Lasagna anyone?

We had eight people for supper- a mix of vegetarians and the just plain hungry. Most of them under 20. Lasagna ticked all the boxes. Eight fitted easily around my new-ish kitchen table; no leftovers. Fruit salad for pudding. No leftovers there either. Lots of washing up.........

New eyes

We have some visitors staying from Hong Kong- friends of one of my daughters. They have visited some of the iconic beaches around town and all the usual sites- Opera House etc. Today we took them on a tour of the south Sydney beaches. The tide was very high and so was the surf- not good for a swim but made good photos. We stopped for coffee at Bronte, fish and chips at La Perouse and an ice cream at Clovelly Kiosk. It is good to see Sydney from another perspective.

Gazpacho!

It's hot, humid and the skies are dark. I don't feel like cooking, but the kids are beginning to circle the kitchen, prowling through the pantry. Check the fridge- we have sourdough, tomatoes and fresh herbs. I feel a Gazpacho coming on!
Chop 6 ripe tomatoes, one cucumber, a handful of olives, add a splash of olive oil, a dribble of balsamic, a handful of both parsley and mint, a little basil, a garlic clove or two.
Grind some black pepper to taste.
Grab the Bamix and whizz.
Pop in the fridge for an hour if you can wait that long.
Serve with warm sourdough and some plain yoghurt to plop on top. Add some ice cubes if it is a really hot day.

New Year's Resolutions

We do not usually try too hard with Resolutions. Most of them are fleeting attempts at self improvement. However this year we are moving into a very busy year so we are all trying to become good flatmates- of the house, of our community and our planet.
Stacking and emptying the dishwasher, cooking family meals, volunteering and supporting local charities, slashing our electricity bill, shortening showers.......watch this space to see how we get on.