The relentless tide of technology

I have Luddite tendencies.  Once at school I didn't want to do computing and was called Mary Lou Cabbage Patch by a teacher.  It is not that I don't like technology.  I am a blogger, after all.  It is more the stealth in which technology works.  I wish technological changes would be presented to me by a courier with a list of items, a return address and a choice to sign if I choose to accept it.  Instead they sneak in like a thief in the night, often bringing benefits but rarely do these happen without some loss.  

Google's recent "developments" have prompted me to take a little time out to reflect on some changes I have seen recently.

Book Affair
I have mentioned my sadness at the bookstores closing before.  On the weekend we went to Book Affair.  It is a secondhand bookstore in Carlton that I have loved since my student days.  Many times I have enjoyed checking out books displayed in the window and browsing books in a quiet corner.  We visited their new store on Elgin Street on the weekend and found they are closing in a few months.  So look at the above picture of the couch in the basement and think of where you were when you last bought a book online and tell me which place you would rather be!

Google Privacy Policy
Big Brother is watching you!  That is what the new policy seems to be about.  I have read a few people commenting that with this new policy, Google will know more about you than your wife.  For me, I hope it wont make too much of an impact.  All my blog information is public anyway (I use Blogger which is a Google service) and I don't have a gmail address.  The only thing that concerns me slightly is that Google will collect information about my googling (ie searches).  But as some of the commentators have said, what do I have to hide?  I guess what I really dislike is the idea that Google seems to be serving marketers and big business more than the users.  But then again Google has made this blog possible at no cost too so maybe that is the price I pay.

Blogger comments
On a more positive note about Google, it was a pleasant surprise that they have changed the comments so that I can reply to individual comments as a thread.  I decided to stop moderating comments when we went on holiday in January and when I returned it seemed to work well.  Hence I will continue this for as long as I don't see too much spam come through.  I don't use the captcha code because I dislike using them myself.  (I suspect that one of Google's other stealthy activities is to block more spam as I get less now than I used to.)  I will of course still keep an eye on comments.

Blogger urls change
Another recent change is that my url has had a ".au" added to the end of it.  So now I have both www.gggiraffe.blogspot.com and www.gggiraffe.blogspot.com.au.  This sort of change annoys me both because I didn't choose this url, because the only reason E and I could think it might be done is for advertisers, and because it has affected my ability to edit my blog.  (Update - just found this explanation of the url change from Blogger but not explanation of the changes to editing.)

New Blogger urls affect quick edit button and others
Just a few days ago I found the quick edit button (pencil icon) at the end of each post has disappeared.  I googled it and found that others were also affected since the urls had changed.  I am very annoyed about this as I like to correct typos and update posts with this button.  Less concerning for me is that it has affected some templates.  Very concerning is that I have just discovered that I can't delete comments any more which makes me wonder if I will continue to leave comments unmoderated if I can't delete spam.  (Update - I have found I can still delete comments via the comments tab in the backend).  The more optomistic side of me hopes it will be like my Delicious experience where big changes means I lost a lot of functionality but now it is even better than it was before the overhaul.

Update: 20/2/2012 just checked the google forum again - if you put /ncr at the end of your url (eg www.gggiraffe.blogspot/ncr) it will return the quick edit pencil but this needs to be done everytime you open the blog.

Picnik moves to Google Plus
I have used the free online photo editing software a few times for my banner and for event badges.  So I was sad that it is no longer.  Apparently it is moving to Google Plus.  I don't know what that means for those of us who don't want to sign up to Google Plus.  Having said that, for anyone who does want to use any of the photo editing software, it does not close until mid-April and until then all the premium products that we had to pay for are free!  Now's your chance!

"About this Blog" page
I have created this new page on the menu bar beneath my banner.  I have been thinking about the best way to have some things like my comments FAQs page and other resources on my top menu and I have decided to collect these sort of pages together rather than individual pages for each.  I have got up a basic page but I plan to develop it.  To fit my menu pages on one line, I have transferred my Kudos from a page to a post.  It just seems the least important of the menu pages and will fit into About this Blog page nicely.

Gas oven
Not information technology but as good a place as any to mention my gas oven that I bought last year.  We have had technicians out 2 or 3 times so far.  The one that came out this week said that we have some problems with our gas supply being on the weak side.  This explains why a new oven (and my old oven) have also needed to turned up quite high to cook anything.

SOPA
I thought it might be timely to mention the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) while I am talking about the relentless development of technology that makes me feel like a cork bobbing along on a sea of change.  I confess I didn't look into this act very closely but what I saw alarmed me about punishing people for linking to dodgy sites.  While it can be done with dodgy intent, it can also easily be done innocently.  More information at SOPA Blackout and Wikipedia.  I hope the current media silence on it is a good sign it might go away but maybe that is just me being optimistic again!

Kudos

pdate: this is an old post that was originally posted as a page that I have moved into a post so I can create a new page.
This is my poolroom (for those of you who have seen the Castle).  It is the display case where all my favourite words and awards go.  If you want to see what others think of me, here is the place to look.  If you aren't interested in naval gazing then I suggest you go home (to my homepage I mean).

AWARDS:

Liebster award - thanks Scrambled Megs

ABC Awesome Blog Content award - thanks Katie and Choclette

Food stories nominee - thanks Mel

Liebster Blog Award - thanks Jeni Treehugger and K and Toby

Stylish Blogger Award - thanks Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen and Rivkia of Healthy Eating for Ordinary People. 

Thanks Michelle at All Home Cooking, All Year Long

Thanks Cakelaw.

Thanks Cakelaw.

Thanks Cakelaw, Katie, Ricki and Tanna.

Beautiful Blogger Award - Thanks Elle

Hoy Award - thanks Rachel

Triple award - thanks Jeanne of Cooksister

Friends are like Bras - close to the heart and always there for support Award - thanks Fleur

Yummy Blog Award - Thanks Lucy

Kreativ blogger award - thanks Katie

One Lovely Blog Award - thanks Ashley at Eat Me Delicious, Cakelaw and Sweet Artichoke

Excellent Award - thanks Jacqueline, Amanda, and Pixie

Rockin' Girl Blogger - thanks Lucy of Nourish Me and Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook.

Butterfly Award - thanks Fleur from Flowers at Home

I love your blog award - thanks Katie of Apple and Spice

Bookish meme - thanks Ricki

Winner of the inaugural No Croutons Required blog event February 2008. Thanks Lisa and Jacqueline and all the voters. Check out my winning Wonton Dumplings in Ginger Broth and all the other soups.

Winner of No Croutons Required November 2008 for my Pumpkin and Tofu Laksa. 

Winner of No Croutons Required February 2010 for my Parsnip Soup with Walnut Ravioli and Carrot Cream. 

Winner of No Croutons Required August 2012 for my African Curried Coconut Soup.

Listed in the Top 50 Vegetarian Blogs on the Institute for the Psychology of Eating website

Listed in the Gourmet50's Top 50 Gourmet Resources

Listed in the 100 blogs leading the food revolution

Listed as blog of note in December 2012 (issue 6) of UK Making Cakes and Bakes magazine.

Recipe featured on Cukmi (Argentinian online publication), August 2013

TESTIMONIALS:

• "Poster Girl for Pumpkin"  Lucy of Nourish Me

• "Johanna of Green Giraffe Gourmet - Infectious enthusiasm, a weakness for winging it when the ingredients are AWOL, and the best mix of rockin' music teasers at the end of every post on her virtual stereo. " Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

• "Johanna hails from Melbourne, Australia and she is all about really good vegetarian comfort food". Jenn of the Leftover Queen

• "Johanna is so clever. Her recipes always have me licking my screen. " Amanda of Mrs W's Kitchen

• "Green Gourmet Giraffe who always makes interesting delicious vegetarian things like tofu and pesto crackers, and is still cooking and baking a ton with a baby! I hope I'll be like her. " Ashley of Eat Me Delicious

• "If you haven't checked out Johanna's site, I highly recommend that you do. Readers are treated to thoughtful writing, mouthwatering photographs and a frequent selection of delicious vegetarian recipes. Even if you aren't a vegetarian, you are sure to enjoy Johanna's varied assortment of culinary offerings." Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen

• A fellow vegetarian and a great source of inspiration when I’m stuck for ideas of what to make for dinner." Katie of Apple and Spice

• "Johanna is just great, and full of ideas and advice and of course living in Oz just automatically makes you cool." Fleur of Flowers from Home

• "Johanna is constantly posting the most beautiful, colourful food photos I've seen on the web (or in most cook books for that matter)." Rachel of Rachel's Ramblings

• "Johanna is vegetarian but has been posting amazing vegan food every day for vegan mofo, also I got to try some of it and it was damn tasty. Shes also the best commenter too not just here but on so many blogs, I don't know how she finds the time, but I think its so awesome." K and Toby of In the Mood for Noodles 

• "Johanna's recipes are easygoing, enticing and inspiring, and so is her writing...like wandering over to your favorite neighbor's house and joining in a casual chat on the porch on a lazy afternoon. Friendly peeps, lots of laughs and a side of music too...before you know it, many hours have pleasantly passed and it's almost past sundown!" The Peace Patch

Passing on the tags
Here are some posts about awards where I have passed awards onto other bloggers if you want to find out about where my tags go as well as where they come from!

• Awards and a kreativ meme
• Awards with substance (and quicklinks)
• Liebster award: a meme of elevenses
• Memes are due. Thanks are due
• 10 Things/Bloggers that Make Me Happy 
• What does home mean to you?

MLLA Nicki's vegetarian dumplings with fried rice

Dumplings.  The ultimate comfort food! Fun finger food!  Heaven in a wrapper!  Yes, I love them.  Last year I posted about making steamed vegetarian dumplings and received some very useful feedback.  My friend Nicki sent me her recipe and a few people suggested a dumpling press.  So I am now revisiting dumplings with far more experience after making them many times last year.

I was intrigued by the idea of a dumpling press and rushed out to buy one.  Actually I had to look around but Min Phat at the Vic Market had them.  I had to ask about 4 people before I could find someone who spoke English.  Which perhaps explains the odd grammar on the instructions.  My colleagues who work in editing were rather amused by this.

I tried the dumpling press and found it clunky.  Worse still, I cut my fingers by continually pressing them into the press when I folded it over (see below picture).  Even working out what size to use was tricky.  (I think I found that smaller was better).  After chatting with Nicki I persevered and found it got easier.

One thing I learnt (and this isn't in the photos as they are from lots of different times I made them) is to fill the cup of the press, then use the back of the spoon to pack it down and level it off.  This seemed to help make sure that I didn't overfill.  Nicki says she doesn't need any water to seal the dumplings using a press but I do.  Just a drip on my fingertip that I run over the edge.

Getting to know the dumpling press was easier than experimenting with recipes.  I tried quite a few things.  I tried roasted pumpkin, tofu puffs, chilli non carne, tamarind, silverbeet and grated zucchini.  Not all at once.  But over the months that I was finding a recipe.  Then Nicki said that she had a tried and trusted recipe that she makes regularly.

Quite a few of the recipes I had been trying involved cooking up vegetables first.  This one doesn't.  It involves lots of tofu, dried shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and spring onions plus seasoning.  I was dubious. Yet I have now abandoned all other recipes and make this one regularly.

You can see the filling in the red bowl in the above photo.  It is full of flavour and vegies without having to do too much preparation.  Nicki suggested serving with soy sauce.  I have found that kecap manis (sweetened Indonesian soy sauce) is more flavoursome for an easy dipping sauce.  I tried a Sam Stern ginger sauce late last year and it was a bit thin so I think the kecap manis will probably remain our sauce of choice.

I'd love to tell you that Sylvia loves the dumplings too but she doesn't in the way I wish.  She does in other ways.  She loves helping to make them.  In fact the dumpling press is easy enough for her to use.  And she loves to eat the wrappers and leave the innards.  You don't even want to imagine the mess it makes.  (She would eat the raw wrappers too but I discourage this).  The other child-friendly part of these dumplings is that if you steam them they are forgiving.  I have steamed them for 15 minutes, turned off the heat and left them there while I sing Sylvia to sleep.
 

At first when I served the dumplings I would have a communal dipping bowl.  But then I bought some little Asian teacups with no handles and they were perfect to have as individual dipping bowls.  This is especially useful as sometimes we eat them on the run, serving them as they come from the pot rather than as a sit down meal at the table.

Lastly I found that serving dumplings was like serving an entree and then E was wondering where the main meal was.  They aren't so satisfying by themselves.  Then I discovered that, if I made half of Nicki's recipe, I would get about 30-40 and I could make fried rice with the leftovers.  Usually I just put the filling and rice in the frypan with a little extra seasoning and fry until hot.

I am sending these dumplings to My Legume Love Affair (#44), founded by Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook and hosted by Vanessa of Sweet Artichoke this month.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Gang of Four meme
This time two years ago: Emergency Zucchini and Rice Burgers
This time three years ago: WTSIM … Fruit kebabs
This time four years ago: PPN #52 Gyoza and Salad

Nicki's Vegetarian Chinese Dumplings
Nicki says it makes 60-80, I half the recipe and get this many but as she says it is a different amount every time.

- 1 kg hard tofu (pressed tofu is ideal) crumbled
- about 40g (1 small packet) of sliced dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and chopped
- 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 bunch coriander or basil, chopped (I don't use)
- 1 x 225g can of shredded bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
- a piece of ginger, finely grated, or more if you love it
- 1 egg for binding (1 egg is fine to use even if you half the other quantities, but an alternative vegan binder could be used such as chia seeds?)
- 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, or to taste
- 1 carrot finely grated (optional)
- 60-80 gyoza or wonton wrappers*

Mix everything in a big bowl (except the wrappers!).

Fill your wrappers with a heaped teaspoon of filling, then pinch together in half-moons, or better still use a dumpling clamp. Wet the edges of the wrapper with a fingeritp dipped in water just before pinching or clamping (NB Nicki says you don't need to wet edges if you have a clamp but I find I do).

To freeze the dumplings without having them stick together, place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper (touching one another as little as possible), and freeze on the tray. When frozen, put into bags or containers.

To cook:

Steam: arrange fresh or frozen dumplings on baking paper in a steamer insert and steam for about 15 minutes.  This is my preferred method.

Boil: drop fresh or frozen dumplings into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and enjoy dipped in a sauce.  Nicki does this mostly.

Fry: (NB: if frozen, boil first.)  Pan fry fresh or boiled dumplings in a bit of oil with a dash of sesame oil. Nicki calls this crispy deliciousness!

* In Melbourne you can buy large amounts of dumpling wrappers at Min Phat and other Asian groceries.  Alternately you can make them.  I am yet to try this but I have seen a traditional recipe at Poh's Kitchen (5 Oct 2011) and a gluten free recipe at Where's the Beef?

Ginger drizzle
From Sam Stern's Eat Vegetarian

- 2 tsp graed fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp castor sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine (I used mirin)
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (I only used 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar and 2 tbsp ginger-infused vinegar)

Mix in a small bowl.

On the stereo:
Assembly: John Foxx

Bush birthday banana cake and other self catering at Lorne

One of the reasons we went to Lorne last week was that I had decided I wanted to celebrate my birthday with a swim in the sea.  In my previous post about Lorne I wrote about our holiday but I wanted to have a separate post to reflect on self catering.  Before we had Sylvia we often stayed in B&Bs with no kitchen facilities.  Now we often stay in self catering apartments.  It is much easier with a young child.  As you can see in the above photo, I even self catered my birthday cake with Ricki's Banana Oat Bars.

So these days we pack food in the car.  The sort of things I took away on this trip were english muffins, teabags, milk, oats (for porridge), honey, promite, pancake mixture, maple syrup (did I really need two sweeteners?), vegie sausages, vegie burgers, tomato sauce, a stir through olive and tomato pasta sauce, ranch dressing, smoky potato salad dressing (did I need two salad dressings?) dried pasta, tins of beans, capsicum, corn on the cob, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, potatoes, cheeses, quince paste, dips, crackers, chips, roasted chickpeas, soda water, soda water with lime, butter, olive oil (never used it but what kitchen is complete without it), watermelon, grapes, nectarines, chocolate block, mini magnum icecreams, and banana oat slice.

Yes, I overcater.  We had plenty of food to take home and we haven't done much grocery shopping since the holiday.  Now isn't that better than leaving food on a plate at a restaurant!  I also took along some plastic bowls, cups, plates and cutlery for Sylvia, and a favourite chopping board and medium mixing bowl.  Just in case.  (Can you tell I was a girl guide - be prepared!)

Holidays mean more processed food than usual because it is easy and indulgent.  That is what holidays should be isn't it!  Especially when there is a birthday involved.  Sylvia loves to grab one of the bottles of pancake mix in the supermarket and usually I say no.  I was going to say yes on our pre-holiday shopping trip and then I spied the Pancake Parlour mixture.  I loved the Pancake Parlour as a kid and even once bought a packet of this stuff from the restaurant (though no one else in my family remembers it).

Pancakes from a packet are easy holiday breakfast.  And perfect birthday breakfast.  If you look carefully you will see the 1961 copy of a murder mystery set in Melbourne University that E found me in the Lorne op shop.  I also got a Church CD, a guide to veganism book, a healthy baking cookbook, a book of lyrics by Jarvis Cocker, a gorgeous plate, a bottle of good olive oil and a digital radio.  And my swim in the sea.  It really was a wonderful birthday.

It was also a birthday that seemed full of nostalgia.  Chocolates such as this caramel one are so tempting in the supermarket but I try not to get sucked in to trying every new flavour and brand.  I had never seen this one before or heard of the brand (Gran's).  But thought it was tooth-achingly sweet, I loved a little piece because it tasted like the fudge centre of one of my favourite chocolate bars in childhood - chokito.

Though I wanted to try lots of cafes and restaurants, I know that getting Sylvia to eat a decent dinner and sleep in the evening is a challenge.  We decided we would eat out for lunch and have dinner in the apartment at night.  I btought a long lots of vegetables partly so that I could make sure Sylvia ate them.  She eats too many chips when she eats out and I find it difficult find a healthy meal with enough vegetables to satisfy me in a cafe.

The first night we had a Smoky potato, bean and corn salad with vegies sausages.  I had made up the dressing at home and the rest was quite easy to make up in the kitchen of the apartment (which was quite well stocked).  On another night we had some pasta salad with vegies, beans and a low fat ranch dressing.  I also had a pasta sauce in case we wanted a quick pasta meal but that never eventuated.

For my birthday I had decided I wanted to plan a nice meal that we could make ourselves.  After much puzzling over this, I decided that I would take some nice cheeses.  We stopped at the supermarket in Geelong and bought jarlsberg, brie, smoked cheddar, vintage cheddar, and quince paste.  With some dips, chips and crackers it was an easy lunch to take into the bush for a picnic.

For the birthday cake, I had decided to make hedgehog.  I even took down the ingredients because they are quite simple.  Yet I ended up making a banana oat slice from Diet Dessert and Dogs before I left because we had two over-ripe bananas.  As you can see it didn't want to behave and cracked horribly when I tipped it out of the tin.  It was more cake than flapjack - quite moist and crumbly but wholesomely delicious, especially in warm weather when the choc chips were melty.  We had plenty of it on holiday so it seemed silly to make anything else.

You can see my banana oat slice above on a plate I bought from the op shop for 50c.  On the top photo you can see that I took along candles and matches for the cake but used the lid of the tub because I forgot a plate.  I had thought Sylvia would enjoy blowing out the candles but the wind got there first.  Below is the birthday cakes that my mum made for me when I dropped in to see my family on the way home.  All the kids had a turn blowing out those candles!  We also had a great tex mex feast that my mum had prepared.

Lastly I will leave you one of the funnier moments on our trip.  As we drove through Torquay on Australia Day, two surfer guys with long bleached hair ran over to our car as we stopped at a traffic light.  They gave us a few lamingtons and looked at Sylvia sleeping in the backseat in her blue and white t-shirt and gave us an Aussie flag, saying "this is for the little fella".  It gave us a laugh but we didn't put the flag on our car, as you know what they are saying about racism and people with flags on their car.  The guys' enthusiasm was infectious!  A hilarious moment in a great holiday!

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: CC Soba noodle salad
This time two years ago: My Camera Birthday Cake
This time three years ago: Apricot and Orange Glazed Tofu
This time four years ago: Muhammara by Moonlight

Banana Choc Chip Oat Slice
Adapted from Diet Dessert and Dogs

2 medium, very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup raw sugar (or other unrefined sugars such as coconut sugar)
1 tbsp finely ground linseeds (flax seeds)
1/4 cup milk (I think I used soy)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark choc chips (or dried fruit)
1, 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 cup oat flour (I ground oats in blender)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line or grease a 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the bananas, raw sugar, flax seeds, milk, oil and vanilla.  Set aside and mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until combined.  The mixture seems quite wet but this is ok.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven until it is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Ricki suggested 40-45 minutes but I took 60 minutes and it was still quite moist.

Cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.  Cut into pieces and keep in an airtight container.  Ours was good after 6 days and Ricki says you can freeze them.

On the Stereo:
The Best of the Radio Songs: The Church

Lorne - beach, bush and eating out

Lorne!  Ocean Waves!  Ice cream!  Cockatoos!  Sunburn!  Tree Ferns!  Fish and Chips!  Crowds!  BBQs!  Sun Hats!  Memories!  We spent some happy days in Lorne last week.  Not only is it a beautiful seaside town that backs onto a national park, but it makes me feel rather nostalgic.  I spent a lot of time there as a child.  My dad did a lot of work there and my aunt had a holiday house there.  So this post will be as indulgent as it is enthusiastic.

As you drive into Lorne from Melbourne, you will see these two ladies on the corner of the roundabout by the Tourist Information.  This signifies the Cora Lynn, where we had a holiday apartment.  It was a perfection location, within walking distance of everything in town.

I loved the brightly coloured apartments which looked exactly as a seaside holiday house should.  Inside our apartment was compact but had all we needed (except a tv remote control).  The kitchen was well equipped and the bed was comfortable.

I was partly inspired to holiday by the beach, when I discovered that Sylvia didn't like the waves on the beach.  Time to play in the sand by the water seemed a good way to get to know the sea.  We had a few outings to the beach, mostly in the morning when it was overcast to minimise sunburn.  Both E and I loved the waves but Sylvia preferred making sandcastles.

I had expected to eat out quite a bit but, as it was, we found it easier to eat in mostly.  But on our first day, we enjoyed lunch at Kafe Kaos (52 Mountjoy Parade, 03 5289 2639).  I ordered the Famous Tofu Burger.  I am always wary of such claims, but when I received my burger I was impressed that it was truly so famous that people were pointing at it as they passed by.  It consisted of a slab of Thai marinated tofu with peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce and lots of salad between two slabs of multigrain sourdough toast.  Delicious.  But too big to eat with your hands.  Sylvia loved her chippies and E was impressed with his BLAT, though he commented on how huge the servings were.  

We enjoyed wandering among the shops until Sylvia was distracted by the park.  And no wonder.  This is a great set-up with lots of swings and slides, a wooden ramp to run along and a boat to play in.  There was no shortage of entertainment for kids.  As well as the park this area also includes a pool, a skate park, mini golf and trampolines.  (I don't remember the park being there when I was a kid but I always wanted to go on the trampolines.)

While Sylvia wasn't terribly excited by the waves, she somehow got into her head that the beach meant ice cream.  The very word made her eyes light up.  We had a couple of visits to the Lick and Sip (Shop 4, 32 Mountjoy Parade, 03 5289 1193).  It boasted the best ice creams on the Surf Coast.  Our experience was patchy.  Some great and some could have been better.

I loved the [pictured] combination of bounty and chocolate ice creams.  The bounty was delicious with dessicated coconut through it and the chocolate was creamy and rich.  E loved his cinnamon doughnut ice cream but was less impressed with his vanilla.  I also ordered a white chocolate and raspberry ice cream but it was predominately white chocolate and too sweet.  I would have been better off having a raspberry ice cream like Sylvia.  It was pink, tart and fruity in the best way possible.

What I love about Lorne is that it is so much more than the beach.  When I was young I loved the Swing Bridge.  So one evening, I decided to take a walk along to check it out.  My walk took my through the caravan park and then through these spooky trees before coming out at the swing bridge and back along the edge of the Erskine River.

I remember swimming around the mouth of the river near the swing bridge as a child.  Apparently it was near my aunt's holiday house.  And it was always exciting to walk over the wobbly bridge.  Sylvia also loved it.  Unfortunately there are now lots of signs warning that it is not healthy to swim in the river.  Shame!  The mouth of the river was one of the warmest places to swim.

We took down quite a bit of food, and I have decided to write another post about our self-catering.  But I couldn't resist showing a wee taste.  Having our own food was brilliant when we headed out to the bush.  As a child I knew this area as Angahook Forest Park but according to Wikipedia, in 2004 it was merged with other parks to form the Great Otway National Park.  When we stopped at my parents' house en route to Lorne I checked with my dad which picnic area we had gone to regularly.  He told me it was Blanket Leaf Picnic Ground.

So that was where we headed for a picnic.  It brought back so many memories.  The drive there was through a windy bush road with no place to stop.  Often at least one of us was car sick.  So the fresh air of the bush was always appreciated.  The picnic tables are huge.  Perfect for a family of 7 kids.  The barbecues are as basic as they were in my childhood.  Just a metal fireplace with a sheet of metal to sit over the fire.  My parents were a dab hand at lighting the fire, charring some sausages and hamburgers, and sticking a damper in the ashes.

We even used to practice swinging the billy but my mum only let us swing it with cold water in it.  (For those who are unfamiliar with billy tea, traditionally water would be boiled over the fire in a metal "billy" and then the tea was added and the billy swung around and kept in the billy by some scientific principle that I can't remember.  I think my mum used to boil the water after we have played with swinging it.

We weren't quite so organised as to have a bbq complete with damper and billy tea.  We did have a lovely picnic in the peace and quiet that I expect of the bush.  As children we often went on walks after lunch, even once doing the long bush to beach walk.  (My dad says it was to tire us out so he could have a quiet evening with my mum!)  Sylvia is just a bit young so instead we drove to Erskine Falls.  This is a short walk from the car park but it lost some of the charm because it was so busy.  Even so I enjoyed seeing the waterfall and the tree ferns that I associate with the area.  As you can see, my idea of the bush was lush and green rather than dry and dusty.

After our quiet morning swings, I was astounded at how crowded the beach when the sun finally came out one afternoon towards the end of our stay.  I don't remember it being so crowded in my youth, but I also don't remember ever swimming between the flags that signify lifesavers on duty.  Did they have such flags back then?  Was Lorne much quieter in the years before the Cumberland development when I knew it?  Or did we just seek out the more secluded beaches?

One change from my childhood is that the shopping was quite sophisticated.  There were none of the kitsch beach souvenirs that we loved buying.  Another time I will show you my little man made out of shells.  Now the shops are full of posh clothes and toys.  We did have a lovely time in the op shop, especially Sylvia who found a little doll with a dummy for 50c.  But I thought this kitsch painting on the floor of the fish and chip shop was more akin to the seaside town I once knew.

And what is a seaside town without its fish and chip shop.  Years ago E and I drove through Lorne and had the saltiest fish and chips we have ever had.  This visit was kinder.  On the sunny afternoon, we spied an empty park bench overlooking the sea.  Sylvia and I waiting there while E walked up to the Lorne Fish and Chips (42 Mountjoy Parade, 03 5289 1843) for dinner.  It was just delightful to eat hot salty chips, potato cake and corn jack overlooking the busy beach and the glorious blue water.

On our last morning I had to stop at Louitt Bay Bakery (46B Mountjoy Pde, 03 5289 1207) because I had walked past and admired the bread too often.  We bought a walnut and sultana sourdough loaf and a ciabatta.  Lovely bread.  While we were there we decided to have morning tea.  I had to try the chocolate almond croissant.  It was lovely but there was a bit much custard and I really could have done with something savoury like the cheese and chive sticks.  Sylvia had a pink iced cupcake which was one of the freshest lightest cupcakes I have tasted from a shop.  E had a cinnamon doughnut with his coffee and was very pleased with it.  I also loved the artsy painted tables in the bakery cafe and would have loved to have tried their salad sandwiches or pasties.

Then it was time to drive home.  I was sad to leave.  The sight of the gorgeous beaches down that way are good for the soul and I didn't have enough time in the beach.  A few more days would have been lovely but I was glad we had had our beach holiday.  There were a few other places I would have loved to have tried - The Bottle of Milk had lots of veg burgers, Marks Restaurant sounded very nice, the Upmarket balcony had the most gorgeous view, E thought he spied a cafe in Fowlers second hand bookshop on Williams Street, and I would have loved to have gone to the Arab where my mum wanted to work in the holidays when she was a student.

It was a quiet trip back along the Great Ocean Road to Geelong.  We then saw that on the day that we left, the only service station in Lorne ran out of petrol.  Luckily we had plenty in the tank!

Update 2013: we visited the Bottle of Milk for a burger and I loved it.