Thursday, December 30, 2010

There is something magical about the ocean

The Stars Go Over The Lonely Ocean by Robinson Jeffers


Unhappy about some far off things
That are not my affair, wandering
Along the coast and up the lean ridges,
I saw in the evening
The stars go over the lonely ocean,
And a black-maned wild boar
Plowing with his snout on Mal Paso Mountain.

The old monster snuffled, "Here are sweet roots,
Fat grubs, slick beetles and sprouted acorns.
The best nation in Europe has fallen,
And that is Finland,
But the stars go over the lonely ocean,"
The old black-bristled boar,
Tearing the sod on Mal Paso Mountain.

"The world's in a bad way, my man,
And bound to be worse before it mends;
Better lie up in the mountain here
Four or five centuries,
While the stars go over the lonely ocean,"
Said the old father of wild pigs,
Plowing the fallow on Mal Paso Mountain.

"Keep clear of the dupes that talk democracy
And the dogs that talk revolution,
Drunk with talk, liars and believers.
I believe in my tusks.
Long live freedom and damn the ideologies,"
Said the gamey black-maned boar
Tusking the turf on Mal Paso Mountain.





Have a wonderful new year my friends
<3 Michelle

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Spectacular sunset

We had a bit of a stormy day yesterday. I will let the picture tell you the rest. Sooo beautiful



<3 Michelle

Saturday, December 11, 2010

beenaway

Really i have not given this blog of mine the care it deserves.  So I say to you I am starting afresh. SOoo where to start. Maybe a little about me and my way of life. I am a devoted mother of two my son Tommy 8 and my angel Taylor who is 4. They are my reason for being and it is my biggest goal in life to see them live a healthy, happy life . To be inlove with nature and to learn to take care of them selves.




what else do I love hmmmm,
I lovee reading. Right now I am into the australian author Juliet Marillier. Her books are beautiful stories with age old fairytales superbly woven into them.

I have to tell you, but only in a whisper ( I love vampire books too) Is that odd? I can't get enough Twilight series, Vampire Academy, Vampire diaries..... :-/


In saying that I have also read all the classics, Jane eyre being my favourite. I have my home library of shakespeare....


"When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun."


I love spending time in the garden. We live in a small house at the moment but I still have lettuce, snowpeas, broccoli and sunflowers growing. Soon we are moving to the northern territory so I can grow my vegetables all year round :D

Which brings me to another important part of my life. I love working out ways to live peacefully on the earth. Being frugal does not mean being tight. Its a lifestyle choice that brings me peace. To know I am contributing to the health of my family and my planet gives me great fulfilment.

so what are some of the things that are important to you??? I really believe we don't stop to think what they are enough. So many of us are too busy being in a rush.

much love to you all may you have a peaceful week.

<3M

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Home cooking traditions

There is nothing that creates peace and harmony within your soul and family than providing an all natural home cooked meal. the more of the produce you can pull from your back yard the better it gets. And though I have spent nearly ten years in the cooking industry a wealth of my recipes are so very simple. i will try and share some with you on a regular basis. Lets kick it off with a time honoured tradition LASAGNE! my version anyways

You shall need for the meat sauce
500g of some good quality beef mince
2 x tins of crushed (preferrably roma) tomatoes or the same amount of a tomato base recipe made from fresh tomatoes. (will show at later date.)
fresh garlic
fresh basil and parsley
olive oil

for the white sauce
1 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of corn flour
2 cups of milk
more fresh parsley
salt n pepper

for the pasta sheets
plain flour
a pinch of salt
eggs

The pasta

I go by feel here. Mix about 2 cups of flour with a good pinch of salt. Poor it in a bigg heap on your nice clean bench :D . Make a well in the centre and break a couple of eggs. With the tips of your fingers incorperate the eggs into the flour. Keep doing this until you have formed a nice sticky dough. Now you can knead your face face off. Lett all the days crankiness, hell even the week's crankiness out. The more you knead the smoother the dough. The smoother the dough the better the pasta. I usually go about 20 mins. Wrap her up in some cling film and pop in the fridge for about 15 mins.


The white sauce

Melt your butter in a saucepan. Stir in your cornflour to make a stiff roux. Slowly stir in your milk bit by lil bit. Take the time for a nice smooth sace . Trust me you shall be glad you did. Chop in a good handful of parsley in and add salt and pepper to taste. Your sauce should be nice and thick much like custard.








The meat sauce

Dice onion and grate garlic into some oil in a nice deep frying pan. Gently cook so the onions become clear.Add your mince, crank the heat and cook stirring until mince has browned. Add your tomatoes ( or home made tomatoe base). Chop in your fresh herbs, a nice big handful of basil, and a couple of handfuls of parsley stalks and all. Simmer gently for about half an hour. Don't cook too long or your herbs will go all yucky and become black specks instead of lovely green flecks.





Divide your pasta dough into 3 and get rolling. you want it to be lovely and thin. Nothing more unpleasant to eat than stodgy thick pasta. So once you have 3 lovely thin flat sheets of pasta we are ready to build mr lasagne!




Heres how it goes. White sace on the bottom to stop any sticking then........ pasta sheet, white sace, meat, pasta sheet, white sauce, meat and tada!  Put your last pasta sheet on top cover with the last of your white sauce and smother with a generous helping of grated mozzerella. Cook at about 170 - 180 until brown. 45ish minutes.  Enjoy!



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Fresh herbs in your garden are so easy. You need no space at all. Even a nice bright sunny window sill will do. So give it a go. It is the middle of winter here (gets down to 0 at night) and I still can get some decent staple herbs up in the garden so please really do try.










Saturday, April 24, 2010

Anzac day

Today is a very special day for both Australia and New Zealand. Anzac day is a day for us to remember the in excess of 100,000 soldiers that have given there lives for our country.

"In the end ANZAC [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] stood and still stands for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never admit defeat."

Charles Bean, official historian of the First World War


Anzac day is to honour the fallen and hope for peace. So let us do that.


Lest we forget





Thursday, April 8, 2010

busselton western australia





A beautiful town at the gateway to southern western australia.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

need to recapture the peace in my life,




Usually I am fairly centred and relaxed but this festive season/ school holidays has seen me with cranky stress pants on for most of it. I need to just spend a good solid week methinks and chill out. Lets all find some peace in our lives this week.


<3 M