Authenticated by le Enchanteur
 | Anita Marie on The Story of a Rose |
 | kvwordsmith on Gypsy’s Path |
| Anita Marie on Gypsy’s Path |
 | Raven on Gypsy’s Path |
 | woodnymph on Gypsy’s Path |
The great thing about having a chef for a son in law is not just the food - it’s the presents. His latest gift to me is the new Nigella Express. Here’s someone who understands the craving for a good recipe book as bedtime reading. And Nigella always serves up a good book, as tasty [...]
I made a Cottage Pie tonight - the filling was all right, but the real reason I make Cottage Pie, and the reason everyone eats it, is because of my mashed potatoes. Being Irish, I love potatoes in any form, but I spent years perfecting my mash.
I use big old baking potatoes that stay white [...]
This is absolutely our favourite time of year, even though Christmas is very different to me now. As I child, I watched impatiently for snow - here in Queensland I’m just hoping for a cool breeze!
Nevertheless, we have our biggest family gathering with all the Christmas trimmings - lights, presents, a laden Christmas tree and [...]
Sometimes disasters can turn out to be delicious successes, so never give on an experiment until the dog won’t even eat it.
I started out to make cinnamon apple scrolls - simple I thought, just whip up a batch of cake dough, roll it out and fill it with apple and cinnamon mix. Then cut out [...]
Spring has decided to put in an early appearance in Queensland this year, which means a return to salads. I used to love summer salads when I was a kid in Britain. Hard boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato and spring onions covered with lashings of Kraft Salad Cream - my idea of Heaven.
There’s a big British [...]
It’s Showtime! well, actually, it’s time for the Brisbane Annual Agricultural Show (known as the `Ekka’ 
and for Americans, that’s our State Fair. Manufacturers and farmers come from all over Queensland to show off their wares, produce and animals, and there are the usual rides, sideshows and strange food (like Dagwood Dogs). These days I [...]
Had dinner with son Chris, his partner Regie, and two adorable grandchildren last night. On the menu was Chris’s special Chicken Teriyaki with Port. Chris is very much a dollop of this, pinch of that sort of cook, so I had to watch him prepare it and take notes.But it was worth it, this is [...]
I am hoping to have a good crop of lavender this year, as I’ve planted half a dozen bushes. This is the most gorgeous scent of all, in my opinion - fragrant, feminine but slightly astringent as well - no blushing rose or sensuous frangipani, but a clean, honorable aroma. I still love the smell [...]
We are still in the depths of winter in the southern hemisphere, but even though spring is still some way off, the milder Queensland weather means that my herb garden continues to flourish. I still can use fresh herbs in my daily cooking, and the only plant that has decided it’s too cold to keep [...]
Another thing my stoveless period did for me was to make me look at new ways to bake and cook without using the microwave. I discovered you can produce quite presentable biscuits and small cakes from a toaster oven, even a small one like mine. You just have to be careful with the overhead element. [...]
