Dark Chocolate

I have been excited about writing this week’s blog entry all week because – yep, you guessed it……I love dark chocolate!

As I sat down this afternoon to write - I received an email from my husband at work entitled ‘YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATHS’.

Well normally he and I come from pretty well the same school of thought on this one – we highly dislike (I won’t say hate) junk emails – so if we are going to send them on – we either had to laugh out loud ourselves or we had to think it was pretty clever and worthy of sending on. Anyway – I did this one as it was serendipitous to my topic and I must admit it is pretty cool……I never know how these things work though – must be a maths geek thing.

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute.

Work this out as you read.

Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10).

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold).

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator!

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759........... If you haven't, add 1758.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number.

The first digit of this was your original number (i.e. how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are……..YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!)

Apparently - THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2009) IT WILL EVER WORK.

Tell me if it doesn’t work for you!

Cyclamen

Last Sunday we had a beautiful Baby Blessing for our son Milo. We held it up in a place called the Dandenong Ranges which is about 1 hour from our house in the city.

We held it there partly because my in-laws (George & Joy) have a beautiful home and garden there where we could host the gathering but also because it is a totally magical place. I think if fairies were going to live anywhere – they would definitely live here.

George & Joy love gardening and hence have half an acre of the most beautiful meandering garden. Dotted all around where we set our stone circle for the blessing were miniature alpine cyclamens – just popping up through the autumn leaves. Absolutely stunning.

When Kitty was born – we were given a beautiful cyclamen plant and every year since, Sam has harvested the little seed pods and nurtured them into a new plant. We now have quite a number of pots of different coloured cyclamen that around this time are just starting to bloom.

Kitty and I believe that as the cyclamen flowers open a tiny cyclamen fairy is born. It is definitely one of my favourite times of year.

Cubby Houses

Cubby houses as a kid were something that I naturally built and created. Little homes or nests where I felt cocooned and safe. I had a good one under the balcony of my house – it was kind of dark, musty and a bit spider-webby but when I packed my little yellow school case with my belongings and left home (at the tender age of 6) this is where I went. I probably only stayed there for about an hour though before I got hungry and snuck back inside to raid the pantry.

Some of the other cubbies I remember were of course – ones built with sheets and blankets over tables or the backs of chairs. With lots of pillows and cushions inside to make it all snugly or the naturally occurring one I discovered in the tea-tree bushes along the coastline of Mt Martha Beach. I could ride my bike down and hang out in my little nature pad – I loved it.

There was one day though I remember going to visit the home of some family friends. The daughter was quite a few years older than me and out in the back garden of her house – she had a real cubby. From the moment I saw it – I was enchanted. It was like a real little house. With a front door, glass windows that opened, curtains, mini furniture, a sink, tea sets and toy food and wait for it…I think it even had power – and a functioning light switch! I absolutely LOVED that cubby and I just thought she was the luckiest girl I had ever met. It was definitely a case of cubby envy.

When I was looking for a good cubby photo – I came across this one, which I thought was pretty special. As an adult I have no hesitation in saying that I am attracted to living in a tree house and would seriously consider doing so – well…perhaps in an alternate reality (one where I didn’t have quite so many belongings!). It is kind of amazing don’t you think….the ultimate of cubbies but with the added bonus of being a tree house. I’d love to have an afternoon or two there, playing house with my daughter Kitty and drinking unlimited cups of smartie tea (milk with smarties stirred in) and eating the chocolate brownies my Mum used to make.

Crochet

The art of crochet or should I say ‘craft’ of crochet has always fascinated me. When it is done well – it is truly amazing I think.

As a girl my mother always knitted….she could knit the most complicated stitches whilst watching tv – it was incredible, and also for a period of time (in the 70’s) was very skilled at Macramé. The whole family wore her fancy knits and the house was adorned in amazing beaded macramé wall hangings and decorative owls.

So…having told you this…you’d think that I too would possess these skills….but ohh… no…not me…..

I cannot crochet, I cannot knit and I cannot macramé. And it is not for want of desire to or trying. You see it’s all in the tension. My tension is tight. I have been taught how to crochet and knit at least ½ dozen times over my life and it always ends in tears.

I start out on a positive note, but just when my project seems to be going along nicely –somewhere from deep within, I doubt myself and my tension tightens and then well, its all downhill from there…..

Therefore, I can really, really appreciate the ‘fine art’ of crochet when I see it and the example above (for my apple collection) is a fantastic piece, spotted by my husband at the Maribyrnong Makers Market on the week-end. Crocheted by the very talented Rosalinda Casamento – who gets a gold star from me for executing her skill so well.

Creeks

Well, I have spent a good part of the last week trying to find a suitable photo for this week’s - Creek entry. Actually I like the sound of that…Creek Week, but it’s Creek Week and I have no photo!

It’s because I have in my mind so many special memories of playing in the creek near our house as a kid – that I wanted an actual photo of the creek – or of the creek I can see in my memory. In real life I think the creek is actually called Balcombe Creek.

I grew up in what used to be a little seaside village on the Mornington Peninsula – called Mt Martha. Now I think it’s some fancy pants suburb but back when I was a kid it was paddocks and cows (& the odd scary bull), magpies that swooped you on the way to school, field mushrooms as big as dinner plates, heaps of pine cones that we would collect and burn in the open fire, dirt roads, going to play with my little kindy friend Ella under the big Pine tree in the paddock that separated our houses, lighting fires in the driveway (ok…I only did that once and I was testing out my ‘newly learnt’ girl guide building a camp fire skills), feeding the horses after school, fanging round on my bike with my pink or was it yellow? Stackhat (remember those? What a great name – ‘Stackhat’) anyway I digress. This entry is supposed to be about creeks and how they make my heart sing …..so…the photos above I’m sorry will have to paint the picture for you on my love of creeks.

The walking track photo was taken at the summit of Mt Martha and reminds me of the bush I used to spend hours exploring (now I think back – I would disappear for almost a whole day and my mother would never know where I was – but now I am a mother – my daughter Kitty isn’t even allowed to play in the front yard by herself….mmmm, how times have changed or is it just where we live?).

Anyway the other photo is of me – aged about 8 or 9 I think. The one thing that really struck me about it – was that I have no shoes on and really dirty feet – sums up nicely the fun I had as a kid I think. Poor Kitty is not even allowed to walk outside without shoes on…..makes me want to bundle her up, take her to the bush (somewhere with a big beautiful creek), take her shoes off and splash!

Craft Markets

I have always loved craft markets. As a girl my parents took me to the Red Hill market and over the years I have been to countless markets as a visitor and in the last few years as a stallholder.

About four years ago I had an idea to start a local craft market in the small suburb of Seddon where I live. I had met many talented local artists and craftspeople who were all looking for an outlet to sell and showcase their work and I too wanted that opportunity for myself – close to home.

By networking within the community and meeting like-minded individuals – eventually after about two years of talking about it to anyone who would listen - the Maribyrnong Makers Market (MMM) was born.

Now up and running and in its second year – the MMM has become a fantastic quarterly ‘must come to’ event. Run by a Committee of dedicated volunteers – the MMM is a not for profit community based craft market which showcases the beautiful and high quality work of our local crafts people and artists.

Each market as I finish setting up my stall – I whip around to marvel at all the beautiful things our stallholders have been crafting…..what a clever bunch of people!

The next market is on

Saturday 2 May - 10am to 3pm
Seddon Uniting Church Hall
Cnr Gamon & Mackay Sts
Seddon - Mel Ref 42 A7

I’d love to see you there!

More information on the market can be obtained from our website www.maribyrnongmakersmarket.com.au

Colour

When I was 11 my mother did a make-over on my room. We were allowed to pick any paint colour we liked and then she bought us some coordinated bed linen. My sister picked mauve and I chose yellow. A really sunny, vibrant, warm yellow.

I loved it when I got home from school and the afternoon sun would stream in my windows and my walls would glow. I was happy in that yellow room. I think one of the reasons I chose yellow was because at my dear friend Ella’s house down the road – her Mother had decorated their sun-room in yellow. There were big opulent sofas with feather cushions covered in bright marrimekko fabric and the most gorgeous Mirka Mora paintings on the wall…I’ll never forget that room. We weren’t really allowed to play in there but we did – and I loved it.

I think that this time in my life was the true beginning of my love affair with colour. I dressed myself in all sorts of wonderful colours (modelled on Punky Brewster & Cyndi Lauper) and decided that I wanted to be a fashion designer when I grew up.

The photo above shows my colour cube – which was a puzzle I found at the National Geographic shop. It was pretty tricky to put together and now lives in my studio. It’s quite sculptural I think and reminds me of the way I put my scarves together - in that they are squares of colour in tints and shades of one hue. Colour definitely makes my heart sing!

Coffee first thing in the morning

As soon as is humanly possible I have a cup of coffee when I get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes if I am lucky enough I have one in bed without having to leave the bed to make it….what a treat!

Since I have had children this is a very rare occasion. Usually – everyone in the house gets fed (including the cats) and then I get to sit down and have one. My husband (god love him) usually makes me a stove top espresso (I only drink real coffee…so no instant in this house!).

When he made me the one above this morning…..I whipped it away for a quick photo before I had a taste. When I eventually got to it – it was deliciously creamy and perfectly made. What a great start to my morning. Thanks love.

On the week-ends we often go out to a local café for breakfast (we are spoilt for choice here in Seddon) and I have noticed that they have all perfected the art of getting your coffee to you straight away before you have ordered your meal……got to love the fact that they know without coffee in your system your brain has trouble functioning enough to read the menu. It’s like a reward for just making it to the café in one piece! Skinny latte with one sugar thanks….ahhhh…..heaven!

Champagne

Give me any excuse to crack a bottle of sparkling and I’ll be there with bells on. The anticipation and sound of the cork popping and the celebratory nature of this special nectar - make it a true favourite of mine.

When I think back over all the special moments in my life – champagne has been there to help me celebrate - graduating from study, getting engaged and then married, the birth of my children, celebrating a house warming……all these special moments that make up my story.

There’s also the memory of partying till the wee hours with girlfriends – glass of champers in hand, popping a bottle on a Friday night at home on the couch to celebrate the end of the working week, raising a glass to toast a dear friend or loved one at birthdays and weddings, celebrating those special family get togethers like Christmas and just opening a bottle for no reason other then pure enjoyment.

One of my all time favourite gifts from a dear friend was a 6 pack of Moet & Chandon Piccolos. What an absolute treat! There was just enough in each bottle to have two glasses, so perfect for sharing with someone special. They were savoured and shared and loved. Let’s raise our glass and toast – to happy memories and good times! Cheers!

Cats

Ever since I was a little girl I have had pet cats. Before I had human babies – they were my furry babies. There have been a few over the years…at one stage somewhere in my twenties I had 5. I can tell you now – that it was full on. I would get home from work and there they all were at the front door to greet me – they must have some kind of built in alarm clock because they were always there when the key turned in the lock. Singing for their supper and meowing their greetings.

It all got too much in the end and one got adopted out, one left home and sadly one died of cancer. Now I just have my two old boys above.

FB (Fatboy) is the black one and is 12 this year and Zippy is the stripy one and is 14. They have had a good life and have now settled in to retirement pretty well. When my daughter Kitty (gee I must like cats!) was born there were jokes about me adding another to my litter….(after all my star sign is Leo and I was born in the year of the Tiger)…the boys didn’t take to kindly to being kicked out of the family bed and weren’t to impressed that she took all my attention away from them.

When Milo was born – FB took him in like a kitten and on a couple of occasions decided that the furry down on his head needed a good lick and clean…all the while purring away happily. Zippy on the other hand would rather Kitty and Milo buggered off so he could be numero uno once more. I can’t imagine my life without cats by my side. They really have been such dear friends.

Cardigans

My favourite item of clothing other then A-Line skirts would have to be the cardigan. My uniform therefore is an A-Line skirt, a t-shirt with a cardigan over the top and a pair of Birkenstocks. You’ll be able to spot me a mile away now. The gorgeous red cardigan pictured above was a recent gift from my lovely husband. He is such a gem and knows exactly what I like!

The history of the cardigan began in the mid 1800's during the Crimean War. James Thomas Brudenell was the 7th Earl of Cardigan - and he is who this versatile garment was named after. In this day and age though I am slightly suspicious of a man wearing a cardigan…..I wonder when women started to wear them?

Anyway thank goodness for the 7th Earl of Cardigan – if it wasn’t for him….what would I wear! At last count I had about 15. They are on a pretty good rotation; however there is always one (like the one above) that gets a good airing more often then the others.

Calico

I love the sound of the word calico - kal-i-koh. I also love the creamy oatmeal naturalness of it. The clean flat landscape of fabric and slightly mottled colour that is just waiting to be made into something else.

It’s the worker bee of fabric. I often use calico to make samples of things I’m designing…to see how they work out before I start hacking into the ‘good’ fabrics. In my fabric stash I have bits and bobs of ‘good’ fabrics that I LOVE so much I can’t bring myself to cut into them. Especially if I know that it is a vintage remanent that I have found somewhere in my travels.

That’s the good thing about calico you see. You can be generous with it – you can cut and sew to your hearts content and if you bugger it up – you know what. IT DOESN’T MATTER!

When I was designing my Bushka face – I knew from the start that I was going to have it screen printed onto calico - and now, those dear little calico faces feature on the ‘good’ fabrics – that go into making my one off Mumma & Baby Bushka dolls and rattles. A match made in heaven.

Cake stands

My lovely husband Sam found this cake stand in my favourite Op Shop - Merrijig, The Joseph’s Corner Shop at 128 Somerville Road in Yarraville. As soon as he saw it he knew I would love it and that it would go perfectly with my modest collection of cake stands. Note the word ‘modest’.

The multi-level aspect of this kind of cake stand is what appeals to me. What a fabulous way to display little morsels of the yummiest things that you can’t help but try…..ohh yes thank you , I’ll try that cucumber sandwich, and perhaps I’ll try one of those asparagus rolls…..oh and yes – is that a mini chocolate cupcake?

Speaking of chocolate cake…..I have the yummiest recipe for one that I have been making for almost twenty years (now that’s saying something). Here it is:

Morgan’s Deluxe Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
¾ cup hot coffee (real coffee preferred but instant can be used)
½ cup cocoa
11/4 cups white sugar
125g butter
3 x eggs separated
1tsp salt
1tsp vanilla essence
1tsp Bi-carbonate soda
½ cup sour cream
2 cups plain flour
½ cup sugar (extra)

Icing (Ganache):
1/3 cup King Island Cream
250g Dark Cooking Chocolate

Method:
Mix hot coffee & cocoa. Beat sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt & vanilla. Alternatively mix flour and coffee/cocoa mix in to the butter mixture. Mix bicarb and sour cream together. Mix egg whites to stiff peaks adding extra sugar gradually. Softly fold sour cream mixture and egg whites into cake mix. Bake in moderate oven 180 degrees for 1 – 1 1/4 hours.

Once cake has cooled. Make Ganache. Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Remove bowl from heat. Set aside at room temperature to cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thick and spreadable. Yum Yum!

Buttons

When I was a girl, my Mother had a big glass jar filled with all sorts of buttons. I used to spend hours sorting them into different colours and styles and running my hands through them. I loved them.

I remember there were a couple of silver buttons with boats or something on them – to me they were the most special. Like something from a Captains treasure chest, which a pirate might steal on the open sea. My Mother doesn’t know this but one of those buttons was among the very special things I put into a time capsule and buried in the backyard of our family home. I wonder if anyone ever found it?

Anyway, I found these buttons about 8 years ago in a box of junk at the Dandenong Trash & Treasure Market. I remember the feeling when I saw them – and couldn’t believe all the buttons were still on the backing cards and they were in perfect condition. From memory they cost me the grand sum of $1 each. What a find!

Bob Dylan

I must have been about 16 when I discovered Bob Dylan. His lyrics are what did it for me. I then went to see him in concert when I was in my twenties – and was so disappointed. He just stood there singing to his feet and mumbling. It’s funny that I am a child of the 70’s and yet the music of the 60’s is what really resonates with me……I suppose it isn’t that funny when I think about the records I grew up playing as a kid.

For Christmas this year I splashed out and bought myself a new record player. I have quite a record collection and had been lamenting for a few years that I couldn’t play them. Kitty & I have been putting records on during the day and dancing around the dining room. Milo thinks its great fun too. I have such fond memories of playing Mum & Dad’s records when I was a kid and making up dances. I think at one stage I even charged my parents to come and see my performance. Ever the entrepreneur!

Blankets

It was around 1990 when I first discovered woollen blankets in op shops. I found the one above and decided that I loved it so much I wanted to wear it. I drafted up a pattern on brown craft paper and my first “Blanket Jumper” was born. I was 16 and had a surfer dude boyfriend with long blonde dreadlocks. We had matching blanket jumpers – well actually I wore the one above and I made him one out of a grey army blanket. Very cool dude…or should I say warm dude……anyway my love of blankets has just progressed from there really.

At one stage I thought I was going to make a business out of selling blanket jumpers to friends and family. I was 16 remember and it was the 90’s.

Funnily enough I now have a business recycling woollen jumpers…which is not too dissimilar to woollen blankets!

Birkenstocks

On the week-end when I was setting up this photo I realized that between Sam, Kitty and myself we have 13 pairs of Birkenstocks (baby Milo is yet to get his first pair!). Sam has 4 pairs, Kitty has 2 and that must mean I have 7 pairs! One for everyday of the week!

I think we might have to look at changing our surname to Birkenstock. Morgan, Sam, Kitty & Milo Birkenstock. It does have a certain ring to it! I wonder if Birkenstock would bestow us with as many pairs of shoes as we liked if we did that. I can only dream.

If you haven’t already figured it out – it is not only me that LOVES Birkies in this house it is US! To me they are the most comfortable shoes you can buy. I remember when I saw my first pair though. It was the early nineties and my friend Julien (now my brother-in-law) came back from a trip to Europe sporting some. I was horrified. “What on earth are you wearing on your feet?” I said. I am funny like that – I often poo poo things and then somewhere along the line they become a number one love. A bit like Blogs!

Basil

I was reading the Age Good Weekend the other day and came across three facts about Basil I did not know.

1. The word basil comes from the Greek word basileus, meaning royal or king.

2. Basil is probably native to India, then likely spread to Iran and other tropical areas of Asia, where it has been cultivated for more then 5,000 years. European countries did not start using basil until the 16th century.

3. Basil alleviates constipation, diarrhoea, coughs and withdrawal from marijuana addiction, and is a cure for worms and warts. Applied to the skin topically as an oil, it can draw out insect, bee or snake venom.

Well – there you have it hey….I don’t know about its powers of alleviation and curative properties…but I do know that I really like to eat it.

We grow it in our garden every year and we eat it in salads, as a garnish on lots of things and of course we make pesto, a family favourite! Yum, Yum!

Band-aids with pictures

When I was 12 we had a Japanese exchange student – Akiko stay with us for a few months. She was sent lots of very cool parcels from home – filled with all sorts of exotic Japanese things….I am sure this is where my love of cutesy Japanese stuff all started. I remember being fascinated by it all. The dolls, the lollies, the origami paper and especially the band-aids with pictures on them.

We had only ever had straight up, no nonsense band-aids of the camel colour variety – no fun at all, especially because the only reason you ever needed to put a band-aid on was because you had hurt yourself.

The worst of course was when your mother ripped it off and took a layer of skin and hair with it….truly awful. Band-aids with pictures on it though….now that’s another story. Any excuse for a band-aid would have me reaching for one of these beauties.

Now that I am grown up I have a collection of course – some I bought in Japan, some locally in Footscray and some have been gifts. My daughter Kitty loves looking at them and trying to think of an excuse for me to put one on her or her baby doll Mia. It’s hard though because I think they are too cute to use – and try to offer her the plain old normal band aids instead! Pretty funny!!

Babushka Dolls

My husband Sam gave me this Babushka doll for Christmas to add to my collection. She is small and very sweet. Once you crack her outer layer though it seems that her inner faces are a little worried……. as if they are looking out at something much bigger then themselves. Perhaps it is the immensity of the world we live in.

Metaphorically you could say that Babushka dolls reflect the inner aspects of our nature. Outside I am strong and capable, inside I am soft and reflective. As we open or peel off the outer layers like that of an onion we find our inner truth. Perhaps the baby babushka doll is like the inner child who is protected within by the many outer layers we develop as we grow into adults.

They also remind me of growing babies of which I have been blessed to experience twice. I suppose that is why they are also called Matryoshka (Mother) dolls or Nesting dolls.