The simple things

It really is the simple things that make me most happy.
Today is Day 1 of my life as a (temporarily) single mother. Clinton left last night for Canberra to start his new job. The girls and me, well, we're holding down the fort here in Port Macquarie until we can sell our home and find a new place to live. It's a scary prospect - we won't see him for two weeks - and there is such uncertainty around just how long we're going to have to live this way.
I don't know how these FIFO (fly in, fly out) families manage. But I guess it's what you get used to.
But back to the point.
When Clinton left I made a pact with myself - to make the most of this rather ordinary situation. I want to spend more quality time with my children. To enjoy the simple things. To get out and visit the beach, the parks and all the great things that we love about our coastal lifestyle. One last time.
Today we sat on our back deck in the sun. We cracked open the big box of inkpads and stamps and went wild. It was messy, there were fights. But amongst it all I found myself just wanting to pick up the stamps and write something. I could have said a lot of things, but I reckon this sums it up...

Nanna's passionfruit pie

I love a good tart. A pie. A strudel. Anything sweet really. And it always tastes so much sweeter when it's made with love. My Nanna gave me her recipe for passionfruit pie when I was just starting out as an independent woman. I made it often for Clinton and our friends and for a while there it even rivalled his mum's lemon meringue. It has been years since I made one, and with an abundance of lemons and frozen passionfruit pulp that needed to be used, I decided to give one a go.
For this recipe you will need:

• biscuit base (packaged, or home-crushed)
• butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can reduced cream
• juice of two lemons (must be fresh - don't substitute bottled juice)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 4 tbsp custard powder
• pulp of 4-6 passionfruit
  

Prepare your biscuit base and press into a pie dish or flan tin. Refrigerate. Combined a small amount of your water with the custard powder to form a paste, then slowly add your remaining water and sugar. Stir over a medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens (it will become translucent). Set aside to cool. Combine your milk, cream and lemon juice and beat for 2 or 3 minutes to give it some air (it will thicken a little, but sets in the fridge). Once base it chilled, pour in your cream mixture. Return to fridge. Once your jelly mixture has cooled, stir through your passionfruit pulp and pour over the top of the cream mixture. Refrigerate until set.