Four Seasons with a Grumpy Goat

http://peaseexchange.com/2011/09/four-seasons-with-a-grumpy-goat-by-carol-altmann/

I can't wait to read this book...my partner and I have since we first met, shared books by reading aloud to each other before we go to sleep. Some might say a habit that is quaint and romantic, others might argue, well what might they argue?...that we are pair of dags really.

Regardless, since reading our first novel Oscar and Lucinda, it has been something we love to share.  So Four Seasons with a Grumpy goat has an obvious appeal given the lifestyle change we are hoping to embark on.  I shall do my own mini review once we've read through it and more than happy to pass the book on should anyone else want to read it.

Winter Coat...a beautiful song from Paul

Does anyone have recipes for home made fluffy bread?

With an imminent move to the country (hopefully), I've been thinking more about resurrecting my bread maker as part of a move towards a greater level of our own food production.

I have a bread maker and have had numerous unsuccessful forays into the art of producing a good loaf, but have been disappointed by the dense and shrunken house bricks that have emerged from the maker.  Whilst I have considered they might be useful as an alternative building product, I'm still yearning for a fluffy, high, and traditional loaf of bread that harks back to the days of old.

So if anyone has favourite recipes that can be mixed in the bread maker and as a friend of mine suggests finished in a tin, I'd love to hear from you.  I'll have a go at all types, wholemeal, grain, sourdough, pumpkin, rye, olive etc.

Thanks in advance for any contributions...

The weekend that was...with a contract signed!

What an amazing weekend it has been.  Friday afternoon I set off from work early to head to Launceston for my son's 23rd birthday party at Mee Wah.  On the way I thought I'd stop off to grab his partner some flowers as her birthday is next week.  I stopped off at the Flower Bud florists next to the gluten free cafe in Newtown Road.  What a wee trove of treasures in this tiny little cottage, where you are met by the exquisite aroma of beautiful cottage garden flowers   I left with an exquisite bouquet of flowers that included aromatic stock, delphiniums and ranunculus and all for a song. I'd recommend this little floral gem to anyone who has a passion for old fashioned plants.

Whilst working our way through Mee Wah's tasting menu I received a phone message from our real estate agent to say the VENDORS HAVE ACCEPTED OUR CONRACT albeit with conditions including the mere fact of needing to sell our house and sell it quickly.  So it's all happening and I'm unbelievably excited. I'm straddling between absolute conviction we shall sell ours quickly and soon be on our way to C and feeling so overwhelmed with all that needs to be done to achieve the dream and fear that somehow we won't successfully pull it off.   Still I'm trying to steer myself back to the positive and assuring myself we shall be in our cottage soon and sipping on a PIMS (Some romantic notion that it should be a PIMS brimming with fresh strawberries and cucumber and topped with mint) and taking in our view of the river.

So the following day pumped up with the excitement of an impending move I set off to catch up with friends, but on the way call in at Newstead to purchase more flowers and head off to the Elphin Bakery for some bienenstitch (German yeast bread fill with custard cream and topped with honeyed almonds) divine!
It was fantastic to catch up with much missed Launceston friends and over a seafood pasta chat of recent travels, life changes and our efforts to lead our lives with much more of an emphasis on sustainability.  After lunch we headed to bush at the back of Trevallyn and burned off some of the excesses of lunch.

I woke to the most gloriously sunny Sunday and was keen to get on the road back to Hobart.  On my return I stopped off at UT SI cafe or translation AS IF from the latin....  I hadn't been before but the quaint white church with the old bike parked out front is irresistible.  I only had time to grab a take away coffee, but delighted while waiting in the fabulous art work adorning the walls (not sure of the artist) and the menu looked mouth watering and totally organic...I'll back and must say the coffee was great.

I also called in at Ross and lost time in Church street Antiques and pictured a couple of lovely pieces in my new home to be yet resisted the temptation to buy.  After leaving Ross, I spotted the Arch to the boys school that Nat had mentioned and photographed so beautifully in one of her posts.  It was great to know the full history of the school but sad to think of the loss of such a historical building.  Thanks Nat!

So a mammoth weekend and I remember at one point on the drive home just being so overwhelmed with the beauty, history and all that make Tassie the unique place that it is.  I love living here and I love the Midlands Highway.  It's been a beautiful weekend and now I look forward to starting the new week just another step closer to the Huon.