Margaret Rose Stringer's Blog, page 28

Big success with a new recipe ! :)

I realise this recipe comprises ingredients to be found elsewhere (e.g., it’s quite like eggplant parmigiana), but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that my sister and I consumed it last night with delight and regret: delight in its yumminess – regret in the eggplant’s not being a larger one.

What the scoring and baking of the eggplant did was to add a different dimension to the taste. We were able to eat all that garlic with absolute impunity, as well as the entirety of the eggplant’s...

Quotes of the day

“Voltaire was right: ‘Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.’ And social media lets authoritarians push absurdities to billions of people.”

From a speech by Sacha Baron Cohen – as himself ! – at the Anti-Defamation League..

A short(ish) thought

and probably far from original.

I was occupied in de-tangling a ball of wool and wondering if it had already hit 39C, as forecast, when it occurred to me that I wasn’t looking forward to summer.

Instantly a song popped into my head: Steve Lawrence, I think it was, singing in his already adult years a hit song for the then teens – “Can’t Wait for Summer”. Dunno when it was, but either late ’50s or early ’60s.

The lyrics, e.g.:

Can’t wait for summer to run around in shorts;

Can’t wait for summer to play on tennis courts

and

Can’t wait...

Don’t be put off by the name !

These are simply dee-lishus ! – do they not look so ?

Best consumed greedily with something like yoghourt with a chopped herb you like mixed in: fennel ? – chives ? – basil is really good. Something to dip ’em in. Sweet chilli sauce is extra yummy. Whatever.

You will eat the lot, depending …

[grin]

CABBAGE PATTIES

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Chop 750g cabbage Put into boiling water, cook 7-10′ Drain: press to remove all water Finely chop an onion Crush 2 cloves garlic Finely chop half bunch parsley 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add onion, cook till light golden Add crushed garlic, mix...

Today marks two important birthdays for me

The first is that of my dear and very loved friend up in Sydney, the Goanna. I have known her since, I think, 1971; and have loved her from about a fortnight after I met her. Goanna is forthright, honest, amusing and VERY good at her chosen profession (which she keeps saying she’s not going to do any more …).

The second is that of Mr B. Bettong, NWT*, who turns the magnificent age of 1 ! (Goanna is a bit older than that.)

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“Wot ?”, I hear you cry;...

The things you find when browsing aimlessly …!

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Surely the Australian Shire Horse Society must be so proud of this glorious creature as to be bereft of words ?

I know I am !

Introducing the best rice in the world ! (imnsho)

OK, you lot – here’s another-y. I said I would post only SIMPLE recipes (because I can’t be bothered with fancy ones), and I meant it.

This is a 2-veg curry. It’s extremely delicious. What more could you want ?!

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EGGPLANT & CHICKPEA CURRY

(35’ from go to whoa: serves 4)

Ingredients

2–3 tbsps olive oil onion, diced 2 small-medium eggplants, chopped 2–3 cloves squashed garlic 425g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1–2 tbsps curry powder or 1 tbsp curry paste tsp ground cumin tsp turmeric tsp paprika seasoning 1 can (400 ml) coconut cream

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large pan: when it’s hot, ad...

Not vegan, no; but …

Vegetarian.

Again.

I was vegetarian for 6 years, until I started feeling faint a lot; so I gave it up and went back to being an omnivore. But even then I wasn’t eating a whole big lot of meat. My diet has always consisted of many vegetarian meals, interspersed with the occasional chilli con carne, or baked spaghetti, or curry, or stir-fry with chicken.

Now, having just the other day been reminded (in a book review by Whispering Gums) of the wonderful pleasure in NOT eating animals that have been pretty brutally killed – a...

A bit of progress !

So. I’ve put another plant in The Front Bit:

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It’s a gazania (top left) that hasn’t flowered since first I planted it as a teeny seedling in my very first Geelong rental. It turned out to have flowers of the most gorgeous dark bronze colour – none of which has been seen since I put it in a pot to take with me. I am hoping it will be so happy to feel the real earth again that it will say thanks with many blooms. Dream on, M.R.

The roses planted by Denuta are in their prime right now:

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and I am betting tha...

What’s happening in my garden

Here is the current situation.

As you stand on the small lawn rise between the two rows of units –

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(the satellite view from Google was taken in high summer, as you can tell from the colour of the lawn) – my unit is the first on the left of the second block at the bottom. This means that I have a side yard for pot-plants and Boodie as well as a wrap-around garden that goes from in front of the side yard to my front door. Then to the right of the front door is the garden that’ll be just for natives. Well...