Matcha, apple and strawberry muesli

I love making muesli for breakfast to eat with yoghurt and fruit.  (Yes, I know it is generally called granola when it is toasted these days but it is hard to break a lifetime's habit!)  Sylvia loves snacking on cereals in the afternoon and evening.  She doesn't like as many nuts and seeds as I like in mine but she was keen on trying a matcha muesli.

I have now made three batches of museli.  Each has been different.  I love using lots of different seeds, grains, nuts and dried fruit.  I talked to Sylvia about what she liked because she has particular preferences.  Even when we agreed there have been some small changes.  

• Batch 1 had home made apple sauce, Batch 2 had shop bought apple sauce and Batch 3 had tahini instead of apple sauce because it was the easiest option when the apple sauce ran out.  
• Batch 1 and 3 had quinoa flakes which are like rolled oats.  Batch 2 had millet flakes which were more like corn flakes.  We loved them but could only get them in the health food store.
• Batch 1 and 2 had dried strawberry and dried apple but Batch 3 had dried peaches and cranberries.
• Batch 1 had a spiced drinking matcha we bought in London.  I loved the aroma of vanilla, ginger and cinnamon.  Batch 2 had a mixture of the spiced matcha and one that we bought in the health food store.
• Batch 1 and Batch 2 were lovely.  Batch 3 was baked at a higher heat than the recipe says (my bad for not checking) so it is nice but a little charred.
  
  

The health store matcha was a brighter green than the London matcha.  This photo is of our cat inspecting the muesli before I stirred in the wet ingredients.  Always good to get the cat's seal of approval!

In the above collage, the top left photo is Batch 1 before baking, and the top right is after it baked.  The bottom left is Batch 2 before baking and the bottom right is Batch 2 after baking.  You can see that Batch 2 was greener but it still was the not the bright green I was seeking.  I still liked that it was noticeably different than my usual muesli.

I enjoyed serving different fruits with the muesli and yoghurt.  Over winter when there were less fruit about I have had blueberries in the freezer for when I don't have any fresh fruit.  I am doing well that I haven't used them much lately.  These are all Batch 2 (except photo c.  From top left clockwise: (a) pear, (b) strawberries, (c) apple and passionfruit, (d) kiwi fruit and strawberries.

Sylvia enjoys having matcha drinks at cafes.  Matcha latte, iced matcha, matcha lemonade ete etc.  So she appreciate the flavour far more than I do and was pleased with the flavour in the muesli.  In fact, she told me that the muesli was not going to last long.  I was pleased with the compliment.

More toasted muesli recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe
Applesauce muesli (granola) (v)
Banana and maca muesli (granola) (v)
Chocolate muesli (granola) (v)
Fruit mince muesli (v)
Microwave muesli (v)
Tahini, quinoa and apricot toasted muesli (v)

Matcha, apple and strawberry muesli (granola)
Adapted from Green Gourmet Giraffe

4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup millet flakes 
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup linseeds (flaxseeds)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
2 1/2 tbsp matcha powder
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup rice bran oil (or other neutral oil)

1/2 cup dried strawberries
1/2 cup dried apples

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Lightly whisk together maple syrup, applesauce and oil in a large jug until smooth and thickened like caramel.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Tip into two large lined roasting tins.  Bake at 180 for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.  While muesli cooks, chop dried fruit.  Once muesli has toasted with just a touch of golden brown around the edges, add dried fruit and mix well.  Leave to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

On the Stereo:
Merry-Go-Round: Studio Ghibli Music: Joe Hisaishi

My Monthly Chronicles August 2024

Although winter is known for being the season to rug up inside against the cold, we had a busy August getting out and about.  It was especially busy at the start of the month trying to do as much as possible before I started my new job. (You can see more of my eating on the home front at In My Kitchen August 2024.)

Coffee and Bagels (aka Little Box Brownie), Coburg

Above is the interior of a place we have often passed at 150 Bell Street, near the Coburg Train Station.  On its windows it says Coffee and Bagels.  Inside the dark windows give way to a bright cafe with a green counter and a 1950s retro vibe.  This is run by Sophia Purvis of Little Box Brownie.  It has her sweet vintage aesthetic.  In the past, I have eaten from her food truck (actually a cute caravan).  This was our first visit to the cafe to buy Sylvia a latte before we boarded a bus to Preston.  I hope to go back to eat there.

Cheshire Cafe, Preston

When we had lunch at the Cheshire Cafe (583 Gilbert Road), I was more impressed that I expected to be.  I had the special: Cauliflower and potato soup with oven roasted leek and thyme served with cheesy bread. It was lovely and comforting in the cooler starter of August.  Sylvia was delighted with her Fried eggs on toast with sides of grilled haloumi and herb thyme.  To drink we had a matcha latte and a kombucha.   We are keen to return.

Ilza, Docklands

The Japanese cafe, Ilza (03/673 La Trobe Street) has been on Sylvia's wish list for some time now.   It seems that the longer we have wanted to go there, the more food we are likely to order.  We started with side of Corn Cheese Harumaki (spring rolls) and Edamame with Shichimi Salt.  Both were very good.  Sylvia found the harumaki a bit sweet and I found the edamame a bit spicy.  She then had the Cold tofu salad udon when she really enjoyed with tangy spicy ponzu sauce that worked really well with the vegies.  I had the  Crispy tofu skin curry udon.  The tofu skins were in a really really crispy batter but I would prefer the contrast of a slab of tofu rather than the thin skins.  I was happy to have some Sylvia's fried onions (which she dislikes), cabbage and corn to up the colour of my curry.  Sylvia had really wanted to tast the orange matcha. At first it seemed just ok but once she stirred the match in properly it was amazing.

Docklands view

It was interesting to be in the Docklands area of Melbourne that is very close to the city but was considered industrial and inaccessible for years.  It has been developed into cafe and shops and tourist activities but still seems oddly empty.  We got to the city regularly but rarely go to Docklands!

Turkish Lamp Workshop, Docklands

We were in Docklands for a Turkish lamp workshop held by art masterclass.  It was fairly easy to do with the template designs and lots of options of cut glass and beads.  Which is not to say it was quick.  The class was two and a half hour long and had to be finished at home.  You can see the finished product on my In My Kitchen August 2024 post.

Admiring the co-Australian of the year.  I was so impressed with the story of Prof Richard Scolyer who tried innovative immunotherapy treatments for melanomas and then chose to be the guinea pig to try these pioneering therapies on himself when he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer known as gioblastoma.  A year later, he is cancer-free.

Amazing Graze Tearooms, Ascot Vale

We spied the Flowers by Grace at 524 Mt Alexander Rd and found that there was an adjoining Amazing Grace Tearooms that was pink and pretty and irresistible. Flowers and high teas make for great party planning and that is what they seem to specialise in.  I had forgotten to bring both my phone and my wallet.  No money, no googling, no photos.  Luckily Sylvia had a phone with some money on her debit card.  We ordered drinks because that was all we could afford.  It wasn't cheap!  Sylvia enjoyed her peach iced tea and I quite liked my drink when had cranberry juice and maybe something like pineapple juice and passionfruit.  It was more aimed at pricey high teas for parties so I am not sure we will return. 

Emils, Pascoe Vale South

While we were overseas earlier in the year, my parents and E went to Emils (347 Reynard Street).  It is a beautiful cafe located in the house where the family grew up while their parents ran a milkbar out the front.  We had been very keen to go and happy once we were being served wonderful food in what I think used to be the lounge room.  

For drinks, Sylvia had apple juice and I had the Green Goddess Juice: silverbeet, celery, ginger lime, green apples, cucumber, chia.  It was very vegetably but also sweet and refreshing.  Sylvia ordered Emil's big breakfast: poached eggs, zaatar grilled flatbread, haloumi, shakshuka, saute spinach, potato hash.  She asked for it without meat but with falafels on the side.  Look at the flatbread in the photo!  I had the Super salad: grilled broccolini and asparagus, kale, beans, peas, super seeds, feta, smoked almond, lime yoghurt (no egg) and a side order of well seasoned crispy fried cauliflower on a yoghurt sauce.  We are looking forward to returning.

The Quarter, CBD

On a visit to the city, we had lunch at The Quarter in 27-31 Degraves Street.  This is one of the buzzing laneways of Melbourne that we walk through every now and again but rarely stop to sit down to join the crowds enjoying the good food, good vibes and great people watching.

Sylvia really enjoyed her Toasted Focaccia with Mushrooms, Rocket, Spinach, Haloumi, roasted Pumpkin and Tomato Relish.  She was bemused by the tiny mushrooms that were definitely not the Portobello mushrooms promised by the menu.  I was even more baffled by my Super Grains Salad.  The menu as correct in saying it had Quinoa, Currants, roasted Pear, toasted Almonds, baby Spinach, Pumpkin seeds, Cashews, fresh Mint, crispy Kale and Lemon dressing.  However it was not a grain salad.  It was a leafy salad with a few grains.  I was disappointed.  Sylvia found her meal very filling and was happy to share her side serve of Fries  with me.  So we left having eaten enough.

Flinders Waffles, CDB

After the Quarter, we went ust up the lane to  Flinders Waffles (6 Degraves Street).  Sylvia had seen their amazing waffles online.  I had the Flinders Street Station nutella filled waffle.  They were quite soft and light but so uncannily like the actual station just a block away.  Sylvia got the Taiyaki: a fish shaped waffle filled with red bean paste and topped with soft serve matcha ice cream, sprinkles and a waffle.  Unfortunately the soft serve would not stay on her waffle, not even when the staff reluctantly replaced the first serve of ice cream.  No wonder it was so busy.

Johnston Collection, East Melbourne

The Johnston Collection does not give their address online, not even when you book.  A mini bus picks up tour groups at a nearby hotel.  I think this is due to restrictions to avoid extra traffic in already busy streets.  We had a tour there to see the rooms furnished for the theme of Fit for a King.  I hope to share more photos and information in a blog post.

Miniature Tudor Village, Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne

After the Johnston Collection tour we walked back into the city through the Fitzroy Gardens, stopping to enjoy the delights of the Miniature Tudor Village and the Fair Tree.  It was such a magical place for me as a child that I always love seeing it.  Now the generosity of the place fills me with gratitude and joy.  The miniature tudor village was sent to Melbourne by a small town in England as thanks for food parcels sent during and after World War II.  The beautiful Fairy Tree was carved by Ola Cohn as a gift to the children of Melbourne in 1931-34.  

Rong Cha, CBD

The indulgent S'mores Hot Chocolate with toasted marshmallow lining the cup and a cracker on top beckoned Sylvia. So we visited Rong Cha (8 Little Lonsdale St,) while in the city.  It is a Thai traditional cafe that gave us a chance to try something new.  The hot chocolate was not a success because Sylvia was not keen on the extra soft sweet marshmallow.  But I loved my refreshing Salak lime soda.  I'd never heard of Salak or Snake fruit before but would have it again.  I liked that it was slightly bitter and not too sweet.  We also shared the Pang Nueng: steamed bread with Thai tea and Pandan sauces.  While chocolate is my usual go-to, I really enjoyed this mildly sweet option that is quite different to the usual sugary sweet and carby options in cafes.

Coburg Farmers Market

It was great to be back at this wonderful farmers market at Coburg Primary School.  The sun shone, the stallholders were friendly, we bumped into old friends, there was a tyranny of choice with good food, and we bought some delicious purchases (which you can see in my In My Kitchen August 2024 post.)

Laughing at Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee on the ABC.  It is unexpectedly hilarious with a retro set, great banter and absurd comedy. 

Chookas, Brunswick

This cafe is one that we visit the most, and my post on Chookas (1 Ballarat St)has been the most visited recently on my blog.  Often Sylvia goes there with her dad at the weekend and I go with her occasinally.  This is a recent lunch of egg and pickles with a nori and a kombu omusabi.  I had eaten so I just had a kimchi cheese omusabi.  It was so lovely to sit looking out on the tree lined laneway with our cool drinks (yuzu soda and iced coffee) on a fine winter's day.

Wild Timor, Coburg

Another regular cafe I go to is Wild Timor (282 Sydney Road).  Usually I just have a drink and catch up with friends.  Occasionally I also order food.  Last month I had the hash browns with crushed peas, beetroot relish, avocado and lime hollandaise sauce.  I didn't have the eggs but ordered some feta on the side instead.  It was delicious and a nice change from the usual breakfast dishes.  Kerin also enjoyed her fancy omelette.

Code Black, Brunswick

My mum loves a coffee at Code Black cafe (15-17 Weston Street) when she is in Brunswick.  She rates it highly and the Code Black coffee is available in many cafes we visit.  So a visit was on the cards for Sylvia and me.  She had scrambled eggs on toast with feta  (she loved the feta).  I had the French lentil salad with (according to the menu) summer vegetables, cashew hummus, fresh herbs and cranberries.  It was not surprising in the middle of winter that I did not get served summer vegetables.  My vegetables were radish, squash and radicchio.  I think I would have preferred summer vegies but it was a nice salad with the cranberries giving the needed lift the flavours.  I had the hot chocolate again because I loved it so much in July.  Sylvia loved her Melbourne Fog: an Earl Grey tea with a frothy top and slice of dried orange on top.  They do great food and drinks but I am not a fan of the black interiors.

Artocracy, Brunswick

After Code Black we walked up Sydney Road.  One shop we really liked was Artocracy (435 Sydney Road).  It was a really beautiful local craft collective with lots of different sections by different makers.

Streaming movies: we watched Juno recently.  It has such an amazing soundtrack with musicians such as Belle & Sebastian and Kimya Dawson that really added to charm of this quirky film from 2007.

Fluffy Torpedo

We also finally got to Fluffy Torpedo's Brunswick shop (213 Sydney Road).  Last year we had amazing white chocolate vegemite ice crea (mine) and honey soy ice cream (Sylvia's) in the Smith Street store in Fitzroy.  It is a kooky ice cream place with unusual flavours and decor.  Brunswick continues the fun, though I prefer the decor in the Fitzroy shop with the sour strips in resin covering the floor!  

The ice cream in Brunswick lived up to the Fitzroy flavours.  I had two half scoops: iceberg lettuce sour green apple sorbet and chocolate x chocolate mudcake ice cream.  The iceberg lettuce flavour was odd but after a mouthful or two it was great and refreshing.  It was a fine pairing for the intense chocolate ice cream with chunks of cake.  Sylvia was also very happy with her ice cream flavoured with buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup.  Then we went home and had a walk to enjoy the sunset.
 

View from a city office

This is a view from one of the offices I have spent time in since starting my new job.  The view of St Patrick's Cathedral is magnificent.  This is the first time since 2000 that I have worked in a city office.  So much change since then.  There are now rows of forlorn empty desks.  I love being able to work from home some of the time but appreciate a bit of office time too.  

Offices these days lack the fun and buzz of pre-covid days. This is mostly due to less people about but one of the offices where I work is also feeling a bit sad as a whole department on my floor has moved out in preparation for the building being demolished.  It is a long time since I have have seen so many empty offices and empty desks.

Tin Pot Cafe, Fitzroy North

It is many years since I visited the Tin Pot Cafe (248-250 St Georges Road).  I have fond but vague memories.  It was good to go again with Sylvia.  She had House made baked beans with poached egg and feta on toasted ciabatta and I had White bean, tomato and kale soup served with herb toast.  Sylvia loved hers and I liked mine.  I really loved my pot of rosehip and fruit herbal tea and Sylvia very pleased with her cappucino.

So far so good!  What made it worth visiting was the beautiful vintage decor.  The green room had a large communal table in the middle and lots of shabby chic furntiture and brick a brack that looks like the it came from second hand shops in the days when you could find a real bargain.  Vines, mirrors and pictures festoon the walls.  There are cute little nooks with an aristocratic arm chair where you might find a student with a laptop or a rough old guy, who looks homeless, sorting his plastic bags.  This is old school Fitzroy.

In fact the charming decor trumped the food until we ordered a Blueberry and frangipane brioche to share for dessert.  It was amazing.  Like the previous food, it felt like going back a few decades but this made me nostalgic for desserts of the past.  The large slab of what looked like a tart was a generous helping.  There was lots of rich frangipane and jammy blueberries on a lovely soft brioche base.  I was very glad we shared it as it was really filling but so so good.

Archies All Day, Fitzroy

After my parents raved about Archies All Day (189 Gertrude Street), we had been keen to try it for ourselves.  It is a lovely bright space of white painted stone walls and wooden tables.  Sylvia could not go past the Huevos Sucios (Dirty Eggs).  This was a full plate of tater tots loaded with cheddar cheese, avocado & tomatillo salsa, black beans, jalepeños, fried eggs and chipotle mayo.  The tater tots smelled so amazing that I had to try some. But I went a healthier path and ordered the Miso Glazed Pumpkin Salad that came with roasted miso pumpkin, cashew cream, lentils & quinoa, leafy greens, pickled onions, feta, pepita seeds & fried kale.  We both loved our meals.  They were unusual, delicious and very satisfying.

The mysterious cat, Fitzroy

After Archies lovely lunch, we had a very pleasing walk along Gertrude Street.  It is much changed since I used to go to a hippy cafe called Vegetarian Orgasm many years ago (which I have learnt is not something to say to your teenage daughter as you stroll down the street)m but there are always lovely surprises.  We saw this lovely grey and white cat at 124 Gertrude Street.  It looked like the boss of the place but we could not find a name of the shop anywhere.  My best guess was Dig for Dinosaurs based on the name by a display of dinosaurs on a pianola.  The shop was closed so we never found out.  In the end I just had to conclude that the cat was the shop owner cursed by a wicked witch to be in cat form during the day.

Cottage Industry, Fitzroy

Another amazing shop that we did go into was Cottage industry (67 Gertrude Street).  I was loved their sign by the door saying "Sorry but after too many accidents, NO food or drink permitted in store".  Inside the shop was stuffed full of gorgeous crafts: Scottish knitted cardigans, tiny ceramic animals, floral hot water bottle shaped wheatbags, Irish woollen blankets, cardboard pigeon garlands, cow flower vases, a tram ornament and all manner of temptations.  Not the sort of thing to spill your drink on!

Reading The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do.  This is an uplifting book celebrates the good things in his life and is compassionate about the difficult times.  I would expect nothing less from the man who conducts warm hearted interviews white he paints portraits on Anh's Brush with Fame.

 

Seedling, CBD

I finally caught up with a university friend, Jane, in the city.  We ate at a tiny health food cafe called Seedling (275 Flinders Lane).  They had colourful bowls of salad and we both chose to have a plate of salads.  Jane was pleased with her peas and I loved my rice and kale salads.  We were both very pleased with our choice.  And it was great to catch up.

Sal's Authentic New York Pizza, CBD

On a cold windy night I was looking for a quick bite before going out.  I stumbled across Sal's Authentic New York Pizza (289 Flinders Lane).  I had a couple of slices of 5 boroughs pizza: NYC blend mozzarella, creamy ricotta, black garlic sauce, marinara and pesto splash.  

On the table is a sign saying "Please let your pizza pie rest for 3-4 minutes before eating.  Enjoy."  I was so pushed for time that I ignored the kind advice.  I am used to places where if pizzas are sold by the slice they are have sat in a warmer too long and are not that hot.  This pizza was in the warmer but it was heated before it was served so the bottom was crisp and it was really hot.  I burnt my mouth but it was really good pizza.

Victorian Parliament House, CBD

In August I heard our mayor talk at a history society meeting and then our local MP organised for a group from the society to take a tour of Parliament House.  It is such a beautiful building that was built by politicians who had plenty of money from the gold rushes.  More photos to come.  Though I will not be sharing the one of our group with the Premier Jacinta Allen.

Recent new articles:

• Land of the free, home of the crazed, in The Shot by Ronni Salt, 30 August 2024.
• Australians are the world's biggest gamblers - could banning ads help? in BBC News by Hannah Ritchie, 26 August 2024.
• Peter Dutton's calls to ban refugees from Gaza have proved too much for some MPs, in ABC News by Laura Tingle, 17 August 2024.
  
• Illustrator of children's classic Where is the Green Sheep? never imagined it would be commemorated in coin form 20 years on, in ABC News by Jostina Basta, 15 August 2024.
• ‘Fairytales’, media leaks and Canberra’s underbelly: takeaways from Linda Reynolds v Brittany Higgins defamation trial, in The Guardian by Sarah Basford Canales, 10 August 2024.

In My Kitchen August 2024

August was unsettled.  The weather was unseasonably warm and windy for winter.  I started my new job in a new collaborative centre in the health sector.  It is overwhelming but interesting.  Thank goodness it is part time.  Sylvia is getting used to her new school.  Finding new rhythms with work and school is challenging but we have also had lots of fun this month too.  (I will post more about going out for meals and  in My Monthly Chronicles soon).  At home we are busy with cooking some great new recipes, Sylvia doing beading and gardening, and I have published a few blog posts that were lingering in the draft folder.  We had the friendliest grey cat visit for so long that we wondered if he was here to stay but he left when he was ready.  Housework and life administration are being squeezing in around everything else!

The above dish is a Zucchini Mozzarella Ratatouille from Clare Scrine's new cookbook.  It was fun to make with layering thin slices of zucchini with mozzarella in a tomato sauce and cooking til golden brown..  I really liked it but had expected the zucchini to be softer.  I might try cooking it longer if I made it again.  Sylvia liked it but was keen on trying it with some pasta in the bake.  It was great with quinoa for a work lunch.

We went to a Turkish lamp workshop at the start of the month.  It was set up to make it easy for everyone to produce a stunning lamp.  Even so, Sylvia's decorations were so good I was a bit jealous.  We glued beads and cut glass on a glass bowl at the workshop.  At home the plaster was applied, set for a few minutes and then wiped off the between all the cut glass and beads. 

Once the plaster dried on the glass bowl, we clicked it into the top and bottom of the lamp stand.  Above is my lamp.  I would have liked more different greens.  Instead I paired the green with yellow and amber glass, which gives a lovely warm glow when the lamp is turned on.

We love a craft project.  I finally have posted a list of Craft ideas for kids - a list of activities on my blog.  It has been in my drafts for a few years.  This is a list of some of the home craft projects I have shared along the way on my blog - both small and huge.  As I have been doing craft with Sylvia since she was a toddler, it is not always beautifully finished but it is always fun.

I adapted my current favourite muesli recipe to please Sylvia.  It featured matcha, strawberry and apple.  This is a recipe I hope to write up soon.

This is a snapshot of our growing garden.  The long planter at the front with succulents is now on our front verandah.  I took some cuttings of succulents while out on a bike ride.  We chose some to plant and Sylvia has placed the rest in old jars of water on the kitchen windowsill which look quite cheery.

I have a cutting of "pigface" in the kitchen right now that I am waiting to plant in a pot.  It was given to me after attending an Indigenous smoking ceremony at a community health service.  I was so excited after first tasting this edible Indigenous plant at Banshot Bistro this year.  It is also known as bush banana and karkalla.

My lemon and lime trees have had a bad time of it with citrus leaf miner over the past year or two.  The lime tree has only produced one piece of fruit this year.  So I am very happy to see lots of new growth and baby limes at the moment.  We are not out of the woods with the citrus lime miner yet but I am now fighting the little critters with sprays and traps.

I went out with a friend recently and Sylvia sent me photos of the slugs she found on herbs she was putting in her meal.  Above is the dried eggshells she has crushed in a mortar and pestle to scatter in the garden.  I am a bit unclear how much is to deter slugs and how much is for nutrients.  I think it is a bit of both.

I bought myself a new two-layer microwave steamer.  It seemed really desirable when we were going through a steamed dumplings patch.  Since buying it, I haven't used it much but am sure it will be useful in the long run.

We visited Coburg Farmers Market at Coburg Primary School a few weeks back.  My sister was wondering about holding a peanut butter stall there so Sylvia and I did a recce.  We used to go there a lot before the Covid lockdowns but, for various reasons, have barely been since then.  It was nice to be back.  We bought plenty of good produce, good bread and baked goods from the school fundraiser cake stall.  I love the Olympic gold medal biscuits made by my friend Kerin. 

It was sad to hear that a few of our favourite businesses had closed.  We stopped to chat at the Sporadical City Mushrooms.  They had amazing mushroom products - gorgeous mixed mushrooms, a mushroom chilli sauce, a mushroom confit and great mushroom and nut pates,  We bought this Cold Smoked Mushroom Broth dried stock.  It was a mix of dried mushrooms and remainder Smalt smoked salt.  The smell was incredible. It was so good I bought a jar for a jaw dropping $20.  

I was also sad to hear that Gorgeous George has ceased trading.  We loved their kombucha and kefir and dips.  So I was very grateful that they had sold the recipes to Mumma Made Ferments.  It was hard to restrict our choice to one bottle.  We were very happy with the Apple and Strawberry kombucha. 

Sylvia was so excited to get her hands on a packet of the new Chinese edition of Twisties.  From the packet I thought they would be in a fortune cookie shape but they were the same old gnarled ugly twisties with really good Chinese seasoning.

One of my favourie meals of the month was the Creamy cannellini bean with kale  from Lazy Cat Kitchen.  It was made by blending one can of white beans with milk, miso, tahini and lemon juice to make a creamy sauce for the remaining 2 cans of beans and lots of kale.  We ate it both as a casserole and a dip.  It was great comfort food and felt wonderful healthy too.

I have written a few times of how much we love Recipe Tin Eats broccoli fritters.  The purple cauliflower from the farmers market was substituted for broccoli in this recip.  It was delicious even if the fritters weren't quite as purple as I would have liked.  I found that if I pressed them well after turning the first time, it helped more of the batter to go to the bottom where it would cook and crisp up.

We also had our favourite Carrot fritters this month with some corn in place of half the carrots.  Sylvia was not so pleased with them.  I was in a hurry and made them quite thick so I only needed to do two batches.  They were a bit undercooked.  Note to self to not skimp on time with fritters!

We dropped into Cheaper Buy Miles, a remainder grocery store opposite Barkly Square.  The main appeal for us was the non-alcoholic versions of drinks.  For a grand total of $10 we bought a little gift pack of Vinada champagne bottles, a bottle of Blue Nun white wine (for old times sake), and a bird dog freedom shiraz.  

Interestingly they all seem to have different ways to note they don't have alcohol.  The champagne is "zero alcohol", the white wine is "alcohol-free" and the shiraz has the "alcohol removed".  I am not sure if these refer to different ways of avoiding alcohol and, if so, does it have any effect on the taste and alcohol content.  Or is is just that this is still a new idea and there is no conformity of labelling?

I was on a ride, I was hungry and I had a yen to go to Green Refectory Cafe in Brunswick.  It was really busy as always.  I bought a pumpkin and sundried tomato savoury muffin for me and an apple and rhubarb muffins for Sylvia.  They were lovely.  I also really liked the look of the takeaway salads.

Sylvia also brought me home some baking when she was out with her dad and grandparents at Calle Bakery.  They all raved about their meals and enjoyed sharing lots of good food.  Sylvia loved her rhubarb and strawberry croissant wheel, and brought me back a small piece.

I baked Sweet Potato, Cheese and Herb Scones for International Scone Week at Lavender and Lime (where you can find links to more scone posts on the left hand column).  I also used sweet potato in a great Sweet potato, feta and olive focaccia.  Both recipes are on my blog.  The main ingredients I used in the scones are in the above photo.  They include an interesting Salted Honey Cow soft cheese from Yarra Valley Cheese.  It had a more subtle flavour than the goats cheese in the original recipe but Sylvia loved it so much for crackers etc that we have bought more.

One more observation on scones.  Why is the supermarket selling boxed scone mix???  Plain Scones are so easy to make that you don't need a box mix.  It feels like they are preying on the uncertainties of the novice baker.  My mum pointed some people are not confident making scones.  For me, scones are in my genes.  I grew up taking for granted that life involved frequent batches of scones warm from the oven!

Being back at work means trying to take in lunch when I am in the office.  This combination of cheese and vegemite sandwiches, chopped vegetables and salted cashew was a really good one.  It was both satisfying and quick to put together.

I could not resist Wild Things health food shop when we were eating at Tin Pot Cafe in North Fitzroy.  Then I had to face many temptations in the store.  We left with half a loaf of dark rye bread that was like a pumpernickel bread, a vegan lemon and dill cashew cheese spread, and a few cloves of elephant garlic.  The spread was heavenly on thin slices of the bread.

I am usually rushing about in the evening when Shadow comes in for the night.  We have got in the habit of giving him a couple of treats to lure him inside.  So now he will jump up on the washing machine and let us know very pointedly that he is due his treats when he comes in.  I took a photo of him cosying up to his treats because it amuses me the ways he makes his demands clear.  I try not to be amused that he also will cheekily ask for treats even if he has already had them.  But he is so damned cute!

We are also very appreciative that my dad fixed up the steps up the fence that he put in for our old cat Zinc quite some years ago.  They were getting a bit droopy and we didn't want one collapsing as Shadow nimby makes his way up the steps.

Sylvia made a wonderful White bean and carrot couscous salad with pearl couscous.  We loved it so much that we look forward to eating it more in summer.  It lasted well in the fridge and was very satisfying, though possibly could have a tad more dressing.  I served mine with some Only-kale-can-save-us-now salad and chopped celery.

We bought fresh gnocchi at the farmers market and really enjoyed it in this Creamy Tomato Gnocchi.  The recipe called for boiling it and I decided to fry the gnocchi instead but ended up boiling it a bit in the sauce and wishing there was a little less sauce, even though I had added a lot less water than the recipe specified.

Sylvia made this Strawberry Avocado Crunch Salad.  It looked so beautiful before adding the ginger miso dressing.  We only had dried ginger but I think fresh ginger would be better.  Sylvia sliced the cucumbers and strawberries very thin.  They were pretty but I would prefer bigger chunks for more texture.  The edamame were a great addition.  Sadly, the salad did not last well overnight.  It really needs to be fresh.

I felt clumsy breaking a glass this month when I tried to stop a potato rolling off a chopping board.  Then Sylvia managed to pick up a lovely green square baking dish by the handle.  The handle broke off, then fell to the floor and broke the other handle, plus she managed to hit herself with the dish on the way down.  We are still considering if we can still use the dish in any way.  Sylvia had the dish out for Chocolate pudding but broke it when she decided to return it to the cupboard when she decided it was too late. She redeemed herself by making a lovely choccy pudding the next night.

This photo is partly shared to show that a bit of breakage can be a good thing.  Preferably in the backyard rather than the kitchen.  Unfortunately this coconut had been in the fridge too many weeks and did not have any coconut milk in it.  But Sylvia enjoyed swinging a hammer at it.

A few weeks ago we stopped for felafel from Half Moon Cafe and then bought Turkish bread from the Melbourne Kebab Station in Coburg.  We took them home to feast on with hummus and baby spinach for lunch.  It was the first time Sylvia has had the splendid Half Moon Falafels since she was little.  She loved them.  Who wouldn't!

We also love the Melbourne Kebab Station Vegetarian meal with felafels, rice, dips, salad and bread.  I went for a ride and stopped at Back Alley Bakes where I bought a celeriac and cream cheese danish and a cinnamon scroll to augment our vegie pack.  Sylvia was not impressed with the danish because she was not in the mood to try a new vegetable.  She loved the vegie pack and cinnamon scroll.  I also bought a day old fruit bread at Back Alley Bakes to keep in the freezer so I can take out a slice when I want a bit of sweet food.

I am sending this post to Sherry of Sherry's Pickings for the In My Kitchen event. If you would like to join in, send your post to Sherry by 13th of the month.  Or just head over to her blog to visit more kitchens and her gorgeous hand drawn header.