SUMMER: YOGHURT (AND KNITTING)

Hello. I find myself once again with much to post about and only broken pockets of 'spare' time in which to do it but, such is life, no? I'll start and see how far I get this week in my attempt to catch up.

My first batch of yoghurt using a range of online sources for inspiration; there are sooo many on this topic! I found the incubation stage challenging and eventually put the oven on as low as it goes for about 8 hours. We have a gas oven and the flame was on as low it goes. I searched the kitchen for some large jars in the hope that I could utilise the hot day (30 degrees) by wrapping the jars in cloth and putting them in the sun but, alas, I had only 'lid-less' options. Next time perhaps. The end result is very thick and scrumptious and we've topped with fresh fruit and devoured it in smoothies (those below were made with frozen raspberries, fresh strawberries, rice milk, honey and, of course, yoghurt). I'll make yoghut again,and again...and...next time use the slow cooker to incubate the yoghurt! (as suggested by my mother-in-law).

As a complete contradiction, I fried some home-made potato chips/fries last week because one night Elsa requested fish and chips "like we have at the beach" and I thought it sounded like a good idea. They went down well but, won't be a regular thing - just look at all that oil sizzling! Still, they were delicious.

The vegie-patch enjoys the last of Summer

Last week, with temperatures around 30C, resembled the peak of summer or certainly a time when Summer was more entrenched and 'the end' seemed far, far away. And today was 28C adding to that impression but in between, we've had snippetts of autumnal  weather reminding us that more persistently cool weather is closing in. This sounds like a weather report! Anyhow, we are doing our best to send Summer off with a bang, a little bang but, a farewell all the same.

Picnics with the 'babies'

As much outdoor meandering (minus mittens) as we can muster

 As an aside, you may have noticed that I'm unwilling to concede an end to summer. While Australian calendars mark March 1 as the 'First Day of Autumn', we prefer to run by the equinox, which is quite handy at this time of the year because summer lives on in our hearts and minds well into March. So, my titles will begin 'Summer' until March 21 as we hold on to summer and happily adhere to the more North American  (and elsewhere!) tradition where the equinox defines the seasons. I've gone on about this before...perhaps we feel justified  in this approach having a Canadian in the house (Dada) but really, it's not just us; I know plenty of  non-bi-country (!) families who do the same. Either way, it works for us so,according to us, we're enjoying the final few days of summer.

But my attention increasingly focuses on projects for the cooler weather to come (in addition to what these two babes are up to of course). The knitting basket has been reinstated near the couch, in front of the fireplace this year! (something we haven't had  as a family until now and are very excited about). The basket is slowing filling with projects, some unfinished from last year, others just beginning, some in the planning stages (read, balls and balls of yarn that I often contemplate /stare at (!) while knitting away in the evenings).

A cardigan for baby Iris (see my Ravelry notes here). Despite some searching, I'm yet to find the right buttons for this one and might just turn my search to etsy.

And a cardigan for Rafael, almost there......I'm loving the green, of course.