New cushions......

I got this lovely butterfly fabric & made some cushions to take to a friend who has a shop called 'Papillon' in North Norfolk UK.
Hope she likes them & hope they sell....fingers crossed.
Somebody has been snuggling on them too....I hope there aren't any nasty stains!!!

New best friends

Hey guess what came today in the post.......
Cheekee Monkee is in love.........who says internet relationships don't work.
Kelly my new best friend sent me this little cutey in the post...my first non-virtual blogger experience.
Thank you Kelly, he (or maybe it's a she) is fantastic.
We are having endless fun with......hmmmmm what should we call him?
All names gratefully accepted.

Muhallabia

Luckily I never went to boarding school, so I love, love, love rice pudding. Especially when it's Muhallabia a Middle eastern version with rose water & pistachio nuts, drizzled with honey & cream. Served with a delicious desert wine that we lashed out on that tastes like a grown up version of marmalade.
Do you like the tablecloth Robyn found for us in a charity shop???

Settlers and links

When I first met Richard, he introduced me to a game called Settlers of Catan
We played it non stop & his generosity within the "game" helped to convince me that he was a really, really nice guy & I should marry him.
It's paid off...the "Settlers boyfriend test" is a good one..Does he trade easily? Is he selfish with his resources? Does he wait for his turn?
All these skills are extremely handy in the game of life & relationships.
Now my whole family plays it back in Australia with such gusto that they have songs and everything to accompany it. Weird I know, but oddly satisfying.
Normally the brick resources are really hard to come by...for some reason not so in this game..here is Richard's hand (a little bit out of focus though I'm sorry). You can also see his creativity in the left hand corner where he's stacked up his roads & settlements to create a totem pole. What a guy!!!!!!
I also want to thank Kelly for the link to the hilarious blog "Wide Lawns and narrow minds". A must read. Especially the August 22nd post....enjoy.
Thanks also for cupcake cars.

New dress

I've already made one dress using this Vintage Vogue pattern but I had this lovely old piece of vintage Rayon that I bought with me from Australia and so..... without further ado here is a picture of the dress I made from it. (I know I really should have ironed it first but inspiration to photograph it struck).
Now all we need is some WARMER weather so I can wear it.

Big Sis

My Big Sister is the best sister you could ever wish for. She is my inspiration in food & sewing & knitting & how best to love children and just in living life generally.
We were just like any other naughties when we were growing up & I remember a particular game she had where she would stand with arms & legs spread wide to block the doorway & chant "Say your name or you can't get through"....it still makes me boil thinking about the power struggles we went through.
All that changed when Mum & Dad split up & it was us against the world, we learned to cook so as to feed ourselves & busied our minds & hands by making things....you couldn't have wished for a more caring buddy, I felt she was there for me at all times, my protector.
I love her.

And here are some pictures of things she might like....baby pheasants madly criss crossing the track....




Haystacks...

















and my new knitting project for Zebedee..

Thai green sauce recipe

Dear reader,
there has been a request for the recipe for the Green Thai sauce that was used on the Smoked Tofu at Tess & Will's wedding. So here I bring it to you with pleasure.
(Images from www.gourmetsleuth.com)

Marinade:
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 clove Garlic
1 piece Ginger (approx 2" x 1")
3 tablespoons Dry sherry or Chinese rice wine or sake

Sauce:
1 cup washed & chopped coriander
1 cup washed & chopped basil
1 cup washed & chopped Thai holy basil
1/2 tin coconut milk
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
A piece of Galangal about 2" long x 1" wide
2 stalks lemon grass, softer white part only (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Rind from 2 limes (finely grated)
3 lime leaves (finely shredded)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic


Bung all the greenery into a magimix & whizz. Add the rest of the ingredients & whizz again until a paste.
Put a dessertspoon of paste onto a slice of smoked tofu (previously marinated), wrap in banana leaves & barbecue for about 15 minutes.
Serve with rice & papaya salad
Mmmmmmm. Impress all your friends.

Kudos millionaires....

Ages ago back in June we had the Hen weekend.
Well now after much work, waiting & sleepless nights (& that's only on my part) the stage was set for Tess & Wills wedding to finally happen. The wedding of the year:
With Richard & next door neighbour Lisa & friend Kate's help, we catered for 80 people to sit down & eat a Thai feast on the big day. Here's the menu.

Tess & Will’s wedding menu

19^th August 2006

A Thai feast for family & friends to celebrate a momentous occasion

Starters:
Stuffed & marinated Thai aubergine.
Vietnamese rice paper rolls.
Vegetarian sushi
Main:
Organic salmon or Organic tofu wrapped in banana leaves with an aromatic green Thai sauce.
Salads:
Pumpkin, sweet potato Thai Holy basil & pine nut salad
Bean, cucumber, paw-paw, peanut salad
Vermicelli rice noodle, cherry tomato, mint, coriander, red onion salad
Sweets:
Coconut, mango & raspberry homemade ice creams & sorbets
Cake:
3 tiered, heart shaped, chocolate mud cake with chocolate ganache & sugared almonds

And what do you know... apart from having to make a complete 2nd wedding cake & a horrendous barbeque moment, when it was roaring like a furnace & charring the banana leaves before thay even hit the grill. It all went well. Even Will's granny was happy & didn't have to eat Kate's cheese sandwich that she brought in her bag.
The ceremony took place at Kimberly Hall in Norfolk. A very beautiful old country estate with the grounds laid out by Capability Brown.
The ethereal Lucy sang "I'm in the mood for love" unaccompanied as Tessie walked in on her grandfather's arm, looking radiant in white with a veil & everything. Will looked like a copy of the Castor & Pollux historic plasterwork statues above him.
The weddings we usually attend as choir & bellringers at East Harling Church are usually pretty formal events & occasionally the guests may give a polite clap as the bride & groom kiss....at Tess & Will's everybody whooped & wolf whistled & hollered for about 5 minutes. After we all stopped, the celebrant grinned & with impeccable timing said "very restrained", in a very english accent.
Afterwards we all went out into the park for a glass of champagne.
Everyone was asked to wear a touch of pink...some of us wore more than a touch. Here's the beautiful Clarissa out of Planet Luton Hospital for a few days now that baby Zebedee has been transferred to Norwich & weighs 650 grams.

And here's Tessies Grandfather Dr David Palmer & her 2nd Dad, Rob behind him...

there will be more photos of the bride & groom coming as well as post party fun when I can track down Joe Man & his camera.....

Samphire

Tonights mystery vegetable... Samphire.
From the marshy coast of North Norfolk UK.
delicious with olive oil, lemon juice & garlic. We had it with grilled salmon & new potatoes.
Mmmmmmmmm.

"Half-way down

Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade!" Shakespeare, King Lear.

Shakespeare's samphire grew half way down a cliff. His is the rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum, but we ate marsh samphire, Salicornia europaea. Sometimes known as Glasswort.

Ludbrook cousins re-united

On the weekend we picked up Richards brother Ray, & sister in law Mary. Two of the sweetest people you could ever wish to meet & drove to a place called Leiston in Suffolk UK, very near where Richard grew up.
We were going to meet some cousins on Richards Mum's side. Rod & Andrew Gray. They asked us to stay for supper. We did. They were nice Richard & Ray had a lovely time catching up on old times.

As an aside...Ray & Mary are looking after 2 dogs for their son Andrew. One is a Chinese crested...here is a photo of it where it actually looks cute. Normally it just looks weird.

Embroiderers heaven

I've just got back from an exhibition at Norwich cathedral of ecclesiastical textile treasures from the Cathedral's collection.
WOW.
Amazing.
I'm speechless except to say thanks to my friend Gudrun who works there as the librarian, for telling me it was on.