01. It was our annual International Night dinner with friends last week. This year we were Rockin’ the Moroccan. My contribution included cocktails, nibbles, and dessert. Of the things I made, a few recipes will be repeated in the future – Gin and Mint Tea cocktail (the complex sugar syrup is well worth the effort – I doubled the quantity and made a pitcher); Moroccan ‘sausage rolls’; this orange cake and this lemon cake – I’m no baker but these cakes were easy and delicious.
02. I’m totally onboard with ‘social distancing’ however that doesn’t stop me feeling a bit disappointed about cancelled Melbourne Food & Wine Festival events; Melbourne Theatre Company performances; International Comedy Festival events; Wheeler Centre author talks; and the Alanis Morrissette concert.
03. Of course, the most disappointing element of all is that the artists miss out on income (as well as the casual workers who check tickets, pour the champagne at interval, and work backstage). Where possible, we’re donating the cost of our event tickets back to the organisation… hopefully Melbourne’s vibrant arts scene isn’t decimated by this crisis.
04. There have been some lovely moments of comradery during the chaos – I had a laugh with a stranger in the supermarket about the fact that the only pasta left on the shelf was of the ‘red lentil’ variety – clearly even panic-buyers have limits!
05. And then there are other wonderful things happening, such as the MET Opera and the Melbourne Symphony live-streaming performances for free.
06. Books are the perfect way to manage social distancing, right? To ‘assist’, the State Library has issued the Autumn Book Binge reading challenge. ANZ Litlovers has put together an excellent list of books if you’re keen.
07. Cook Republic’s sensible guide to stocking your pantry for self-isolation/ quarantine.
08.The calculator that tells you how many extra books you could read each year if you quit social media (‘m missing out on 29 books…).
09. I probably shouldn’t say this aloud but after months of juggling loads of stuff, I’ve finally been able to cross a few significant tasks of my to-do list. Now I can turn to fun things, like writing a few reviews and replying to lovely comments…
10. And to finish, a snapshot of my son’s trip to Borneo at the end of 2019.
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Thanks for the mention, we do love a reading challenge no matter what the situation, eh?
Enjoyed your post as usual Kate. The Lemon Cake looks great but I wonder if it would work with gluten-free flour.
Loved the Borneo video. Looks like a very special time was had.
Gorgeous spread, Kate. I love Moroccan food. Thank goodness for virtual social contact with bloggers!
Susan has said exactly what I planned to say 🙂
Your Moroccan feast looks amazing! I’m disappointed about cancelled plans as well, especially my mother’s first trip to visit us in the UK in 13 years; it was to be in mid-May and I can’t see it going ahead.
I’ve been encouraging publishers to rely on book bloggers more through blog tours, etc. at this time, and it seems to be working — an ’emergency’ last-minute blog tour for Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet was set up that I’ll be a part of. I’m very grateful for the online book world and all the friends I’ve met through blogging.
Ooh, I’m not sure if I want to do that calculator or not!!
So many wonderful things cancelled around Australia – oh well, that delicious lemon cake is one consolation 🙂
That film is brilliant! How clever your son is. Looks like it was a fabulous time too.
Well according to that calendar I could read 60 more books a year if I abandoned social media. But then how would I keep up with all the news about new books???
Re your #04, as I walk around the supermarket and see the empty shelves I wonder whether the people who became vegan/clean eaters/vegetarian will find its harder to keep to their resolve.
I am not even going to do the calculator, especially not going to include the time that I spend playing silly Facebook games. It’ll tell me I could get back to 200 books a year I’m sure.
We’ve had to cancel our travel plans. Now fighting with a few organisations trying to get refunds. We will get the opportunity to take our planned trip eventually but goodness only knows when.