Family blessings...

My weekend was lovely. (You might see me use that word a lot in this post.) So nice to have whole family together with extended family and friends. Barbeque on our apartment block roof on Saturday night for our lot – Writer friend Alison Robert’s rice salad went over a treat, and I now have to email the recipe to all of family. I’ll post it below here, as well. It was much more popular than my Nigella Lawson coleslaw... may even have pipped E's barbecued barramundi.
Christening was lovely -- and I know my daughters Emma and Victoria will continue to care about their little niece's spirituality.

After service, everyone changed into casual gear (a must in the tropics) and went back to the babies’ place for the party on the back deck which ended up lasting all day.

It was a really lovely atmosphere. One of the nicest days in memory. I loved little things -- like watching an old family friend of the Joneses (Lauren's family) place a cross on Sophie's forehead so-o-o carefully and sincerely. Watching a great uncle from Bondi (who brought a box of the most amazing chicken sausages with him on the plane -- chicken and spinach and pine nuts -- most definitely superior sausages) cuddling one of the babies. So many interesting conversations...
Lovely to watch young bachelors go gooey over babies, too. If you'd like to see more pics, go here...
And here’s that fabulous recipe from Alison Roberts…
Dead easy rice salad:
Cook 1.5 cups brown rice and cool. (makes about 3 cups cooked)
Sauté heaps of sliced mushrooms, red and green pepper and finely sliced red onion or chopped spring onion. (asparagus is nice, too)
Throw in a bag of roasted cashews at the end. (About 200 grams)
Mix into rice and add dressing which is – half a cup of soy sauce, quarter cup olive oil, generous teaspoon crushed garlic and a good squeeze of lemon juice.