Mayor4Unley

Here's a good read, all about taste and flavour, from the womb to old age and through sickness and medication. Explains a lot, especially about weird food desires. Read the story

What a fantastic 6 weeks holiday in the UK. Nice, but very expensive. The Poms are doing it tough, but don't really know it. Petrol and diesel is exactly twice as much (as in Australia). Food in the supermarkets is a bit more expensive. On the positive side, there's a huge choice of food from across Europe and beyond. Everything is available during all seasons. We bought some raspberries to have with Cornish clotted cream. The raspberries were from Morocco! Wine (sold in the shops) is somewhat expensive and compared with the choice in Australia it is absolutely woeful. Even the Aussie wine available is very average stuff. Much of the wine has foreign language labels so it was pot luck as to what you picked. Even buying by price (paying a bit more) didn't help. Mostly muck! Eating out at restaurants and cafes is expensive; costing twice as much. And I'm not talking about high end restaurants. It was a fantastic experience, but after 6 weeks it was time ...

I was heading into the CBD by tram for lunch. I like a bit of light reading on the tram, so I packed the latest copy of RAA's SA Motor magazine. Folded, it fits nicely into my small man bag. I thought I would do the road rules tests; multiple scenarios to test your road skills. Then I spotted an article by Charles Mountain, RAA's Road Safety Expert. Charles was responding to a Dorothy Dixer question from a reader. The reader asked 'what should I do if I sneeze while I'm driving?' . It's a question I'm sure that we often ask ourselves. Anyway, Charles went into considerable detail about the danger of sneezing whilst we drive. We're told that we shut our eyes for about 3 seconds (during a sneeze) and at 60kph travel about 8 car lengths. Charles says that ideally we should pull over if we feel a sneeze coming on; but he does concede that it is not always possible. So, to be prepared for a sneeze, we are advised to keep a sensible distance behind th...

It's getting harder and harder to stay cyber safe. There are so many ways the cyber criminals are out to get you. So it's important to stay abreast of the threats and risks. It's amazing how much money is lost (stolen) every day. Just be vigilant; and stay vigilant. Read these 17 tips

Here's an interesting article on what your dog hates (and likes). Next time you pat a dog on the head, understand its discomfort; especially if I try isn't your dog. 🐕 Have a read

The Unley Repair Cafe held monthly (on the last Saturday of the month) at Clarence Park Community Centre is just fantastic. Such a great concept and all made possible by a large group of skilled volunteers. I went to the May session and took my broken bentwood chair. The chair had a wonky leg with a screw broken off (inside the wood). It was a tricky job, but Unley resident and volunteer Peter Moors fixed it. Peter did a great repair job and I picked up a couple of tips. Every repaired job gets a photo. Here is a pic of me absolutely delighted with the repaired chair. #Unley #RepairCafe #UnleyRepairCafe

Volunteers are the backbone of most community organisations. At Unley Council there are 400 volunteers who service the community. Many Council services would fold (or be reduced) without the help of volunteers. I salute all of these volunteers ... from bus drivers to home services to the library ... the list just goes on. I was delighted to read that one of the best new release camellias has been called Volunteer to honour the volunteers across Australia. This camellia has gloriously ruffled blooms. They really are quite different with petals that open a soft pink with white at the edge. As the season progresses, the colour deepens and retains a white edge. The centre of the flower is heavily textured and has a pin cushion in shape. The bush grows to 2m in height. If you're thinking of planting a camellia then consider the Volunteer .

What fantastic news. Research has shown that a small amount of dark chocolate (just 50g) puts you in a better mood and increases brain power and memory. The chocolate used was 70% cacao and 30% organic sugar cane, a product marketed as a health food. Just 30 minutes later, brain scans showed an increase of gamma waves in areas indicating: Improved neural connectivity, Reduced stress, Improved mood, and Boost of memory. So if you want to get in the mood and have less stress and more memory, then eat very dark chocolate.

It's that time of year, a golden time of the year when the quinces are ripening. My tree at home (in #Unley) is heavily laden. Not a lot of fruit, but they are huge - just so big. Next weekend most of them will be transformed into quince paste - a must have with cheese over the next 12 months. A few will be slowly poached for hours and then become a glorious dessert. The quince really is an understated fruit. It's a signal that, despite the recent warm weather, autumn is upon us. A tip for other quince growers, don't pick them too early. They must be yellow, not green. How to tell if they are ripe? Use a thumb and rub the furry skin and if the fur rubs off then they are ripe.

Have just recently picked my crop of pomegranates (grown in #Unley). The Rainbow Lorikeets were starting to show an interest. Not a huge crop because I heavily pruned the tree last year, but the fruit are huge. I struggled to fit the pomegranate halves in the juicer. I'm reshaping the tree to be a big bush - as it should be. The juice is fantastic and so good for you.

Yesterday I went to the local Asian Grocer. I was on a mission to buy a packet of dried shrimp. (A recipe for fried rice with crab meat needs the dried shrimp.) They had no dried shrimp, but on impulse I bought and came home with: 1 packet of black sticky rice 1 packet of white Thai glutinous rice (white sticky rice) 1 bottle of pandan essence Why? After tasting the most glorious black sticky rice (with coconut custard) last weekend at the Thai food festival, I was determined to make this dish at home. I'll wait for the next rainy day to make it. If it works out ok I will share the recipe.

I’m a big fan of cider vinegar. Great to drink, make preserves, salad dressing and superb for washing your hair; I use it weekly and it gives my hair a real shine and softness. Tip: close your eyes tightly when doing the hair wash and leave it on for a few minutes. Anyway, however you use it, it’s a better alternative to normal harsh vinegar. Making: Apple Scrap Vinegar It is just so easy. Here's the recipe and instructions ... Apple scrap vinegar: you can drink it straight, use it as a household cleaner, drizzle it over your favourite salad and rinse your hair in it. Let’s talk about how seriously good this stuff is, as well as being crazy easy to make. While not being new to the wonderful world of fermenting, apple scrap vinegar was something that up until now I hadn’t made. I’d used it in cooking, I had drunk it and I knew my hair benefitted from rinsing with it, but making it from scratch? Nope, I hadn’t gone there yet. With a stash of apples from t...

Now is the time to plant your garlic in #Unley. An older school of thought is to plant it in late May or early June and harvest in December. Talking with other garlic growers, the consensus is to plant it in mid to late March when the soil is warmer. It enables the plant to get a good start and be established before the colder months. Also the cloves will be bigger and plumper. So, plant your garlic now. Dig in organic fertiliser and just bury the cloves. The pointy part of the garlic clove should be just under the surface. Cover with pea straw and water lightly each day until the growth is established; and then ease back on the water. It’s a good cash crop; ready to harvest in mid December. With proper storage, the garlic will last 12 months until the next harvest.

Most of us probably have a reasonable idea of how we will vote in the #SA #Election 2018. However, I'm still agonising over how I will number the voting slip. As a matter of principle I won't be following the voting order recommended by the major parties. I will choose who is best and who is second best etc. in my local seat of #Badcoe. Voting for the Upper House is a totally different ball game. Like many (hopefully most) voters I will probably be voting different to how I vote for my local seat. I will vote for candidates who will make a difference and keep the Government in check; rather than just blindly voting for Labor or Liberal or ... I ask you how many can actually name more than 2 members of the Upper House? #saparli Most of us have no idea of who is Up there; and there are some who wouldn't be there without the blind vote just along party lines. Voting blindly following party lines for the Upper House is not a smart move. Heaven knows who we might be v...

What is Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio Wine? Most of us are confused. We get told that it is the same wine from the same grape; just with a different name, dependent on the winemaker. I struggle a bit when I see it on a wine list or in the bottle shop. The reality is that in Australia, yes it is the same grape. But it is not the same wine; each has a different style. Technically, Pinot Gris is the name used for wines from the Alsace region of France whereas Pinot Grigio is the name used for wines from the Lombardy region of Italy.   However, in Australia, there are no rules governing the use of the names of Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio. The convention in Australia is to use either Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio to indicate that the wine follows the French or Italian style. Sweeter or richer wine styles are typically labelled Pinot Gris whereas the drier, lighter-bodied varieties are labelled Pinot Grigio. In brief: Pinot Gris = French =sweeter and richer wine Pino...

With the end of the heat wave I have converted my heat stressed tomato patch into a pumpkin patch in #Unley. I should get a good crop during this long Indian Summer. Ready to harvest in May with very little effort. If you store them properly, they should last 12 months in the shed. I've planted butternuts; my fav. Tip: don't go and buy the seeds or seedlings; why give money to Bunnings when you don't need to. Save some seeds when you next cook pumpkin. Plant 3-4-5 seeds 50cm apart and let them spread. They will fill an area quickly.

Many homes in #Unley don't have a bird bath in their garden. As birds and small animals lose more and more of their habitat (through housing development) the more they rely on us to provide food, water and shelter in our gardens. So if you don't have a bird bath, then get one. Also consider a shallow water dish on the ground for the lizards and other natives that crawl abound. And don't forget a hollow log or two. It gives great joy to see birds in the bird bath; having a drink or a slash on a hot day. And of course the bees 🐝 need water; daily. Your garden will be transformed with more native birds 🤗

It's a tough time growing zucchinis and cucumbers at the moment; given the heat. Both grow best in the sun with temperatures between 22 and 32 degrees C. I grow my cucumbers in partial shade,  behind a large tree and they are doing well. But fruit setting is halted by the onset of high temperatures. At temperatures higher than 32 degrees the pollen in the flowers dry out. However, I am maintaining a good supply for the fridge. Rather than grow the cucumbers on the ground, let the vines grow on a low trellis. Helps to keep the fruit in good condition with plenty of circulating air. Tip: give the plants a good watering the night before you harvest early the next morning.

There's so much buzz about Bitcoin and other crypto currencies. So much envy about those making an absolute killing on the crypto currency market. There's so much ups and downs. So much desire to get some of the action. But is it too late or do we just wait a bit and then buy in. To compound the situation, there are approximately 1,300 crypto coins and the reality is that most will become zombie coins; so we need to choose carefully with a huge helping of luck. Yes, there will be winners in the crypto space. However, it may not be Bitcoin; despite being the first. But what would I know? To put crypto currency into perspective and to do a bit of a reality check, here's a monkey story to ponder ... A lot of monkeys lived near a village. One day a merchant came to the village to buy these monkeys! He announced that he will buy the monkeys @ $100 each.  The villagers thought that this man is mad.  They thought how can somebody buy stray monkeys at $100 e...

Dogs just love nuts as a treat, but we should be saying No, no nuts. It seems that there are only 2 nuts that should be given to dogs. Peanuts and roasted cashews. Hazelnuts are ok, but they do pose a choking risk. So for your dog's health, just stick to peanuts for an occasional treat; besides they're the cheapest. Read more ...