Monday, January 9, 2012


On Saturday 7th I took Mum to the beach at Collaroy for some fish and chips, alfesco. We sat overlooking The Basin, across the road from the Long Reef Golf Course. The beach is a popular spot with families, sail boarders and other 'watercrafters' as it is protected by the headland which juts out above the rock platform of Long Reef which is an aquatic reserve. There was a fair amount of weed washed up on the sand but the water was very clear.

Just to the left of where we sat is the boat launch ramp, and an area for fishermen to clean and cut their catch. It's also a great area for the pelicans - who wait for the fish guts and other offcuts.

We were lucky enough to get a disabled car space right behind where we put our deck chairs. Our lunch of flathead and chips I bought at a little takeaway shop just up the street, on the corner of Pittwater Rd and Anzac Ave. It was a little breezy, but this kept the temperature and humidity down.

On our way back to Killara we stopped off at a roadside stall on Powderworks Road to buy some fruit, flowers and jam for mum, and I got some nice fresh free range eggs. Mum's pronouncement = a 'super duper idea'.
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Sunday, January 1, 2012

New Year's Eve 2011



Sarah's sofa handstand



Sarah  . . .

Cheers, Jessica
Potato salad - thank you Neal



Strawberry trifle for dessert
Sparklers ... the best fireworks we could manage!
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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Sweet fare from Christmas day

I meant to post these earlier. The iced cake is care of Janet, with decoration by the young Fischer girls. Mark made the Stollen, and the shiny cake was my first Christmas fruit cake attempt. The recipe was in my mother's collection: the fruit is boiled and Bakeo pastry mix added, as well as butter, chocolate sauce and some fortified wine. In the blue biscuit barrel was shortbread (the kind my sister taught me to make). Coconut ice, in the glass jar, with glace cherries and pistachios.


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Christmas in Asquith, 2011

Christmas Day 2011


The day was warm and sunny for our christmas lunch with Neal's family and my Mum. Janet was down from Port Macquarie, leaving Eric at home to spend time with his daughter and other family. 


Mark's three girls enjoyed receiving their presents from the adults, and Jessica bought us gifts with her own money (courtesy of mummy, for her school efforts this year).


We had cold ham, warm turkey breast, a potato galette, baked potatoes and kumara, a spicy bean and tomato bake with fetta (c/- Alan & Barb), slices of zucchini frittata and vegetarian sausage rolls. We should also have had a pasta salad with cranberries and pistachio, and red, green & white cocktail onions, which in the rush I plum forgot to put out!


For pudding we had Alan's signature Key Lime Pie, and I made my plum pudding ice-cream again, and mini pavs and cream just in case.


Janet made a christmas cake which the girls decorated, I made my first christmas fruit cake, and Mark brought along a traditional german Stollen. And coconut ice with glace cherries and pistachios to top it all off.

our little tree and gifts
Margaret chatting

Jessica
My 'little' mother and me

Alan, Sarah and Barb




Opening Alan & Barb's presents
Maybe the cook has had a few too many already?

Isabelle seems pleased  . . 

Janet and Margaret

Sarah, reading intently

Some new clothes . . .

Why so serious?

Janet, Isabelle and Margaret

Hoola hoops - are in again ...

Potato, sage and cheese and galette (all by Neal), but a devil to cut!

Sarah trying to look fierce in her leopard facepaint