The Ultimate Coconut Ice Recipe

This was a firm favourite growing up and I have memories of Mum making this recipe in triple batches and more for Christmas giving and for school fetes. It is not the average run of the mill coconut ice recipe, You'll want to pin this one. I know, because Mum lost the recipe about 30 years ago and it has been the subject of regular hunting ever since. She vaguely recalled the ingredients but not the quantities and every likely book she saw in an op-shop had us checking indexes and suffering endless disappointments. 

At last! The recipe is found. In an old school recipe compilation from her old home town in outback Queensland (with contribution credit to a relative of hers) I give you the ultimate Coconut Ice recipe, that it may never be lost again!

Be warned though, it is seriously divine and you will NOT stop at two pieces....

Creamy Coconut Ice

1lb icing sugar

8oz desiccated coconut

1 teas vanilla

2 egg whites

4 oz butter

pink food colouring

Mix sifted icing sugar and coconut in a bowl. Pour on the slightly beaten egg whites and vanilla.

Melt butter over a gentle heat until barely warm, not hot, test temperature with your finger tips. 

Pour onto the ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly.

Press half the mixture into a cake tin 7" square or similar.

Add just a couple of drops of pink colouring to make a pretty colour and press this onto the white layer. Pop into the fridge and allow to get quite cool and set before cutting into squares.

Looks perfectly ducky in cellophane bags tied with ribbon and is much more sumptuous than the usual recipes found in old cook books.

Autumn Picnic at Clarendon

During the week, my mother liberated her great-grandson from childcare and I packed a picnic and met them at Clarendon House to enjoy a glorious day of sunshine and falling leaves.

I whipped up some simple tiny, tiny quiches of egg and spring onion and kept them warm in the insulated carrier, along with some bacon wrapped prunes speared with toothpicks and baked for about 15 minutes. A steamed corn on the cob wet with melted butter and baby tomatoes and carrots, from the garden. Slices of watermelon and sparkling elderflower cordial and ice.

My grandson ran and played and scooped up armfuls of dried leaves to dump on our heads and let the wind take my colourful scarf like an exotic streaming banner. He calls Clarendon his castle - oh to have those simple fantasies again. "I'm Mike the Knight" he declares.

Stopping just long enough to take a selfie with Grandma.

Then away again to explore some more.

"No other Knight in all the land

Could do the things which he could do. 

Not only did he understand

The way to polish swords, but knew

What remedy a Knight should seek

Whose armour had begun to squeak."

from "The Knight Whose Armour Didn't Squeak"

by A.A. Milne

Mole Creek District

Our garden club had an excursion to the Mole Creek district so I am going to bore you with lots of garden photos because this little blog is actually a good pictorial reference for me and I find it handy to look back and remember dates, places, inspirations and even future holiday stay options.

After a lovely morning tea at the Deloraine visiting an extraordinary work of art in silk and embroidery and a charming Georgian cottage museum, we travelled northwest into the Mole Creek district and had lunch at Marakoopa Cafe and wandered their gardens admiring autumn colours. We had beautiful music provided by a string three piece, a real treat which added to the unique atmosphere of the cafe.

We admired the raspberry frame.

Their various poultry.

And their various landscaped "rooms"

On to Wychwood and their Glory Vine was a show stopper this year.

I think autumn is the best time to view Wychwood, it never disappoints. 

Next we visited Blackwood Cottages and grounds.

If you are looking for a quiet getaway, this is it! I am definitely ear-marking this for a weekend retreat.

I have glass house envy!

Urn envy...

and iron-work envy!

Stone wall lusting,

And hedging desires.

So easy to picture yourself here....

And more beautiful poultry.

The day was everything I could have wished for.

Consequences and Green Salsa

The consequence of a bigger garden ....

Is more food.....

Piles of it in fact! Everywhere I look!

Many people have asked us in the past why we chose to move the country? Our short answer is "that we wanted to grow more food" 

(Carrot weighed in at 1.2kg and was sweet and tender)

And the shearer hasn't failed me. 

More food takes more time for preserving and that's pretty much what we've been doing the past month since I saw you last.

(Blackberry picking down by the river)

And of course there is the associated time taken by the garden and harvesting itself.

But we are having a ball and nearly every jar is filled for the year ahead.

This is a new to me recipe this year and one I'll be making EVERY year if I get the opportunity with a glut of green tomatoes. It's "Green Tomato Salsa" and the recipe is from The Healthy Canning site here. You'll want to pin this one! It doesn't look real pretty but, oh my, the flavour AND what a brilliant way to use green tomatoes. It's delicious as an accompaniment to corn chips and sour cream or topping for nachos or as a pizza topping or part of a cheese board. Sensational!

And in the midst, the grandson turned three and had a Toy Story party. Can you believe it!

Where does the time go?