The End of This Blog for Now.

As time goes on, I am thinking more and more of ways to save money and NOT buying disposable dish cloths is my latest thing. I have bought knitting cotton and an now taking my size 3 1/4 knitting needles and whipping up my own. I have had fun trying lots of different stitches and made cloths of varying sizes. These wash and wear very well and will last for years. No more throwaway dish cloths for me.

This is the end of this blog because life for me is just more of the same and reading about it will be a bit repetitive. You can follow my other photographic blog @ www.primrosehappysnapper.blogspot.com

October Catch Up

It's market season again and we set up again at the Southern Beaches Market for another session. It was quite successful with me selling some photo enlargements and several of my photo cards as well as my bags. Note the name of the bags, named after my dogs.

I had a huge collection of Asian fabrics so recently decided to use them up in bags to sell. Next month I will have some of my jewellery. The bearded wonder received lots of interest in his picture framing business which has recently picked up as word of mouth from the many artists in the area is paying off.

A project that was completed today was this groovy herb wall. We also made a large strawberry planter out of pipes as well which contain 50 plants. It is attached to the garden wall. I haven't photographed that yet. Maybe next time.

September Spend Less Challenge

I have built up my stockpile of food yet again and I am making it my mission to eat ONLY from this stash for this month. I have 3 freezers full and a pantry that is bulging.

I've made a list of my frozen goods and stuck it on my fridge.

The kitchen freezer

The contents of the fridge.

My over stocked pantry (or the shop as the bearded wonder calls it)

The small freezer above and the tall freezer below

 

September 1st

Breakfast: Cup of Cocoa

Lunch: Lamb Sandwiches and home-made Chicken and vegie soup (lamb was leftover from last night's dinner of roast lamb and the soup was made from garden vegies and home made stock made from roast chicken carcasses. 

Dinner: Leftover Roast Lamb dinner with cauliflower cheese, potatoes, pumpkin, corn, carrots, onions and garlic. All vegies from the garden.

Dessert: Apricot Sponge made with frozen fruit from our tree. Chocolate cheesecake made with stash ingredients.

Other spending: Medicines                    $42.00

                         Petrol                          $50.00

                         Bread                          $  4.00 

 2nd 

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: Sandwich

Dinner: Steak and garlic mash and mushrooms

Snack: Handful of peanuts and salami and cheese.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake 

 3rd

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                 Bowl of cornflakes

Morning Tea: Fruit cake (out of freezer) 

Lunch:  Salami and Cheese sandwiches 

            Roast lamb sandwiches (from freezer) we were on a picnic.

Dinner: Pumpkin Soup and garlic bread

            eggs and bacon on toast

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake

              Apricot sponge and cream. 

4th 

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Lamb Sandwich and handful of salami

Dinner: Chops, (potato chips, mushrooms, onions, eggs, corn, all from garden)

Dessert: Apricot sponge, chocolate cheesecake.

5th 

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Lamb Sandwich and handful of salami

Dinner:Pizza made with pita bread and odds and ends from fridge and freezer.

Dessert: Apricot sponge, chocolate cheesecake.

 6th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Party pies and sausage rolls

Dinner:Chicken Snitzel, mashed potato (had to buy potatoes today for the first time this year), corn, butter beans, broccoli and carrots from garden.
Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake and Rhubarb (from garden) Crumble Cake.
7th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Vegemite Sandwiches (bought bread)

Dinner:Sliced roast pork (from freezer), roast potato, roast pumpkin, carrot (garden) parsnip (from farmer's market)  .
Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake and Rhubarb (from garden) Crumble Cake.
8th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Crackers and vegemite and peanuts

Dinner:Leftover roast pork, roast potato, roast pumpkin, carrot, parsnip and cauliflower cheese.
Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake and Rhubarb Crumble Cake.
9th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: Egg and Bacon Pie (made from pastry and bacon in freezer and eggs from my hens)

Dinner: Vegetable and chicken soup (made from veg from garden and chicken stock + meat from a roast chicken that had been in the freezer)

Snack: Handful of peanuts.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake + Rhubarb cake

10th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch:    Chunk of cheese and egg and bacon pie

Dinner:   Vegie soup like yesterday

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake

              Rhubarb cake.

 Other spending: Car Rego                                               $572.00

 Milk, vegemite, dogroll, rolled oats, cheese, nuts                $36.00

 11th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: Egg and Bacon Pie

Dinner: Vegie soup

Snack: Handful of peanuts and salami and cheese.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake & Rhubarb cake

12th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: crackers and vegemite

Dinner: Baked Beans on Toast

Snack: cheese.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake Rhubarb cake

13th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: crackers and vegemite

Dinner: Beef Casserole and vegies (from garden)

Snack: cheese.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake Rhubarb cake

14th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                 Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Sausage Rolls

Dinner:Roast Leg of Lamb

Dessert: Chocolate/orange cheesecake

              Rhubarb cake and cream.

 15th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                 Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Vegie Soup

Dinner:Roast Leg of Lamb and vegies

Dessert: Chocolate/orange cheesecake

              Greengage sponge and cream. 

 16th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                 Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Cheese and crackers

Dinner:Roast Leg of Lamb and vegies

Dessert: Chocolate/orange cheesecake

         Greengage sponge and cream. 

17th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                 Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Cheese and crackers

Dinner:Vegie and beef stirfry

Dessert: Greengage Sponge

18th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

Lunch: Vegie and Chicken Soup

Dinner:  Ham (from freezer) and asparagus (from garden) Fritatta

Spending today bought petrol $52.00

19th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

                 Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Cheese and crackers

Dinner: Schezuan and Garlic Chicken

Dessert: Chocolate/orange cheesecake

         Greengage sponge and cream.

 Spending today Groceries $110 including phone recharge $30 and cat food on special @ 83cents a can $48.

20th

Breakfast: Cup of Cocoa, Bowl of cornflakes

Lunch:  Nuts and Fruit, crackers and cheese.

Dinner:Lamb chops and vegies

Dessert: Apricot Sponge made with frozen fruit from our tree. Chocolate cheesecake.

21st 

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: Sandwich

Dinner: Scrambled eggs on toast

Snack: Handful of peanuts and salami and cheese.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake/ apricot sponge

22nd

Breakfast: Fast

Lunch: Vegie and chicken soup

Dinner:Tasmanian salmon and vegies (fast day on 5:2 diet)

23rd

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: nuts and fruit

Dinner: Chicken and salad

Dessert: Apricot sponge, chocolate cheesecake.

24th 

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: sausage rolls

Dinner:Tuna Casserole and potato bake

Dessert: Apricot sponge, chocolate cheesecake.

 25th

Breakfast: Fast Day

Lunch: 2 Eggs on toast

Dinner:Mustard Honey Chicken with new potatoes and green beans
26th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Chicken sandwiches

Dinner:Egg and bacon pie.
Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake and Apricot Sponge and ice cream.
27th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Crackers and vegemite and peanuts

Dinner: Sausages, chips (from my frozen spuds) eggs
Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake and Rhubarb Crumble Cake.
28th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa

Lunch: Vegetable and chicken soup (made from veg from garden and chicken stock + meat from a roast chicken that had been in the freezer)

Dinner: Corned beef, potato, corn and peas from garden.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake + Rhubarb cake

29th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa,

Lunch:    Vegie soup like yesterday

Dinner:  Chorizo and bean Stew

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake

              Rhubarb cake.

30th

Breakfast: Cup of cocoa, bowl of cornflakes

Lunch: Corned beef sandwich

Dinner: Cold chicken and salad

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake & Apricot sponge.

I now have some space in my freezer BUT not enough so I will continue this challenge.

New Addition Plus August Round-up

Whilst out in the garden today I noticed some vegies ready to pick. I am always keen to pick when they are young and tender. Today's offerings were broccoli, kale and cauliflower which I turned into stirfry for tonight's dinner and tomorrows dinner. 

I dug around as I was planting my next crop of potatoes (Tasmanian favourites, Pink-eyes and Dutch Creams). I found these beauties still in the ground from the last crop. They were roasted for tonight's dinner.

I also found enough mushrooms in the garden for the bearded wonder's lunch. I fried them in butter and he had them on toast. HINT: I always use a shaving brush to clean down the mushrooms whilst preparing them for eating.

Although we have 1 more official week of winter, it sure looks like Spring is here.

Blossoms adorn the Nectarine tree, with the promise of a good crop. Hope so....I love home grown nectarines in February.

The garden has an overwhelming scent of hyacinths, boronia, stocks and daphne.

The bearded wonder erected a sculpture in the garden for me so that's an addition and so is Ellie, a beautiful seven year old golden spaniel who we have adopted, as her previous owner, a 92 year old lady was put into care. She is a lovely quiet and calm girl and I'm hoping those traits will rub off on our boisterous boy.  They get on well together. Poor Ellie has a touch of arthritis and was quite overweight but now she is an ideal weight for her breed. She had led a very sheltered life and never been for walks, so with us she is active and keen to go in the car and discover new places and try out new experiences like going to the beach and walking in the bush.

After selling most of my hens from last years hatchings, I have kept 5 and they have started laying now that the days are getting longer. I haven't had to buy eggs all winter because my faithful  Aracauna gave me an egg most days. Yesterday, I re-potted all my orchids and set up an irrigation system for them as they were a bit neglected thanks to one brown dog that would tip them out of their pots when he was small. I'm not taking any chances now and I've put them on high shelves in the shade house, which acts as the dogs' bedroom. No flowers this year but maybe next.

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

My rhubarb is growing like mad so I cut some the other day to make a cake with. Here's the delicious recipe.

RHUBARB CAKE

Serve cold or warm with cream, marscapone, custard or icecream.
Dust with icing sugar for presentation.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
115g butter or margarine (or 1/3 cup rice bran oil or vegetable oil)
1 egg
2 cups plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 cup sour milk (add 1 Tbspn vinegar to milk)
3 cups rhubarb, peeled and finely chopped (1 bunch)

Topping: 1/2 cup brown sugar (or raw sugar)
½ cup rolled oats
1 heaped Tbs softened butter or margarine
Method:
Place all ingredients, except rhubarb in bowl and beat well until combined.
Add rhubarb and fold into mixture
Put mixture into a baking paper lined square tin or a greased baking dish.
Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over cake
Bake at 180C for approx. 1 hour or until ready when tested with a skewer.

Superb dessert.

Winter.......Finally Arrived With A Vengeance

After being very mild for the first 7 weeks of winter, all of a sudden we are shocked into consciousness. Here at the beach we have experienced 110km hr winds which caused a blowout in my hothouse. Hail accumulated on the deck and in the garden. 

And after the wind blew the clouds away we got to see Kunyani, complete with snow. No wonder the people of Hobart call the mountain "the big refrigerator".

Treasure of Bream Creek

Bream Creek is a nearby village not far from my home. On the 1st Sunday of every month there is a farmers market that showcases brilliant, local foods and produce as well as talent. It brings the community together in a terrific atmosphere of clean, rural life.

Car is parked and I'm ready for action.

The fresh vegies looked so inviting, I just had to buy some. The bearded wonder had a colourful variety for dinner tonight.

For everything fig, including fig trees.

Jams, pickles and chutneys.

Cider that tastes like liquid apple pie...delicious.

Promise of an early spring.

Barbequed tentacles from locally caught octopus.

Mustards from the Lean-to Kitchen

Bream Creek has vineyards so the wines only have to travel a few kilometres.

Aha!!! My favourite stall, Vintage Sugar. Every thing is presented so nicely and there goodies are extremely tasty.

The cupcakes look so beautiful. Almost too good to eat......

I love ginger beer and to have it made just up the road is wonderful.

Love the stripey lids.

Time for the bearded wonder to have a coffee, I did drag him out before breakfast.

Soup, Just the thing for a winter's day.

This shed is a new addition. I like its agricultural look.

People laden with their purchases.

The view on the way home, via Marion Bay, Boomer Bay through Dunalley past the Dunalley canal where the bridge was open allowing a boat to pass through into Frederick Henry Bay.