Liebster Blog Award! What an honour!

Today I heard that Lorraine from LorikArt has passed on the Liebster award to me and 4 others!  It is very exciting considering only 6 months ago I didn't even know what a blog was!  See the other winners at Lori's blog 


Liebster (German) translates as "favourite". This award, which originated in Germany, recognises up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers.

In accepting the award the recipient agrees to: 

• thank the person that gave the award and let them know by commenting on their blog
• reveal the 5 blogs they have to chosen to award and let them know by commenting on their blog.
• copy and paste the Liebster blog logo
• And lastly, hope the 5 chosen bloggers will continue to pass on the Liebster Blog Award love in the same way:)

So, without further ado I would like to announce my five favourite blogs with under 200 followers.....

In no particular order....

• Jacqueline from Zippy Zippy World makes buntings like no-one else, and a lot more besides.
• Mel from Wildflower Designs  across the Tasman makes the most lovely jewellery,  beautiful, unique, simple, and affordable!
• Vickie from Unusual Magic  makes jewellery and takes the most wonderful, and yes, magical, photographs. 
• Carole from Carole's Creative Corner lives at Lake Macquarie NSW and takes her trusty camera with her so we can feel as though we are there on every outing she takes.
• and last but definitely not least, Jane a primary school teacher from The Learning Curve, tells us that  "Life is a learning journey, and I am headed up the mountain" Who couldn't applaud that?!

So thank you Lorraine, and to everyone, keep on blogging!

Anzac Day Poppy Potato Prints!

Hello Everyone!  Today, 25th April, is ANZAC day.

According to the Australian War Memorial website,

ANZAC Day is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. If you would like to know more take a look at the Australian War Memorial website.

So where, I hear you asking, do potatoes come in to this?  Well, I have found a wonderful post by Jane from The Learning Curve blog.  She is a primary school teacher,who is using potato printing with her young students, to depict poppies.

"Poppies", as Jane says, "have been associated with Anzac Day since the 1920's.  The red poppy reminds us of the sacrifice - the blood lost - in war.  Poppies are also significant because these flowers grow naturally in the fields on the Western Front where many soldiers fought and died."

Aren't they so effective? 
Take a look here to see how Jane does it 

Australians come together on ANZAC day and spend time remembering
the sacrifices of those who died in war protecting our country

I would like to finish this post on ANZAC day with some more thoughts from Primary School teacher Jane, who writes, " I hope that by commemorating Anzac Day, we will look back at the atrocities of war and search for better ways of solving our problems now and in the future".

Weekly Potato Recipe No 2 -how do you do?!

So here we are .....le deuxieme  recipe of the week. That's right, it's French, mais non, non, that doesn't mean we have two recipes in one week. It means......what does it mean? Well it is the second of our weekly recipes. Let's take a look!

Potato gratin

Photography by Oliver Ford

A French classic, this creamy potato dish is the perfect winter starter or side.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 onion
• garlic, thinly sliced
• salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan or swiss cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease four 1-cup capacity ramekins. Thinly slice potatoes and onion. Arrange some of the potato over the base of each ramekin and top with a little onion. Sprinkle with a few slices of garlic and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Continue layering with the remaining potato and onion, adding garlic every second or third layer. Combine cream with cheese. Pour into the ramekins then bake for 45 minutes or until potato is cooked through and top is golden. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Well , what do you think?  I thought, as we are just heading towards  winter in Australia, and those  of you in the northern hemisphere are well on their way out of it, , it might work for all of us.  

And hey, it looks pretty good whatever the season, doesn't it!

Sunset Superb!

Tonight we had the most amazing sky that I just had to share it with you!  To the East was a rainbow and to the West was the setting sun.  So I decided to combine them with a potato pendant I made recently and play around with a collage in Picassa.  I am a real novice at this, but hey, I had some fun!

The top one is lighter, the one below more dramatic. 

But with a sky like that you can't go too far wrong I don't think.

I'll let you into a little secret..........my son-in-law wanted to lend a hand and painted this pendant for me and so I was pretty chuff to find I had a piece of  pure silk cord that matched perfectly!  Good teamwork:)

See this piece of jewellery, and others, in my shop by clicking on the following link.   Shop

Potato Portraits - Incredible Art!

I just had to share these fantastic Potato Portraits from Ginou Chioueiri

with you all today. Prepare to be amazed!

Do you see anyone you know?!

Incredible aren't they? And they are from Ginou Choueiri who describes herself as an interdisciplinary artist currently based in Beirut, Lebanon.

  

PS.

In fact many of her potato faces are indeed people we know, and I suggest you take a look at her website and see what I am talking about:)

By popular demand ! Potato Recipe of the Week Numero Uno!!

Potato Recipe of the Week 

That's right, at Steve's suggestion I am starting to post a different potato recipe each week and here is Number One.

It is from a UK web site so the names of the vegetables, and the amounts will probably be completely double dutch to everyone else but I think it's good to challenge ourselves, mix things up a bit!  And seriously, do we really need things to be exact?  

But just to get it straight, a Courgette (in Oz at least) is a Zucchini, an Aubergine is an Egg Plant, Peppers are Capsicums.....who said we all speak the same language?! 

Mediterranean Potato Bake

Ingredients

• 800g New potatoes thickly sliced
• 1 Sliced Courgette
• 1 Sliced Aubergine
• 1 of each Red and Yellow Pepper
• 50g Chopped Pine Nuts
• 2 tbsp Pesto (from a jar)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Preparation

Put the potatoes, chopped vegetables and pine nuts in a large roasting tin together
Add the oil and season.
Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees, gas mark 6 or until tender.
Add the pesto and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip

This quick and tasty meal can also be made with 400g of thinly sliced pork or chicken breast if you’re looking for a healthy food alternative

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And from the same website,The Many Faces of Potato,  an interesting fact:

Potatoes in Europe – a culinary discovery

Invading Spanish conquistadors, on the lookout for gold and jewels, discovered the Peruvian’s potatoes and took them back to Europe to impress royalty in 1536.

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Enjoy your Mediterranean potatoes and let me know what you think. 

Perhaps we could give the recipes a rating from 

• 5 stars - delicious,yum yum
• 4 stars - pretty good 
• 3 stars - so so, 
• 2 stars - wont' be cooking this again
• 1 star  - wish I hadn't bothered!

Buon Appetito!!

How many Potatoes were on the Titanic? I can tell you!

A sad day from 100 years ago, but so interesting to look back.
According to the Nautical Resource Centre here is a list of the galley supplies on board the Titanic when they set sail
Galley Supplies:

• 57,600 crockery items (pots, pans, baking sheets)
• 29,000 pieces of glassware
• 44,000 pieces of cutlery
• 75,000 lb. fresh meat
• 11,000 lb. fresh fish
• 4,000 lb. salted and dried fish
• 7,500 lb. bacon and ham
• 25,000 lb. poultry
• 40,000 fresh eggs
• 2,500 lb. sausage
• 40 tons potatoes
• 3,500 lb. onions
• 800 bundles fresh asparagus
• 3,500 lb. tomatoes
• 2,500 lb.. green peas
• 7,000 heads lettuce
• 1,000 loaves of bread
• 2,200 lb. ground coffee
• 800 lb. tea
• 10,000 lb. rice and dried beans
• 10,000 lb. sugar
• 250 barrels flour
• 10,000 lb. cereal
• 36,000 apples
• 36,000 oranges
• 16,000 lemons
• 1,000 lb. grapes
• 13,000 grapefruit
• 1,120 lb. jam and marmalade
• 1,500 gallons fresh milk
• 1,200 quarts ice cream
• 600 gallons condensed milk
• 6,000 lb. butter
• 15,000 bottles of ale (beer)
• 1,000 bottles wine
• 850 bottles liquor
• 8,000 complimentary cigars

Third Class Menu

from the veganbloggersunite site I found this menu for the meals 

for third class passengers 

                                                     
And here is a copy of the First Class Menu for the evening meal on April 14th 1912
Which do you prefer?!!

Take a look at how to cook the Parmentier Potatoes which were part of the meal  for first class passengers, taken from the downtonabbeycooks website Parmentier Potatoes Parmentier potatoes named in honor of the man who elevated the potato in France The final vegetable dish served as part of the Fifth course in 1st Class we will prepare today is Parmentier Potatoes. Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (August 12, 1737 – December 13, 1813) is best remembered for elevating the lowly potato from the hog trough to dining table in France and around Europe.  Outside of Ireland potatoes were primarily fed to animals and were actually thought to cause leprosy and other ailments. Traditional parmentier potatoes are pan fried in a cup of butter, then finished in the oven.  My version is much healthier.  It is quick to prepare and kids love it. Serves 4 Ingredients 1 lb. baking potatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and Pepper Additional seasoning: parsley or rosemary Method Peel the potatoes, trim the sides to make a rough rectangle, then cut in to even sized, medium dices – approx 1 inch. Drizzle with the olive oil. Season and spread out on a greased baking dish. Bake in a 400° F/200° C/Gas Mark 6 for 25-35 minutes until golden brown, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking.

A Tisket a Tasket , I love my Potato Basket!

Well, hello there everyone.  Hoping you had a lovely Easter and I thought I would share with you some more Potato finds- this time all bound up in a basket.
I was trolling the net, (as you do!) and found this fantastic photo.

 Potato Field Photo, India Picture – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Photograph by Johnny Haglund, Women in the village of Mawsynram in the Indian state of Meghalaya (known as the wettest place on the planet), use homemade "umbrellas" when they work in the potato field.

Just look at those basket umbrellas!  Aren't they fantastic?

Well, they  led me on a merry dance to the following.......

Made of Wicker these potato baskets allow your spuds to breathe,
 while keeping  out the light and stopping them from going green.

Vintage potato baskets at a UK village market

Click here to take a look at what the thrifty and stylish Melissa from Miss Sew & So 

does with these vintage finds, and find out where her clever son fits into the story!

Making a traditional Irish Potato Basket

Joe Bruneau -
 Appalachian melon, egg, and potato baskets made with vine, dyed rattan, yarns, and seagrass.

What fantastic colours!

Don't you just love where potatoes can take you?!!

I wonder if you have seen potato baskets like these?  

There is something very comforting about baskets I think.  They are made with care and attention and they hold the things we need and cherish.

Tradition Says Plant Your Potatoes on Good Friday

Have you heard people say you should plant your potatoes on Good Friday?  An old wives tale perhaps, or an old tradition.  Where did it come from?  I have read that cottagers were working so hard that Good Friday was the only day between New Year and Easter that  they had free to get into their garden to start planting. 

One of Vincent Van Gogh's Cottagers

Farmers Planting Potatoes, by Vincent Van Gogh

However, an older tradition says that after the potato's introduction to Europe in the 16th Century from the Peruvian  Andes, Protestants in the UK and Ireland would not plant potatoes because they were not mentioned in the Bible.  The Catholics though, were OK about it as long as the seed potatoes were sprinkled with Holy Water, and planted on Good Friday, so that they were baptised.

Photo:Potato planting in Chawaytiri,Peru 2010, from the National Museum of the American Indian

I have been reading gardeners thoughts, and it seems that the Good Friday tradition is not always practical, especially if you are in an area where snow is still on the ground, but others swear by it. 

Have you heard of this tradition, and where do you stand? 
Is there some merit in having a special day to plant our potatoes, being that the potato itself is so special?
Or is it simply up to timing and the weather, and what is ready when?


I really would love to hear your thoughts on this one.