AIOLI NO. 1

I call this No. 1 because I'm still experimenting. When we were in Queensland, DIL (daughter-in-law) had a dip in her refrigerator which I ate most of! I spread it on steak, biscuits and salad; couldn't leave it alone! I made a note of the ingredients in case I couldn't buy it at home.

When we got back to Victoria, I tried a few places to no avail, so I decided to make my own. No. 1 is delicious but I think I'll add a teaspoon of dijon mustard next time. Last night we enjoyed it with a salad and ribeye steak. Here is No. 1 recipe.

Juice of 1 Lime (approx 6 tsp)
Two tsp minced garlic
Two egg yolks
Quarter tsp Salt
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix first four ingredients (I used my stab mixer)
Slowly drizzle in oil while mixing.

Nearly to the end of adding the oil, I added a few scrapings of lime zest. I think that next time I might use 1/2 cup of Sunflower oil and 1/2 cup EV oil, as it was quite buttery.

I'd love to hear from you if you have a successful recipe for Aioli.

A HAPPIER POST - OUTSIDE

~~ a very old, happy cocky ~~

~~ and friends ~~

~~ i asked him to smile ~~

R.I.P. SAM THE KOALA

Sam, the Koala, who was rescued on that dreadful day of fire, 7th February this year, has died. She was put to sleep this afternoon, as vets could not save her from the life-threatening disease, Urogenital chlamydiosis, that had overtaken her. This disease affects 50% of the Koala population. I posted about Sam in pictures on 13th February.

Country Fire Authority volunteer David Tree comforts Sam

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that "Sam was a symbol of Victoria's resilience after the bushfires and her death is tragic".

A FRAIL CANOE

Child, how happy you are sitting in the dust,

playing with a broken twig all the morning.

I smile at your play with that little bit of a broken twig.

I am busy with my accounts, adding up figures by the hour.

Perhaps you glance at me and think, 

'What a stupid game to spoil your morning, with!'

Child, I have forgotten the art of being

absorbed in sticks and mud pies.

I seek out costly playthings 

and gather lumps of gold and silver.

With whatever you find you create your

glad games, I spent both my time and my

strength over things I never can obtain.

In my frail canoe I struggle to cross the sea of desire,

and forget that I too am playing a game.

Rabindranath Tagore

GOLD COAST FUN

Last week we spent five days on the Gold Coast
(a little over an hour down the coast from Brisbane in Queensland)
visiting our Son for his Birthday.

On Sunday morning we went for a walk along the beach.
This is the statue on the foreshore of Main Beach.
We arrived at 6:45am, just as the sun was coming up.

My Son, Dane, ahead of me.

My footprint in the sand.

Heading back, rain in the distance.

Shells and coral collected; only one perfect,
I wish I'd had more time!

Back to a triple Birthday party
for Christie, Dane and Joel.

We had a fantastic time, too much of everything,
wonderful company and balmy weather.

As the saying goes,
'Queensland, beautiful one day,
perfect the next.'

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED........

People of London, feel safe! A young friend, a part-time student and working casually in a large Camera retail outlet in Melbourne, is currently holidaying in Europe for six weeks. He was walking around London, enjoying the sights, snapping away, when the long hand of the law, MI5, pulled him aside, took him downtown and grilled him for a couple of hours as to why he was taking so many photos of London and what was he going to do with them?

Well, we think it's funny because this young fellow is such a sweety but it's great that they're doing their job!

FROM BLOSSOMS

~ from blossoms ~

From blossoms comes

this brown paper bag of peaches

we bought from the boy

at the bend in the road where we turned toward

signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,

from sweet fellowship in the bins,

comes nectar at the roadside, succulent

peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,

comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,

to carry within us an orchard, to eat

not only the skin, but the shade,

not only the sugar, but the days, to hold

the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into

the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live

as if death were nowhere

in the background; from joy

to joy to joy, from wing to wing,

from blossom to blossom to

impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

~ Li-Young Lee ~