Black boy

I picked the first fruit on our black boy peach tree yesterday. It was the first fruit tree we planted here and I have been checking daily on our 10 peaches......( I was amazed that even got that many considering we planted the tree last winter)

They are super juicy, super sweet and super special!

Now for a heads up on a very very cool givaway, tottle off to Stella's blog and be in the draw to win one of her beautiful alphabet prints on your very own tote bag...whipeeeee

Feeling Blue

The School Hols seem to be zapping by at light speed. Good as I'm looking forward to returning to 'some kind of normal', not so good as I feel I haven't 'done' a lot of 'things' with the kids...get my drift?

We were very fortunate, however, to spend some time with my one of my faves and hang out for the day in Pohangina valley. There is a blueberry farm not too far from our place, and the kids and I had a total blast picking blueberries, Alex managed to fit 32 in his mouth at once...later complaining of a sore tummy!!! ( he rather fancied the sour ones!) My beautiful friend Tink, who came a picking with us (Twas her idea, bless her!) has just started her own blog 'milkface' So please pop over and say hello, she has a beautifully honest way of writing and I always enjoy reading what she has to say.

I was extremely lucky to go to her Mama's & snap some pics of her totally amazing house, it truly was like something Bilbo Baggins could live in. I had a very healing day breathing in the fresh country air, sharing delicious whole foods and sharing the company of like minded souls.

Here are some pics of their amazing whare......

And now to (finally) acknowledge the 'new year'

Like many of you amazing bloggers, I have attempted to set some 'new year' goals as opposed to resolutions.

Things that have been in the back of my mind for some time, and perhaps need the 'new year' excuse to be kicked into action?!

1: Sit my full license (I've had my restricted for 11 years would you believe?)

2: Start piano lessons (two of our children have been blessed with the opportunity to take music lessons, only to grow prematurely tired of them. I have ALWAYS wanted to be able to learn the piano, so I have decided to take it upon myself that I shall ignore the feelings of being selfish, & grasp this opportunity as an adult, with the passion I had 20 years ago, and dive on in....watch this space)

3: Go back to work....! Yes working, and NO not that full time work that some Mother's do, along with juggling everything else (I am not one of those!) But prior to having Ginny, I did part time work massaging some of the local IHC. I loved this...have missed it so much, and now that Gunny is not quite so demanding on the breast, I feel like the time is right to return.

4: Make my vege garden the mecca of green goodness! Yep my garden has suffered some neglect over the past 18 or so months, 2012 is going to be an opportunity to learn more self sufficient techniques, eat A LOT more from our garden/ local produce etc, all in the face of the current 'food bill bullocks'!

So....any good blueberry recipe's?

Entrepreneur

Today was a gardening day. A beautiful Autumnal day, no wind, the light doing that thing it does at this time of year when the greens of nature are 'really really' green.

Imogen had her first nuddy grass bum time, followed by a pooey explosion in my studio which began on the cloth nappy, moved to the blanket & ended up on the carpet, yes my new carpet in the studio!

It has been officially 'christened'.

Any how, gardening away & Fleur (4) asked if she can take a photo, her new favourite thing to do. I say 'ok' just one picture, her reply '4 please'....'alright 4, no more or you'll run the batteries out'. Time passes & I realise she's gone wondering with the camera. 'Fleur put the camera back now'...'but my 4 minutes isn't finished!' (minutes?) Classic! So I go through the camera & discover about...hhmmm...40,000 photos of the garden, bless her, a blogger in the making. I had to post some of them as they are so bloody good, I was pleasantly surprised as our camera is an el-cheapo-of the borrowed kind. It was quite cute actually as lots of the pics had her little Shadow in them. I threw the last two in for a giggle, Fleur's self portrait followed by Mum wrestling the camera from Fleur.

Look at those eyelashes!

We even cleaned out the glass house.

because...

my lovely lost his job yesterday.

gulp.

Self sufficient-el-budget-recipes welcome

Chicken & Leek Pie

Chicken & Leek Pie:

2 Chicken breasts, 1 large or 2 small leeks, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 heaped tsps of seeded mustard, 1 chilli, 1/4 cup of white wine & cream, 2 good dollops of sour cream, S&P

Pastry:

2 C flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 175 grams of butter, enough cold water to bind.

Chop chicken & leeks, saute in a dash of olive oil with your garlic, cooking the chicken first. Add the wine and reduce, then the cream's & mustard and spoon into a pastry lined pie dish such as the gorgeous one in the pic below which I scored today for $4.50.

Pop a pastry lid on top, brush with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake 180 C until golden on top Approx 40 min

My lovely seduced me with this when we first met. It was the first thing he cooked me on my 'first sleepover' xox

Fleur and I had a fossik in the garden and discovered that our first corn of the year was ready! So second breakfast it was. Yum.

Now were cooking up the blackberry haul, inspired by this great book called 'fruits of the earth', Gloria Nicol. A beautiful book which has many old fashioned and hedgerow inspired recipes for jam's chutney's etc....and a section on cordials which is what were making today.

Blackberry Cordial:

900gms of ripe blackberries

Sugar.

Place blackberries on a bowl with 100mls of water and boil in a double boiler for an hour breaking them up with a spoon as you go. Strain through a sieve and add 450gms of sugar for every 600mls of juice. Put this on the heat and bring JUST to the boil, remove and bottle in sterilized bottles or freeze.

I used to make a similar mix with black Doris plums which was heaven after a hot day in the garden mixed with soda water. I guess you could use this recipe as a standard for any berry cordial.

Results: bliss