From this week we’ll be having morning tea on the corner on Fridays (weather permitting). It will be a fairly simple event. A chance to catch up over a cup of tea or coffee - with something to eat.

Friday is traditionally our community morning, with gardening, craft and cooking activities to join in from 10am. Come along then if you’d like to be part of community craft, would like to help with our latest community art project (maybe make up jars for Craftberry Jam or wrap books for Blind Date with a Book) or feel like doing a bit of community gardening. Come along around 11.30 if you’d like to have a neighbourly chat over a cuppa.

Cheers!

As many of you probably already know, there are groups of people who have found this pandemic very difficult. This includes international students.

These young people who are bravely stepping out into the big world are often here by themselves renting and generally adulting perhaps for the first time. They have found that their part time jobs have dried up and then, for many, their parents can no longer help them at all because they too are being impacted by the pandemic in their home country. It is a terribly tricky situation.

So It is great to see initiatives like Foodbank’s new pop-up International Student Shop at 230 LaTrobe Street. It is open 10am-2pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and students just need their student card and a shopping bag to access basic healthy food supplies.

I did mention previously that I have been getting in to K-drama this year (yes the obsession is still going … I just finished The King). And noodles are part and parcel of these shows.

At our house 2 minute noodles/instant ramen are pretty popular … but oh the plastic! It was getting me down. And the flavourings … what are they exactly? So I started making my own. I don’t think I’ll ever go back.

Here’s my simple recipe hack.

• 1 noodle block (you can buy them in bulk packs at big supermarkets without any flavourings)

• 1 stock cube

• 1-2 cups boiling water

• 1 dash soy sauce

• 1 pinch Chinese 5 spice powder

Garnish:

• dried fried onion

• dried chilli in oil

Add all the things. Cook for 2 minutes on the stove or in the microwave.

Note garnishing is the important bit! I add dried fried onions and a little dried chilli in oil to mine, both of which are available in most supermarkets in the Asian section (even the IGA has these ingredients). It gives it a bit of slightly spicy French onion soup flavour. Yum.

And then some vegetables to add some nutritional value … like diced capsicum, beanshoots, broccoli, beans … whatever you have will probably work! Boiled eggs cut in half, tofu and chicken can also all be added too, to turn your snack into a meal.

The other night I made this for our family dinner (multiplying the quantities obviously) and I upgraded to proper stock and adding chicken and prawns and loads of Chinese broccoli.

If you don’t get round to making this yourself maybe we’ll have a Korean themed community lunch … we’ll make some kimchi and Korean ramyeon (ramen) … and we could have a K-pop soundtrack! We mightn’t go as far as drinking Soju shots … but Korean Fried Chicken … yum! I’ll ask Jill for some tips - she spent quite a few years living in South Korea, hopefully she has friends who would be willing to share recipes … something to look forward to hey?

Alphington CWA is nothing if not adaptable and ready to move with the times.

The ladies have really missed their regular stalls at the Alphington Farmers Market, so as a precursor to getting back into the community they are having a pop up Spring sale.

From this weekend you can buy CWA home cooked scones, cakes and slices, along with some fabulous craft (their dish cloths are super … and it’s never too early to start your Christmas shopping right) from the comfort of your lounge room.

Just order via email and pre-pay (they’ll send you instructions) to receive a selection of their finest baking and making delivered to your door contact free on Saturday 3 October.  

CWA Victoria have been working throughout these difficult times to help vulnerable families, so supporting this initiative is a win-win!

Click here to see what is on offer, and then email your order to cwaofvicalphington@gmail.com.

Now Tiramisu is not just good for your waistline (?!) but also good for your wall!

If you follow Broadsheet you may have seen this article.

It’s about Alphington local Gemma Leslie who is currently raising money for FareShare by selling some pretty cute culinary posters via an online shop - with all the profits going to food relief efforts. Her not-for-profit venture is called Food for Everyone.

To find out more visit her website here.