procrastinating... again

This morning was cold.

Windy and brisk.

But not quite brisk enough to see me lose the thongs today. I'm not a shoe lover, me. And it takes quite a decent amount of chill to see me don them. It's one of the things I'm grateful for about Australian Winters up here. Perfect for the casual non fuss don't hole me in kinda gal.

But aside, after morning school drop off today, and still flapping around in the flip flops, I found myself heading out as usual with a steaming fresh brew and a recipe book under my arm to my new *perch* in the garden. I'm starting to feel like there's something missing if I haven't ritually *taken my tea* in the garden before I really start my day you know? It's like that deep breath, splash your face with cold water awakening... and sometimes steadying.

On cold mornings like this I find myself coaxed further from my usual stoop to follow the sun which touches now in its warmest giving on the steps of the cubby house at the very back of the garden.

From this warmest of high posts I can look down on the garden and still plan my doings... and plantings and pickings of course.... and chat to the girls right next to me as I sip, while the hot steam condenses on my nose and the sun seems to magically fix itself to my skin all the way through those layers of clothes.

The plan today was to finish an assignment I should be working on straight after the last drip of my tea. But as I sat drifting in that intoxicated blissful sunned state, my vague scrutiny of the edible greens passing before my eyes, the heavy enduring line of chokos across my fence caught my attention again...and again. After all it was recipes of preserves I had that favourite of all recipe books under my arm for... though just not exactly for today.

But alas procrastination wins out again...

or maybe it's the need to not let any of my gardens yields go to waste?

Either way that assignment was (somewhat guiltily) put on the burner for tomorrow.

So with warmed toes and a tea filled belly I headed back indoors for a spell, my jumper quickly converted to a carryall and sinking from the weight of freshly picked fruit to boil jars and bubble chutney over the stove instead.

Well at least I'm a productive procrastinator.

oranges and lemons....

the bells of St Clements...

I keep finding I'm singing this to myself lately.

Winter is definitely all about citrus.

And winter is also all about warm desserts.

You know helping you add that extra unwanted layer for warmth over the cooler months? Hmm.

Well this year, even though it's still not quite officially Winter yet, I've been blessed with picking my own citrus from the backyard. Finally. My first real lemon harvest and my first ever oranges.

A small modest harvest, yes.

A little seedy, yes.

But super sweet and *real* tasting, oh yes.

Am I a bit chuffed? Yes indeed!

And for me Winter citrus just has to be turned into a warm citrus delicious. Aside from a rustic apple crumble it's my next favourite cold night dessert. A creamy warm tangy self saucing pud with the lightest spongy meringue top. So so good with a hot aromatic cuppa.

So good indeed I've made it twice this week already.

So what's helping you layer your bones for warmth this season?

The last minute risky decision to sow my final few rosella seeds in the Summer garden has proved most fruitful this Autumn...

by way of blossom, fruit and jam for our chilly morning toast.

And even though the Autumn shade is encroaching on the garden... a little more than my green fingers would like... my bushes are continuing on with perfect bleeding throated blooms and fleshy finger staining calyxes.

There will be more peeling to be done on the deck... stirring over the stove and steaming thick red liquid locked in glass jars to make that sweet popping sound of a successfully preserved Autumn.

in my kitchen

Just some of my favourite things from the kitchen lately.
I can relax for the rest of this week and enjoy these simple things as I'm now looking at the back of the first exam of my studies.
I am feeling rightly challenged and a little invigorated by the whole process. It's been a while since I have had to ignite quite that much kindling upstairs if you know what I mean. It feels good. Really good.
Combine this with some warmer weather and the desire for fresh foods and you have a recipe for cheerfulness....
Lately I've been living on fennel salads and fresh lemon myrtle tea still.
My goodness there are some delicious sounding fennel recipes out there. I however have not moved past the orange and pine nuts yet but I'm thinking the haloumi might just get me to.
And then thinking about summer not being quite so conducive to hot drinks I also couldn't help but try out a recipe for lemon myrtle cordial I found from this wonderful little community for the upcoming hotter days.
After tracking down some local trees to *harvest* some more leaves from I discovered this cordial is a winner.
You must try the recipe out here.
So as you maybe start digging into your own summer salads (or winter breads depending on where you are) ...happy crunching and bottoms up!
There really is always something happy happening about the kitchen.

the weekend view

It's been another long weekend in our corner. Another long weekend without a camping trip because I've opted for extra shifts at work... you know the things we do to keep it all flowing.
But amidst a few somewhat grumpy tired Mama moments...ahuh there have been those... there has also been time to bake some gluten free cupcakes....oh yes!

And pick the first of this seasons guavas from our tree.

Then eat them in the glowing golden hues of a setting sun.

Delicious.

There was time for watery leaf races.

No one lost...we all won.

There were some stolen moments just sitting watching the dolls play on the deck...

And there was crafting and creative spelling.

Did you know wine cork turtles are pretty cool?

And so is the grin this gives me every time I pop into Mia's room.

Not too bad for a working weekend...

the weekend view from home is certainly worth keeping it all afloat.

chambakka jelly

With thanks to an Indian door to door salesman munching on a pretty little pink fruit we now have jars of sweet jelly in our kitchen.
Known as Chambakkas in his native language... or here (after a little investigation) known commonly as Wax Jambus or Water Roseapples.
They grow on the nature strip across the street!
A large tree I hadn't paid heed to before and neither it seems had many others in the neighbourhood because the fruit, abundant and pink lay fallen and uneaten across the grass, as well as squished so sadly in a mass of waste on the road.
A quick courteous visit to these neighbours was in order before Mia and I promptly filled our basket with fruit and made our way to the kitchen to get boiling, squishing and jelly making.
How could such a source of unusual crunchy deliciousness have been so unknown to us for so long?

It was with big smiles that that salesman left our door that day.
Him without a sale but having had a most friendly chat in a new *world* he admitted he had few friends in, plus crisp fruit reminding him of home... and me with an amusing lesson in his native tongue (it feels good to know my clumsy accent gave him a giggle that day) and the knowledge of another new tree full of exotic goodness right outside home here.
Did you know in India *akka* means fruit and *chamb* is this type of fruit?
I do....now.

excess and deficit

We're still in the thick of cucumbers here. Giant Russian cucumbers.

Our little lemon cucumber vine has succumbed to mildew (unlike our, true to description, giant Russian vine) but not after giving us basket after basket full of crispy apple like fruit to munch freshly plucked in the garden or to fill our daily salads. It's space in the garden has now been quickly occupied by some rather pretty looking red Mekong amaranth. Mmm.

The giant vine powers on carrying close to half a dozen fast maturing gold beauties at a time. All carefully bagged of course to foil that pesky Queensland fruit fly. He is not a welcome visitor at our place that's for sure...but perhaps more on that later.
And so everyday I've popped out to cradle each hard fat small football fruit in my hands and wonder, as I smile broadly with a bit of pride at my successes in the cucurbit world, just what I am really going to do with them all.
And while attending to my garden meandering yesterday and plucking said giant golden cucumbers in preparation for my solution to our small glut...our excess....I spied the other protection bag I like to cradle often in anticipation.... it held the single apple on our little apple tree. And it was glowing slightly pink through the white bag and feeling rather excitedly round and plump until alas I felt that dreaded squishy feeling on it's base. Could it be blossom end rot from all the crazy rain lately....I couldn't be sure.

But what I was sure of however was that we were going to all eat that apple nevertheless (minus the squishiness of course), and with giant bites and squeals of pleasure at our small homegrown victory and the novelty of it, we passed it from hands to hands as we did exactly that. And it was the best tasting apple containing more of our garden's excess and deficit in that one swollen fruit!

And then, with my mouth still tingly with tasty satisfaction, it was back to the kitchen and the solution to our other excess which I found here. (scroll down just a little from her Mum's first reply)

And my oh my what a solution!

With memories of being teenage and *borrowing* jars of gherkins at lunchtime from the Home Economics rooms at high school (really what was I thinking...they are barely even recognisable as cucumbers.... and that acrid vinegar...well) I made this up last night.

And this morning we played here at home in the garden with our own homemade jar of fresh pickles and sunshine accompanying us... just for snacking of course... in excess

I highly recommend this super easy recipe. And I recommend you add the sesame oil.
I used just one giant cucumber and added a bit more pickling and I used white wine vinegar.

The chilli, well, I don't have any fresh fruiting in the garden yet so I added flakes from the pantry and my little one's don't mind a bit of zing...let me tell you they have inherited their Mama's love of pickley things...but I'll leave that up to you if you try it.

Happy pickles.

I'm off to pluck out another one...or two.

lemons and lavender

When there is a surplus of citrus from various home grown, organic sources and a rather large flowering lavender bush that has been catching your eye for weeks.... there's not much else to do but let the creative juices flow, maybe do a little research then get baking and making.

We baked absolutely heavenly lemon and lavender cookies to be precise.

Seriously if you do nothing else this citrus season you just must try these cookies...I insist!

You can find the easy recipe I followed right here...it also has links to manual instructions if you're not an appliance type of gal like me. And I have to admit I simplified the manual instructions even further and we did most of the crushing and combining with our own little hands...well isn't that really the only way to cook?

And the making? Well, aside from plucking the delicate mauve spikes of that lavender bush to inhale every time we brush by, we made lavender wands.

Their sweetness now preserved in a pretty case to tuck delicately into our clothes for future reminiscence... and just maybe to inspire more lavender and lemon cookies...who knows? wink

There are lots of tutorials for lavender wands around but I referred to my latest library book companion for some simple instruction. This book is seriously great...though Australian. You just may find yourself, like me, eyeing off plants in your wanders in a completely new and inspiring light! Even the lavender.

::: cumquat marmalade :::

It's that time of year, when the cumquat trees are bursting with tiny amber globes.
I like to think they hold a little bit of the Summer within their chubby golden bodies.
But loving cumquat marmalade as I do my small tree now stands quite bare.
I have been eyeing these off patiently through the autumn and now a more than satisfying bundle has gratefully and excitedly been harvested...

and after some slicing, soaking, boiling and setting.....

there are several deliciously tempting jars of cumquat marmalade in our house....yes, each holding their share of summer gone...trapped in a pretty glass jar....to be consumed with delight on warm toast.

I used this easy recipe here.

the perfect remedy

When the whole household looks doomed to spend the weekend overcome by sniffles, sneezes and coughs there really is only one perfect remedy....
to get baking - Pistachio, Banana and Cardamom cake baking.

Then find a sunny spot to scrape the bowl......

and let your creativeness shine by adding a little (or a lot) of orange icing.......

then eat said cake in the garden with pots of lotus tea of course.

Pistachio Banana Cardamom Cake

2 cups plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 180° C.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Place sugars and butter in another large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, sour cream, and cardamom and beat until blended. Add flour mixture then beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in the pistachios. Spoon batter into a greased and lined tin. Bake at 180° for about 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Ice with orange icing.

To make the orange icing combine icing sugar (approx3/4 to 1 cup), freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest (about a tablespoon)with a whisk. Adjust your ingredients until you achieve your required consistency. A good hint is to add your orange juice slowly so as not to make your icing too runny....if this happens simply add more icing sugar.....and round you go! Enjoy!

compensatory buns

After the full moon possum thievery of our hot cross buns on our recent escape I have felt an empty space that could only be filled with compensatory warm doughy and cinnamon-y goodness. I am not one for eating hot cross buns from January like the supermarkets seem to think we should..... I had been saving my sweet experience and ultimately it was sacrificed....to a very cute cause.

So I set to some post Easter baking......

Leftovers served particularly well for this much anticipated treat.
It is a machine recipe.

Post Easter Leftover Buns

2 1/2 tsp yeast
3 1/2 cups plain organic flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup of sultana's or cranberries....whatever you have in the cupboard. I used cranberries
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
300 mls water
Broken up chunky shards of leftover or excess Easter chocolate


Pop it all in the bread machine on the dough cycle. I found I needed to watch to check the consistency of the dough because depending on your type of flour or the weather it may need more water or more flour added.

When finished knead again to achieve an elastic dough and divide into a dozen buns. Place closely together on your baking tray and allow to rise for another 30 mins or so.

You may wish to glaze them with more butter, brown sugar and cinnamon if you are feeling very naughty.... I surprisingly refrained.

Bake for 30 mins at 180C.

Enjoy while they are still hot......

I do feel more than pleasantly compensated now.....