It’s a gorgeous summer afternoon – blue skies, sunshine, lovely cool breezes – and I just came in for a break after spending most of the day out with Bear building a new fence to keep the goats out of my orchard.Yay!

It is hard work but so satisfying. When we finish up I’ll have a safe place to plant my crabapple, pomegranate, mulberry and fig trees, plus a currant, raspberry and blackberry bushes. I’m so excited!!

A few days I wrote about the Happiness Jar I use each day. You guys responded with so many great ideas for things to add to it, that I thought I’d share them here so we could all be inspired:

• learn how to make a new origami shape and share them with friends to bring an oooo and a smile! (online has excellent videos to follow fold by fold)
• One thing that makes me very very happy is going to a bookshop, and spend there a couple of hours looking at book covers, looking at the images printed on them, reading the titles and flicking through pages, and then buy the one that inspires me most , then go back home and start reading it immediately! And the same in a music shop 🙂
• I think a great idea would be sifting through photos, or if you do not have any printed, print some of some favourite pics of places and people with happy memories attached. Make them into a lovely scrapbook. Then treat yourself to a lovely cuppa and look through your “happy album”. You could include some favourite poems that uplift your spirit, or sayings that make you giggle.
• Each day I go for a morning walk and it’s something I absolutely love. I also like to, on occasion, make myself a Lebanese coffee. It’s just so decadent yet such a quick and easy way to make myself feel special and cared for. I also love cooking for other people to make them feel cared for – whether it’s a small jar of freshly made relish, a batch of cupcakes or even a spur of the moment lunch. I also still send birthday cards to relatives and they keep saying that I’m one of the only ones that still does it in this day and age of social media.
• I try each day to surround myself with people who make me belly laugh, easy living with a bunch of nutters, or talking each day with those who make me laugh, having fresh flowers in the house somewhere, scented candles and my favourite; having someone else wash my hair – now that is bliss!
• Drink a beautiful cup of tea, read your horoscope and wish the good part of it on someone else as well as yourself, name 3 things for which you’re grateful, name your favorite color and count how many times you see it that day (knowing that God only put those things there because He knew it would be YOUR favorite), count your freckles (my mom told me they were angel kisses when I was little), and visit a website that makes you laugh every day.
• Lighting a scented candle to make the house smell nice, adding a yummy flavoured creamer to our morning cup of coffee ,painting our toenails a pretty colour, turning on our favourite music while we make dinner, reading a book on a blanket outside under our favourite tree, putting a mason jar of fresh wildflowers on the kitchen table, going for a bike ride, listening to the birds chatter in the early morning, the goats bleating….basically enjoying all the small every day things that make us smile,,oh yes and enjoying a few moments to breathe in the cooler night air in complete silence
• One of my favourites is to take a little time to escape in a book 🙂
• When I get a moment to myself, I like to meditate. Also, a nice hot bath with special salts is quite lovely too! Come to think of it, this would make a great baby shower gift for a new mom!!!! Love it!!!

Thank you so much for your wonderfully creative ideas. Just reading them made me smile.

Today I’m sharing with you my recipe for Perfect Pork Roast Crackling. It is the result of numerous attempts to cook a pork roast that was moist, flavorful, tender and with a crackling that didn’t break your teeth.

I tried so many things and have forced myself to eat far too many dry, tough roasts with crackling that was either stiff as shoe leather or burnt to a crisp. Such a disappointment when you’re craving a good pork roast!

I talked with several Aussie friends, did heaps of research online, and finally, FINALLY found a method that works perfectly for me every time. HOORAY!! I hope you enjoy it.

What is your favorite to use leftover roast pork?

Perfect Pork Roast Crackling Recipe

Ingredients:

2 kg pork roast (with rind)
boiling water
olive oil
sea salt
cracked pepper
1-2 Tbsp fennel seeds or minced garlic or rosemary or whatever seasoning you fancy

Directions:

1. Score pork roast rind in 1/2 inch squares (or ask butcher to do it for you).
2. Place the roast in a colander and pour boiling water over it until skin opens and puffs up.
3. Pat dry or let sit in fridge for an hour until dry.
4. Preheat oven to 240 degrees F (450 degrees C).
5. Set pork roast in roasting pan and rub liberally with olive oil.
6. Sprinkle with herb or seasoning of your choice – making sure most of it goes into the cracks of the rind. Sprinkle lavishly with salt and pepper.
7. Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes until crackling bubbles and browns.
8. Turn down heat to 180 degrees (300 degrees C) and cook for about 2 more hours (approximately 46-60 minutes cooking time per kilo).
9. Remove from oven and let roast sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove string and slice.