Friendly Friday – A Home by the Sea

Using Canva as a template, I had some fun with Sandy’s prompt for Friendly Friday, this week.

I actually wanted to cartoonize the photograph of Nyhaven, Denmark, so it looks like a digital illustration, but as that involved a Canva pro subscription, I opted for something less, this time.

Using the postcard template is a fun way to re-live past travel memories.

In case you were wondering, yes my newly purchased cap with Danmark embroidered on it that I had purchased at a souvenir shop near the H.C. Anderson exhibit in Odense, did blow off and land in the canal. It was never seen again and yet, I still have one today.

On my return home to Australia, I managed to find a similar cap in a store and had the words Danmark embroidered on it, complete with Dannebrog. (Dannebrog is the Danish flag).

I will be back next week at Something to Ponder About with a new photo challenge prompt.

blogging, environment, health, home

Friendly Friday Challenge – Morning Rituals on the Beach

September 19, 2020September 19, 2020 Forestwood

Although I may be in the minority, I have to say that I love getting up in the mornings. No, I am not masochistic. I live by the sea and the mornings there are so joyous, it makes me want to get up early just to see the very best of the day.

Furthermore, I am now retired so I don’t need to be functioning all day, but can take it at an easier slower pace. To which, I am rapidly becoming accustomed. And, I love it.

The mornings are no time to sit and drink a hot cuppa. It is time to move – after sleeping all night.

I like to take a walk, after a morning routine of Yoga exercises, right on the beach if possible.

As you get older and more sedentary, the joints and muscles stiffen up and it is so vital that we keep them functioning for as long as possible. What good is it living to a ripe old age if you can’t enjoy it? Right?

Yoga Sun salutations are best performed facing east. Because that is where you will see the sunrise, of course.

Even better if you can do it on the beach.

A walk with the dog is next on the agenda.

Right on the beach if possible.

See what you are missing all you people who like a sleep in?

Linking to Sandy’s theme for Friendly Friday. I will be back at my main blog, StPA, next week with a new theme. You are welcome to join in with the Friendly Friday Challenge anytime.

See you then.

food

Friendly Friday Challenge- Comfort Food Chocolate Cake

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020 Forestwood

Chocolate and raspberries are a match made in heaven.

There is nothing more satisfying, more of a comfort food than a moist chocolate cake.

But perfection is never perfection and can handle change. That is why I added raspberries to this recipe and I am more than happy with the result.

This is really light cake, moist and with a healthy dose of antioxidants from the raspberries. Adding raspberries has many health benefits for us.

Health benefits of Raspberries

Raspberries are low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They may protect against diabetes, cancer, obesity, arthritis and other conditions and may even provide anti-aging effects. Raspberries are easy to add to your diet and make a tasty addition to breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
Healthlinewww.healthline.com › nutrition › raspberry-nutrition

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup boiling water
180 g (around 3/4 American cup) of softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g sour cream (around 1 American cup)
1/2 cup or so of frozen organic raspberries

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. (160 fan forced), 350 degrees F.
Grease and line sides and base of small loaf tin/s that you wish to use.
Combine cocoa and boiling water in a heatproof jug stirring until a thick sauce forms. Set this aside to cool.
Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat on medium for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time until well combined.
Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda together and add to the butter mix.
Add cocoa mix and sour-cream and using a large spoon, gently fold together until well combined.
Spoon mix into prepared cake pans. Smooth the top.
Place the raspberries, one by one, evenly around onto the top layer and press down lightly. As the cake rises, the mix will envelope them. * Tip: Placing them rather than mixing them in, will mean that the raspberries will keep their shape nicely .
Bake for 30- 40 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean, depending on the size of pan you are using.

To Serve:
Simply dust with icing sugar – the raspberries add to the choolately sweetness.

N.B. I don’t usually ice my cakes as I feel that they are sweet enough, and we all want to cut down on sugar, but you can add your own desired frosting for more decadence.

A useful conversion table, for American measurements, is included here.

Linking to the Weekly Friendly Friday Challenge – Comfort Food

writing

Friendly Friday – Isolation Cravings

May 15, 2020June 7, 2020 Forestwood

“What am I Craving in Isolation?”

Sandy misses the beach. Do I?

I already have a beach at my doorstop.

Neighbours, convenient transport, cyclists, kids?

They are all around me too.

My kids have moved home due to job loss/constraints and we speak to most of my friends via phone, messaging or if they are locals, in person, but at a social distance.

The air is cleaner and the traffic calmer.

Life has slowed down.

I like that.

People are educating their kids at home, spending quality time with then that will become treasured memories in later life.

Time with your children can never be traded back later.

It is a once-only ticket to a perpetual show that changes EVERY DAY and never has an encore.

The Mountains known as Glass House on the horizon near my home

I feel pretty lucky to be living where I do – a great mix of city and coastal life, without the frenetic pace. But there are two things I do miss, Sandy.

a good haircut
sipping a cuppa at a hyggelig cafe.

Posting for Friendly Friday Isolation Craving Photo Story Challenge, hosted by Sandy at The Sandy Chronicles and Amanda (me) at Something to Ponder About.

blogging, home, Uncategorized

Bricks and Tiles

July 28, 2019July 30, 2019 Forestwood

Although a few weeks have passed, progress continues on the little home by the sea.

Our Brick and Tile House.

So now it looks a bit like this:

It has been wrapped in a green weather resistant lining in preparation for the laying of the external bricks and cladding. And my much sought after cornerless butt-joined window has been installed in the MOTH’s mancave/future geriatric bedroom on the lower level.

The first Bricks arrived some time ago, after an initial hiccup with the delivery – read more about that hiccup here. But there was more pallets to come as you see here. The MOTH estimated about 11,000 bricks.

Installing all the electrical wiring, plumbing and services does take time. Which is fine if they do it right. And then there is insulation installed in roof areas and upper walls. This is what makes our new homes more expensive but more energy efficient.

New homes in Queensland must comply with a Six star energy rating. I do hope this will result in a cooler home in summer, but warmer in winter. It has to be better than the previous open plan home which has a partly insulated roof space.

My memories of that home meant we froze in the shadow of a double storey home on the northern side and melted when the summer sun hit the long southern side of the uninsulated hardiplank walls.