Road Warriors

Or Long Day's Journey...

Hi C,

I had a great adventure last week when I flew out to Scottsdale, Arizona to meet up with my daughter, Mary Beth. We rented a car and drove west through the desert to downtown LA where we shopped for the store in the "fashion district". We met up with Jen from nextdoor and her friend Patrice, who was so kind to be our guide into unknown territory. It was great fun! We stayed at the historic Biltmore Hotel, built in 1923, known for its architecture and famous guests. Thought you'd enjoy a few photos of our trip.

R

    Renting the Car                 The Desert Mobile       Ready to Hit the Road

Quartzsite, Arizona...a bead lovers dream come true, Need to go back there!

The Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA

Street scenes and shopping the fashion district

Scarves for shelter give hope and warmth to many

Hi R
Loved the article about your project.  I thought I would post the details so others could read about this 'feel good in every way' project.   I almost wish it was cold enough here so I could wear one of them.   Clara

1. Scarves for Shelter

The piece shown here is one of many, all designed in my studio in limited editions or as one of a kind. They are part of nextdoor's community project, Scarves for Shelter. A portion of the proceeds go toward the production of the shelter scarves. This year we will be knitting 500 scarves for Hope Center in Waukesha. Thanks for your support and helping us stick to our knitting.

This year our goal is to deliver 500 scarves by the end of the year. For more ways to contribute, check out our Community Events page and follow us on facebook.

Renotta Thompson  Project Knitway

Thank You 30 West!
Read the full article on 'Thank You 30 West!' http://projectknitway.blogspot.com/2011/12/blogblog-blog.html

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Why not be a perfectly natural red head?

Hi R
I have been dying to talk about hair, mainly about issues to do with dyeing it or not - and now you have provided me with the perfect timing.   I have cut out articles from magazines etc, have observed brave friends who have taken the au - naturale road (no no no! Not me! Silly girl!),  so feel I am quite expert at the subject; and I am totally with  you.  Why not be a perfectly natural red head?  I agree with Lynee - you look like a movie star!  More to come on this strand but in the meantime, I am wondering how it has changed your life.
Clara of blonde tresses

Red, Set Go...
self portrait taken with my iPhone and photo shopped just a tiny bit

Have you ever just wanted a change? You know something to brighten your day, set your world on fire? Well that was me yesterday at the hair salon. Why not go red? After all I was born a red head.My father's nick name was Red. I have fair skin and freckles, perfect for red hair. So I pulled the plug (on the bottle)and unleashed the real me. Reddy, set, go. What do you think?
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Happy Chinese New Year heralds in the Year of the Dragon

Hi R

Happy Chinese New Year.

In China, the New Year is known as "Spring Festival" so we were asked to dress in bright colours in order to attract wealth  when we went to a magnificent dinner party hosted by a chinese friend, to herald in the Year of the Dragon.

龍 Dragon

辰 Chen

February 5, 2000

January 23, 2012

February 10, 2024

 

Our hostess cooked a magnificent dinner but we brought a few pre dinner nibbles / finger food.  Here is the recipe for my Asian Chicken Bites, which everyone seemed to enjoy. Usually I would serve them with a dipping sauce but decided just a squeeze of lemon juice was all that was needed.

Happy healthy wealthy chinese new year to all.

Clara

Asian Chicken Bites
These tasty little chicken balls are ideal for party / finger food. I hope the dragon likes them!
500g minced chicken
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp ginger finely grated

1 to 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 birdseye chilli finely chopped and/or 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 spring onions finely chopped or 1 onion
1/4 bunch coriander finely chopped
1 egg white, beaten (you can use the whole egg if desired)
Soy sauce to taste
squeeze of lemon juice
Vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients then roll into small balls, (using damp hands to assist this process.) Pan fry in oil until golden, or for a lighter dish, arrange chicken in a baking dish, on baking paper and cook in a hot to moderate oven for approx 20 minutes until turning golden. (For best results start with a hot oven and turn down a little after 10 minutes) Makes approx 30 bite sized balls. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and garnish with coriander or mint.



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School reunions a blast from the past

Hi R
Yesterday was a blast from the past as I attended a High School reunion.

School reunions are fun / confronting / interesting / but most of all, they make one realise how much time has passed. I'm not going to mention it publicly as I am in denial, even though if you go to www.babyboomerconnections.com.au and read the 'Memoirs of a Babyboomer', you will get a fair idea.

No-one mentioned the piano accordian
I was required to play at school functions.
Best forgotten perhaps!
What is the definition of a great accordian player?
Answer - One who is a great player of the accordian
but doesn't.

Enough time has passed to mould our lives into a rich and complex tapestry, with more than two generations adding the colourful threads of their lives. The two lunch tables of lovely women exchanged details and empathy re those years, mainly about relationships, past work and present day retirement.

I didn't count, but there seemed to be many of us who pursued the teaching path,(which by the way, has held me in good stead in rocky times and involves me still in the joy of relating to children). My theory as to why I became a teacher, is because of the expectations of the girls' school we attended. In those days, you were encouraged to be a teacher / nurse / secretary - going to University wasn't explored in depth. If ever you strayed towards being less than compliant, the threat was that you wouldn't be eligible for a Teachers College Scholarship.   The teachers were good role models and at a time when the social fibre for women was changing, we were encouraged to achieve our best potential, even though it seemed to be limited at that stage. 
I
 took Home Economics as a  subject and I'm really thankful for the practical background it gave me. To this day, I am an avid cook, was a competent dressmaker, and still use many of the basic principles I learnt then. These are skills which are meaningful, useful, and fulfilling and I believe they are neglected today.

One of my memories, is of being late and having to go to the headmistress (can't remember her name but she was scary) who said to me, " Your hair is a very strange colour." Which was unfortunate because it was actually my natural blonde colour!  I add here that, I made my own school uniform and had adjusted the design slightly to make it more alluring. 
Another, was of Miss ....., Help - with severely dyed black hair, cut in a dramatic bob with short fringe - English teacher who acted out so many of our texts. One in particular, was "We of the Never Never", where she acted out the scene where cup handles were threaded on her fingers as the character adjusted to colonial life. 

I must have been going through a time where how I looked was important (possibly nothing has changed), when I was distracted from class by looking at my nails. She said, "My nails, my nails, by beautiful nails, my interest in you never fails, I dream about you day and night and sometimes even take a bite."
They were good times and there was a good sound background. We were lucky and to this day, I would recommend a single sex school.

I have been actively working on what makes for a successful retirement through the blog, which documents day by day events and ideas. What I have come up with beyond the need to keep active etc is fairly simple - mainly that we need to work on this period of life and not just let it happen; to be interested and engaged in something which makes you want to get up in the morning; and social interaction beyond just the family.

I would be interested in your thoughts.
I have posted the photos - a bit fuzzy for some reason, probably the lighting - but that's OK. I quite like 'fuzzy' these days!

Clara

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Grey nomads on the road again - with Elvis

Hi R
And a few other friends have been on the move, touring around Australia and have survived - even enjoyed it!  Being a grey nomad has not been a popular choice in our family where I refer to caravans as the "C" word.  G keeps moving slowly but surely in that direction  - buying a 4 wheel drive and then putting a tow bar on it (very subtle!)

Must admit our friends looked wonderful on their return and had some great tales to tell. Hmmmmmm.

We had a celebratory dinner with the nomad theme where much fun was had by all, as you can see from the video.  We all dressed up as nomads, but I just couldn't do it, so I dressed as a female Elvis.  Why you ask?  Because the only way I could be lured in this direction, is if there is a purpose / destination of interest such as the Elvis festival which is on in Parkes this weekend.

Reluctant nomad
Clara
ps - I suppose I could still be a blogger.

Click on arrow below for important grey nomad interview.

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I'm excited too re winning the battle of the bulge

Battle of the Bulge by
Lynee Follow That Girl who could write a book about jeans; styles, length, what shoes and tops to wear.
She says about me (generously) "My boss has this friend from Australia, Clara -who coincidentally writes a blog called "Fit in Your Jeans Cuisine". How perfect.
The photo's of the finished recipes are gorgeous and mouth watering."
Thanks Lynee, for your kind words. Can't wait to hear how you went and what you were wearing when you cooked your meal.
Clara

It's getting to that time of year. You know, THAT time of year. It's when my husband watches in disgust as I jump, lay on the floor, do a dance routine, lunges or cry to get on my skinny jeans. After I painstakingly inch the zipper up and nearly lose a nail buttoning them, I promise myself that "Today, I'm only eating water." The next thing I know I'm eyeing up something that looks like this...

I am announcing today that I will wear my skinny jeans with comfort all year around. And no, I cannot survive only eating water.

So what am I going to do? I'm going to actually follow Clara's recipes, and make sure I only eat my small portion! I'm excited, and so is my husband. You see, I'm not a very good cook. I screw up scrambled eggs, burn the toast, overcook the noodles and dry out the chicken. So, I plan to write about my "Fit in your Jeans Cuisine" diet once a month, my wins, my failures... my poor husbands love while he eats it even when it's awful (of course I'll throw in what awesome outfit I'm wearing from Next Door while I slave away in the kitchen). Are you excited? I'm excited!

Lynee

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Red, Set Go...

Hi C,

self portrait taken with my iPhone and photo shopped just a tiny bit

Have you ever just wanted a change? You know something to brighten your day, set your world on fire? Well that was me yesterday at the hair salon. Why not go red? After all I was born a red head.My father's nick name was Red. I have fair skin and freckles, perfect for red hair. So I pulled the plug (on the bottle)and unleashed the real me. Reddy, set, go. What do you think?


love 


R 

In Australia, we do things to Pizzas that no self respecting Italian would do - with delicious results

Hi R
Thought I would continue to warm you up by showing you more of our magnificent coast line and to share a wonderful meal we had there.  You could substitute the seafood for left over ham if you have any left, and garnish with capers or olives etc.  In Australia, we do things to Pizzas that no self respecting Italian would do -  with simply delicious results!
Clara

Nambucca Nosh

John's OK delicious Pizza served at sunset

Star ingredients but you could substitute
with that ham if there is any left

Secret is having a thin base -
this one is a commercial wholemeal version

Spread some tomato pizza sauce

Add the seafood (and if you wish some salami slices - hmmmm)

Add red onion slices and artichoke hearts

Finish with a slurp of sweet chilli sauce and a
light sprinkling of mozzarella cheese
Bake in a moderate to hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Enjoy, with the sunset at Nambucca Heads

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Hi R
I hope you are relaxing and taking it easy after yet another huge year. 

Had a lovely time but this is how I felt after Xmas

We spent a few recovery days at Nambucca Heads which is a delightful, relaxing coastal destination about a 5 hour drive north of Sydney.   I'll let the video below take you there.  Clara

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New Year's Resolution to fit in your jeans

Hi R

Time to reflect and move forward with or without a New Years' Resolution. Oscar Wilde wrote," A New Year Resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other."
and "Good resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account."

I like this one by Hal Borland - "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

So do we or do we not make one???? I found some of Sonja Lyubomirsky's hints to be helpful from her recent book 'The How of Happiness'.
A summary of a goal's / project's ideal characteristics.


Identify what you expect to accomplish

* Imposed by self
* Approach rather than avoidance
* Flexible and be able to work with other aspects of your life
* Activity based - not relying on circumstance


Identify and Imagine the most positive outcome of your goal and the biggest obstacle that stands in the way. (The obstacle bit apparently is the tricky part which most of us don't think through.) They give the example re specific details of when and where and how the person wants to act in critical situations.
For example; If the goal is to "eat more fruit and vegetables", the subject might think of how they will act in restaurants, when travelling , and at other situations where they may be tempted not to follow through with the goal. Then they have to specify the behaviour they would do with an ..."if I am at a restaurant and they ask about dessert, then I will choose options with fruit, not cake."
Have fun

Happy healthy New Year
Clara

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How to put on skin tight jeans

"I only need a belt in case my jeans burst."

I only need a belt in case my jeans burst

Hi R
Thought you might benefit from some post Xmas hints on how to fit in your jeans.
G said,"I only need a belt in case my jeans burst."

Or Peter Hinchliff's experience, "The other day I got a clean pair of jeans out of the wardrobe. Then began a two-minute nightmare as I struggled to get into them. I couldn't get the wretched things past my knees, let alone fasten the button at the waist.


"Oh no," thought I in the midst of the wrestling match. "No more cake. No more biscuits. No more eating for a week." Then I noticed the label on the jeans. They were my wife's. She'd hung them in my wardrobe by mistake.


Everyone should be lucky enough to find a smaller person's jeans in their wardrobe after Christmas feasting. The relief at discovering they belong to someone else makes up for having gained an inch around the waist.......... and then about why it happens...... "Eating up every chocolate and biscuit, draining the whisky bottle to the last drop isn't mere self-indulgence. It's a duty. A display of appreciation. A way of saying thank you." Let waist-lines bulge and buttons strain as we accept the responsibility of showing appreciation to our gift-givers.

Like many people today we are more conscious that good food can taste indulgent without necessarily being so, with the obvious exceptions of course. So here are some of the delicious, less indulgent dishes we enjoyed on Xmas day, which I will post over the week. At this time of the year, one needs to keep on making the dishes rather than write about them.


Capsicum Dip with Parmesan Cheese Rounds
Thai BBQ prawns served with Mango and Avocado salad with snowpeas and roasted sesame seeds
Stuffed Turkey Breast, and honey cured ham with Green salad with Salsa Verde, and Roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad with goats' cheese and walnuts
Potato salad with yoghurt dressing
Pavlova with berries served with Yoghurt and Mascarpone cream.

We were very fortunate to have some wonderful wines to accompany each course, thanks to our resident wine expert.


I hope you all had a fantastic festive dinner and can still 'fit in your jeans.' If not, all is not lost - visit http://www.fitinyourjeanscuisine.com/ for tasty healthy food or if all else fails, read the instructions below on How to put on Skin Tight Jeans


Clara
Handy Hints
Put the jeans on in the morning, after a cold shower. Putting your skin-tight jeans on in the morning will increase the chances of success since you haven't eaten much. Also, a cold shower will get your body as taut as possible, making you slightly slimmer.
Wiggle into the jeans. Putting a belt through the jeans' belt loops will help you pull the jeans up. Using the belt as a grip, wiggle side to side to get the jeans over your hips.
Zip up first. Closing the button is almost always the hardest part of putting on skin tight jeans, so try get the zipper closed first. If the jeans are really skin tight, hook the end of a hanger into the zipper so you can leverage the zipper up.
Hold your breath. Like an athlete at the finish line, the last step takes a deep breath in. Breathe in deeply so you contract your midsection and in one quick and deft motion get that button closed.


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Christmas Reflections - lovely to witness children's delight

Lovely to witness children's delight

Hi R
I can see that you had a wonderful traditional Christmas.
I had a great Christmas with friends and family when it was lovely to witness the children's anticipation of Santa's arrival along with their delight in opening presents.

However,  from the thoughtful, granny position, I am concerned about the balance in our society, of the religious celebration with the commercial version.  Many of our children are brought up in a spiritual vacuum, with schools no longer giving scripture lessons which were the only source for some.  As is the case in the natural world, a vacuum will attract other forces.  Children need to know what the story is, and can later make up their own minds  as to how they respond to it.
Hope AJ had lots of fun for his second Christmas.
Clara
SMH  - Saturday, December 24  contained a wealth of thought provoking articles.   As Hugh McKay says in The Essay  "......Christmas is quite simply the biggest festival of the year, rich with symbolism and ritual and steeped in enduring myths and legends that - like most enduring myths and legends - have something useful to teach us. In this case, humility is the keynote."

For more - http://babyboomerconnections.blogspot.com/2011/12/balance-santa-with-xmas-story.html

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A dish to use the Christmas ham deliciously

R wrote - "We had a lovely Christmas eve dinner of baked ham, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes and salad. Today we will have ham and eggs for breakfast, ham sandwiches for lunch and ham and bean soup for supper. I will welcome any other suggestions you have for ham."

A great way to use up Christmas ham.

A dish to use up the family ham so here it is. I love it's simplicity, it's balance and the contrast with Christmas food.
Ham, anchovy and fennel pasta








500g /1lb large pasta shells
1/4 cup olive oil
180 gm / 6 oz ham, cut finely
freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped anchovy
1 small fennel buIb - finely shaved
1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 long red chiIli~ chopped

Cook pasta in a large~saucepan of salted water. Drain and reserve.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy based saucepan on a medium heat.
Add ham, season with pepper and fry for five-minutes. Add anchovy and fry for one minute. Add pasta, fennel and parsley to saucepan and toss well.
Sprinkle with chilli and serve with salad leaves.

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Christmas Morning

Greetings C from the North Pole,


It's a balmy 32 degrees F at 8:10 on Christmas morning. I know that thanks to Dashboard, an app that follows me wherever I go and tells me where I am, what time it is, the temperature and the latest news. We had a lovely Christmas eve dinner of baked ham, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes and salad. Today we will have ham and eggs for breakfast, ham sandwiches for lunch and ham and bean soup for supper. I will welcome any other suggestions you have for ham. We enjoyed a glass of champagne while fashionably dressed for the north woods. Candles were glowing, fireplaces roaring and the tree lit. It was a very old fashioned Christmas and then we face timed with AJ, Andrea, Alexis and Anthony. Modern technology! Today I will spend a quiet time with my iPod, my iPad, my iPhone and my mac trying to figure all the photo stuff out. Thanks to photo streaming and iCloud, every time I take a photo it shows up on all the devices. I'm not sure if it is mystical, magical or just downright maddening! But I will persevere with the apples of my eye. Thought you'd enjoy a few photos taken and manipulated with these.

faux fur and real, with my faux uggs

self portrait photo shopped just a bit

Sunrise on Christmas Day

Best to you and your family,


Love


R

Merry Christmas

Hi C,

Merry Christmas C from the north pole. We're up here at the cabin and it is crunchy cold....0 degrees, a two paw kind of cold. That's when the dogs freeze up, stand on two legs and need to be carried back in. But it is very beautiful, a White Christmas, frosty and perfect. Santa surprised me with a pretty little tree all decked out on our deck. Deck the halls...

love,

R and R

Waiting for Santa

deck the deck

Asian herb salad ideal for christmas lunches



With a wonderfully wild freshness due to the overuse of
delicate herbs, this is a definite Clara favourite.

Hi there lovers of Asian Salad
Asian herb salad got the tick with key players at the birthday party so I am going to repeat it for Christmas Day.  It went perfectly with the first course of BBQ chicken skewers served Asian style. See link below
The wonderfully wild freshness is achieved by massive overuse of delicate herbs along with an Asian dressing.
Clara

Ingredients
250g / 8 oz rocket (arugula) leaves - (trimmed of excess stems (substitute any peppery lettuce)
125g / 4oz each of mint, basil, cilentro leaves (leaves picked from stems, washed and spun dry)
30g / 1 oz chervil if available
2/3 cup canned bamboo shoots - (preferably already cut into matchstick)
Dressing
2 shallots, peeled, halved, and finely sliced
l tbsp rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
l tsp sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp mirin
sea salt and pepper

For the dressing, mix the shallots, rice vinegar, and sugar together in
a small bowl and set aside.
Trim any excess stems from the arugula, and pick the herb leaves from
their stems. Rinse and spin dry the arugula and herbs. Cut the bamboo
shoots into matchsticks.
To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, mirin, sea salt, and
pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the shallot mixture, then taste
and adjust the flavors.
Very lightly toss the arugula, bamboo shoots, and herbs in the dressing,
and serve, with chopsticks.

Link for chicken skewers belowhttp://fitinyourjeanscuisine.blogspot.com/2010/10/skewers-capture-finger-food.html

Holidays give time for reflection and renewal



 Christmas and holiday greetings
 for fun with family and friends
Agapanthus  bloom at Christmas in Sydney and could be called our Poinsettia. Affectionately referred to as Aggies, they are hardy, enduring and self sufficient.

The video below takes you to my Christmas garden, with added  thoughts for reflection and renewal.
Clara





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Passionate about leafy greens and herbs

Hi R

Yes - Leafy greens again!!  From the garden

Blogger Queen is back!!!! - and so are my beloved green leaves.  I'm wondering if you are eating enough of them - they help everything else so must be good for insomnia.  The secret though is to get them as fresh as possible when you can virtually see the vitamins jumping out.  Obviously, the best way to eat greens is uncooked, fresh from the garden, with spinach or rocket being my favourites because of their versatility. They can be stir fried in a little olive oil, wilted by steaming for a very short time, but I love them when added to cooked vegetables, at the last minute for extra colour and super nutrition.
 
Christmas in Australia is salad oriented since it is mid summer, but we eat salad all year, sometimes adding the leaves to warm roasted vegetables and drizzling with a  dressing.   

We enjoy flat-leafed parsley, known for it's excellent flavour, spinach (perpetual leaf, easy to grow with continuous cropping), some shallots for salads which harvest in 8-12 weeks, to join the  rocket which can be sown all year round - love the peppery flavour added to roasted veges, and wilted rocket is divine. Our basil crop is doing well as is the lemon-scented thyme, lemon grass, Vietnamese mint, as well as ordinary mint - this part of the land has a few hazards re survival of the species - insects, possums (protected).

Because our little plot doesn't get quite enough sun, this year I have added some large pots of herbs in a sunny spot.  Even though the yield isn't huge, I adore being able to pick a few leafy greens every day, knowing that they are such a powerhouse re antiageing qualities. 

Clara 

Leafy Green Info
It was common for our ancient ancestors to eat up to six pounds of leaves per day, ie a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Calorie for calorie, they are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, can help prevent age-related cognitive decline and may also reduce your risk of skin cancer among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.
Almost Carb-Free, with the carbs that are there packed in layers of fibre, which make them very slow to digest.

Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important functions.
Vitamin K
•Regulates blood clotting
•Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
•May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthritis.
Fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.
Quick-cooking Greens
These greens can either be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Six cups of raw greens become approximately one cup of cooked greens and take only a few minutes to cook. Spinach, Chard, Rocket, Beet Greens, Dandelion greens, Sorrel and Cabbage belong in this category.
Greens should be dry or almost dry, after washing; store in a bag with as much of the air pushed out as you easily can. I like to put a barely damp paper towel in for just the right amount of moisture. Then, put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge.

Flipping Out

Hi C,


Sorry I missed calling you today. I was planning to call around 5am my time, 9pm your time. Best laid plans. There I was awake at 1 am with my usual insomnia. Out comes the iPad, not a good idea. Instead of lulling me back to sleep, it flipped me out with this app called Flipboard. You get lost in it, finding one more interesting bit of information after another as you flip from page to page. I just finished reading an interesting novel called A Visit From the Goon Squad. The author introduces you to a cast of characters in the 80's and takes you with them into the year 2021. It ends with a description of children referred to as "pointers". Everyone communicates through a device by pointing at it. Pointers in the future, flippers in the present. Oh well... I finally fell back asleep around 3 and then overslept and missed my window to call you. Next Monday, I promise. Thought in the mean time you'd enjoy my self portrait taken in the wee small hours. If you look closely you'll see a photo of Brad Pitt on the cover of the NY Times magazine. I looked a lot like him!  R