Our Banjo Grew His Angel Wings…

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Yesterday our Banjo grew his angel wings and left our home forever.

Beautiful Banjo joined our family late in 2009, he immediately blended in with our family both human and four legged, of then, an elderly Pekingese, Princess, and Christoopher’s new Border Collie puppy, Duchess.  When the breeder asked what I would like to name our kitten, it was immediately obvious to me, his mother’s name was Matilda, so he should be named Banjo!

Banjo – just one month old!
Banjo- just hanging around…
Banjo – a kitten at play

Banjo and Duchess become best friends, Duchess would let Banjo get away with all manner of torture that a cat could bestow on a dog, teeth, claws and dive bombing her at speed!  Duchess was a gentle soul.

On the inside looking out!
A little hide and seek!
Banjo & Duchess at play…
Banjo & Duchess at play!

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The Month that was Christmas!

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The month of Christmas began with appropriately themed cooking classes run throughout our district, and finished with fabulous family gatherings…

Cooking classes for kids were all about Christmas treats,

Cooking with Kids – Christmas Treats
Cooking with Kids – Christmas Treats

and for the adults there was a meal that was budget friendly, various Christmas dishes from around the world and, of course, the Christmas hamper.

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Our Family’s Traditional Trifle

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While there are many fancy versions of trifle around, for me, there is no going past the traditional trifle that my mum, and my Nana, used to make!  It takes time, so was really only prepared for special occasions, and you know what, I think that’s what makes it even more of a treat!  The anticipation makes your mouth water as you wait for it to appear on the table during festive celebrations.

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My Little Kitchen Desk

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A few years ago, for my birthday, I asked Gary to find me a little desk, I initially wanted to have it on the front porch, where I liked to sit on warm mornings.  He went in search of, and found, a cute, old, school desk, it was a little tall and painted mission brown, but I still loved it.  He immediately cut a wee portion off the legs to make it the correct height, it was put in place, still brown, but it fitted and really didn’t look out of place, but I never really used it.

My little brown desk on the front porch…

A few months ago I decided that I wanted to move it into the kitchen, a place where I could make notes as I worked on recipes, or other kitchen jobs.  We found some paint in the shed, and Gary got to work sanding it back and giving it a paint of antique white.   It looks fabulous!  It has a little bottle that sits snugly in the ink well hole, where I can place a single flower from the garden.  It makes me smile.

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The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits & Nana’s Biscuit Tin

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There’s a recipe book that graces the shelves of many in Australia, The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits, and like, mine, I’m sure they are well used.

The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits – Ever reliable recipes

When I was a child, my nana, Elvie McDonald, would bake up a storm, filling biscuit (cookie) tins with a variety of biscuits, to be gifted to each of her adult children’s families.  We all had favourites, for me it was her melting moments, others loved her gingernuts, others, Anzacs, and so on, and it was a sad day when the last of your favourites had vanished from the tin.  When the tin was empty, it would be returned to nana, and she would use it to store her baked goods in throughout the year, before beginning the cycle again.  While I don’t have one of her large biscuit tins, I do have a smaller tin,  and use it to, fittingly, store my biscuit cutters in.

Nana’s Biscuit Tin
Inside Nana’s Biscuit Tin
Nana’s Biscuit Tin

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