I’ve mentioned before that we have a glut of strawberries happening at our place this year. I’ve been growing them in pots for 3 or 4 years, and a good day’s picking would mean half a dozen, maybe more, and gobbled up within minutes of reaching the kitchen. If they reached the kitchen. 

This year, we built a dedicated strawberry patch. I split a couple of the plants I already had, and planted about six more from my local nursery, in the hope that I’d have enough for jam in a next year or two. Wow, did I underestimated the fruiting ability of a happy strawberry! Still not getting enough in one day for that illusive batch of jam – but there’s been plenty of other recipes made. Including this one – possibly my favourite:

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

In the past, I’ve used a basic vanilla base without eggs for my strawberry ice cream. Since I have so many strawbs to play with this time around, I figured why not go for a traditional ice cream base using eggs (did I mention we also have a permanent glut of eggs, kindly laid daily by our eight backyard chickens?)

What You Need:

• 3 cups of fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped roughly into quarters. Put aside 1/2 cup to add to ice cream later.
• 1 ¾ cups of caster sugar. This will be divided into 2 lots – 1 cup for the strawberry sauce, ¾ cup for the ice cream base.
• 2 eggs.
• 3 cups of heavy cream.
• Juice of one lemon.

How It’s Done:

Add 2 ½ cups of chopped strawberries, 1 cup of sugar and the lemon juice to a medium saucepan. On a low heat, cook until the mix resembles a slightly chunky sauce and sugar is dissolved. It’s okay to bring it to a simmer, but try not to boil. This step will take around 20 minutes. Make sure you stir frequently. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

For the ice cream base, using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs for a couple of minutes until they become light and fluffy. Whisk in the ¾ cup of sugar a little at a time until completely combined. Then add the cream and whisk until blended. Here’s a secret – even though this mix will be at room temperature, chill it for an hour. Your ice cream machine will be so much happier you took the time to do so.

Once both mixtures are sufficiently chilled, begin churning the egg mix according to your machine’s instructions. I use an ice cream add-on to my KitchenAid machine, but there’s plenty of dedicated ice cream makers out there, ranging in price from hundreds of dollars right down to $30.

The trick is to keep the bowl in your freezer so that at any time you need it, it’s fully frozen. My machine will produce soft-serve ice cream in around 25 minutes, so I churn the egg mixture alone for half that time, and then while the machine is still running, add the strawberry mix. Once the required consistency is reached, add the reserved chopped strawberries and continue churning for a further minute or two. You can either eat now, or pour into a sealable, freezer-happy container for a further two to three hours, which will give you a great, scoopable consistency.

Be warned…you will never, ever bother to buy commercial strawberry ice cream again. The difference is AMAZING.

*best eaten within four days, due to the raw egg factor of this recipe. That’s if it lasts that long…

I’ve been going back through some movies set in the early-to-mid-1900s, and noticed how women have really been trail blazing for their sisters since long before Germaine Greer popped her head onto the scene.

Here are five movies that leave me feeling empowered and make me proud to be a woman. These movies span the most formative 50 years of women’s liberation and all before we burned our bras and the word Feminist became a dirty word.

Fried Green Tomatoes – The earlier plot line is set in the 1920s. A mixture of self-discovery and storytelling, this one makes me bubble with pride. TO WANDA!!!

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

If you think you have nothing in common with your parents, think again. Set in the late 1930s, we follow the Ya-Ya’s on their journey into womanhood, while flipping into modern times and having a blast as relationships mend and grow. YA-YA!!!

A League of Their Own

While the men were fighting the war in the 1940s, women were called upon to keep up morale on home soil by creating a baseball league. Go PEACHES!!!

Mona Lisa Smile

The story of a teacher in the 1950s who changes her student’s lives by asking them to expect more from themselves than just being a housewife. Be yourselves.

The Help – This film is not only about women’s rights, but also shines a light on 1960s apartheid in living colour. This movie is fabulously entertaining and shows things from another point of view. (There’s a quote in here about poop…but you’ll have to watch the film or read the book to get it.)

If you know of any other good films that give you goosebumps, leave a comment below. I’m always on the search for the next brilliant feminist movie.

Once again Neryn is facing a challenge that she is not sure that she can meet. This time, though, she is not alone. Having fallen in with the rebellion against the sadistic King Keldec at the end of the previous novel in this trilogy, Shadowfell, Neryn is now learning to defend herself.

However, as a Caller her path is a perilous one, and will take her on a long journey in search of the Guardians. There she will study with each of them. Only once her powers have reached their potential, can she hope to overthrow King Keldec’s forces.

With the warrior woman, Tali, as her guard and leaving Flint behind in his precarious role as King’s man, Neryn has everything to fight for, and more to lose.

The world first visited in Shadowfell, returns in all of its vibrant glory in Raven Flight. Neryn, while still careful, is not the lost girl that she was in the last book. She is more sure of herself and of her gift. Following her instincts and her grandmother’s lead, she is respectful of her gift, and of how she utilises it. The responsibility of a Caller to use her abilities humbly adds depth to the world.

There is nothing humble about Tali, however. As can be surmised from the little we see of her in Shadowfell, she’s a fighter. She’s confident without being conceited, but acts on impulse rather than being reflective like Neryn.

Usually, two women on an epic quest would make me all sorts of happy, and there are a few scenes in Raven Flight that reach my expectations, but there could have been more. Neryn and Tali are such different personalities but both strong in their own ways. I was looking forward to the way that they would work together – or clash together. Neither really happened for the most part. The most emotion Neryn experienced over having Tali as a guard was disappointment that it couldn’t be Flint. The friendship between the two women never quite became a reality for me.

What was explored in far more depth was King Keldec’s court. He doesn’t take up much of the novel, but the scenes that he is in seem almost tainted by his malicious presence. His depravity skirts the edge of implausible until you read up on prior tyrants and realise that it’s all too possible. These scenes bring into sharp focus the reason that Neryn and all of the rebels have for fighting.

While Raven Flight didn’t reach all of my expectations, it is a good follow up to Shadowfell and has set itself up well for the final book in the trilogy. Tali is an interesting character who will hopefully be fleshed out more fully in The Caller, and it will be good to find out how Flint and Neryn’s relationship will grow.

 Raven Flight – Juliet Marillier

 Pan Macmillan (July 9, 2013)

 ISBN: 9781742612249

Staying stylish in the winter can sometimes be challenging, your super cute outfits are usually wrapped under thick protective layers to keep you warm from the cold. There’s no reason however, why your outerwear can’t be just as fashion forward as the clothes hidden underneath ~ Aura

Companies like Colors Of California have made items as mundane as the welly, totally trendy, and when has Burberryever failed at delivering a sophisticated trench?

Infinity scarfs have also become the new winter must have. Due to their versatility, they can be wrapped and worn in different styles, and make sure to match it with a pair of leather gloves to add a touch of elegance to your ensemble.

The rain has been falling hard the last few weeks so never forget an umbrella. Throw away your boring black one and go for something more playful, like the one we found by Felix Ray which features adorable pop art imagery.

Also, instead of splashing out on coffee every morning, why not make your own  brew in a flask and sip it on the train, the floral printed version by ASOS we found will keep your skinny latte warm and you looking chic!

Items photographed:

Black leather trench coat by Burberry London

Red leather gloves by Moschino 

Transparent umbrella by Felix Ray

Floral flask by ASOS

Red infinity scarf by Mod Cloth

Wellies by Colors of California 

Bel:

Cover

I believe I borrowed the first edition Aussie cover from the Library. It is a charmingly illustrated image of a waif-like girl beside a fire in a deep dark green forest. The title is embossed and Juliet’s name really pops in the bright red used on both the cover and the spine.

Characters

In this high fantasy setting there is no room for the weak of mind or the weak of will. Kind hearts are a plenty, though trying to figure out whose heart is true, is tricky.

Favourite

Mara. Mainly because she is making do in a horrible situation and loves her family anyway.

Least Favourite

King Keldec… though we haven’t technically met him. What a poop head.

Beginning

Neryn is put up as a prize and is lost in a gambling and drinking binge her father goes on.

Storyline

She is aiming to head to a place called Shadowfell, where people with unexplainable gifts are free to be themselves without fear of judgement by King Keldec’s cronies.

Ending

There is a book 2… and to be quite frank I want it in my hands right now!

Thoughts

It took me longer than it should have to finish Shadowfell, though I think it had more to do with life getting in the way than any disinterest on my part. I found grabbing a page or two on the bus in the morning was enough to get me through to lunch. I could spend all day in the world Juliet Marillier has created for Neryn. It is enchanting to say the very least.

Quote

‘I’m fond o’ banes’ the brollachan commented, noticing me looking.

‘I see that.’ My voice was unsteady

‘Ye thinkin’ I might eat ye up for supper?’

‘That did cross my mind, yes. I seem to remember that, in the tales, brollachans sometimes do that.’

‘Ye canna see yersel’, wee one. There’s hardly a scrap o’ meat on ye. Nae worth the trouble.

~ Conversation between Neryn and the brollachan

Krista

Cover

The US cover does represent the book, with the girl wrapped in the brown cloak in the forest. But I prefer the Australian cover with the young girl sitting by the fire in the forest.

 Characters

We follow Neryn throughout the story, but several characters come into play, both human and animal, as she travels across the land to get to a safe place away from the King’s men.

Favourite

The Good Folk. I really loved the idea behind them and the imagination that went into describing who they were. Since there was such a huge variety of them, it was very open to the imagination as to what features and abilities they had.

Least Favourite

Even though he didn’t actually show his face in this book, the King, and what he was doing to the people of this land, really did upset me. He is definitely somebody that you want to see taken down from power and taught a lesson by the end of the series.

Beginning

The story starts off with a bit of action, as Neryn and her father are running for their lives, and eventually ending with Neryn being left on her own to make her way to the only place she knows of that is safe from the King’s men – Shadowfell. She is alone, and walking by foot and it’s several days/weeks travelling to get there.

Storyline

When King Keldec calls for all magical people to be brought to him, Neryn and her father go on the run. She soon finds herself on her own and with the help of her gift, Neryn must traverse the land to reach a safe haven.

Ending

Pretty powerful. I wasn’t expecting to be as moved as I was when the book came to a close. There were so many emotions built up during the story that the ending has an impact, really driving the urge to get the next book pronto.

Thoughts

Neryn was often “stuck” during her travels and that lead to a lot of down time. But it seems that the times that adventure was happening were really pumped up and so thought provoking that I had to stop and consider the story before I could move on. The ending really made the difference for me. I found that I was more invested in the characters than I realized. The story has stayed with me for days now, in a very good way, and won’t leave my mind.

Quote

“I understand that it’s hard for you to trust. Your not alone in that” -Flint

Lisa:

Cover

At first, after ordering this book online and getting to see it first hand, I wasn’t too excited about it. There just isn’t anything special about the cover, and there is no real meaning to it. There are no elements of the story in this cover. The one thing I do like about it, is that the background is a forest scene, but that’s about it.

A little disappointed, since I LOVED the story so much.

Characters

Really enjoyed them! I thought they had real emotions, and thoughts. They weren’t overly dramatic, and didn’t move or do anything too fast, without thinking about it. They weren’t superficial.

Favorite

I absolutely loved each and every one of the characters in Shadowfell. Neryn was going through so much; the death of her mother and grandmother, the murder of her brother, and the fact that her alcoholic father gambled her off to a stranger. She was smart and made decisions in a calm and realistic way.

Flint wasn’t just battling as a man of the king, and a rebel, but also within himself. He has had to do unimaginable things for both the abusive king, and for the rebels going against the king. He was very torn.

While the fairy folk weren’t mentioned too often throughout the story, I liked the idea of them. They’re much smaller than humans, they hide and blend into their background, and they stay as far away as possible from cold iron. I hope we get to learn and see more of the fairy folk in the books to come.

Least Favorite

NONE!! Not a single one!

Beginning

The first chapter had me sucked in! Within the just the first three pages, my eyeballs were glued to the book and there was no way I was going to put it down.

In only the first chapter, the reader learns of Neryn’s past and current situation. She’s been travelling, and hiding with her dad, barely surviving. He heads into a bar to gamble and try to get enough money to be able to afford a barn and a pile of hay to sleep on. He gets drunk and decides to put up Neryn for the win.

Middle

This part was a bit slower than the first chapters, simply because the author needed to build up the world. I still really enjoyed it and liked learning about the fairy folk as well as Neryn’s past struggles.

Ending

LOVED IT! It’s so intense, and beautiful. But the battle’s not over yet… there is still so much to do!

Overall Thoughts

I couldn’t get enough, and that’s why I plan on picking up the second and third books, Raven Flight and The Caller, soon! If you love fantasy and get the chance to pick up this book, I completely recommend it.

http://www.julietmarillier.com/  

Paperback, Australian edition, 349 pages

Published: July 1st 2012 by Pan Macmillan Australia (first published January 1st 2012)

original title: Shadowfell

ISBN

1742611346 (ISBN13: 9781742611341)