Thursday 24 November 2016

A Quick Chat Over the Fence

The cumquat trees that grow in big containers on the side verandah are loaded with fruit. We're not in need of any more marmalade, chutney or sweet things so I put them in the farm gate shop.

For late Spring, we're doing well on beautiful weather that's not frying eggs on the side path. How about this? Perfect one day and beautiful the next.
Cool enough to have the kitchen wood stove alight and cooking up all sorts of useful delicious-ness.

Lamb shanks in red wine, tomatoes, fresh picked garlic, and herbs. With a few other flavorings thrown in for good measure, and into the wood oven to cook slowly for dinner.

I'm starting to prep the food for the Bee-keeping workshop this Sunday. The last for this year.
There's one dietary requirement request of non-dairy, so I made a batch of muesli biscuits. Coconut oil and honey are used instead of butter and sugar. Lots of healthy nuts and seeds in there too, perfect breakfast biscuits for when we leave the house in a hurry and need a snack mid morning.
I've made a list, and another list, ordered the bread rolls, and plan to do the other baking on Saturday.
  Sunday morning will be an early start, making up the lunch baguettes filled with various fillings, so I'm then free to participate in the workshop alongside Brian.

Well.... as the oven is hot, it would be silly not to use up some more of this delicious fresh garlic, with spuds, and cream that was past its use by date.

Why do I always feel so virtuous after I've made up a fresh batch of laundry detergent?
It took thirty minutes, three ingredients and an estimated cost of $2 in total to make. I use generous dollops in our washing so this will probably last a month.

I took a friend to an evening with William McInnes who was loosely (very loosely) talking about his latest book "Full Bore". Actually, I still don't know what the book is about, such is his way of story telling, goes off on tangents. (A bit like me) Oh well, I'm in good company then. ;)
What a hoot! He's a brilliantly funny story teller.
Yes, there we are, I'm on the other side of  lady wearing a green top.  ;)
My friend took a bottle of her home made tomato sauce to give him, as she announced in the car as we were driving there.
She was first in line when he sat down to sign books being purchased, she whipped out the sauce and presented it to him (with no intention of buying a  book that she couldn't afford). He was completely taken aback, grabbed a book from the top of the pile, signed it, and presented it to her.
What a lovely man, and what a thrilled friend.


 Outside activities are no fun with the pesky flies we get out here in the country. My best weapon, this old hat and veil.

The gaggle.

It must be exhausting doing the paddock rounds with me. 

The dinner is cooking, the cows are moved into a new fresh paddock, the eggs have been collected, weeds have been pulled and fed to the piggies...oh the pigs, you'll want to see a recent picture of them won't you??

 Laa la laaa!!

And for Sherri, from Making Haven here is our nettle that grows wild here in South Australia. The holy grail nettle, the nettle of many great things. See here for my post about nettles.

I do hope all is well within your world, as it is in mine. Thanks for visiting, see you again soon. :)

9 comments:

  1. Oh, cumquats (I'm thinking jam)...William McInnes....cute little piglets and garlic. All in one post. How lovely, Sally! Nice hat, too! Meg:)

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  2. Thank you so much for the photo Sally. I really appreciate you taking the time to take the photo and add it to this post. William McInnes and I attended the same primary school, but he would have been about three grades ahead of me and I don't remember him at school.

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  3. A question concerning your laundry detergent. Do you use it in a cold wash or does it have to be a warm wash

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    1. I only ever wash in cold water. We have an old top loader, and because our farm clothes get so dirty before we throw them in the wash, I fill the machine, add the liquid detergent to the water and let the clothes soak for at least five hours before pressing the wash button. Generally they soak overnight, and I wash in the morning. :)

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  4. My you have been busy, Sally. I think that is the same nettle we have here...lots of it at the moment! I hope the bee-keeping workshop goes well on Sunday as I am sure it will.

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  5. Little Wilbur's. How cute. And a lovely gesture from McInnes. I hope he enjoys his home made tomato sauce.

    I also hope your bee keeping workshop goes well.

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  6. Oh Sally, what a lovely wonder about! The boys and I will be over for dinner tonight to enjoy that delicious sounding dinner okay?! ;) Ha! Kidding, I have formal Pinery fire services to attend for work. :( Dinner with a friend would be far more comforting on this annevesary for me but work is work.

    Blessings dear Sally. xx

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  7. Have a wonderful workshop, your little piggies are very sweet.
    Guida

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  8. Oh what a fun time! I am glad you enjoyed your time out with William McInnes, he sounds like a real great fella! He must have appreciated your friends gift a real lot :)

    It has been beautiful weather lately although we had a couple of days in the 40's. The garden survived which is the main thing. That nettle grows quite well in our neck of the woods too. It takes over my veggie patch every winter! Maybe it is time to start using it for all its worth. Makes great fertiliser for the garden, doesn't smell so good though...

    Hope all goes well for the bee keeping workshop, should be a lovely day :)

    xTania









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