It seems like at least a month since last Friday! A lot has happened and Friday isn't even over yet. At 7 35 we have the blood red moon/eclipse so I will be running outside for that. I might drive up the hill for a best view. I thought after the planets literally aligning I have to see this!
As I made dinner, a little while ago, I was still making jam. This week I picked figs plus Chloe also picked me some. I ended up with 5 kilos (10 and a half pounds.)
I used 6 kilos to make candied figs which later will be covered in chocolate for Easter gifts. These are like old fashioned candied fruit... chewy and good. Then I got on to some jam. I am doing small batches in the microwave as it keeps the colour better and I don't need to send near the stove worrying about it catching on the bottom.
I always put almonds in the jam. It is so delicious!
The tree is huge and many more are coming on so much more picking... (this tree is at Chloe's house.)
Also... the tree has loads of baby trees coming up all around it. I am going to dig some up and plant them in my orchard.
When I closed last Friday I had a big box of veggies but I was too tired to get it all unpacked... that had been one long day! So... Saturday morning the first thing I did was unpack, wash everything and work out a plan.
It was such beautiful stuff!
The tomatoes were on the soft side so I made a meatball bake and chopped them plus some capsicum and onion to bake. I served this with pasta and it made several meals.
The cauliflower.... I steamed the whole thing then made a huge Cauliflower cheese for Chloe's family and one for myself.
It was delicious!
I gave Mum lettuce and cucumbers, Chloe oranges, bananas and apple cucumbers... my helpers got half a rockmelon each...
Mainly I just lived on fresh things and still am!
The pears are ripening on towels in the living room. I gave some away plus traded some. The next pears are still on the tree and are huge! Bigger than any other year by far!
I pulled up a lot of spent summer plants. The chooks and ducks loved it. They got a load of very tiny tomatoes and bits and pieces.
I had been so excited about Autumn but summer just didn't leave. We needed up with two huge thunderstorms. The first one was Sunday. I went to Mum's and as I travelled it got darker and darker. Then there was lightening. So as I sat and drank tea and yacked with Mum fires began to break out. A phone call came that one had started on my brothers farm so we came outside and yep we could see smoke. I headed home keeping an eye on the smoke and then headed up the hill to check around. A number of fires broke out. The next evening we had an even bigger thunderstorm.. no rain... all electricity! Many fires broke out. There were over 45 going at one point. Some of these became pretty big and had up to seven aircraft working on them as well as fire trucks from the district. At one stage I was in a blanket of smoke but I never had a fire directly coming my way. (The smoke can be very unnerving though... ) And we had pretty still conditions. So now I think they are out... I hope so as tomorrow is going to be HOT AGAIN!
When the weather has allowed... I have started to plant up the trough planters. This week I filled one long trough with beans and two with peas. Next week I am adding a trellis.... and I will keep planting. I have been soaking the seeds over night. I am hoping so much to have all these garden beds producing!
If you saw my kitchen now... but I have figs ready to cook in the morning, candied figs drying out... things everywhere.
In the middle of this I saw a local ad on FB Buy, swap and sell... for a new looking generator for $250. I looked into it... and set off for a half hour drive.... it is an incredible bargain. Take every opportunity right! It is such a deal as the people are moving in a hurry to New Zealand. I am very pleased with it!
When it was hot and smoky I did what I needed outside (animals and watering) and got some sewing done.
This is a tea towel and matching pot holder.
Now I am moving on to pink sets. I found some crochet doilies in the thrift shop... and am drying them pink over the weekend. I hope to sew a pillowcase for Mum tomorrow for a bolster pillow for her bed.
I also hemmed a dress and this will put it into use during Autumn. (I have four to go.)
I saw the moon come up and it was huge and pink. So beautiful. What a perfect end to the week!
How did you build up your home, pantry, garden this week? Change of seasons is an exciting time!xxx
The family have all been out waiting for the moon.
Beautiful work Annabel ! All that fresh produce is so nice ! Your body will love it ! It is very hot here in Sydney very unusual for Autumn. And a heatwave predicted for the weekend. Strange. Have a beautiful week.
ReplyDeleteLove Sonia
Dear Annabel
ReplyDeleteI wondered about you all after the reports of 120 fires from the dry lightning storms. Very glad everyone was safe.
I am very intrigued by Chloe’s dark fig. Is it a named one or a seedling? You can grow them ever so easily from cuttings over winter. I use a recipe from your Aunt Kate Llewelyn from a book called Windfalls by Sue Ruchel and it’s such a lovely flowing jam. I’m sure those dark figs would make a very pretty jar with the depth of colour.
I love the moon watching onesie outfit, very appropriate !
Love
Kate
Annabel, Prayers your fire season ends soon, so sorry to hear of all that have surround you.
ReplyDeleteYour produce looks spectacular and the dish of meatballs look delicious. I envy the figs, we can't grow them this far north and finding them fresh in a store is impossible to find.
We had a slow week as I hadn't been doing to well. Though I was fortunate to be able to go to one store we normally don't go to as it is in the next county and a bad section of town.
I just couldn't resist their sale ad. I was able to get corned beef roasts at $1.98 and $2.98 lb, $4 less than the cheapest sale anywhere else. They went right into the freezer.
With St Patrick's Day sale I was able to get potatoes, carrots and onions on sale. I was so happy we were able to find the sales there.
We have been eating down the pantry and freezer so we would have room to replace items, though it seems no matter what the prices of everything is going up weekly here.
I live in an area where Canada will impose a 25% increase in energy to my US state. So looking towards trying to save on everything else. Praying for warmer weather so that the furnace doesn't need to turn on as much or any longer.
I have been working on a winter hat for husband, an easy pattern though hard to work with the black yarn. Hoping I have it done by next winter, (LOL!) Looking for a Spring like craft to make.
I did save a can of pumpkin that had just expired, it was turned into Pumpkin Maple Butter and Mango Jam from a bag of frozen mango slices. It felt good not to have it go to waste. Also I can say the butter was very good.
Prayers for all Bluebirds.
Dear Annabel, fire so close must have been very frightening. I am so glad nothing major happened and pray some rain and normal Autumn weather will come soon at your farm.
ReplyDeleteI like your sewing projects and isn*t it marvolous when you combine two or more different types, like crochet and sewing or knitting?
You are right, change of season is an exciting time. My fingers want to start working in the garden, especially now that we had some good rain, but still there is frost due for the next nights. Instead I pruned my dogroses in the orchard and picked all the remaining rosehips. Ussually I pick rosehips at the beginning of winter after the first frost and used them for tea filled with vitamin C. Still I leave a good portion of rosehips on the plant throughout the cold months that serve as food for any visiting bird in the orchard and now I fed them to the chickens / they went crazy for the red berries. The report here is - they are laying well!
For the cat lovers I have a story - Creamy, my 13 year old cat (who is the boss of everyone and everything, a most inteligent blue eyed cat) gave birth to 2 kitten and stopped, although I could still feel at least one inside her, so at the firts hour in the morning we were at the vet cabinet. She was eating and acting normal but did not care about the babies. After an ecograph Indeed a baby with heart still beating remained inside. She was induced labour with medicine and gave birth to another little kitten. Now she is at home, relaxed and an excellent mother to her babies. I have never heard before or happen to any of my cats in the 20 + years.
I managed to have a no spend month in February and ate or use up everything from the pantry, from home or barter. I did cook as a game, whatever it was pulled out form the fridge or brought up from the cellar and the money saved was used to buy whatever was at sales, although we did not find many items. Proud to say, I did not pay whole price for anything lately.
Back to kitting orders, and that is good because we still have long evenings to stay inside.
I look forward to reading all the cooments from such a pleasant company here.
Sending love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
What a good week, one of my favourite fruit is fig’s. Your pears will make lots of thing for the winter. You are so right to say grow as much food as you can. Food will never go down in price.
ReplyDeleteThis week I have be buying dried herbs. One of the most interesting is hawthorn berry’s The berry’s look very underwhelming, but add to a tea they are so good for you. I like the idea of helping myself and looking after your health. Next week I’m doing a 3day course on a blue print for herbalist. This will be send me to look at food that will heal.
Last Sunday was warm and my brain said start sewing seed. Today it’s half the temperature of Sunday. I can’t wait to start gardening. Have a good weekend lady’s. Denise
It was too cloudy to see the red moon here. I'm glad you all got to see it! Going into Spring now here and oh the glorious fruit is coming in season and we are living on it like you. Strawberries are cheap and delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and productive week. The jam looks amazing and all the delicious dishes you made from that produce box too, my mouth is watering. I do love those tea towels, did you crochet the boarder lace .,they are stunning and useful such a good combination, it has been very hot here, summers last hoorah! Cool weather is coming late sunny night and I’m looking forward to it .enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh my. I was hoping you would get some rain, not dry thunderstorms! Its been an interesting week in northern nsw and se qld…. Mains power still not on in some areas of the gold coast. They have brought in large generators which are parked in the middle of the road to supply clusters of homes temporarily where it will be a while longer before they get to those areas. Sandbags were in very short supply and i now see a use for old chicken feed bags…. Schools were closed. One i know of was closed for 2 days due to cyclone and 2 days for cleanup and waiting for power. The damage will take a number of months to fully rectify. Those prepared with food and a way to cook and lighting did pretty well. What did seem to be an issue was bathing. Clearly learning the art of a sponge bath whilst camping has been lost! Supermarkets were sold out and closed. Even on thursday night my friend said she had to go to several to get bread for school lunches as most places had sold out.
ReplyDeleteMy friend in Brisbane said that there was no bread in supermarkets but a bakery was selling 1 loaf per person. People were lined up out the door and round the corner and still not grateful for what they could get. She went to the supermarket snd asked when the milk was due in. The man said about 10 minutes. She waited. When it arrived adults were pushing and shoving each other out of the way to get to it. Toilet paper all over again.
Last Friday was my grocery day. I didnt go. Figured everything would be sold or closed. Popped into the village for bread and milk and they were closed and sandbagged so returned home, grabbed the uht out of the cupboard, and make a loaf of bread and a tray of cinnamon scrolls. Happy days. Word on the street was the town had almost no groceries on wed and thur anyway. The loads for this town come from Brisbane and roads were still cut Monday i think. So grateful for a pantry where a delay getting groceries isnt a problem!! This is why i say, you need at least quadruple your normal shopping. I had been 3 weeks between shops. That stretched to 4. If i had been sick, or flooded in it would have been longer again. If you then have visitors stuck with you, thats your buffer gone.
Anyway, i had a long list of shops yesterday! Lots of the shops were only just getting their loads through. Pet store, kmart, big w all had pallets and lots of them arriving. Literally were wheeling pallets out to make room in the store room and then leaving them while they unloaded the next truck. It did make it tricky to move around stores.
Got all the early stuff done and got to Aldi. Fruit and vege stripped. Wow. They had big bags of spuds, cabbage, some salad bags, and strawberries. That was about it. Meat wasnt much better. The rest was pretty good although they are several weeks behind in the special buys (which didnt bother me at all!!)
Woolworths was better for fruit and vege, but their deli was almost empty. Nil chicken products, lots of sliced meat missing also. Very little bread, no english muffins (i really need to learn. Anyone got a foolproof recipe? The ones ive tried have been a flop!). Popped across to coles and managed to get some chicken from the meat dept. their deli was basically empty.
Take homes:
1. Keep more groceries than you need. Lots more.
2. Bread and milk and toilet paper shortages will cause adults to behave like animals. Avoid the crush if you can.
3. Once a crisis is over, if you can wait a few extra days you will do better as it takes a while for loads to catch up
4. Learn the art of a sponge bath and have washers, soap and a suitable bucket on hand.
5. Most of my team were without power 7 days. By the end of that, they were getting a bit fractious. Make sure to plan for treats and things to make that better!
Missy.