Spring Seed Swap?

I had big plans of sharing a late Winter garden update with you all this post, full of beautiful pictures of Wintry produce such as peas(as pictured above), garlic, onions, kale, lettuce, beets, winter herbs, brassica, spinach, and oh so much more.... But, unfortunately, while away with my farmer on a recent week long trip to the city for specialist appointments my entire vegetable garden was wiped out by local wildlife, namely kangaroos! The only plant that is left (from some hundred odd) is a wee rosemary bush - note to self; grow rosemary hedge around garden, asap!

So, after a week of grieving (and tidying up) I've decided to look to the future and start with the planning of my Spring/Summer plantings. Every year I wish that I had started my tomatoes earlier, so this year I am, tomorrow, in a makeshift hothouse like this one.

Do you have a favourite tomato variety that you like to grow? Mine is the Mortgage Lifter, hands down! I have been saving these seeds for as long as I can remember, and it has me wondering - would you be interested in a little Spring Seed Swap? If you are, simply leave a comment letting me know what Spring seeds you have available to swap and we'll make it happen.


Happy Gardening x

January

Today, I'm pulling inspiration from Pip, and TAKING STOCK!
Making : : A cardigan, this one, for myself.
Cooking : : From this cookbook, for most meals.
Drinking : : Icy cold white wine in the evenings, which is totally not like me - I'm a red wine girl all the way. 
Reading : : Cookbooks, and loving this one full of beautiful interesting recipes and stories. I especially love how Hetty gives you loads of substitutes for ingredients that might be tricky to find.
Next read : : Cut Flower Garden
Wanting : : A new worm farm.
Looking : : At the Soul Craft Festival Schedule and planning a trip down south for June so I can attend.
Playing : : The Podcast 'A Plate to Call Home' and loving the latest episode with Tamsin Carvin.
Deciding : : Which Masterclass to attend while at Soul Craft Festival (if any at all) and thinking this one or this one would be fun!
Wishing : : The school holidays weren't over. My littlest guy started school and I'm missing him like crazy!
Enjoying : : The heat of Summer now that we have a pool to cool down in.
Waiting : : For my next batch of cucumber plantings to get their legs and grow, grow, grow.
Liking : : That water at our new farm is so much easier to come by and our vegetable garden is producing amazing produce as a result.
Wondering : : How long it will be before I can light my wood fired oven again - it's way too hot to light it today!

Loving : : That we bought a boat! And that trips to the water to take the kids skiing are now a regular part of our days.
Pondering : : Expanding my vegetable patch for the next Spring/Summer planting.
Considering : : Raised garden beds for my leafy greens and small herbs.
Buying : : Nothing!!!!! And embracing bartering where I can.
Watching : : 'The Good Life' on DVD with my family, again.
Next watch : : Not too sure, any recommendations?
Hoping : : The Kombucha Scoby that an Insta-friend sent me in the mail arrives safely today.
Marveling : : At the kindness of complete strangers.
Cringing : : At the waste people create without even noticing - that's a topic for a whole other post one day soon.
Needing : : A hair cut! It has been almost 18 months since I stepped into a hair salon - gasp!!!
Questioning : : Whether I've planted enough tomatoes to make our annual sauce/relish/pasata for the pantry to enjoy over the cooler months.
Smelling : : Salvia flowering in my garden - its sweet smell is absolutely intoxicating!
Wearing : : Simple cotton dressed and bare feet, daily.
Following : : The Soul Craft Festival Instagram feed.
Worrying : : About the influence of full-time school on my littlest guy.
Noticing : : That over the holidays my biggest girl grew that much that she's now almost as tall as me!
Knowing : : That I must savor everyday - my little people are growing up way too fast.
Thinking : : About taking my family on an extended overseas holiday and tossing up between Africa and Europe.
Admiring : : Amanda Blake Soule, as always!
Sorting : : Through boxes of fibre and planning a blanket project for 2018.
Getting : : Excited for the year ahead and what it has in store for my little family.
Bookmarking : : New recipes to try from this book.
Coveting : : The last of the Xmas chocolates!
Disliking : : Nothing really.
Opening : : A special present from my dear friend Kylie.
Snacking : : On Zucchini Walnut Cake from this book.
Hearing : : The wind as it whips through the big Iron bark trees outside my window.

right now I'm....

...pulling up baby turnips with the sun on my back....

....noticing a mammoth beetroot hiding amongst my beet patch, pulling it up also and planning to slow roast it, like this, to enjoy with red meat and a salad for dinner tonight....

....trialling new Sourdough recipes, in search of the perfect loaf. For the loaf below I used the LunchLady recipe from her 3rd magazine, it's pretty good and super easy to make - which is a bonus.

....but I think I'm almost there with this loaf here - I've increased the hydration of my normal (original) loaf from 70% to 85% and its worked a treat!

....eating a different cake E.V.E.R.Y day. Today we're enjoying Donna Hay's Lemon Pound cake from this book, and it's simply divine...

...how about you? what are you doing right now?

....

Today I enjoyed freshly picked tomatoes from the vine for brunch ---- is there really anything better... 

 

And tonight I'm enjoying spending time with yarn and a hook...

How was your day??

I finally did it --- I joined Instagram today and you can check me out here!

Are you on it yet?

School Holidays....

(1st picture) About a week ago, with only a week left of water, I was just about ready to pull out most of the vegetables in my garden. But, thanks to some much needed rain reaching us on Xmas day I'm lucky enough to be still enjoying 'black jack' Zuchinni, fresh from the bush. Tonight we're eating them sliced in half, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, chopped rosemary, thyme,and freshly cracked pepper. Popped in the oven at 200'C for 20 mins and what can I say ----- they're P E R F E C T ! ! !

(2nd picture) In the lead up to Xmas you might remember me organising a little 'Washer Swap'... Here's a little sneak peak at some of the awesome gifts that my gorgeous Swappers sent out to their partners. Over the next week I'll be popping up links to patterns and respective Swappers blogs so be sure to check back for the details...

(3rd picture) I love Summer and am enjoying being able to let me hair down now that it's school holidays - it feels so good to just take it 'slow' for a change. We're spending many hours on the verandah at the farm, simply not doing too much at all really - and it feels so good too!!!

(4th picture) And in case you couldn't see my little cutie in the 3rd picture, this one's a close up... A gorgeous little kitten who just can't seem to leave my side at the moment and you know what? I kinda really like it... ;)

So, MERRY XMAS everyone - enjoy your next couple of days as you welcome in the New Year too... xx

just perfect...

We have been lucky enough to celebrate the 1st b'day of our gorgeous boy, Tobie, this week...

What can I say?? This little guy has simply stolen all of our hearts and we couldn't imagine a life without him in it, not for one single minute! To celebrate we had a bit of a party out here on the farm - just the girls and I and DH, but you know what, that was more than enough and we had a super time! ~ there was cake and sparkles and all kinds of outside fun to be had by us all!!

 

After already having 2 babies grow up in my home I've learnt that they don't really want for much in the way of material processions. So, we ditched the store bought gifts this year and celebrated Tobie's special day in a different kind of way - 2 new rabbits and a few handmade treasures were all we(he) really needed...

 

By the squeals of excitement, from all 3 of my kids, when our cute little bunnies were unwrapped I can already tell that they are going to be a huge hit!

 

Connie even made Tobie a little crochet blanket to keep his new littlest critters cosy...

 

And you know what? She just kinda taught herself how to crochet this week and this is her first creation - pretty awesome, even if I am a little bias because she's my girl and all...  

She just said to me about a week ago that the thinks she has watched me do it for long enough and that she thinks she can kinda do it by herself....

 

So, I watched, and helped a little where needed, and she slowly fumbled her way through her first granny square and you know what?? It's just perfect!! Don't you think?

 

In our garden this week we are happily harvesting beetroot,

 

lots of beetroot, and loving that our depleted pickled beetroot stores will now be replenished...

How have things been at your home this week??

In Our Garden....

This week in our garden we've been harvesting loads of new things which has given our kitchen table a much needed burst of 'flavour'!!

 

We have 5 Green Lebanese Zuchinni bushes and they are steadily producing approx 3 fruit a day - we're enjoying these thinly sliced, fried with garlic and butter, then stirred though some good hand-made pasta, or roughly chopped and added to a stir-fry. But my kids favourite is simply grated and added with a few other goodies to eggs to make a delicious fritata. The next recipe on my list (when my stocks get up of-coarse) are some 'bread and butter' pickles!

My mini muncher cucumbers are ripening as well and the girls are finding at least 1 plump and ready for the picking each and every day!

 

'Mini-Muncher' is my favourite variety of cucumber and I've been growing it for 4 years now. It's a prolific fruit-er and very rarely gets disease or attacked by pests. The fruit is picked when they are approx the size of your hand, are burp-less and seedless (well the seeds are too tiny to notice anyway). The flesh is a gorgeous yellow-y green colour and they are super sweet and juicy!! In my opinion, a really gorgeous fruit (vegetable) to add to your vegetable garden!!

 

Both my girls have their own designated areas, marked out by rocks, in our family vege patch. They can plant WHATEVER they like in these little plots and a lot of trial and error goes on in here. They are both currently harvesting radish from their patches. Connie is watching an enormous 'gigantic Russian sunflower' tower up towards the sky, desperate for it to finally form a flower at the top! They also have tomatoes, pumpkin, beetroot, peas, more radish, a mixture of flowers, beans and a few other things too... 

So... What have you been harvesting this week in your garden?

Is the vegetable garden a family affair at your place? Do you get the kids in on the action too?

Perpetual Spinach Pesto...

I'm lucky enough to spend the day in town on a Friday with my 2 youngest children, Millie and Tobie. I use this day to run errands, post off orders for my Shop, catch up with family and friends, do my weekly shopping, attend swimming lessons with my kids, check out the local shops and just simply hang out.... 

I usually have a good 7 hours to spend in town on a Friday as I bring my eldest daughter in to attend the local Catholic school which she simply loves! As of last week I started volunteering a couple of hours of my time on a Friday morning to the School and its vegetable garden - I had a ball! I weeded and mulched and fertilized and planned, oh did I plan!! There currently isn't too much happening in the School Vegetable patch so it was great to get in there and help them out a little. I was lucky enough to be able to harvest some of their current, slightly over-grown, bounty which mainly consists of perpetual spinach (a gorgeous heirloom variety of small leafed spinach) which I in turn made into pesto to share....  

From 1 small bucket of leaves I made 3 jars of pesto - thanks to the help of my sister (who lives in town) and the use of her kitchen and a few of her pantry supplies... I am enjoying 1 jar, my sister is too as a thanks for her help and the Vice Principal and his wife are enjoying the last jar. Next week I'm hoping to make twice as much and maybe even more than that the following week. Our School Bazaar is on very soon and these jars of pesto will make for a great addition to a fund-raising stall - what do you think?? 

So, here's my recipe.....

Perpetual Spinach Pesto

Ingredients : : approx 3 large handfuls of Perpetual Spinach leaves. 2 cloves of Garlic. Olive Oil. Cashew Nuts. 2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan Cheese. Salt and Pepper.

Method : : Wash (and spin almost dry in a food processor) all spinach leaves. Add the leaves to the food processor in batches until all are chopped and combined. Drizzle in approx 1/4 cup of good Olive Oil. Add 1/4 cups of Cashews and 2 cloves of Garlic (skin removed). Add grated Parmesan Cheese and blend to combine. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.

Store in a jar in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil on the top to prevent it from discolouring. 

I love this smeared on freshly toasted wedges of home-baked bread with slices of tomato. I also love it on crackers with a nice and sharp vintage cheddar. But tonight I'm enjoying my Perpetual Spinach Pesto with some gorgeous hand-made pasta (a purchase from a recent trip away)...

 

To enjoy this pesto with pasta simply stir 1-2 tablespoons of it through cooked pasta with a drizzle of the water that you cooked your pasta in.

 

Crumble over some cheese, I'm having vintage cheddar tonight because I have some on the go in the fridge at the moment, and season with pepper - now hook in!

So.....

Do you love pesto?? 

Have you made it before? 

What's your favourite kind???

Gardening Inspiration.....

I'm feeling super spoilt after a visit with a very inspiring friend on Friday while I was in town!

In exchange for a jar of sweet strawberry jam I was gifted..... Artichokes cut fresh from an amazing bush which is now in its 2nd year of growth and still producing prolifically... I'll be steaming the big one to eat tonight with some home made aioli and pickling the rest for later - YUM!!

A big tub of home-grown honey. Yes, that's right, my friend has her own beehive in town in her backyard and it's amazing. Her garden produces oodles thanks to the bees helping with pollination and I'm now itching to get myself all set up with a hive of my very own.

A big jar of the most delicious tasting home-made tomato relish I've had in a long time...

And a big box of hand-me-down toys for my littlest guy - they've been played with non stop since we got home on Friday afternoon, I love hand-me-downs!

Thanks Ang, you and your amazing husband are a burst of gardening inspiration that I was in desperate need of and I can't wait to meet up again in a couple of weeks...

So.... Do you grow artichoke? How do you like to eat them?

Do you get fresh, local honey where you are? Or, do you have a hive of your very own at your place too?

What preserving gifts have come your way of late??? I'd love to know...

HORRIBLE!!! (and a 'winner' too)

The view from our schoolroom window yesterday was HORRIBLE!!! There was dust and wind and all manner of things YUCK happening out there that made for a good excuse to be inside for a change - that's my Connie girl peering out the window...

 

But thankfully by the end of the day the wind had stopped and the dust had dropped and we were able to get out and enjoy a few of the things we love... Playing in the dirt and tending to the girls (our chooks) and counting all the new baby calves (yes, we have loads of them 'dropping' at the moment - more on that later) and poking about in the garden and dotting on baby kittens, I could go on and on....

 

And a bike ride to finish off the day was just perfect...

Today in my garden I'm noticing how much these gorgeous 'brown mignonette' (I think that's right) lettuce have been growing... These seeds were saved from a friends garden years ago and are a real delight to see popping up in mine this year.

And I'm super excited that my heirloom grape vine cuttings are finally getting some legs!

 

Last, but not least, the WINNER of the little give-away I was running last week is Tracy from Sunny Corner Farm....

Can you please email me your address Tracy and I'll pop your favourite 'Dotty' washers in the post tomorrow when I'm in town... :)

up to my elbows...

The end of last week saw me pack my little family up and head down the road for a quick road trip... We travelled a whopping 846km in less than 24hrs, on a mission collecting supplies for the farm - we had hay and steel and chook feed and thankfully after a stop in at a gorgeous nursery some olive trees! I've been itching to start an olive grove of my very own and now I am 3 trees closer to that dream (not many I know but it's a start, right?)...

Today, after being cooped up in the schoolroom for far too long, I hit the yard with my 3 kid-lids, determined (and excited), to plant my overgrown tomato plants which I've been growing from seeds for what feels like FOREVER!!! 

It felt so good to get up to my elbows in this rich soil... I like to scatter my vegetable patch throughout my garden and have approx 20 different beds on the go at one time. I do tend to spell certain beds at different times of the year though, and this particular garden bed has been empty since March - all that's been added is loads of manure and home-made mulch...

 

And yes, that's a HUGE cow pad right there next to my hand - simply gorgeous garden food!!!

 

Do you irrigate your veg?? I've found that drip irrigators seem to be the most efficient in my garden and I simply move them around from bed to bed as I need them - they're super cheap too... What works for you?

 

I have oodles and oodles of old galvanised rain water tanks in numerous sizes and this past week has seen me cutting some of the smaller ones up to make 8 of these little garden beds...

 

Today I added some tomatoes and next week I'm planning to scatter some basil plants (grown from seeds) round the outside too...

 

One thing my Miss Millie loves more than butterflies would have to be worms...

Yes, that's right, she loves WORMS! Every time we're out in the garden she can't help but get something to dig with and off she goes, collecting so to speak... 

 

And when she's through with that she plays on the grass with her cats...

 

And although this gorgeous girl of mine just loves to be out doors exploring her environment she also simply loves school and today she couldn't get enough of her 'spider' craft from the book 'Hide, Spider'...

 

Lastly, I hosted a little 'Spring Washer Swap' here on my blog back at the start of the month and today I was lucky enough to receive my parcel from Jules...

I was super spoilt with 2 washers and 2 packets of seeds and can't wait to use them all!!! Thanks Jules!!