Home Grown....who'd have thought !!

Todays harvest from the Garden

I know I keep harping on about the veg, but I am continually amazed daily by what I can gather from walking into my own backyard.........it's like a bounty of goodies silently waiting for me to select them and share our table with them......I'm certain that this is what people are meant to do......be in touch with the earth that grows their food.....watch it grow, nurture it, treat it gently.....it gives back a hundred fold for all the loving attention....Life is so good.....I find something to amaze me everyday.   I wish everyone could have this joy.

What I'm reading ..........

I belong to an amazing bookclub run by the local community house....very eclectic mix of people.....retired local doctor, retired journalist, local gentleman thespian.......to name a few..to date we haven't had very good books as a group, but the discussions are always fantastic...very educated bunch and have fantastic insight into the novels....and very diverse opinions on what makes a good read.

Last months book was The Household Guide to Dying...as the title suggests the subject matter is a little morose, but written with black humour in an attempt to make light of death and all it involves.....not really my cup of tea.....but worth a read.....looking forward to hearing what the group think......hopefully next months book will bring more joy !!

Some of the crops

The lettuce and zucchini's, eggplants & capsicums

 Pic's of the vegie gardens.....I check on them everyday to see how things are growing....I can't wait for all of the pumpkins to mature and be ready to harvest...along with the tomatoes, etc.... 

Some of the tomatoes...

This is the corn....not sure how it will go

The QLD blue



More tomatoes



My first tomato ...

The tomato crop is going fantastic....this is the first one to ripen up....so beautiful almost too good to eat...but we did...sliced it up, onto a muffin, salt and pepper...delicious...taste is so different from a commercially grown tomato.  Can't wait for the rest of them to ripen....

This is Daphne she's 3 years old

...and this is the baby Daisy..she's 5 months old

Doggie treats for my two girls....

Was given a recipe for organic wholemeal dog biscuits from the shop where I buy the goodies to make my own bread.....seemed like a good idea so I gave them a try.....the girls Daphne and Daisy were happy to tackle them...they may be a little big for Maltese X's but they gave them a good old go....will package some up for my daughter's dog Gilbert ...he's a staffy and will have no problem scoffing a few.....

We Relish the Relish !!

 

Well I have made the zucchini relish....a lot of zucchini's only made 5 small jars of relish...but it is really delicious...served with tasty cheese and crackers on a fruit platter...everyone gobbled it up and asked for more !!  Not only first time making relish, but first time ever using produce from my own veggie garden......wonders will never cease.

Just waiting now for the multitude of tomatoes on the vines to ripen so that I get try my hand at tomato sauce, passata etc....  watch this space!

Growing your own !!

First time growing vegies...what an amazing feeling to go into the garden and dig up some potatoes, pick some beans and zucchinis and have them for dinner....a small step for a little self-sufficiency.
Can't wait for the tomatoes, pumpkins, eggplant, strawberries, rhubarb, capsicums, lettuces and yes even corn !!  All organic, no pesticides, just charlie carp fertilizer, lots of water and worm tea from my worm farm (which is going okay after a bad start) . Have a huge oversupply of zucchinis, trying my hand at zucchini relish (friends recipe) , see how it goes.
It really is a joy to produce your own food....who knew it could be so rewarding and so far quite successful....
Quick note on the baby chickens...doing very well, are now 5 weeks old...first time ever raising fertilized eggs....mother hen has been fantastic....she adores them...just hope they aren't roosters....could be a problem !!

2013 Welcome the new year

Happy New Year....I love the end of the old and the beginning of the new....It's all about fresh starts and new beginnings for me...saying goodbye to last year and all of the joy, difficulties, good times and not so good....thats what life is about.  The dawn of the new year brings hope for beautiful days, good health for all and finding joy in the everyday.  Simple things that form the tapestry of a life well lived.  My mother celebrated her 80th birthday on 1st January...dad and all of us were there to celebrate this milestone...I feel so lucky to have both of my parents as many of my friends have neither mum or dad still with them...fingers crossed I have them for many years to come...enjoy the year whatever it brings.