The Love Of Life

A little bit of a change of pace today for my blog. It is supposed to be my gardening blog day, but I have lost the motivation to garden as I have had a little bit of bad news...

I popped in to visit my Dad who is in a nursing home and noticed his friend of 30 years wasn't in his room. I mentioned this to Dad, but he said that he had a virus. I wished him well and thought nothing more of it.

I left the nursing home after lunch and headed into Mildura to finish some shopping. Coincidentally, I bumped into his daughter in the city and she said that her Dad was in fact suffering from cancer and the out come is very dim. It was such a shock. He was the healthy one, putting the bib at lunch onto my father. At first, it was thought to be a virus...

I came home and reflected on my life and how lucky I am. I am very grateful for my precious life and I think now I'll wander out into the garden and water my Capital Pears as they are a little wilted...just like me at the moment.

Spinning and Walking

I am really enjoying the spin classes I am doing and I can really see the improvement in my fitness levels. I am now riding over 20 kilometres in the session which is a vast improvement when I started 18 months ago.



Peter Mills Body Business gym is a small boutique type gym but Peter is a wonderful teacher and is very generous with his time and experience. All the bikes are full each session and often there is a waiting list, which is a testament to Peter's skill of teaching.

Our riding groups on Friday and Sunday are also organized by Pete and they are always fun. Although last Friday, a little more excitement that what we had planned for when Peter had a fall and has broken two ribs. He will be sidelined for a few weeks, but no doubt he will mentor us from the sidelines.




As a training session for the Great Vic Bike ride, our group is entering the Port to Port charity race from Mildura to Echuca. I think this ride will test us out, but we all need to do some longer rides. I will report on this a bit more as we get a bit closer to the date.

Now that daylight saving has started I decided to also get up earlier and walk every morning. A friend decided she would like to walk also, so this morning we set out for a 3/4 hour walk around our Gol Gol neighbourhood area. Gol Gol is such a pretty area being right on the Murray River and at 7 a.m it is very pleasant.

Tomorrow morning I think I will take Diesel with me, as I think he could do with some extra exercise being a Labrador.

All this increased fitness activity has to help me with the big ride, we will have to wait and see.

The Hard Work Begins

David ( long suffering husband) has a week's holiday, so with garden plan in hand, we are standing out the front garden ready to tackle the next job. The first job was to build a retaining wall to form a large garden bed where there was a fall in the land.



Rather than remove the dirt and have a level surface, our garden planner Margot thought it best to work with the lay of the land and have the retaining wall garden. The wall looks great finished and certainly creates a lovely front garden feature. Can't wait to see it filled with plants.

This garden bed will be filled with a Murraya Paniculata hedge bordering the neighbours boundary, 5 ornamental Capital Pears, then roses and Nepeta "Walkers Blue" spilling over the wall. With the retaining wall finished, it was time to start putting in the watering system. When the watering system is finished all the garden will be under drippers, that will come on automatically during the night.





David took 2 days to complete this, but I was finally able to plant the Pear trees. David started to lay out the plan for the rest of the garden and put edges around some garden beds, but his week off has gone quickly.



There is a lot more infrastructure to be done before I can start planting, but the job has started and will continue for weeks to come.

Cooking for Family

I enjoy cooking and I really miss that I haven't the family around these days to cook for. When they are all home I just love it. So when my sister asked me to do some cooking for my nephews 21st, I was only too glad too. Sam's 21st was in Adelaide, so I decided to make some gourmet sausage rolls, freeze them and then transport them over there. I made about 150 of them, using two different recipes.

Saucy Beef Sausage Rolls
3 sheets ready rolled puff pastry.
2 eggs.
1 onion.
1 to 2 crushed garlic.
20g butter.
750g lean beef mince.
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley.
3 tablespoons plain flour.
3 tablespoons tomato sauce.
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire and soy sauces.
2 teaspoons of ground allspice.

Preheat the oven to 200deg Cel.

Cook chopped onion and crushed garlic in butter until the onion is softened.
Mix beef mince and the softened onion with all the other ingredients till well mixed.

Cut the pastry sheets in half and lightly brush the edges with the beaten egg.
Divide mixture into six even portions. Pipe or spoons the filling down the centre of each piece of pastry. Fold the pastry over the filling, over lapping the edges and placing the join underneath. Brush the rolls with more egg, then cut each into 6 short pieces.

Cut small slashes on top of each roll and place on lightly greased baking trays and bake for 15 minutes then reduce the oven to 180 deg Cel for another 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.



Chutney Chicken Sausage Rolls

3 sheets ready rolled puff pastry.
2 eggs.
750g chicken mince.
4 finely chopped spring onions.
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs.
1 finely grated carrot.
2 Tablespoons fruit chutney ( I used fig chutney)
1 tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce.
1 tablespoon of grated ginger.
Sprinkle the pastry with sesame seeds after glazing and before baking.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and continue on with the method from the saucy beef sausage rolls.

Then enjoy. These different varieties are just that bit nicer for a celebration.

Then Sam had a special request for a wafer slice that I have been making for years.

Chocolate Wafer Slice.

1Packet Tisler Wafers.
250 g unsalted butter.
250g dark cooking chocolate.
1 can condensed milk.




Heat over water the unsalted butter and chocolate. When melted mix the condensed milk in and stir well till combined.

The packet of wafers has 5 sheets. Place one sheet onto a board and spoon several large spoonfuls onto the sheet and spread evenly. Continue with all the sheets ending with a top sheet. I place an oven tray on top then put weights on and into the fridge to set.



When you cut the slice, cut it on the diagonal for a nicer look.




It is very yummy.

We had a wonderful weekend in Adelaide celebrating Sam's 21st. The food survived the trip and combined well with all the other finger food served on the night. Our boys travelled from Western Australia and our daughter from Melbourne so it was a lovely family time.

Training by the Murray.

Sunday morning was one of those Sunraysia mornings that makes you glad you are alive. Started off a little overcast, a bit chilly but half an hour into our ride, sunny and gorgeous with a light breeze. Perfect cycling weather. We can only hope we have weather like this on our big ride.

We have been stepping up our cycling distances as we only have 8 weeks to the Great Victorian Bike Ride. My fitness has improved heaps, mainly due to the spin classes and the extra distances we have been completing on the bike.

Mildura doesn't have many hills but the ones that were bothering me months ago I can tackle confidently now. I am sure that I will struggle through the Strathbogie ranges though.

This morning we have ridden through the bike tracks between Johnsons Bend and Apex Park then onto the Mildura Marina and back through the streets to the must have coffee, before going home.



The Murray River looked magnificent this morning. The sun was shining off it, and due to flood waters upstream it is quite high and flowing strongly. The Sandbar at Apex Park has disappeared completely and a lot of boat owners have moved the position of their boats. There seemed to be a lot more paddle boats moored this morning and they are a lovely site.



Apparently we are in no danger of a big flood, but it is a long time since the Murray has had that much water in it, due to the prolonged drought. It is lovely sight to see.

Blank Canvas to Green Garden

We have recently moved into a new home ( actually it was the same week as we moved the retail store to online only) so the past weekend has been the only opportunity so start gardening. I love to garden but when you are starting from nothing there is lots of infrastructure and groundwork to do before the fun part of planting starts.

The past few weeks have been sorting out a design, of which I have enlisted help from Margot Mills Garden Design. Margot has come up with a lovely plan that includes all the things I love. In particular I love Paul Bangay's formal gardens, with clipped hedges,straight lines and pleached trees. I do love colour in the garden and I do love my roses, so many have been included in the plan.

In Mildura we also have to be very conscious of our long hot summers and minimum water usage, so plants are being chosen with this in mind. But first we have to tackle the ground work. That's where my poor long suffering husband comes in. He really is quite handy though! He has already started laying paved paths and his next chore is to put in a small retaining wall and watering system and stepping stone paths surrounded with stones.

We are starting in the front garden and working our way around the house and it will certainly be a work in progress for a long time. But isn't that what gardening is all about? Of course our gorgeous dog Diesel has to be amongst the action and I only hope he keeps out of the newly created garden beds.

From Cross Stitch Class to Sewing Bee

Six weeks ago I started teaching a group of girls to cross stitch. The classes have finished now and the girls have enjoyed it so much, that we have turned it into a sewing bee. Over the course of the classes the girls have been stitching Christmas stocking, several are onto their second stocking, but now we can all please ourselves what we stitch. For me I won't be in the teaching role, and I can sit and stitch along with the others. My stitching love is reproduction samplers ( sampler = reproduction of daily life stemming back to the 1400's) of which I have stitched many over the years, and I have them displayed on the walls in my hallway. My next prioty though is a wedding sampler for my son and future daughter in law. The wedding is in March 2011 so I need to get working on it... but that one will certainly be stitched with love.

Still Cycling ...

With only approx 10 weeks to the RACV Great Vic bike ride it is now time to up the training. I have increased my spin classes to two a week and one class of pilates. I am also cycling on the mountain bike two to three times a week, trying to increase the distance with each ride. Friday and Sunday we rode over 20 kms. I think my fitness is improving, but then I ride up a steep incline ( not too many hills around Mildura ) and I know I need a lot more training. We are going to encounter some large hills through the Strathbogie ranges but I am not trying to think about that too much. I am thinking if I can't ride up the hill, I will walk up the hill. The weather has improved greatly over the past week, and it has been very pleasant cycling around the district.

Dinner with Friends

Had friends for dinner last night. With the weather being cold and rainy, a hearty meal was needed. I decided to slow cook a Moraccan Lamb shank recipe, served with roasted garlic potatoes, steamed green beans with a mustard/red vinegar dressing. Dessert was in keeping with the cold weather, a lovely berry clafoutis served with double cream "of course ". No wonder I need the cycling and spin classes.. Nevertheless it was a lovely night with a couple of glasses of red to accompany the meal. Thought I would share the delicious dessert.

Berry Clafoutis.

500g Mixed frozen berries.
250g soft goats cheese.
140g caster sugar.
4 eggs.
180g almond meal.
2tsp vanilla extract.
1tsp almond extract.
Icing sugar to dust.
Cream to serve.

Preheat the oven to 170deg in a fan forced oven. Grease 1 large 30cm gratin dish. Place the mixed berries in the base of the gratin dish.

Place goats cheese, caster sugar, eggs, almond meal, vanilla extract and almond extract in a food processor and process to form a smooth mixture.

Pour the goats cheese mixture over the cherries. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the batter is golden ad risen .

Dust with icing sugar, and serve warm with cream.

Enjoy.

Mini Van Cycling experience

I have a question for you? Does anyone look good in lycra and a helmet?? Unless you are Lance Armstrong, the answer is 'unlikely'. And there is something to be said for the padded bike pants also...I feel rather sporty to say the least.

Driving around in a mini van with our bikes attached to the outside is something I'll have to get used to. I will admit it was my first experience in a mini van. Nevertheless, I really enjoy my new found fitness and I can't believe I will be cycling the 590km from Yarrawonga to Marysville in November. Let's hope there is a cheers squad at the finish line for us.

Cycling in the Barossa Valley South Australia

Last weekend I spent cycling in the Barossa Valley South Australia on a training weekend for the Great Vic Bike Ride.

The weather was shocking, needless to say not much riding occurred. But we managed to very much enjoy ourselves sampling the wines of the area. I must say, a favourite winery was the Sorby Adams Wine bar in Angaston. It had only opened the previous day, and food was to die for and wine not to bad either.

We also visited Maggie Beers farm. What a great place. We all left with laden bags. Some of my favourites are the 'fig and fennel paste' and the 'vino cotto'. The paste can be used on all sorts of things such as on a cheese plate, stuffings, with salads or even when baking scones. The vino cotto is basically used when ever you like to use balsamic vinegar. I tried it on a lamb roast the other night and it was really delicious.

Weekend in Melbourne

A couple of weeks ago, I spent five fantastic days at the Gift Fair in Melbourne.

The Gift Fair events are increasing in size each year, so expect lots of new and exciting products on the website soon.

My feet are only just recovering...next time time I'll wear my Hush Puppies!

It has been such a busy week. New stock has arrived for me to collate and photograph. Lots of online orders that had to be delivered locally.

I also managed to unpack some more of the mountain of boxes, our new home is starting to look like me, but I also managed to wallow away time in boxes of family photo's.....

Just not sure where the time went, but I guess there is always next week.

Cross stitching stockings for Christmas

One of my favourite past times is cross stitching. In particular, I loved making my kids Christmas stockings (which we still use today).

There are so many beautiful patterns to choose from. They do take quite a while to complete...around 8-12 weeks. The decoration and embellishments really enhance the look of the stocking and make each one individual.

Cross stitching kits are the easiest option and much less hassle.

I've been running regular cross stitching classes and there are a couple of places available in Tuesday's class. For more info you can email me.

Cycling around Mildura

Sunday was delightful, but freezing. We started around 9am and cycled along the bike track from Johnsons Bend through to Apex Park. From there we continued to the new Mildura Marina.

We're apart of the cycling club at Body Business in Mildura. It's such a great social group. I don't mind the odd spin class also.

I must admit when we were cycling down by the Murray, it was magical and it reminded me why I love living here.

Quilts and decorating

The other morning I received a phone call from a long standing client to ask for my advice on painting and decorating her new bedroom. She had purchased a lovely cream quilt with a decorative quilting design all over. Her question she posed to me was what colour to paint the bedroom wall and how to add a splash of colour.

I suggested using some pretty cushions and teaming it with a matching mohair/alpaca throw at the end of the bed or maybe drapped across a chair.

Here's another variation with white walls. We have a black and white patterned quilt and black cushions to add a bold statement. Rather nice I think.

Fruit cake!

This morning it was raining and I decided it was the perfect time to whip up a fruit cake. I adore this recipe and make sure I use all local Sunraysia dry fruit products.

Sunraysia Easy Mix Fruit Cake

Ingredients:
1kg of mixed Sunraysia dried fruit
600 ml carton of Iced coffee
2 cups of self raising flour

Method:
Turn oven to 180 degrees Celsius for a fan forced oven.
Soak fruit in iced coffee overnight.
Following day, sifted the flour into the fruit and iced coffee mixture.
Pour into a greased and paper lined cake tin. (Approx 20cm tin)
Cook for 1 hour approx or when the skewer is clean.

It always turns out lovely and moist. I have used this cake served with a dollop of fresh cream or ice-cream as a dessert.

Otherwise, I have a piece with my morning tea.

Really enjoying working from home. It is so nice combining work with home chores of which there are many. This morning I have collated orders, ran an online order to a customer in Mildura and now home to once again look at the mountain of boxes yet to unpack.

Rapt Up is completely online

After 21 years in my retail store in Mildura (Vic), the transition to run my gift store online is complete. After an exhaustive 10 days of moving into a new home, closing the shop and creating a workspace at home, I'm pleased to let you know that it is business as usual...just all online. www.raptup.com.au

New stock that has been all personally selected, is arriving continuously. The biggest problem I have is where to store everything now!

I must say, the thing I love most about working from home is I can be around Millie and Diesel - my two delightful dogs. Millie in particular, loves being indoors with me. Her favourite spot is on the couch near the TV. Millie is an aging 13 year old, blind, black poodle!