Fig canapés and some beach scenes

I thought I'd share some photos of our gorgeous weekend and also  to post a fantastic fig canapé that one of friends always serves and it is such mouth watering deliciousness I had to share it with you.

We had a beautiful time on Friday and over the weekend for our anniversary.  Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts and comments. We had a kid -free Friday and Saturday and the days seemed to stretch out for ever. There's nothing like having two little kiddos to make you really appreciate the peace and freedom when they aren't around. Thanks to my sister and her kids for giving our kids (and us) a wonderful weekend. Lunch at Manta, a movie, a sleep in, markets, beach, friends, french champagne and good coffee - pretty much a perfect weekend in my books!

I have to say it's so easy going to the beach without kids! There were bluebottles galore though so we swam in the ocean pool. We swam lots of laps, lazed around, talked uninterrupted, walked and relaxed! I must the view wasn't too bad either...

We also had a wander around Everleigh markets (not as good as our local Orange Grove Markets but nice for a change).  I love farmers markets, wandering around with a coffee in hand looking at all the fresh produce and meeting the growers and food providores. There are so many people with interesting stories and beautiful food. We didn't buy much  - just some Achachas (a Bolivian fruit), some sausage/wurst and some beautiful panforte that is similar to what my mum used to make. I'll blog her recipe some day.

After the markets, we dropped in on Sam at Plumeria Coast at Bronte. Her little shop is very sweet with it's peddle store front and it's crammed full of beautiful beachy decore. Sam's been selling online for 2 years but has only had her shop for 10 weekend. I wish her every success.

On Sunday evening we invited our lovely neighbours over for some champagne and nibbles. I've wanted to share this fantastic fig canapé with you all for a while. It is so simple but extremely delicious and will make you look like a superstar for not much effort at all - just a little slicing and rolling. 

You will need fresh figs, goats cheese and prosciutto. Not the cheapest of ingredients but this is really special. I have served these a few times including Christmas Eve dinner and they are always a smash hit! It's really the perfect combinations of flavours. I am very grateful to our friend, Terrie Anne, for introducing me to this culinary delight.

Cut your figs into quarters and your prosciutto strips into diagonal halves. Please a teaspoon of goats cheese into the hollow of the fig and onto the fat end of the prosciutto. Then roll these babies up.

Pan fry for a few minutes rolling over so all sides are cooked.

Serve with your favourite champagne!

Enjoy

Fiona xx

White French Provincial Sideboard and Flowers

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend. Sydney is putting on a beautiful day! The sunshine has been interspersed with some showers but it's balmy and warm and the sky is now blue. 

One of my all time favourite white paint makeovers is my French provincial sideboard that I painted a few years ago now and kept for my dining room. I love how this piece balances the room, makes it more interesting and also provides additional storage for the room.  I have so much stuff packed into this sideboard - extra crockery sets, large platters and vases, our good cutlery, my sewing machine and over locker and a huge amount more!

This is a curved fronted solid walnut sideboard. I refinished the top and painted the body in Dulux Lexicon White Quarter Strength. This is a very bright  white with barely any tint in it so you need 3-4 coats even over primer but it is a beautiful bright colour and one of my "go to" whites for painting furniture. For the top I stripped back the original finish and then sanded it very smooth. To sand I start with a medium grit sandpaper and work my way to a fine sandpaper and then sand and sand with Super fine Steel wool. This gives an incredibly smooth even surface for staining. I have used Wattyl Professional  "Craftsman Finish" Stain in Walnut. Once this was dry I waxed and buffed the surface for durability and sheen. I replaced the original handles (that were pretty ugly) with these handmade ceramic handles made in Limoges, France.

Phil brought the pink dahlias back from the farmers markets this morning. The are so big and pretty. The vase I have used is Iranian glass and my sister gave it to me about 15 years ago. I always love how flowers look against the green.

Whenever I post photos of my dining room, I get questions about the large painting on the wall. It is by local (to Rozelle) artist, Laura Matthews. Laura is an amazing painter and has won many awards. This painting is of the area around Mount Canobolas, Orange, NSW and I just owning treasure this piece. I bought this painting over 7 years ago and I never tire of it.

so there you have it - pink dahlias on my French provincial sideboard - a little spark or white and pretty for your Saturday afternoon.

wishing you a relaxing weekend

enjoy!

Fiona xx

 sharing at 
Tuesdays Treasures

10 years!

Yes... I know I'm a day late for Valentine's day.  Phil and I don't celebrate Valentine's as we think it's all a bit commercial. However, today we are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. It's a bit of a milestone, isn't it? I married my best friend and we are still very much in love. It seems very fashionable to bitch about your husband (it's a national sport I think!) but there's not much I can complain about - he's clever and fun and kind, he understands me, loves me, does nice things for me, is a great husband to me and a wonderful father to our kids. And we don't take each other for granted, we like doing the same things and we get on together and work well together. Still very happy!

We don't buy each other anniversary presents especially as this year is diamonds and I can think of much better things to spend our money on!  Phil is taking the afternoon off work and we're going to lunch at Mantra in Woolloomooloo and then a swim at Boy Charlton..and then possibly a movie. My sister is having our kids for the night and for most of tomorrow so it's going to be lovely being able to relax at home and sleep in. Simple pleasures!

I looked for our wedding photos to share a couple but can't find them anywhere! I've obviously packed the album away in a "special" spot.  Ha ha, my organisational skills astound me...

The heart photos above are all from my Instagram feed - find me there as LilyfieldLife. I was surprised at how many hearts I had taken photos of.

I'll be back next week with some more painted furniture.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Fiona xx

Date and Walnut Loaf - Love me some old fashioned baking

When it comes to baking, I love old fashioned recipes. Recipes that are tried and true and have stood the test of time - there's nothing too fancy going on around here. This date and walnut loaf has been one of my favourites for a long time.  My grandmother used to make this and I'm pretty sure many of you will have eaten this at your grandmother's table. Just perfect with lashings of butter and a cup of tea!

Old fashioned baking with old fashioned simple ingredients - brown sugar, flour, egg, dates, walnuts. I always have these ingredients in my pantry so it's easy to whip up this delicious treat. And I love using my nut roll tins. There's something about a round slice of nut loaf! You can often find original tins in a second hand shop. I bought mine new many years ago for about $10 each (my tip is if you buy them, buy 2 as most nut loaf recipes make 2 loaves).

Old Fashioned Date and Walnut Loaf Recipe
60g butter
1 cup (250ml) boiling water
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped (about 180g)
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnut (60g)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 fan forced). 

Grease two nut tins*.

Line the lids with baking paper and stand vertically with the bottom lid on.

Combine butter and boiling water in a medium saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted.

Remove from heat. Stir in dates and bicarbonate of soda and then remaining mixture. Stir until it is all a deliciously caramel mixture - it will still have the lumps of dates and walnuts but no flour lumps.

Spoon the mixture into tins (half in each) and pop on lids.

Place upright in oven (you may wish to place on a baking tray). Bake for around 50 minutes.

Cool in tin for around 5 minutes. Remove from tin and cool on wire rack.

I always serve with butter!

*Recipe notes - Before turning on your oven  make sure the shelf in your oven is at a low enough level to fit your nut loaf tin in standing vertically. To grease nut loaf tins, I melt 2 teaspoons of butter in the microwave and then use a small pastry brush to "paint" the insides of the tin. To remove the nut loaf from the tin, make sure you have given it at least 5 minutes cooling time out of the over, then remove both end lids and shake the tin gently so the loaf slides out one end. If you can't find a nut loaf tin, then this recipe works equally well in a normal loaf tin.

Serve it up on pretty, old china and bob's your uncle!

Do you love old baking recipes that have been handed down over the generations? What's your favourite?

Fiona xx

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Selecting the right paint brush

Between all my furniture painting projects over the last few years and many, many years of watercolour and acrylic art painting, I've done my share of selecting and buying paint brushes. Here are my thoughts on selecting a good paint brush for your furniture painting projects.

I know there's a few people who say just use cheap paint brushes and throw them out after your project but most professional painters, or even DIY enthusiast, will tell you to spend the extra money! It may cost $10 more for a good quality brush but you are already saving a lot of money by making over your furniture rather than buying something new. 

You are much better off spending $18-25 AUD on a good paint brush that will last and last, especially as your choice can be the difference between a job that looks average and one that looks fantastic. Generally a higher quality and more expensive brush will hold more paint, streak and show brush marks less, give a better finish and last longer, if you take care of it.

The reason it is important to use quality brushes is that, compared to cheap brushes, they apply paint in a thicker, smoother film, which provides maximum coverage and sheen uniformity. When you use lower quality brushes they will often leave deep ridges in the paint where dust and dirt can collect and worst case mould can grow. I know there are certain paint techniques such as a chalk paint or duchess satin French finish where you may want a textured finish but generally you will want to minimise visible brush strokes.

When buying brushes for furniture painting, check for the bristles for the following:

• have split ends, to create a finer, more even finish;
• have a definite flex at their tip, to enable them to spring back into shape;
• they are shorter on the outside and longer in the centre, to provide more control over where the paint is applied;
• measure at least half as long as the width of the brush. 
• Give the bristles a gentle tug or tap the metal ferrule of the brush. If more than one or two bristles can be pulled out, the brush is probably poorly constructed. 

If a brush is well made and well cared for, it will last for years, so make sure you can use it comfortably. Make sure the brush feels comfortable in your hand.  I love the feel of wooden handles but this is definitely just a personal preference. Pick up the brush and hold it in your hand before you buy it, make sure you like how it feels.

My preference is for a metal ferrule and a wooden handle. 

I also have a range of brush sizes. Smaller brushes, called trim or sash brushes, are used for small, tight spaces. You can also buy small Angled Sash Brushes that have a tapered edge. These are great at getting into corners and grooves.  I love using angled sash brushes for painting moulded ornate carvings.  

Likewise, wider brushes (called paint or wall brushes) are designed for painting large flat surfaces such as the top of a buffet or for large wardrobe doors. However be careful about using too big a brush. As you increase the width of the brush, you compromise control and precision.

I have also a round brush that I use for applying a wax top coat. These brushes make it very easy to apply a thin coat of wax and to get into crevices without the wax clumping. If you are going to use wax for your top coats a specific waxing brush is a good investment. I clean my wax brush in hot soapy water after use. It comes up looking brand new each time.

I have brushes that I have been using for 4 years now and I paint a lot! Buying good quality at first may seem like a big outlay but it will save you money in the long run and also will give you a better quality finish. I'm also opposed to the impact to the environment of the "buy cheap and throw it away" mentality. 

A lot of American bloggers recommend Purdy brushes In Australia, Purdy brushes are not available. I use the Monarch brand (manufactured by Australian Brushware Corporation which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of paint brushes and painting accessories, operating in Australia, New Zealand and United States of America.) I have found them to be very good. I love the feel of this paint brush in my hands as well as the finish it gives - and they clean up very well. You can buy these at most good hardware stores. (this is not a sponsored post, I'm just letting you know what I use and like).

If you have any questions about brush selection or would like to see a blog post about another aspect of furniture painting then please leave me a comment below. I hope you find this helpful.

For more furniture painting tips click here

Fiona

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