Winter Warmth..........

I love my European Quilt...........made on the factory floor in Camberwell, Victoria, albeit the down is not Australian.......however, I still think this is a very good product which promotes Australian made products.

Early shopping is the key here....enjoy......Wendy!

View Online   MADE IN MELBOURNE AT OUR CAMBERWELL FACILITIES, JUST FOR YOU!  This winter, we are very excited and proud to introduce our new, and improved, range of down quilts. We only use pure, high fill power down in our luxury quilts. NO feather. We have also made some significant, cutting edge innovations to our quilt constructions, incorporating a sealed, baffle box to prevent the down from shifting. With four warmth levels to choose from, we have the perfect quilt for you.

POLISH 550 QUILT  The Polish 550 quilt range features a pure white duck down sourced from Poland. Duck down naturally has a maximum fill power of 550 and we use the best quality available. The quilt shell is woven with Egyptian cotton to a 270 thread count cambric fabric and features a baffle box construction so the filling cannot move around. Available in 4 warmth levels: Light Warmth, Classic Warmth, Medium Warmth & Extra Warmth.  Shop POLISH 550     HUNGARIAN 650 QUILT  The Hungarian 650 quilt features a very high quality 650 fill power filling that combines the finest goose and duck down from Hungary. The quilt shell is woven in Germany of Egyptian cotton to a 440 thread count sateen fabric and features a sealed baffle box construction so that the filling cannot move around. Available in 4 warmth levels: Light Warmth, Classic Warmth, Medium Warmth & Extra Warmth.  Shop HUNGARIAN 650     PILZEN 750  The Pilzen 750 quilt features a very high quality 750 fill power goose down filling sourced from the Pilzen region in the Czech Republic. The quilt shell is woven in Germany of Egyptian cotton to a 440 thread count sateen fabric and features a sealed baffle box construction so that the filling cannot move around. Available in 4 warmth levels: Light Warmth, Classic Warmth, Medium Warmth & Extra Warmth.  Shop PILZEN 750     MASUREN 900 SILK QUILT  The Masuren 900 silk quilt is the most luxurious quilt in the world. It features the highest quality 900 fill power goose down filling from the Masuren Lakes in Poland. The quilt shell is woven in Germany of pure silk and features a sealed baffle box construction so that the filling cannot move around. Available in 4 warmth levels: Light Warmth, Classic Warmth, Medium Warmth & Extra Warmth.  Shop MASUREN 900

Farmers urge consumers to 'buy Australian'

I can't believe that with all the wonderful fresh fruit we have in Australia, that in the last several weeks we were faced with a hepatitis A outbreak because of imported berries.....I am aghast with people not realising that our Australian fruit is fabulous...to say nothing of the very strict controls we have here.  I was reading an article from the The Victorian Farmers Federation and this is what it said:

            "The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) urged consumers to buy Australian-grown produce in the wake of the hepatitis A outbreak.  VFF's Peter Toohey said stricter standards here ensured eating Australian-grown fruit was safe.

            "We want to talk about the quality of Australian fruit and vegies - best in the world," Mr Toohey said.  "Most regulated in the world, to make sure that they're clean and healthy. Everything along the whole supply chain is checked off to make sure that we could [produce] really good, clean fruit. No contamination issues."

Image - Mornington Peninsula Produce- here

Now that gets me thinking I should stress again the Farmers Gate which I have posted about on previous occasions.  This is straight from the Australian farmers......no thirdperson involved.......and you can't get any fresher than that.  Have you tried them?

I thought with the long weekend this weekend, this is a good chance for those who could be visiting the Mornington Peninsula to take advantage of the many Farmers who are listed on the brochure "Farm Gate".  These are usually available at the tourist bureau or from the Farmers Gate.

There are many and varied different  farmers who are selling their beautifully fresh Australian produce.  Why not get along this weekend and enjoy the "fruits of their labour" so to speak!  At the "Farm Gate"...included on the list are...the hours of operation...the produce available... and the time of year the produce is available.  I found this to be invaluable and would recommend you get a copy of this Farm Gate list when you are next on the Peninsula or download it...here

Here are a few of the farm gates I have visited:

Mock Orchards & Totally Pure Fruits, 1095 Mornington Flinders Road, Red Hill,  is one of the Farm Gates I would recommend, the produce is certified Demeter bio-dynamic and has been in existence since 1974...a good recommendation...here

Del Grosso's Orchard, 101A Stanleys Road, Red Hill South and they  grow apples: Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonagold, Delicious and Granny Smith.  Also delicious cherries, plums, pears and nashi fruit and are open every day during summer...here

Pure Peninsula Honey, Derril Road, Moorooduc this is an education if nothing else. What I learnt about bees was astounding......maybe you are aware of what these little creatures are capable of etc., but I wasn't and it was fascinating.  This property is very interesting because of its production of an extensive range of 100% pure Australian honey and related products, farm shop and mock apiary....here

Pure Peninsula Honey, Derril Road Moorooduc Produce - Farm Gate 

There are many, many more Farm Gates and produce of course, and a visit to the extensive Mornington Peninsula website will provide you with all the information you need to purchase some wonderful produce at very good prices...and of course, helping our Australian Farmers....here

Image - Peninsula Page

Do try and go along to these Farm Gates......they are excellent Australian value.......Wendy

Easy Food for entertaining......

A very belated Happy New Year to everyone;  I was incredibly busy leading up to Christmas with a heavy workload and family functions which took the place of my blog.  However, I am now back on track.

The festive season I hope for all of you, was rewarding and most enjoyable, albeit our summer in Victoria hasn't been wonderful, but rather erratic weather wise, but very pleasant for entertaining.

Speaking of which, here is a recipe I came across during the summer break and it is delicious and oh so easy, which is what I love.  I hope you like it and would welcome your comments.

INGREDIENTS
9 ounces fresh goat cheese

6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

6 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios

1-1/2 tbsp finely crushed pink peppercorns mixed with 1-1/2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

1.  Cut each log of goat cheese into 18 pieces and shape goat cheese into balls.

2. Arrange chives, pistachios and pink peppercorn/parsley mixture each into 3 small bowls. Roll goat cheese "truffles" into choice of coatings and place on a baking tray or plate. Chill until ready to serve.

I am not what you would call a great cook.  I don't really enjoy cooking the mundane day to day dishes, so when I come across a recipe that is easy but looks attractive and tastes delicious, I'm very willing to try it and I loved this one.  A very good start to a luncheon or alternatively at the end of the meal with a lovely glass of wine of your choice.

Do you have a special recipe to share or do you like to keep them to yourself?   Perhaps you might like to share one with me particularly if it is easy and quite impressive on the plate and palate, of course!

I would love to know your thoughts on this one...Enjoy!.........Wendy

Queenscliff...Music for Listening & Dancing

Jazz Australia and the La Trobe Memorial Appeal are presenting a wonderful evening this coming Saturday 18 October.

The Society Syncopators .....  This jazz ensemble is one of the best classic jazz bands in the world.  They are feted in Europe where they appear annually and have done so for many years and where their concerts are always booked out.  Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, and led by trombonist Chris Ludowyk, this is an all-star band with six of Australia’s leading jazz musicians and arguably the hottest jazz trumpet player in Australia in the front line, Peter Gaudion.  The band plays vintage jazz and are superb entertainers with their vocal harmonics and great stage presence.  This will be the first time they have performed in Queenscliff and it’s a huge treat to have them here.

 

This is also a major fund raiser for the La Trobe Memorial Bronze Bust, to be sculpted by the eminent sculptor Peter Corlett OAM.  It will become a huge drawcard for Queenscliff for generations to come and is long overdue recognition of the major contributions La Trobe made to the Bellarine Peninsula and Queenscliff in particular, where he is considered the Founding Father.  All profit from this concert will go to the Appeal.

The Queenscliff Museum

presents

AN EVENING with

 THE SOCIETY SYNCOPATORS Music for listening and dancing!

 featuring vocalist Hetty Kate

 Tickets $50 per head, tables seat 10 

 Saturday October 18th, 2014 8pm

 the Queenscliff Town Hall

 BYO supper, drinks & a glass

Bookings, tickets and enquiries Diana Allen 5258 3936

La Trobe Memorial Appeal Fund Raiser Dress up!

No need to book a whole table, single tickets are available.  

Hurry or you will miss out...Enjoy!.....Wendy

October holiday weekend in New South Wales ..... If you are in New South Wales this weekend, here are two very different, creative and very interesting events to attend....... Festival Des Métiers Hermès, Paris artisans in Sydney

Festival des Métiers is in Sydney this Long weekend! An exhibition showcasing eight Hermès, artisans, all at their work-benches demonstrating their incredible skills, just as they would in the Hermès workshops in France. October 2nd to 6th from 11am to 7pm. Foundation Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks,   Free admission and secondly ...a bit further south/west of NSW in the town of Boorowa is the Irish Woolfest Everyone's heard of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, but in an Australian town called Boorowa, NSW you can enjoy the spectacle of the "Running of the Sheep" Beautiful Australian woolly Merino sheep are shepherded down the road by Farmer Ashly on his four wheel motorbike and his trusty Kelpies. A magical and creative country festival with a myriad of activities.  Something different to enjoy if you are in New South Wales........Wendy   Images - Coty Farquhar, Styling Magazine

Hats for the Spring Carnival.....

I do love this time of year with the fashions, the talk of which horse is getting set to win the Caulfield Cup, The Cox Plate or the Melbourne Cup....it's always so exciting and here we go again...can't wait for the Caulfield Cup which I love and seeing all those lovely, lovely hats.

Images - The Essential Hat, 507 HIgh St, Prahran East, 9530 2266

The images above The Essential Hat.... my favourite milliner , a specialist hat shop stocking a comprehensive range of everyday and special occasion headwear for ladies.
I think the service is second to none and the expert ladies at The Essential Hat are only too happy to spend time with their customers getting the right look....go to their website and you will be tempted, I am sure...Here

Image - The Essential Hat

At the Caulfield Racecourse this Saturday there is a new event where a Carnival Milliner's Market is happening.... here is a brief overview of what is happening at the Caulfield Racecourse in relation to hats....Melbourne Racing Club

Carnival Milliner's Market

Don't miss this unique opportunity to meet with milliners and get all the finishing touches for your race day outfit.

 Located in the Fashion and Entertainment Precinct, is a new event for the Caulfield Racecourse.  The market is the perfect place to be inspired by the runway action, and then to find a piece to complement your spring outfit....here..Melbourne Racing Club 

Carnival Preview Day - free entry

Entry into Carnival Preview Day is free for all ages. Be sure to sample the new designs for this racing season while taking in all the action on stage in the Chadstone Fashion Stakes. 

Click on to the website to find out more about the Fashions on the Field and the Racing Days and times...here

Enjoy the shopping for a new hat.....Wendy

Abode Living.........SALE

This is one of my favourite Melbourne shops for excellent quality linen, towels, and all things for the bedroom and bathroom Made in Australia and here is their sale which is on for the next week........excellent value.....hop on to their website......Here 

1 WEEK ONLY | The original Egyptian cotton waffle

I always enjoy shopping at Abode and I hope you do too......Wendy

This Saturday, August 9th is National Bookshop Day.

I was reading this terrific blog by Australian Janelle McCullough and I would recommend her blog to you A Library of Design...her article on books is very revealing and from my point of view, very true.

I thought you might like to read this excerpt, so here it is for you with her photography:

"It's the day when we should all support our favourite bookstores. I know many of us buy a lot of our books online but it's more important than ever to buy books from stores too, especially considering the very real danger that Amazon may become a monopoly distribution channel. (Imagine one company having control over all the books in the world? Imagine if they hiked prices sky high, which they're already starting to do?)

Many of us do continue to buy books in stores. Avenue Bookstore (my favourite Australian bookstore) told me that last Christmas was the busiest sales period its had in decades. (I know: I saw the queues.) The Strand in New York (another great bookstore) said last Christmas was the busiest it's ever had, in its entire 87-year history. There's nothing like a bookstore to browse in, whether sunny or wet, morning or night, alone or with book-loving company.

I can't imagine a world without bookstores. Let's hope there's enough people who think that, and continue to split their book purchases between online and in-store.

Buy a book from a bookstore this weekend. Here are a few lovely ideas from our library to inspire you..."

[All books from our home. Please excuse the poor quality photographs.}

What do you think?  Will you continue to buy books from the book shop or will you go online?  Would love to have your comments.....A Library of Design here

A quick browse through Janelle's books certainly whets the appetite and who could resist now going off to your favourite book shop and purchasing a good read?...Wendy

Winter necessities...Wool, Alpaca, Cashmere

 on Sale....

It has really been very cold here in Victoria the past few weeks and the snow is falling heavily in the resorts and it got me thinking that I really need more 'winter woollies' as we say here in Australia.

Image - Creswick Woollen Mills
Don't you just love theses animals, at home at Creswick Woollen Mills!

I love the feel of wool and of course, for those of you who read my blog regularly, I have a passion also for Alpaca and Cashmere and such a bonus when the majority of Creswick's products are Made in Australia. 

At Creswick  the wonderful soft and luxurious natural fibres are ideal for this cold, cold weather we are experiencing.

However, best news, Creswick are having a SALE and there are some really good bargains! Wonderful Alpaca throws, womens and childrens wear.....I treated myself with a wonderful new throw.....sooooo warm!

Alpaca pillows and quilts, Made in Australia....excellent quality....see their website for details and the Creswick locations...here

Have you purchased any of the Creswick range? What is your preference? 

 Wool?  Alpaca or Cashmere?

Keep warm and enjoy!...............Wendy

Australian Salmon - Salt & Pepper Recipe

As my family and friends are aware, I am a lover of Australian Salmon, any time, anywhere, any meal, I just love it...and what's more it is good for me!  

So once again from the Tassal website, here is a recipe that is quick, simple and easy.  Tassal have many hints and recipes on how to cook salmon, and this is only one of many on how to cook salmon...here

Ingredients

• 4   170 g  Tassal salmon portions, skin off, cut into large pieces
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tsp flaked salt
• 3 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tsp castor sugar
• 2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp ginger, ground
• 1 lime, zested
• oil for shallow frying

to garnish

• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 red chillis finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced finely
• 1 tsp oil

Step 1

Combine the cornflour, flaked salt, rice flour, castor sugar, white pepper, ginger and lime zest together in a small bowl and mix well. Place half the mixture into a large plastic bag.

Step 2

Place a Tassal salmon piece into the plastic bag and shake vigorously until the piece is dusted evenly in the mixture. Remove and set aside, repeat with remaining salmon.

Step 3

Heat a small amount of oil in a small frying pan and sauté the garlic, chilli and spring onions for 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.

Step 4

Heat approximately 10cm of oil in a wok or deep frying pan over a medium heat until oil is hot but not smoking (approximately 180°C).

Step 5

Shallow fry salmon for 2 -3 minutes on each side until golden brown, remove and drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining salmon.

Step 6

Serve salmon over a bed of salad leaves or stir fry vegetables sprinkled with a little extra salt & pepper seasoning. Garnish with sautéed garlic, chilli and spring onions and a wedge of lemon or lime.

I don't know if this accords with the restrictions of one of my favourite bloggers...Fructose Friendly Foodie...but there are sure to be some adaptations which would suit....

Do you like this recipe or do you have a salmon recipe that you would like to share and  comment on?   

Enjoy....Wendy