This moment
a friday ritual
a single photograph from my week
x
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
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
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!
A Friday ritual a special moment from my week to share with you joining many others around the globe
Bruny Island adventures
a long story with lots of photographs
It begins with
crankiness along the coast
tired and tetchy
itchy and scratchy
we are at a frictious all time low {i think that every time we hit the downside of our cycle}
finally a camp at the neck campground and some play
i remember to bring out the watercolour paints and pencils
Jesse remembers to play music
(note the kids cubby next door)
which i tried to help with by request and ended up being screamed at
tempers are frayed these days
but Lily finds meditation in making a bush home for Cedar’s leopard
we look for penguins late into the night
and are just cold and disappointed
{take a red light torch and lots of warm clothes, a flask of hot tea and make everyone be silent or the penguins will wait until the noisy crowd gives up and not come to everyone else leaves! making their young wait hours while they wait in the water until it’s safe}
adventure bay offers us a little respite simply by being beautiful and we split up and take a child each and some space
but things are stilted and we are not flowing together
even filling our water tank becomes an issue
i am reminded that despite external surroundings it is one’s inner state which dictates one’s happiness
and that when one is happy one doesn’t mind so much where one is!
i start to pray
help us find a safe place to unfold
find a friend for Lily
find a supportive friend for Jesse
find me a hot shower and some nurturing
and then
like a mirage is Michael running down the road
ask and ye shall receive
oh thankyou!
Michaels blue bush palace has evidence of his seabound joy everywhere
boats, diving gear, surfboards, fishing tackle, shells, paddles, wetsuits, seaweed…..
He and Jesse met nearly 15 years ago and he generously invites us to stay a night
{which becomes two}
he has an abundant garden including a hothouse for the cold season
and thrives on this and seafood of all varieties
he collects and dries his own wild seaweed for added nutrition!
Michael shares his warm heart and uplifting life values so openly
we can’t help but ease open too.
Lily and his son Brody become instant mates and Cedar is happy playing with his tonka truck
or shovelling sand
I luxuriate in a long hot riverwater shower…
We are blown away to have abalone prepared for us {me first time! ahhhh yum}
though at first i can’t believe these yucky slimy mess are so coveted
the bounty of Michael and Flo’s {current French WWOOFer} recent dive
prepared with Michaels incredible {unusual} experienced process
{not what they do in restaurents}
we are soon feasting
Cedar decides to eat nothing else!
luxury tender surprising salty deliciousness!
i cant quite fathom we are eating about $300 worth of abalone!
Jesse and I look at each other and wonder how we got here?
while the men are cooking I wander about photographing the property
it is all blue, light, timber trims, glass and mirrors
a lush oasis on Bruny island
and then morning and Michael shares his passion for surfing with us
his clear enthusiasm is infectious and transparent
we meet the only other family on the beach on holiday from Sydney and wishing they lived here
i am fascinated by his {holiday fellow} hollow wooden surfboard, a beautiful play thing
Lily gets her first wave! she is helped up to standing and then pushed off to ride to shore again and again
she is totally high
and freezing
while the others are in the icy seaweedy water {swim anyone?}
i play ashore with Cedar
and engage myself with unknotting a 15m tangle of kelp I love this giant sea tree
i slice some of the new growth to take home and dry
to add to soups
next is our beach drive tour of Cloudy bay
ending with a paradisical swim in the pristine turquoise calm side of the bay
the land is a stunning contrast of sea sky and forest
it feels untouched and still enchanted here and i am deeply touched by the peace and bounty of this area
the children slide down a massive sand dune endlessly
Jesse and I swim and chase
while Michael catches up on some internet work
{and if y’all get over there quick you too can meet Michael at the awesome festival which he organizes!}
what a beautiful friend living an incredible lifestyle
I am so inspired by this man who is living his bliss
sharing his bliss
caring for and inspiring others
Thankyou for welcoming us in and encouraging the joy back into our hearts
so a long story that started painfully, had a happy ending
and the finale was sailing the bus and eating a pile of fresh baguettes and cheese…
sometimes i feel like the luckiest woman
On our travels up and down the Midland Highway
we pass through Oatlands
an historical village set about an hour North of Hobart
we are lured by fresh Organic Stoneground Woodfired Sourdough bread
mmmm that ticks all the bread boxes doesn’t it
and not to mention local grains milled in the recently restored mill!
Lily and I dress in vintage clothing and go on a date to peruse the gardens, heritage buildings and main street
we play and pose for each other and giggle alot and smell roses and lavender hedges and accidently knock an unripe apple down
There is a free camping spot on the lake front {where you can glimpse Thylacine on the far bank}
and there are many birds and topiary hedges to prune…
or you can park up next to the playground which boasts a giant didgeridoo tree with
whimsical native animal carvings and you can pick wild tiny tart plums….
we feast on giant cherries and smile alot
and are blessed with spectacular broad sky sunsets
This community of inspirational folk
shared a wonderful accepting, encouraging and down right funny
time together at the circus festival
i love that the whacky and unusual is embraced and i see such
a diverse range of people feel at ease here and accepted and loved for their differences.
all day there are feats to amaze
some on stage and some casually in the central gathering area
we are camped close to it all
dress up daily and laugh and laugh
even the morning yoga class has everyone laughing and therefore relaxing more
ahhh good medicine for us all…
Lily has another chance to have a flying trapeze lesson
and gets a catch! woohooo!
what an amazing opportunity!
extraordinary things happen in the circus!
and the extraordinary becomes possible for everyone
next time we will attend the training week beforehand
until then
we are all now looking forward to the circus festival in
Mullumbimby in September!
are you going?
we all make delightful new friendships at this festival
including another lovely blogging mama Lauren
and her daughters with whom Lily has since spent alot of happy time
on Sunday the girls make popcorn to sell in handmade paper bags
they make $8 to share and are very pleased!
this is the first festival we have allowed Lily to move around freely with a friend
the atmosphere is gentle and fun, the venue is small and she can easily find her way safely back to camp
wow, growing up into a little more independance!
among other things i spend some time with a friends spinning wheel
one thing i miss while traveling so now i endeavor to learn how to drop spindle
to conclude the festival there is the Circus Olympics
where anyone can participate in events like
most backflips in a row, hulahooping, juggling while playing simon says, human wheelbarrow racing while juggling,
unicycle rally, balancing a stick on your chin, handstand {winner at 3.5 minutes!!} etc etc
sorry i didn’t photograph this i couldn’t bear to leave to run for the camera!!
we have all come away inspired to master skills with our bodies
and the children are climbing onto our shoulders or balancing on anything or making impromptu shows for us!!
xxx
with love and laughter