koala mittens

After the recent bushfires in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales cotton mittens for burned Koala paws are needed. Koalas are often the first victims to perish in a bush fire. Wildlife rescuers find survivors with severe burn injuries to paws, claws, face and ears. It's not uncommon to find koala babies sitting in trees crying, distressed and alone. Doesn't this just tug at your heart?

This post at Down to Earth alerted me to a call out from the International Fund for Animal Welfare group. Handmade cotton mittens are needed for burned Koala paws for daily changing of dressings and application of burn creams.

Finally when the children were asleep and I cleared the dining table, I washed and dried some fabric from my stash and whipped up some soft cotton mittens in the wee twilight hours.

You can download the mitten pattern and find the postal address at IFAW

Update: The call out for Koala mittens has been incredibly successful. Immediate attention is now needed for other Australian native wildlife: Pouch liners for possums, kangaroos and wallabies. A new pattern for pouches will be uploaded soon.

crabapple pie

Four months ago we swapped eucalyptus trees, kangaroos and possums for a quintessential small Australian house with a big back yard in a little suburban town. Surrounded by diverse trees lying in their winter dormancy we were crossing our fingers once Spring arrived there would be signs of fruit trees.

Our backyard is a jungle of overgrown trees, shrubs and ridiculous amount of rocks with various areas strangled in a noxious ivy weed that snakes love to bask in. First priority after we moved in was the ardious task of clearing the yard and making it safe for the children to play in. Still continuing! Rob's hard work has paid off with the discovery of an Apricot tree in the far back corner of our property. Apricot conserve recipe coming soon!

The children and I have spied many promising apricot trees and wild cherry plum trees and red and green apple trees (exact identifications to come later) on our walks to our local bakery. However, across the road from our house is an unusual apple tree now heavily laden with fruit. I asked an older lady walking her dog if she knew what the tree was. I suspected that original residents of the area could definitely identify the local trees. "Crabapple tree," she responded. Predictably one minute later I was madly researching Crabapple recipes on Google.

From what I gathered Crabapple tree is an ornamental tree that is often neglected for their fruit. It is too small, tart and sour however a great baking and cooking fruit. In the case with pie it is best made with vanilla bean rather than cinnamon which is traditionally used when baking with green apples.

The boys picked a basket of Crabapples for me and I made them a scrumptious sweet Crabapple pie in return.

The flours and sugar used in this recipe is interchangeable so use what you prefer or have available in your pantry for this frugal pie recipe.

CRABAPPLE PIE RECIPE

Ingredients
2 cups organic plain flour
2 tablespoon caster sugar
100 g cold unsalted butter, cut in to cubes
1 egg, beaten
40 ml ice-cold water

Pie filling
30 Crabapples or enough to fill your pie dish. Leave skins on,scrubbed and washed
1 cup of golden unrefined natural caster sugar or any granulated sugar of your choice
1 tablespoon of flour
1 teaspoon of organic vanilla bean paste or essence
Half a lemon, juiced

Method
In a food processor, process flour, sugar and butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 40 ml ice-cold water and process until mixture forms a ball.

Divide dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

To make the filling, simply cut crabapples in to quarters then cut out core and seeds. I cut half of the quartered apples in to pieces because I wanted some really soft apple pieces and some chunky. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl except for the egg.

Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out larger disc between two sheets of baking paper big enough to line the bottom of your pie dish. Line pie dish with pastry. Roll out remaining pastry disc to fit on top of your pie and put in the fridge until ready to use.

Place filling in pastry case and line with top pastry and seal edges. Brush with egg wash. Make 3 small incisions in pastry top to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until golden and juices bubble through the incision on crust.

We ate pie not long after it came out of the oven (it was 10 pm!) but wait until it cools down if you can. The next day we had a second serving with good quality vanilla ice-cream.

Why we forage:

Foraging is another way we can reduce our food miles and increase eating more locally and seasonally.

It seems absurd and wasteful to pass by a sustainable and abundant food resource and head to the supermarket to buy what is already available and free within arms reach.

By involving our children in the forage-to-table process our children learn where their food comes from and have fun too. They also experience a taste of a "real" childhood just like their grandparents did foraging in woodlands and forests in Europe.

Do you forage? Have you discovered edible food on your local footpaths and parks? Or in your backyard? Apparently it is a bumper crop year and some people have discovered fruit trees in their own backyard they weren't even aware of.

1/52

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.

Archie: Always mimicking his big brother.

Max: Always delighting his little brother.

Joining in with The 52 project in 2015 at Practicing Simplicity. Will you join in too?

birthday cake and handmade toys

Happy 2nd birthday to our delightful and happy, ray of sunshine, Archie.

Dark chocolate quinoa flour cake with almond meal from this recipe. I made a Chocolate Coconut Cream Ganache from a can of coconut cream, icing sugar and cacao. Topped with fresh boysenberries and blueberries and sprinkled with icing sugar. We just love chocolate, nuts and fresh seasonal fruit around here. Ganache icing and cake decorating inspiration from The Kind Cook.

Birthday cake garland was made with Japanese Washi Tape, twine and two kebab skewers.

ROAR says T-Rex from Peppa Pig. I found a free pattern at a Hungarian blog MintaMokus. Thank you Helga! I used 100% wool felt from one of my favourite craft stores, Indigo Inspirations.

This was the perfect last minute handmade gift. I found this very rewarding to make and Archie was over the moon. I'll definitely be making more handmade felted toys for the children and for gifting.

A Steiner Doll made by Tibetan refugee and local Indian women from Dolls for Tibet. Archie is just enarmoured by his friendship doll, Peter. I also bought a pair of pyjamas and a knitted cardigan and beanie in hopes to help with bedtime and keeping warm clothes on in Winter.

I had plans to make some Christmas Tree decorations and stockings but that definitely won't happen until after Christmas. I guess that's what the school holidays are for and I'll be ahead of time for next year.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year!

burek

Baba Masa (also known as my mother) rolling dough on top of a tablecloth to make Burek - a pastry that can be stuffed with savoury or sweet fillings.

Stretching out the pastry by rotating the dough and stretching until very thin. 

Chopped Kale, Nimbin cheese grated, free range egg, diced onion and Danish Feta.

Pastry stretched out by hand in a round shape and cheese and spinach filling line the top.

Slowly lifting the table cloth upwards will wrap the pastry around the filling in to a long column shape.

Place the dough filling in to a round baking dish and curl it in to a spiral shape and drizzle with lots of olive oil (not shown here).

Just out of the oven!

Best served with natural yoghurt.

Burek is a cheese and spinach pie that my mum (Baba Masa) has been making us since forever. My cousins who grew up in the Former Yugoslavia call it Pita. There are many names, shapes and fillings depending on where you come from. Some times we would be treated to lunch at a traditional Burek cafe in Newtown where you had the choice of meat, potato, pumpkin, soft cheese and spinach Burek and ending with a sweet apple filled Burek.

The dough is usually handmade filo pastry shown here at heneedsfood but my mother has always made a heavier dough.

The tricky part is not the stretching out of the dough until it is paper thin and wide as a big round tablecloth. No, the tricky part is learning the recipe and quantities from my mum. She grew up completely off the grid and with little schooling. Family recipes were never written down and you always made do with what was available. Even though she has lived in "the lucky country" for a long time making do with what you have is ingrained in her DNA.

We've had this same conversation since I moved out of home 20 years ago.

" Hi mum. How did you make that Burek the other day?"
"Just use what you have and taste with your mouth." (season to taste)
"Yes I know mum but what did YOU use and how much?"
"I used whatever I had...a bit of spinach a bit of cheese. Salt. Don't forget the salt."
"Ahhh!"

My mother often cooks with 'wild spinach' picked from paddocks and in between houses close to her home. Only forage if you are very good at identifying edible plants. My mother has foraged out of necessity since a little girl and would often get chased by bears in the woods when hunting mushrooms. (Imagining this makes me think of the children's show Masha and the Bear. ) Anyway, my point is I can safely say she knows what she is doing. Also check with your local Council that they have not conducted their weed spraying program on your newly discovered wild leafy greens.

This is how we made it on the day.  The ingredients are approximate and the method is traditionally taught by watching a family member and by practicing over time. A seasoned dough maker or home pizza dough maker shouldn't have any problems. However a first time dough maker might end up with a gluey dough mess but this is how we learn to become good dough makers.Yes? 

Ingredients

Pastry

2 1/2 to 3 cups of plain organic flour
1/2 cup of warm water
2 tbls olive oil
1 free range egg(always)
1 teaspoon of salt

Filling

1 bunch of organic kale or spinach
1 brown onion finely chopped
1 cup of Nimbin Natural Cheese grated
1/2 cup of Danish Feta crumbled by hand
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt

Method

Preheat oven 200°C. Mix together flour, olive oil, egg, salt in a bowl and slowly add water until you get a doughy mass. Use less or more water if necessary.

Put the dough on to a floured surface and knead until smooth and pliable. Similar to pizza dough. Put in oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Rest for 30 minutes.

Mix chopped kale, chopped onion, grated cheese, feta, egg and salt in a bowl.

Place the dough on a table lined with a tablecloth. You will be stretching the dough out on the tablecloth as shown in the pictures above.

Drizzle some olive oil on to the stretched out pastry and line the filling at one edge of the pastry as shown in photo above.

Lift the table cloth gently upwards to roll the pastry around the filling in to a sausage shape. Shown in picture above.

Place the rolled pastry in to a round baking pan in a spiral shape. Drizzle olive oil over pastry.

Bake in the oven for 35 mins to 40 mins or until golden brown.

Enjoy your Bureck, Pita or cheese and spinach pie, however you want to call it. Just make sure you serve it with plain yoghurt and a light salad if desired.

These photos were taken in our old place. We are still unpacking and sorting out our new house and clearing the yard from over grown gardens as it is snake season. Can't wait to share our new place soon.

taking stock september

Joining in with Pip's Taking Stock Snapshot. Here's my shorter version...

Smelling daffodils! A reminder that Spring has arrived as we continue some wintery habits such as tending to the wood heater. The snow season has been extended to mid October so we are not yet out of the wintery woods.

Watching our afternoon visitors, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, and their delightful joeys. Spring time brings new life and an opportunity for new beginnings!

Reading The A to Z of Home Remedies for Children's Health. An online course based on Chinese Medicine that gives you the knowledge and tools to help boost your child's immunity. I wish this course was available seven years ago for my first child. Every parent should do this!

Making Ossco Bucco, recipe from the above course. Nutrient dense stock is made from cooking the meat in water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (I use Melrose or Braggs) onions, mushrooms and carrots. Served on white rice; brown rice is too hard on children's digestive systems. Less is more in Chinese Medicine and "clean" slow cooked casseroles instead of "rich" type casseroles are very good in calming inflammation such as eczema or on-going colds.

Feeling excited and anxious at the same time as we prepare to move house. We had a unique opportunity to live in a little village in Kosciusko National Park but now it is time to move on.

We'll still be living in the Snowy Mountains region...for now. This is where we began our lives as a family and we have seven years of precious memories here. I'm definitely looking forward to a new chapter in our lives and especially the decluttering of our things! It is a bittersweet time.

Knowing we will miss all this open space!

 

Loving the hard work put in by Rob to keep up with our vegetable garden. Garlic bulbs have been broken up and planted in our enclosed garden beds. In a couple of months we'll have a bumper crop to harvest. See our snow covered garden last month.

What are you taking stock of this Spring?

a snowy evening

Our region was hit with a wind storm with gusts up to 150km/hr. Inevitably we lost electricity because a tree blew over and hit an electrical cable. Through our window we watched a team of service persons fight against the wind to repair said cable. Then we watched the evening replacement service team work tirelessly against the ferocious wind and darkness until we got too tired and cold to watch anymore and retreated to the wood stove.

We had no electricity on and off for a couple of days and one full night. Needless to say we are very grateful for the first world comforts we get on a daily basis. Even though at this time of year I often complain about how cold I am inside the house and about the continual hanging and drying of clothes in my lounge room!

So I wrote a positive letter commending said team for all their efforts and returning our home comforts. As the old saying goes, "One good turn deserves another."

Then we had a snowy evening and all was calm again.

How has your July been?