Sunday thought: imagine the thrill of surfing a rainbow……..
Brisbane
Winter’s day
Winter’s day, downtown, Morningside, Brisbane.
A great example of a late Victorian Queenslander house, nestled among palm trees.
This single storey detached timber home with corrugated iron roof has so far escaped the trend of jacking them up to provide a second story underneath, like the ones shown below.
Stan’s cave
Since acquiring a bed on legs, Stan has decided this is his cave. For sleeping, hiding and resting.
South Brisbane Railway Station
South Brisbane Railway Station was constructed in 1891, opening on 21 December.
In 1930, South Brisbane also became the site of the South Brisbane Interstate Station, as it was the terminus of the standard gauge railway line from Sydney to Brisbane.
Workday view
Mowbray Park ferry terminal crowned by Story Bridge, Brisbane, Australia
Uber trips invariably deposit me in the city. As parking is restricted and in high demand I nip over the Story Bridge to take refuge in Mowbray Park, East Brisbane; to await the next call to action.
Palm drama
My husband’s favourite palm
Aerial roots
This magnificent Moreton Bay fig tree stands proudly in Mowbray Park, East Brisbane.
Images of faeries and forest spirits hiding deep within the densely packed aerial roots flood my mind.
A testament to the resilience of nature; seemingly oblivious to nearby park and ride commuters taking the ferry north, long term road works on Lytton Road, and construction work in the Park.
All’s right
Crossed paws
Toy within easy reach
Morning sun
Fed, watered and walked
All’s right in Stan’s world
Greening suburbia
No-knead loaf with coffee grounds
A recent visit by friends from Sydney and a conversation about minimising food waste inspired me to save:
- oil from marinated feta
- egg shells
- coffee grounds
I have reused the oil to make my own marinated feta. With the egg shells I made a tea to give succulents a boost. Also, combined banana skins, coffee grounds and eggshells in the food processor to make fertiliser.
How to make your own natural fertiliser using kitchen scraps
DIY fertiliser
Two of us drinking two to three coffees a day produces a lot of grounds! Not wanting to throw away the excess, I have been experimenting with what to do with them. This has successfully included grounds:
- as a hair and face scrub
- combined with coconut oil and salt as a body scrub DIY coffee scrub recipe
One of the friends from Sydney told me they had coffee bread at a restaurant. A quick search online yielded bread made with coffee liquid, not the grounds. Some discussion boards decried the idea, saying that the end product would be gritty.
Hey ho, throwing caution to the wind I added grounds to my latest batch of no knead bread. During fermentation the dough rose more than usual. Not knowing how well the loaf would retain its shape, I opted to use a loaf pan.
The loaf has been an overwhelming success. Being moist with an open texture and a slight espresso flavour, it is very dark brown in colour and grit free.
We have had it sliced with butter to accompany lunch and toasted for breakfast; avocado looked and tasted delicious on it.
Avoidance
Since moving to Brisbane we have:
- redecorated the guest bedroom
- had three ceiling fans installed
- painted the courtyard
- hung pictures
- taken delivery of the materials for a deck (January project)
Also, I have made three unsuccessful job applications and almost finished writing a step by step guide to baking bread that I plan to release as an eBook.
We have both celebrated birthdays that step us towards sixty. In what seems like a blink of an eye, we marked twenty five years together in December by enjoying a lunch at StokehouseQ, overlooking the Brisbane River. As you can see from the photo, one is not too old to sit on Santa Nicolai’s lap. Thank you to the BrisBears for making us feel so welcome.
All of the above is no excuse for my apparent avoidance of blogging. Instead, spending mindless hours scrolling through Instagram posts. Rest assured, I have given myself a severe talking to!
Taking this opportunity, I wish my dear readers a wonderful festive season.
Robert x
theINFP 