Story of the bookcase and my famous recipe

So last week I had a zoom conference with some ladies from our homemaking online group and one bright eyed lady spotted my very untidy bookcase behind me. We all laughed when she told me I need to tidy it up, so it didn't take much for that comment to spur me on and get it tidied up.

It had been an eyesore, as you can see

Ta da nicely visible...and I didnt end there, I actually tidied up the whole office lol, you know how it is, you just cant stop. Anyway I now have a really nice clean office.

On the second shelf there is a book in the middle called Homecooked Feasts, my recipe for marinated prawns is in it on page 115

I have since improved that recipe so I use the original for chicken

Anzac Day 2020 - a different world

Anzac Day 2020 a new way to remember our Veterans. ANZAC Day April 25th is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand.

A view looking aft of lifeboat carrying unidentified men of the Australian 1st Divisional Signal Company as they are towed towards Anzac Cove on the day of the landing.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, and its government was eager to establish a reputation among the nations of the world. When Britain declared war in August 1914 Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany."

So due to this Covid-19 lockdown I decided to decorate my window with the Poppies that are used for this day.

Due to lockdown and self isolation rules, (we normally attend the dawn service at Pat's Park at 5.30am to honour our Veterans), majority of people on the island did driveway remembrance.

Found a poppy template online. Here's a printable pinwheel poppy

 First I printed the template and cut it out 

 Cut it out onto hard plastic so I could trace around it

 Placed them on my arms to transport them out to the front window

I ran out of height to fill it up to the top of the window, also didnt realise red came in different shades

LEST WE FORGET

5 minutes of Fame

I follow an online news called THE NEW DAILY, there are World news and Local news. One article was talking about Corona Virus and how people are managing lockdown or self isolation. The article also asked for photos so I sent my recent photo of my revamped garden that I have been able to do since the lockdown in Australia.

HERE is the article that shows my photograph as the headline picture.  

I was working 2 jobs last year and one shut down and the other only has very minimal shifts, so that allowed me to have some free time to tend to my sorely neglected vegetable garden.

This photo below was featured in the article.

Lockdown simple menus from yesteryear and Postcrossing

I love this post from Down to Earth blog that I follow, its about affordable homemaking. She has a picture of a German Potato Pancake or Kartoffle Puffer. Reminds me of Potato Rosti-hubby's favourite.

There were a few recipes to follow:

The Spruce Eats

The Daring Gourmet

Foodal

Anyway Rhonda's suggested menus if you're not doing too well financially due to losing your job or being stood down:

• Tuna bake - is a mornay sauce with canned tuna, pasta and vegetables.
• Zucchini slice - you can use any vegetable for this. Caramelised onion slice is delicious.
• Salmon patties - the cheaper canned pink salmon is good for this.
• Boiled eggs and salad.
• Corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.
• Next day - corned beef hash with eggs.  My recipe here.
• Potato pancakes- my recipe is here
• Pumpkin or sweet potato or pea or grean bean risotto.
• Meatloaf - and lentil or chickpea version of meatloaf.  Spicy meatloaf recipe 
• Curried vegetables with poached eggs. - I bake the vegetables in the oven with a little oil, curry powder or paste, then poach eggs in another pan.
• Pea and ham soup.
• Vegetable soup with herb dumplings, made with beef bone broth.  When you make the broth, boil them a second time and add salt and pepper for a lovely beef tea.
• Lamb stew - using one lamb chop for flavour - and lots of vegies is very tasty and nutritious
• Spinach or silverbeet pie in filo pastry.  Recipe here.
• Homemade bread - search "bread" in my sidebar for recipes
• Rice pudding - ½ cup white rice with 2 ½ cups of milk, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla.  Cook slowly - excellent for breakfast.  
• Bread and butter pudding to use up bread or old hot cross buns.  Recipe here.
• Porridge.

2008 recipe links

50 Old School Aussie dinners

Talking about yesteryear, I came across this in Postcrossing, a treasure trove of letters found in an post office that couldn't be delivered for one reason or another "The Piggy Bank" . I love the handwriting, looks like everyone could master calligraphy.

Pantry Cleaning Out

This lockdown from the Corona Virus is spurring many people on to do stuff around the house. Well I now have the opportunity to clean out my pantry that was needing it badly. Because I cook many cuisines, I have lots of different items to cook these.

 I have a small walkin pantry

 I definitely need split shelves, as you can see the wasted room in each shelf that I could fill and make it neater and easier to find...someday

 All items out on the tables so I can fumigate and wipe down all the shelves and walls to give it a real good clean

What are you doing for your self-isolation or lockdown? 

Hand Sanitizer recipes to combat/contain Corona Virus

WHO recipe for hand sanitizer, now that the manufactured ones are running out. I know I myself use a lot when I am out and about and cannot access water and soap.

Just in case they take it down

Ingredients

• 1 cup 99% Isopropyl alcohol OR 1 cup plus 4 teaspoons 91% Isopropyl alcohol
• 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
• 1 teaspoon glycerin
• Water

Instructions

• Tip the alcohol, peroxide and glycerin into a 2-cup glass measure. Then add enough water to bring the total quantity to 1 1/3 cups. Mix well.
• Pour, via funnel, the sanitizer into small ("travel-size") bottles. I used squeeze-type bottles, but spritzer- or spray-type bottles are ideal.

Turning whiskey and gin into hand sanitizers

What Australians can and can't do with the new bans

It could be living in your house

How we can protect ourselves

The symptoms include:

fever             coughing            sore throat               fatigue         shortness of breath

Health alert

Hand sanitiser purchase Byron Bay

Face Masks to sew

7 DIY facemasks to make

Video on how to make a 5 minute mask

More mask tutorials

How to make your own disinfectant wipes

• Paper Towels or Cloths (think microfiber cloths, old t-shirts, etc.)
• 1 Gallon Water
• 2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish Soap (make sure it’s Dawn)
• 3/4 Cup 99% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
• 1/4 Cup Bleach (optional)
• 5-10 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
• Large Bowl
• Container to store it in (reuse an old Clorox container, baby wipe container or jar)
• Start by diluting your bleach (if using) by adding 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Stir well.
• Pour half of that bleach solution into a bowl and add your rubbing alcohol, dish soap, and essential oil. Mix well.
• Place the paper towels or cloths into your container and pour the mixture into it covering them entirely. 
• When ready to use, remove a wipe and use. You can continually make this solution as needed.
• You can also put this solution in a spray bottle and spray on surfaces then wipe.

Silhouette Cameo face mask pattern

Easy Gel sanitizer and Better Spray Recipes 

Exploding Box tutorial

I saw this online today and love it. I love construction cards and 3D items. I thought it would be hard to do but it is a simple one, one of the many self isolation activities we can do

Exploding box tutorial

An observation I made that I would make changes to is to mitre the corners before glueing down the paper on the flaps

Problem solving the box

Here's another more intricate one