Picnic in our MG today, Tallowa Dam, Kangaroo Valley

My aim for this year is to do new things, go places I have never been before, to mix it up and not spend all my time at work.

Despite working long hours over the past few weeks I feel rejuvenated by several relaxing weekends in a row.  This weekend has been no exception.

We own a beautiful 1968 convertible MGB.  We have kept her running for 20 odd years but lately can never seem to find time to drive her. Only a few years ago she was my everyday commuter car but she is too old for that now. Unfortunately we have tended to go the other way and she just sits in the carport collecting cobwebs.

But no more! We cleaned her up and took her for a spin.

In the spirit of seeing new places we headed out on a stunning autumn day and visited Tallowa Dam in Kangaroo Valley, a little over an hour from home.  We were so pleasantly surprised by an easy drive along a sealed road to a dam with great picnic facilities.

We saw kangaroos, fairy wrens, silver eyes, herons and a massive goanna. The dam is beautiful.

There were many many people out paddling on the dam, some seemed to have camped overnight somewhere along the shore.  We are committed to getting kayaks this year and are excited to have discovered such a lovely place to take them, so close to home.

We spent the perfect relaxing Sunday, with a picnic of cheese and crackers, native raspberry paste, sparkling Italian wine, talking and reading in dappled sun and shade overlooking this beautiful place. Aah, this will sustain me all week.

Making sushi for picnic races

Do you like sushi? I love nori rolls. We hadn't had them for ages so I made them today for our picnic at the Bong Bong Picnic Races. If you like them, but haven't tried making them, I highly recommend giving it a go.  It is so easy.

Reasons to make your own:
They are guaranteed to be fresh. Dried out sushi is such a disappointment.
You can choose the fillings of your choice.
They're yummy, so you can have them anytime you like.
Sushi is a great dinner party theme. Your guests will have great fun making sushi to share and think you are very, very clever!

All the ingredients are increasingly easy to buy from the supermarket.  The only equipment you need that you won't already have is a bamboo rolling mat.

How to:

• Cook short grain or sushi rice until soft and all water is absorbed. 1 cup made enough for two people plus some left overs for tomorrow.
• Place rice in a large bowl.
• Add rice wine vinegar. 3 tablespoons per cup uncooked rice.
• Stir rice with a wooden spoon. You want the rice to cool down so stir in a way that spreads it out, rather than clump it up.
• Take your bamboo mat and place one sheet of nori (seaweed) on top.
• Spread rice across the nori, about 1 quarter from the top edge. The amount is a matter of practice and preference.
• Add your filling of choice across the rice.
• Tightly roll the nori over the filling. The mat makes this really easy. I hold a butter knife or spatula against the edge of the filling while I start the roll. Keep the top edge of the mat above the roll and keep going until the whole sheet is rolled up tightly. Set aside while you make all the rolls.
• Fill a tall jug with hot or boiling water. Use this to dip your sharp knife in between cuts.
• Place one nori roll on your chopping board, use your hot knife to slice through making each piece approx 2 cm thick.

Serve with soy sauce and wasabi. Careful of the wasabi paste, it bites!

Our favourite fillings:

• cream cheese with avocado and sliced snow peas
• cream cheese and smoked salmon
• tuna

What filling do you like?

10 things Mondays: great things about Summer

Its December.
Its Summer.
Its cold.
Its raining.

So today I plan to live vicariously through my memories and yours.

10 great things about Summer.

1. Floaty dresses and loose linen shirts
2. Storms that break after a hot day, leaving the air cooler after a spectacular light show and pounding rain.
3. Picnics
4. Air thick with butterflies on the wing
5. Evenings alive with night jasmine and the sound of crickets
6. Staying outside late
7. Salads picked fresh from the garden
8. Swimming
9. Work slowing down at least a little with more time taken over lunch (wish we had siesta here), Christmas parties and get togethers involving too much food
10. Feeling more alive, more energetic and more active

Wow that was so much easier than I thought. What do you like best?

Bowral Picnic Races

 Bong Bong Picnic Racces, Bowral, 9 November 2011