Feather your Nest Friday, 18th September, 2026.

I crammed a lot into a week but only sort of because I did not really keep up.   If you came here you could tell by the floors and other clues.  BUT I think the next week I will be home and not even go to get groceries and catch up.

One of the nicest things this week was picking wildflowers and I also have some flowers and Bay Leaves from Mum's garden.   Somehow I forgot how uplifting it is to have flowers in the house.   When I walk into a room I see them and just love them!  And there are many weeks ahead I can pick more.  I have my eyes on some spots that I've been year after year that are not quite ready yet.   

I also am making up a bouquet for someone as a gift.   Spread the joy a little bit.

Mum has several huge Bay trees.  I am drying a big lot to store and also package for Christmas. 

Since watching Urban QLD Homestead I bought a good pie maker.   It makes a proper bakery sized pie.

On Monday I filled my biggest slow cooker with beef, onions, mushrooms, carrots and tomato base.   I let it cook all day and evening to be very tender.

The next day I made pies.  I got 28!    This tray went to Chloe's  and I froze the rest.   They are in my ready meals freezer.  

When I cut out the top and bases I had a little area in two corners.... I cut these out with a glass and made a whole stack of jam tarts.

Last Friday I had the man in the cabin... he brought me so much wonderful produce.  I shared a good amount of this.   Then I got to work.   The asparagus was beautiful and I ate that with my meals. 

I freeze dried a heap of Parsley.

FD'd Spring onions and leeks.

I cooked Spinach and made little frozen "hockey pucks."

I FD'd Thyme,  Oregano and a heap of Broccoli.

I decided I am going to make green powder.... which is something I've felt the better than me preservers make and add to cooking.  It's brilliant actually.    So I have made a start and I am freeze drying some lettuce and parsley to add to that jar.   Next week I can do a lot of Silverbeet and soon Broccoli leaves.

I made two tea loaves.  I promised this recipe.  It turns out I only need to say this is Mary Berrys Earl Grey tea loaf which I double and I just use regular tea.  It is delicious and saves you the cost of butter.

 

Mum made a hat to go with my woollen pram blanket which I love and I kept working on a single bed blanket... which I hope to have finished by this time next week.

Chloe took the kids for a lovely picnic at Nana Pat's hence all the Bay leaves and lovely Lavender.

For my boys afternoon we sifted through sand and rocks looking for fossils!   We learned all about fossils for the afternoon.

I have a new oven.  My old over was fifty years old and I loved it.  But less and less has been working.  It was really hard to see it go as it was a beauty.   But now I have another beauty.   I have no idea how to use it yet and I need a little it of carpentry work done to fit it in.   But this is a big asset to future cooking. 

I think it's actually important enough to read the instruction book over the weekend.  This was also a brilliant way to avoid cleaning the old oven again! 😎

We need to finish up the burn piles.  The boys and I got this one going and it went all through the night into the next day.

I went into town today and came home with great finds including sweet tiny plant pots for succulents to make up with the boys for Christmas gifts.  (I already have the little succulents growing in the egg cartons.)

As usual on a Friday I still have things in the car to unpack tomorrow but food is away.   I had avocado on toast for dinner and I am done!  

It is warm enough this weekend to need to water my seedlings.... but hopefully this will help some seeds come up.   Also I am letting the cows eat down the driveway grass and all around the chook yard which will feed them and mow the whole area.  Plus they love it and it is funny having them in around the house. 

The lambs are eating well now and will eventually get the orchard grass under control. 

I hope you had a good week with lots of little victories with your pantry/garden and other ways of getting ahead a little bit.  I found a couple of beautiful bargains to add to the Christmas gift cupboard so I am happy about that.   The cost of food, fuel and pretty much everything is rising.  Everyone is feeling it.   In fact there is a lot of worry.   The man who stayed in the cabin... he returned home to find 300 or his co workers lost their jobs on Monday.  He still has his but many of his friends don't. That is pretty bleak for a country town.  Stay alert and whatever you can do, do it. xxx