Home harvests..

With busy times at the moment, it is heartwarming to walk out to the vegie garden at the end of the day and harvest items for that night's dinner.

Sunday's harvest:broccoli, small cauliflower, young cabbage, snowpeas and eggs.

This mornings forage: Cauliflower,4 eggs, kale, asparagus & one shallot

 

 

Budget dinner when two of the grandsons were here on Friday night consisted of beef & vege casserole topped with herby cheese dumplings.....grandson #2 went home and told his Dad that I fed them ducklings!

 

 

Pictures, Progress and Planning...........

Pictures:

A few random photos from around the place this morning....


Water kefir & citrus cleaner brewing on the bench

Our first crop from this Meyer lemon tree

Sir Bebe le Pew keeping an eye on the Bringer of the Bucket

Roxie-our 3 year old Isa Brown

Chickens-busy

I feel warm just looking at this pile

 

 

Progress:

 

We have been having rainy periods interspersed with sunshine-perfect for the garden! In here you will see 3 varieties of cabbage, kale, pak choy, rocket, mixed lettuce and peas. In the background you can just see the broad bean plants.

Vegie garden coming along nicely

Another view

 

Planning:

 

The rear of our home faces North East-which is fantastic for passive solar principles in the Southern Hemisphere ( the opposite applies for those readers in the Northern Hemisphere!) and is why we chose this block & this house plan.

 

From day 1 a timber pergola has been planned for the area outside my husband's study window-it is a large window and the winter sun that streams through helps warm the living room which is just behind the study.

 

The concrete pad has been in position for nearly two years now...and we have finally saved up enough to buy the timber! I'm hoping to have it up by Spring...and will be growing a grape vine over the top.

 

As the grape vine is deciduous it will shade the study window during the warmer months and give us a lovely area to sit and enjoy our BBQ's; then in the winter the sun will be able to do it's job of helping warm our house....and of course fingers crossed we will have grapes to eat as well!

 

The concrete pad waiting for the pergola to provide summer shade 7 winter sun...has been here for two years.

Showing the site of the planned pergola in respect to the house. The covered are you can see in the background will eventually be enclosed as a year round family room-it comes straight off our kitchen dining area.

No idea why blogger has turned this plan! The red lines are where the beams will be-a grape vine will be grown over the top of the structure.





Sunshine & sniffles.....

When I went outside this morning at 7am I was greeted by a lovely crisp morning-with frost covering the landscape. In the distance a thick fog carpeted the paddocks and water was starting to drip from branches.

I let the hens out and went back inside to discover that it was -3.8c at that point....explained why my toes were so cold....I suggest that Birkenstock thongs are not the best choice of footwear on mornings like these!

Broadbean seedling ringed with frost

 

 

Broccoli  and cauliflower seedlings





I have come down with a case of the winter sniffles and was intrigued to find a method for a DIY Eucalyptus Vapor Rub online. With all the ingredients at hand I decided to try it for myself-leaving out the Vitamin E oil mentioned.

 

Ingredients: Olive oil, beeswax and eucalyptus oil

6 oz ( 2/3cup) olive oil with approx. 20 gram chopped beeswax

Beeswax and olive oil after melting over a low heat in a saucepan-eucalyptus oil about to be added.

Mixture poured into jar and already starting to set

After 10 minutes the rub is almost set.

 

DIY Eucalyptus Rub.

Ingredients: 6oz ( 2/3 cup) Olive oil, 20gram beeswax, eucalyptus oil ( I used 10-15ml)

Method: Pour olive oil into heatproof container and add roughly chopped beeswax. Melt over low heat, stirring. Allow to cool slightly then add eucalyptus oil and pour into small jar. Allow to set and apply as required.