The most wonderful thing in the world!

Our little puppy! At our first meeting day- she was a real gem! We just need to wait one week, then it is into puppydom we step, pointers welcome!

Another year....and not many posts more!

It has been a long long time since I have posted to my own blog- shame on me!

Now I am teaching at a little country school and am about to bring home my first puppy...so I may try and keep track of her development on here- might have to change this to the Border Collie gaa gaa blog, we'll see.

Tomorrow is the first day we will meet our girl, she is coming from Borregoperro Border Collies (www.bordercolliestasmania.com)- so far we have been kept in the loop with one picture a week- but that is not enough!

Time for play tomorrow!

Ravioli alla Val Camonica

A deliciously extravagant ravioli from northern Italia!

When I was staying in Val Camonica with my namesake's family, it was Luisa's papa's birthday. Guided by Luisa's mamma we made the family's signature dish! With equal parts bread crumbs and parmesan (300g), some prosciutto, parsley, lemon rind, garlic, an apricot kernel, some mixed spice, stock and some eggs as the filling, the finished pasta is served with a delicious coating of melted lard, prosciutto rind (made nice and crispy), butter and sage leaves and even more parmesan! Talk about woh a! So full, so heavy, so satisfied! Afterwards this is what we had to do..a lovely walk through the Italian country side, dreaming about renovating old Italian farmhouses and living on ravioli and bread and salad and fruit and biscotti....for ever.

It was an intense experience that I tried to recreate in my own kitchen. I replaced the prosciutto with 'not bacon' which worked surprisingly well and instead of using the lard and rind I just coated the pasta in melted butter with sage. It worked really well- I was surprised with myself!

Can you believe we finished off the meal with creme brulee? Also my first attempt, and surprisingly good- just wish I had a kitchen blow torch to caramelise the sugar properly! We were so full!

Miss Saigon Bake Off!

Hello! Did you see Miss Saigon, at the Theatre Royal in Hobart? what a wonderful show it was! And there was good stuff going on back stage too...the Miss Saigon Bake Off! Cast members brought goodness to the dressing rooms nearly every night to keep their tummies happy! The last night was Rowan's turn...so we went mad and made this! And these...a star for each of the stars- yum! Thank you to our friends P and J for their help!

Frustration is rife!

Hello! I am dying to update my blog, I have moved house, created a new vege patch, taken pictures of it with a lovely new camera, felted my first vest but I can't tell anyone about it properly cause I am trying to do assignments! Oh it is heartbreaking! I will be back once this semester is out of the way!

The wonderful place in which we live- Tasmania!

Inspiration for the beginning of the week. A little look back at a wonderful weekend walking in Mount Field National Park- ahhhhh...just to be there now!