Lunch on a hot day

I don't feel hungry when it's 43C outside - maybe it's just me, but something about this crappy weather of ours kills my appetite.

As a substitute for real food - into a blender put some cut up fresh pineapple, one frozen banana, some apple juice and a handful of frozen blueberries. Whizz until smooth and then use all your might to suck the thick deliciousness through a straw.

No Heirloom Salad yet

This year I am growing 6 different types of tomatoes and had envisaged a gorgeous tomato salad, with different colours, shapes and sizes. My plants are full of fruit, but they're not very big and are slow to colour. I know I shouldn't complain, green fingered friends all over say it's a bad year for tomatoes. My mother has kept friends and family in tomatoes from November through to March, always, this year she has one plant - nothing took off (she grows from seed), the garden looks very barren.

So whilst I do not have my heirloom salad on a plate tonight, I am pleased with what we gathered this afternoon. The top photo could be deceiving, so a child of 2 year old proportions is below so it can be seen that I'm not bragging.

Bunkering Down

We've done play dough; we've made glittery, sticky pictures; we were out in the garden first things; we've had two episodes of Dora; we've made fruit smoothies and turned some into icy poles; we've cut out a tiny teddy to make a la Two Straight Lines and then there was the concert shown above. That's what we've done in the first half an an indoor 40C day.

7 Days to go

This time next week our big girl will have finished her first day of school. I can't believe it. Where has the time gone, how is she big enough to be leaving my side for the majority of every single week day? I'll cope I know, I have to, she's excited and thrilled at the prospect of all school means. Not sure about the little one though. When big sister is away from the house she constantly asks "where ella go mum?" and when Ella is so exhausted from a late night that she has a nap, the little one crawls into bed with her and says "wakey wakey eggs and bakey". One thing's for sure, I know that I won't be the only one eagerly awaiting 3:30 each day.

Australiana 4

Melbourne is heading into what is forecast to be the hottest summer week in 100 years. No surprise really, school starts next week and all locals know that heralds the onset of the truly uncomfortable weather.

Australia Day is being celebrated with summer sangria and dinner outside. Ella even knows the second verse to Advance Australia Fair - shamefully I didn't even know there was one. To all those near and far - Happy Australia Day.

Australiana 3

This is completely representative of the Australian summers I have known. Cones with sprinkles, or 100's and 1000's. Is it an Australiana image - or do you also spend summer consuming such treats?

Bundt/Babka

On our first visit to NYC I ate too many lemon babkas from Zabars. When I think of bundts I also think of babkas and the Seinfeld episode where they fought over the chocolate one. Now they looked like bundts but Jerry and Elaine called them babkas (unless I recall incorrectly) which I thought were something completely different ....

I bought a bundt/babka tin after our visit and used it only once in London but the cake stuck to the tin horrendously despite using some sort of toxic spray to try and lubricate the tin. Today I dug it out, slathered it in melted butter and flour and voila, a chocolate bundt/babka. Of course you can't see the gorgeous patterns, I'll work on a glazed version next time.