Okay, Monday again. To be honest, it was one of those weeks that you need every so often where things sort of just sailed along. Nothing that was terribly highlighty, nothing terribly lowlighty, it just was. I suspect it was because I still had the sense of calm that our weekend in the country had given me. It really was a lovely weekend – more so in hindsight. If you missed it, you can read about it here.
The weather was a mix of sunny, cloudy and rainy – as were our morning walks. Given though, that I enjoy walking in the rain (but don’t like pina coladas…get it?) a little moisture isn’t enough to keep us inside.
Okay, without any further ado, here is the five…
1.Words
I saw this quote during the week and loved it:
You cannot discover new oceans without the courage to lose sight of the shore
André Gide
I’m reading listening to Julia Baird’s Phosphorescence at the moment – I book I bought for the title and the cover with no real idea that I’d enjoy it and (spoiler alert) am loving. It’s full of little snippets of words that bring joy with them.
My new favourite word comes from this book:
Apricicity – which basically means to bask in the warmth of the winter sun
How lovely is that?
2. Runways
The new runway at Sunshine Coast Airport is open and for the first time we’ll be able to fly north as well as south – once restrictions are lifted, that is. For now, it’s a tad lonely though.
3. Fisherman’s Rd Market
We’re at the farmer’s market at stupid o’clock every Saturday morning. We buy fruit, veg, eggs, yoghurt and even some meat there. This weekend though we thought we’d take a #forcedfamilyfun outing to a different market on Sunday as well.
The verdict? This is a large market that has more food trucks and stalls other than fresh food ie there are places selling bric-a-brac, hardware, clothes, plants. It’s busy and fun, but for fresh food, we’ll stick with the one we know and love – Kawana.
4. New words
Now that Escape To Curlew Cottage is off having the editing treatment I can finally start something new – or rather pick up something I put down a year ago. It’s In The Stars is the final (for now) book in my Melbourne-based chick-lit series. It features Alice Delaney, who we met very briefly in Baby, It’s You, but who you’ll get to know much better when I Want You Back is released…and I’ll be sharing a definitive date on that next week…
5. Guest posting
I’ve been honoured to have been featured in two posts this week – contributing my 20cents worth on self-publishing over on Davina Stone’s blog, and also being the author in Sam’s monthly author corner here. Thanks to both of these women for the opportunity. #sharethelove
In the kitchen
In my quest to add new meat free recipes to our weekly menu, I tried out this Aloo Gobi. Essentially it’s Indian-spice cauliflower and potato.
French was drawn out of the Decision Bowl for Saturday night and I must admit to cheating a tad. I made this pate which, although it was tad gross to actually make and blend was beautifully smooth to eat. We also had confit duck – the part where I cheated, the pre-made ones were on special last week – which we served with a bean stew. It doesn’t sound real exciting but was super yum. For dessert it was homemade strawberry icecream with lemon verbena meringues. I’ll pop the recipe up later in the week.
The big challenge for the week was Chin Chin’s Jungle Curry. Chin Chin is a restaurant in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, that I absolutely adore. It’s one of those places that doesn’t take bookings and has ridiculous queues every night – back in the day when you could have queues, that is.
Benjamin Cooper, the head chef, set a challenge for a Masterchef Pressure Test the other week to make this jungle curry without a recipe – and it was a doozy of a pressure test.
The full recipe – as it appeared on the show – is here. Again, I cheated, and made the curry paste, but used stock I had in the freezer, and we used chicken as our protein. Cooper described the curry paste as feral and that was pretty apt! In all, the recipe used 45 scud chillis. Yep, you read that right. While it was hot, everything else balanced that heat out and it wasn’t unbearable. I did, however, make a big mistake and didn’t use CSI gloves when I was peeling and chopping the turmeric. My fingers are now a lovely sunny yellow.
Okay, that was my week – how was yours?
And Anyways... 
Joanne, Exceptionally gorgeous, breathtaking photos! I read your first quote a few times to let it sink in. I get it. A good one.
I also like the word “Phosphorescence”. Possibly the way it rolls off the tongue. And the word “sustain” has been showing up for me the last few weeks. I need to pay attention. First time I have heard “Apricicity.”
I am drooling again by the time I finish reading your post, Joanne. I am looking forward to the recipes this week. A very full week for me, too, with nothing too earth-shattering. I look forward to connecting.xx
Hi Jo – I saw a review for Phosophorescence in the n/paper a while back and it looked like it would be a good read. The markets look like my kind of Sunday outing (I’m all about the bric-a-brac and less about the vegetables) and I must say that your family should all be the size of elephants based on the amazing food that you eat each week – I guess the walking and portion control are the secrets to staying trim, taut and terrific. x
Apricicity — I love that word! I will definitely be borrowing it!
I certainly overdid it last week (at least mentally) so this week I’m trying to be very ‘do nothing’. Exciting news about the book being in editing and starting to work on something new!
Jo, I love how you find these unusual words. Thank goodness I don’t have to spell or pronounce them!
I really enjoy markets though unfortunately not at the moment. Hope this week is a good one.
So honoured to have you on the blog this week and that I made into this week’s 5 Things! I have heard great things about Phospherence – will have to get my hands on a copy! And yay for flights! We’re having our first weekend away in a couple of weeks and as much as I love home base, I am really looking forward to a change of scenery!
Loved your interview on Sammie’s blog! Thankyou for teaching me the word ‘apricicity’ – I adore the winter sun so I’ll have to try using that word in conversation. And that strawberry icecream looks so yummy!
Thanks Bella. Isn’t that just a delicious word?
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the book. The markets look like fun – still haven’t been to one since things have reopened though. Looking forward to reading your author corner on Sammie’s blog. Wonderful sunrises as always! Aloo gobi used to be a bit of a staple growing up and not my favourite – I never liked cauliflower growing up but that’s changed now.
Another great week Jo and a fabulous new word to enjoy. I have heard good things about Phosphorescence and will add it to my list! I enjoyed both your guest posts, always enjoy reading your words 🙂
Phosphorescence sounds like a book I must read. I wrote it down on my list of TBR books. I have several lists, but the handwritten one is the serious one! Even the word from that book sounds perfect. Any meal that ends in homemade strawberry ice cream is a winner in my book!
Jo, apricicity is the perfect word companion for your photographs this week – they are literally bathed in sunlight! Very nice.
Even with all the sunlight in your lovely photos, I can see that winter is coming. The colors look deeper and the shadows longer. I would love to say I will add apricicity (which I am having to say aloud to try to pronounce it correctly) to my vocabulary but I cannot seem to find words any more. They are stuck in my head and won’t come out!! All I can come up with these days are tired words.
Glad you enjoyed not one but 2 farmer’s markets. I would like to go to ours but I am not sure they have opened with the steady increase of virus cases in our city.
I can’t believe you make ice cream. Like on Masterchef! I also love that you go to the markets each week. I never do but then again I’m not a big fruit and vege person and ours are a little bit of an anticlimax here.
I’ve heard good things about Phosphoresence but know nothing about it. If it’s beautifully written I should give it a go though!
Loved that icecream..yum. Congrats on being featured on Sammie’s blog. Well-done you. I admit I was not going to get into Julia Baird’s book…I was resistant. Then I did the audio version first. Ahhh. Some of it I was very familiar with as her swimming group goes off from Manly’s South Steyne and swims across to Shelley Beach. I actually photographed some doing this for a sunrise shoot I did just for me in 2014. But, as time went on, and she came to her cancer diagnoses and tough tough times, because I remember it well when she could no longer appear on the Drum…I felt a greater connection. I like learning from others and so, to relish some of her words, I bought the book too. Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek and I look forward to seeing you again next Monday when the optional prompt is 26/51 Best Time Of Day. 29.6.2020 Take care, Denyse.