A week in Smiggins...

Jane's family have long been members in a private lodge at Smiggin Holes. It was built back in 1977, and each of the original members had to contribute 100 hours to the original construction. Peter (Jane's Dad) had the responsibility for handing the roofing timbers up to the carpenters, and only had one mishap requiring the services of the medical profession! Unfortunately he couldn't use the time spent getting various parts of his anatomy restitched against his required hours! The Lodge is a fantastic place to get away from it all for a while, and coming here this trip makes us realise just how long it has been since we have been here.

The lodge is a no service lodge, in that we are responsible for feeding ourselves, and for keeping the lodge clean. The fire is double backed, and runs around the clock. It has a huge hearth, just perfect for sitting on with a book, or toasting marshmallows for all and sundry.

We didn't ski, but just used the time to relax and rest. Mack had a rough first night, but has been fine since. We took MacK to the snow park and the tube town each day, and he had a great time. We had a couple of friends come up from Canberra for a night, and had great fun with them. The weather was fine for the first two days before the weather started to close in and we enjoyed a couple of days of snow. It really is quite magical to watch the snow fall, and to walk through softly falling snow.

Below is a collection of some of our favourite photographs from the week:

MacK enjoying his first experience in snow

 Jane happy to be back in the snow

 Jane and MacK in front of the Smiggin Holes slopes - viewed from the Lodge

The roof of the Lodge, on one of our first, very fine days. The temperature was about 15 degrees Celsius this afternoon

MacK still thinks this is a great way to ride!

But the tubes are good too!

Jane on the tube run with MacK

At the bottom you always have to bring the tube back!

Its also great fun without the kids!

Way too cool!

I did get airborne a little further down the slope!

The beautiful colours of the Snowy Gum are going to form the colour palette that we decorate the house in.

Mack finally getting the hang of walking on snow!

One of the winter stalactites hanging from the roof of the Lodge

Ohhh... What are you doing Dad? Roasting Marshmallows? Can I have one?

... But Mack wasn't actually that keen on toasted marshmallow!

Making a snowman at the back of the Lodge

Clare, Teagan and Phillip with our completed snow koala!

I think this is what they mean when they say they want to knock the top off a cold one... The back door of the Lodge is very important, as it is the door to both the wood pile and the wall of snow, strategically placed for storing beer at precise drinking temperatures!

The Great Pheasant Pheast of August 12

To all of our readers who may have to work as you read this, or are sweltering in the tropical winter, you should know that Jane and I are in the Snowy Mountains. I am in a ski lodge, in front of an open fire, with a cider close to hand. Quite an extraordinary way to spend a Monday afternoon. About the only thing that would make it better would have been making snow angels with MacK... and we did that too!

I have to tell you about our most recent Saturday. One of our very good friends is a very keen shot, and shoots with a club on a weekly basis in Canberra. This year he and friends decided to travel to the Grampians and to indulge in a week long pheasant shoot. The rules were simple. Outside of the usual sporting rules for shooting game, the gents had to dress appropriately. Think waistcoats and ties, tweed and knee breeches and an appetite for good fun.

 The hunt is on!!

Leigh - a gent with some of the cock pheasants for the week.

The photographs show they had a great time, and one of the post shoot highlights was the dinner they had at the fabulous Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The Chef, Dan Hunter worked at the two Michelin starred Spanish restaurant Mugaritz, and is one of Australia's best Chefs. As Leigh will tell you, the wine list isn't half bad either!

Some of the birds they shot were onsold, and Leigh brought home four pheasants and a partridge. Our trip to Canberra coincided with his return, and he asked me if I could do anything with pheasant. So, to give the birds the respect due, I did the following:

We made a stock from the carcases. Once made, the meat was picked from the bones to use in salads or pasta dishes. The legs can be pretty tough, so they became a confit. The whole leg was dry cured in salt, chilli flakes and caraway seeds for about six hours before being washed and dried, and slow poached in olive oil until the meat was tender. Put into the fridge, it will be preserved in the oil for up to four weeks. To serve, you just pull out a leg and panfry it to heat through, crisp the skin and get rid of the fat. Just divine!

For our dinner, we served two other preparations - Basque style pheasant and pan roasted pheasant. The sides were rosemary and garlic roast potato, honey mustard roasted parsnip and Savoy cabbage with bacon. For dessert we had the soft centred chocolate pudding and Leigh's 'Breakfast food'. I make a rhubarb and apple crumble with a caramelised cornflake, coconut, brown sugar and condensed milk topping. As Leigh says, it has fruit, cereal and dairy. How can it not be breakfast food?

The pheasant and partridge were so good, that I have to share the recipes we used. There was only one partridge, so we combined the meat. I also only used the breast meat in these recipes, as we had already accounted for the rest of the bird. 

Basque Pheasant

Marinate the pheasant in a mix of the following for 4-6 hours:

Olive Oil, white wine, cider vinegar and brown sugar.

Before cooking; add good olives, pitted prunes, garlic, chopped parsley, bay leaves and capers.

Cover and bake in a hot oven (180 deg Cel) for approximately one hour.

The aroma, and taste were fabulous. This would typically be served with rice, to soak up the juices. 

Pan roasted pheasant

Dust the pieces of pheasant in flour, and shake off excess. Saute until starting to colour, and remove from pan. Saute sliced onion, bacon and garlic, and add stock. Add the pheasant back to the sauce to cook through, and add a little brandy and white wine to taste. Finish with chopped parsley and thyme.

As an aside, Peter and Phyl have a Manchurian Pear tree in their garden, and it was suggested that the partridge (plucked by this stage) be hung in the pear tree, and a photo be taken to use as the family Christmas card this year...

 

On the way to the Snow!

As I write this, I am sitting at Tiff and Mark’s home in Brisbane, having just ridden the motorbike down from Townsville. It was 1348 km, with a stop in Rockhampton. The ride was really slow due to roadworks all along the Bruce Highway. Good to see the Highway is being upgraded, but do they need to do the whole thing in one hit??? Having driven from the tropics where it really doesn’t ever get cold (regardless of what the locals may believe), I was shocked to get cold when the sun went down last night. Really cold!

I rode down as I am going to be resident in the Gold Coast hinterland on a course until the end of September, and the wheels will be handy for weekends. Before that, Jane, MacK and I are spending a week on Mt Perisher skiing. They are flying to Canberra via Brisbane, and I will meet them at the airport on the way down.

We will also speak with our architect this week, and hope to start firming up plans for the house in the next few weeks! Then the countdown to building will be on. It won’t be a quick process, but we will have our own ‘Grand Design’.

On MacK: more words, and more development every day. As always, there are photos of our wee man below! He has discovered a love for hedgehog (a chocolate slice), and for helping in the kitchen. He helps stir the porridge pot each day, and just loves to be in the kitchen. I might have to find out just how early I can sign him up for an apprenticeship!

Mack loves to get on the motorbike. I do take him for a sneaky ride around the park and our driveway every now and again. He also sits on the bike in the morning, and starts it for me!

MacK in the driver's seat at a recent Army open day. He is in a WWII era jeep.

Supervising Mum to make sure dinner is cooked ok...!

Safety first! My helmet might not quite fit, but try and take it off me!

MacK loves to read as much as ever, although sometimes we can read the same book up to seven times in a session (or more).

 Mack on his own 'motorbike'. He is coasting down the path towards the drain about 600m from home. Lucky he is wearing the helmet!

Jane and I will think of you all as we sip a cheeky schnapps or two in front of the fire next week!