dropping in on Tea Leaves .....

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I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout:
Tip me over
and pour me out!


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am sure we all enjoy a cup of tea at some time during the day, and it always tastes so much better when poured from a teapot!

and from Wikipedia :
A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water. Tea may be either in a tea bag or loose, in which case a tea strainer will be needed, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured.

Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the tea and water are added, a handle for holding by hand and a spout through which the tea is served. Some teapots have a strainer built-in on the inner edge of spout.

A small hole in the lid is necessary for air access inside to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured. In modern times, a tea cosy may be used to enhance the steeping or to prevent the contents of the teapot from cooling too rapidly.

Last week we popped into a little store called TEA LEAVES which is situated on the Mt Dandenong Tourist Road in Sassafras, just an hour east of the City of Melbourne.

The winner of 9 tourism awards, Tea Leaves in Sassafras is ultimate way to experience the wonderful world of tastes and aromas that are possible. They have over 300 varieties of teas and 30 varieties of coffee, not to mention the cups, mugs, teapots etc. 

Think gift voucher, think Christmas, think birthday, or gifts for anyone at anytime of the year .....

hey, even think of one for yourself!

The manager of the store kindly allowed me to take a few images, but as the store was rather busy I didn't like to spend too long there, so here are just a few quick ones to give you a glimpse of what is in store for you when you visit.

There is a lot of very valuable information on their website,  and do take the opportunity to visit the Tea Leaf Shop as soon as you can .... you will not be disappointed!

Tea Leaves have free freight 

for all online orders over $75.
Free freight is not available for phone orders.

(Australian customers only)

Available for a limited time only.
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Tea Leaves Aust Pty Ltd
380 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road,
Sassafras Victoria Australia 3787
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Email info@tealeaves.com.au
Telephone +61 3 9755 2222
Fax +61 3 9755 2222
Twitter: twitter.com/tealeavesAUST

website: Tea Leaves

*please note*

the above blog post was not for any social media event, this particular post is for the enjoyment and interest of our loyal followers !!

We, however, are available for Social Media work at anytime. Be it bakeries, restaurants, festivals, wineries, galleries, cafes, coffee shops, markets or anything that needs to have some focus and would be of interest to others!!

email:

Leone and John Fabre

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❀

Tesselaar Tulip Festival

last Friday a few of us drove to Silvan - in the Dandenongs, just east of Melbourne - to see the Tesselaars Tulip Festival.  For about four weeks every spring the tulips are in full bloom and the visitors flock from all over Australia to see the colourful displays.

just one hour by car from the city of Melbourne

But its not "just tulips", there are other varieties of flowers and plants with many being for sale, there is food, a souvenir shop, bulbs for sale and a Fairy Garden hidden away which is delights the children of course and Tesselaars have 'theme weekends' too. Next weekend will be the Jazz weekend and the one after will be the Irish Weekend .... but you could go at anytime during the festival and enjoy whatever is on offer.

It rained most of the time we were there, but there was enough 'cover' to hide under till it eased off a bit.  Still plenty of time to take photos, have a coffee, visit the fairy garden and the souvenir store!

I took many photos, but the few that are following will give you just a glimpse of how colourful it was .....

You need more than a 'couple of hours' to appreciate a trip to the Tulip Festival, so do allow some extra time. If you are making a family trip with children, its not easy to wander around with a stroller, but if they are older enough to walk around, remember to take rain boots and a change of clothing if the weather is wet, as it can be quite muddy if you decide to wander amongst the tulips!

There is still much to see and do regardless of the weather, and of course remember to take the children to see the 'fairy garden'!

Tesselaar Tulip Festival, 

Tesselaar Tulip Farm, 

357 Monbulk Rd, Silvan

13 September 13 to 9 October 2012,

open daily 10am to 5pm

Adults $18, Concession $15, Children under 16 free, 

groups of 10 or more $15 each person 

when prepaid online.




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a secret fairy garden......

As I wandered around Tesselaars Tulip Festival yesterday, I came across a secret Fairy Garden.

Well when I first saw the rainbow I knew that's where the fairies would be and sure enough, I saw them dancing in amongst the flowers and toadstools!

then I saw another fairy, she had pink wings and a very pretty rain coat complete with matching boots. She was watching the other fairies very closely ......

they didn't stay around very long once they saw me with the camera. All of them disappeared into the tiny little red doorway at the base of the tree.......

I waited awhile and next thing I saw them all coming out, one by one. But I had to be very quiet as I watched them hopping from one branch to another, singing, dancing and having a lot of fun in their secret garden!

Then all of a sudden I saw that pretty little fairy again, you know, the one with the pink wings. She was chatting with another fairy so I didn't like to disturb them.

I soon left them all to their dancing and singing and as I went past old Mr Sad Face, I told him he had better go and catch up with the pretty fairy, that one with the pink wings as I am sure he would start to smile and dance and have fun again....

I hope you get to see the secret fairy garden soon



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An afternoon with Miss Marple!

Yesterday a few of us did the trip up to Sylvan (Victoria, Australia) to see the Tesselaars Tulip Festival, on the way home we did a slight detour to have afternoon tea at the Miss Marples Tea Rooms in Sassafras.

I have read a few of the recent reviews on this establishment and they are:

was in the area on Friday with a group of friends on a photographic trip. After the morning shooting we decided to stop in and grab something to eat. Our party of 8 or so sat down but one was still outside and planned to join us in 10 minutes. Upon arrival he asked one of the waitresses to place another chair at the end of the table. The woman was downright rude and told him that she would not, that he was ill mannered for trying to jump the queue. Our party tried to explain that he was with us, but she didn't believe us, or him, and embarrassed him by telling him that he was lying.

The food was overpriced and nothing special. We will not be going back, when there are other options in the same street who do not humiliate their customers.

Overall, a nice place to take out of town or international visitors for the English-style environment.

Waited for an hour and a half which was fine as its a popular destination however the waitress made us feel like a total inconvenience and ruined the experience. Was supposed to be a lovely Sunday afternoon tea. If your working in the hospitality industry then aren't you supposed to be hospitable? Disappointing Miss Marples.

We had a wonderful lunch here last weekday. Delicious Cream/Devon Teas, open sandwiches and the atmosphere was so cute. I have recommended Miss Marple's to many visitors and none have been disappointed.

So I was anxious to see what it was like on a personal level.

We did have to wait, but all up only about 20 minutes, which allowed us time to visit the Tea Shop next door.

We found the staff to be pleasant and we were served without any wait or fuss. My only comment would be on the 'scones'. I found them to be more like a dry tasting sponge and nothing like I would expect a "Devonshire Tea" scone to be like either in taste, shape or size!

Other than that, it was a very pleasant afternoon tea. Regardless of some reviews, I would suggest that everyone needs to go here at least once in their lifetime!

Miss Marple's Tearoom

03 9755 1610

382 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd
Sassafras, VIC 3787

please note the above blog post was not for any social media event, this particular post is for the enjoyment and interest of our loyal followers !!

We, however, are available for Social Media work at anytime. Be it bakeries, restaurants, festivals, wineries, galleries, cafes, coffee shops, markets or anything that needs to have some focus and would be of interest to others!!

email:

Leone and John Fabre

Damien Parer - an Australian Photographer

image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

Today in Australian military history - 17/9/1944 - The academy award-winning, Australian cameraman Damien Parer was killed while filming American troops on Peleliu in the Pacific.

Parer's documentary, Front line Kokoda, won an Oscar for best documentary in 1943. Having filmed Australians in action during the early years of the war, Parer accepted a job with the American film company, Paramount, to film Americans in action in the Pacific.

Even sixty years after his death Damien Parer remains one of Australia's most well-known combat cameramen. He was born on 1 August 1912 at Malvern in Melbourne but was educated largely in Bathurst, at Saint Stanislaus School. Parer joined the school's camera club and decided early on that he wanted to be a photographer. Having left school and failing to find photographic work in Melbourne, he resumed his education before finding an apprenticeship. Also interested in motion pictures, Parer, having completed his apprenticeship, moved to Sydney to work with the director, Charles Chauvel.

When the Second World War began, Parer had become experienced in stills photography and motion picture work, and was appointed as official movie photographer to the AIF. He sailed for the Middle East in January 1940 where he filmed on board HMAS Sydney after it had sunk the Italian cruiser, Bartolomeo Colleoni. Parer was on board another ship, HMAS Ladybird when she bombarded Bardia and he advanced with the infantry at Derna, his first experience of close action. At Derna he decided that he needed to film from as close to the action as possible, sometimes even in advance of the troops. Acquaintances later recalled that from the moment Parer made this decision he was doomed to die on the battlefield.

Parer filmed in Greece and in Syria, covering the action from aircraft, the deck of a ship and on the ground with the infantry. After Syria he travelled to Tobruk in August 1941 before covering the fighting in the Western desert. By mid-1942 Parer was in New Guinea ready to cover the fighting against the Japanese. During this phase of the war, he filmed some of his most famous sequences, some at Salamaua and, most notably, those used in Kokoda front line. This documentary won its producer, Ken Hall, an Oscar for documentary film-making. Behind the footage lay Parer's deeply held desire to draw to public attention, the conditions under which the Australians were fighting in New Guinea.

In late 1942 Parer travelled to Timor to film Australians of the 2/2nd Independent Company who were fighting a guerrilla campaign on the island, the result of which was his documentary, Men of Timor. He then returned to New Guinea where he flew on a series of hair-raising Beaufighter operations against Japanese shipping in the Bismarck Sea. After that he moved to the Salamaua area where he filmed, among other actions, the well-known assault on Timbered Knoll.

In August 1943, after more than 12 months of rancour and disagreement, Parer left the Department of Information's employ to work for the United States company, Paramount News. His early assignments involved filming further air raids over New Guinea. On 23 March 1944 during a period of leave, Parer, a deeply religious man, married Marie Cotter in Sydney. Their union was a brief one. Parer returned to action, leaving the war in New Guinea behind to accompany the United States Marines. He filmed them first on Guam and then covered the Peleliu operation.

On 17 September 1944, keen to get shots of the faces of advancing soldiers, Parer was walking backwards behind a tank, filming a group of marines advancing under fire. He was killed by a burst of Japanese machine gun fire.


according to the Victorian BDM Index of 1902-1913, Damien was born as Damion Peter PARER to John Arthur PARER and Teresa CAROLIN at Malvern, Victoria, Australia in 1912.

come for lunch next Wednesday!!!

The Ballan Hospital Auxiliary are raising funds for the Ballan Hospital and need your support.

There is a Casserole Lunch to be held NEXT WEDNESDAY 19th September, from 12 noon at the Ballan Mechanics Hall in Inglis Street, Ballan.



Bookings for this popular event are needed, so call 5368 1081

come along and join in the fun, meet new friends and enjoy a delicious two course lunch for just $15.00.

There will be door prizes, raffles and stalls too.

remember: next Wednesday, 19th September in Ballan.

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The Meredith Bakery at the Ballan Farmers Market!

We had another great day at the Ballan Farmers Market last week, just unfortunate that the weather was cold and windy! 

Didn't seem to stop the people coming out in full force though ..... so many have been hearing about this wonderful little market that they are coming from everywhere to check it out!

You should too.

The next Ballan Farmers Market is on Saturday 13 October.

There are many stalls selling a variety of fresh produce, but one of the tastiest stalls at the market is the MEREDITH BAKERY. They are usually situated just inside the main entrance.

above 'map' shows where the stall is usually located.

Its not possible to try each and every one of their pies or loaves of bread - well certainly not in one trip to the market - but they attend many of the Farmers Markets in the area as well as having the bakery in Geelong.

Meredith Bakery originally opened in Meredith, (Victoria, Austraia) in September 2011, and has been receiving consistent fantastic reviews, so much so they opened a shop on the corner of Moorabool and Kilgour street in Geelong, just up the road from Simonds Stadium in July 2012.

They specialise in bio-dynamic Sourdough, though they also cater for those who like bread with less strength in flavour with semi-sourdough's, white, wholemeal, wholegrain and fruit loaves.

Not only do they bake bread, but original meat, chicken and vegetable pies. Including family size pies too. Also do quiches, fresh foccacias or sandwiches all with their own products.

the above are not my images - I stole them off the Meredith Bakery's Facebook page!

and they bake in store, fresh, daily!

But don't just take my word for it .... this week the results came out for The Official Great Aussie Pie Competition in Melbourne held last weekend and they received 6 SILVER and 6 BRONZE medals for 12 of their pies!

                 CONGRATULATIONS to MEREDITH BAKERY!!

Meredith Bakery entered The Official Great Aussie Pie Competition in Melbourne this past weekend and received 6 SILVER and 6 BRONZE medals for 12 of their pies!

and to get your taste buds working overtime, their winning pies are:


Thai Green Chicken Curry
Chicken and Leek
Cauliflower Broccoli and Blue Cheese
Seafood Chowder
Minted Lamb and Pea
Spiced Vegetable and Meredith Feta
Beef Mushroom and Red Wine
Spanish Mussel
Lamb Curry
Beef Wellington
Plain Mince Pie
Plain Chunky Pie
You can buy them at the bakery in Geelong or at most of the Farmers Markets in this area ..... in particular at the BALLAN FARMERS MARKET on the second Saturday of each month!!

In case they sell out quickly, I think I might need to be there early next month!  I am going for the Cauliflower Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pie and John is sure to want the Spanish Mussel Pie ..... what one would be your favourite?



URL's that will be of interest:

Ballan Farmers Market


The Official Great Aussie Pie Competition

Meredith Bakery   (though not up and running just yet!)

Meredith Bakery Facebook Page


other blog posts on the Ballan Farmers Market:

1. April 2012


2. April 2012

3. May 2012

4. June 2012


5. July 2012

6. August 2012

 
7. August 2012

MEREDITH BAKERY

OPEN 7 DAYS

Kilgour and Moorabool St's, 

Geelong, Victoria 3220

contact number: (03) 5297 9567

hours of opening:  every day - 7:00 - 18:00

don't forget the next Ballan Farmers Market is:

please note the above blog post was not for any social media event, this particular post is for the enjoyment of our loyal followers !!

But we are available for Social Media work at anytime. Be it bakeries, restaurants, festivals, wineries, galleries, cafes, coffee shops, markets or anything that needs to have some focus and would be of interest to others!!

email:

Leone and John Fabre

We will always remember September 11

We will always remember September 11, a photo by Leone Fabre on Flickr.

We will always remember September 11

In the Depths of the Cool Quiet Forest

In the depths of the cool quiet forest,
I wandered thro’ sun-dappled glades.
I rested midst whispering grasses
And heard the sweet sighing of trees,
As they lifted their arms towards Heaven
Singing their hymns of praise.

My spirit lifted within me,
To see all this beauty He gave,
And a peace and stillness filled me,
In place of my sadness and grief.
For the love in this quiet forest,
Had restored my faith and belief

(Elizabeth Anderson 1963)

Photo taken at Singapore Botanical Gardens, Sunday September 9.


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