As Aleksandr would say - SIMPLES!

Lemon Curd, Lemon Honey, Lemon Butter whatever you like to call it, it is divine.  I have lemon, lime and mandarin trees in my back yard and this year finally discovered the secret of growing nice citrus -  water the trees! Queensland is a harsh place to grow food.  We so often have drought conditions and I have lost so many plants within just a few hours - very frustrating! Anyhow this year we have watered our citrus regularly and hey presto we have fruit (and a big water bill).

It's years since I have made Lemon Curd but it is so easy to make. In fact this was one of the things that got the idea started for me to create this blog.  My friend Nat had been around and I gave her some Lemon Curd to take home.  She thought I was very clever to be able to make something like this but didn't think she could do it.  That prompted a dinner invite and a bit of cooking together in the kitchen and suddenly I didn't seem quite so clever anymore. This really is simple to make. The recipe works well with either lemons or limes, the lime just being a little more tart. It is an easy, cheap and pretty looking gift to give as well for those who might want to whip up homemade gifts or treats.
There are two recipes I have used recently. The first is from an old edition of the Edmonds Cookbook, which was a staple of every home when I was growing up. I couldn't find this recipe in the online edition of Edmonds recipes and I've had my cookbook for decades.  This recipe has more sugar than the other one and it uses the whole egg whereas the second recipe uses half the amount of sugar, a little more butter and only the egg yolks. The colour is a little deeper yellow than the Edmonds recipe.

Edmonds Lemon Honey
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
4 lemons - juice
125gms Butter

1. Grate the yellow part of the Lemon rind of 1 lemon
2. Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice
3. Melt the butter in a pot over a double  boiler
4. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved
5. Add eggs and lemon rind
6. Stir everything until the mixture thickens
7. Pour into sterilised jars
8. Store in the fridge

The second recipe is from Gourmet Traveller Essentials cookbook and makes half the amount of the Edmonds recipe.

Lemon Curd
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup of lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
150g cold butter, cubed


1. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and juice in a double boiler until well combined
2. Continuing to whisk, add cubes of butter, one at a time until melted and smooth
3. Stir until mixture is thick enough to cover the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from heat, add rind and stir well
5. Pour into jars

The recipe says that this will keep for a week but I can guarantee that it will disappear before it goes off!. As Aleksandr would say - "Simples!"

At peace by the sea.

Have you ever read the book The Man whose Mother was a Pirate (...his mother was definitely not an ordinary woman)? Well, Big Red thinks that sums me up nicely.  I was brought up in the fishing village of Island Bay in Wellington, NZ.  True, there is always a breeze there (a gale by Brisbane standards) but there is such an amazing smell of sea.  The saltiness fills your lungs and the salt sticks to your skin and your hair - you really know you are by the sea.  Being by the water brings me to a state of equilibrium.  I love that moment when my senses recognise that the sea is not far away and I inhale deeply. But, I digress.

After a busy Sunday we headed out in the afternoon for a coffee by the sea at Manly.  I don't really want to tell you about this place because it is a bit of a special spot.  There are always people there but you can usually find a seat.  Cafe La Mer is situated at 570 Royal Esplanade, Manly. Drive through the gates and there is ample car parking.  The cafe itself holds no real appeal but the outside seating area is fabulous. There is a massive big tree shading the fenced deck area whose front sits high above the water with views over the marina.

If the tide is in and you have small children with you, or you feel inclined yourself, then ask for some bread from the kitchen and drop it into the water.  The water boils with fish (if it doesn't then don't throw in any more bread - litterbug!).  It is quite amazing how aggressive the little biters can be.  Last time we went  we took the grandies, got them all hyped about feeding the fish and then found it was low tide, most disappointing but not the cafe's fault.

The sweets didn't look so appetising on Sunday so Big Red resorted to a Muesli biscuit which was full of goodies including Cranberries and Goji berries (neither of which he likes but which seemed to disappear at a rapid rate).  The meal that we love to go here for is the Antioxidant Power Salad. It is so full of goodies. Usually we get it with the Chicken and then it is big enough to share. It is full of seeds, nuts, berries, beetroot and has a beautiful tangy dressing.

On Sunday our coffees were just fine. They now offer Lactose free milk as an option - thumbs up! Service is casual but efficient and staff were friendly. This is a great place to take visitors to Brisbane, the feel is relaxed, the marina beautiful and there is always something happening that you can watch. While Manly doesn't smell as briny as Island Bay, being near the water is enough.

What a Pickle!

We were running out of steam on Saturday morning and not near our normal coffee stop so we dropped into In A Pickle at 2 Martha Street in Camp Hill. Oh dear, what a pickle it was in. This is not a new cafe for me but seriously it was not up to standard last Saturday.  The girl on the counter was snappy, there were 3 tables available, one with an assortment of used dishes on it and all three were not wiped clean. Umm, not a great choice. The shop itself is overcrowded which would have been ok if it didn't look messy as well. Even the menus were looking tired and the coffee was bitter, thin and milkey. We got half way through and nearly left the coffees but we had stopped for caffeine and so we persevered.

There is a good range of food here and it is usually great if a little pricey. I can recommend the Arancini balls, they are massive so best to share with a friend. But that's not what I had on Saturday.  The food looked less than appetising so we had nothing.  We had arrived at the end of the morning so maybe they had been rushed off their feet but no excuses really for not showing casing your food well.

This cafe can be cold on a winter's morning so In a Pickle also provide red blankets for those who like to rug up.  The tables and chairs are set outside on the pavement and as it is on a corner there is plenty of room for them.

Maybe the In a Pickle team need to just stop, have a coffee and look at themselves from a customer's perspective? I'm reluctant to try again.

Aleksandr & Sergei Make Me Smile

A wise book that I read says that a cheerful heart is good medicine but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. In other words you need to be laughing a lot more.....

Sometimes life is just tough and you have to find a way through that. Usually other people can't do that for you so you have to find a way to put one foot in front of the other.  I think generally we are too hard on ourselves.  I don't see that in myself (of course) but when I look at friends going through tough times I often observe that they use words like should, must and have to. Actually sometimes you just need to let go of things and grab hold of a different perspective.  Not easy to do I admit but here's an idea.

Just like its good to eat fresh food to clean your palate, sometimes we need fresh thoughts to clear our mind.  Over the last few months I have fallen in love with Aleksandr & Sergei.  They are the hilarious Meerkats found on the insurance comparison website. Seriously, they make me giggle every time. Big Red does not share the joke, he's a pretty serious bloke, but now I can get him laughing ridiculously at me laughing at the Meerkats. I can't even drive by their road sign without chuckling.

So, when you are feeling a bit blue, when you feel like your sap isn't flowing anymore, check out the Meerkats or find an equivalent, stupidly funny something that makes you smile. It wont fix all your problems, it wont make them go away but.... I guarantee that after a good belly laugh you will feel a bit better.  And even if that is just a tiny bit, isn't it worth it?

My Foxy Breakfast Date

Once a week Big Red and I try to go out for breakfast before work.  Its nice to make a date for breakfast and the Foxy Bean Cafe is one of our favorite places to go,  because it opens early and is on the way to work. Situated on the corner  of Potts St. and Stanley St. East just up the road from the Gabba, Foxy Bean Cafe is open for breakfast from 6.00am to 11.30am Monday  - Friday and 6.00am to 2.00pm Saturday & Sunday. They also have other offerings past these times and well into the night from Thursday to Sunday but we haven't been along for the evening experience. 

There are plenty of seating options; high tables, low tables, lounge chairs, outdoor seating undercover and a few outside seats at the front of the cafe. The decor is eclectic with feature painted walls, partially stripped tongue & groove boards, pressed metal on the walls, old leather couches and a strange lopsided birdcage (I forgot to photograph that one).

This week I had the Haloumi Hello; so YUM! The saltiness of the Haloumi, silkiness of the avocado and sweetness of the tomatoes produced a fresh tasting breakfast for me leaving me with a lovely clean palate.  This week Big Red had scrambled eggs with a side of bacon accompanied by a lovely relish. but he often comes here just to have the Bushman's Benny - good old fashioned mince with eggs benny on top. It is a massive breakfast by anyone's standards and sure to leave a hungry bloke full until lunchtime. Service was efficient and our meals arrived quickly.

Coffees arrived first so that we could enjoy while we waited for breakfast. Foxy Bean now serves lactose free milk. Another cafe with the thumbs up from me! The coffee has been consistent here but the flavour is nothing special.

We keep returning to the Foxy Bean, not just because it is open early (though that is a good reason for people who like early starts), but because we always have a really good food experience here. Well done Foxy Bean.

A Wynnum Morning Fix - Dramanti

A couple of times a week I like to go walking along Wynnum foreshore. This morning was spectacular. The water was calm, there was a slight breeze, and the sun shone like jewels on the water. What better way to start the day..... a few stretches and sit ups on the equipment as I walk around (that's for the benefit of Lisa, my trainer at Barbelles who isn't sure if I do anything when I have a day off from gym...).
When I've finished I always head to Dramanti just off Tingal Road by Pizza Hut. Tucked into the back of the carpark you might miss it if you don't have a good look.  They are open;
Mon - Fri 6.30am - 1.30pm
Sat - Sun 7am - 1pm

 We first came across Dragan in his Ann St shop in the city, just down the road from where Big Red works.  Dragan is a passionate coffee roaster and proud of his brew.  We usually have a bag of Dramanti coffee at home just in case the coffee urge hits. You'll find a great selection of the usual lunch fare.   The Wynnum store is coming into it's own.  I arrived there this morning to find that it has had a refit; the new shelving and layout looks great! The small outdoor area catches the sun and makes a nice place to sit on a cool day.

The staff are friendly, especially young smiley guy, and they make a consistent coffee. There are gluten free and gluten filled options, though at $4 a piece they aren't very generous.  I have to admit I have tasted a couple and they pass the niceness test.  They also have lactose free milk - thank you!

There is a good vibe in this place.  A great mix of people are there and they have provided excellent high tables along one wall to sit on and work at should you be free to move your office around with you!

Definitely worth a try if you are in the area.

Industrial Caffeine

Bilsens Bistro sits in the heart of the Geebung industrial area.  I dropped in there on Monday morning to have a coffee with a friend from my last workplace.  Bilsens is an oasis in a dreary work area. It sits unobtrusively on the corner of Robinson Road and Lisgar Street providing a quiet and pleasant space away from work.

The efficient staff, fresh, tasty and beautifully plated food and the excellent service sets Bilsens apart from other eateries in the area. Coffee is consistent and my piccolo today was just the wonderful hit of silky smooth caffeine that I needed.

I can't comment on the full menu because every time I have eaten there I have had the Salt & Pepper Calamari.  The entree size is perfect for a lady's lunch and at $14.50 is a reasonable price for a great dish. And,  they have no problem selling you just an entree.  It is served with a lovely salad and chips (ok , so they are a bit naughty but...). The calamari has been perfect every time and I have left been satisfied with my meal.  I have never heard any other diners I have been with grumble so overall a satisfying menu.

A Daily Specials board provides alternatives to the menu.  I have to admit the best one I have seen was the plate of Smoked BBQ Ribs, they smelt divine and the plate was so big that they seriously could have fed a small village.  I saw a few guys tuck into that meal and thought they might have had some explaining to do at night when they were trying to finish their dinner.

Next time you are visiting Geebung, Bilsens Bistro is worth searching for.