Penelope: because I never (seldom anyway) complete anything, I often wonder with what wisdom my parents named me so. Anne: after Aunt Anne who is now one hundred years old, Paterson: from my parents and Keys, that which comes from being the wife of T.C. Keys
I lived and loved with my parents and two younger sisters, my under twelve years at “Windrush Farm”, Pinjarra, then off to Perth College. Then I started my (unfinished) tertiary education on a scholarship to Brazil. That was a fabulous year.
Now nine (or ninety) years after marring a Queenslander who was then managing a farm at Quindanning we have two small children, Philippa and Helen and lead a quiet and fairly pious life on “Church Farm”. I work as a midwife at one of the local hospitals occasionally but most of all I love the farm work and time with my children. Spare time, I enjoy silver smithing, reading sewing and being creative.
Penny, ever the individualist, has written very belatedly from somewhere over east, where she has had five under-fours (nappied and un-nappied, runny nosed and untiring), in her unfailing tender care, “I do not wish to appear in the pickles, mere sauces or sweet meats and treats or other late courses at the end of this here book so may I suggest a few cocktails. Nothing too far off the rails, suitable for a pious party at Church Farm.
“Here’s Cheers”.
Strawberry Bellini
Ingredients
1 bottle well chilled dry Australian champagne
½ cup Grand Marnier
2 punnets strawberries, fresh or frozen
Icing sugar
Method
Reserve 8 of the nicest strawberries for garnish. Puree remaining strawberries and sweeten generously with icing sugar. Add Grand Mariner and chill well. Wash and dry strawberries for garnish leaving intact with hull. Freeze. To serve ⅓ fill champagne flute with strawberry mix, add a frozen strawberry and top with near frozen champagne.
Orange & Dry & Dry
Ingredients
1 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups dry Cinzano, chilled
2 cups dry ginger ale, chilled
Method
Sweeten and freeze orange juice in a tray. Mix 1 part frozen orange juice, flaked off with a fork, 1 part Cinzano, and 2 parts ginger ale. Garnish with a long, long twisted julienne strip of orange peel.
Banana Cocktails
Ingredients
5 banans
Lemon juice
Curry powder
Mango or other chutney
200g bacon rashes, rind removed
Method
Cut bananas into approximately 3cm pieces. Dip in lemon juice. Roll in curry powder. Wrap in bacon and secure with a tooth pick. Bake for 7 – 10 minutes in a moderate oven. Remove and coat with chutney. Bake a further 5 minutes. Serve hot.