Brrrrr....

Cold here this morning...and a big frost, so me being the wimp that I am, waited till after breakfast (and the sun had come up) to go for my morning walk.

Back home then, for my morning coffee...and my new accompaniment...

should have taken the photo before I started eating it...sorry...but I was hungry :)

 

 

I've been having Castello Blue Vein cheese on my morning sourdough for...how many years??? so decided a change was in order. 

 Sourdough with peanut butter, banana and a sprinkle of mixed spice.

Yummo!!!

Then I baked the Rock Cakes that were on my 'to do' list from yesterday...

Here's the recipe I used.  If you click on the photo it should bring it up large enough to read...

 

I added some almond meal, cardamom and allspice, and I didn't have any mixed peel, so used fresh, grated lemon rind. 

They smell good...but I haven't tried one yet.

 

Will spend an hour doing some tidy up work in the garden while the sun shines...

 

Then I will have earned a rock cake...or two :))

 

xx

The (not so) big city

Had a night in Launceston on the weekend.  With Marnie and Denver, for Denver's 15th birthday.  It was his request...seeing the (not so) big city lights and going to the movies and a special breakfast at one of the trendy cafes.

So while they were at the movies on Saturday afternoon, I walked the the streets, then went back to the motel to sit on the balcony with a cup of tea and enjoy the views...

We had take away chinese for dinner, and took in the view of the night lights...

 

 

 

We also visited the RSPCA dog's home as Marnie and Denver are looking for a dog (to go with their cat), but unless you wanted one the size of a small horse, there was not much to choose from.

 

It's now Tuesday and I've just made chicken and cashew stirfry (must be a carry-on from the weekend) and had some for lunch...

 

and I'll probably be eating it for the rest of the week...

 

Cold and grey and looks like rain.  Had planned on baking rock cakes today also, but it will soon be time for my afternoon walk (if the rain holds off), so they might have to go on the list for tomorrow.

 

I think a cup of tea and some knitting is in order...

 

xx

 

 

My kind of morning

Went for my walk before breakfast this morning...it was foggy...how could I resist!  It was cold (around 4'C I think, but not icy)   I took the camera...

 

By the time I was leaving the river the sun was coming up and the fog was clearing...

 

xx

 

 

Grey

Not me...well, apart from my hair...  I'm talking about the day...

But I love grey days!  Especially when walking around the river.

I've been going for my morning walk after breakfast on these cold, frosty, almost winter days.  I do prefer to walk earlier, when there are no people around, not that there are many when I go later, but early morning, new day dawning is my favourite time.

I did get all the lawns mowed yesterday.  Strange how much better I feel when the lawns are done, it almost gives the illusion that the garden is under control :)

So I don't feel so guilty having an inside day today, and there is light misty rain just starting...


Still working on the grey/brown crocheted squares.  I think I've done about 100.  But I received the annual newsletter from Wrap With Love, one of the charities I support on and off, so I bought some bright coloured yarn to knit blanket squares...

 I might need to put the sunglasses on while working on them

 

 

And when the colour all gets too much for me, I can escape to my neutral crochet and my book...

 

 

 

Picked more tomatoes yesterday, some are still a bit green, but as we've had a few frosts I thought it best to bring them inside...

 they will still ripen inside

And for dinner last night (and a bowl in the fridge to re-heat for tonight)...

savoury rice (brown rice, carrot, peas, corn, parsley) bratwurst sausage, onion/tomato sauce (with cumin, coriander, turmeric, allspice)

 

For lunch today...lamb and vegie soup...cooked in my new crockpot/slow cooker that Marnie and Denver gave me for Mother's Day :)

 

 

Eat Knit Read

 

xx

 

 

Mother's Day continues...

...with a delivery of flowers and chocolates from Natasha in Texas...

decisions...decisions...

I did stop at two!!!

 

My penance is to go mow the lawns...

 

Maybe that will earn me another two :))

 

xx

A Sunday drive

The peace and quiet of a Sunday afternoon drive...

the back of beyond

And this lovely poem by Amy Carmichael:

Vows of the Sisters of Common Life

 

My Vow: Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will do it.

 

 

My Constraint: Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.

 

 

My Confidence: Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.

 

 

My Joy: To do Thy will, O God.

 

 

My Discipline: That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.

 

 

My Prayer: Conform my will to Thine.

 

 

My Motto: Love to live, live to love.

 

 

My Portion: The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.

************

 

And some Mother's Day treats...

Belated Mother's Day wishes to all you mothers out there!

xx

 

One bowl wonders...and other riveting stuff

 I try to simplify my meals as much as possible...in the preparation and the eating.  So I bought a couple of big, deep (Corelle) bowls, and when possible eat my 'one bowl wonder' meals from them.  When I cook I try to make enough base recipes for two or three subsequent meals, and vary them by perhaps adding some streamed vegies, nuts, etc.

 

Here's some I've enjoyed recently...

 

 

rice, lentil/vegie loaf, sardines, steamed carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, silverbeet

lentil/vegie loaf, sardines, beetroot, tomato, tomato relish

 apricot chicken, mashed potato/sweet potato/carrot, tomato, cashews

apricot chicken, mashed potato/sweet potato/carrot, steamed broccoli, tomato

(looking pale because the heat steamed the camera lens!)

And if you don't know what Apricot Chicken is...the recipe is HERE.  I was going to link you to a recipe, but they all seem so complicated compared to mine, so guess I'll just have to type it out...

Lynda's Apricot Chicken

chicken breasts
onion
pkt french onion soup
can apricot nectar

Chop the onion (you don't even have to use an onion if you don't have one, but I usually do) and saute in some olive oil.  Chop/slice the chicken breasts (as if for a stir fry), and add to pan and cook (only takes a few minutes as it is sliced thinly).  Add the apricot nectar and french onion soup mix.  Stir/cook till thickened (5 minutes?).  And there you have it!!  Serve with...whatever you like!

buon appetito!

And now for something completely different....


Remember these squares I was crocheting...and no!!...I am not undoing them again :))

I have decided to edge them in this dusty pink...it's called Pecan and although it looks quite pink/mauve in the photo it's actually more of a browny pink, especially with the brown/grey neutral coloured squares.  Just a hint of colour...  I think I will like it!

And looking forward to reading THIS book which arrived in the mail today (good old Book Depository...I'm sure I must be keeping them in business!!!)

All this food talk has made me hungry so will make some lunch (left over vegies which I will fry an egg with) and then some crochet/read time.  A river walk later this afternoon, a stop in at the supermarket on the way home and then tea/dinner/supper to cook.  I'll actually have to prepare a base dish tonight (oh bother!)

Hope you are having the bestest of days!!

 

xx

Up and running.

After being stalled due to headaches the previous week, last week I was up and running again.  What have I been doing?

Garden

 

 Digging out a curry plant and trimming a couple of others

It took some digging to get the roots out.  Another one to go on the left of the photo

Cooking

 a lentil/vegie loaf

 it was supposed to be burgers, but I made it into a loaf...it was easier...and baked in oven for 20 minutes

 

here's the recipe, but it is also HERE

 

I didn't have any chives, but added a dash of cumin, tumeric, curry powder, some chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds and lots of chopped parsley!

 

 

Knit/crochet

 

Taking a break from the knitted beanies...I made 12! 

 

Remember these squares I was knitting...

 I decided to undo them

And am now crocheting smaller squares for a throw...

these are about 4 1/2" (12cms), the squares were 11" (28cms) using 2 strands of yarn together

Preserve and eat

Made more tomato relish...with the tomatoes in the freezer from last season.

 

Made blackberry/strawberry jam with last seasons frozen produce.

 

Still eating tomatoes from the garden, and apples from my tree. 

 

I got 7 very large and lovely Golden Delicious apples from the tree.  Which is quite amazing as I had chopped it down to a stump because I was going to remove it...but it grew again...and produced these yummy apples.  So I guess it can stay :))

 

Lunch time...left-over lentil loaf...

 

After rain yesterday, we are enjoying a sunny (but cold wind) day.  Good for drying the sheets...

 

Be blessed!

 

xx