Like a Virgin (Olive Oil)

We swapped this beautiful fresh olive oil for a dozen eggs. !!
Our friends and distant neighbors, Danielle and Brett with their boys Oscar and Cooper, called in again last week for some fertile eggs for hatching in their new incubator.
Their first attempt had disappointing results and Brett felt he'd failed, but we reassured them that it takes quite a few attempts with incubating before successful results can be expected. Each incubator is unique and takes time to work it all out. This is when we all realize that mother nature is clever in more ways than we ever could imagine. The mother hen knows exactly when to provide the right conditions of warmth, humidity and rotating for the eggs to hatch, so when we try to emulate that process we need to have our incubator performing to the exact requirements needed.
Brett and Danielle will eventually succeed with hatching out eggs and when they do they will appreciate another aspect of how rewarding, albeit fragile, this "Good Life" can be.
This olive oil from their trees grown on their own land is superb and we feel so privileged to receive such a gift.
It's important for us older folks to  pass on the knowledge to the younger ones who are interested and want to learn so we love it when they ask questions. They're our future.

As if the poor bees aren't in enough serious trouble!  (Warning.... Rant follows!!)
Every thinking person who lives above the ground is aware that declining bee numbers is reaching catastrophic proportions.  Our entire future of food depends on bees for pollinating food crops and trees.  The increasing use of pesticides, diseases and mites found world wide are causing colony collapse which we all need to be taking very seriously.
This week we received from PIRSA  (Primary Industries and Resources SA) notification  that a new pesticide has been released to save the Canola crops from damage by the Beet Western Yellow Virus (BWYV) and Diamond Back Moth (DBM).
We are warned that this pesticide will KILL BEES.  So we should make sure our bees are not within range of any Canola crops.
It confounds me that in order to save ONE crop (Canola) Australia will now suffer even greater risk of losing EVERY crop of anything edible.
We have Canola crops dotted in all directions around us which is within the 3 km flight range of our bees. What can we do? Nothing!
Please excuse the use of capitals, but yes I AM shouting as I write this. It's shout worthy stuff.
I wonder if Monsanto are behind this as well as all their other devastating horrors world wide.
Having recently watched Food Inc I would urge all people who eat food to watch it. I borrowed a copy from our local library, but it's available for viewing on line if you type it into your search engine.
Rant over and taking some deep breaths, I can show you the newest addition to my kitchen.

Now we can grind our grains as we need them with our Grain grinder for our sour dough breads, healthful & nutritious biscuits, cakes etc.

                                    Nutritious & sugar free whole wheat & oatmeal biscuits.

1 & 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
3 teaspoons LSA   (ground linseed, sunflower, almond)* optional
2 dessertspoons organic coconut oil
1 large dessertspoon honey
1 egg

Put dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Melt the coconut oil & honey gently in a saucepan before adding to dry ingredients.
Mix well & add the egg.
Mix well, shape into balls, place on oven tray lined with baking paper & slightly flatten with your hand. They will not spread because there's no rising agent.

Bake in mod oven for approx 20 mins or until browned slightly.