Sunny Corner Farm

Chocolate Melting Moments

2012-02-13T15:33:00.005+11:00

Today I am suffering the after effects of a few episodes of insomnia. Tiredness. Walking around with many things to do in my mind but without the energy or the motivation to do them. I have done what I have to and probably a little bit more on top because that is what you do right!?

I needed to bake and I thought something small and just a little bittersweet would be nice. Something that will be nice with a cup of herb tea (coffee is once again on the contraband list). Melting moments sounded good and a little cocoa to jazz them up even better.

I really should have taken the time to find the proper piping rose because if you use the wrong one like I did, they look just a little bit like something the dog would do. Still taste good though.

Chocolate Melting Moments

Ingredients

125 grams softened butter

2 tbsp icing sugar

2 tbsp cornflour

3/4 cup plain flour

1 tbsp cocoa

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cream the sugar and butter together.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients until combined.
Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a half inch rose and pipe stars onto the baking tray.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Today I sandwiched the biscuits together with Nutella (yuck) because the girls like it and it is easy. But a chocolate ganache made with 15 grams of butter and 90-95 grams chocolate melted together and allowed to cool and set to a spreadable texture would be even better in my opinion. Obviously I do not like Nutella.

Tracy

Independence Days Update #1

2012-02-12T13:30:00.004+11:00

Independence days comes from here.

Plant something: Nothing at all but I am going to set out some seeds this afternoon for winter vegies.

Harvest something: Eggs, tomatoes, basil, other herbs, rocket and strawberries. The garden is really suffering from the cool, wet season with less bounty than usual.

Preserve something: No long term preserving just some soup for the freezer. Ham bones were cheap this week so I bought one even though we usually only have split pea and ham soup once a year.

Waste not: Unfortunately some strawberries went completely to waste. Our weather has produced ideal conditions for rotting. Nothing to be done with these, I'm not sure even the chickens would want them.

Want not: I have been offered a couple of bags of wheat courtesy of my dad. The chickens will be grateful and I am grateful that I don't have to buy some of the poultry rations for a while. Mum and Dad always get fresh eggs from us so no one is missing out.

Eat the food: There has been a fair amount of baking going on (school lunch boxes make it necessary). I still have a few dozen eggs in the fridge but between cakes, biscuits and the odd egg on toast we are getting through them. I did make something new last night, Harissa, tomato and garlic chicken which was delicious if a little spicy. Today I will be making pasta for lasagne.

Building Community: No, I just can't think what to do here.

Skill Up: I'm sure I do learn something new everyday but I don't think I have developed any new skills worth mentioning.
Tracy

The Rams

2012-02-11T14:01:00.002+11:00

There are five rams on the farm at the moment. That is three too many so we will be selling the three youngest soon. The rams are currently in the paddock near the house so we have their company for a while. Keeping them close by and hand feeding them helps keep them quiet and allows us to train them to come when called and makes them easier to handle.

This is Crinkles. He is boss. Crinkles will be six in May and we have decided he will remain with us until the end. He was born on a small school farm and consequently had a lot of handling as a lamb. This has made him a little too familiar with people and he is not adverse to using his 100+ kilograms to get his way. I do not handle him at all as he has no respect for me at all. I keep a fence between us and things are just fine.

This guy will be for sale.

So will he.

And this one too.

In the flesh there are discernible differences between each sheep but I can see that on the screen they all look the same.Daryl, the ram we bought in June last year is staying too. He is camera shy so I couldn't catch a snap of him no matter how I tried.
Tracy

Advertising works

2012-02-06T16:33:00.002+11:00

I am a bit of a cricket tragic. I usually prefer to listen to the commentary on ABC radio but sometimes if I am sewing or have something to keep my hands busy I will sit down and watch it. I am also a traditionalist so I like the test matches most but last night I did watch a little of the limited ver match. The advertising this year for the major sponsor really did work its magic on me. It did make me want a chicken burger.

I didn't succumb fully to the lure of the ads. I made my own. I even felt adventurous enough to make my own mayonnaise. Homemade burgers were given the thumbs up by the four of us but only the adults enjoyed the homemade mayonnaise. The verdict from the youngsters was that it was too eggy. Not so, it only had one lonely egg yolk in the whole mix. It was very yellow though and quite unctious.

Although I am missing my boy, I have had such a great day. Baking, bike riding and working here at home on the farm.
Tracy

A Cheese Cave

2012-02-05T16:18:00.008+11:00

A big thank you to Freecycle. Today I picked up a wine fridge which as a teetotaller will serve me as a cheese cave. In the past my cheese making efforts have involved juggling of ice bricks and eskys(coolers) to keep the temperature in the right zone. Now with my new FREE aquisition there shouldn't be anything to hold me back on the home cheese production front.

Why make cheese at home? It is fiddly, I don't save any money doing it and possibly the cheese doesn't always taste better than a good artisan cheese but I do like doing it. I get to be scientist and cook all at once.No two cheeses come out alike and it does feel like a bit of an achievement when it all goes to plan. So my aim will now be to make more of the hard cheeses which my family like to eat.
Tracy

Time to slow down.

2012-02-01T10:57:00.004+11:00

With a month of 2012 already over, it is time to slow down and get back in to some sort of routine and bring things back into focus. Things have been too hectic over the past couple of weeks for my tastes. A very rainy day like today is a good opportunity to sit down, organise and make plans because going outside today will only be for necessary activities such as animal care.

The cotton plant with its pretty leaves.

I'm sure others have that feeling sometimes that the way things are going on a day-to-day basis is not how they see their lives in the big picture. For example in my case, gardening is a big part of my life. It is something that I not only enjoy but use as a tool to provide for our family and reduce our cost of living. I love doing it and I don't want to stop but recently with being away and having a busy mind, I have only tended sporadically to the garden and have not been as active in collecting and using our own produce as I usually am or as I would like to be.

I actually wrote the above a couple of days ago and the internet connection would not allow me to post (or do anything internet related for that matter). I am glad to say that I am feeling more like me again and have been busy with our little farm but not too busy. Thankfully the balance at the moment is just right and we have been enjoying the bounty that we can grow. I am also glad to say that it has stopped raining for now. So finally some washing is getting dry and the sun is brightening up the house. Damp washing on airers and dull days really do make my house feel messy.
Tracy

Coming Home

2012-01-28T15:28:00.002+11:00

We have had a whirlwind excursion to the city with the purpose of enrolling Tom at university and also to find him some accommodation. I am happy to say that as things stand at this moment that both tasks have been completed and without too much stress. The trip home was very wet in places and I was glad that I wasn't the driver. Coming home whether it be in the physical sense or just a state of mind, is for me, the best part of any journey.

This home coming was not without its upsets though. The brazen fox which we have now seen on the front lawn destroyed three more chickens in our absence. It naturally picked off the older birds which were real characters amongst our flock.The three of them probably hadn't laid an egg for years and didn't deserve to go out in such a grisly fashion. The birds have all been rotated to a different pen which will hopefully be more secure against attack.
The garden is behaving well. The dahlias are a real delight. These ones are growing side-by-side with my cotton in the old bathtub.

Dahlias truly make excellent cut flowers. Spectacular and long lasting in the vase.

The cotton has moved on to its next stage, flower production. It is a very sweet creamy coloured flower with no scent. I'm hoping that there will be enough summer weather left in this coolish season to allow the plants to produce at least one little cotton bolus.

Some flowers have already closed up and putting their efforts in to making their seeds and cotton fibre. I know that on a large scale the cotton industry is a very big consumer of resources. In the home garden the plant requires very little attention really just a water as necessary. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in seeing how it grows and even as just a plant in a mixed flower bed. It is sweet enough to have a place just for its pretty flowers and interesting leaves.

I have had so much trouble with my internet connection the past two days. I started writing yesterday and haven't been able to reconnect until this afternoon. Hoping it publishes now.

Tracy

The unthinkable

2012-01-22T16:05:00.005+11:00

This mornings trip to the hen house was not pleasant. I had a feeling something was amiss as there just seemed to be a bit of out of the ordinary clucking. Tom said he heard the turkey and ducks in the night but neither Tim nor I did. He shone the torch out there but being half asleep and about 30metres away couldn't discern any trouble.

The unthinkable had happened though. A fox or quoll or something else entirely different had killed one of the Pekins. I found it's body up against the fence with it's head missing (the killer did leave the head behind too). Not a nice way to leave this world. Thankfully the pen is secure (hopefully secure enough) and the beast didn't actually get inside to do more damage. No doubt it will be back tonight and I will be waiting. Foxes and rabbits are amongst the worst animals ever to be released in Australia and I would be hard pressed to find a farmer who is keen on either. I'm glad that the lambs are big enough to not be too troubled by hungry preditors.
Tracy

More orchard

2012-01-21T17:01:00.002+11:00

Living on a farm with plenty of land to play with allows me to grow so much more than I could and in fact did on an urban block. When we lived in Sydney we had grapes, passionfruit, a couple of citrus trees and an apple tree. The orchard we have on the farm is in two sections, one established and as shown below, the new orchard. There has been disappointment along the way. In 2009 I planted a lot of heritage apple trees only to have drought and grasshoppers destroy them. Like most optomistic gardeners I replanted another ten new heritage apples in the summer of 2011 as feathered maidens.

So in a year, the feathered maiden apple trees(baby trees) are definitely not productive but they are growing and showing promise. I think it is that promise that keeps many a gardener interested and passionate about what they do. This season I had a few fruits on some of these tiny trees and it was difficult to do but remove the fruit I did in the best interest of the trees.

If I lived on a small block again and my choices were limited by space I would choose only what we would gain the most from. I wouldn't be growing a medlar that's for sure. I haven't tasted the fruit before and I don't even know where the fruit would be available to purchase. It is certainly a strange looking fruit and to be truthful the idea of bletting the fruit prior to eating them is a little off putting.

The turkeys, dad, 'teens' and chicks (mum is still incubating duck eggs) are enjoying the work I have done topping up the mulch.

Tracy

Home Orchard Care

2012-01-20T11:52:00.004+11:00

I'm not sure how commercial orchards operate as far as maintenance goes but the home orchard really is fairly simple. What I do think is a good idea though is that if you buy a property or even if you rent and plan to stay long term, and want to grow your own fruit then planning and planting the fruit trees is one of the first things to do. Simply because they do take time to establish and bare significantly. Of course added expenses such as fruit trees isn't welcome when moving into a new house but a new tree every month or so or for a birthday gift can usually be worked into the budget. That's how we did it anyway. Now we have over 60 fruiting trees and berry bushes. The beauty of the home orchard too is that you really can grow a large variety of trees. As our orchard is in close proximity to the house, I like to keep the grass relatively short. This is more for snake spotting rather than a need for neatness. I do like a meadowy look but just not in the house yard.

Mulch is another orchard helper. We have managed without it when mulch was not available but it certainly meant more watering. Now when I see spoilt hay for sale at the right price I snap it up because I know I will use it.

I have cages around all of my trees. I don't like them because they are quite ugly but we have rabbits and I have seen the damage they can do. Even in one night they can ringbark trees and then all the effort and money is for nought. The rabbits here seem to have a preference for apple trees with cherry coming in a close second.

Water is vital to the home orchard just like it is to any garden. After the trees have been established though, it isn't often needed, the rain is enough. That has been the case for us this season and we haven't had to give the fruit trees any additional water.

Prune d'agen

Today I worked solo in the orchard therefore the rewards all my own. Sweet fruit and satisfaction from doing something that is worthwhile to me.

Tracy

Vane

2012-01-18T17:49:00.002+11:00

My new weather vane is in place and thanks to our gps device it is facing the right way. The regular old compass didn't work too accurately atop our metal roof. It is positioned right above my bedroom so I do hope that it isn't too noisy because we really do get some windy weather in our valley. I'm ever so grateful to have a husband who doesn't mind heights because if it was up to me to put it up, the weather vane would probably be not be up much higher than my 5 feet 2 inches.

At the moment it is the only rooster on the farm with our Wyandotte, Hugh, dieing a while back and Tom's Sebright rooster going to a home that will appreciate his crazy ways more than we did. I find the early morning a little lonely with the lack of crowing so I think I will be on the lookout for just the right chap soon.

Tracy

Happy Birthday Tim

2012-01-17T20:08:00.003+11:00

This time last year in Wellington, NSW

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband, Tim.
We have had a great day today, just being at home together with the girls (Tom worked for 5 hours but was home by afternoon tea ie cake time). This man is very hard to buy a gift for, he always says he just wants to spend time with us even if it does sound corny. I do think he likes a gift or two as well though.

A chocolatey chocolate cake with strawberries and cream. This recipe has almond meal as well as self raising flour which I think gives it a little more moisture.

The dahlias were for the birthday table. I'm not sure why but there seems to be an abundance of pinks and reds in the dahlias at Sunny Corner this year. I'm not complaining, the cooler summer temperatures and rainy days have given us extra blooms.

Tracy

Processing beeswax

2012-01-13T17:11:00.003+11:00

In our little apiary the role of beeswax processing falls to me. It wasn't something that was premeditated it just has worked out that way. This of course is the honey which is the best part of beekeeping but in my opinion, dealing with the wax is the worst. It really isn't that bad but it is still my least favourable task associated with keeping bees. We had a few older frames in the batch we extracted this week. They are darker than the light and pretty newer frames.

The by product of extracting honey is the cappings. It is the wax and other bee products that you remove to release the honey. It isn't pretty and to get the wax to a usable state, they have to be processed. I do this firstly by rinsing in a bucket with lukewarm water. It doesn't purify the wax too much but it does get rid of some of the honey and gritty bits and pieces.

The washed cappings are then placed in the top of a double boiler (water in the bottom) and melted. It is wise to keep an eye on the pot because wax can be a little volatile around a heat source. The melted wax t can look a bit revolting depending on how clean it is to start with. Once it has melted it is poured through a strainer (I use cheescloth) into a flexible container (an ice cream container or clean milk carton is ideal) and allowed to cool.

When it is set it can be removed and any water that was left in with the cappings will come off now as the water sinks below the set wax. The wax might be clean enough at this stage but todays wax was not. It required another straining.

On the small scale that we work it isn't too time consuming but it is messy hence the lack of pictures of the process along the way.Next time I will do it when there is a photographer in the house to help out. Everything the wax touches becomes well... waxy and it isn't fun to wash up.

We are however truly self-sufficient and beyond in wax.

Tracy

Out the back

2012-01-12T15:35:00.005+11:00

I just had to share a picture from the back verandah I took today. The weather today is just glorious with the valley looking lush, not a cloud in the sky and the mountains a haze of green. I'm very glad to be here today and everyday really. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it is just right for me and mine.

I am currently overhauling our budget to accommodate Tom's upkeep in Sydney. Trying to tweek the numbers only to find that there are not many areas in the expenditure column that can be tweeked.He will contribute too, hopefully transferring his part-time position to a store in Sydney. His main focus of course has to be his studies and I am very much looking forward to having a vet in the family. It will all work out though. I do like saving a dollar or two and the next few years will be a challenge that I think I will enjoy. When we moved here 13 years ago, we paid cash for our property which left us with a grand sum of $50 in our bank until pay day. it might not have been the wisest move but thankfully no emergency came up then and we have enjoyed being debt free since. Now we are ready to head back into the real estate market and have a mortgage again( which we will try to pay off as quickly as possible). I truly like the idea of having another property as an investment for the future but I'm not too keen on the househunting itself.

Tracy

Turkey Dad

2012-01-11T20:34:00.002+11:00

I haven't updated the progress of our turkey dad who was incubating eggs only to say that they had indeed hatched. He hatched them out on Christmas eve and into Christmas day. Out of the nine eggs, he hatched eight and of those eight, six have survived. He is an excellent 'mother' albeit a little too over protective. In further crazy turkey developments here on the farm, the turkey hen is now sitting happily on a clutch of duck eggs. These should be ready to hatch in about two weeks.

Tomorrow I am making a poultry drop in town. I have three Indian Runner drakes and some sebright bantams that I am exchanging. They are penned up and ready to go. Believe me, there is no glamour in poultry wrangling but I will spare you the details.
Tracy

Change afoot

2012-01-10T20:08:00.002+11:00

Changes are afoot here on the farm. Our son has had word that he has been accepted into the Sydney University veterinary science course and he will be heading to the city in the not too distant future. It will be a big adjustment for him and for us too. It hasn't been possible to make plans for his move until we knew for sure. Now it is full steam ahead. Our financial situation will certainly change and I'm more glad than ever that we are debt-free (for the time being).

It is still hard to imagine that life as we know it here is going to be different when as is the case, life goes on day by day with the usual activities. Today and yesterday have been honey days. With about 20 kilograms of honey now in drums and jars. Dealing with the wax is my task tomorrow. I also had a great seed sowing day too. The warm weather that we are finally having (in the days at least) has prompted me to put a few more things in the ground.

Tracy

Any excuse for a cake

2012-01-09T19:24:00.006+11:00

It seems in our household that any excuse for a cake is a good one. A quick morning tea with my parents and sister which just happened to coincide with a birthday. The birthday was for my parents's dog, Mia, so their really was no need for a celebration cake but the humans enjoyed it even if the birthday girl had not even a taste.

I don't often make sponge cakes but I was in the mood to have something a little light and it works a treat with a cup of tea.

Simple Sponge Cake

Ingredients

4 eggs

165 grams white sugar

100 grams cornflour (wheaten)

30 grams custard powder

1/2 tsp bicarb

jam of choice

whipped cream

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degC.

Grease two 20cm round cake tins.

Beat eggs and sugar for about 10 minutes until thick and creamy and the sugar has dissolved.

Sift the dry ingredients twice and then sift over the eggy mixture. Fold gently until combined.

Divide mixture between the two cake tins and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.Turn cakes out onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool.

Sandwich the cooled cakes together with jam and cream.

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.

I'm sure it would be better to use caster sugar but I usually don't have it at hand and regular white sugar seems to work just fine for me.

Tracy

My enemy

2012-01-06T17:12:00.002+11:00

The 28 spotted or leaf eating lady beetles. I really do not like this critter one bit. They don't appear to have even one saving grace. Scarecrow and Organic Gardener magazine have both made mention of them of late so I know I am not alone in my battle. Even in the immature phase it is not sweet and cute like less destructive lady beetles. I think it looks a little alien with all of its hairy protrusions.

The adult isn't much better. Try as they might to stop me, I am determined to have a decent potato crop. They really do some damage though, skeletonising the leaves of the plants in what seems like record time especially for such tiny creatures with tiny mouths. I fight this enemy one squish at a time.

Tracy

The last of the Christmas feast

2012-01-05T16:20:00.002+11:00

I don't buy a ham for us at Christmas time as we really would never eat it. Though I really do want to own a pig or two so perhaps ham and other porcine offerings are in my future somewhere. My parents do have a ham each year and each year when the time is right, I am given the bone to make soup. Tim and I love split pea and ham soup probably more so because it is a once a year meal. Last night we had our yearly fix. It was delicious (especially coupled with some grainy bread rolls) and the very last of the Christmas seasonal fare. It may not be a very summery meal or the most pleasing to the eye but it is worth it.

Split pea and ham soup

Ingredients

1 ham bone, trimmed

300grams green split peas

2 onions, diced

1 carrot, diced

25 grams butter

2 bay leaves

1.5 litres water

Method

Gently sweat the onions and carrots in the butter over a low/medium heat in a large pot until softened. The pot needs to be large enought o accommodate the bone.

Add the bone, water, peas and bay leaves and simmer for about 1 hour. Times may vary but simmer until the peas are soft.

Remove the bone, puree the soup and serve.

Grainy bread rolls ( for the bread maker)

Ingredients

300mL water

300 grams wholemeal flour

200 grams plain white flour

1 tbs sunflower seeds

1 tbs pumpkin seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 tsp yeast

1 tsp honey

1 tsp poppy seeds

1tsp nigella seeds

Place all of the ingredients besides the poppy seeds and nigella seeds in the bread maker. Follow the order given for your particular machine.

Set the machine to the dough setting.

When the cycle is complete, turn the dough out and knead gently by hand and then divide into 12 pieces.

Shape the pieces as desired and put onto a greased or lined baking tray.

Brush each roll with milk and press the poppy and nigella seeds on top.

Preheat oven to 200 deg C.

Allow the rolls to rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the rolls a golden on top and sound hollow if tapped.

As with most of our soupy meals, Tim and I enjoyed this alone while the kids had stir fry. My niece who stayed with us last night even had stir fry and rice on the rolls (yuck).

Tracy

Good intentions

2012-01-03T16:57:00.003+11:00

I had intentions of blogging on January 1st but it was not to be. The satellite that provides our internet or maybe even the computer itself would not play along until this afternoon. No internet does make for keeping other good intentions though such as getting outside and doing. The vegetable garden which really should be called a kitchen garden to be a little more accurate is benefitting greatly from no computer activity. See why it should be a kitchen garden. The vegetable garden is home to an abundance of flowers, herbs and vegetables. This peachy gladioli is just so sweet right now. I do like gladioli but mine always seem to topple over which ruins the display.

I also intend this year to get more crafty things done rather than just think about them.

On New Years Day I started and finished this bag for my sister. I had a charm pack titled "happy" from a swap and some bright purple homespun which was just right. I printed the pattern out last year and have been meaning to make it someday. It was designed by Khris and was just the right thing to start off a year of getting things done.

The weather has taken a turn with the new year too. We are finally feeling summery. It has been hot. Hot enough even for a trip to the pool for a refreshing swim and hot enough for the garden to be watered two days in a row.

Tracy

So long 2011

2011-12-31T17:48:00.003+11:00

After putting a new property sign on my to do list for 2011 I finally hung one yesterday with only two days of 2011 left. The old sign was really just an old pice of shelving painted with house paint and was never meant to be permanent but it hung around for years. Not a good picture of the new sign but I wanted to post it anyway.

It seems that the cute and cuddly always get the better deal as far as pictures go so today I have a couple of pictures of big grown up sheep instead of lambs. On our farm the adult sheep are just as friendly as the lambs and really don't mind having their pictures taken at all.

Bessy

This is Bessy. She was the second lamb born on our farm and before we decided to specialise in the Suffolk breed. She always produces the tiniest little lambs and she is really ladylike and a wonderful mother. Her own mother, Essy, is still with us and is a very youthful nine year old and I think she is a little upset that she wasn't allowed to have lambs this year.

Julia's Rose

Just in time for the new year, the rose garden is amass of blooms (weeds too with all the rain). This is Julia's Rose which is one of my favourites. I really admire its understated beauty.

Dahlias are aplenty too. My only complaint about dahlias is their lack of scent. Though perhaps if they were scented it might be just too much all in one flower.

In a change from the dahlias and roses (and gladioli too) I decided to arrange a vase of agapanthus when my sister visited for afternoon tea on Wednesday. They were completely stunning and I can't begin to think why I have never used them inside before.

Scentimental

Finally, I hope for a happy 2012 for all. I intend to make the most of the wonder in my life and strive to make a difference (even if it is but a little one). Goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012.

Tracy

Boxing day

2011-12-26T19:49:00.002+11:00

While Christmas Day seems to be very much a day for being 'in the moment', Boxing Day seems more contemplative. A day for rest, relaxation, maybe a bit of recovery and reflection for me at least. I do love this time of year in between Christmas and the New Year. It seems to be all fun and none of the usual responsibilities and places to be. Even the chores are allowed to slide just a little bit.

The only problem with too much time to think is that I am often prone to run off with grandiose plans and ideas of what I would like to achieve rather than what is actually achievable. I can dream anyway.

Tomorrow we are having a second Christmas celebration with my sister. She has brought her little family up from Sydney and my parents are hosting so it is all fun and maybe the washing up for me.
Tracy

Chookyblue's SSCS

2011-12-26T19:13:00.004+11:00

I really did resist the temptation to open my parcel from Rose Marie which I'm still surprised at. It probably helped that none of our presents were under the tree before Christmas due to Puss doing some damage in Christmases past. Chookyblue's idea of having the ornament to open earlier is a help too.

The gift I received is simply lovely. Rose Marie said she could tell from my blog that I loved flowers and she did a wonderful job capturing a sweet bouquet in her stitchery. I now have the tough decision of where to hang the wallhanging. At the moment I am favouring the lounge room because it will be most visible there.

My partner was Trash. I made a table runner with a Christmas theme. This was such a great swap to be a part of and Chookyblue has links and pictures galore on her blog to all of the swappers with plenty of inspiration and ideas for next Christmas. Thanks Chooky.

On the farm we had a new lamb born at 4am Christmas morning and it was Christmas day that the male turkey decided to hop off his eggs and bring out the five chicks he has hatched. I am really impressed with him having the patience to sit for the month when it isn't really his job. So far we haven't ventured too close to them because male turkeys are truly not the most friendly of characters especially when they are playing mum.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T18:14:00.004+11:00

I think the sheep are feeling sorry for this poor little, straggly pine.

Happy holidays from our family to the lovely people who visit us here. I hope the festive season is full of peace and joy and that good things are in store for 2012.

Today Hope had her ears pierced. She has been counting down the years from when Grace had hers pierced at 10 four years ago. Tomorrow Hope will be ten so she is a little early and very happy. I can barely believe that it has been ten years since she was a tiny Christmas baby.

Tracy

Christmas Weather

2011-12-23T15:47:00.002+11:00

Cool and wet.
It is another rainy day here. The weather although very wet is actually quite lovely. Just right for spending time together.
This has been my daily attire. Boots and raincoat. Much different to what I have been reading on Tania's blog where it is HOT. We haven't had a day this month that has reached 30 degC in our valley and almost 100mL of rain with more falling right now.

Lambs and ewes are in the paddock all day but bed down in the shed overnight. It is one toasty, cosy and cute place to be.

Tracy

Exhausted

2011-12-19T12:55:00.003+11:00

Feeling exhausted today. I haven't overdone it and I'm not sick but I can't seem to shake the feeling of weariness. My intuition is telling me that the chocolate I enjoyed yesterday is the culprit.

Anyway, I am going to try to work through it and maybe have a herbal tea or two and hope that helps.
Tracy

Around the yard

2011-12-18T14:40:00.003+11:00

Y
Yesterday I spent some time tidying the vegie garden. Spreading mulch, weeding, planting, dead-heading lavenders and a little mowing (by Tim). It was looking a bit neglected but now it is looking good, in my eyes at least. The best part, sheep and lambs on the other side of the fence.

My orange coloured buddleja is really splendid right now. I only planted it this year as a tiny mail order plant it is now just as tall as me (which isn't tall as far as people go but is tall enough for a shrub). This one is in the rose garden and is providing a touch of colour whilst the roses are having a rest.

Last year I grew rice in an old bath tub and it was fun, interesting and grew well. This year the bath tub is home to some fibre growing. I have cotton in the tub. We travelled through cotton growing country last year when we went to Lightning Ridge and it tweeked my interest in giving fibre a go. Of course we grow our own wool but I was keen to have a try at a plant based fibre that doesn't need too much treatment on a small scale. So far it is doing well and has been a simple plant to germinate and grow actually my only input has been to put the seed in the soil, water and watch.

The rice growing also prompted some variety in my grain t growing. This is some of my buckwheat. It is said to be a favourite with bees so that makes it very welcome here although apparently single flora buckwheat honey is very much an aquired taste. That won't be a problem for us. The buckwheat crop is small and the bees forage from such a wide variety of flowers that our honey is truly mixed flora. It is a pretty little plant though.

Tracy

The animals are in control

2011-12-14T20:29:00.003+11:00

It seems that right now the animals are in charge here. The ewes are checked periodically during the night to make sure there is no trouble because trouble does often happen at night for some reason. Thankfully though there has been no sign of trouble. During the day there are the usual chores plus Grace and Hope are on lamb playing duty. It is not surprising that they can not bear to eat our home produced lamb meat when they become attached to them when they are tiny.

Sometimes the sheep just want to have a chat over lunch.

Even Puss has taken over the kitchen. She isn't allowed in the sink but she doesn't care.

Tracy

Tomato

2011-12-12T18:17:00.003+11:00

Our first tomato for this season. I am behind with tomatoes this year after the hail storm last month destroying 29 tomato seedlings. I thought it was 30 but one lone Brandywine survived. I have planted out some more tomatoes so I am optimistic for some more home grown goodness soon. Until then, I will support the local organic growers who were spared in the storms.

The first tomato from the garden actually came from Hope's little garden bed. It weighed in at a huge 16 grams which didn't go very far with Tim and I sharing. It might have been tiny but it was delicious.

The weather is still playing tricks here. It has been unseasonally cool and very wet. Gardening and farming are both endeavours which are at the mercy of the weather and a positive attitude is your best friend.

Tonight I am hoping I have enough energy left over after a day in town to do some Christmas crafting. I love this time of year and the flurry to make some special little things for those I hold most dear.

Tracy

Party time again

2011-12-10T13:52:00.002+11:00

This time we celebrated Hope's birthday with her school friends. Her actual birthday is on December 25 so not a good day for a party with friends but as school finished up on Thursday we had a small party in town. A couple of hours playing and then a pizza picnic in the park with ice cream cake for dessert. Hope had a great time with her friends and Tim and I had a quiet afternoon tea together while they played.

After the guests went home I took the opportunity to snap a picture of Tom, Grace and Hope in front of the agapanthus at the park. It is such a lovely park which is really underutilised and never busy.

No more new lambs as yet but the little ones that are already here are starting to find their feet and will soon be too quick to catch. The little one in the picture above has one thing on her mind and while mum was resting decided to make the most of the opportunity...

for an easy drink.

Tracy

On My Mind... Lambs

2011-12-09T11:02:00.002+11:00

Rhonda who hosts On My Mind each Friday has some sad news on her mind today. The sudden and unexpected loss of a hen sitting on eggs and a tiny chick too. I'm often hesitant to write here on my blog about eggs which are being incubated until they are hatched and all is well. A farm, whether it is rural or backyard is fraught with opportunites to see new life and sadly see life slip away first hand. It is happier news here on my mind. We have lambs. Only three so far but there have been no complications or difficult deliveries. A set of female twins and one ram lamb.

Black lambs are just one of the reasons why Suffolks are my breed of choice.

Tracy

SSCS

2011-12-07T20:01:00.003+11:00

A big thank you to Rose Marie for the SSCS swap parcel which arrived to today. My ornament is lovely hand painted moose and is now hanging proudly on my silver table tree. Rose Marie has a great blog, Applique and Patches with some great sewing inspiration.

Chookyblue has to be thanked too. I can only imagine the effort involved in organising such a large swap.

The main gift is wrapped securely but is tempting me every time I look at it. I think I will have to get Tim to hide it from me just to be sure I don't peek before the 25th.

Still no lambs. But is a cool, wet night so just the weather it seems from past experience for ewes to 'choose' to give birth.

Watching and waiting

2011-12-06T20:08:00.003+11:00

Right now we are playing a game of patience. Watching and waiting for the ewes to start lambing. Our usual lambing time is in the spring but it was necessary this year to delay joining. Some people say that this can cause a problem with fertility and lambing rates but all the ewes appear to be almost ready to give birth. The lambing rates remain to be seen though but I am hopeful for at least a few multiple births.
If heavily pregnant waddling is anything to go by, the ewes are more eager than us to have these lambs on the ground.

Here is father turkey. Not visible are the nine eggs he is incubating.

I think his broodiness has something to do with the fact that the last lot of turkey babies are only a couple of months old and mother is still busy mothering them and not ready or available to sit again. It shouldn't be too long for this next batch of eggs to hatch and so far I can say that our father turkey has made a fantastic incubator but I'm not sure how he will go when the hatching starts.

Tracy

Catching my breath

2011-12-05T16:55:00.002+11:00

Home again after a trip of almost 1800km in a couple of days. We arrived home Saturday afternoon and I have now caught up on things around the farm including moving ewes ready for lambing and now it is time to catch my breath. Though I still haven't had much of a chance to get out into the yard and garden to do too much. Although the trip was long and tiring, it was good to see some other parts of the state. We left behind wet, windy weather and our very green valley and headed south west. Our region doesn't grow the same broad acre crops so it was interesting to see the gorgeous colour of the crops almost ready to be headed.

Tim did the bulk of the driving and I got to be navigator and crocheter for the trip. I worked on some gifts for Grace and Hope because they stayed behind and it is all very top secret.

We must look like the most unlikely characters when travelling. No cafes or fast foods stops, just the old air pot which works like a charm and my favourite retro picnic basket. There are so many pretty road side rest areas around.

The boys also like to do a bit of exploring and treasure hunting during our breaks.

The late lambing ewes are fit to burst right now and there should be a few babies to blog about soon. Our male turkey has even decided to get in on the act and is sitting on eggs. I thought he was feeling unwell but he seems fine just doing his bit for gender equality.

Tracy

Herbs and macarons

2011-11-30T16:51:00.003+11:00

This is possibly the world's worst looking macaron. I have made them before but feeling a bit adventurous decided to try a different recipe and they just wouldn't form a 'skin' before baking and didn't have the right lift during cooking either. I have had a few problems with recipes from this source so I think I will steer clear of this magazine in the future. My sister, Kelly, has also experienced a few issues with the recipes too so maybe it isn't just this cooks fault.

Herb bed 1 had some attention today. I would really like to be able to make lovely drawings of the garden bed to map out where and what everything is... maybe next week. I looked at a couple of free online garden design programs but they weren't suitable. There are still a few empty spots but it is lush enough right now. Not a very culinary bed but lots of useful plants.

curry plant

Turkey thyme

lemon balm

lemon scented geranium

fennel

Avonview lavender

garlic chives

catnip x 2

cherry tomato

chives

foxglove

common thyme

chamomile

rosemary

southernwood

oregano

santolina

peppermint scented geranium

The list has surprised me with its length, I really didn't realise that there were so many different plants in this bed but herbs are really my favourite plants. It feels like a good time to be taking stock of what is in the garden and what can be added. New plants will have an easy time settling in while there is moisture in the gound and warmth in the air.

Advent calenders opening up tomorrow so it is excitement all round here.

Tracy

The party is over

2011-11-28T12:50:00.004+11:00

We are not quite back to normal life yet as we have a visitor staying until Thursday. Then the three adults, Tim, Tom (who is officially an adult today) and I will head to Wagga Wagga for an interview at the university. It isn't his first choice of university but he is keeping his options open and we will find out for sure in a couple of weeks. The rain has passed and the sun is back out with a vengence . The path is so weedy after the rain. The cheeky cosmos and some rather stubborn parsley seedlings have emerged and it is times like this when spraying is very tempting. I'm not going to though. A couple of hours and the hopefully the path and garden will be back in order.

As you can see we had the dinner inside even though the sun started shining at around 2pm. We had about 200ml/8 inches of rain so it was much too soggy to be outdoors. The artichokes in the vases were quite a nice addition(once the ladybugs were relocated) especially for a dinner for a male.

I made Tom a simple mud cake for his birthday cake. The chocolate ganache icing, cherries and chocolate curls lifted it though and it was quite rich.

For my sister, Jody's 40th birthday cake, I made a little tower of patty cakes. Plain vanilla cakes with pretty icing. These were my pick of the three cakes.

I also made a cheesecake with a fruit topping. Not enough butter in the biscuit base meant it was a little crumbly but nice just the same.

Today for Tom's real birthday dinner, it is lasagne as always. It is his favourite and we have rarely missed a year. Just a humble cinnamon teacake to hold the birthday candles, we have indulged a little too much over the past couple of days.

Until dinner time though I will be busy replanting my tomatoes and pulling weeds while the ground is still giving.

Tracy

More wet weather

2011-11-25T18:45:00.003+11:00

We seem to be right in the middle of a weather system that is producing rain, rain and more rain. Although it is hard to be grateful for it right now, in a month or two we will be thankful for the soaking of the soil that is happening now.

Today I had a full trolley of shopping to buy and bring home for tomorrow nights dinner. Before I went shopping though I did a little procrastinating. Whilst packing up my parcel for Chooky's SSCS, I located some charms I got for Christmas last year. That led me to a little jewellery making. I had some earring findings and in two minutes I had a new pair of earrings. I wore them to town and felt a little special all day.

Wet weather and dinner parties don't mix though. I had planned an elaborate outdoor extravaganza. Well there were going to be fairy lights, candles and a long table. Now I have to set up inside and the guests will get to watch me cook and plate up...aargh. It will be just like a cooking show only not. Anyway I may be absent from the world of blogging tomorrow but I do hope I have a few minutes in the day to spend catching up with online friends.

Tracy

A little damage

2011-11-22T15:20:00.004+11:00

After much rain and the nasty weather of last week, the warm days have returned. The days do have that threatening storm feel though. When I could finally get back out into the garden to check how things faired, not everything was rosy. The pods are bruised from the hail but the peas inside are ok.

The artichokes are looking a tad sad and I am now going to save the tops for a table decoration for a dinner I am having on Saturday evening.

There were no berries left on these strawberries but some others were better off. I think it is often the newest and most cosseted of plants that suffer the most. Or perhaps that is just how it appears.

I am very happy that it is so early in the season to have this damage because I lost 30 tomato plants last Tuesday and as there are still months of warm weather, I can replant and expect a decent crop.

I am in the midst of preparing for my son, Tom's, birthday dinner on Saturday night. It will double as a 40th birthday dinner for my sister too. That means two birthday cakes and twice the fun.Tim has been putting up fairy lights and I have been dreaming up menus that hopefully everyone will enjoy. I'm excited about it now that I have been bitten by the entertaining bug.

Tracy

On My Mind

2011-11-18T11:15:00.002+11:00

Most Fridays I join in with Rhonda and quite a few other bloggers with what's "On My Mind". This week as with every week there are many things on my mind but as I was heading out this morning for my jog, I got to thinking about fitness and finding a rhythm and thought I would share a picture which I probably should not. My back side in my running clothes. I think I am being quite daring and perhaps a little foolhardy but so far I haven't met a nasty blogger so I feel safe.

Running isn't something that I am good at but I am finding myself really enjoying it now that I have developed a rhythm that suits me. In the beginning I tried to run too quickly and was out of steam too fast. Now I have learnt to slow down and I can cover much more ground and do it without feeling like I might just be breathing my last breaths.

It is much like life in general. When I try to do too much, too quickly and overextend myself, I quickly lose focus and end up not achieving much of anything. Though I do like the challenge of multi-tasking and having a few things on the go at once, it is good for me at least to test my mettle and stay on my toes. It can take a while to work out what is the right rhythm for yourself and your family but when you do, life seems to run more smoothly. And when there are times that require a bit of extra effort, the knowledge that the normal rhythm of life will return helps too.

Tracy

Rainy Days

2011-11-17T08:39:00.004+11:00

We are having some rather wet weather. A wild night of hail, wind, rain and lightning on Tuesday dawned to the morning above on Wednesday. The sunshine was very short lived however and I spent the day indoors and without power. The electricity was out for 11 hours which really does make you think. It made me realise how much I rely on the power coming in for so many things. Cooking, lighting and even just to get water into the house we are reliant on an electric pump. The day was good though. I made a start on some crocheting I wanted to do for Christmas, made some lists (because I love lists), I tidied up some cupboards which needed it, cut out some sewing patterns and fabric (no sewing though). I even had a siesta in the afternoon.

If the meteorologists forecasts are accurate, and sometimes they are, then we have a wet summer ahead. I now have an area in the garden which is prone to becoming a bit boggy after a downpour. It then dries out cement hard. I am thinking that it needs a little creativity to get it right especially with more rain on the way. Perhaps Phoebe's swale idea could work here. I'll ponder it a little more. Anyway, it is another crocheting kind of day along with orchestra and an art show this afternoon.

Tracy

Bottling- Capsicum Jam and a Porter

2011-11-15T16:31:00.004+11:00

The last few days have been busy and hard work with shearing the sheep. The weather has been hot and sunny and the wool is coming off just in time for the summer heat. We usually shear earlier but with later lambing this year, we have held off. Although they didn't say anything and their actions implied the contrary, I'm sure the sheep are happy to have their wooly coats removed. When there has been a break in outside farm work, I have been busy sewing, making jam and Tim has been bottling up a home brew. Sometimes it feels like we get a lot done. Capsicum Jam

Ingredients

4 red capsicums

6 tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons grated ginger

chillies (according to your heat preference)

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

Method

Cut the capsicums so they sit flat and remove the seeds.

Place the capsicums skin side up under the hot grill and grill until the skin is charred.

Remove the capsicums from the grill and wrap in foil until cool.

Once the capsicums have cooled, peel and chop them.

While the capsicums are cooling, make a cross in the top of the tomatoes and place in boiling water for a few minutes.

Drain the tomatoes, peel and chop once cool enough.

Place capsicum, chillies(I use 5 dried chillies),tomatoes, onion, ginger, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan.

Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is a thick, jam-like consistency.

Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.

This is a sweet and savoury type of jam and works well with eggs at breakfast or even meat with salad. My preference is to have it with a cafe style breakfast.

The dining room right now is bottling central. I am a teetotaller but Tim likes to make his own beer. The latest is a Porter style brew and next on the list is mead which I am really looking forward to. The mead sounds simple enough so hopefully all goes well and I will blog our progress.

Tracy

On My Mind...The Apron Strings

2011-11-11T15:04:00.002+11:00

On My Mind is hosted by Rhonda each Friday. Participants post a picture depicting what is on their mind and write an explanation. There are always some interesting and thought provoking entries.

Today because the weather was nice and I had the time, I tidied the linen cupboard and washed and /or aired what I thought needed it. With all of my aprons pegged on the clothes line it got me to thinking about the apron strings. Or rather the cutting of the apron strings as the saying goes.

My son who has just finished school is away this week and some of next in Sydney. Working at Taronga Zoo and then staying with my sister. He spent this week living in Mosman at a bed and breakfast, coming home each day exhausted from work. It really is the first step we have made towards the next phase in his life and ours. Next year he will be at university and living in the city and we will be a household of just four here on the farm. At the moment it is still looming in the distance like it will never happen but it will and we will all adjust to the new dynamics of our family. It is a good thing that these changes usually build up with a little more independence garnered with each milestone. Of course I am not happy that my boy will no longer be at home everyday but I am happy that he will be learning and preparing to do something that he wants to. Besides that, it is only a 6 hour drive to Sydney so I predict many trips to and fro next year.

Tracy

Companion Planting ???

2011-11-10T11:06:00.003+11:00

I know there is much conjecture as to whether companion planting works or not. I'm not sure either way but I think it does no harm and there does seem to be a certain amount of common sense behind it if not scientific fact. A good table of companions both good and bad can be foundd on here. My coriander is in flower now and seems to be attracting some good insects. I am by no means an entomologist (my scientific background is microbiology) so I am just guessing that this is some sort of beneficial wasp.

There were a lot of these beasties so they are probably bad news rather than good.

This ladybird I like. I'm ever so grateful for the ability to crop my fingers out of these pictures. Digital photography is a boon for the likes of me who need a little help.

No matter what I plant with the potatoes, the nasty ladybirds always find them. The only pest control I use is squishing which despite being a little revolting is quite rewarding. I thought these were my only problems with the potatoes. In fact yesterday I weeded around all of the potatoes and even harvested some and everything was fine.

Today however is another story. What I can only assume to be a rabbit has decided to burrow in one of my raised potato beds. This bed is made of corrugated iron and a foot high so it is one keen bunny and one cranky gardener. I'm pretty sure I won't find anything on any companion planting list that can help me with htis problem. Perhaps a gardeners revenge stew will fix it.

Tracy

Birds in the garden

2011-11-09T09:34:00.002+11:00

I really love the seeing and listening to the birds that inhabit our garden. Where I live is very much the home of native birds so there is always a lot of bird calling and squawking so although it is peaceful here, it is never quiet.

The property has some dense areas of eucalypts and I have also planted other natives along the driveway. In the near future I'm hoping to plant some native edibles.

It is not the native plantings however that get the birds into the garden.

It's the irresistible fruit that I have planted. I myself can't walk past a ripe cherry without picking one so it probably is too much to expect the birds to leave them alone.

I would prefer it if they did though. This naughty king parrot taunted me this morning. I was watering some young lavenders and he watched me whilst he delighted in MY cherries. I chased him away twice and he just flew a little away and watched me until he thought it was ok to come back. He probably was a little perturbed with me for ruining his peaceful breakfast. He is a connoisseur, he is leaving the ripe mulberries alone in favour of the more gourmet cherries. My revenge, I picked what I could and enjoyed them right there in the orchard.

Tracy

Sewing Time

2011-11-08T16:33:00.002+11:00

The speedy pace of my 'simple' life is slowing a little for the time being. I am finally having some sewing time and the worst part is over, washing the fabric. I think reds are the worst fabric for running but they are always so stunning in Christmas creations. This afternoon I am making a start on some Christmas sewing, a corset which Grace has requested (this girl really does love "Little House on the Prairie"), some boxer shorts and last but not least, a bikini. I wish I had have had the bikini pattern years ago when I had the bikini body to wear it. Never mind, it will be fun to make anyway.

Tracy

Party pooped

2011-11-05T19:54:00.002+11:00

The guests have returned home, the kitchen put to rights and now I am pooped. Time for a soak in the tub and an early night. I used an old sheet that was my grandmothers as a table cloth and I think it was much sweeter than the fancy lace table cloth I had envisioned. The girls seemed to be impressed with the menu and didn't leave a lot behind. I was surprised though that they managed to fit in some birthday cake at the end of the day. I guess being a teenager improves the appetite and the metabolism too. Todays menu was : chocolate mousse, cookies and cream slice, white chocolate and macadamia slice, meringues, chocolate coated strawberries, sandwiches, mini meatballs and mini chicken satays. The birthday cake, a pink velvet cake as chosen by Grace. The funny thing about the high-tea, was the distinct lack of tea being consumed. All of the girls chose cold drinks and only my mother had tea.

This was the 'overflow' table. Hope and my mother supped here and I had a quick rest.

This interloper arrived a couple of hours ahead of the party. I'm glad Tim was home today to move him along before everyone arrived. I certainly wasn't dressed for snake wrangling today.

Tracy

On My Mind...painted

2011-11-04T11:28:00.006+11:00

Thanks to Rhonda for hosting On My Mind each Friday. There are always some great blogs to visit to be inspired, motivated, educated or even just entertained.

Today our painted house is on my mind. I can finally say that the painting is finished and it is a nice feeling. Painting is not fun at least it isn't for us and so it became a monumetal chore which almost seemed like it would never end. It did as all things do, good and bad. Sometimes there were real reasons why the painting stalled but more often than not, there were just excuses not to do it.

I'm ever so grateful that the thing on my mind today is trivial and untroublesome and that my life is a happy and simple one.

Tracy

Rose Syrup and a cheescake too

2011-11-02T11:39:00.003+11:00

The rose petal syrup was a sweet success. It is a fairly basic syrup recipe and I am not sure of its keeping qualities (though there is plenty of sugar in it)so best stored in the fridge and made in small batches. It has a real Turkish delight type of flavour and the colour is amazing. It should come with a warning that it is uber sweet. I did use some lime juice in the recipe to cut it a little but it really is only for the sweet tooth. An added bonus, when simmering the kitchen smells like roses.

Rose Petal Syrup

Ingredients

2 cups rose petals (the fragrant red varieties would be best)

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

1 cup white sugar

1 cup water

Method

Rinse the rose petals because there is most likely some kind of wild life amongst them.

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently.

Allow to steep on the lowest possible heat (not bubbling) for around an hour.

Strain into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil.

Allow to lightly boil until the syrup thickens slightly.

Pour into sterilised bottles and seal.

I will make this again and next time I will let it reduce a little more as I would prefer a slightly thicker syrup. It was delicious on the cheesecake and gave it an exotic flavour a bit like Persian fairy floss. The first two strawberries of the season were a nice addition too. Actually I will admit here that I picked a strawberry on Sunday and ate it in the garden but that's my secret.

Simple Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients
250 grams plain biscuits

125 grams butter, melted

4 eggs

3/4 cups white sugar

500 grams cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon lime/lemon juice

Method

Grease a 20cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper.

Process the biscuits until fine and add the melted butter until combined.

Press the biscuit mixture into the tin, on the base and sides.

Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Pre-heat oven to 160deg C.

In the food processor combine the eggs, sugar, cream cheese and juice and mix until smooth. This could be done with an electric mixer but I think it is easier(lazier) to use the processor which is already out.

Pour mixture into tin.

Bake for about 50 minutes and cool in the oven.

Refrigerate until it is cold and serve.

This is a very plain and basic cheesecake so it really takes the syrup well but also any fruit topping or even lemon curd is nice.

The oven is having a rest today, it is being cleaned.
Tracy

Spring Cleaning

2011-11-01T16:16:00.003+11:00

I try to keep the house pretty clean but I do like to give it a thorough going over now and then. Spring is an obvious time with the warmer weather. Having a wood fire for heating makes for some ashy dust which seems to settle everywhere so I always wait for the last fire of the year before I spring clean. Today the dining room hutch which is full of china tea sets took its turn. I emptied the shelves this morning at 5:50am before heading in to town for Grace's violin lesson and by the time I came home, it was ready to pack away. Glad that job is done. I have also been outside a lot. The weather is too nice to be indoors all day. Sprucing up untidy areas and topping up mulch. The chooks even the pretty little Pekins think that I do this for their benefit alone.

I also cleaned the carpets yesterday morning just in time for Hope to need some paracetamol for a sore throat last night. I really do not like carpets at all and in our first home we removed them and polished up the lovely tounge and groove floorboards. In this more modern house, the flooring is just sheeting and doesn't look as good bare. I am hoping that we can pull up the carpet still and put a floating timber floor over the top. Another thing for the wish list.

Tracy

P.S. The rose petal syrup was a triumph and I am baking a cheesecake right this very minute just to have an excuse to taste it proper.

The Place to Be

2011-10-31T13:12:00.002+11:00

I have the herb garden all sorted with mulch and in a state of orderly chaos that I like best. Too neat and formal and the maintenance would be beyond my time constarints. The place to be right now though is under the jasmine covered arch. The scent is sublime and one of my favourites.

The table above is where Tom is doing most of his study for his exams. I don't think I would get much effective study done there, I would be too distracted but he seems to be coping. Only chemistry and physics left to do and then the long wait for results before university offers.

The house is also resembling itself now too. Extra bedding washed and packed away and normal routines back in place. At least until the weekend when we will have Grace's party for her friends. This afternoon I am going to experiment a little in the kitchen and make some rose syrup. There are some very sweet roses in bloom so I'd like to make something that captures that besides pot-pourri. If it is a success then I will post a recipe but if not, I will most likely never speak of it again.

Tracy

Guests

2011-10-30T18:59:00.005+11:00

As I said last week, my sister and her two sons came to visit over the weekend. Fun times were had by all but we are all completely exhausted. She was a very appreciative audience for offerings from the kitchen. So much so that she ordered the asparagus pizza for lunch on arrival and then perused the cookbook and suggested (very wisely too) the curried sweet potato soup for dinner the next day. Only a sister would be so bold.

Grace had her birthday cake which was completely luscious and too much for even the nine of us to eat. Grace's biggest fan is her little cousin Ted. He calls her Mary and is relentless in his adoration of Grace. Her patience with a four year old is to be commended.

The cake was inspired by the latest Donna Hay magazine. I couldn't make the icing as white as that in the magazine but I'm a little dubious about the authenticity of magazine pictures sometimes. I also didn't make the cake into six layers, four was quite enough. The proof was in the taste though and it was lovely.

Farm activities also go down well with little boys and Ted loved having the freedom of Sunny Corner Farm. The baby being eight weeks was completely adrift, and unsettled so I'm hoping that now he is safely back home he can be the good baby that he is and let Kelly get a little more sleep.

Tracy

14

2011-10-27T13:35:00.002+11:00

Today is Grace's 14th birthday and I just wanted to tell the world what a lovely, sweet fourteen year old she is. She has a full day with school and orchestra this afternoon but we are going to squeeze in a little after school afternoon tea at her favourite cafe and then presents tonight. Tomorrow my parents, sister and nephews will be visiting so the celebrating will be a little more elaborate. Not too elaborate though, a bbq and then a chocolate cake. Nothing too fancy, we are saving that for the high tea next weekend.

Tracy

Banana Fruit Loaf

2011-10-24T12:00:00.003+11:00

You never realise how much you like something until you can't have it.Bananas had been off my shopping list since cyclone Yasi made them unaffordable but they are back in my basket. I have missed them a lot. Bananas are one of the few fruits that I let creep in beyond the local eating parameters. Bananas and mangoes, I just can't say no to them. The availability of the new season fruit and also some stiff competition amongst retailers has even allowed me to buy enough to make a banana fruit loaf. It is sweet and moist but with a little bit of a healthy feel to it because of the fruit. It is a great loaf to serve warm and for those who are wont to, with a little butter. Besides that, it is easy peasy.

Banana Fruit Loaf

Ingredients
2 cups mixed dried fruit
1 cup black tea (I use Chai)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 and 2/3 cups self raising flour

Method
Preheat oven to 180 deg C and grease and line a loaf tin.
Boil the kettle and make two cups of tea, one to drink and one for the cake.
Soak the dried fruit in the tea for about 10 minutes or the time it takes to drink your tea.
Combine all the ingredients together and mix until combined.
Pour mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 65 minutes. It may take a little longer so test the cake with a skewer to see if it is done.
Allow to cool slightly and then turn out onto a wire rack.

As the kids don't particularly like this cake I usually slice it up when it is cool and pack the slices in the freezer separately. That way they can be defrosted and toasted or warmed in the microwave as desired.

Tracy

Weedy

2011-10-23T13:10:00.005+11:00

Further to my ramblings about garden love, it appears that I was a little hasty with my professions of weed control. The main rose garden was in danger of being overrun by the oats that had sprung up from the mulch.

It is now in better shape with the weeds removed and the chooks moving in to help with the clean up. I can now see the gorgeous blooms and pick some too without having to wade through the grass. Right now, Graham Thomas and Seduction are at their best with a few other varieties just about ready to take over as they start to fade.

Saturday was hive day. We installed the swarm we caught in the newly painted pink hive and also took some frames from the established hives for extraction. Not the frame above, not enough of the cells were capped but it does look lovely. There are a lot of eucalypts in flower right now and the bees have an abundance of honey and plenty of time to make more for both us and them.

Tracy

Turkeys today

2011-10-18T15:44:00.003+11:00

Vickie the mother turkey is the most patient and dedicated broody, she can rival any bantam. Last year she hatched out two clutches of eggs in the season and as it is so early in the season, I think she will this year too. So far we have six baby turkeys which she introduced to the outside world today. They only stay cute for a few weeks and I am guessing that they will be a hit with the girls at Grace's birthday party.

Tracy

Garden Love

2011-10-17T15:43:00.004+11:00

I always love my garden, it provides me with so much. Exercise, nourishment, fun and perhaps most importantly, joy. I am however not always in love with the garden. When the jobs to do seem a little overwhelming, it can become just another chore rather than my passion. Not right now though. There is plenty that needs to be done but it is wonderful to do. The weather is right, a little rain and sunny days. The plants are zooming along and I have the weeds under control (for now).

My favourite place to be is the herb garden and I will take some pictures to post soon. I am finding that because everything in the herb garden is so lush, I am working that little bit extra to incorporate it into our meals. I have had to do some culling in the herb beds though and have been left with some empty spaces. I have used some volunteer plants- lavenders, oregano, parsley and southernwood to fill some gaps but there is so much room for new and interesting plantings. On my trip to town tomorrow morning I am going to make time for a visit to the nursery and a visit online to All Rare Herbs too.

Tracy

River Cottage Lunch

2011-10-16T14:27:00.003+11:00

It may be quite some time before I actually have lunch at one of the River Cottage establishments but nothing stops me from having it at home. I used Hugh's recipe from the River Cottage Veg Every Day! book to make up Sunny Corner Farm version of a very satisfying baguette with broad beans and asparagus.

It was completely delicious and didn't suffer from my improvisation of home made bread rolls and cream cheese rather than goats cheese.

The chickens have been having the best time too. Their foraging is getting beyond what I am happy with, a little too free range. When they see me turning soil or weeding, they are there. It appears that I am the source of all things delicious to chooks. I am not about to lock them up (not yet) but I am seriously considering electric poultry netting as a control mechanism. I'm just trying to decide if the $300 price tag is worth it.
Tracy

Hospitality

2011-10-10T14:20:00.002+11:00

I have posted about hospitality before or rather the lack of opportunity I have to open our home to others. Not for long though. Grace wants to have a birthday party this year and I have agreed to it. Her plan is to have a high tea style affair at the end of the month for about seven girls. I love that my girl wants to do something like that rather than something noisy or a sleepless sleepover. Hope on the other hand wants to have a Doctor Who themed party when it is her birthday in December. I'm not sure what we will do for that but she will know.

My biggest issue now is that when you don't entertain even on a small scale, you get out of practice. Although I shouldn't, I am succumbing to a little bit of the "I'm not good enough" mentality. That isn't what it is about afterall. When I go to someone's home, I don't mind what their house or gardens are like, I just enjoy the friendship they are offering.

Grace has picked out all of her favourite recipes for dainty morsels (the list grows daily) which should have us busy cooking for days. Apparently the girls are planning on being very grown up and lady-like for the afternoon tea and then they are going to go outside and be themselves. It should be fun.

Tracy

I need to toughen up

2011-10-09T12:35:00.003+11:00

I have once again let the hearstease proliferate in the vegetable garden. It is just so pretty that I can never bear to pull it out so it pops up year after year. It is an easy plant to remove so not a problem really. I have also allowed the lettuce to grow and grow wherever they like. I figure if they self-seed in a spot then it must be the ideal place for them to grow.

I am toughening up though, cosmos are definitely coming out as soon as they show their first little leaves. I know it has a nice flower but it is weedy and a nuisance. Especially in the vegetable garden.

Another prolific seeder that I let go is borage. Yesterday I removed a heap from the paths in the vegetable garden but left these ones alone. The bees are loving them right now so they can stay for now at least. Until I need the space for tomatoes.

The bees were still happily foraging here right up to nightfall and the buzzing was LOUD.

Tracy

On My Mind- My garden

2011-10-07T12:11:00.002+11:00

I'm joining in Rhonda's "On My Mind" posts. To read her post and those of other participants, just pop over here. My garden and in particular the vegetable garden is front and centre on my mind. I have plenty of seedlings in the little propogating/ germinating house. They are waiting for that crucial time when the weather is right and they are safe from the frost and also when there is room for them too.

These yellow podded peas are a while off being finished so that is a bed which will have to wait for spring/summer plantings.

I noticed a few globe artichokes just poking their baby heads up through the leaves today. They are gorgeous. A stunning plant that is probably best grown somewhere besides the vegetable patch because they really do take up a lot of space. I always have the urge to touch the leaves because they look so unfriendly but are in fact soft and lush.

When I think about my food garden, it is always with the kitchen in mind. If I see a recipe that intrigues me, I will grow the vegetable just for it. I am grateful that I have the room to do that. I am always collecting new ideas for cooking our produce and keeping our diet interesting, healthy and tasty.

Tracy

Cold

2011-10-06T17:09:00.004+11:00

Cold weather and a cold in my head. For the past week or so I have been laid low with a head cold which has thankfully is now leaving my system. I think my nephew, Ted, was the culprit to thank for the cold but in all honesty, it was more likely my strong country immune system couldn't stand up to the rigours of the Sydney public transport system.

I spent Saturday in bed and even the temptation of Devonshire tea and a quilt airing in Nundle couldn't persuade me to head outdoors. The quilt airing was cancelled due to the rainy weather so the cold didn't make me miss everything.All is well now and I am back at the helm of my little home. Thankfully, energetically and excitedly.

Tracy

Veg Every day

2011-09-24T15:25:00.004+10:00

My fantastic new birthday gift, River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook. I love recipes that put vegetables front and centre. Too often they are just the side dish. Not in this book. No meat, sometimes a little dairy or eggs and some recipes are totally vegan friendly. I'm not a vegetarian by any means, I farm sheep afterall, but someone like me who grows a lot of vegetables it is a great book. It would also be good for someone who wants to jazz up their vegetable portions.

Asparagus are right here, right now vegetables. They don't last long and if you let them go too far, that's the end for the season, they put on their feathery leaves and it's no more for the kitchen. Consequently when we came home from our trip, I picked 450grams for one meal for two. Last night it was another 300grams for our pizza. The recipe is on page 185 and is delicious and simple. A lovely dough, a couple of onions sliced and sizzled until brown, asparagus, mozzarella, a little parmesan and a hot oven.

No asparagus tonight. Snow peas and coriander are calling and I want a curry.

Tracy

On My Mind- Celebrations

2011-09-23T14:19:00.004+10:00

I'm joining in Rhonda's On My Mind postings this week. What has been on my mind? Celebrations.
A trip to Sydney with a birthday celebration on Tuesday thrown in for good measure. I don't usually get to spend my birthday with my sisters so it was a special treat made even more special by my new nephew, Mal. My sister made me a great piano cake straight from the pages of the Australian Woman's Weekly Kids Birthday Cake Book. I remember making this cake for her when she was little and it is still a great book to refer to for a party cake. I think a lot of Aussie kids have grown up with birthday cakes from this book.

Yesterday we celebrated my son's last day of school. An assembly during the day and the formal dinner dance last night. Now all of the end of school festivities are finished, he is knuckling down to some serious study for his Higher School Certificate exams in October but not until tomorrow, we are all too tired.

Tonight is the first night the whole family will be together since last Saturday so we are having one last celebration for my birthday. Dinner, cake and I will finally get to open my presents. Then it will be over for this year and life can settle back into routine.

Tracy

Gardening while away

2011-09-21T15:53:00.004+10:00

Wherever I go, I like to visit gardens and nurseries too. I had a great time on Sunday at the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens. The gardens are vast and more than can be seen properly in one visit. It is certainly a busy place though most of the people seemed to be in the cafe or in the open grass areas rather than looking through the plantings. With free entry though, it is probably a nice Sunday afternoon outing with the gardens as just a backdrop to family fun for those who live locally.

The gardens are 100% native plantings. I know many think of our natives flora as a little plain but it can be anything but plain given the right planting combinations in the right place. The planting above would never work where I live because of our frosts but here it looks great with plenty of colour and interest.

White waratah

The white waratahs were in bloom and simply gorgeous. I have a red one planted in a sheltered spot and it does look like it is going to bloom so I am even more hopeful after seeing these lovely specimens.

Sturt's Desert Pea

The Sturt's Desert Pea is a real showstopper. The foliage is a bit drab and belies the vibrant flowers. A definite favourite. I got plenty of ideas and inspiration from our visit and I am ever grateful that I have a family that enjoy doing these things with me.

Bunya at Mount Annan

It seems that we always seek out the Bunya Pines on our travels too. I never took any notice of them until my interest was peeked by the tree opposite Tim's workplace. Now I see them all the time. They were always there of course but I just didn't know what they were. The Bunyas at Mount Annan are very healthy and lush. Mostly the big old trees I see are a bit more sparsely covered. These ones looked a lot like huge Christmas trees albeit very spiky Christmas trees.

Grace and me

My favourite part of the garden that I saw anyway was the Fruit Loop. Just a small walk planted with native edibles. The finger limes were stunning and much bigger than my young tree. I am now after a few more native edibles to grow here at home.

Tracy

Home

2011-09-16T16:57:00.003+10:00

Tanks, you will be painted next week.

I do not like leaving home. Never have and I doubt that I ever will. Not even for holidays. But I am away for a few days this weekend. Some of us a travelling to Sydney for a visit. When I go away, I always make myself a monumental list of things to-do before I leave so I don't have as much to do when I get home. So today on top of a hair cut and some shopping, I have been vacuuming, mopping, washing, ironing, folding, baking and the list goes on. No wonder I don't like going away, I make it too hard on myself.

Now I have outed myself as a bit obsessive, I will embrace the moment and finish packing and enjoy a brief sojourn. I will try anyway. I am truly looking forward to visiting my sisters and their families and also seeing a few sights with my girls. I hope everyone has a nice weekend just like I plan to.
Tracy

Nettle Pasta

2011-09-15T09:51:00.003+10:00

A basket of nettles freshly picked and no stings. Things were going well until I picked up a stray stalk in the sink and I'm still tingling over twelve hours later. Nettle pasta was worth it though. As I have one household member who has aversion to most things green and good, I made regular pasta too. It was actually good to have the two side-by-side to notice the differences. Not too much in taste really. Texture yes. The nettle pasta is moister and slightly softer. This could be due to my preparation or maybe it is always the way.I can't say, I have haven't eaten nettle pasta anywhere else but at home. Anyway, on to the recipe.

Nettle Pasta

Ingredients

250 grams pasta flour (plain flour is fine)

85 grams semolina

165 grams blanched, drained and pureed nettle leaves (try to squeeze out extra moisture)

1 egg

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix with hands until it comes together as a dough.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a floured surface and then leave to rest.

Roll the dough in a pasta machine or as thin as possible with a rolling pin and cut into desired shape.

The dough can now be left to dry slightly before cooking.

The nettle pasta took abut 4 minutes to cook in boiling water.

The water left over from blanching the nettles is great in the compost or even added to chickens mash.

Spinach or chard could be used instead of nettles and would no doubt be just as vibrant and deicious.

Tracy

Harvest Festivals

2011-09-14T14:14:00.005+10:00

The northern hemisphere gardeners are abuzz with harvesting and our turn in the south will come but I would really like to go to a harvest festival or two. The T-shirt offered by Beekman 1802 was on my wish-list for a birthday gift but unfortunately my sister couldn't have it sent to Australia. I just loved the slogan, Making Farming Fabulous. Never mind.
Farming has been pretty fabulous today. Fabulous but not glamorous. I "harvested" a barrow of compost and then moved the other two bays worth across. Now bay number one is ready for a fresh batch. The winter compost is slower in the making but now with warmer weather, compost production should pick up. There is never too much compost.

These lavenders were really enticing today. I love lavender, always have. I haven't found a variety that I don't like. I planted out 13 new lavender plants along the driveway this morning along with some nasturtium seeds in the orchard.

This bee was not one of the escapees from yesterday. They are currently secured and awaiting their new hive to arrive a little later. The new hive will be situated a little closer to the house than the other two hives and near the vegetable garden. That should keep the bees happy as there is always something to forage in the garden.

Although it is by no means a harvest festival, tonight we will be eating the last of the turnips which I harvested today and a ragu with nettle pasta made with the nettles which I am harvesting from the pesky nettles that pop up all over. So it will a harvest festival of everyday proportions.

Tracy

Tuesday in town

2011-09-13T12:53:00.002+10:00

Today was earmarked as a town day for a week or so as my car needs a new CV joint and I was prepared to make the most of it right up until I drove out the driveway at 6:30am this morning. Hope noticed a swarm of bees, our bees in the fork of a tree limb and there really was nothing I could do about it. Nothing except worry about what to do and what it means to the hive. Tim who is more pragmatic and actually has more bee knowledge than me was not perturbed so I'm not either. Is it really that things happen when you are unprepared or in a situation where you can not do anything about it or do we just feel that way when things we don't want to happen occur? A little bit too philosophical for a mere bee swarm maybe but it does make for some wondering.

I am glad to have tomorrow at home with not a single place to be other than where I want to be most of all. I have been suffering a bit lately from some negative thinking which is not my usual style and I am determined to be rid of it forever. My blogging friends are a great encouragement and I am grateful to everyone who leaves a comment or sends an email. They are appreciated, thank you.

I am blogging from the town library with its wonderful free, fast internet and using old photos on a cd I found in my bag. I have had a lovely walk in the most delightful of spring sunshine and I'm excited about seeing all of my nieces and nephews on the weekend, especially the newest, Mal born on 1st September. I haven't held a tiny baby since his brother was born four years ago so it will be lovely.

Tracy

Harira...my way

2011-09-08T11:17:00.004+10:00

Harira is apparently the soup of Morocco. It is a traditional and famous dish and is served during Ramadan and would definitely be welcome and nourishing during a fasting period. Anyway, this is my version which of course is not traditional nor authentic but it was delicious none-the-less. I do find soup a difficult thing to take pictures of. The picture never gives a true indication of how good the soup is. Harira

Ingredients

250grams lamb, cut into cubes

2 onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced

olive oil

4 tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 sticks celery, sliced

300 grams yellow split peas, rinsed

2 dried chillies, chopped finely

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 litres water

a bunch of coriander

Method

Brown the meat in a small amount of olive oil.

Add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes.

Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

Add the spices, chillies, celery, tomatoes and split peas and simmer for another hour.

Stir through the coriander to serve and if desired a small amount of lemon juice can be stirred through too.

I used two of the tiniest dried Black Pearl chillies and they certainly have some bite. A little goes a long way and in a mild winter this chilli survives. Not this year though. I will be replanting from seed. If any Australian readers would like some Black Pearl seeds, just email me(the address is on my profile) and I will happily share some.

Tracy

Weeding on Wednesday

2011-09-07T13:03:00.002+10:00

I filled and emptied a few wheelbarrow loads of weeds today. After pedalling away on the bike this morning it was good to have an upper body workout pulling out mostly kikuyu runner which had been working their way under the mulch towards the light of day. Even though I have heard rumours that poultry can be helpers in the garden, I have my doubts.

Hugh, our Wyandotte rooster.

My birds are truly lazy. They don't bother scratching and digging over a weedy area, they wait until it has been weeded and the soil is prepared for them for easy pickings.

Hugh doesn't help much in the garden. He is of course named for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall whose latest book I ordered this morning. It will be a birthday gift for me so hopefully it arrives before the big day on the 20th. I'm sure the new cook book will get a work out especially since we are coming up to prime vegetable season.

Now it is cooking time. Harira for dinner. Which I haven't made before but sounded so tempting it is on the menu. Some baking and then ironing.

Tracy

Lunch Time Inspiration

2011-09-06T12:20:00.004+10:00

A little bit of inspiration at lunchtime today. I am home alone so I read while I ate, usually I am a little less anti-social. I have Kate Herd's book Kitchen Gardens of Australia and it is a delight. If you are interested in peeking into the gardens of others which of course I am it is great. The gardens are many and varied with ideas for just about anyone who wants to grow for their kitchen. I'm just sorry it a library book and I don't get to keep it.

And what was for lunch? A runny poached egg(sorry to my sisters who both dislike runny eggs) and asparagus. I probably should apologise to Tim for eating the asparagus while he is at work and can't share but I'm not sorry. I loved every mouthful. I'm sure we will have an asparagus date sometime in the next few days and I will let him have the lions share then...maybe. Anyway it was a perfect kitchen garden type of lunch with only a few minutes between picking and egg collecting and eating.
Tracy

Bloomin' Busy

2011-09-05T12:31:00.002+10:00

It is that time of year (I think it always is really) when it seems busy. Thankfully I am not busy with things that I don't love. It is a busy time planting and sowing and I could not keep up with the eggs which are coming in even if I baked and cooked all day. At least one meal a week is dedicated to the not so humble egg. Even if for the non-egg eaters it is disguised as crepes and the like.

Chinese Witch Hazel

It is simply lovely outdoors now. The spring sunshine and the blooms. The weeds are not forocious and I have been making the most of the early mornings with a bike ride each day. I don't ride far, only about 10km but I really love it. I will probably rethink my love when I see a snake on the road.

Grape hyacinth

Most of the spring bulbs are putting on a show. The Dutch Iris are yet to flower but it is nice to have a staggered display so there is always something to look forward to and something to enjoy right now.

Spring Star Flower

Jonquils

I love the jonquils. To me their scent is lovely and pure. If I was a bride I would happily carry a bouquet just like this one.

Tracy

Still Twitching

2011-08-29T12:52:00.002+10:00

My eye is still twitching every so often so my self-imposed computer exile was not necessary. There are however advantages from taking a holiday from technology not the least of which is making headway on to-do lists and just plain getting things done. I do miss reading the happenings in blogland. So, I am back online.

Now a dirty filled bathtib is not the most exciting thing to look at but I'm excited about what is in there. Last year I grew rice in this tub and this year I have planted and replanted many times in my mind until I have finally decided what to put in. It is another experiment and when it gets up and going properly, I'll share. Until then, it is under wraps.

Citrus is at the fore right now. Lemons, lemonades and mandarins. The mandarin tree is just by the front gate which makes for easy lunchbox filling on the way to school. I picked a full basket of lemons this morning and plan to make some cordial later and also some lemon butter. There is also a rogue lime in the basket. I have gone over that tree at least four times and every time I miss fruit. This one I couldn't miss, it has been on the tree so long that it is yellow and was very noticible amongst the greenery. The two orange fruit are from a roadside gleaning last Thursday. They smell like oranges but the juice and flesh is quite sour. Well, they are now in some citrus and poppy seed biscuits.

Even the peas are looking a little citrusy. These are a yellow podded pea . A variety I haven't grown before and as the peas are all a little late this year due to our cooler winter, I haven't tasted it yet either so I can't report on it other than it is a nice compact bush with lovely purple flowers and pretty pods.

Tracy

A Break is in Order

2011-08-19T16:30:00.003+10:00

I am taking a wee break from most things computer related. I will check my emails but not much more than that for a short time (hopefully). I have had a twitching eye for almost three weeks and it is vexing me to say the least. I am pinning my hopes on a break from the flickering small screen of the computer righting it.
Until next time,
Tracy

Monday

2011-08-15T13:39:00.004+10:00

The black mulberry is full of buds. I hope that they will be safe from the cold weather that we still have left this winter. The white mulberry lags behind this tree and isn't showing any signs of baby mulberries or leaves as yet. The mulberry is always the first to offer some signs of spring in the orchard. I have seen along the road on my way to town, many trees in full blossom but in our little valley, the spring comes a little later and so we don't have any blossoms just yet. They will appear in their own time. We can manipulate things on a small scale like sowing seeds early in heated seed trays but in the overall scheme of things, as a gardener and as a farmer, you are dictated to by nature and the weather. Everything has it's season.

I am adoring my daphne bush right now. It is such an unobtrusive little shrub and really unless you look at the blooms up close, it could be overlooked. That is when the scent comes in. It has the most intoxicating perfume which belies it's humble looks.

I especially like daphne because it is the plant that Tim bought for me when our son was born. I know that a bunch of flowers is romantic in many women's hearts but for me a lovely plant that can keep on giving speaks love to me.

Tracy

On My Mind- Finances

2011-08-12T13:41:00.002+10:00

Finances are on my mind today. Not in a worrying kind of way, just wondering. What is happening with the economy and what it means to people? The media is full of stories of doom and gloom for the economy not just of Australia but the world but I'm not sure what impact it has on most people in their day-to-day life.

My aim is to stay unaffected by any downturn that eventuates. Spend less, grow more and stay happy living simply (well as simply as possible).

This is the first time I have joined Rhonda's On My Mind Friday so I am hoping I have linked up properly.

Tracy

Turnip Soup

2011-08-07T14:01:00.003+10:00

I have mentioned the humble turnip before and that I am a fan. I think it is often overlooked because many don't really know what to do with it. Yesterday I pulled a few out of the garden and whipped up a quick, easy and oh so delicious soup. The colour is bland but the flavour and creaminess is sublime. Turnip Soup

Ingredients

1kg turnips, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic

30 grams butter

500mL stock

Method

Saute the garlic and turnip gently in the butter until the garlic is cooked.

Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Turn down heat and simmer until the turnip is tender.

Puree and serve.

It is as simple as that. It might be necessary to adjust the consistency after the soup has been pureed and this can be done with water until it is just right for you. A little cream can be stirred in too.

The soup bug has really bitten here.

Beetroot Soup

I made beetroot soup this morning and also a batch of nettle soup. I love the colour of the beetroot soup and it looks just right in my tea cup. Bold and hearty. Both are in the freezer for when the mood strikes. This usually means an easy lunch for Tim and myself when we have been working on the property and I don't have the time for elaborate preparations. Besides that, apart from Grace, the kids are not fans of soup so we tend to eat it when they are not here.

Tracy

Doing nothing much

2011-08-06T14:49:00.005+10:00

This morning I slept in. I was awake at 4:30am when it was time for Tim to get ready for work but I went back to sleep until 8am. It is a rare thing for me. I am and always have been very much a morning person. Up and at 'em before light and asleep by 8:30pm. It is just the way I like it. Today however I have been having a bit of a lazy day and have only done the essentials and taken some time out to peruse the farm and garden and to read too. I am currently reading "The Dirty Life" by Kristen Kimball. It is a book that speaks to me, farming and falling in love all between the covers of one book. What's not to like? This lettuce Freckles is looking lovely. I have seeds for iceberg lettuce and I do grow them and sometimes I even buy them from the shop but I just love the names and variety available to the home gardener. Where else can I have a smorgasbord of lettuce in one salad without a monumental price tag? Different lettuce varieties really do have their own distinct flavour and crunch.

Purple podded peas. These are just coming into bloom and hopefully there will be some little purple pods to bring into the kitchen soon. Peas are one of my favourite vegetables and I am looking forward to them eagerly. This variety even has the added charm of a slight scent to the flowers best described I think as just a hint of sweet pea.

The snow peas while still pretty look to me more like they mean business. They are here to grow and flower and produce delicious pods. This is from a dwarf variety which is currently covered in blooms and some very tiny little pods for those who take the time to look carefully.

The bees never avoid their tasks. Their lives are short so they have no time to waste. Not in a rush but focused on their life's purpose.The rosemary which is covered in flowers seems to be a favoured spot today for some. Where the other thousands visit, I do not know.

So today while am in the process of doing nothing much, I still hope to achieve a little. A restful attitude, a tidy and happy home, some gardening progress and some fun.

Tracy

River Cottage Bread- Focaccia

2011-08-04T12:36:00.005+10:00

I have three school lunches to pack every weekday so it is not surprising that I use quite a bit of bread. I do buy bread but I truly love the aroma and taste of homemade bread. It is particularly good still warm from the oven and in fact very hard to resist. Last year I purchased the River Cottage Bread cookbook. I am a fan of the River Cottage programs and one day when I make it to the UK, I would love to have a visit there. Until then though, I am satisfied with DVDs and books. The bread book is in the handbook series and is a good size with plenty of how-to information as well as recipes. I have made a few different things from the book and I am intending on making them all.

To accompany a minestrone soup I made last week, I made the focaccia. As I am trying to follow the recipes correctly that is I am not cooking in my usual way of tweaking the recipe, I used salt on top of the bread. This was the only thing I didn't like about the bread. I don't eat salt so it was over-powering for me but not the others at Sunny Corner Farm. I can vouch that this recipe turns out a treat and as with most bread and baking in general, is greater than the sum of its parts. A crust with crunch and a light bready centre and the rosemary on top...delicious.

Tracy

Temptation

2011-08-02T16:53:00.002+10:00

The beautiful spring-like weather of the last two days and thinking about summer bounty is awfully tempting. It lulls you into that mind-set that winter is drawing to a close and it is safe to pop in a few seeds. I will not be tempted. I am going to bide my time and wait out these warm days until I know it safe and those tender little summertime plants will be safe (from frosts anyway). Ofcourse in reality, I will succumb to temptation. Not this week but in a little while I will just have to sow something just in case it grows and gives me a headstart on the coming season.

It is so nice to live here and enjoy the fruits of our labour. I am always trying to live with seasonality in mind and enjoy what we have available at the moment. Right now in the orchard that is citrus. Lemons, mandarins and Tim's favourite, the lemonade fruit. In thevegetable garden it is a little more humble. We have an abundance of turnips. There are also carrots, peas, snowpeas, lettuce and rocket but it is the turnip which is king. It really isn't the most versatile vegetable but I am grateful for them even if the younger members of the family are not.

Today was just glorious. A winter sun which was friendly and warm without any harshness. We had lunch outside and work didn't seem like work at all today.

Tracy

Pretty, pretty, pretty

2011-07-29T16:35:00.004+10:00

The violets are ever so nice right now. It is quite remarkable how such little flowers can fill a room with their heady scent.

The daffodils are lovely and simply jocund. I am trying to create a meadow effect and every year there are a few more flowers in the lawn. The rabbits do enjoy chewing the stems but I have found that spreading a little blood and bone around deters the rabbits and most likely fertilises the bulbs too.

This Paradise camellia (the name escapes me), is bright and showy. A colour I can carry off in the garden which I would never wear. Definitely not modest.

The winter days are starting to lengthen with a touch of spring in the air at least during the sunny days. Hopefully with the return to warmer weather my blogging will pick up.

Tracy

Watermelon Challenge

2011-07-21T16:35:00.004+10:00

This year the Junior Landcare Challenge is to grow the biggest watermelon. Hope participated in the pumpkin challenge a couple of years ago and it was fun and a good home school project too. It isn't too demanding, just checking in every so often. The seeds are provided. All you have to do is plant, nurture and enjoy. If anyone is interested, the registration page is here.

Tracy

Chilly

2011-07-20T14:26:00.002+10:00

Today is bleak. Wind , rain and sleet. Just perfect for staying indoors. I do love a nice misty day though. Everything seems quiet and peaceful. I have spent a little time today looking at seed catalogues. Even if I don't order any seeds this year, the catalogues with their tempting pictures are a nice reminder that the new growing season is on its way. It will be here soon enough and this lovely cool winter will be a memory.

I have been keeping records for a little while now and this winter is the coolest we have had for a few years. Many frosty mornings and low temperatures generally. It is just how winter should be for these parts.

When it is cold, it is nice to eat cake. I made this Pink Velvet cake on Saturday. It was delicious. It took us a couple of days but we managed to finish it off. It isn't overly sweet which I like and has the most luscious frosting with marscapone, cream cheese and icing sugar. A little goes a long way.

For those who commented on my 200th post. Thank you. I have the giveaway sorted ready to be sent soon.

Take care,

Tracy

Surprise winter vegetables

2011-07-14T18:20:00.004+10:00

I don't have some magic trick to grow tomatoes throughout a frosty winter. This basketful of tomatoes and a few chillies was picked towards the end of autumn and have ripened up nicely on the verandah. The tomatoes are firm and just the thing for tonights pizza dinner. I have the spelt pizza dough rising by the fire and everything else prepared for a laid-back dinner. So here I am writing a blog post which is apparently number 200.

I will save what else I was going to share for another day. As it is the 200th post, I will have a wee giveaway. If you would like to be in the running to receive a small surprise parcel from Sunny Corner Farm, just leave a comment on this post. I will draw the lucky name on Sunday, 17th July.
Tracy

2011-07-11T15:36:00.004+10:00

In my last post I did sound a little down but I'm not at all really. Thank you to everyone who showed concern. It does lift the spirits to know that people care.

After another fruitless ram hunting trip on Thursday, we decided that to get what we were looking for, we would have to both spend a little bit of money and travel a bit further from home. Consequently, we drove to Bathurst to buy our new as yet un-named ram. The drive with a trailer in tow is about 6 hours each way so we made it an overnight stay and spent Friday night in Mudgee. With an early start for Bathurst on Saturday.
Whenever I visit a town actually whenever I see a rotunda, I always take a picture. The one above is in Bathurst and at 7:30 am on a cold July morning I just took a quick snap and headed back to the car.

The rotunda in the park at Mudgee was probably just as nice bit as it is surrounded by a rose garden, it is not at its best mid-winter.

Sunday was spent in that recovery mode which always seems to occur after a trip no matter how quick. It always feels like you have been away from home for too long. Today is much nicer. Sunny a little breezy and great weather for gardening. It could only be nicer if the said gardening was not weeding.

Tracy

Out of focus

2011-07-05T13:38:00.002+10:00

My blog posts of late all seem to me to lack any focus. They are pretty much wishy-washy and not really abour anything at all. This one included most likely. Perhaps it is a mid-year/ winter slump but I can't seem to get my act together. I am just plodding along on blogger and in the real world too.Puss is feeling it too. A little world-weary. Unlike Puss though, I am not going to curl up on the bed to sleep it off, I'm not physically tired. I just need to do something. What I don't know. Just something. Then I will have something to write about.
Tracy

Cloudy Weather

2011-07-04T15:41:00.002+10:00

I love gardening in cloudy weather. Rugged up in a warm jacket. Today has been one of those days. The kids are all on school holidays so routine is out the window and it the day is ours to do as we please. I have been outside for most of the day. The daffodils have started flowering and provided a little bit of sunshiny colour to an otherwise grey day.

Camellia "Yuletide"

The home Tim and I bought when we married had many mature camellias. The camellias were such a garden feature that we called our home "Camellia Cottage". It was the start of my love for camellias. I think they have an understated beauty. Sunny Corner Farm had none when we arrived and the ones we have planted are putting on their show now. The above is a variety called Yuletide. This specimen has survived, drought, grasshoppers, sheep and a shetland pony attack and is finally flowering. Just like the other camellias in the garden, it has what I think is a subtle green tea fragrance. Lovely.

While I had the camera outside with me, I snapped a picture of Colin the turkey. He is very proud and not the bird you want following you around the garden. I like him anyway.

Tracy

Monday in the garden

2011-06-27T15:26:00.004+10:00

There has been little harvesting this week so I am not posting a Harvest Monday post. I did however get to spend a lot of today outside tending to odd jobs that have needed to be done for a little while.

I did a general tidy up in the vegetable garden. It is looking a tad bare but I can assure you that there are good things growing. Peas, snow peas, garlic galore, rocket, dill and lots more too. Gardening in Australia is definitely no hardship. Growing all year round and today with a bit of work and glorious sunshine, I even managed to dress down to short sleeves. The winter garden is so much easier to maintain, even the weeds are kinder. Chickweed is rampant but it is so much easier to control than the kikuyu which dogs me in the warmer months.

It really was a lovely winter day today. The girls are on school holidays so we have had a nice day together. Grace has made us a lovely chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting which is rich and toothsome. She loves baking and does her own cleaning up too. I'm so glad that I let all of my children help in the kitchen from when they were tiny so they have learnt to cook without any hardship. I will admit there were times that I would have preferred to do the baking without helping hands. I'm wiser now though, those little helping hands grow too quickly.

Tracy

A Great Weekend

2011-06-26T16:25:00.002+10:00

Hopefully tomorrow my blogging will return to its usual genre. Domesticity- gardening, cooking and general life around the farm. Today however is all about us. Tim and I have been married 18 years today and life is very sweet. There are ofcourse hiccups that happen along the way but I love him more and more every day. As a special treat, he is home from work today and we have exchanged a few gifts. He knows the way to my heart, a few new lavender plants and roses. Some chocolate too. I surprised him with a very unromantic gift of a package of yeast. Our next project will be to use the yeast to make mead from the excess honey.

Saturday was a lovely day too. A day at the Hunter Valley Gardens. Grace was participating in the school choir competition. This was my first trip to the gardens and they are just lovely. Something nice about garden visits is that they are such a dynamic place to visit and although the structure is long term, there are changes all the time and my next visit there won't be the same as this one. The choirs that performed were well worth the admission cost on their own without the added bonus of the lovely surrounds. Oh how I would like to be able to sing so sweetly.

Now I am off to put the finishing touches to our anniversary dinner. We are having a Christmas in June style dinner. I know that it is popular (in Australia anyway) to have Christmas in July but after 18 years of celebrating an anniversary on 26th June, I finally did the calculations and worked out it is 6 months until Christmas today. We are having a roast with all the trimmings and then a night by the fire.

Tracy

A New Ram

2011-06-23T12:28:00.002+10:00

A new ram is what should be in this trailer cage.But alas, it is empty.

We drove down to Scone to inspect some young rams as we are retiring our big boy, Crinkles. Thankfully it is a pleasant drive made all the more sweeter by going with Tim because we did not see any that were satisfactory. Too many negative features which would not improve our flock.

Not to be disheartened though, I am emailing other potential suppliers today and tomorrow and hopefully we can bring a ram with not only good looks but a good disposition home to Sunny Corner Farm very soon. The ewes are waiting.

Tracy

Not gardening, stitching

2011-06-19T12:18:00.003+10:00

Usually when I'm not gardening, reading, cooking, driving, working outside or doing housework, I can be found enjoying some sort of craft activity. It really is the only 'girly' type of thing I do. I like most types of craft although I have never been moved towards paper crafts. I had a couple of cross stitches which were finished and needed framing so they are both home from the framers and on the wall.

This one turned out better than I anticipated. The camera and computer don't do justice to the gold thread and accents but it is very pretty and is hanging in the lounge room.

This one although it is in my favourite colourway of blue and white, I'm not completely happy with the frame. I think it needs more contrast and in this picture at least looks a bit like a television screen. Oh well, I'll leave it for a while and then decide if I will change it.

I am running out of spaces on the wall to hang things so perhaps it is time to stop or maybe move to that country mansion with more walls to fill. As Grace gave me the cross stitch kit at the top, I though it would be a nice idea to write a little note on the back. In fact, I am going to do that with all of them as maybe someday, someone might be interested to know and I might not be here to tell.

Now is the time for gardening (weeding) not stitching so that is where Iam heading.

Tracy

2011-06-17T17:41:00.000+10:00

Lime and Poppy Seed Cake

2011-06-14T15:41:00.002+10:00

On Friday,the last dry day we had, I spent a bit of time in the yard. Our driveway area is a mish-mash of plants, with the orchard on one side and native shrubs and the odd agapanthus on the other. Individually the plants look good but the bigger picture is not as pretty. I would really like to make this area more attractive not just to people but to our bees and the local (welcome)wildlife too. The cooler weather makes for more planning and structural work rather than the busyness of the warmer months. So now is a great time to be thinking about what to do and how to do it which thankfully can mostly be done in the warmth inside.

While I was in the orchard, I noticed that I failed to notice some limes when I picked them a while ago. They are now limes trying to look like lemons. They still taste like limes and gave me some inspiration to bake a Lime and Poppy Seed Cake. My version is an easy to bake cake which is just as nice as a cafe offering but without the cafe price tag. It can also be a lemon or orange poppy seed cake depending on what is on hand.

Lime and Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

1.5 cups self-raising flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs plus an extra yolk

185 grams softened butter

1/2 cup milk

finely grated zest of 1 lime

40 grams poppy seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is well combined and thick.

Pour mixture into baking tin and smooth the top.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave in the tin for a few minutes and then cool on a wire cake rack.

I usually ice the top of the cake but have served it with a citrusy syrup before too. To make the icing. Combine 1 cup of icing sugar, a teaspoon of butter and enough juice form the fruit used for the cake to make a spreadable icing. The cake keeps for a few days but doesn't last too long here.

Tracy

East West, Home is Best

2011-06-09T11:24:00.002+10:00

Tim and I have just spent a lovely weekend away at Blair Athol in Inverell, NSW. Three days away from home and I was more than ready to return with renewed energy and motivation. After running around busily of late, it was nice to take some time to have nothing to do but I am a homebody at heart and I'm very glad to be back.The house was lovely and Inverell is a nice country town with many things to see and do.

I did have a little bit of Bunya envy. The Bunya pines at Blair Athol are over 100 years old and are huge whilst my little slow growing specimen is only a metre high and I will not live to see it in its glory. Kim from Blair Athol generously gave me three bunya cones to bring home so now I will at least have some nuts to experiment with.
A holiday for me always involves looking around at plants and gardens. We visited Saumarez Homestead at Armidale too and had a lovely tour of the gardens and farm buildings. I might not ever be able to afford to live in a country mansion but I can at least have a garden of equal quality.

My favourite parts of the garden were the picking garden and Mary's garden. I loved the terracotta pots on the stakes, it was just like home. The very simple looking frames made from branches is something I will try with my dahlias next year just like the volunteer gardeners have done here.

Since coming home, I have been baking and cooking and just essentially enjoying living my regular life. If it is warmer tomorrow, I might even get to garden.

Tracy

Welcome Winter

2011-06-01T16:42:00.003+10:00

Winter is truly one of my favourite times of the year. Along with spring, summer and autumn. I love the cool weather, the chance to slow down a little outdoors and also the time to enjoy indoor activities a little more too. It is also special to me because my wedding anniversary is in winter.

Today the weather is a little crisp. A cool breeze but lovely sun. Today is also the first day I have been out to the garden for almost a week. The rain coupled with a rather demanding schedule has meant no time. Thankfully it wasn't summer because the garden is a little more demanding then and would not have tolerated such neglect.

Tonight it is just two ofs us at home. The girls and Tim are in town for the last performance of the school musical (hoorah). It was good and Grace has developed musically by playing in an orchestra for a stage show. I think I have just developed dark circles under my eyes trying to keep up.

Tom and I will be having a nice dinner and an early night. Silverbeet is on the menu along with potatoes and pumpkin.

I will save some of these young turnips which need thinning out a bit for a snack tomorrow. I think they are delicious raw but not everyone here agrees. Actually no one here agrees.

This is one of the young rams which we will be selling later in the year. He is lovely if a little bedraggled because of the rain.

It is nice to be able to have the time to blog again and moreover to visit blogs again. A week or so away seems like a long time.

Tracy

A Full Calendar

2011-05-22T19:34:00.002+10:00

The next 10 days will be full of to-ing and fro-ing in our household. We have school trips, sport and music events galore. Tiring and hopefully with a bit of organisation not too stressful. So if I am absent for a while, it is not because I have deserted the blogging realm just having an enforced holiday.

Chrysanthemum in the front garden

Today however was fairly typical. I made some compost and did some weeding and a little planting. I planted out some echinacea plants, a new white chrysanthemum and a new chocolate mint. The weather was mild and so far no sign of the forecast rain, unfortunately. The afternoon was spent listening to classical music at a church in town. I usually listen to classical music while the girls practice so a full orchestra was a little different especially in a small venue.

Tracy

No bread, No problem.

2011-05-19T08:22:00.002+10:00

I did noticce last night that we were down to our last slice of bread and I knew that I needed to have something for the lunch boxes but I didn't feel like setting the bread maker up to have a loaf ready this morning. I was lazy. The girls attend a school which doesn't have a canteen and Tom sometimes works in his school canteen so isn't too keen to eat from there. Instead of stressing about what to give them, I made a quick batch of flat breads this morning. They are an easy, quick alternative to regualr bread and just as good or maybe even better than anything from the supermarket.

Flat Bread

Ingredients
250 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
about 150mL warm water

Method
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.
Mix the water and oil together and pour slowly into the flour whilst stirring (I use a knife to mix the dough). Use enough water to make a slightly sticky dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
Allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes. 30 minutes if you have time.
Divide the dough into 8 and roll the pieces into balls.
Roll the balls of dough on a floured surface using a well floured rolling pin until they are about 3mm thick.
Heat a heavy based non-stick fry pan until it is hot and then reduce the heat slightly. No oil is necessary.
Cook the flat breads one at a time, frying until the bread starts to form air bubbles and come up at the sides. Check the underside to make sure it isn't browning too much.
Turn over and cook for 30 seconds to one minute on the other side.
Keep the cooked flat breads warm in a clean tea towel while the rest of the batch is being cooked.

Easy to make but I don't want to do it every morning. My Nan used to make something similar and called them flap jacks. Her version was quite thick and dry but still nice fresh from the pan with butter and Vegemite.

Tracy

Pesto

2011-05-18T12:09:00.003+10:00

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups firmly packed basil leaves

quarter cup pine nuts

quarter cup olive oil

quarter cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

Method

Process everything in a food processor until it is a paste. Quick, easy and tasty.

I freeze mine in small quantities and use when desired.

Today is a real outdoors day. The weather is perfect (though some rain would be very nice) and I have spent the morning in the garden and also checking on the livestock. It certainly makes the job easier that they are all followers. Here are the older ewes hoping I have something sweeter than grass to offer. I didn't.

We are in the process of finding a new ram for our flock. We would also like to buy a few more registered breeding ewes too but that can wait until the right girls are available. I would like to add a couple of pigs and some cattle to the farm too. We haven't had cattle for a few years now and I miss them.

The benefits to being home alone is that you don't have to share. The first mandarin this season. I'm going to wait though because it will taste better shared.

Tracy

Tranquillity for Tuesday

2011-05-17T10:47:00.002+10:00

As Tuesday is my busy day with trips to town for music lessons (and shopping today too), I have made a decision to make sure there is a little something each Tuesday that keeps me feeling a little more calm. Instead of rushing around, I made time this morning to visit the garden. Not just work there but have a visit. Look around and enjoy it.

Roi de carouby snow pea

I usually follow Gardenate's advice about when to plant different things and so far it hasn't failed me. In the future I'm also going to make sure I pay more attention to nature too. This snow pea is a volunteer plant. It is thriving along with a few other volunteers and we have even eaten a few pods from it. If I had have planted at least some of my seeds when these self-sown ones popped up, I would be harvesting pods rather than one pod at a time. Still, the snow peas that I planted last month are hurrying along and should be giving us some crunch soon.

The frost has certainly been hitting the plants. It already looks like this winter will be cold. Cold and dry. The chillies are still good even if they didn't get to redden but the leaves are very sad. I picked the chillies and we will have some tonight on a quick dinner of pizzas. The rest of the chillies, I will string up to dry.

It is time for the asparagus to sleep for the winter. Until two years ago I had the whole asparagus harvest to myself. No one liked it. Tim's only experience with asparagus was the canned variety. Sometimes I wish I didn't convince him to try homegrown. He is a real convert now and it might even be his favourite vegetable. My response to more eaters, is more plants. I would like to grow the purple variety too just for added interest.

Now I'm feeling centred and calm and ready to drive to town, shop, sit in on violin lessons until I can come home where I belong.

Tracy

Harvest Monday-16 March, 2011

2011-05-16T10:50:00.004+10:00

Daphne hosts Harvest Monday for anyone who wants to share what they have harvested and what they are doing with it.

Basil Pesto

This week has been about harvesting the remnants of the summer garden. There have been fresh harvests daily for our meals but the focus is definitely on gathering what is frost sensitive in the garden and putting it by for later. I made pesto from the basil. It is frozen now in single use amounts. The pumpkins have had a frost on them now which apparently helps with the flavour. I'm not sure if this fact or fancy as we have been eating pumkins untouched by the frost and they were delicious nonetheless.

The harvest total for the week is 4.773kg/ 10.5 pounds. This includes butternut pumpkin, jap pumpkin, basil, other herbs, spring onion, climbing princess beans,lettuce and rocket. We also 'harvested' 4.5kg/9.9 pounds of turkey on Saturday too which is in the freezer for a winter meal or two.

Coconut and Lime Cake

I used some of my many, many limes in a lime and coconut cake. This cake is quite delicious and moist.

Coconut and Lime Cake

Ingredients

150 grams butter

1 cup sugar

zest and juice of 2 limes

2 eggs

quarter cup of milk

half a cup dessicated coconut

200g grams self-raising flour

Method

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line 20 cm round baking tin.

Cream butter, sugar and zest until thick and creamy.

Add eggs and combine well. Add juice, flour, coconut and milk.

Pour batter into prepared baking tin and bake for about 50 minutes or unti la skewer comes out clean.

Leave in tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool. Or even better, enjoy a piece warm from the oven.

Usually I leave this cake unfrosted and just dust it with icing sugar. This time however, I iced it with a cream cheese and lime frosting and added a few snapdragons as decoration. A little more decadent but worth the effort. I've been trying to use flowers in my cooking a little more of late. I'm still unconvinced about their taste value but they are pleasing to the eye.

Tracy