Chocolate lime energy slice, the park and the beach

Last weekend saw us making the most of the Autumn sunshine.  We took a picnic to the park on Saturday and headed down to the beach on Sunday.  Perhaps it was atonement for not making the most of the parks and beaches all summer.  On Saturday morning we fortified ourselves for an active weekend by making a chocolate lime energy slice.

This slice was meant to be.  I saw a few tempting recipes during the week.  I still had some of the lime cheesecake filling I had made for Easter eggs.  (We had made two batches of easter eggs but that was enough!)  So I decided to use this instead of nut butter.  It was brilliant in these bars.

I decided to use what I had at hand to make the slice.  Hence some more changes to ingredients.  I was shocked to find that we only had a measly 1/2 cup of walnuts left.  (Hmmm maybe I should have used up some of the oodles of almond meal I have in the fridge.)  The mixture was a bit wet so I added the dregs of a packet of coconut flakes and then more dessicated coconut.  I didn't have any plain chocolate so I used some of a bar of roasted almond chocolate.

Once the slice was firming up in the freezer, we packed out picnic lunch. Some cheese and vegemite sandwiches, fruit and a few small Easter eggs.  (We don't seem to be going through the Easter eggs very quickly this year and still have some left.)  Then we headed off to a new park I had found online.

 

The park is in De Chene Parade on the other side of Coburg Lake from the side where we usually go.  I was intrigued by the 'loungeroom'.  It is a carved loungeroom of sofas, a cluttered coffee table, a toy box, a fireplace and a tv with an aquarium.  Just this list gives you an inkling of how much attention to detail there is.  It was brilliant but it was too hot to sit there when we arrived.

The park was full of interesting play equipment.  It had a hexagonal sing.  Five swings all face one another.  It is quite friendly and there is usually a swing free for a little girl.  The flying fox was the longest I have seen at a kids park.  It gave Sylvia a fright on her first go but she loved it enough to go back again and again.  There was also a maze of old tins, a large seasaw,  more public art and an outdoor Twister dial and mat.  It was well attended without being horrendously busy. 

The slice was just the thing for the picnic.  Sylvia didn't care for her sandwiches and merely picked at them.  She managed to enjoy some slice, plums and an Easter egg or two.  As for me, I loved the slice.  It was dense and chewy on the bottom but soft and chocolatey on the top.  The roasted almonds in the chocolate were nice in the topping but the banana and lime together made it a tad fruity, even for me.  Nothing that I couldn't get used to, of course!

We had gone to the park from De Chene Parade so I was curious to see how to get to the part of Coburg Lake the we know.  We got quite a few smiles at Dolly with her big sister Jemima in their stroller as we carried it down the steps and across the bridge to the larger more traditional playground by Murray Road.

Sylvia took a fancy to this above curved ladder up to the slide.  It brought out the helicopter parent in me when she reached the top.  But she told me that now she is 4 she can climb it.  Mostly I stood around trying to make sure people didn't trip over Dolly and Jemina in their stroller.  Eventually I had to insist that we head back across the bridge and up the steps to our car for we had to get home for dinner.  It was such a lovely balmy evening that it was hard to leave.

View of Coburg Lake from the bridge.

The next day was another sunny day.  We drove down to see my parents in Geelong and from there to Torquay Beach.  It was our perfect day for the beach.  Warm enough to go in the water, mild enough that we didn't worry about sunburn and the waves were mere ripples so Sylvia was quite happy to splash about in the sea.  I was happy that there were no crowds but we loved the sandcastles, seaweed and ice cream!  It left me wishing for more.  Just like the slice!

Torquay beach.  Not quite as deserted as this picture implies but by no means crowded.

I am sending this slice to Ricki for her wonderful weekly Wellness Weekends event.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: WHB Purple carrot soda bread, wildlife and sandcastles
Two years ago:  Memes are due. Thanks are due.
Three years ago: SOS KC: Beets, Greens and Chickpea Curry
Four years ago: A Nutroast Tribute
Five years ago: A Long-winded Nut Roast Post

Chocolate lime energy bars 
Adapted from Inspired Edibles

1 cup dried dates soaked in boiling water for a few min
1/2 cup lime cheesecake mixture or nut butter*
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup dessicated coconut

Topping:
100g chocolate (I used almond chocolate but 70% is better)
1 small very ripe banana
1 tbsp honey (or other sweetener)
1 tbsp lime juice (or less?)*
2 tbsp dessicated coconut, to sprinkle

Soak dates in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Place all ingredients (including drained dates)  into a food processor and blitz until you have a sticky mixture that is almost a ball but not quite.  (You don't want it too wet or it wont firm up enough.)  I had to scrape down the sides of my food processor quite a few times.  Line a 15cm square cake tin with baking paper.  Spread mixture into tin, pressing down with the back of a spoon.

Make topping: Puree banana in food processor.  Melt chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl in the microwave and stirring in banana, honey and lime juice.

Pour topping over slice.  Sprinkle with coconut.  Place in freezer for an hour or two to set.  Cut into squares or bars.  Can keep in the fridge or the freezer.  I found my slice was quite firm when out of fridge but topping kept firm only if in freezer so I kept mine in the freezer.

NOTE: If you don't happen to have cheesecake mixture like I did then nut butter should be fine but you may need to check the consistency of the slice mixture as it may change a little.  If you want the lime flavour I recommend more lime zest in the slice and less lime juice in the topping.

On the Stereo:
Deserters Songs: Mercury Rev

Topsy Turvy Dinner: savoury chocolate muffins and cauliflower rice - and a cat fight

"Can we put sprinkles on them?" asked Sylvia.
"They are not that sort of muffin," I replied.

We had just finished making muffins.  Chocolate muffins.  Savoury chocolate muffins.  It was just that sort of dinner.  I served Sylvia some rice that was actually cauliflower.  It fooled my small girl.  Just so long as she could add soy sauce.  Not too much.  While we ate, the muffins cooked, smelling for all the world like a sweet chocolate dessert but filled with salt and cheese rather than sugar.

It was one of those lovely autumn days just before Easter.  The sun warmed the house in a pleasant way.  The back door was thrown open.  Sylvia played in the paddling pool outside.  I roasted vegetables for the cauliflower rice and found myself organised enough to bake the muffins I had admired on Choclette's blog.

I had all the ingredients.  Almost.  I found I didn't have yoghurt.  So I put a slurp of vinegar in some soy milk.  My goats cheese didn't seem as soft and creamy as Choclette's.  Hers sits in the muffins like cream cheese.  Mine sat atop each muffin like a jaunty cap.  If I had known I might have pushed them down into the batter or even crumbled the cheese over the top.

Sylvia was delighted to be able to help with the muffins.  Imagine how much fun she had stirring two mixtures at once (and my visions of the mixtures all over the floor)!  She really should have been eating her dinner.  However, we were both too excited about the muffins.  I am no stranger to chocolate in savoury recipes.  Yet this was a new idea and promised a totally different taste than I had ever had before.

The muffins confounded the senses.  The chocolate smell is one our noses are conditioned to believe is sweet.  Yet they tasted salty.  The texture was light like a cake.  But it was dinner.  Brown and yet colourful.  Sylvia seemed to like nibbling at the muffins but never finishing one.  I am not sure how much she liked them. 

E takes my unusual offerings in his stride.  At first he thought the goats cheese on top was white chocolate.  Then he surprised me with his notion that I had bought the muffins.  As though there are lots of places you can buy such flavoured muffins.  As though I don't bake most of the muffins we eat in our house. 

With our savoury muffins smelling all the world like dessert, it didn't seem at all odd that the rest of dinner looked like rice but was actually cauliflower.  I have cooked cauliflower rice years ago - with purple cauliflower, which I highly recommend if you get the chance - and tried it in 'raw' mock fried rice.  It is fun.  I was drawn in by Jacqueline's lovely photo on Tinned Tomatoes.

Sylvia loves rice so much that she agreed to try it, despite it including onions, so long as she could have soy sauce with it.  This affected the way I cooked it to be plainly flavoured so I could give her some before adding vegies.  There was no hiding what I was doing.  She watched me process the cauliflower into 'rice' in my blender.  So I was delighted that she gobbled it up.  I also really enjoyed it.  We also added some chopped tomatoes and cooked broccoli on the side.

Unfortunately there is a sad ending to that happy evening.  Our lovely pussy cat, Zinc, was attacked on the night we baked the muffins.  The change of season is hard on a white cat who must stay inside to avoid sunburn but must come in early as the nights draw in.  Zinc stayed outside a wee bit long on that balmy evening and was bitten by another cat.  It was terrible to have her bleeding and in pain.  We took her to the vet the next day for an antibiotic and she has recovered well.  All I had energy for that night was a simple pumpkin soup.  The leftover muffins went really well with it and made it into a decent meal.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Plum almond tart
Two years ago:  Strawberry muffins, new oven and an allergy
Three years ago: Apocalyptic Dreams, Hot Cross Buns and Banana Nute...
Four years ago: Pooh Bear Honey Slice
Five years ago: Pumpkin Apple and Sage Risotto

Savoury beetroot, carrot,  chocolate and goats cheese muffins
Adapted from Chocolate Log Blog
Makes 12

250g grated carrots and beetroot (combined weight)
100g each white flour, wholemeal flour, almond meal
2tbsp cocoa
dash of cayenne pepper
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
250ml soy milk including a capful of cider vinegar
100ml canola oil
100g goats cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 200 C and put paper cupcake liners into a 12 hole muffin tin.

Measure out milk with vinegar and set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients (I did this using a large jug).  Mix the carrots, beetroots, flours, cocoa, cayenne pepper, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Stir eggs, oil and two thirds of the goats cheese into the milk mixture.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin (I filled my cupcake papers to the brim).  Bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Cauliflower rice with vegies
Adapted from Tinned Tomatoes
serves 2-3

5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 medium beetroots, peeled and chopped
few glugs of olive oil, divided
generous pinch of lavender salt
leaves from 2-3 stalks of curly kale, thinly sliced
pinch of salt
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 small cauliflower, blitzed in food processor to resemble rice
400ml water
1 tsp stock powder
50g feta cheese, crumbled
small handful walnuts, roughly chopped

Toss carrots, beetroots, olive oil and salt in a large roasting tin and roast til soft (90 - 120 minutes for me, possibly less for more powerful ovens). Set aside.  Meanwhile toss kale in oil until coated on a heated frypan (medium heat).  Add a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes.  Set aside.  Fry onion in oil in the same frypan for  about 5 to 10 minutes until cooked.  Add garlic and fry another minute.  Add cauliflower and stir a few minutes.  Add water and stock powder.  Gently simmer until cauliflower cooked and water absorbed (about 15 minutes minutes).  [At this point I set aside some for Sylvia].  Stir through roast vegetables, kale, feta and walnuts.

On the Stereo:
Big Jon Faine: spoof song by Dave O'Neill

Eating out catch up 2012-2013

Every now and again I like to post some photos taken while out and about that never made it to the blog.  It is not necessarily because the food was bad.  Some places I had already written a lot about, others I didn't feel I had experienced enough to write about them and others just got looked over in my blog backlog.  These photos were taken over the past year.  My memory is not as clear as I would like with some but having a photo of a menu in this situations is a godsend.

Hellenic Republic
Lygon Street, East Brunswick

A favourite local restaurant for a special occasion.  We had a great family meal there in October last year.  Above is a selection of dishes we shared at the communal table.  Greens and feta, beetroot salad and chips.  We also had bread and dips, saganaki with peppered figs, At the top are the amazing honeyed doughnuts that we had for dessert.

Dhaba Curry Truck
on the move

I have read others talk about food trucks but, despite passing them in the car at times, I never see them when I want them.  So I was interested when the Melbourne Food Festival last year had a Food Truck gathering by the Yarra River.  I went along hoping that I might try the Taco Truck fare but the queues were huge.

Instead we went to the Dhaba Curry Truck which was fairly quiet (unfairly).  E and I decided to share two starters and a curry.  A pumpkin curry with mustard seeds, turmeric and coconut milk.  With rice.  Accompanied by potato, pea, pomegranate and green mango samosa and potato and paneer patties (aloo tikki).  It was not quite as fancy as the ingredients might suggest, and it could have had a bit more protein, but it was very good street food.

Grandstand Gourmet Hot Dogs
Between Federation Square and the Yarra River, Melbourne CBD

While visiting Federation Square last year we stopped for lunch at this hot dog stand.  They were serving vegetarian hot dogs in any of their 10 styles of hot dogs.  Except that there was no sauerkraut for the one I wanted.  Instead of the Bavarian, I went with the Grandstand Hot Dog.  It was accompanied by lettuce, fried onions, tomato relish and mild American mustard.  It was cheap and cheerful but I liked the different combinations.  I had hoped to come back but it seems (from a quick web search) that they have closed.  You can still read more about them on Where's the Beef.

Gekkazan
GPO, Melbourne CBD

I wrote about Kenzan at the GPO some years ago after discovering their roll-your-own sushi.  More recently Sylvia and I discovered their edamame pods.  The name has now changed.  The place however remains as busy as it was when I first wrote about it but it remains a favourite place for a quick city lunch.  I love that I can get Sylvia some protein with her sushi, even if we have to fight the sparrows for it.  I am still planning to try some soups or stirfries there one day because they look great.

Miss Marmalade
Union Street, Brunswick

My sister Fran and I planned to go to Miss Marmalade recently and then postponed our coffee.  Soon after Sylvia and I were in the area so we dropped in for lunch.  (Fran has a nose for a good cafe!)  I was a little disappointed that the menu had changed from what was on the web and there seemed to be less vegetarian options.  I was too distracted doing puzzles with Sylvia to take much notice of the menu.  All I remember pumpkin, green leaves and soft cheese.  Sadly I can't recall the interesting description on the menu, hence no dedicated post right now.  I had wanted more than a sandwich but this was an amazingly good sandwich.  Sylvia had cheese soldiers.  I had a chocolate lamington to take away which was delicious too.  The space is very stylised but in a funky, down to earth way and the staff were among the friendliest I have encountered.

Palomino cafe
High Street Northcote

I mentioned this cafe where we had lunch during the ukelele festival in March.  Though I posted a photos of E's haloumi on corn bread with pea salsa and fried egg and my fruit toast, I thought it useful to include it here and it gives me a chance to share the courtyard photo.  I would like to try the cornbread with pea salsa but the price does not make me want to rush back.  I did enjoy chatting to the woman behind the counter about the eggcups on display including her one from her childhood.  The decor is quirky but it was rather noisy in the main cafe.  There was a room out the back as well as a courtyard, which were quieter.

Sarabella
Victora Mall, Coburg

Last week Sylvia and I went to the mall for lunch.  I bought her a cheese pita and took us to Sarabella.  It is a place I went to years ago and constantly intend to return just for the masala dosa.  We found a seat inside among brightly coloured cushions and, as in my last visit, found it bright and friendly.  The food caters to a number of dietary preferences and is reasonably priced.  The chutney was a bit spicy for me but I loved how my dosa cam with dal and yoghurt as well.  I must return sooner this time so I can try some other dishes.  For more information and beautiful photos, check out reviews at the Quince Poacher and Consider the Sauce.

Sugardough
Lygon Street, East Brunswick

I also included Sugardough in my 2011 eating out catch up post.  One day I will do it justice in a post.  We went there in the middle of winter for lunch last year.  I was amazed and pleased to get a seat in the little cafe.  I had a pumpkin pastie and salad.  It was nice but as I finished it I saw the soup on the specials menu and wished I had chosen that instead.  I want to spend my time in their courtyard.  I want to eat more of their bread and bombolini and savoury muffins and cakes.  In fact, you can never have too much Sugardough in your life.  Can you tell I love the place?

Tiamo 2
Lygon Street, Carlton

I had my farewell dinner with my workplace colleagues at Tiamo 2.   It wasn't my choice.  While to some it is a venerated Carlton institution, I have found it dark and full of meaty dishes on previous visits.  I was far more impressed with it this time.  We shared the antipasto platter (pictured) and though I had to avoid the meat, the vegetables and dips were lovely.  I also enjoyed my zucca (pumpkin) pizza.  Maybe it is time to give it another go.

Two Monks Cafe
Sydney Road, Coburg

I went here with my mum and Sylvia a short while back.  The other time I was at this cafe, it had a different name and I took photos and accidentally deleted them.  So I am posting this photo even though it is an ordinary one taken on my phone.  In fact, I thought the menu had improved, though there was still some good kid's books and toys by the windows.  I had the pumpkin and walnut burger with pesto and feta on a brioche bun.  It was excellent and came with heaps of chips.  My mum had the meaty cousin, the Coburger.  I loved how the foccacias were all named after Coburg Streets.  The fillings looked quite tasty.  I must return to sample more of the menu.

Wide Open Road
Barkly Street, Brunswick

We went to Wide Open Road with my sister Fran and her partner and wee baby just before Christmas.  The food seemed even better than our first visit.  E had the scrambled tofu that I have already written about.  Fran had pancakes with rhubarb.  I had sourdough toast with smashed peas, wild rice and candied walnuts.  A-Maz-Ing!  I am not sure that this dish is still available but it was good enough that I would love to try and recreate it at home.

Lastly: the cafe that will not be named
Recently I went into a cafe that had a sign on the door saying No Bloggers.  If I took this literally they would not have had my custom.  I wonder what they really meant.  No photos?  No writing about us?  No UrbanSpoon.?  No Facebook?  No tweets?  No taking notes of any sort?  Don't even write in your diary!  Well I didn't take any photos nor will I promote them, despite enjoying a savoury muffin.

In My Kitchen - April 2013

The last few months of In My Kitchen posts have been quite fancy with contributions from travel, Christmas and birthdays.  This month sees us return to business as usual with the change of season being the feature of the kitchen.  We have had lots of warm days this Autumn but the weather is noticeably cooler.  This weekend is gloriously warm, all the more welcome because it surely can't last.  Let me take you through my kitchen.

In my kitchen is artwork.  Sylvia draws and paints and draws some more.  As more and more of her pictures are blue takked on the cupboard doors, the kitchen becomes more like a gallery.  Houses are her favourite thing to draw.  You might also say that Dolly is pretty as a picture in her pink nightie and pearls!

In my kitchen is my new pretty doorstop.  Bought at our visit to CERES Harvest Festival.  E didn't understand why a rubber wedge isn't good enough.  I don't bother telling him it doesn't even hold the door open because the gap is too big.  This doorstop makes me happy.  Sadly we are not keeping the doors open as much now that it is finally cooling down and feeling like Autumn.

In my kitchen are icy poles.  I made them for the warmer weather.  These ones were inspired by Pinterest and contain a 400g tin of pineapple, a 400g tin of coconut milk, 2 bananas, a nectarine and a kiwifruit.  I liked them but not terribly so.  We still have a few in the freezer.  It is forecast to be warm this week so perhaps they will not be there much longer.

In my kitchen are the final tomatoes of summer.  They have been magnificent (though hard to photograph).  Now they are going up in price and soon will be replaced by those hard anaemic tomatoes that can only dream of being as juicy and flavoursome as these beauties.

In my kitchen is a bowl of fruit.  It demonstrates the change of season.  Stone fruit and berries are giving way to plums and apples.  Limes have been deliciously cheap.  We have been drinking limeade.  I am particularly excited about fresh crunchy apples.

In my kitchen are breakfasts of fruit and yoghurt.  This bowl had peach, plum and kiwi fruit with some Gippsland yoghurt.  We love the new snack size yoghurt twists.  This one was flavoured with blackberry and pomegranate.

In my kitchen is a grubby pizza stone.  The cooler autumnal days mean more baking, more bread and more pizza.  Hurrah!  I love my pizza stone so much that I recently bought a new one.  It showed up just how loved my old one is.  These days I often bake two pizzas at once so two stones make it so much easier to have a crisp bottom.

In my kitchen is Oxfam organic drinking chocolate.  'Tis the weather for warming drinks.  I am not a big fan of hot chocolate and even less so at home.  This one has been going down very nice.  (Great choice of gift, Penny!)

In my kitchen is soy milk in a cup with a straw.  We buy Vitasoy CalciPlus.  Sylvia loves to drink it in a cup.  It has lots of calcium and B12.  E and I don't drink it straight.  He adds a splash of it to hot chocolate.  We love it in porridge and smoothies.  My sister Susie gave me this cup with a straw a year or two ago.  Sylvia has recently discovered it and loves to drink her milk out of it at the moment.

In my kitchen is sushi seasoning.  I bought it because there was no rice wine vinegar when I needed it.  I have got used to using this seasoning without having to adjust the sugar and salt.  It is so easy.  Most helpful while we are making sushi for lunch regularly.

In my kitchen are lunches at home.  So often they are leftovers or on the run.  Despite good intentions of making better lunches.  This is a rather good combo of a quinoa and brown rice salad with a pumpkin and beetroot salad brought home from Sumo Salads.

In my kitchen is my Cath Kidston glasses case.  I picked up my first pair of prescription glasses yesterday.  They still feel a bit odd but it's nice to be able to read without the words blurring into each other.  Best of all, my new glasses fit this case that I bought at John Lewis in Scotland last year.  I love Cath Kidston's designs and this makes me happy about having glasses.

I am sending this post to Celia for her In My Kitchen series.

Sushi with sticky walnuts and edamame

This is a recipe for jaded sushi lovers.  You know who you are.  At lunchtime you wander the foodhalls looking at the same old vegetatrian sushi options.  Vegetables or avocado.  You want inspiration!  You want flavour!  So here it is in the form of an amazing sticky walnuts and edamame stuffing. 

This walnut and edamame filling is so good that I am still having sweet dreams about it days after I ate it.  In fact you don't even need the sushi wrapping.  It is good enough to just eat straight from the bowl.  It is probably no small coincidence that it contains two of my favourite seasonings, maple syrup and tamari.  The only warning I will give is that it is very filling.

I first made this sushi a few weeks back for lunch on a lazy weekend.  We planned to make sushi again for lunch yesterday on the way back from the pool but the pull of the library was too strong.  Instead it was cheese pita and dosa masala in the mall before a leisurely visit to the library.  No matter.  The pull of sushi was strong also.  We made it for dinner.

As I mentioned recently, we have been making sushi at home rather a lot.  Our local shopping strip offers far more falafels and pita bread than sushi.  I love sushi but it often seems lacking in protein.  Hence my trawling the interwebs for ideas.  I love how this packs the sushi with protein.  It does however also add more oil, sweetner and salt than usual.  More flavour too. 

Sylvia was not so sure about the edamame and walnut concoction.  So the first time I made it she just had edamame in her sushi.  I still seasoned the sushi rice because Sylvia was eating some of it but I am sure there would be enough flavour without it.  The walnuts taste like sweeties, with a dash of salt and some extra crunch from the sesame seeds.  Oh yes!  The second time Sylvia discovered just how good the candied walnuts were but still did not understand that the edamame cut through the intensity.  Maybe the next time she will get it.  Because there will be a next time.  I can't wait.

I am sending these sushi to Amy's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Spinach crackers and hummus for a potluck
Two years ago:  WHB: Plum and Cinnamon Oat Slice
Three years ago: Eating by colours – orange burgers
Four years ago: Marvellous Mars Bar Slice
Five years ago: Exploring Quinoa Country

Sushi with sticky walnuts and edamame
Adapted from Food and Wine
serves 1 very hungry adult or 2 less hungry adults

1/2 cup sushi rice*
1 cup water*
sushi seasoning, to taste*
1 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds (or white are fine)
1-2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup edamame beans
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp tamari
2 sheets of nori

Cook sushi rice by placing in a small saucepan with one and a half times the amount of water.  Place a lid on, bring to the boil and then simmer (covered) for 20 minutes over a very low flame.  When cooked, stir in some sushi seasoning if using.

(*NOTE: I usually cook 1 cup of sushi rice in 1 1/2 cups of water because we always use leftovers.  [update 2014: I have changed the quantities for 1/2 cup because I find I need 1 cup water not 3/4 water.]  I was using about 3-4 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and 3/4 tsp of salt as I did here.  Then I couldn't find rice wine vinegar and had to buy sushi seasoning.  Now I just pour in 2-4 tbsp, taste and add more if needed.  Hence these quantities are a bit vague.)

Once the sushi is cooked, cool to either lukewarm or room temperature.  I often spread mine on a plate and put it in the freezer.  (NOTE: the original Food and Wine recipe I used suggested it was fine to use hot rice but I like to cool it down a bit.)

While the rice cools, dry fry the sesame seeds until fragrant.  Set aside.  Heat the oil in the frypan and fry the walnuts for a few minutes until they crisp up - you can tell because they will smell wonderful.  Add the edamame, maple syrup and tamari and stir constantly until it thickens slightly.  This should only take a minute or two.  Stir in the sesame seeds and remove from the heat.  Cool slightly before using.  The mixture will harden slightly as it cools.

Take one nori sheet and lay down on a bamboo mat with the shiny side down.  Spread the rice over all of the sheet except a small line at the far edge.  I use the back of the spoon to flat against the nori as much as possible.  Scatter about half the filling in a line across the middle.  Use the bamboo mat to fold the nori and rice across the filling so that the filling ends up in the middle of the rice and roll up.  (NOTE: The original Food and Wine recipe suggests crushing a rice grain on the edge to help seal the sushi.)  Cut into smaller pieces and enjoy!

On the stereo:
Let no man steal your thyme: the Shelagh McDonald collection

Google Reader is closing... and I am not sure I am upset

"Human souls: trapped like flies in the world wide web" from Dr Who, The Bells of St John (2013) 

At first I was horrified when I read that Google Reader is to close on 1 July 2013.  It was a knee jerk reaction. But am I upset?  I don't think so!  The more I have thought about it the more it seems an opportunity to rethink how I connect with other bloggers rather than a loss of a service.  In fact it is a relief.  Google Reader has become an albatross around my neck and it is high time I did something about it.

Blogging and connections

When I have considered the question "Why do I blog?" the connection with like-minded individuals has always been at the heart of my answers.  You support, inspire and teach me.  When I discovered blog reader technology, it seemed like a passport to that community.  At first every blogger I enjoyed went onto my blog reader.  It worked for a while. 

Google Reader and connections

I still remember my first comment from Cindy on my second blog post.  It was so exciting to be connecting with other bloggers.  Sharing, discussing, discovering, asking answering.  Then I met more and more people online.  I met friends of friends, discovered blogs through events, stumbled upon others.  Before long there was an overwhelming number of people I wanted to keep in contact with.

How to keep up with bloggers I know and admire has long been a challenge.  At first I just visited blogs from my blog roll at random in the hope they might have updated.  Then Lucy told me that Bloglines would alert me when each blog had a new post (using RSS feeds).  It seemed like magic.  Then Bloglines planned to close and I moved to Google Reader.  Oh the irony!  A few years down the track, Bloglines is still going and Google Reader is now planning to close.

Constant change

Early last year Ricki flagged that Google Reader would close.  Forward notice has helped ease the shock.  So has an online landscape that is constantly changing.  I've seen so many changes that it doesn't bother me as much any more.  (And I don't like change!)  Pinterest, Delicious, Eat Your Books.  So many online systems regularly undergo regeneration in the name of updates.  It is the nature of the web. It is best not to get too attached!

Even Blogger changes.  Yet I remain loyal to blogging.  It is open and allows so many options.  Yet it seems that we need to continually be reassessing our options for connecting with other like-minded individuals.  Since beginning my blog in 2007, I have seen many new platforms for connection develop.  Nothing that is better than blogging but much that supports it.  Facebook makes sharing easy but is too exclusive.  Pinterest is a great way to see what others are loving but doesn't connect in a meaningful way.  Twitter is fast and witty but doesn't have enough words for any depth.  Also constant is the capacity of each new system to drain us with excessive demands on our time.

Why I am not sure I will miss Google Reader

Nowadays my Google Reader is a mess!  It needs a serious spring clean.  I had been considering deleting it altogether and starting afresh.

Long term use of a blog reader renders it difficult to keep up to date.  Blogs come and go.  Some bloggers go on sabbatical and might come back.  Or they might not.  There are many blogs on my Google Reader that might be classed as dormant. I think I have kept them there in hope.

It is not just that my Google Reader isn't up to date.  It just has too many blogs.  I think the Vegan Mojo blogroll in 2011 was the last straw.  Far far too many blogs were imported into my blog reader and I couldn't work out a good way to delete them.  Argh!

So I have hundreds of blogs and yet I only read a handful of them.  Despite my good intentions.  The imminent demise of Google Reader has brought home to me the impossibility of keeping up with all the blogs that interest me.  If you are reading this and I don't keep up with your blog, it is not personal.  I wish I could keep up with more blogs.  I want to read more.  I want to comment more.  If only there were more hours in the day. 

It's all about FoMO

We all know about how social media overwhelms us.  It keep us up too late, stops us going outside the house and leaves no time for anything else in our life.  A slight exaggeration but you get the picture.  After giving this post some consideration I returned to the idea of FoMO that I first read about some time ago.

FoMO is an acronym that stands for Fear of Missing Out.  It is pertinent to this issue because social media is an archive as well as a tool for connection.  When I have a coffee with friends I don't expect to know absolutely everything that has been happening to them.  That would be silly, right!  Yet because the posts are there on blogs I feel compelled to read all of them.  Even though I started food blogging to find great recipes and now I have so many recipes that I could keep making them till I die and never get through them!

So here is my revelation.  It doesn't matter if I don't see every post.  Sounds obvious.  Yet it is in my nature to be thorough.  I have a tendency to keep blog posts unread and keep them for another time.  I guess I just need to let go.

Alternatives to consider after Google Reader closes

What is clear to me is that if I continue to blog, it is important to connect with a blogging community in some way.  I have been thinking about alternatives to Google Reader.  Ways to keep up with favourite bloggers, to discover new blogs and make new connections.  So here are my top five.

1. My sidebar blogroll
My favourite alternative right now is using Blogger's blogroll list on my sidebar of my blog.  This list includes the most recent posts from the blogs listed.  This means that I keep up with current posts and can easily see who has been inactive for some time.  Unlike Google Reader it doesn't tell me how many posts I have missed.  I find this both liberating and a wee bit frustrating.  It is my way of letting go and probably will be my main option in the near future.

[NOTE: I need to do a bit of work on this and sort out my blogroll page which like any blogroll, is guaranteed to be out of date.  However using my sidebar means I am more likely to keep it up to date and pay due tribute to blogs I love to visit!]

2. Email subscriptions
Ricki has also posted the solution of subscribing to email alerts for favourite blogs.  Many blogs seem to have one.  I actually have an email subscription window down low on my sidebar.  I only put it there because a friend asked if she could subscribe, but who knows, it might be useful to you too. 
Google Plus also seems to let people send email alerts on new posts to readers.  The problem with this approach is that I tend to be far more selective than I would be with Google Reader or my sidebar blogroll.

3. Other blog readers
It is so tempting to migrate my current subscriptions to another blog reader or even start afresh adding RSS feeds to a new blog reader.  I could return to Bloglines, try Feedly (which seems to be touted as a good free alternative to Google Reader) or try one that costs such as Feedblitz.  Yet I have neither the energy nor the inclination to start another feed reader after my experience with Google Reader.

4. Social media
Bloggers have options for alerting followers to their latest post on social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  The problem is that not every blogger uses every social media platform.  I am wary of continually signing up to every new platform.  In fact I really dislike leaving my digital fingerprints in too many pies and I just can't keep up with them all.  Like email subscriptions, I may use these but in a far more selective way.

5. Other places where bloggers gather
Whereas the other four alternatives are about me strategically choosing who to follow, this option is about the wildcard.  Sometimes I just want to be open to new bloggers.  I am part of an aggregator blog, Planet Vegmel, which is a great way of reading all the veg*n blogs in Melbourne.  I also love blog events and try to visit the round up to see who participated.  I have toyed with joining Food Bloggers Australia and I sometimes even go to galleries such as Tastespotting and Foodgawker, though Finding Vegan is more of my sort of thing. Not only do I discover new bloggers this way but it sometimes connects me with blogs I haven't read for a while.

What are your strategies for dealing with the demise of Google Reader and keeping up with blogs?