Goings On

This week I have been enjoying a bit of free time before I get back into Uni work with four weeks of placement starting on Monday with the dreaded 5am alarm clock set once more.

I purchased my first rotary cutter and sew square, and started cutting up the vintage fat quarters from the Vintage Sheet Swap, so many pretty designs.

The broad beans are flowering, so hopefully it wont be too long before harvest time. I haven't grown them before so I'll just have to see how they go.

I used the rhubarb picked fresh from the vegie garden in a rhubarb cobbler, to which I added a few strawberries to the mixture. It didn't last a day so I'll count that recipe as a success.

Sushi for dinner last night, my favourite combination- smoked salmon, avocado and cucumber.

Half a dozen duck eggs awaiting... I'm thinking sponge cake. Anyone had experience baking with duck eggs?

While the fiancé went for a body board I investigated the shore in the lovely morning sunshine.

And displaying a few treasures on a new Op-shop find, note the puppy dog seated on a lap in the photo.

Harvesting and a spot of Baking

Today, during a break in the rain, we headed into the vegie patch for a spot of much needed weeding. The garden beds look a bit on the bare side, but are still yielding despite. The pea plants are covered, and eating peas straight from the pod while perched in amougst the plants is the best and most delicious way to it.
I also picked the first lot of rhubarb after planting a couple of crowns last year; and the ever reliable rocket, spinach, silverbeet, spring onions and garlic chives made their way into the kitchen too.

Today saw more baking, with Apple Pie using this recipe.

Now, as promised yesterday, the Apricot Loaf recipe. I based the recipe off this one for date loaf, making a few modifications and it turned out well.

Apricot Loaf



300g dried apricots, chopped

1 tsp bicarb soda

1 cup boiling water

125g butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

1/2 cup natural yogurt

1 3/4 cups SR flour

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two loaf tins.
Place chopped apricots, boiling water and bicarb soda together in a small bowl. Stand for 20 minutes.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in yogurt.
Fold in apricot mixture and flour.
Divide between two tins and bake for 35-45 minutes.
Great served the next day, but of course if you cant resist, then get into it straight away.

Now enjoy your weekend. I hope to do a spot of thrifting, baking (involving said rhubarb) and a fair part of just relaxing.

Favourites Friday Recipe

After coming down with a cold this week (which luckily only lasted a couple of days) and with all the delicious homegrown citrus around at the moment and all that Vitamin C awaiting, the research began for recipes.
I spied this one on Gooseberry Jam for Homemade Lemon Syrup and decided to give it a go. And yes it turned out very well indeed and I'm about to make a second batch this arvo.

Homemade Lemon Syrup

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 cup of lemon juice

Rind, from 1 lemon

Place water, sugar and lemon rind, which has been peeled from the lemon with a vegie peeler, into a saucepan.
Boil for 5 minutes, then add the lemon juice.
Allow to cool, strain and pour into bottles. (I sterilised a couple of glass juice bottles to store the syrup in).
Store in the fridge.

Well I better get back to the kitchen, lemon syrup time and then I've got pies to bake- an apple, apple & berry, and a gramma... That should keep me busy and while they're in the oven I'll relax with the August issue of Country Style that just arrived in the mailbox today. With a beautiful heart cross-stitch cushion on the front, I can't wait to see what other lovelies await inside this issue.

Favourites Friday

Well the week is nearly over, and quiet a busy and favourite one it's been. A $5 box of apples, and a neighbours overflowing orange tree has seen the juicer getting a workout. The favourite combination is a dozen apples, half a dozen oranges, a lemon and a couple of carrots... delicious fresh juice.

Monday saw a spot of bush walking in the Kattang Nature Reserve, out to Point Perpendicular, and my first sighting of whales swimming by. One rolled over and we saw its massive white underside..What an amazing sight.



A perfectly circular rock pool



Pebble Beach, Dunbogan



Whale..just


After that workout, home we came and I thought a bit of baking was in order. Jasmine's Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie Slice featured on her blog frills & spills and I thought I'd give it a go. This slice turned out very well indeed, looked amazing and tasted even better.

This weekend will see a bit of gardening, a few boxes to drop off to the op-shop (trying hard not to come out with a box full of replace it), and maybe a trip to the movies.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Favourites Friday

This weeks favourite is a new recipe, baked for the first time last night and enjoyed for both morning and afternoon tea today. Having picked a bag full of lemons from an old neighbours heavily fruiting tree I sought recipes to use a few in. I also had plenty of eggs in the fridge. I found this recipe for lemon and coconut brownies on taste.com.au, and they turned out very well, and are delicious with only a couple of pieces remaining. Moist and dense on the inside with the characteristically slightly crunchy top of brownies.

Lemon Coconut Brownies

250g butter (I used reduced salt)

2 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup dessicated coconut

3 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 20 x 30cm slice tin with baking paper.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until thick and glossy.
Sift the flour into the butter mixture and stir well. Stir in coconut, lemon rind and juice.
Pour into slice tin.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool, then cut into pieces.

Very yummy with ice-cream as dessert.

Favourites Friday

Appreciating the beauty and diversity of nature.

As a tadpole metamorphoses into frog

Helping out nature

Nature at its smallest.. skink (big, manly hand courtesy of Darron)

Happy Friday to all.

Favourites Friday

Well today I had my final Uni exam. Now just to wait and hope for good results. More crafting, gardening and baking planned for the mid semester break. I can't wait.

Today's favourites are a few from the vegie garden. What beautiful and functional blooms, providing colour and attracting all those beneficial insects.

Marigolds (self seeded from last years plants)

Eggplant flowers

Apple cucumber

Yacon

This plant, related to the sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke produces edible tubers underground. We harvested one plant today, with about a dozen tubers. Thay taste like a cross between an apple and watermelon, with the texture of a potato.



A happy long weekend to all.

Favourites Friday

Creative, Charming Corrugations

Tin Tabernacle Tearoom

Jeff Thomson

Black Sheep Inn, Orange

Max Levy designed house

Favourites Friday

A few favourite things for this Friday evening

Bird pegs on powerline clothesline

Unicorn hat

Butterfly bangle

Cat house

Ruler forest

Best wishes for the weekend. No real plans for me at the moment.. but I'm sure I won't be bored.

Favourites Friday

Finally the end to the working week. Uni exams are nearing, getting stressed..what a relief it will be come final exam completion.

Favourites Friday

1. My new necklace ($5 bargain)   2. Our cat Tilly acting cute   3. Our other cat FiFi matching in cuteness   4. June Country Style issue arrived yesterday

Have a wonderful weekend all.