a friday ritual
a single photograph from my week
a simple sweet moment to cherish
joining with soulemama and others around the whirled
Category Archives: travels in NSW
Home made Mayonnaise ~ easier than you think
i have attempted mayonnaisse once before, it was a terrible gloppety glop which seperated in the first hour and no-one would eat. boo. condiment disaster.
and then one day recently, like a home cooking queen, my dear friend Dalee {Owl and Snail blog} casually offers to whip up some mayo to accompany lunch as the rice is not cooked yet. WHAT? squawks I
what can’t this woman do?
whip up mayonnaisse? i thought it was a half hour hand whisking ordeal for secondary results?
not anymore ladies and gentleman.
mayonnaisse, fresh, lemony, creamy mayo is within your grasp {if you have a power source/sauce and a blender}
no more sad sandwiches gasping for some moisture, no more shop tainted slaw,
read on and then
quick get your apron on and blender out…
Dalee’s deelicious home made whip it up casually MAYONNAISE
disclaimer~recipe is just a guideline, adjust ingredients as you see fit…
pop into your blender jug
- 2 good and fresh eggs and another egg yolk
- juice of half a lemon or more
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of honey or similar
whizz til smooth then with motor running slOWly pour in oil in a steady drizzle until mixture thickens to your liking… ta da!!
approximately more than 1 cup of good oil but possibly less than 2 {depends on the weather}
Dalee recommended a blend of olive and a lighter oil like sunflower, i agree after tonights recipe trial. i also added a sprig of parsley to dye it an appealing shade of rolling meadows green
then good people, dollop, slather, spread, dip, splat, lick, enjoy!
Keep it in the fridge. I can’t legally recommend an exact UBD but perhaps up to 7 days?? do not leave out of the fridge for extended periods as it contains raw eggs, food poisoning is a concern.
try with roast potatoes, fish and salad {my dinner above. mm not bad… in another life i am a food shooter for culinary prints}
try it with….
vegie sticks
in coleslaw
in nori rolls
in chicken salad
egg sandwitches
in salad dressings
on frittata
on pancakes…?
well go on, make some soon and tell me what you enjoyed it with {as long as it’s food now}
looks good, tastes great and has raw eggs in it!
and what about Miss Dalee, artist, mama, musician, crafter, pioneer, yurt dwelling, homeschooling, mayonnaise queen. did you go look at her blog? or her skilled husband Jesse, who handcrafts beautiful Shakahachi flutes.
some more moments from my visit
- Lily plays for The Ridge children
view from community house/kitchen to the sea
the kitchen of mayonnaise heaven…
Dalee also makes KimChi {fermented spicy vegetable condiment from Korean origin}
Lily disappears into the schoolroom within arms length of the bookshelf
playful artworks by Dalee and children
The Yurt~temporary home while they build/wait for approval to build from council
so cosy and light. furnished with many handmade pieces from the hands of mama and papa
a wedding gift from Jesse’s dad
circus fun
jesse dalee and eltham
my cute wee home for the night.
rainbows
peace
and mayonnaise
xx
there is another good mayo recipe and scientific examination of the sauce here
thankyou Ridge friends, you where the last stop on the way to Bellingen. i enjoyed my three fun days of inspiration with different friends and i left you feeling full and motivated and, well, inspired!
this moment…
this moment
a friday ritual
one photograph from my week
a special simple moment
joining Soulemama and many others around the world.
do you have a special moment from your week to share?
leave a link in the comments section for all to see
xx
Thyme to soothe a cough {another belated post}
Thyme to soothe a cough
The beauty and the challenge of this gorgeous valley in NSW is the moisture. It creates lush environs and gurgling creeks and verdant grass and abundant gardens and also encourages mould and in some folks damp lungs and digestive systems.
With a recent bout of coughing which set into the children I was quickly onto the herbal cough and cold tincture (which they are happy to take as it contains a little licorice root so tastes pretty good)
The vitamin C, the herbal chest and foot rubs, the breathe easy essential oils, the onion in the bowl beside the bed ( settled Lily’s cough within 10 minutes and it was gone completely in the morning!)
Seeing this list I see an enthusiastic bombardment of support to the body, my theory at the time was to explore til I found the thing that soothed each individual.
Anyway get to the tea Rosi
I put a pot to brew on the stove containing about
1 litre good water
1 cinnamon stick
1 handful of fresh thyme
a few slices of lemon peel
juice of ½ lemon
after it had simmered with the lid on for at least five minutes I let it rest for another 10
then stirred in a big tablespoon of raw honey before serving in those lovely mugs of our friends.
I simply kept topping the pot up with water and lemon juice over the next three days and the brew became so flavourful and delightful to sip on these frosty mornings and evenings. The scent in the house was divine when I lifted the lid and the soothing properties of the ingredients helped the inner wellness levels. Mmm
I just long for good scents when I’m ill, and the comfort of warm lemony drinks
So happy to add this recipe to my collection
I hope you enjoy it too!
don’t wait for illness..
You could serve it with cinnamon cookies or honey popcorn or French toast or a good book for afternoon tea on a blustery day…
Whats your household wellness tricks?
Be well
Roselinde
ps i just love these posts where the photographs are so naturally beautiful, we just happened to be in a house{shed} with the cutest gingham table and lovely pottery and just happened to have a pot of weed flowers on the table to brighten it all up:)
i have to do this disclaimer, i recommend you go see an experienced practitioner if you have a persistent cough to deal with xx
What Katie requested.
a recurring theme of my year so far has been the gift of friendship
again and again i am overcome with gratitude to these unique people who have time and space and words and ears for me and vice versa and the precious and mundane moments we share, the interest in each others lives, from the deep processes and vulnerable sharing to, how are you handling the lice on your children?
one of my dear friends is Katie
What she did is varied and inspirational
Loving motherhood, wise partnership, humorous perspective, deep knowledge, inspirational blogging at Obaitori, gentle guide in yoga and yogic studies, creative attentive mumsy, phone a friend availability and more and more….
anyway, we rarely have time together but
during our last visit in March, Katie requested this recipe
presented just like this {authentic glimpse into my bookshelf}
so here it is dear on the original kookaburra note paper
it has nothing to do with the River Cottage {though there are lots of good recipes in there}
i found it in a backwater town in highland Qld in an old camp cookbook
It is simply
Pour 1c Arborio rice or medium grain white rice into a deep baking dish/camp oven
cover with
approx 4c liquid {milk/water blend to your taste}
add a diced apple or two
dot with butter
cover tightly with a lid or foil
bake at 180’c about 40 minutes or til liquid mostly absorbed and rice cooked
easy
serve with whatever yummy toppings
honey, maple, chopped nuts, fruit, berry sauce, ice cream….
variation
add 1 tspn cinnamon and 1/2 c sultanas or black currants to the mix
endless variety or simplicity
xxx
thanks for being my friend
when we are old ladies we can take endless beach walks with a thermos and our knitting…
Our Easter in Autumn Story
on Easter eve we are visiting friends on the journey north from Sydney. The children go out in the sunset pink to cut grass to line the easter basket and to feed the Easter hare
while they cut I retell an Easter story about the journey of the Easter hare and the purpose of the eggs as i have adopted it from this great book. Easter in Autumn. i deeply enjoy storytelling without a book in front of me as i took the time to learn the story and make it my own. They are both captivated and i feel peaceful with this serene wash of calm coming over me as i bask in the moment and the beauty of the simple now-ness and connection we are sharing. i am inspired to learn more stories to tell.
this basket was woven in Arnhem land, jesse gifted it to Lily on return of his trip there last year. {i got a lady version for my birthday}
the light is soft and pastelly and embracing and look below, it hints to the sky of the dawn…
Lily and I have made a date to silently watch the sunrise on Easter morn.
we are camped by a river and the light bounces from the water in a myriad of pastel delicacies..
Pelicans join us and we are gifted this close observation of a much loved bird
Lily points out the Pelican has made a heart with it’s own reflection
i resolve to make more dates with Lily, the peace of simply being together touches us both deeply. It is grounding and loving and sets us up for a rich connection through the day.
finally a golden peep through the clouds melts the dew from waxy leaves
a new day
a new beginning
as we walk back we pick golden sunny flowers to decorate the bus and the easter baskets, glistening with dew
Cedar and Jesse are awake and after the children exclaim over the gifts from the Easter hare in their baskets, they go outside with a poem of clues to find the Easter treasures
oh whats under here??
skip to a quick ant bite interlude….
then the treasure hunt is back on….
looking looking looking, Lily can see the silver paper on the tyre and is encouraging Cedar to find it and giggling about his looking but not seeing… i remember Lily at this age needing very obvious eye level treasures to find… 
I found it!!
and up here Cedar!
i am wondrous to see Lily turn the seeking into a game for Cedar in which she is showing and helping him in a thoughtful way, instead of rushing around claiming all the treasure. it reveals the change out of early childhood i am seeing into a less selfconcerned world view. beautiful.
the treasure is in and unwrapped and eaten.
after struggling in the night with my staunch anti chocolate stance, i realise the experience of my uptight stress is less beautiful than the joy the children will have when unwrapping 2 squares of organic chocolate before breakfast!
and it was fine, and they were so happy, and they did not have sugar meltdowns!
it’s good to let go a little now and then. but yes i am pretty strict about sweets in our own home and prefer to savour these type of treats for specials.
later in the day we prepare eggs to decorate and enjoy an omelette for lunch
you may know how already but here
the simple steps to blow eggs ready for decoration and hanging
use a large pin to pierce one end of an egg, i use a series of punctures in close proximity to open a 2mm hole, repeat on the opposite end and remember to have a bowl ready to catch your egg insides {make an omelette or cake…}
apply your lips and lungs to the task of blowing a stream of egg insides to the outside. rinse by submersing in water and blowing out once more. towel dry and there they are, light and ready to decorate. we often use water colour pencils or paints, or dye with onion skin…
in the weeks coming up to Easter i scout around town for white shelled eggs.. {In Bellingen they are sold at the Providore from a local farmer….} this year we had little choice as we travelled…
the easter bounty which the children are happy happy happy with
during our afternoon drive i watch Lily singing out the window like a puppy with her face in the wind…
i imagine her reflecting on the day and she is singing her happiness to the world…
some sweet sweet moments in our day
blessings and happy new beginning to us all…
Waking up to…
Waking up to
The ocean does something really wonderful to me! Particularly in the glow and cool of early morn as I stretch open my body and mind.
Then reading this post which inspired me and articulated gently a common thread in parenting.
Blessings on your day
Can you give yourself a simple intention for this day?
R
Thank you J for the photos
RosaLindenTree 