Poppyseed cake - Makowiec

Traditional Polish Poppyseed cake, called ' Makowiec' - just like grandma used to make, only I'm a bit naughty and cut the odd corner and so buy mine ready made! I have heard from my cook friends that its a time consuming pastry to make. maybe one day I'll try and give it a go. Rolls of light Panettone type pastry filled with moist zesty poppyseed mix makes it quite yum!

In our house, we buy this cake twice a year. Once at Christmas and once at Easter. I love some traditions and this is one of ours. I've just noticed that most of our family traditions have to do with food! Strange that!

Here comes the sun (not)

Woke up to a dull cloudy day with a pall of heavy smoke haze hanging over the city from recent bush fires. As I opened the blinds I saw a rather (creepy) looking sun, which is just a red ball trying to shine through the murk, and to be honest it was like looking at something from a sci fi show. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it before. The photo above just does not do it justice, the sun was really redder than it came out here.

Hey gotta go, I think I just spotted the tardis, could it really be Dr. Who flying in for a visit? (lol)

Sunday and H is for . . . .

~ H is for . . .

~ Hot day - so hot my steering wheel was so hot to touch, that I had to wait quite a while for it to cool down before I drove off to the . . . .

~ Hens Party. DD's friend is getting married next weekend, and what better way for old friends to get together before the BIG day, than to have a . . .

~High tea, and as you can see from the pic above it was all delicious fingerfood, delicate sandwiches Dahlings, and endless cups of Earl Grey tea.

~ All the 'Hens' wore Hawaiian Leis - something to do with the party games we played, (waaaahhh) I didn't win a prize . . . and before we knew it, time flew so quickly it was time to . . .

~ Hurry home, to cool down(again!) and listen to Carols singers in the park, their voices wafting across the neighbourhood making it feel a bit more Christmassy!

~Ho Ho Ho and thats tonights post done!

In the heat of the day

Christmas, the festive season, Christmas shopping, baking cookies, turning the oven on, and the rest just do not GO with the weather this weekend. Anyone out there ever try to feel festive while its well over the 100F in the shade ( if you please ) and hotter forecast for tomorrow. I feel like one of my old melted candles! Off to have a siesta in a cool darkened room WITH the fan on!
And after watching the Delia Smith (UK) Christmas special here last night, I must say I am feeling a little sad that the festive mood just isn't here right now. I did enjoy her cooking and wrote down many of the wonderful recipes! Shame the oven is off limits here today!

Christmas Ornament

I've just spotted a similar ornament on Elspeth Thompsons blog - linked on my sidebar.

I haven't ever seen one like it anywhere else, apart from my dresser at Christmas, so I was quite suprised to see another one on Elspeths blog. Only my candles are slightly worse for wear ( all bendy and melted) having just come down from being stored in the attic where the summer temps go beyond 60C on a warm day. After taking them down, I decided that the attic in Aus. is not the place to store things!

Christmas feels like . . . .

Christmas feels like . . . .

~Laid back, but its easy to get frazzled in the heat
~Recycling bins stuffed to the brim, full of crumpled Christmas wrapping paper (after the gifts have been unwrapped)
~Prawns and seafood on the menu
~The icemaker in the fridge on overdrive
~The smell of BBQ's in the air
~Precious time to spend with family and friends.

How about yours?