Great Places To Visit.

I never tire of walking along and sitting upon the banks of the lovely Murray River at Tocumwal.  Our little cottage there is a wonderful escape from the hussle and bussle of the city. It's wonderful to have a place of beauty and tranquility to visit and revive without having to spend a fortune.  I feel truly blessed. i hope you enjoy my photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.  So tranquil.  I also enjoy just standing on the old rail/road bridge and watching the sun on the water and the trees. The bridge is still used by goods trains, but no longer by cars.  You can see and hear the trains coming from a long way and they always toot very loudly as they approach, just in case. The early morning light and the late afternoon light are my fav. times to visit and just be quiet, listen and look. So refreshing for the heart, soul, spirit and mind. 

Hubby and I have been living and working in Melbourne for over 20 years now.  It has occurred to us that Melbourne is one of the most liveable cities in the world, but we never really explore it, just live in it.  So, we have decided to change that. Last Saturday evening we caught the train (resisted the urge to drive) into Flinders Street Station, walked across the road to Federation Square and along the Yarra River. Decided to eat at one of the little Cafe/Restaurants at Fed Square. Settled on Feddish.  We weren't disappointed.  Lovely food, good variety, served promptly.  As it is right on the Yarra Edge of Fed Square we were able to listen to the Nepal Prayer Vigil. Very touching and special. Melbourne city is so lovely at night with all its coloured lights, horse draw carriages, Flinders Street Station, The Arts Centre, etc, etc, etc.  We intend to do more of this kind of thing. There is so much to explore and see in our beautiful city by the sea. ...

 I love the Murray River and never get tired of its beauty.  Here are some photo's from my most recent trip.

What to do when you need to roll some brand new silk/mohair wool into a ball before knitting it.  Your home alone and need another pair of hands as well, or so I thought.  Didn't have another set of hands,  I looked, nope, just one pair.Mmmmm to begin with I don't need them if I'm careful, but towards the end when the wool really wants to tangle, I need something to keep in apart. But, first I want something to roll it onto so it is a neat ball that won't tangle as I knit it.  Got it! Needed: 1 x empty toilet roll and 1 x vacant kitchen chair.  Perhaps you can think of other ways to do this. This is my first effort.  I reckon you could use those old timber "bobbins" that I saw at the craft show instead of a toilet roll as well, but I don't have one of those.  Here is the result.  Mission Accomplished!

Had a fun 2 days at the AQC recently.Beautiful quilts everywhere you looked. Some inspirational, some just plain daunting in their detail and workmanship!  Loved it all.  Enjoyed browsing the many stands with lots of different "quilt stuff" to look through, learn about and purchase. Yes, I can resist anything, except temptation when it come to quilting.  I had a ball buying bits and pieces from fabrics to templates to cottons,  lots of quilting stuff.  Poor hubby, he won't be quitting his day job in a hurry. God bless him and his generous nature. Anyway I learned heaps from the free 1/2 hour seminars and enjoyed playing on the VERY expensive long arm quilting machines. They are so large they would take up 1/2 my house! Fun to play with though.  Unfortunately the lack of space was the last thing I needed to worry about as the price tag for these things starts at around $17,000.00 and that's a convention special!  For a home hobby quilter that's just w...

This is a delightful dish that anyone can enjoy especially if you always loved Cauliflower Au Gratin but now can't have diary.  This Cashew Sauce is a delicious alternative to dairy.  I enjoy making a melody of whatever vegetable I have in the refrigerator and garden, blanch them, put them in a casserole dish and make the Cashew Sauce in my Thermomix! (Use your blender if you don't have a Thermomix).  It's healty, delicious, and guilt free!! Eat to your hearts content.  If like me your man wouldn't go without meat, simple cook him a steak or a chop etc on the bar-b-q and put that on the side of his plate.  I also like to add jacket potatoes, yummy, just don't fill them with butter! Split them open and fill them with your vegetable mix instead!  Hope you enjoy this dish, it's a staple of mine. I also like it over steamed brown rice.

Chilli Beans are something I really enjoy making and eating in an assortment of ways.  Here is another twist on chilli beans that is a heart warming, soul satisfying soup. Served with torn basil leaves and your favourite crusty bread, you will find yourself going back for seconds! This dish is so satisfying in so many ways. Give it a go, it's well worth it.  Use only dried beans and soak them overnight, this makes a rich broth for your soup base the next day.  If you wake up in the morning and hadn't planned ahead to have this dish for dinner, then it's not too late. Put your beans and stock on after breakfast and gently simmer throughout the day, adding more stock or water if it evaporates too much. Add your remaining ingredients about 1 1/2 hrs before dinner that night and cook them.  Your beans should be softened and your lentils dissolved into the rich stock just as if you had soaked them overnight.  Another thought I just had is if you have a slow cooker, p...