Paddy's Spring flowers

Yay, I finally got a spring flower, this jonquil is forced so it is in flower earlier than it would out in the garden.  Like Phil I put some bulbs in a glass container to have a go after seeing it on Pinterest, gotta love pinterest.  I put 3 of jonquils or paperwhites as they where named and 3 of something else which I cannot remember what.  The jonquils came up quite fast but the other 3 took ages, I was beginning to think that storing them in the fridge for a couple of months after forgetting they where there, had perhaps killed them.  Eventually they did come up.  Last week all of a sudden a bud popped out and in a day it was out in flower.

 Can you see the smaller ones just starting, well, one of them has a bud coming up so now I will be able to see what they where.  The brown outer part of the bulb makes the water go a bit brackish, I wonder if you could peel it off before putting them in, like an onion.  I had these glass marbles, think they look better in white stones.

Just in case you can't see the flower in the first photo I took a close up, love the perfume, smells of spring.

My choice for July - food

Last of my choice for July FOOD

We have been talking about curries lately and Sharon spoke about a nice one in the Edmonds cook book.  This is my version of that recipe, I used cold cooked meat instead of raw.

I cooked in coconut oil  a variety of vegetables from the fridge (great way to use left overs) onion, carrot, celery and kumera until just cooked.  Add a couple of cups of chopped up cold meat (lamb) whatever you have in the fridge.  Add dessert spoon of vegetable powder stock and curry powder stir in and add some water to moisten.  Cook until all heated through and add tin of coconut cream.

Serve with pre cooked rice from freezer or cook your rice.

I also added fresh coriander, probably added to much coconut cream but it was sure yummy and warming in the cold weather.

Kirsty bought up a frozen large roast of lamb last week which hadn't thawed out while she was here, so  for John and I had a roast dinner, the curry which above is the left over, rissoles and on sandwiches for the week for John's lunch.  The roast that size would have been around $25 in the supermarkets so it was good value for 3 main meals and 6 lunches.

The coconut oil comes in a bottle and it is usually solid, it is quite expensive but mine lasts quite a long time.  I was recommended that the coconut milk and cream not be light as they add sugars etc to the light and that the coconut fats are good fats like advocado.

Sharons people

 Wednesday and Thursday I went with Kirsty and Peter to watch Alyssa's Hockey tournament.  They played 8 games in three days.  Winning their pool they lost by 1 point in the last minute, did very well.
Photo above is one of the girls in Lyssies team, I liked her attitude waiting for the starting whistle.

 words of advise from coach

 up and coming hockey player isn't he cute in his hand knitted jumper

 Lis in the middle of it about to whack the ball

 the huddle after the game, they all chuck their sticks in the middle

friends, the 3 ratbags plus the youngest 3, it was under 13s and they are all 11.  Not the best of photo's I rushed it so not to embarrass them.

I really enjoyed watching them play and got a better understanding of the game.  It was bitterly cold, wind was very cutting.

Portraits

These are some portrait photo's I took when I was doing the photography course in New Norcia.  All bar the 2nd last photo's where of people at the retreat.  The cook, the caretaker, fellow photographer, unknown man that was at the Pinnacles having his photo taken by someone else and I asked if he minded if I took one with my camera and I took one with his camera with his friend.  The last one is Glenys Mann the organiser.  I found it easier if I was with people I know, like at weddings etc and in places that are not crowded. I also found that waist up fitted in the photo better when only one person.

I have problems taking photo's of people I don't know, and struggle with taking good photo's of that type, even with those I do know.  So I thought I would add some photo's that I particularly love.  These first two photo's are taken by what I would call street photographers that quickly captured lovely shots of people, in this case Granny Johnson.  Because she is unaware, she isn't posed and looks very natural and relaxed.  I like the movement of the photo and how it captures her.  I also like how it records the history of fashion.  She was quite the fashionista wasn't she?  I like to study in detail the clothing worn. Also see the can pram off to the left or her and the canvas awnings.

 I can see in this one, granny is older, looks like the same corner by the awnings and the rubbish bin seems to have dissappeared or maybe it is a little more to the right , still very fashionable and she has a very elegant stride.

This one was taken at the show, see those frilly fairies we always would have loved to had, Phil, in grannies hand.  This was a more posed photo and not so natural, no movement.  But it does record the fashion and times.  See all the hats in the background, even the men can you see the man in the background between gran and auntie Dorothy.  And look at auntie Dorothy with her drop waisted dress, was it in October when the show was on in our time.  Look at the shoes.  This is a more static photo.

I think this would have still been a roving photographer.  Get this two dudes, Grampa looks so small next to dad, love the togs, wool, itchy.  And mum always proclaimed that we got our shapely legs from her, these legs look preety damn good! Fashion of the era in swimwear a good figure always looked good in whatever they wore, aye!

Dad and Ben at the races, what a couple of swells, look at the scarves or cravats as they where known in those days, hats no longer in vogue by the look of it.  You can just get a glimpse of a car in the background.

and my baby girl competing in athletics, looks happy and healthy.  lots of movement in this photo.  It is not easy to get out on the field to take these sort of photo's unless you are a bit pushy.  All the above photo's where taken with film before digital camera's and all in sepia which softens the backgrounds.

Today here in Perth and probably elsewhere, there are professional photographers once again taking photo's at sporting events.  There camera's are massive, with powerful zoom lens, to heavy for me to hold up.  They put the photo's up online for people to purchase, which is really great.  The only way I have found of getting good action shots on my camera is where you track quick photo's blindly, just a case of putting the subject in the frame and start clicking moving the camera slowly with them.  I will try this next week as Alyssa is coming up to play hockey, I tried doing it with Maddies skating but the movement was too fast and too hard to capture her without blurring.

Phils choice for July

 UMBRELLA

I took this photo in town today while sitting having a coffee.  Saw lots of umbrella's, no pretty ones, mostly el cheapo variety and lots not working right.

Paddy's July Choices

 OUT AND ABOUT I went into the city this morning, while I was there I took these photo's.  It is a grey gloomy day and thought the city looked better in B& W.  I was shocked to see how many shops have closed down, quite depressing.

 CACTI well succulents really.  These on my topiary, as you can see, starting to grow nicely with the wetter weather and below is the bottom of the topiary I like the way it is curling around her.

 I find it hard to make round objects look interesting.

 hmmn Paddy we have only just got out of autumn, SPRING!!! this is the best I could do for spring flowers and about the only flowers in my garden

 FLOWER BUDS not a lot of these at the moment either, so I chose the buds on the puha that is popping up everywhere with the rain and below a brave hibiscus.

Looks like it is frosted with sugar

My July choice - Food

 Kirsty's curry vegetable soup, I put the recipe a couple of posts ago with photo's of the block.  I think I would change the beef stock to chicken or vegetable and cut the curry powder in half for my taste.  Made enough for tea tomorrow and a flask of it to take to Kalamunda markets, it will warm me up.

My July choice is FOOD

My choice for July is FOOD, something you have cooked, 4 different foods and if you want to share, the recipe as well.
My first one is from the book I quit sugar.

Bacon and egg cupcakes

eggs, bacon, crumbled feta cheese and chopped herbs

oven 200 cook for 15 minutes

Oil or butter muffin tray

use a bacon rasher to line edge of each muffin cup using off cuts for bottom

( if you like your bacon crispy place in oven for 5 mins now)

crack a whole egg and drop in

put fetta cheese on top (crumbled this gives salty taste)

sprinkle herbs on top

place in oven for 15 mins until white of egg is cooked

remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes

using a knife to go around the edges to lift out.

My muffin tray is one of those silicone ones, this morning I made 5 as that is all the bacon I had, last time I made 6.  I have them hot and then put the rest in the fridge covered and eat as snacks over the next couple of days.  If I am going into town or the shops I take one in a container to avoid temptations I will also take them to Kalamunda markets for my lunch with some soup.  I like them cold also.

Bon Appettit

the winner

On our way back on Sunday, we stopped to take some photo's of this sculpture, I love them, there is also another one down the road of two kangaroos boxing will get a photo of them next time.  Love the expression of the jockey and the great big hoofs on the horse.