Busy and Buzzy

Around where I have been delivering catalogues are these flowers. I don't know what it is about them but they are major bee attractors. They just love 'em. So today I thought I would share the buzzy bees I found on my morning delivery.

Even the native bees get in on the feast among the other bees.

And also on my walk I saw this ... Do you know what it is?

Its a dragon fruit.
I'd never seen one growing only in the shop so I thought I would share something new to me and a little unusual.

 

Tasty Tuesday: Lemon Sago

A couple of weekends ago while up on the Tablelands we got to house sit overnight at the same farm from back here. It was quiet, peaceful and wet.

At this place there is a lemon tree next to the house that at the moment is overflowing with fruit. I love lemons, cooking with lemons and eating lemon flavoured foods and Mr Sparky loves Lemon Sago (so do I).

We already had sago or seed tapioca in the pantry and along with some lemons and other ingredients we were both pretty satisfied on the Lemon Sago front ... so satisfied I made it again.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sago
600ml water
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
Rind of 1/2 a lemon
Juice of 2 lemons

Method:

1. Place sago and water in saucepan and boil until transparent, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from stove and add lemon juice, rind, sugar and syrup.

3. Mix well.



4. Pour into a mould/ bowl to set

5. Serve with custard or ice cream or just eat it solo.

 

I love my lemon sago by itself or with ice cream.
How do you like yours?
What is your favourite flavoured sago?

I love this recipe because it works ... and it has gotten the Mr Sparky tick of approval. When I suggested trying another recipe his very fast reply was 'I like that one, make it again.' Well that I can do in fact probably will do again, and again and again ... well at least until the lemons run out.

This recipe is from the Corner Country Cookbook from the Boulia, Bedourie and Birdsville ICPA.
Do you have any great sago recipes?

Note: It will seem like it will never happen but the sago will go transparent and usually pretty close to all at once. If a few bits aren't transparent it doesn't really matter they will just be a little chewy.

Good Morning From Our Balcony

 Sooo I am well aware that it is no longer morning here in Aus but I am 100% certain it is somewhere else but good morning, good day, good afternoon, good night (just to cover it all) from the balcony outside our room.

 This morning (Saturday) I got a sleep in, YAY! It was all the way to about 5:50am but then I dozed a bit later until 7:30am ... holy cow. For something different we haven't gone to the Tablelands this weekend, so this morning I got to see the bird life out the back in our swamp which is really part of a creek, but you can judge what it looks like yourself.

Now I am going to inundate you with bird photos ... I hope you are having a great weekend.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: The bigger bird is a Black Necked Stork and the smaller birds are Ibis.

Nesting

 On Thursday morning, while I was watering the plants out the front, I heard a lot of cheaping.
When I looked up in the tree outside our place I saw this ...

 It is a messy round nest with an opening on one side.

I wonder what kind of bird is nesting here.

I hope I get to see some babies soon.

In Training

 For three days this week I have had my 'L' plates back on as I took part in training for my new job teaching groups of Japanese students English.

Now when you think training do you think 'face to face'?
Well that was the original plan ... we, however, got to do our training online which was a great experience and learning curve for both ends it was however feeling a lot like being back with Distance Education. We had the whole web cams, microphones and headset thing going ... I think I rock a headset. We were learning how to use the program and lessons to teach online lessons to students who will be sitting in their home or office in Japan. These will be offered to a select group who are planning on coming to Australia.

Next month we have another couple of days training on doing face to face lessons ... hmm still sounding very Distance Ed ... which should be interesting as the training is again being done online so there will be nobody to practise on ...hehe. I do think however that myself and the other English teacher employed ... Teacher P ... have got the face to face interaction and teaching aspect handled it is just knowing the program that we will be teaching part and expectations that is needed.

Now for some photos ... the building I will be working in is the tallest in Cairns and being on the 12th floor gives a great view out over the wharf and coastline. I think I am going to totally love this job just for the view ... and the people.

Day One - Tuesday

Day Two - Wednesday

Day Three - Thursday

 Linking in for Totally Thursday