A sort-of recipe (and week 18 of my 2015 photos)

Week 18 (20-26 April)

This is a highly disorganised sort-of recipe, because like many things I cook, I made it up as I went along. I follow recipes for things that aren't very forgiving but otherwise I like to experiment a bit. Quantities are vague or guesses, because I didn't use any measuring tools whatsoever. It's titled 'Apple Filo Dessert' because although it's somewhat strudel-y I don't know what else to call it.  Presentation is conversational and informal, because.

Apple Filo Dessert

First, make cheat-y stewed apples. Take one apple, peel if you wish (I didn't), remove the core and chop into small, flat slices. Put in a microwave-proof bowl with a tiny bit of water, a spoonful of brown sugar, a handful of sultanas, a knob of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Stir. Cover bowl with a plate/lid/whatever and microwave for a minute or two, however long it takes for the apple to go soft.

Next, prepare filo pastry. When mine defrosted it turned out to have split into quarters along the fold lines. No worries. I can work with this, just a bit of a jigsaw, and small serves instead of one large one.

Melt a couple teaspoons of butter in a small dish. Lay one piece of filo pastry on a board and brush it with butter. Put another on top, and brush with butter again. Repeat until the pastry is at least five layers deep. Tidy up the edges if you want. Place slices of apple, overlapping, along one edge of the pastry, make sure some sultanas get in there as well. At this point you can choose to either fold or roll the pastry - I made three, and the one that's shown is rolled but really, be as creative as you like here. Once that's done, put in a baking tray on baking paper and brush with butter again. These were baked at 180 degrees celsius for half an hour, but if you make something larger you might need to wing it and guess the time...

Enjoy hot, or let them cool. They're pretty darn good either way.

Here are the rest of the week's photos - this was the last of the catch-up weeks I started in the last post but I left this one as the week hadn't finished yet - and then I woke up on Sunday to find the internet was out across the area, and it just came back a few hours ago.

The rose has been edited minimally, Mum has one variety 'Jubilee 150' which is so bright you'd swear it'd been photoshopped when you look at it. The autumn leaves are also in Mum and Dad's garden, it's putting on a very colourful display at the moment.

2015 Photo Challenge Week 8

This week's themes

47 - From where I stand - if not in the literal sense, from where I stand this jam was a huge success. First ever attempt worked well and has tasted great.

48 - Routine - or rou-tea-ne. A good cup of tea is an evening routine.

49 - Bedside - this'd fit into yesterday's theme just as well. I read a little every day before falling asleep. I've since finished one of these.

50 - Fresh - chilies from my garden. Determined to be red chillies too, the green chillies in this photo have since turned a vivid red.

51 - This is so me! - I found these theme a challenge, the phrase isn't really one I'd put to use. But I do love working with bright colours in my crafting... and dreaming up ideas from the leftovers. I guess this fits?

52 - Matching - I made a matching set of cards... I like the minimalist design but a sketch or interesting sticker/object would be easy to add too.

53 - Macro - macro photography is a form I've enjoyed in the past, though I haven't put significant focus into it in some time. It was nice to spend the day running around looking at things a different way. It's gumnut season, and there are many kinds around. I particularly like the caps on this enormous variety.

2015 photo challenge week 6

I decided to try out some of the lists of photo prompts, I chose Fat Mum Slim's list for this month, it's weekly so I started on the 2nd.

33 - Mail - Today's mail included a bunch of advertising junk and a letter for a previous occupant of my house. Instead, I made this card as a birthday/congratulations card. I like sending out mail, both the making of it and giving someone something that wasn't automated in their mailbox.

Using a few reference images for ideas I sketched some (well, many) foxes, eventually got one that I thought would work. I don't usually start from scratch like that, I've got no confidence in my drawing ability so used this as an opportunity to stretch myself. I'm more confident in my knife work and did modify the image slightly at that stage. I'm out of practice and can see minor flaws, but am learning to forgive myself those, especially working on the tiny scale here (nose is 2mm wide). Nobody else seems to notice them so perhaps I can allow myself a little leeway.

34 - Water - I had a few errands to run in the Adelaide CBD, once I was done I took the scenic route back to the railway station to enjoy the weather. This photo is from the Adelaide University footbridge.

35 - Reward - A morning of getting jobs around the house done, so ice cream and some time to read made a good reward. I've finished the book now, fifteenth of the year (!) so I'll be reviewing again soon.

36 - Something blue - detail of the pattern on my plates, bowls etc. Inherited from Nanna, so there are happy memories every day when I use them.

37 - Makes me smile - I took this photo on February 6, Grandpa would have been 100 that day. Grandma, Mum, Dad and I visited the cemetery where Grandpa's ashes are interred, took a new bunch of red silk roses to replace the faded ones, and some red roses we'd grown. This is the one I took. It's the memories that make me smile, and it's a big part of why I love growing roses.

38 - Stripes - Buttons are one of my favourite craft materials. The button necklaces I have made have a wonderful colourful stripy-ness. I pulled some buttons out of my jars to put this picture together. Mmm. Buttons.

39 - In my bag - something to read. Never know when I'll have a quiet moment or need a book-y retreat. I often have e-books for use on the go, but just now I'm slowly making my way through this book.

2013 photo challenge week 4

Some memories, some gardening and some catching up with this project...

19 - A photo for the 19th didn't really work out, so instead I have this comic from Brother Sebastian by Chon Day. It was published in the 1950s, and one of the books on my Nanna's bookshelf in the alcove under the stairs. We grandkids could freely choose from this bookshelf whatever we wanted to read when visiting. There were few children's books, though I do recall one of those books that will put in custom names done with Nanna and her friends - a particularly gruesome Readers Digest book of dangerous animals was one of the favourites, as was this one. While the books from that shelf have now gone many different ways I still have this one and the memories.

20 - Chilis, growing in my garden. Back in November the bush was a tiny seedling in a jam-jar on the trading table at The Breakfast Rave. Now it's closing in on half a metre in height and covered in chilis, the longest of which has reached 12cm-ish in length. I have no idea what the variety, how firey they will be or how long they'll take to ripen so this will be a bit of an adventure. This isn't the photo I took on the 20th, when viewed on a better screen it proved to be horribly fuzzed. If you're desperate to see that it's on my Instagram account. Many of the photos for this project go up there on the day.

21 - Rose variety - Hannah Gordon (a floribunda variety). Before Christmas both of my rose bushes were in a bad way - signs of spider mites, black spot and general stress. They weren't flowering. This one was far worse than the other, and I was afraid I'd lose it - they are special to me as they remind me of several family members living and gone who have an amazing way with roses. Thankfully with treatment, movement to a different spot with less heat bouncing off the wall, pruning and fertiliser they both recovered and are now thriving. This one's covered with flowers, and such pretty flowers they are. I'll no doubt tell you about the other later.

22 - Most weeks I drop by the library to pick up holds, browse and say hello. It's usually the library in Gawler, as it was this week, but sometimes I go further afield. I particularly like the Adelaide City branch in Rundle Mall. I am so glad I have this opportunity. It brightens a day and I would not be able to read so much without libraries.

23 - I go walking in Dead Man's Pass quite often. I'm Fortunate to have such a wonderful park nearby. It's full of birds, peaceful and has plenty space for walking and cycling. Clicking on the photo should display it full size.

 

24 - Amazing day. I had my first ever ride in a limo and went to the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. The entire evening (a Christmas gift) was wonderful, great experiences throughout and immersion in wonderful live music (with added monsters). I couldn't stop smiling, the weeping angel told me off for it, but I'm not apologising for having a good time! The third photo (taken while people were still arriving) was the one I planned to use for the day but I just had to put the other two in... 

25 - A morning spending quality time with a kitten, but there were errands to run so despite the sleeping kitten in my lap I headed into town. The final stage of the Tour Down Under was on - I hadn't realised but managed to catch the first few laps and have my errands done in time to see the last few and the presentation. Another great day!

P.S. I'm a shade behind because of reasons. Catching up ASAP!

2015 photo challenge week 2

5- I continued sketchnoting 'Are Libraries Obsolete?' by Mark Y Herring. I'm noting it as I go, stopping as I find a point to take down. I'll combine this record with a brief after-impression for comparison but it'll take a while as it's slow going. Interesting exercise though, and I'm getting better at sketchnoting. This is, in two ways, part of my learning efforts. Both the book itself and the sketchnoting are learning experiences.

6- I got a parcel in the mail - a t-shirt I ordered a long time ago that was awaiting printing. Parcels in the mail are an excellent day-brightener.

7- The Christmas tree came down today... this room is looking rather dull without it. I've got to see what I can do about that within limits of renting, not spending a ton of money and the high probability of moving soon. There's a picture hook just out of view, I might find something bigger than the current A4 resident.

8 - It was wonderful to have rain today. In a break between showers I went outside to see what I could see. My rose bush, recovering well, had caught some raindrops. I love the multiple layers of reflection within this one. Re-edited from the original post to Instagram.

9- I was desperate to get outside after hot and wet days kept me from doing so. Although there were weather warnings out for strong showers I took the chance and sat by the river in Dead Man's Pass with a book. I stayed for half an hour or so then moved on as the winds were picking up. It was refreshing and I don't regret a moment of it.

10 - I spent some time with Mum and Dad, first searching for things in storage, then socialising. Mum's roses are beautiful as ever. Excuse the fuzz, phone doesn't perform well in low light.

11 - Nerf War day, and two photos ... because. I had so much fun. It was exhausting and exhilarating and wonderful. I did well enough - scored a few good hits though I was probably hit at least as often. I'm hoping to mod both of my blasters (1x maverick, 1x strongarm) as a challenge for next time... and possibly find my second maverick which is hiding well.

Please pardon this week's delay, first Nerf War exhaustion, then browser behaviour issues conspired, but here it is.

When I finish reading the fifth book of this year (nearly done) I might do a brief recap/review of those.

Spring is sprung

Spring is sprung,

The grass is riz,

I wonder where the birdie is?

They say the bird is on the wing -

But that's absurd!

I say the wing is on the bird.

-Anonymous

  It's been beautiful outside so I've been out playing with my camera! The first rose is out, plenty more to come. They're early this year. This is one of Mum's. Mine are a bit behind - one's been in too shaded a spot (fixed that) and the others have recently been moved from ground to pot. They all survived but I'm not sure if they'll flower this year.

Mum's orchids are also stunning this year. There are more spikes that haven't opened still. Every year Mum manages to get them to put on a stunning display.

Whilst this last shot isn't a traditional garden beauty shot this caught my eye, especially as I've been reading a book on finding great photos in ordinary places, particularly with different subject matter. There is a lot on colour and texture as well - unfortunately some pattern-focused photos I took did not come out as well as I might have liked - I think I needed a greater depth of field. I will have another go at those when the light is where I need it again.

It is amazing just how many photographs you can find to take in a small area. I can spend hours out there with a camera - there's always something else to photograph. When I start I find the big and obvious things, but the more time I spend in a session the more detail and interesting subject matter I find.

The rose and orchid photos were taken using a Sony DSC-HX100V, the geranium seeds with a Pentax K200-D. Whilst the latter is a DSLR the Sony, a superzoom type camera, has been better for close macro work. It has a focus ring for manual focus and operated in aperture priority does a very nice job indeed. Hopefully I'll be able to save up for a macro lens so I can do the rest with a DSLR. The general-purpose lens with a macro setting is just not cutting it. I'm not sure whether I'll stick with this body or change to another for that. Anyone have any suggestions? It'll be some time until I can justify the expense but I eventually want a good setup for macro and night photography.

I'd also like a tilt-shift lens but I think I'd need to win the lottery to justify that...