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?

Local Kevin wrote to us recently with some nice words (always lovely to receive) and also a post suggestion.

I think it could be something to inspire our craft group … ?

Specifically he pointed us in the direction of Anne Eunson from Scotland, who made a fence from knitted Shetland lace. It really is pretty gorgeous. And check out her needles! Made from curtain rods. She says she knitted with fishing net twine and that the fence only took her about 3 weeks to complete.

I imagine the fence will last a few years … fishing net twine should be pretty robust right?

Also, when I did an internet search I found that you can actually purchase the pattern here from ravelry.

Fun. Can we look forward to knitted neighbourhood fences? Please let us know if you give it a crack.

And thanks for the post idea Kevin!

Hi friends, school holidays are upon us again and ACC will be taking a break from our online news for two weeks … unless anything urgent pops up!

We’ll be back on deck and raring to go on Monday 5 October.

It is also worth noting that our AGM will be coming up on Monday 26 October at 7pm. It will be an online affair. Please register here if you’d like to attend and we’ll send you a link. And if you are interested in being on our committee next year please give me (Leanne) a call on 0411 561 420.

All things being equal, we will be able to resume our Women in the Shed program (because it falls under the umbrella of adult education) when metropolitan Melbourne moves to stage 3 of reopening - currently scheduled for 26 October.

From this date (fingers and toes crossed) we will run two session of this program on Mondays and Tuesdays over 6 weeks. There are currently seven people booked in and we have up to five additional spots if you’d like to join in too.

Jen Dentoom, who teaches this course, is a welder and mosaic artist and is responsible for the fantastic metal and mosaic signs and sculptures around our centre. She knows her tools and has an infectious can-do attitude. This is a great opportunity to get familiar and comfortable with drills and dremmels, jigsaws and more in a safe and friendly supervised space. This program runs as a low-cost subsidised Learn Local course, so it is also very affordable.

To find out more and book in just click here.

Victoria’s neighbourhood houses emerged at the grassroots level in the 1970s (and began to be recognised as a collective in the 1980s) - community organisations created and driven by women, primarily for women, enabling and encouraging 50% of our population that had been largely confined to living private lives, to take-up new opportunities to participate more fully in the economy and public life.

However, nothing’s simple … and when our society finally allowed women to work post-children (this concept in itself is hard to imagine today for anyone like me born after this era), and to divorce without fault (providing a whole other level of autonomy), many women discovered that in reality their ability to seize the opportunities was severely limited by a raft of missing/absent social support structures. In this vacuum they set about creating them for themselves.

The new grassroots place-based neighbourhood house model that emerged consistently included some mix of childcare and occasional care to support women who increasingly wanted or needed to participate in the economy, playgroups and babysitting clubs for women who needed a break and/or needed to build a community family, and adult education for women keen to build their skill sets.

Alongside these services the houses became hubs to share, learn and access creative skills and talents. They also embraced physical health classes, nutrition education programs and mental health support services. As a twin born in the 1970s, I can remember many an hour spent at a neighbourhood house in the Dandenongs - which hosted Australian Multiple Birth Association meetings (my mum was actively involved in this support service at the time).

This week is Women’s Health Week, and it is a great time to reflect on the role that neighbourhood houses historically played, and continue today to play, in every aspect of promoting and underpinning women’s health.

Playgroups, community lunches, line dancing and choir, women in the shed programs, craft club, community markets supporting local makers and micro businesses, counselling … these are just some of the services we offer at ACC, and we’re just one example.

Neighbourhood houses began life, and continue today, to focus on providing, promoting and building social, emotional, physical, mental, community, environmental and economic health and well-being for the marginalised in our communities.

Yes, the remit has broadened - in 2020 neighbourhood houses deliberately include services for the whole community.

On the other hand the fight for equity and access for women that was at their foundation is not forgotten. Women’s health, in the most holistic sense, remains a central tenet, and I would suggest is still part of the core business of most neighbourhood houses across Victoria today.

To find out more about Women’s Health Week click here.