Granny progress report

And I don't mean of the human variety...although Grannies are healthy and busy :). No I'm talking the crochet variety... 

Told you I haven't been idle :) 

mwah my lovelies :)

Scrummy Banana Pecan Loaf

Absolutely delish banana, pecan and golden syrup loaf.

Gluten and dairy free.  Totally delish.  Started at 8 am, baked at 8pm!  Life interrupted.  A lovely Sunday. How lovely if we could sit and have a cuppa and a slice together, eh?



 

Look at me...I'm hand quilting

You're thinking it's been all coffees, beaches and concerts for me lately aren't you?  Neglecting my crafty time....well you're wrong :) very wrong.  Let me tell you little bits of crafty happy things have been happening.  Don't get me wrong there is nothing earth shattering or any big ta-dahs about to happen, just little itty bitty stitches, one stitch at a time. 

I'm so excited...I've started hand quilting!!  I am all fingers and thumbs and have not yet got a groove going on by any stretch - I'm told on good authority that will come in time.  I'm absolutely loving the charm of it though...my awkward little uneven stitches, each one made with great excitement.

Front view
 

back view...

 

I think the captions are unnecessary :)

 

I'm stitching every second square.  And loving it, loving it, loving it! I'll be back when I've finished...oh and there's been quite a bit of hooky going on too.

 

Have a glorious, glorious day, my lovelies xo

 





Perth has got it going on...

North Cottesloe from Barchetta café verandah

Bruce Springsteen Perth Arena Feb 5th




 

 

 

 

Lately, I've really been feeling the love for Perth, despite the intense heat of its summer!  Normally I have a right good old whinge around this time of the year about the heat and how long it lasts.  This year was a bit unusual with summer arriving late, so I'm not yet at my totally fed-up stage.  Instead I'm revelling in it!  Perth is a summer city - most definitely a summer city. And there is so much going on right now if you want to engage in it, theatre, concerts, outdoor movies.  And if you just want to disengage - the beach is right there.  You can soak up the serene-ness of the ocean, the sunshine, the magic of nature's world....the water is mesmerising.

 

And there is no shortage of good coffee...one of my simplest pleasures.  Give me a good coffee and I sing for the rest of the day, I can face anything dished up at me...it can turn a lousy day into a great day...:) 



I miss Melbourne cafes....warning ....whinge alert

Wah Wah Wah....

this weekend I went out for breakfast - my first in Perth this year and after my four days in Melbourne, where I was TOTALLY spoilt with absolutely divine and delicious gluten free toast at every café I went to for breakfast.  Let me tell you Melbourne cafes have it sussed.  BIG TIME.  They buy it from specialist bakeries, or bake it in-house and it is delicious.  Even beyond Melbourne.  In Lorne we went to the burger joint called 'Bottle of Milk". I ate burgers on gluten free buns, that were so good, the non gluten-free-ers choose them over the regular buns. Yep that's right.  I requested a burger in a bowl, because in my Western Australian experience...Grill'd, Jus Burgers, the buns are crap.  Totally disgusting - dry and crumbly, so I just get my burger hit without the bun.  But I didn't have to do that in Melbourne, so I indulged in more than one burger. Nom, nom, nom.  My mouth is watering at the thought of it now...and it's all the way across the other side of the country. ...so here I was at the John Street Café eagerly anticipating my eggs on gluten-free toast.  Soooo disappointing.  I suspect it was the Country Life supermarket loaf....very very dry-, inedible around the edges, like dried out bread for breadcrumbs......Melbourne cafes  were a distant memory.  It wasn't all bad - the eggs were perfect, but, 'this is why I just opt for no bread and go without, because it's too hard to get anything that doesn't totally depress you.  I feel like Melbourne cares...I haven't just decided to jump on some band wagon.  I am seriously, seriously, incredibly better health wise being gluten free - it is totes absolutely amazing how much better I feel.  Whereas I feel like Perth doesn't really care...it's like one of those people that roll their eyes and think...oh, here's another one of those faddish eaters, jumping on the wagon, making my life difficult.

I've never been diagnosed coeliac (because I'm not prepared to put myself back on gluten for 6 weeks and then have a test, when the outcome would be the same as I'm doing now and my body is thanking me everyday and I'm finally listening to it...lesson finally learned...susan you are such a slow learner), I have no qualms saying no to gluten as I just don't want to feel that sick and exhausted ever again. In saying that, there are times when I inadvertently have gluten and here is a the result of one of these situations...I look 7 months pregnant...it is hilarious.  It's my party trick....

I did warn you I was having  a whinge..... :)

gluten belly

 

 



a little thought for you

Hexie wallpaper...now there's an idea

My hexie quilt is well on the way to being a king size quilt for my bed...although I'm quite very happy with it gracing my wall for now whilst I get busy getting organised...who moi?  Yes moi?

It's so lovely to have my fabric around me where I can see it and feel it.  It's been stuffed away in dark dingy cupboards for ever and not nearly as accessible as I'd like it to be.  Lately, I've even been sleeping with it :)) I find it comforting.  I've pulled a mattress out, set up a lamp.  It's my space and lovely and open and in this heat it feels so much better than a smaller bedroom.  The fan whirs overhead and I drift off to dreamland reminded of all the wonderful possibilities that await me the next day. Fabric and colour make me feel so positive and happy and hopeful and excited and joyful.

xo

A few foodie pics....

 

2014!

I'm back from my 2 week break in Victoria, staying with Mum in Birregurra. This year was pretty special as one of my sister's and 2 of my nieces were also there, along with me and my girls.  It felt very Christmassy, sitting down to a traditional dinner with a fire going, and all trooping off to church on Christmas Eve, then sipping sherry and nibbling mince pies. 

We headed up to Melbourne for a few days.  It was mostly spent eating and shopping (my girls are great shoppers and can keep going and going - I opted for refreshment stops while they kept going).

Melbourne city is fun to wander around with labyrinth like arcades full of cafes and little shops.  Alleyways full of graffiti. Sitting and people watching is the best.  I like the slightly grungy feel in these back lanes. It feels a bit more real to me than the highly polished and sophisticated shops. And there's a definite air of individuality. I felt I was escaping the cloning-like-drone-like environment I feel in Perth at shopping malls in particular, where shop after shop is the same.

Here's pics from a free installation at the Potter Gallery. The rug...

I don't think you'll ever guess what it's made from...

The cushion...

And the remnants of a dinner party...

It was terrific fun standing and taking in the amazing details...the drippy candle, half eaten after dinner mints, wine spills.  It was done by the Hotham Street Ladies - a group of 5 women from memory. 

Any guesses?

The BEST Coffee and Walnut Cake

On Sunday I had a rare day with not much on, so I thought I'd bake a cake.  I went through a stage of baking a cake every weekend a while back, but that had gone by the wayside recently.  But I just felt like something super yummy to have with a morning coffee.  I was totally inspired by a new cookbook I bought recently - it is so mouth-watering, I just drool over the pages as I flick through.  I've declared to myself I will systematically bake every recipe in the book - a bit of a Julie/Julia Child thing.  No pressure Sooze..I mean I didn't set a time frame.  I think I might set a counter up and count down the number of recipes in the book...mmm I just need to figure out how to do that! 

 

I won't keep you in suspense any longer................

 

 

 

here's what it looked like from the top....

 

 

and side

 

 

 

 

It was to-die-for-delicious and got the biggest thumbs up from my girls. Totally gluten-free.

 

Thanks Julia Thomas from Cake Angels