Today, I wish ...

... I was a cat*

* Except for the bit about not having opposable thumbs, because I would quite like to do some sewing too

Almost a Choc Ripple

Do you go through cooking fads and fashions?

I have to admit that I do. For example, years ago I loved the notion of the "copy cat" recipe. In my student days I couldn't get enough of the "secrets" of making commercial foods. McDonald's special sauce or KFC's coleslaw, anyone? Not surprisingly, it was a short-lived phase. Especially when I worked out that spending lots of time trying to recreate convenience food was in fact quite inconvenient. And that on the whole, homecooking is much nicer.

Yet recently I've started to entertain notions of copy-cat cookery again. One of the kids has quite severe allergies to egg and nuts and commercial treats have been off the agenda for a few years. But seriously, how long can one reasonably go without a packet of Arnott's Choc Ripples in the pantry? (I've never told anyone, but I have recurring dreams of the iconic Australian freezer dessert, the Choc Ripple cake).



So last week when I chanced upon "Chocolate Lace Crisps" in Chocolate - 70 delicious recipes by The Australian Woman's Weekly I could barely believe my eyes. The canyony surface; the dark chocolatey colour. Mmmmm - clearly a Choc Ripple doppelgänger, if I ever saw one.

I went a bit crazy and made two batches only days apart. The second time 5 year old Argy helped out. He loved helping roll the cookies and toss them in sugar before placing them on baking trays.



I am not so sure about his technique of blowing excess sugar off the cookies. I don't think they would do that at Arnotts.

Almost Choc Ripple cookies

Adapted from Chocolate Lace Crisps in Chocolate - 70 delicious recipes by The Australian Woman's Weekly

100g (3½oz) chocolate
80g (3oz) butter
1 cup caster (super fine) sugar
1 tablespoon Orgran (or other brand) egg replacer + 2 tablespoons water (or use 1 egg)
1 cup plain (all purpose) flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ cup icing (confectioner's) sugar

1. Sift the dry ingredients (except the icing/confectioner's sugar) and combine in a bowl
2. Melt the chocolate and butter
3. Stir the melted mixture into the dry ingredients
4. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes
5. Roll into about 2 dozen balls
6. Toss in icing sugar
7. Space on 2 large baking trays lined with baking paper
8. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF)

Snowing in Paris?

Its a little bit old fashioned, I know. Maybe a bit nanna. Do you wear one?

I decided I needed a new half-slip after experiencing a mishap in a public place. (By mishap I essentially mean static build-up between my jersey skirt and undies.) When faced with the choice between being a bit nanna and experiencing a wardrobe malfunction that draws attention to my ...er, drawers ... I'll choose nanna any day.



So this is what I sewed this weekend.

I used a piece of slinky tricot. I have to confess that there is nary a natural fibre to be found. The tricot has nylon written all over it ... and I suspect it would go woof if I stood too near a naked flame. But it seems to do the trick - despite high fire danger, there is no more electrical charge.

The construction was very basic. Essentially two rectangles seamed together with a circle of elastic applied at the waist.



There is of course the unwritten rule when sewing Nanna Lingerie that dictates the addition of a lacy trim.



So I used a tight zigzag stitch to attach lace trim (nylon of course) to the right side of the slip ...



... then trimmed close to the stitching to remove the excess fabric from the wrong side.



But what of my reference to it snowing in Paris?

Well, in my childhood I learned that this was the discreet way of pointing out another sort of wardrobe malfunction - a half-slip dropped below one's hemline.

I love this expression. I doubt its heard much these days. Certainly not as often as "Your whale tale* is showing" or "Is that the strap of your over-the-shoulder boulder holder?**".

Or "Hey lady, your skirt is stuck to your bloomers".


* back of a g-string/thong
** brassiere


I have a custom showercap and bathing goodies giveaway in aid of the Premier's Flood Relief Fund that is open until midday this Wednesday 24 January (one entry for every $5 donation to the fund). Do also check out an amazing array of auctions, proceed sales and raffles over at Make It Perfect.

Keeping it real

What a relief. Frankly there's nothing more disappointing than finding your cookie is made of imaginary ingredients. (Though it does help if you are counting those calories).

Shower cap giveaway in aid of Queensland flood relief appeal

Shower cap in Trefle by Kokka.
Lined with black nylon.
Trimmed with handmade bias binding.

Do you need a new shower cap? Would you like to donate to a good cause? I am having a handmade shower cap giveaway, as part of Make It Perfect's Queensland Flood Appeals Auctions.

For every $5 donation made to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal I will give you 2 entries in the giveaway.

If you are the winner, you will receive either this handmade shower cap ... or I will make a custom cap that suits your taste. I will also pop in some bathing goodies, to complement your new shower cap.

All you need to do is make a donation to the Queensland Government's Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and then leave a comment here with your receipt number. If you would like to enter more than once, please leave a separate comment with each receipt number.

If you could ensure that there's a way I can contact you through a blog or e-mail address, that would be great. I am happy to post worldwide. I will randomly draw the winner next Wednesday 26th January 12 midday (Australian eastern standard time).

Any questions? E-mail me at liesl[at]hoppobumpo[dot]com.

Please look at the huge list of auctions over at Make It Perfect. If my shower cap doesn't appeal to you, then I am sure you will see something amazing over there that will!

Update (26 January 2011) : congratulations to Cathie of Melbourne Epicure who won the draw. A big thank you to everyone who entered and for your generous donations to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.

The flood appeal

Friends, this is the study where I write this blog.

Its upstairs and I get a good view. Its high. And by Mr Hoppo Bumpo's reckoning, this window would be submerged if we unlucky enough to be in the path of the sort of flood they have in Queensland.

As I write, a place called Savages Crossing has recorded a water level of 24.2 metres (78 feet). This is an unimaginable amount of water. Its very frightening.

The good people of Queensland need a lot of help: lives have been lost; a large number of people are missing; homes, businesses and infrastructure destroyed. An area greater than the size of France and Germany combined is affected.

If you would like to help, you might like to take a look at the Flood Appeal Auctions being coordinated by Toni Coward of Make It Perfect. All money raised will go to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal which has been launched by the Queensland Government.

Toni is preparing a list of bloggers and Facebook devotees who have promised to auction, sell or raffle handmade items to raise money for the appeal.

In the meantime have a look at Toni's fabulous auction which kicked off this morning. Its for a signed copy of her beautiful new book Make It Perfect [ISBN 9780670074174 Penguin Books, 2010], as well as some other goodies.


The Premier's Flood Relief Appeal

Crossing my eyes and dotting my tees

Stupid is, as stupid does [Forrest Gump, 1994]

I seem to be suffering an afflication of the BFs at the moment. If you are not sure of what BF stands for then please refer to the Wikipedia entry for ... ahem ... brain fart. Of course we try not to use that kind of language here at Chez Hoppo Bumpo. The word fart is is never uttered in front of Argy and Bargy, lest they misuse it in an important social situation).

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes. I've been on a bit of a t-shirt making spree. The three pictured above are based on a favourite Jalie pattern. Its #2005 - ladies t-shirts with scoop, boat and V neckline variations and short or 3/4 length sleeves.

Now given that I've already made a couple of these t-shirts, one might suppose that the third, fourth and fifth would have been a breeze. I've tried hard, I promise; to do all the right things. But, as I mentioned I have been hampered by a touch of the BFs.

Let's see ...



Exhibit A (red)
I attached the neck binding the wrong way round. Although it looks OK, I felt a little annoyed at myself as I did the same thing on t-shirt no.1. Oh well, better luck next time.



Exhibit B (stone)
Apparently luck has nothing to do with sewing. Despite paying careful attention, I attached the neck binding the wrong way round ... again. Seriously. I also appear to have transposed the sleeves, so that the wrong side of the fabric shows to the right side. Ooops. Perhaps not obvious to the passer-by .... but I know ... and now, if you happen to bump into me, you will know too.



Exhibit C (stripe)
Hoorah, the neck binding is the right way round. And my first foray into matching stripes was mostly successful. Sadly I set both sleeves in backwards. Yes, backwards. Luckily this oddity is virtually indistinguishable if I adopt a Mick Jagger-like strut, with my arms sort of bent at an odd angle. And my chest sort of stuck out. Which trust me, would almost ensure that you'd be likely to bump into me ... ahem ... if you know what I mean (but of course, I don't think I should be going down that path today ... as I have already blotted my copy book by mentioning farts.)

Summer days (and a spot of spelunking)

I am listening to the patter of large rain drops on our roof. Its a muggy, misty afternoon and our family's new year holiday - filled with blue sky, warm breezes and fresh country air - seems an eon ago already.

If you too, are sitting somewhere grey, lean in a little closer to your monitor. Look at the blue, blue sky in this next holiday snap. Perhaps we can pretend its sunny, together?



Hang on. Ooops.

Apparently, that's not the sky after all. We're looking down a steep hill, here ... and that's water at the bottom.

This is Blue Lake in Mount Gambier, South Australia. Isn't it the most exquisite colour? Even more beautiful than a summer sky.



Most of the year the lake is steel grey in colour, but changes in the summer. From memory the transformation is a chemical reaction related to temperature ... rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb ... calcium carbonate ... rhubarb, rhubarb ... and wavelengths of light. (Whew, I think I almost got away with that explanation.)

The lake is situated in an extinct volcanic crater; one of a series in the area. The city of Mount Gambier is known for its craters, sinkholes and caves.



We also did a little cave exploration while we were visiting the city. This dark, cool limestone space is Engelbrecht's Cave, which stretches underneath a number of suburban streets. We took a very interesting tour.

Some of the tour party would have heard interesting facts about its formation and features and how its a popular cave diving site. Me? I mostly heard things along the lines of fault lines and collapse and how a power pole in an adjacent street mysteriously disappeared into a cavernous void one evening.

My attention wandered a little as I pondered whether our parked car might suddenly drop through onto our heads.

Luckily my attention was diverted as the tour guide cheerily told us that the word spelunk means "to explore caves for fun". Which is funny, because I thought it was more likely to be the noise I'd make if I lost my footing on, say, quite a steep stair case. Arrrrrggghhh ..... spelunk.



Thankfully, I managed to descend this particular set of stairs without incident. They lead to another of Mount Gambier's beautiful natural features - the Umpherston Sinkhole.



That's natural in the sense has-had-a-formal-garden-planted-smack-in-the-middle-of-it.



Apparently one Mr J. Umpherston thought that this spectacular limestone sinkhole would look better as formal sunken garden. The one-time cave is full of ivy, ferns and moptop hydrangeas arranged on terraces. Planted in the late 1880s, it remains a lush green garden to this day.



I have to say I liked the pretty hydrangeas ... and roofless cave ... very much.



No cars or power poles to fall through on one's head.
(Are you sensing the joys of spelunking were a little lost on me?)


Umpherston Sinkhole
Jubilee Highway
Mount Gambier, South Australia 5290
Open sunrise to 1am (floodlit at night).
Entry free.

Engelbrechts's Cave
Chute Street
Mount Gambier, South Australia 5290
Entry fee applies. 45 minute guided tour.
Mon - Fri: 10am - 2pm
Sat: 10am - 2pm
Sun: 10am - 2pm
Public Holiday: 10am - 2pm
Good Friday: 10am - 2pm

Blue Lake
John Watson Drive
Mount Gambier, South Australia 5290
Free (3.6 kilometre road and walking track)