June 2010

#TuesdayTune - Mark Knopfler

Hello dear friends! Thanks so much for visiting Natasha In Oz today. I hope you will enjoy today's #TuesdayTune!

Have you heard Mark Knopfler sing lately?

Mark Knopfler OBE, was born 12 August 1949.

He is a British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer . He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977 with his brother David. After Dire Straits disbanded in 1995, Knopfler continued to record and produce albums as a solo artist under his own name.

Knopfler has played in other groups occasionally, such as the The Notting Hillbillies, and has guested on works by other artists, including Gerry Rafferty in his album "Another World", Steely Dan, Emmylou Harris, the Chieftains, Chet Atkins and many others. His musical scores include Metroland, Local Hero, Cal, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Wag the Dog, and Rob Reiner's classic, The Princess Bride.

His latest Album is called Get Lucky and was recorded at his award-winning British Grove Studios in west London. Knopfler combines folk and blues with his original songwriting.

If Get Lucky was a novel, it'd be another of Knopfler's page-turners, full of characters who leap out of the lyrics, like the Glasgow lorry-driver of the opening track 'Border Reiver.' Those and other characters on the album are viewed through the prism of Mark's childhood, spent in Glasgow until he was eight, when the family moved to Newcastle. "Do we ever get away from our childhoods?" he muses. "Some of the things we're attracted to when we're very small stay with us all our lives."

Source

Border Reiver is about a truck driver journeying from Glasgow to the South (probably to England)in a lorry called an Albion Reiver (makers name: Albion Motors of Scotstoun). They used to have a 'rising sun' emblem on the grill at the front of the truck, and were known for their reliability.

Southern bound from Glasgow town, she's shining in the sun
My Scotstoun lassie , on the border run
We're whistling down the hillsides and tearing up the climbs
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border Reiver.

I hope you enjoy listening to Border Reiver from Mark Knopfler's latest album, Get Lucky.

I hope you will join in and link up one of your favourite songs for today's Tuesday Tune.

Thanks so much for visiting and best wishes for a fabulous week,

Natasha In Oz

Greetings from Mooloolaba!

Dear Friends,

I am just sending you a quick postcard to say hi from the beach!
It is definitely too cold to go swimming but the winter weather won't be stopping us
from taking long walks along the beach, sleeping in every morning,
reading books and magazines and, most importantly,
spending time together as a family for a whole week!

I will be popping back to post a Sunday Song, though, so see you then!

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz

Wainscoting Inspiration and Decorating Ideas

Welcome friends to Natasha in Oz!

Today I would like to share some of my favourite Wainscoting ideas.

According to Wikipedia, Wainscot or wainscoting (pronounced UK: /ˈweɪnskət/, US: /ˈweɪnskɒt/, us dict: wān′·skət, wān′·skŏt) is a paneling style applied to the lower 3' (900mm) to 5' (1500mm) of an interior wall, below the dado rail or chair rail and
above the baseboard or skirting board. The original purpose of wainscoting was to cover the lower part of walls which, in houses constructed with poor or
nonexistent damp-proof courses, are often affected by rising dampness.

Source

Wainscoting Inspiration and Decorating Ideas

I was first introduced to wainscoting when I watched Sarah's House and her most recent

show Sarah's Farmhouse.

{CLICK to read more}

#TuesdayTune - Simphiwe Dana

Welcome friends to Natasha In Oz and welcome to this week's #TuesdayTune post! I am so glad you came to visit me in my little corner of the world Down Under. I thought that since the world seems to be gripped by "World Cup Fever" it might be fun to listen to a musician from South Africa.

Have you ever heard Simphiwe Dana sing?

Simphiwe Dana is known for her unique style in South Africa. Her music is a combination of jazz, pop, and traditional African music. In 2005, Simphiwe Dana won the "Best Newcomer" award at the 11th South African Music Awards with her first album "Zandisile". Two years later, she was named the "Best Female Artist", with the song "The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street", at the 13th South African Music Awards. This album was released in December 2006, after a tragic car accident and the birth of her second child. Her incredible vocal range, thoughtful, mature songwriting and her unique and progressive self-styling have distinguished her in festivals and major venues worldwide.

Her name means ‘gift’ and many of her fans would agree that she is a gift to the South African music scene. In a short period of time Simphiwe Dana has become one of South Africa’s favourite artists representing her culture and heritage all around the world.

Inspired by life, her songs deal with issues such as politics, love and family. Her political title opens up a positivity and hope with regards to the struggle that the oppressed have dealt with in her homeland. “Bantu Biko Street is the only street paved with our hopes and dreams, our golden highway that must first exist in our minds,” she says. Source

This music video was shot on 3 locations over three days. The basic concept was of African futurism based on principles of freedom and equality.

I hope you enjoy listening to and watching Simphiwe Dana's video for her song "Ndiredi" from her album "Zandisile."

I love listening to all kinds of music and I absolutely love listening to the music that my blogging friends from all over the world share each week. Thank you! If you would like to join in with this week's Tuesday Tune linky party just click the button!

Best wishes for a wonderful and musical week,

Natasha In Oz

Indian Eggplant Recipe Baingan Ka Bharta & Tuesday Tune

Hello sweet friends! Thanks so much for visiting today-I am so happy that you have dropped by to visit me in my little corner of the world Down Under!

My parents are on vacation at the moment, visiting my sister Holly and her family in the UK and they have also been on a cruise. I believe they are in Italy at the moment. I am just a bit envious! Anyway, I went to their house yesterday, just to check on everything. I checked that their fish were still alive, that their mailbox was empty and that all their appliances were still working. I also checked the back yard and when I went out to the back deck I was welcomed by a family of rainbow lorikeets who were feasting on all the wild flowers, plants and seeds from Dad's native garden.

Naturally, I had to take some pictures. I don't seem to go anywhere these days without my camera!

After I had taken heaps of photos I realised that I had been at Mum and Dad's for quite a while so I decided I'd better head home before the neighbours thought I casing the place! Before I left though, I ~~stole~~ pruned some herbs and two eggplants from the the vine so I could make one of our favourite Indian Eggplant recipes called Baingan Ka Bharta

There were also some green tomatoes growing on the tomato vine.

I quickly stole picked some curry leaves, basil, oregano and chillies-the essential ingredients for the Baingan Ka Bharta

With all these yummy ingredients in my bag I decided to quickly escape before I got caught, head home and make the Baingan Ka Bharta as a vegetarian side dish for our curry night!

Baingan Ka Bharta

print recipe

Baingan Ka Bharta~Eggplant Curry

by Natasha In Oz June-18-2010

Baingan Ka Bharta is a delicious vegetarian side dish.

Ingredients

2 Eggplants cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes.
2 tbsp Oil of choice. I like Olive Oil.
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 1/2 cup Onions-thinly sliced
1 tbsp Green chilies-slit lengthwise
1 tsp Red chili powder
1 cup Tomatoes-finely chopped
1 cup Tomatoes - pureed
5-6 Curry leaves, chopped
1 tsp Garam masala
to garnish coriander/cilantro leaves

Instructions

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat some of the oil and fry the eggplant cubes until soft, about 7-10 minutes. Remove, set aside. Now add some more oil, and add cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they sparkle and sputter! When they stop sputtering, add and saute the onions and cook covered until brown, then add the chilies. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, till excess liquid dries up and the onions get tender.Mix in the chili powder, salt, curry leaves, tomatoes and pureed tomatoes. Cook covered for 15 minutes, until the extra moisture dries up. Add the roasted and mashed eggplant, mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes. Mix in the garam masala and cook covered for 2 minutes and serve garnished with coriander leaves. This dish is great served as an accompaniment to other curry dishes or can be eaten with Naan or Paratha breads.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 4-6 servings depending on whether it is served as a side dish or main.

This dish is great served as an accompaniment to other curry dishes or can be eaten with Naan or Paratha breads.

My sweet daughter Maddy made a spinach side dish for our curry night. If you would like to see her Palak Paneer recipe just click here!

I hope you try this dish-it is delicious!

I also hope you might be able to come back and join me on the weekend for my #TuesdayTune Linky Party!

Each week I share a song that I love and lots of other fabulous bloggers join in with me and share their favourite music for the week.

Until then, I hope you enjoy listening to Chloe Agnew from Celtic Woman singing Vivaldi's Rain.

Don't you agree that she has the Voice of an Angel?

Thank you so very much for spending your time with me today! I truly value our blogging friendship!

Best wishes always,

Natasha In Oz
Please join me each weekend for the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party! You can also visit me at PINTEREST, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Wordless Wednesday-Time for Tea!

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. ~Thich Nat Hahn

Linking to Seven Clown Circus, Live and Love Out loud and A Beautiful Mess.

Thanks for having me!

Best wishes,

Tuesday Tune ~ Doris Day's 'Silver Bells'

G'Day and welcome friends to this week's #TuesdayTune party! I'm so glad you stopped by to visit me today in my little corner of the world Down Under!

I can't believe that it is already the second Sunday in June! The second weekend in June is also a great weekend for us because we have a public holiday on the Monday to celebrate the Queen's birthday!

I would love to show you the silver Christening mugs that belong to Maddy, Big Al and Mr Attorney. I have been wanting to show you these for quite some time but Mr Attorney's was so badly tarnished I had to send it to the jewelers to get it professionally polished. I am so glad that I did as the results are amazing! The three mugs were polished as they had been on display in our den and were quite tarnished from months of neglect. I am now keeping them in the china cabinet in our dining area.

Look at how shiny they are!

They are so shiny my reflection keeps showing up in all of my pictures-Gee I hate that!

These mugs were all Christening gifts from Mr Attorney's Aunt; Maddy and Big Al's Great Aunt.

Mr Attorney's is stamped with Perfection EPNS A1.

The children's mugs are both from Whitehill.

I love the sweet little handles on these mugs.

You can see some of the tarnishing on Mr Attorney's mug in this picture. It is over 40 years old so I think we have done well to get it this shiny.

I will definitely make sure that I keep these gorgeous mugs in the china cabinet from now on so they aren't exposed to air. I don't want them to go black again!

I don't have a silver Christening mug so I will show you the silver birds that sit on my coffee table instead!

I love these little birdies as they remind me of Spring!

Since it is Silver Sunday the last thing I thought I would share with you is a silvery Tuesday Tune! The perfect song to share has to be "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" sung by Doris Day.

Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922) is an American actress, singer, and animal rights activist. During her entertainment career, she appeared in 39 films, recorded more than 650 songs, received an Academy Award nomination, won a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award, and, in 1989, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures! (Source)

Born in Ohio, her entertainment career began in her late teens as a big band singer. She developed an early interest in dance, and in the mid-1930s formed a dance duo that performed locally in Cincinnati. However, a car accident in 1937 damaged her legs, halting her dancing career. While recovering, Day took singing lessons and at 17 she began performing locally. In 1945 she had her first hit recording, "Sentimental Journey", and, in 1948, appeared in her first film, Romance on the High Seas.

In the 1950s she appeared in a series of romantic comedies, including Pillow Talk (1959) with

Rock Hudson. Her singing career was just as exciting as her acting career, and her hit from the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock movieThe Man who Knew Too Much, "Que Sera, Sera," won an Oscar. After starring in a TV series (1968-72), Day finally turned her attention to political activism on behalf of animals.

Her interest in animal welfare apparently dates to her teen years when she was recovering from her accident and she took her dog Tiny for a walk without a leash. Tiny ran into the street and was killed by a passing car. Day later wrote she was wracked with guilt and loneliness and this inspired her, in 1971, to co-found the organisation Actors and Others for Animals. She appeared in a series of newspaper advertisements denouncing the wearing of fur, alongside Mary Tyler Moore, Angie Dickinson, and Jayne Meadow.

Source

As of 2009, Day was the top-ranking female box office star of all time and ranked sixth among the top ten box office performers (male and female).

She is truly an amazing lady!

I hope you enjoy listening to Doris Day.

If you have ever shared a song on your blog I would so LOVE to hear it! Please feel free to link up any song you would like to share from any of your posts, new or old, to this week's

#TuesdayTune

Thanks so much for visiting and thank you to Beth for having me for Silver Sunday and to Mary for having me for Mosaic Monday.

Best wishes for a fabulous week,

Natasha In Oz

Please join me each weekend for the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party!

You can also visit me at PINTEREST, TWITTER, GOOGLE+

INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Ugly Cookies and Shania Twain!

Welcome friends! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting NatashaInOz.com. Why don't you get yourself a nice cup of tea and relax for a while!

Has your life been as Unbelievably busy as mine lately? I feel as though I have been racing around like a mad thing all week! I have had to do some substitute teaching (there must be lots of sick teachers around....flu season has obviously arrived!), I have had to help my kids with homework, do the usual household duties, cook, go marketing and manage the family....I seemed to be everywhere for everyone this week....perhaps you could say I have been rather Ubiquitous!!!

I have also been helping Master A (who would like to be known as Big Al from now on...part of his new Blog persona!) with some physiotherapy on his arm after fracturing his Ulna (click here if you would like to read about his injury!) and I have been helping Miss M (who would now like to be known as Maddy as part of her Blog persona!) study for exams and prepare for her final debate of the year.

I don't know about you but when I am feeling stressed and I need to relax, I listen to some music and head to the kitchen...not to eat but to bake and cook! Yesterday I decided to make some cookies, but not just any old cookies....

I made Chocolate Uglies!

I know the name of these cookies is a bit Undesirable but my family will Unequivocally agree with me that these cookies are Delicious! To make these Ugly cookies you will need one stick or 115 grams or 8 tablespoons of butter, 200 grams or 8 oz of dark chocolate, 50 grams or 2 oz of chopped unsweetened chocolate and 1cup of white chocolate chips.

You will also need 3 eggs,3/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 11/2 cups of self-rising flour (or you can use plain flour and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder) and a pinch of salt.

First set your oven to 350F or 180C and line 3 baking trays with baking paper. In the top part of a double boiler, over hot, not simmering, water, melt the butter with the chocolate. Remove from heat, and let stand until tepid, about 10 minutes. You can also take the quick option and melt them very slowly on low heat in the microwave...that is how I did it!

Using a hand-held mixer set at high speed, beat the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and foamy.

Beat in the vanilla and chocolate mixture, just until blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder if you are using it and salt. Then stir in the white choc chips.

Now, at this stage you might be looking at this runny batter and panicking-don't! It is meant to be a bit runny. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough about 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets for a fudgy and flat cookie, or refrigerate the dough for a couple hours for a puffier cookie that doesn't spread as much.

I added some sprinkles to some...to make the uglies a bit prettier!

Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they’re slightly cracked. The cookie needs to remain soft and gooey inside.

The whole family loved these cookies!

I love this recipe and I know that my family will want me to make these again! I also loved singing along to some of my favourite songs as I cooked. One song I love to play when I need to lift my spirits is "Up" by Shania Twain.

When everything is goin' wrong

Don't worry, it won't last for long

Yeah, it's all gonna come around

Don't go let it get you down

You gotta keep on holding on

I hope you enjoy listening to "Up" and don't forget to come back to hear some more great music on Sunday when I host Tuesday Tune