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Good Things favourites - November 2014

17/11/2014

22 Comments

 
Cherry Blossoms by Liz Posmyk, Good Things
Greetings on this rainy Sunday in Canberra. With temperatures climbing into the high 30s C through the week, the coming of the stormy weather was imminent. We had such huge downpours this morning, that I think any remaining Springtime blossoms will have been well and truly beaten off the trees in our neighbourhood. I'm hoping that local farmers got plenty of this much needed rain too.

The days, weeks and months are zooming by so swiftly that I've started making lists again. It's a habit ingrained from having to work to tight deadlines throughout much of my working life, and it's one I find particularly useful, especially now I've reached middle age. In retirement, Peter and I are finding it easy to while away the hours just 'doing stuff' (in between swimming, reading, shopping and cooking). As such, the days seem to pass into one another and before you know it the week becomes a blur. But there are some things that genuinely need to be done. For instance, I have to make some time to get out into the kitchen garden, do some weeding and plant more vegetables, like baby bok choy and salad greens. The strawberry patch is flourishing and I really should lay down more pea straw mulch (and will as soon as we buy some). The purple Flax plants in the front garden are almost as tall as the house and need thinning out. And we need to find a good electrician to fix a few switches around the home (we're waiting for a neighbour to send her 'sparky' over to see us). Oh yes, I must apply for a new passport now that we've settled our plans for an adventure in 2015!

One task I've been meaning to attend to for the last two years (and finally accomplished it) is to take my treasured and very old copy of 'Az Inyesmester Nagy Szakácskönyv' a.k.a.The Great Cookbook in the Hungarian Language (the Art of Hungarian Cooking) to a good bookbinder for repair. My parents fled Hungary after the uprising in 1956 and migrated to Australia, leaving behind their beloved family and friends, and almost all of their possessions. Not long afterwards, my Czech-born maternal grandmother posted this cookbook to my mother in Australia from her home of Sátoraljaújhely in northern Hungary. It has been much loved and well used, as you can see, and the cloth binding on the spine has now disintegrated with age. Pressed in between some of the pages were some of my mother's handwritten recipes, as well as a few that she had cut out from newspapers and magazines. The well-meaning bookbinder asked me if I would like the cover replaced with a new plain one. Of course I said 'absolutely not (exclamation mark)'. It will be a couple of weeks before the book comes back to my kitchen and I can hardly wait to see it again. I'm praying that the bookbinder will do a good job.
My treasured Az Inyesmester Nagy Szakacskonyve

Spending time reading some of my favourite blogs and listening to my favourite radio programs is also on my list of things to do. Here are just a few of the good things I've read and heard during the month of November:

  • Celia (Fig Jam and Lime Cordial), Glenda (Passionfruit Garden) and Tania (The Cook's Pyjamas) have been making marshmallows lately. I haven't dabbled in marshmallows since my children were small, so I need to add this to my list of things to cook. I reckon home-made marshmallows will be awesome in my rocky road. 
  • Lorraine (Not Quite Nigella) had my mouth watering with this Asian-style roasted whole barramundi. An 'accidental recipe' which is a cracker, don't you think?
  • Sara (Belly Rumbles) made me laugh with her post about the 'innovative' choc bombs featured on the TV show Recipe to Riches. I'm still shaking my head about that episode.
  • I've bookmarked Emma's (My Darling Lemon Thyme) Broccoli soup with tahini, lemon + pine nut za'atar. Will someone please pass me a spoon already! 
  • And my friend, Marian (Apricot Tart) dipped her wooden spoon into seemingly dangerous territory, sharing her recipe for Hummus. Can you believe the bruhaha that emerged over that!?
  • Also bookmarked is this segment from Radio National's First Bite program, where Sally Wise talks about 'stupidly easy' home made yoghurt and labneh. Peter and I spent yesterday at a fabulous Cheesemaking Workshop and I bought a yoghurt maker, so I'll be listening to this one again, methinks. 
  • Another segment that caught my attention was this one with Gourmet Farmer, Matthew Evans, speaking with Natasha Mitchell on Life Matters about his SBS documentary and seafood labelling campaign, What's the Catch.

And finally, it's cherry season in Australia and I can't help feeling  a little excited, just like this little poppet. I'll be cooking with cherries before you know it, so please watch this space. I love all things vintage, and this image from the interweb is one of my absolute favourites. Have you ever felt this excited?! I have. ヅ
Vintage photograph of little girl on roller skates

So tell me dear readers, do you write lists for yourself? Do you manage to get things done, or are the days simply too busy at your place too? Incidentally, thank you for taking the time to stop by and comment. I love hearing from you! xox
22 Comments
Marian@Apricot Tart link
15/11/2014 06:19:10 pm

Thanks so much for the mention in your Friday Favourites! How fortunate to be the custodian of that amazing family cookbook - I would love to know what cookbooks my grandmothers went to. An opportunity for some family research I think! I'g glad to hear that your retirement is busy, busy, busy!

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:20:43 pm

My pleasure, Marian... I know that your retirement is just as busy.... enjoy xox

Reply
Maureen link
15/11/2014 07:40:50 pm

I think getting that cookbook rebound is such a wonderful thing to do. You and your mother shared food and so much more.

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:21:03 pm

We surely did, Maureen and I could not bear to see the book fall apart!

Reply
Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas link
15/11/2014 10:32:19 pm

I have become ever so slightly addicted to marshmallows Liz. They are so different to shop bought ones. I think they would be excellent in your rocky road. Thanks for the mention :)

I have my grandmothers copy of Mrs Beeton. It's sort of on loan from my aunt so I daren't get it rebound, even though it is coming apart. It is so precious though so I understand how you feel about yours.

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:21:55 pm

Hi Tania... my pleasure... your marshmallows look so good! Next on my list of things to make! I love the sound of your Aunt's Mrs Beeton... pity it's falling apart!

Reply
e / dig in hobart link
16/11/2014 08:51:21 am

you are enjoying your retirement life perfectly - that's the life i want now! but yes i live my life by lists, even on the weekend, so i can get thru all my chores. sometimes i write a list of what i need to do ... and a list of what i HAVE done, and they are completely different!
thanks for the links to check out those interesting posts, and enjoy your cherries - dad's are another month or two away yet.

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:22:59 pm

You and I are alike, Elizabeth. Sometimes writing a fresh new list with things you've completed crossed off makes you feel so good about having achieved a major deadline or task! Lucky you with your dad's cherries!

Reply
Amanda (@lambsearshoney) link
16/11/2014 09:52:07 am

Nice list here, Lizzie. I wish I were so organised.
I've been watching the marshmallow recipes keenly and will be giving some of them a go for Xmas this year.
I love old cookbooks, too, and collect them. The pride of my collection is a toss-up between a second edition Mrs Beeton (had to keep the cost of that one a secret for ages!) and a first edition Julia Childs Mastering the Art of French Cooking which I bought for next to nothing before the movie came out. I'm told it's worth about 20-30 times what I paid for it now!

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:23:25 pm

Oooooh, Amanda, those books sound like real treasures! : )

Reply
Jo @ The Balanced Lunchbox link
16/11/2014 11:11:24 am

Hi Liz,
Just thought I'd make sure you knew about the National Cherry Festival in Young coming up on the first weekend in December. You can pick your own cherries along with tasting some cherry based treats at the Cherry Farmers Markets there before a street parade. Have a great day, Jo

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:24:18 pm

Hi Jo... I sure am aware of the Cherry Festival in Young! Peter and I have just come home from Young after the long lazy lunch in the Cherry Orchard. If you pop Cherries into the search box, you'll see : )

Reply
Eha
16/11/2014 11:13:39 am

Oh yes, I make lists and then priority lists: one of my modes to have control over my days and security in my feeling world. No, I hardly ever finish what is down: as long as 70% is well finished I am content and the rest gets worked into the next day's 'list' :) ! Some of my less favourite tasks may be on 5-6 lists ere they 'get done'. Love your post: I too have an Estonian cookbook of mother's published in 1932 methinks! Thick cover, discoloured and in pretty good nick as I do not 'approve' of almost anything in it!! Beetroot salad and pickled cucumbers perchance :) ! And thanks for reminding me I still have one Matthew Evans 'What's the Catch' to 'catch up' streaming!!! Oh so believe in his cause !!!!! Excited like that gorgeous little tyke? - oh Liz: fool that I am I can still look just like that and at my age it may not be so cute . . .

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:25:35 pm

Hi Eha... once again you made me smile with your comments... yes, pickled cucumbers... they are a thing of my previous lifetime when I was married and my Polish ex loved all things savoury! Yes, you can indeed look at your age... Matthew is such a lovely man... : )

Reply
El link
16/11/2014 01:43:11 pm

Grat favorites- thanks for sharing!

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:25:53 pm

El, that is so kind, thank you! Hope you are well?

Reply
Rosa link
16/11/2014 08:00:02 pm

Wonderful! Great blogs and lovely book.

That last picture is priceless!

Cheers,

Rosa

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:26:07 pm

Thanks so much, Rosa, I love that one too xo

Reply
InTolerant Chef link
17/11/2014 06:10:30 pm

I love lists Liz, it keeps everything ordered and organized. My husband laughs at my mad list making skills :)
Sounds like you're busier than ever Bizzy Lizzy!

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2014 07:26:37 pm

Ah, another who loves a good list, well done Bec! Yes, Bizzy is indeed Bizzier than ever! : )

Reply
@ChristineSalins (FoodWineTravel) link
21/11/2014 09:55:02 pm

How wonderful that you are getting the old cookbook re-bound. I'm so looking forward to seeing it when you get it back!

Reply
Amanda @ Gourmanda link
27/11/2014 05:17:29 pm

I'm a massive list maker - very much a Type A, 'get things done' personality!

Reply

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    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
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