Category Archives: CarolCooks2

Tuesday Thoughts…6th June 2023…Australia Part 3..Hutt Lagoon, Port Gregory, Kalabarri Skywalk, Natures Window,

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Welcome to part 3 of our Australian trip…WA is so diverse, vast and very beautiful…back in Baldavis, Perth for the week I was happy to discover that walking is easy here as the walking routes run alongside the roads separated only by trees and shrubs…very well thought out…

The Banksia Prionotes is a striking bush stroke small tree and one which I snapped on my walk as the flowers are so striking…

Commonly known as acorn banksia or orange banksia, It is native to the southwest of Western Australia and can reach up to 10 m in height. It can be much smaller in more exposed areas or in the north of its range.

Banksias are a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, which makes sense considering they’ve become a popular wedding flower. These flowers are also ancient––the earliest fossil record of one being more than 50 million years old!…

It was lovely although nippy for me-smile- well it is autumn here and nearly winter to see the different flowers and a treat to walk around shops with so much to offer that I used to eat I was like a kid in a sweet shop…I did however sneak some parsnips and swede into my suitcase…they mind what you bring into Australia although they have no problem with what you take out..even between individual states or provinces there are strict rules on what you can take out for example my daughter wanted to buy some honey from another state and she was not allowed…the rules are very strict for a reason but it keep outside diseases out…

It was then back for the weekend to Dongarra where Donna had planned a trip further up North to Kalbarri…Situated where the Murchison River meets the Indian Ocean, the town of Kalbarri is surrounded by the soaring inland and coastal gorges of Kalbarri National Park, protected swimming bays like the Blue Holes, superb walking trails, and over 1000 species of wildflowers.

The scenery here is breathtaking…on the drive to Kalbarri we stopped at the Pink Lake, Port Gregory…known as Hutt Lagoon photo shoots including Lancôme’s Life is Beautiful campaign and Myer’s Jennifer Hawkins Summer collection have been shot here…I can understand why as it is very beautiful and if the sun is in the correct position it is very pink…

The pink hue is created by the presence of carotenoid-producing algae, Dunaliella salina, which is a source of beta-carotene; a food-colouring agent; and a source of Vitamin A…isn’t nature wonderful…?

It was then another drive to our destination for the weekend after the men stopped of for another pie…

Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia.

The Kalbarri Skywalk offers breathtaking views of the Murchison River gorge and its spectacular surrounding landscape…it also and not before time in my mind acknowledges that the Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of Kalbarri National Park…

There is a beautiful gallery here with lots of information surrounding the treatment of the Aborigines and looking at the images and reading the text was heartbreaking…I’ll stop here with my thoughts as this post is not the time or place and Australia is not the only country who should be ashamed of the treatment of indigenous peoples.

While the drop may not be as slightly terrifying as what you can experience from the skywalk in the Grand Canyon, the larger of the two skywalks extends an impressive 25 metres over the edge of the gorge, making one feel like they are walking out over nothing…we then carried on to the beautiful natures window …Nature’s Window is accessed via an easy 1km return walk…

The Natures Window Walk Trail is a picturesque, moderate, one-kilometre return walk beginning with a flight of stairs from the lookout at the carpark descending down to Natures Window, a wind-eroded opening in the layered sandstone that frames a view of the mighty Murchison River.

 

When viewed from the right angle, the wind-eroded opening in the sandstone frames the Murchison River in the gorge below perfectly.

It was then back to Dongarra for another wonderful crayfish dinner before we had to head back to Perth for the last few days of our holiday which has been fabulous…but before that, we were lucky to get another trip on the boat to pull some more crays…

Where I was treated to another freshly landed cray…my last one cooked on the boat until I return again…Time to head back to Perth where I have some last-minute shopping to do and a visit to Penguin Island at Shoalwater Bay but that’s for another day…

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour of WA…X

Monday Musings…5th June 2023…Australia part 2…Heirisson Island, Kings Park, Perth,

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Good morning and welcome to Monday Musings and a lovely wet morning it is with overnight much-needed rain…Today I am sharing some more of my Australian trip…After the nightmare journey I had on my UK trip last year I am pleased to report that the flight and connections were seamless and trouble-free… the bonus after all my stress and worry was we sailed through immigration and it was lovely to see Donna and the boys waiting for us …not boys anymore but tall strapping young men who tower over me but at heart they are still how I remember them.

The next morning after unpacking and packing a weekend bag… Donna drove us after first picking up her OH Brennan to Dongarra where they live…a town of about 2,500 people with beautiful bougainvillaea flowering everywhere we settled in our nice comfortable room and then had our first meal one of many of the beautiful crayfish(rock lobster)…the next morning she took me on an early morning walk…along the Irwin river beach trail…

We went uphill and down dale through dunes up and down lots of steps to the beach along the way we saw wild pink peppercorns…These limestone rocks house many honeybees you can sometimes see the honeycombs but I’m not brave enough to risk their wrath to collect one apparently some do but I’m sure they are experts and wear appropriate clothing…it was just lovely to see so many nooks and crannies where the bees make their combs…I’m guessing because of the remoteness the honey bees feel safe and have a bounty of wonderful plants and flowers from whence to collect the pollen they needed…it was a lovely walk and we only saw one other person… it is beautifully remote and so lovely a bit nippy but I soon warmed up and I was rewarded by a lovely hot chocolate in a local cafe when our walk was over…

The next morning as you probably know we were taken out on the cray boat and saw first-hand how crays are pulled…and also about the cray and fishing industry in Dongarra…it was just so lovely to be out on the open sea and witness the lifestyle in that area…

On the journey back to Perth on Monday after a lovely weekend spent with our darling girl we of course had to stop off for a pie I quickly learnt that pies are big business here and Aussies love their pies as does my OH…me I don’t eat pies but no matter as long as the men were happy and had full stomachs then the world was all right…

Back in Perth, I had some lovely early morning walks..Perth has changed and is more built up but still small by city standards…

Surrounded by water I love Perth and overlooked by the lovely Kings Park plus Heirisson Island is nestled between the suburbs of East Perth and Victoria Park on the Swan River.

The island is an important part of the City’s Nyoongar heritage and a beautiful oasis of calm in Perth, full of kangaroos.

The Nyoongar name for the area is Matagarup (meaning ‘leg deep’) which has been retained for the island. This video shows you how Perth City is surrounded by water and conservation of species is high on the agenda,,,

The kangaroos on this island are wild kangaroos and feeding is not allowed but they have plenty of vegetation. This video also shows a beautiful sunset over the City of Perth where else would you get a city skyline and kangaroos…

Freemantle is one of my favourite places in Perth there is a beautiful old undercover market and I was amazed at how many different cuisines there were on offer it was also very crowded…but Donna and I brought a lovely necklace we brought each other one…My choice was rose quartz and Fluorite which is a beautiful green colour…which means we can change our stone depending on our mood or outfit of course there was fudge -smile-plus a lovely honey cake which is only found in Perth…or Freeo to be precise…

The honey cake I brought home as a gift for a friend and she loved it..not having had anything quite like it before it really is a beautiful cake…they also do jars of honeymisu…which sounds absolutely delicious the cake upon going onto the website and learning they do honeymisu is a recipe handed down by the owners family who originates from the Czech Republic…so I am on the search for a cake layered with honey which I think I have found it looks very similar so watch this space I will be giving it a go very soon.

Kings Park which is high above Perth is a beautiful park…one that gives a 360 view over Perth City…

I absolutely love trees especially when the trunks form some wonderful shapes like the pink peppercorn I actually didn’t realise that the trees grew that big I’ve always thought that peppercorns grew on a bush..how wrong was I…

There were also many different varieties of the Eucalyptus and most were in flower…This trip has been full of different types of landscapes some very remote and stunning others beautiful and with lots of native plants..I have learnt much on this visit about the world we have inherited about indigenous peoples who live and work on some of these lands…who produce stunning artwork…it certainly was a time for family and discovery of places and previously untried foods a wonderful holiday …

More to come next time…I hope you have enjoyed this snapshot of my holiday in WA…

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…28th May-3rd June 2023-Monday Musings…Perth Skyline, A-Z the Spice Island of Granada, Bumplings WA, Brendan Pang,Masterchef Australia, Smorgasbord Health, the Circulatory System…

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Welcome to my weekly roundup of posts just in case, you are like me and find a roundup helpful especially when the week has been busy…This is my first roundup for a few weeks as I have been on a break to Australia we certainly noticed the drop in temperatures as it was the end of Autumn there hence the early mornings were brisk but the days were sunny albeit far cooler than I am used to however now I have dropped quite a few kilos I could raid my daughters and daughters-in-law wardrobes for warmer clothes…

We had the best time and had the best news on our return was that Donna’s scan showed no growth or change and as the doctor said they had no way of knowing as these were her first two lung scans whether the legion had been there all along… they will do follow up scans but are happy that it is nothing of concern which was a great relief all round…

I am easing my way back to blogging gently starting with Monday Musings where my muse pinpoints anything exciting or unusual I have read, seen or experienced during the last week it could be anything that piques my interest…we are now in June…can you believe it?

Monday Musings…

This Monday’s musing was a little about our Australia trip…also on my trip I saw a 3D printer in action and I was fascinated… my grandson made me a model of Perth and has promised to make me one of Bangkok he also made me another figurine and I can use it to store my SD cards…I spoke the other week about dissolvable vaccine patches and can now see how those and a gun can be made it is awesome to watch it in action I was just dumbstruck at the precision..

My little notebook fits in just fine and although it probably wasn’t intended for that use it sits next to me and reminds me of Josh every time I look at it and it is all about memories don’t you think?

Monday Musings…15th May 2023…Australia…

I think it is very important to be aware of what we can do as we age to help our bodies stay healthy…we all know diet and exercise are important as we age but are we aware of our circulatory systems and how we can recognise common problems and know how we can maybe prevent them or get the necessary treatment if some of these problems occur…To read this post in full from Smorgasbord Magazine please click the highlighted link below…

Smorgasbord Health Column 2023 – The Body Our Greatest Asset – The Circulatory System – Part Two – Common problems with blood vessels by Sally Cronin

When I was researching for this post I had a hankering to visit although I most probably never will however it is the sort of island that I would love to visit…It is not called the Spice Island for nothing and they are all spices I love and use although I admit I don’t use nutmeg enough… This fertile volcanic land, with its plentiful sunshine and warm air from the sea, makes it ideal to grow most crops, especially cocoa and nutmeg, both of which Grenada exports to the rest of the world…often the trees sit next to other fruits like mango or cinnamon, so when the roots mix, the cocoa absorbs flavours giving it a distinctive taste…Grenadian cocoa for me is one of the best…I hope you enjoy the virtual tour of this beautiful island of Grenada…

CarolCooks2…A-Z World Cuisines…Part 30…Grenada…the Spice Isle…

I’m a firm believer that our diets are a reflection of some of today’s lifestyle diseases and that by changing our diets we can help our bodies remain as disease free as possible…Part 3 of this series written by Sally of Smorgasbord Magazine advises us on a Healthy eating plan – for the circulation system…

Personally, I have been shocked by the recent figures worldwide on type 2 diabetes and by friends who have this and have had to have amputations it has scared the bejesus out of me and made me wonder why when diseases like this can be addressed by diet and exercise that more people don’t help themselves…

To obtain this plan please click the highlighted link below which will redirect you to Smorgasbord Magazine where you can read the original post…See you there xx

Smorgasbord Health Column 2023 – The Body our Greatest Asset – The Circulatory System – Part Three – The Healthy Eating Plan by Sally Cronin

Thank you for joining me today…I hope those of you who have a bank holiday are having lovely weather…I am looking outside as I type and the wind is blowing up so methinks we may get another tropical storm it is the rainy season and most welcome…

Pictured below are some snapshots from my Australian visit…my daughter knows what a fan I am of Masterchef both the English and Australian ones in particular so Donna and my grandsons took us to Bumplings an Airstream dumpling kitchen she also gave me a book on dumplings signed by Brendan Pank of Masterchef fame…the food was absolutely delicious we were lucky to only have a short wait for a table…I had the spicy Beef Dan Dan Noodles and Donna had the Crispy Pork Wontons pictured, the boys had Bao Buns and MauritianPork Belly Noodles…

The beautiful majestic Baibab Tree was one of the trees in Kings Park a beautiful park that overlooks Perth City…Dongara is where my daughter lives and those steps both down and up were part of the walks we went on she certainly had me exercising those glutes…The view over the gorge and the river was from the skywalk in Kalbarri(not) Kalbassi in the image I got my r’s and s’s in a muddle-smile- I will share more tomorrow in Monday Musings…Hope to see you there in the meantime enjoy your Sunday xx

Monday Musings…8th May 2023…Coca Cola, 1st patent for a gasoline-driven automobile…King Charles III and Jock Zonfrillo a Masterchef Legend…

Welcome to Monday Musings where my muse pinpoints anything exciting or unusual I have read, seen or experienced during the last week it could be anything that piques my interest…as I type the weather has gone from 44C which it has been for most of this week to dark and thundery and boy is the thunder loud here and a 26C so much cooler…is it just crashing noisily about or will we get much-needed rain?

Of course, Saturday King Charles was crowned… another moment in history…I thought he looked most overwhelmed…a long-awaited time for him.

I also loved the moment when William pledged his allegiance to his father and King a lovely father and son moment…plus the beautiful Kate showed her support as she curtsied to her King…A joyous occasion!

A sobering moment for me this last week was how mortal we are and how we should treat every day as a blessing as we never know what tomorrow will bring…

I am a huge Masterchef fan and was saddened to hear of the passing of Jock Zonfrillo a much-loved and respected Masterchef Judge and chef…This morning I watched the first episode of the new series his family wanted it to go ahead it was surreal watching a young apparently healthy man knowing that he was now dead…I feel so sorry for his wife and young children who won’t see their beloved daddy again…R, I.P. Jock…I’m sure you are cooking up a storm up there…

Did you know?

Today on 8th May 1879 George Selden filed for the 1st patent for a gasoline-driven automobile…

It was also on this same day in 1886, that Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta sells the first Coca-Cola which was in a syrup form that (contained cocaine)…It was the creation of Dr John Pemberton as a tonic for common ailments.

He likely had no idea what was in store for his product, the company, and an industry that would grow into the giant it is today…on his death, the company’s new chairman made changes and the cocaine was removed and the drink coco-cola was born…the rest is history…

Two events that have had a grave impact on the planet and our health…in one way or another…

Thank you for joining me for Monday Musings as always I look forward to your comments I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead x

Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen…May 3rd 2023…Potato Peel Crisps, Spicy Red Curry Balls,Organic Garden Fertilizer…

 

Welcome to May’s edition of Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen …my happy place where I cook from scratch and avoid anything with hormones and chemicals in it…I also hate waste, especially now prices are rising around the world in stores PLUS energy costs are on the increase…it is also hot here so I spend as little time as I can in the kitchen unless it is absolutely necessary… I do this by planning and batch cooking…

Food waste is an enormous problem in the US: America wastes roughly 40 per cent of its food, which leads to pollution and other environmental damage, and is a waste of natural resources and a waste of money. While edible food is lost at every point along the food chain — on farms and fishing boats, during processing and distribution, in retail stores, in restaurants and more.

So, the question is, how do we reduce food waste?

The answer might seem simple: don’t let food spoil, right?

But food waste happens in a bunch of different ways: You go out to eat and don’t love the meal you ordered, leaving the majority on your plate to get scraped into the garbage. Or you pick up a bag of oranges and forget about a few in the back of the fridge, where they turn mushy. You cut off the greens of carrots or beets, or peel root vegetables, and not realizing the potential use of these nutrition-packed scraps, you toss them in the trash…

Take the last line greens and peel I wasn’t one of the many who purchased an air fryer and apparently nearly 60% of U.S. households own an air fryer…I wonder how many of them are using fruit and veg peels to make chips…

According to dieticians…Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Chips] and we are talking only 10 chips here will provide 7 grams of total fat and 1 gram of saturated fat …that’s just the fat content for 10 chips…

and of course, you can ring the changes with any other fruit or vegetable peels…Do you make air fryer Crisps?

I haven’t been doing very much cooking in my kitchen at the moment plus if you are wondering why I have been banging on again about food waste and hormones and chemicals in our food it’s because I am scared for not only my family but yours…Cancer is on the rise and in my immediate family at the moment I have 2 daughters with breast cancer, Lauren has not finished her treatment last week she started the acid infusions and they restarted her monthly stomach implants both had been put on hold as the side effects of the many chemos they tried(due) to her bodies adverse reactions took longer than normal to complete plus her side effects were extreme…Donna has finished her treatment however during a routine follow-up scan they discovered a lesion on the wall of one of her lungs…Her second scan was on May 1st as if that wasn’t enough 2 of my sister in laws have breast cancer plus my husband’s sister, daughter’s son of 6 yrs old has been diagnosed with cancer we awaiting the results of his bone marrow…

Over the last few decades, doctors have been seeing dramatic increases in cancer in adults younger than 50…A new review of cancer registry records from 44 countries found that the incidence of early-onset cancers is rising rapidly for colorectal and 13 other types of cancers, many of which affect the digestive system, and this increase is happening across many middle- and high-income nations.

Personally, I put it down to hormones in our foods, chemicals and preservatives in our food, household cleaners, and cosmetics in fact almost everything we use on a daily basis in our homes has ingredients that are adverse to our health…That scares me and I like to think I am careful with my household purchases and have been over the years…

I can count 13 and a half sugar cubes in that one bottle of Coke Cola and likely similar amounts in any other brand of soda…

Where do you shop? Do you grow your own, do you shop locally or do you one of the big stores? This video talks you through how you can shop sustainably and help the environment and small businesses…

Episode 14: Keeping it Local: Avoiding Big Box Stores

Another tasty use for cold rice…Spicy red curry, Pork, Rice and Coconut Balls.

These spicy rice balls are a lovely way to use up any leftover cooked rice and are quite delicious. They are one of the first things I was taught to cook by my daughter-in-law more years ago than I care to remember. Whenever we have a party or anything they are one of the first things to be eaten, adults and kids alike love them.

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 We had these last night and we did have a couple left over….. guess what I have just had with some ginger and chilli, lime juice squeezed over it and wrapped in a white cabbage leaf… all the Thai flavours and textures..so yummy!

 

Ingredients:

  • 500 gms cold cooked rice.
  • 250 gms minced pork.
  • 150 gm coconut flesh. I have a funny little gadget that I bought long ago and I scrape the flesh out of a fresh coconut…
  • 1-3 tbsp red curry paste.
  • 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar.
  • 2 eggs beaten.

Let’s Cook!

Mix all ingredients together it will be slightly sticky. With wet hands shape into medium-sized balls about 3-4 cm.

Heat oil until hot but not smoking as the outside will cook before the inside and cook rice balls for 15-20 minutes until brown and cooked through…keep an eye on the temperature of your oil…

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These balls are best eaten with a piece of white cabbage, some diced ginger and chilli put a ball or part of it on the cabbage and wrap it around, squeeze some lime juice over it and eat, it is a crunchy fusion of Thai flavours, so yummy and a great way to use up cold rice.

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If you are a vegetarian then omit the pork and you still have tasty rice balls….In fact, a lot of the balls you buy on the markets do not have Pork. If you don’t use pork then adjust your cooking time.

If you are not sure of the level of spice then form a small ball having used the lower level of paste and fish sauce, fry a tester. Then if you need to…Add more chilli paste.

Enjoy!

Gardening Hacks Corner…Bananas and eggs organic fertilizer.

I grow what I can and some plants need calcium to aid their growth like tomatoes…I came across this hack and if you have overripe bananas dig a hole and add a banana plus an egg or egg shells and fill it in then plant your calcium-loving tomato plants or other plants on top and the calcium from the banana and the egg will be slowly released into the soil..

Fact: About 5 gallons of water per day is required for one banana tree. Over the 270 days it takes to produce bananas, that tree will use over 1,300 gallons of water. Americans throw away 5 billion bananas every year! That means billions of gallons of water are thrown away too!

Thank you for joining me today as always I appreciate your visit and your comments…If you were wondering why the image of figs on the header image its because I am looking forward to eating some lovely fresh figs on my Australian Visit as they are season now it’s very rare I find fresh figs here so I am looking forward to eating some lovely fresh figs…xx

Thursday Thoughts…27th April 2023…Arbor Day, Fast Food Restaurants, Aboriginal Elder playing a Gum Leaf…

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts…in these days of ever-increasing processed food production where traditional methods are being replaced by using chemicals to speed up the processes …we need to be aware to avoid the traps…plus we need to be savvy and careful how we spend our hard earned pennies when costs are rising…

During times of economic downturns, consumers turn to treats and snacks as a way to indulge when the world feels chaotic and money is tight…the stats on this don’t make pretty reading so be aware when treating the kids…that someone is out to relieve you of a bit more than you bargained for…

Today Fast Food Restaurants are under my spotlight!

Did you know? In Japan, napping at work won’t get you fired. In fact, taking time out for a snooze is seen as honourable and a sign of diligence by employers.

As most of you know April is Earth Month and it’s drawing to a close now but I do hope that you all have decided on at least one thing that you can do to help save the world…Tomorrow as April draws to a close is Arbor Day(US)…Much like Earth Month/Day, it is a holiday which celebrates nature…

Its purpose is to encourage people to plant trees, and many communities traditionally take the opportunity to organize tree-planting and litter-collecting events on or around the holiday.

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to the United States Naval Academy…All these books I thoroughly enjoyed reading…and would recommend highly…

While reading Jacquies recent post on her next trilogy Savage Land  I watched the videos, Jacqui used to clarify some points all great videos however the one that fascinated me the most was the Aboriginal Elder playing a gum leaf… I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for joining me today it’s another hot one here I hope wherever you are in the world your weather is being kind to you as always I look forward to your comments…