are transitioning into a new phase.

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WHAT DO YOU NEED?

 

 

 

We need this. Every few months, we just need to pack ourselves into the car and drive up the coast. It seemed a bit impossible as there is always stuff to be done, but we did what had to be done and by midday we were driving up the highway, towards the sunshine and the salty air.

Our tummies were rumbling as we approached the two hour mark and we decided to stop for a make do picnic to enjoy a late lunch of fresh bread rolls, soft cheese, ham and olives; and the boys ran off and came back with a bundle of baked pastries from the local bakery. After a few rounds of kicking the footy and picking at the last bites of lunch we packed up and continued our drive with the sun chasing along beside us. We pulled over into this driveway to enjoy the last rays of sunlight which stretched itself way over the open land making long shadows which leaned over and through the fences. Sitting in the car with my family, watching the sun close another day. This was what we needed. What I needed. And it was only going to get better.

The last thing I remember before sleeping was Matty asking me if I wanted to watch the sun rise with him. We both woke at the same time and snuggled for a bit longer before we decided that we were dangerously close to missing the sun rise. Paddy was committed to the warmth of his bed, so us three quietly filled the car and left him in the snoozing home with Nana and Pop. We were a little late as a wavy orange fringe was peeking through the macadamia orchards as we drove down to the beach. But we managed to make it there to watch her yawn out those rays across the sea as she slowly lifted up into the sky. Looking down at my cold sandy toes, I noticed the large Kangaroo paw prints embedded into the sand next to the balled up sand by the crabs. The sun was shining bright after twenty minutes and the beach was stark, it was amazing. It was hard to believe that we were the only ones there, I relished in the solitude surroundings, I felt free. I am free.

What is it that you need?

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