The Perils of Poaching Quinces

Last spring I was thrilled to discover that my Adelaide garden held a quince tree. I had never even seen a quince before. The spring blossoms were exquisite to look at and smelled wonderful. Eagerly I anticipated the day when I would have the opportunity to cook the fruit.

Well, that day arrived last weekend, and I did not find the experience of preparing poached quinces very appealing at all.

To begin with, quinces are rock hard and I sliced my hand twice trying the peel and core them.

I prepared a simple sugar syrup of one part white sugar to two parts water, which I simmered until the sugar dissolved. I then added a few drops of vanilla, a squeeze of lemon juice, and my quartered quinces.

My recipe suggested that I should allow the quinces to cook in a sealed, non-reactive pot (I used an enamelled cast iron pan) for between four to eight hours in a slow to moderate oven.

The result: The quinces changed from pale lemon in colour to a dark, rosy red. The flavour was a little like pears except stronger. The texture was slightly gritty. Nobody particularly liked them.

The Verdict: I don't think I would ever plant a quince tree as the fruit is awkward to prepare and requires long cooking. They can't be eaten raw. I would rather grow fruit that can be eaten and cooked more easily, especially in a suburban garden where there is limited space.

I am keen to try making quince paste but I have heard that the bubbling mixture can cause nasty burns. I didn't know fruit could be such a health hazard!

Have you ever cooked with quinces? Is there anything I should have done differently?

For more kitchen tips, visit Kitchen Tip Tuesday at www.tammysrecipes.com.

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Two Lines About Quinces

Quinces are the most voluptuous fruit,

Round and dimpled like a Rubens' goddess.

The Three Graces, circa 1636

Tomorrow I'll share some of my recent (mis)adventures cooking the quinces from my front yard quince tree.

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Earth Hour 2009

Tonight between 8.30 and 9.30 pm it's Earth Hour. That means that people from around the world will be turning off their lights and hopefully their TV and computer screens too.

So light some candles, get out those glo-sticks, play some boardgames or cuddle someone you love. It's a habit we might want to get into more often.

Do you participate in Earth Hour?

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Disco Babies

For my first school disco, during the 1980s, I was resplendent in striped legwarmers, a blue drop-waisted mini dress and blue Avon eye shadow stolen from my mother.

Tonight my son, a mere infant of 6, attended his first disco at school. He had a delightful time bopping around to Abba and the Nutbush with other 5 to 7 year olds. Sometimes he danced solo, and other times he danced in a circle, holding hands with some of his little classmates.

Afterwards he said that today was the best day ever.

John Travolta, eat your heart out.

Can you remember your first dance?

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Procrastination and Slothfulness

Are you a procrastinator? I am. More than ever before.

In the past I have always had babies and pre-schoolers who kept me busy, often combined with volunteer work, paid work, and taking care of a large home and garden.

Since we moved to Adelaide last year my littlest son has started school, I am not working, and I am living in a much smaller home with a small garden. I have begun to feel that I am not achieving anything.

Certainly, it now can take all day to do something that I could previously do in half or one quarter of the time -- unless I put it off until tomorrow, that is.

I think I need to be busier. When I moved here I thought it would be wonderfully luxurious not to be busy every minute of every day. I was happy not to over-commit at first. But now I am itching for a project or a goal.

Why is it that busy people can always fit in one more thing, but non-busy people (like me at the moment) can barely stay awake? Yes, I am exaggerating, but you know what I mean.

I am looking (sporadically) for part-time work, but haven't found anything regular yet (or they haven't wanted me). And once we buy a home my life will again be filled with all the little tasks that home owners have to do.

In the meantime I fear I am turning into a sloth.

Are you a procrastinator? Or do you create goals and work for them wholeheartedly, never putting off for tomorrow what you could do today?

Is it ever acceptable not to be busy?

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Self Portrait

Despite my protestations about protecting my family's privacy, I have been wondering whether I should put a picture of myself on my blog. So this afternoon I went outside armed with a camera and the desperate hope that I would take one that looks halfway decent. I can't have you all screaming and taking off for the woods, can I?

Realising that any in which I look directly at the camera make me look slightly manic, my three finalist-photos all have me looking away.

Please leave a comment and tell me which one you prefer.

Remember, the chosen picture will be much smaller when it finally appears on my sidebar.

#1. This one was taken by my daughter who is shorter than I am. You'd think I'd have straightened my necklace first, wouldn't you?

This picture made me realise how much I need a haircut. I haven't been to the hairdresser since last year. I really miss my wonderful Maria in Melbourne and need to find a substitute. Fast.

#2. Head chopped off at the top but no messy hair ends.


#3. Side on. My favourite.


As you can see, I've never had any reason and to have my colours done. With natural red hair and sludge-green eyes, I am such an autumn. Autumn is my favourite time of the year, too.

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Sweet Hearts

Question: What do you do if you are a rapidly growing twelve-year old girl whose favourite jeans have become too short?

Answer: Easy. Cut off the legs to make shorts, then borrow some of Mum's embroidery floss and sew on two intersecting hearts.

Adorable. And it was all her idea.

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Made to Order

When my eldest son was planning his birthday dinner, he was very specific about what his cake should be like.

A home-made, layered vanilla sponge filled with whipped, sweetened cream and iced with chocolate icing.

I was happy to oblige.

Since when did I become old enough to have a 15 year old son?

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To Be Sure, It's a St Patrick's Week Menu!

I think that instead of lasting one day, birthdays should last a whole week, or even a month. So although St Patrick's Day is really just one day, I am calling this week "St Patrick's Week". Green is, after all, my favourite colour.

Here is our menu for this week. Although it's St Patrick's Week we aren't eating Irish food every day -- unless having potatoes three times (including the cobbler topping) counts. Indeed, I don't think Irish people eat any differently from anybody else in the English speaking world these days. (They didn't when I was there, anyway.)

This menu is created from the food referred to in Shopping With a Calculator, Part One, and Shopping With a Calculator, Part Two.
Here in the Southern Hemisphere it's early autumn; the very best time of year for sourcing fresh, delicious produce. Two of the desserts involve peaches because we have a laden peach tree in our backyard that is too good to be wasted.
Dinners

pumpkin souphome-made bread rollspeach sponge pudding***marinated BBQ'd chickensaladsauteed potatoesfresh fruit***chicken cobbler (using onions instead of leeks)peasfresh peach and ginger crumble***15th birthday celebrationspaghetti bolognaisesaladhomemade sponge cake with chocolate icing filled with whipped cream (he was very specific!)***St Patrick's Daycorned beef pot roast potatoes, carrots, peassoda breadfresh fruit
Irish coffee (for the adults)*** macaroni cheese with hamgrilled tomatoesgreen salad


Although it's Tuesday, this is my post for Menu Plan Monday over at http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

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Steps For Stockpiling

In the comments to my last post, Shopping With a Calculator, Part Two, Em wrote:

I've been hesitant to cut back on the weekly shopping too much in case it runs
our stockpile down (usually buy any specials that might be regular stockpile
items) - but we do need to try and cut it back our budget some more - any ideas
about how to work stockpile maintainence/specials buying in with the weekly
shop?

I am no expert in stockpiling but I've been thinking about this and have come up with a plan that I think would work for me, and hopefully some of you too.

I appreciate that different cities and countries provide different shopping opportunities. For instance, we don't have Aldi in Adelaide and we don't have coupons in Australia. I have always found the Woolworths/Coles duopoly frustrating as I know they keep prices high and there is little difference between them on price. Fortunately, Adelaide has Foodland, which provides a great alternative to the "big two".

The specifics of my situation are as follows:

• Family of six, with children aged 15, 12, 10 and 6.
• I shop weekly.
• All toiletries (apart from makeup) and cleaning products are included in the weekly shop
• A budget of $200 ($135 US), which I often go over:-(.
• All children and hubby take lunches to school/work
• We get takeaway or eat out as a family about once every 2 months. I buy coffee out about once a week and usually buy sushi for my lunch on Friday when I do my shopping. Hubby buys coffee sometimes too. These items are not covered by our $200 per week.
• The only freezer space I have is the small freezer above my fridge. The house we are renting has very limited pantry space too.
• Sadly, we don't have a vegetable garden anymore, due to our recent interstate move. Once we buy a home I'll start one up again.

Here is my plan for building a stockpile on a budget.

1. Think about your budget

If you are on a bare-bones food budget there may be very little room to buy extras for a stockpile. Thus if you want to build a stockpile you may have to allocate extra funds to do so. However, as I discovered when I took my calculator shopping, I could shop for less than I usually do, just by organising myself better.

2. Create a menu plan that will come under budget

In order to create a stockpile without going over budget, your basic menu plan for the week has to come under budget. To create such a menu plan you need to shop at home first, using up existing supplies, and study grocery store catalogues so you know what will be on sale. Also, think about which fruits and vegetables are in season in your area, as they will be less expensive and will have travelled less.

3. Think about which items you are running out of, and add them to your list

If you can get some of these items in bulk or on sale, that's great.

4. Plan to Stockpile

Using sale catalogues and your existing supplies as a guide, plan just a few items that you can buy in bulk or buy extra of, to add to your stockpile, or to begin a stockpile if you don't already have one. Don't get carried away; you still want to stay within your budget.

5. Take your calculator shopping

I cannot emphasis enough the advantages of doing this. If you hit your limit, start putting things back on the shelves, beginning with the least important ones.

6. Rotate Your Supplies

There is no point storing lots of food if you allow it to spoil. So keep eating and rotating the supplies you have.

While I am not a Mormon, they are worth mentioning as they are experts on food storage. Members of the LDS (Latter Day Saints) church are encouraged to store at least a 3 month supply of food and water for all family members. To find out more about Family Home Storage, click this link. If you Google "LDS food storage" you will find lots of other links on this topic.

My next post will be this week's menu.

Have you have any tips on building a food stockpile? If so, please leave a comment.

For more kitchen tips visit Kitchen Tip Tuesday at www.tammysrecipes.com.

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Shopping With A Calculator, Part Two

When I entered the supermarket yesterday I expected to struggle, as usual, to keep within my $200 (equivalent to $135 US) grocery budget. Imagine my surprise when, with the help of my trusty pocket calculator, the total came to a mere $161.27 (about $105 US).

The calculator technique really works!

Instead of roaming up and down the aisles in order, crossing items off my shopping list and checking for specials, I shopped only for the most important items on my list, adding them up on the calculator. Only when I was sure that I could stay under my limit did I add any extras.

This method of shopping did take longer than usual, but it would be worth continuing with as it forces me to be a more disciplined shopper.

Thanks to a grocery receipt that itemised my purchases into categories, I can tell you how my $161.27 was divided.

• General Groceries, including toiletries and cleaning products: $54.78
• Dairy, including 15 litres milk, $31.70
• Frozen: $1.96 (1 kg frozen peas on special)
• Fresh meat incl. chicken: $27.07
• Fruit and Vegetables: $31.86
• Deli: $4.49
• Bakery: $9.41 (3 loaves bread + 2 packets crumpets on sale)

The Verdict: Grocery shopping with a calculator in hand can definitely save money, but it may take a little longer than usual.

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