Happy New Year 2012Happy new year 2012 to you and yours, dear readers! The first day of the New Year is off to a great start. It's Sunday and it's sunny outside, with just a hint of a cool breeze. This augers well for a lazy kind of day; sprinkled with a little gardening, cycling by the duck ponds and, of course, some cooking... all at my own easy holiday pace. Christmas came and went quickly again this year, but without the harried aura of past years. Peter and I made the decision to stay at home. For me, it was the first time in 32 years that I had been able to spend Christmas Day in my home (rather than visiting family) and it was also the first time that Peter had spent Christmas at home. Needless to say, we revelled in the joy of it all. My son and daughter shared the day with us and it was all very convivial and relaxed. I celebrated my 53rd birthday on Boxing Day and Peter cooked breakfast for me, while I opened my presents and responded to emails and text messages from my family and dear friends. I spent time looking at old family photographs (a couple of which I have shared below) and reflecting on my childhood and life in general. I feel extremely grateful that my parents raised me in such a loving and happy environment. I hope my own children will always look back with fond memories too. I must say, I also feel blessed to have found such a wonderful life partner in Peter, my soul mate. Though life has thrown some rather enormous hurdles my way, I have never felt happier, nor laughed so much. Thank you, love you! A big thank you, too, to the wonderful friends in my life: Christine and Maurie, Diana and Bryant, The Dog and MB, among others. I truly cherish your friendship. What will 2012 bring, I wonder? Plenty more good things for all of us, I hope. Reflections on My Childhood My father, mother, sister and I outside the little shed which was our family home in Acton 1959 or 60. My mother was a beautiful cook and I still I have her enamelled roasting pan to this day.  With my father, Acton near what is now Lake Burley Griffin, 1959 or 60. Dad always smoked, until he died (from lung cancer) in Budapest at the age of 83. Soul Mates... With my soul mate, Peter, I have never laughed so much... In My Kitchen - Good Things JanuaryThe first day of a new year, my larder is clean and tidy, the fruit bowl and refrigerator are well stocked, and there and many good things to cook and eat. In my kitchen this month are:  Mangosteens. I had a blonde moment at the checkout when the young boy asked me what they were. I honestly couldn't remember. 'Don't worry about it,' he said, putting them into my shopping bag without charging me for them.  Organic French green lentils and a sprig of bay from the garden. Today these will be made into soup with the leftover ham bone.  Mini salt and pepper pigs, a gift from my dear friend, Christine  Willie's Venezuelan Blue 100% cacao chocolate. We walked from Circular Quay to Jones the Grocer in Woollahra to get this chocolate.  From the strawberry patch, not perfect, but quite delicious  New and old. Santa (Peter's) xmas gift to me, the CWA Classics cookbook, and my 1941 edition of The Coronation Cookery Book  Turkish apple and Indian spice teas for making iced tea  Thick skinned lemons for making limoncello during the holidays  Holiday reading - Never Order Chicken on a Monday by Matthew Evans. Found in a second hand book store. Glad we don't eat out too often!  chef'n Fresh Force tools. A prize I won thanks to the lovely Sally Hammond at http://www.australianregionalfoodguide.com.au/ Click the image to visit Sally's pages.  Some of my birthday cards and lovely gifts. Thank you!  Fresh from the garden: agapanthus, lilly, Manchurian pear and honeysuckle Readers, please do pop in and visit Celia and the other In My Kitchen participants at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Thanks Celia for your inspiration and kitchen wisdom! Tell me about the good things in your kitchen this month. I also look forward to hearing about your aspirations for 2012. 
31 Comments
31/12/2011 11:41:55 am
Happy New Years. Great blog post - love the pictures of you with your parents - there is something very nostalgic about a black & white photo.
Lizzy
31/12/2011 11:48:21 am
Happy new year to you and The Boy, Mel, we are looking forward to meeting you. I will post more B&W pics this year. Love xoxox
Lizzy
31/12/2011 12:31:26 pm
Thank you Lisa! Take care of you and BBB family xo 31/12/2011 12:55:54 pm
Dear Lizzy,
Lizzy
31/12/2011 01:07:22 pm
Dear Chopinand... thank you so much! And to you and Saucepan as well! LOL re the mangosteens, it truly was a win for me. Lovely of the young man at the checkout. They are expensive here, aren't they! Thank you so much for your kind words and friendship! Happy new year. 31/12/2011 12:56:29 pm
I really enjoyed this post, great thoughts and photos. I think I might have to join in with the In My Kitchen fun :)
Lizzy
31/12/2011 01:05:54 pm
Well hello Jane! Thank you. I have popped in to your blog as well, tell me, are you on Twitter?
Lizzy
1/1/2012 05:33:37 am
Hiya Tandy, thank you! Any hints on the cacao would be most welcome. I am not sure I want to grate it into everything the way Willy does. Thanks for stopping by!
Goodness Lizzy, what treasures you have! Happy Belated Birthday!
Goodness Lizzy, what treasures you have! Happy Belated Birthday!
Lizzy
1/1/2012 09:50:48 am
Thank you Celia! Very kind. I too have been hoarding the cacao. If you happen to have a recipe for it, please do share. I am not keen to sprinkle it into every dish. I love the family photos you have included and that you have happy memories of a loving upbringing. I always say that how lucky those of us who had good upbringings are and how different life must be for those not lucky enough to have that start in life. I am a French green lentils addict and make something with them almost weekly, they are so good. I have that same packet as you have included in your photos in my cupboard, purchased a couple of weeks ago. I would kill for some Willie's Cacao and wondered where it could be obtained in Australia. I follow Willie on twitter, do you?
Lizzy
1/1/2012 11:09:26 am
Hi CK... did you buy those lentils at the Chemist in the City Markets? I was delighted to find that range of product there. My ham and lentil soup was divine and a great way to use the ham and enjoy the lentils. Willie's is available from Jones the Grocer, which is why we walked from Circular Quay to get it. I used to follow him, but don't any more. Have a lovely day! I actually got mine at Supabarn in Civic, they have a really big range and I picked up some black lentils too, can't wait to try those. I bet your soup was good. I very rarely eat meat and almost never pork products, so only make vegetarian lentil dishes, but I really love them and great for 'take to work' lunches. Thanks for the tip about Willie's. I have seen it somewhere but just cannot remember where. It may have been in Melbourne when I was there for work.
Lizzy
1/1/2012 01:31:50 pm
I will look for those! Thanks. 1/1/2012 11:32:29 am
Happy New Year Lizzy! Those photos of you with your family are beautiful. I'm a little bit jealous of your new cookbooks. Have fun making the recipes from their pages.
Lizzy
1/1/2012 01:32:40 pm
Hello Claire, happy new year to you. Thank you for your inspiring posts! I should stop getting new cookbooks, can't seem to help myself. Love my library. Happy cooking xo 1/1/2012 05:43:47 pm
What a beautiful, heartfelt and intimate post. I can totally relate to your family photos as a child. All fathers had ties and white shirts in those days, and seemed to smoke! Happy Birthday! At least, for you, it is a summer birthday, which is lovely.
Lizzy
1/1/2012 06:38:13 pm
Thank so much! I enjoy looking back at these photos. We lived in a converted stable/shed and my father worked as a barber. I am amazed that we managed, given that my parents came to Australia with three children and just one suitcase! 1/1/2012 08:12:04 pm
What a lovely post to welcome in 2012, Lizzy!
Lizzy
1/1/2012 08:49:34 pm
Hi Christina, thanks ever s much! Aren't mangosteens delicious! I love pistachios too... berries, coriander, mint and Vietnamese are my favourites too. Glad I found you. A cook after my own heart.
The Dog
1/1/2012 10:49:07 pm
Fantastic post. I love mangosteens. A very dear Sri Lankan friend put me onto them many years ago, she always said they were here favourite fruit from her days in Sri Lanka. I haven't spoken to her for a long time, but you have inspired me to make that overdue phone call. Thanks Bizzy, as always.
Bizzy
2/1/2012 08:48:09 am
Why hello there! Thanks for stopping by. Make the phone call... should I schedule it for you? LOL. Have a great week. 2/1/2012 12:03:36 am
Happy New Year. Love this post and all the old photos. Fresh home grown strawberries always taste the best. I have the Matthew Evans book on my reading pile but I haven't started it yet. I really enjoyed Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and Never Order Chicken on a Monday is supposed to be similar.
Lizzy
2/1/2012 08:51:18 am
Hello there and welcome to my kitchen. The Matthew Evans book is a very interesting read. Well written, but then I like Matthew (and his work) a lot and have quite a few of his books. Happy reading.
Hi Lizzy-
Lizzy
11/1/2012 09:57:55 am
Hello Heidi, please come and visit my flowers any time! I love the rustic look of ones we pick from the garden.
Lizzy
12/1/2012 01:46:44 pm
Hello there! Thanks for popping in. The flowers are just from the garden, but they do come up nicely. Mangosteens are hard to describe, sort of like a lychee in texture but a much subtler taste. Some people say they have a hint of chocolate. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Hello, I'm Lizzy, the writer, cook and traveller behind
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