The Long Weekend.

Breakfast
I don't serve breakfast, but today is a particular Sunday for us, and I decided to do breakfast for the family.  It's quickly done as the preparation was the day before, hot steamed buns for breakfast.  A delicious bread bun stuffed with soft poached eggs and sweet pork, it goes well with hot tea.

A bun for a person was plenty, fresh fruits are there but were not taken.

The preparation - The day before

 From poaching the eggs to steam the buns

They were yummy hot buns, but we found problems with the paper underneath, it sticks on the buns, and it was tough to peel off.  Just one of those things, the fault of the cook.

After breakfast, we took the family and the dog for a short walk to the Reservoir Conservations Reserve.  We saw a lot of people there having a good time, exploring the bush and watching wildlife, birds, ducks and so on.  Alfie, the dog, was happy enough, enjoying the park and fresh air that morning.

In The Park

We did not stay for long, Alfie got too hot quickly, we went home to have a quiet morning. We were relaxed back at home, catching up the goss and Susan had fun looking up old family photos.

 The Lunch

For the Sunday lunch, I cooked Javanese dishes and meringue with fresh fruits for the dessert.




I did terrific six dishes efficiently with fried krupuk for the garnish.  I am home to have Javanese meals, what we had for lunch was Nasi Rames (white steamed rice with the accompaniments) but the roast dinner of the previous night was so perfect. It is so right to have a roast of the leg of lamb with all the trimmings when the family is home.  Today we have been here for forty years.  We celebrate!

Krupuk (prawn crackers) and Empal (double cooked beef) have to be on the Menu.

 cooking the Javanese dishes in my kitchen

Tahu masak bawang, kare telur pedas, semur terong

Tahu, sayur masak bawang, kare telor pedas

Nasi Putih (white steamed rice) with garnishes

Ayam bacem (braised chicken with tamarind and turmeric)

Meringue with fresh fruits (No it is not Javanese cooking)

But at least we had the fresh fruits.  Fresh fruit is so important

it is served after dinner as the dessert.

I wish to start posting about Javanese cooking soon.

The Sunday lunch was enjoyable, we had a tasty feast.  I don't cook a variety of dishes every weekend, I save it for a special occasion. Today the cooking was excellent.  In fact, I enjoyed my own food; indeed, it was delicious.

 By the late afternoon, everyone felt weary, I never miss my daily Nana nap, so it was fine by me.

Time has gone so fast, I remember vividly, we were picked up at  Tullamarine airport on the 9th of March 1974,  by Father Fulton,  the vice principal of Monevae College who is now no longer with us, after he took us to have a dinner at the Southern Cross Hotel (which has been demolished), and he drove us straight to Hamilton.  It was a very late afternoon, once we got out from the city of Melbourne the road was so quiet, and he drove so fast (I thought), and I was wondering' where were the people'. Miles after miles, I could not see people, not a soul.  It is so different and more so if you come from Java.

I thought of Frank, particularly today.  He was so kind, generous to people but especially to us.  It was a royal welcome, from experience I tried to treat others the same - with respect.
We meet new friends, good people and through them, we learn, and we live well.

We were three people then, Rayner, me and Mel, our first daughter, and forty years later we are thirteen.  We are blessed.

I forgot about Alfie, he is a Cute French Bulldog, Susan's dog, so our family is now fourteen.








A beautiful surprise gift from Susan and Tris.  Little Prince Protea Cynaroides.  I will try my best to care for it. Thank you.



We had an excellent long weekend, especially Sunday.


Until Next Post.
Susy.

Potted Plants (Continued)

Repotting Yucca Plants
The repotting of my large Yucca plants was in progress, we finished one pot.  The second pot was not that hard, as we know what to expect.  It was fun to bash the large pot, wow such expensive activity, I wanted to save the pots but it was impossible.

My plan was to repot one plant a week to be easy. But since we don't need to be careful dealing with the pots, the repotting was done for only two days.

Thanks for Rayner's help.  He did excellent job, getting all the plant out and cut them short,  using hand saw and other tools, very hard work.

The yucca plants were on tall large pots, they looked not too well, and shabby and some of the paint of the pots had peeled off.   I decided to repot to give them a new look, using large but shorter pots.
I was so surprised that actually the plants needed repotting much earlier as they were root bound so badly.

Farewell big pots, and welcome beautiful small pots.  I knew that they will look just perfect.


The bashing of the pots was easy enough, but to cut of the root bound yucca plants was not funny at all.  Putting the broken pots to our backyard was very good exercises for me.  There were loads of wheelbarrows.

Repotting is easy when the plant is already out from the old pot.  I soaked the plant in water over nights and added some plant starter to protect from the shock.  Now the plant is in new soil, added with  blood and bone and very little slow released fertiliser.  It will live!!!!!

I believe the plants will survive, they need time to settle, it is a good time for the plants to adjust as the cooler weather is coming.  They do look smart and better on these short large pots, and I am hoping they will be alright.  I must say that we both worked as a team so well.

The New Look of Potted Yucca

Potted Plants for Indoors.

I like to have indoor plants, in the seventies I had more indoor plants than now.  There are three indoor plants in our house, a palm, monstera deliciousa and maiden fern.   Two of them are very easy plants to care for but the maiden ferns are not looking so great.  

Having indoor plants can be successful as long as we give the plants what they need for growing, such as the right place to sit, keeping the soil moist, and fertilise regularly.

The palm has been in the pot for the past five years also or more,  maybe the repotting has to be done soon.The montera has been indoor since late last year, but it is loving it, and growing too large,  I am afraid it could not stay inside the house for long.  It is a shame though, I use it as a room divider, it looks good. When my orchids are in flowers, the room fills with their blooms. We like the indoor plants there, and see them everyday, from August to November, we have the orchids as well, changing scenery is always good.

 I have also nurtured the plants for the past eleven years, it was sitting outside in a shady place, and  I put it inside the house only last year,  it loves it and grow so well.   Now the montera deliciousa become 'The Monster'

When I bought the maiden fern from the Grow Master Nursery, someone told me that it is hard to care for, anyway I got them, as I am willing to try.  Indeed, he was so right, the plants looked so unhappy and not too good. They are two types, one has large leaves and the other one has very fine leaves.  They are very delicate ferns and very pretty.  I hope I could rescue them and they can live!!!  I have tonnes of rooms for improvements in regard to gardening, please if you wish to give me advice, it will be very much appreciated.

Today is a Sunny Day

The picture was taken on a sunny morning, the new look of the potted yucca is good.  I could relax now, maybe after five years they need to be repotted again, but just wait and see.  We shall enjoy the plants for the time being.  Gardening is never finished, that's the beauty of it.

Well,  I wish all the very best to you all gardeners, keep busy but enjoy!

Until Next Post

Susy

Potted Plants

Potted Plants for Outdoors
The benefits
The soil is readily available, you can purchase from the shop or the nursery, you don't need to treat the ground, everything that the plants need is there already
The pot can be placed anywhere, in the sunny or cooler area where it is suitable for the plants to grow. When the flowering potted plants are in flowers, move them to a place where you wish to display.

The disadvantages
Watering, fertilising have to be regular
Replenish the soil and top up with mulch is very important
Repotting, the pots need to be done when the plants have overgrown and are sure to repot in time to avoid root-bound.

The Potted Plants

Potted Fig Brown Turkey 

It is only one year old.

The first harvest was three figs, and they were small but so sweet.

Another Potted Fig

It is more than four years old potted fig, and the fruit is abundant with light pink flesh.  Soft and Sweet.  I saw one of the fruits was ready, but I thought maybe I will pick it tomorrow.  Oh, it was too late, the birds picked at a bit of it.  Today I harvest the almost one fruit and share it with Rayner.  It is time to cover the tree to protect from the birds.

The Herbs

The potted herbs are growing well, and they are convenient as I put them close by my kitchen.  My potted sage is more than six years old, isn't it amazing?, but I think it had it now, I am grateful though that it can last that long in a pot.  Now I have a new sage plant that I got from Farmer's market, I could use a few leaves until it has settled and grown better.  My other potted herbs are Bay tree, thyme, rosemary, oregano, mints, parsley (seasonal).  Using the herbs for cooking is essential for me, fresh herbs are delicate, but they impart the flavour beautifully make the cooking taste great.  Having herb plants is very economical.

My new potted sage plant

My new potted lemongrass-my third attempt to plant

The sample of my cooking using fresh herbs:

Preparation for filling with fresh herbs flavour.

Savarin tins are lined with mixed fresh herbs.

Mixed herbs for chicken and golden rice

Using the savarin container, the beautiful stuffed chicken with herbs, filled with golden rice is ready to poach. 

They are my unique cooking, the filling for savoury brioche.  It needs about five mixed fresh herbs, imagine if I don't have herb garden or potted herbs, I will be in trouble.  Simply I could not afford.

Potted Bay Tree, Potted Mint and Sage, Potted Rosemary

Other Potted Plants

Potted Grasses are growing well,  I started to have the mixed grasses in pots this year, just see how they go, they do look beautiful, especially the red flame grass in the black containers.

Potted curly hoya looks beautiful, it has never been flowering, maybe soon.

Too many pots in my garden I have to admit, I file them by colours, I thought it is more appropriate, that way I could get a lot of styles.  After all the garden is as you like it, it is not a formal or semi-formal, neither a cottage garden.  So far, I tried to minimise the number of pots, and I think I did well.  At the moment I have been repotting the yucca plants, they are in huge pots, and it is still in progress.

On that note, I will be back to tell you all when the repotting has finished.  To be continued.

It has been a hectic weekend, and so have the children and the grandkids been.

Busy time is a happy time.

Until Next Post

Susy

Baking Day

Today is Friday, the end of the week.  It is going to be easy dinner, of homemade pizza.  I don't do this often, maybe a few times a year, but if I do it, most of the time the pizza is so delicious.  I put toppings which we like, and of course, homemade tomato sauce is on it.  For today the pizza has new toppings, they were tomato, onion, salami, olives, cheese and whole fresh eggs, simple toppings but they worked very well.  The pizza base was the way we like it, it's thick and spongy not thin and crispy.  Adding eggs for the topping makes the meal complete, to accompany the pizza was a fresh garden salad.

The real reason for having the pizza was making the best of using the oven since I decided to have a baking day. Pumpkin Cake with Cottage Cheese,  cottage cheesecake, date scones, egg and cheese pie, were the baking for the family to come home.  This month is a busy month, but it is going to be good.

Preparations and The baking

Pizza Dough
320 g plain flour, 1 and a half teaspoons dry yeast, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and a little oil, 3/4 cup warm water or a little bit more if you need it.  Mix all together to make a soft dough.  Knead it for 8 minutes to make a smooth dough.  Put in an oiled bowl and prove the dough for one hour until it is doubled in bulk.

T

The Pizza

Added two whole fresh eggs for the topping and bake for 11 minutes

* Mini Pumpkin Cake with Cottage Cheese

Pumpkin Cake with Ricotta Cheese

Line a piece of foil with baking paper, place the cake on it and wrap it properly before you put it in an airtight container.  Keep in a freezer, until it is needed.

Cottage Cheese Cake

 Delicious light cottage cheese cake with raspberries, it excellent for freezing.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. (no recipe yet)



The Pie

Egg and Cheese Pie with Susy water pastry.  Delicious savoury in light and thin crispy pastry.  It is good to be served hot or cold for the next day.  Recipe water pastry in an older post.

The Scones

Rough and Rustic Date Scones are good to have, especially if you are having a busy week in front of you.  It is healthy and excellent for morning tea, I am looking forward to having it while we both are busy working in the garden.

It was a very productive day, Friday morning shopping to start off, a little work had been done in the garden, and in the afternoon I was busy in the kitchen.  The month of March is very significant for my family, and especially for this year.

I thought sharing a recipe with you at least, to make this post better.

Susy Pumpkin Cake with Cottage Cheese.

Wrapping the cake ready for freezing

Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, and a little clove powder

(sift the dry ingredients together)

100 g cooked a pumpkin, mashed

3 tablespoons cottage cheese

2/3 cup raw sugar

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup milk

2 eggs

(place the six items above onto the food processor, work it to make smooth mixture)

Method

Line a 23x23x5 square cake tin with baking paper put the oven on up to 160 C degrees (a fan forced)

Add the dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, a process in the food processor to make a smooth cake batter.  The batter should be thick enough, but not to thick or too runny.

Pour the cake batter onto the prepared tin, and bake in the preheated oven for 26-30 minutes.

Take it out, let it rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out and place it on a cooling tray.

To serve

Serve plain and dust with icing powder or top it up with pumpkin candies or little meringues.

Serving the mini cakes

*Note: I took a part of the batter, and bake in a gem scone tray to make mini cakes.

I am so pleased that within a few hours I got six varieties of baking done beautifully, but you don't want to see the mess that I made in the kitchen.  Luckily I have a very thoughtful helper-Rayner who did well helping me around.  True, the dinner was late, but it's OK.

Give the recipe a go, you may like it. Happy Baking and Have Fun!

Thank You For Visiting

Until Next Post

Susy