Vege Garden Update Week 2

I'm amazed at how quickly this is all coming along really.

The beans have taken off! Hard to imagine these were mere seeds 2 weeks ago. They have now grown to about 10cm in height each!

The peas are starting to climb, along with the height of the other veges climbing, looks like we'll have to raise and add some more chicken wire sooner than we expected..

Here is the Wombok Cabbage - looking very healthy with no infestations, thanks to snail pellets and the marigolds (which are starting to bud too!)

The Cabbage, Broccoli and Cauliflower is now standing at about 15cm high. Very happy chappies. It's very exciting!

Hubby also dug out the third quarter of the garden, needs to be bricked, planted and wired, we're putting onions and leeks and some continental parsley in here... hopefully before the long weekend's out.

Everybody Happy - Sunshine Day

Hubby took these pics yesterday and I just found them on the camera when downloading. Felt compelled to share.This is Laura, my mischevious, free spirited and explicity cheeky 3 year old. There isn't a day where I haven't cracked up laughing at something she says. A natural wit. Beautiful soul. Beautiful child.

I love how the sunlight is hitting everything in these photos. Blissful, whimsical.




Barking orders to her puppy...

This is such a posey smile!

A girl and her dog.. she's so so happy!

Laura with her captive audience...

Dougall the wonder-dog!

Hubby's Mum enjoying Dougall, or rather the other way around!


My mother in law clearly loving these special moments

Life is too short..

Now if the title had singing the Brady Bunch Tune, I'm sorry but it kind of goes!

If you were born after 1975, or you weren't allowed to watch the Brady Bunch... you'll need to watch this:

Ravioli Revolution...

My kids love ravioli - or 'pillows' as they like to refer to them. I enjoy making them too but it's not something I do very often and I actually should. They taste much better, it's MUCH cheaper and there's a certain satisfaction you get from both creating them and eating them.

We received a baccarat pasta maker (well it's a pasta roller really - as per pic at right) for a wedding present from the lovely Kat and Danie - and it's been used about a dozen times since we were married just over 5.5 years ago. I think we'll be using it a lot more this winter. It's sturdy and heavy and you clamp it onto the kitchen bench - it comes with the attachment to make spaghetti and fettucine.
Pasta machines don't need to be expensive - I see on the Victoria's basement website you can get a RED one at the moment for only $30! Bargain (and beautiful!)

So here's my beef ravioli recipe - I think I'll add a few more recipes as I try/re-try them out (Pumpkin and Sage yumm)..

Pasta recipe:

Pasta Ingredients

- 3 cups flour - MUST be pasta flour - it's really a waste of time otherwise - you can get Tipo 00 flour at the supermarkets these days - if you can't find it there, you should find it at a deli.

- 3 eggs

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tb olive oil

- 1/2 cup warm water - on standby.

Beef Ravioli Filling (simply mix together in bowl)

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese

2/3 cup beef mince (top side for best quality)

1 egg

Method

- Put flour and salt in a bowl and make a well.

- Add the eggs and olive oil in the well, and mix well with fingers. If it's a little dry, add water little by little until it makes a pliable dough - knead on a floured surface (Tipo 00 flour) for about 6-8 minutes until dough become elastic-like.

- Set aside for about 20 mins.

- Roll out into say 6 separate 'sausages' - I put it through the pasta machine on 7 thickness first, then re-flour and then do at a 5 setting and then finally again at a 3 setting (7 is thicker than 3) It should then be a long thin panel of pasta about 10cm wide.

- Put the filling mixture in say 1.5cm diameter balls across the panel (towards one edge) and then fold in half over itself. Press down between the balls to seal the mixture and cut between to make squares, press down again around edges to ensure filling will not escape and lightly dust with flour and stand aside.

- Repeat this until all the pasta/filling is gone. Dogs love the filling if you don't use it all ! (I had about 2 tb left!)
- I then boil water in a large stockpot/pasta boiler and plop the ravioli in about 6 pieces at a time, then let boil for about 10 minutes, they will rise to the top of the pot and then transfer to your pasta sauce.

I use a standard type bolognaise - fry off onion, crushed garlic, brown some mince, add passata mix or if I don't have any, can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can equivalent of water, 2tb of tomato paste and chopped herbs - 6 basil leaves, 1 sprig of oregano and 3 stalks of italian parsley - plus the all-important-ingredient - a good splash of merlot.

I then leave to simmer for about 20 minutes. Gives you opportunity to clean up and pack away some of the uncooked of the ravioli into the freezer (I put in tupperware with freezer bags between each layer of ravioli) - I fed 3 adults and 3 children using this recipe and had about 1/5 of the ravioli left - good for the kids for an extra meal but you might choose to cook the lot and have leftovers... or split it in half for 2 adults and 2 children.

Am I?

My mother in law is a lovely person. Truly is. I'm very lucky in terms of mothers-in-law because she's very supportive and not intentionally critical or meddlesome, and I know she loves me. But I guess with most mother-in-laws you feel you want to impress them to some extent - assure them their son is in excellent hands and moreso these days her grandchildren are being raised to be thoughtful, polite, healthy individuals. I know all these things I strive to do in ordinary life - I don't do it purely to impress my mother in law or 'for show' - I'm very proud of my family and how my husband and I parent - our life is centred around our family unit.

With all this 'impressing' my mother in law with home cooking, tidy-ish house and spoiling my family over the easter weekend - she made a comment to my husband which I know I should be complimented by but at the same time sent my blood cold: 'She's a wonderful home-maker'.

Why does this bother me? I suppose the image of 'Suzy-homemaker' doesn't sit well with me... because I'm a Gen-X'er. I want to be acknowledged and appreciated for my brains, my acheivements - which obviously the biggest of those is my family but I am intelligent, I am accomplished career-wise.... I'm over-thinking this!

How can I let a well-meaning compliment bother me?

Nanna or Nifty?

I've decided to try my hand at preserving. Given that we have access to seasonal fruit and vegetables during our farmgate trails and pretty soon we'll be producing our own crops (with luck!) I hate seeing things spoil. My Nan makes amazing marmalade, and my grandfather used to make the BEST pickled cucumbers.

I'm gazing over at my bunch of almost ripe peaches that we picked up at our local fruitmarket at the end of the street yesterday - about 2kg for $4.99. It would make great peach jam or preserves.. or schnapps? mmmmm Chilli jam would also be on the menu given that hubby's got about 16 plants growing at the moment!

So I've ordered 8x16oz preserve jars from Ezibuy. The ones with the rubber rims. I think that's what you're supposed to have. And I guess I'll be saving all my glass jars from herein.

It is a bit Nanna, but I'm loving the homey-ness of the whole thing.

Slumber party woes

With my Mother In Law visiting it leaves us with a shortage of rooms/beds. I can't bear the thought of her having to sleep on the couch, which I would quite happily take that post, but I don't think hubby wants to sleep with his mother do you? So we bought a good blow up mattress thingy and Eloise has been bunking out in her sisters' room.

Last night I sent hubby and mother-in-law off to the football because not only has she never seen a live football match of the team she's supported for well over 30 years (she's from Country NSW) I thought I could do with some time alone when the kids go to bed..

Kids go to bed ? HUH!!??

9.30pm and I'd had all three of them out of bed and in all kinds of different
naughty corner's and had come close to totally losing my rag. I took the biggest 'stirrer' of the lot. Laura. Took her out to the lounge with her doona, turned off the TV and told her to stay put go to sleep.

It began, like a machine gun, out of her mouth:

'But I love my sisters'
'But I miss my sisters'
'Mummy I NEED my sisters'
Then instead of keeping her sisters awake, she was non-stop talking to me. I ignore, I shush, I stare blankly, I keep repeating myself 'lay down and be quiet'

10.20pm finally all asleep - hubby and mother-in-law arrive home at 10.40pm and asked if I'd had a lovely evening... I think the look on my face said it all.

Is this an insight to the years ahead? I need a 5 bedroom house. Pronto.

Baking Sensation...

Hot cross buns success! (Pic of before they went in the oven on the right) Not only fun to make at 7am with the kids, and not as much mess as I anticipated, my tip to you is get all the dry ingredients assembled in one bowl and the wet in another and the peel/currants in another... that way it's just put it together and the kids don't get bored and feel like they're making them if that makes sense?

I used Luke Mangan's recipe, and in case the recipe disappears from the internet, I'm going to put it down here because I don't want to lose it, it's fab! I also made a few small changes and doubled the mixture which I think is a good quantity - 12 - 6 to eat straight away and 6 for the freezer/fridge.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients: (makes one dozen)
600g plain flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast
60g brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons mixed spice
Pinch of ground cardamom and ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
250ml milk (luke warm)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade (chopped)
40gr unsalted butter (softened)
250g sultanas/raisins/currants
30g mixed peel
For the cross - mix flour, icing sugar and water into a paste (no measurements for this, just go by how it looks). I stored in small ziplock bag and cut the corner off to apply the cross.

Method
1) Mix flours, yeast, sugar, spices, and salt into a large bowl.
2) Whisk egg, milk and marmalade together and pour into (1) to form a sticky dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes until elastic.Add softened butter and knead for a further 5 minutes until smooth.
3) Fold in fruit and peel and knead for further 3 minutes.
4) Fold into loaf type form and divide into 12. Form each twelfth into a ball and then flatten on greased tray 2cm apart.. Cover loosely with cling wrap and let dough rise in a warm place for 2hr until doubled in size (check with finger test).
5) Pipe crosses on buns and bake for 15-20 mins. turn out on wire rack.

6) Apply glaze

Glaze: 1/2 cup caster sugar and 1/4 cup water, bring to boil until a clear syrup, paint on buns whilst hot.

Don't they look gorgeous? (finished product on the right) They SMELL and TASTE divine! My hubby a very fussy Hot Cross Bun consumer was skeptical, but agrees, these are better than any of the store-bought ones.

A little white lie..

We aren't a religious family. I won't go into why but when Eloise asked why Good Friday was Good Friday and suggested it was because everyone had to be on their best behaviour I blurted out 'absolutely'. Maybe next year I'll go into the whole religious conversation....or perhaps it will come up at Christmas...another of those difficult conversations when what you're saying might not make sense and it brings up more questions from your children than answers.

OK, well it is Good Friday and I've just taken the puppy out for morning pee (house training is having it's ups and downs) and I'm here on the couch watching the Today Show, listening to the girls playing a game of some sort in their room. They're all bunking in together as my mother-in-law is sleeping in Eloise's room... back to Good Friday!

I'm contemplating whether I make some hot cross buns now whilst it's quiet or wait until the girls get up? Maybe they can help me with the crosses.....

Looking at two recipes. One from yesterday's Today Show that Luke Mangan presented which are more traditional and one from Not Quite Nigella - a more progressive Cinnamon Choc Chip. Might do a combination based on what I've got in the pantry...

My heart sinks...

How much truth do you think there is to the claim that ADHD is a myth? A Professor Spillane just was on the Today Show and basically said parents were choosing to 'drug' their children to make them conform and typically children can be 'difficult'. hmmm.

Now I don't *think* any of my girls have ADHD though at one stage I had thought based on advice given to me by the local kindergarten that Eloise had a shorter attention span than most and might need to be assessed. Came as a surprise to me but I put it down to overstimulation. I took her out of the kindergarten and now she is thriving at her current daycare... so now I'm wondering if there is something in it? They couldn't handle her overstimulated behaviour?

When I was a nanny 16 years ago in London, one of the boys in my charge had been diagnosed with ADHD. His mother was actually a special needs teacher and had tried all kinds of behavioural measures, diet.. and when he was placed on medication did it in very small doses. It did have a startling affect. He was doing well at school, absorbing information, forging better relationships with children at school and with his siblings and the home environment in general.

I don't know whether you'd call the medication an act of 'inforcing compliance' but it did make life a whole lot easier for everyone, including the child. Think I will ponder this one a bit more. Certainly was throught provoking.

Here's a link to information Professor Spillane has outlined as basis for interview.

Here's the video of the segment

Is ADHD a myth?

Something's fishy here...

With my mother-in-law arriving tonight, I'm trying to plan the menu in advance. She has pretty simple tastes. Whenever she is here, she makes a point of always eating fish because where she lives in Country New South Wales, there's no fishmonger or locally caught fish on offer.

I remember in one of her earlier visits with us (pre-kids) I made my mothers' famous and seriously delicious fettucine marinara. I went to the fish markets and got fresh prawns, salmon, calamari, baby octopus and mussels. I cooked it with love and much pride as I was sure she was going to be impressed with the variety and quality of the seafood. mmm not really 'what are these 'fings'?' I remember distinctly being the questions and then she didn't eat most of it because of the baby octopus and it was a little 'rich' for her tastes. So from then on it's been pretty simple cooking - the kind of stuff you find at an RSL or country house. I do splash out every now and again and do something on the original side but don't really go 'out there' with the ingredients if that makes sense... like a baked cheesecake or home-made pasta - that kind of thing.

So, Good Friday being tomorrow it's always been tradition to have fish for dinner anyway (hang over of the Catholic upbringing my mother and grandmother had!) and to make my mother-in-law very happy we've purchased some fish all ready to go. This is a new recipe I'm going to give a go from http://www.sandisrecipecorner.com/ - called Magically Moist Fish - I'm not going to make the Tangy Tartar Sauce- I'll make some chilli-lime-coriander mayo instead.

For tonight, she gets in quite late, I've made my chorizo lentil soup. - might be a bit spicy though and she might not feel like eating anyway.

Saturday night I think I will make some home-made ravioli with the kids. They love making and eating it, and mother-in-law can learn and help too. It will be fun.

Sunday lunch my Nanny is coming over and I think a roast will be in order - my mother-in-law is going to make the family recipe apple cake - passed down through the dynasty of german bakers in her family. We do have this recipe but I'm not allowed to make it myself let alone share it - it's my hubby's thing and it's secret! It is spiced apple in a sweet shortcrust pastry. It's really delicious. I'm looking forward to eating this!

Might make Ms Butterfly's cake today with the cream cheese frosting and some almond vanilla biscotti using my biscotti recipe and substituting 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence for 1 teaspoon almond essence and pistachio for almonds. That way there will be morning/afternoon teas taken care of.

What's that? It can't be....?

SUN?!

I've seriously gone bananas and just hung out about 5 loads of washing and it's only 10.30! That will be my enormous backlog gone. Hoorah!

Sun also means the kids can play outside. Today with so much to do before my mother-in-law arrives tomorrow I thought playdough might be a good diversion - plus we haven't made any in a while. This also good to make up and mx glitter into - put in small ziplock bags when you're going out to lunch with friends or give away for birthday party favours.

I've tried many playdough recipes, but this one is by far my favourite. It might not seem like it but it's less messy and quick to make, but the quality of the playdough is brilliant. As good as, if not less smelly than commercial playdough. It's got a smooth silky texture, and with the salt and oil ingredients lasts in an airtight container for a good month plus.

Ingredients:
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
4 teaspoons vegetable food colouring (I used Queens food colouring - rose)
2 tablespoons oil (I use peanut or vegetable oil)

Method
In a saucepan:
1. Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Add water, food colouring and oil.

3. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 min.
4. Mixture will look like a globby mess. You will be sure it is not turning out, but it will!

5. When it forms a ball in the center of the saucepan, turn out and knead on lightly floured surface.

6. Store in plastic container (this fits perfectlyinto a no1 mini rectangle) or ziplock bag. Edible, but not tasty!


This is about 1/2 the mixture.

Kids love it!


This is my (very early) birthday cake! Thanks Eloise :)

Even Dougall loved hanging out with the girls!

The puppy posse

The novelty of Dougall has not worn off, at all. The poor dog is being drowned in attention! Though the girls are getting better at gentle pats, waiting for the dog to come to them and no chasing...

Laura has offered her bed for Dougall to sleep on, however Olivia now wants to swap bunks so she can accommodate Dougall, Eloise reasons that she doesn't share a room with anyone so Dougall can share with her.. umm disappointment all around there - Dougall won't be sleeping in anyone's room!

He has well and truly attached himself to me though - good lord I can't go to the loo or have a shower without him waiting less than a metre away. Leroy was the same but I think this dog thinks he's my dog.. everyone else just lives here!

Hubby took him for a walk last night (I think he actually misses the dog when at work) and the cars seemed to frighten Dougall - good news in one way, I don't think we've got another escape artist who loves playing with cars like Leroy way. Phew for that.

I forgot just how cute Jack Russells are and how unconditional their love is. There are split seconds I swear it's Leroy, in a good way... just part of the breed I guess.

Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

These are yummo. Hubby has taken half of them to work for the week today - so I suppose I'll be making more before the week's out - might make almond vanilla ones.... anyhoo..

Ingredients
3 cups Plain flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1.5 teaspoon vanilla essence
grated lemon rind of one large waxy lemon
1 cup shelled pistachios

Method

Heat oven to 150 degrees c.
Position rack in centre of oven.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Whisk eggs, sugar, butter, oil, vanilla essence and lemon zest in a large bowl.
Gradually stir in dry ingredients until smooth.
Stir in nuts.
Form dough into a 15x4 ½-inch log or prepared sheet.
Bake 30 minutes until edges are lightly browned and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Keep oven on.

With serrated knife, cut log on angle into 18 ½” thick slices.

Lay slices flat on cookie sheet and bake until bottom of biscotti turn golden about 10-12 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake 10-12 minutes more.
Cool biscotti on wire racks.

Dunk in your tea, coffee or red wine...

A round up of updates...

Well our new puppy son Dougall is settling in very nicely, still following me around like a shadow, and sorting out his place in the family, has eaten well and only had one small accident inside, has done all the other businesses outside bless. Went for the first walk today with hubby and Eloise and Olivia whilst Laura had some alone time with Mummy getting puppy supplies at the supermarket. It's so lovely to have one-on-one time even if it is just doing some groceries. She was chitter-chattering away asking what we were having for dinner, whether Dougall would like this or that and can Dougall please, pleeease have a barbie, because he really needs one you know! ahem!

Sun popped out to prove that it still exists today. If you ask my laundry baskets it would suggest it's been a very brief appearance. Loathe using the dryer and don't even think it works properly to be honest. So chinese laundry has been erected under the deck.

Vege garden has survived the downpours of this past week and the beans are sprouting (below pic, these were seeds last Sunday) and the carrot seeds surprisingly didn't wash away and have started to sprout too. All the seedlings are thriving and growing, looking good!

At the moment I have lemon pistachio biscotti in it's first bake in the oven, smells delicious! Will let you know the outcome tomorrow and if it works well, I'll share recipe and pics.

Introducing.... Dougall

This is the 6th and final installment to our Family.

The girls have been asking (begging!) for a dog for at least a year...at least! Anyhow, the stipulation was that everyone was toilet trained, which we have been for a couple of months now - so finally time to deliver the promise and reward! Dougall is 6 months old next week and looks very much like a short-legged-wire-coat Parsons Jack Russell. I had a pedigree long legged smooth coat so I see a lot of similarities. He was dumped at the pound at 15 weeks with his two brothers - the animal shelter seems to think the previous owners tried to breed and sell unsuccessfully and then couldn't handle the vet bills, because our little Dougall had very bad worms when they got him.

He's dexed now and healthy boy! Very placid for a JR though. Seems house trained but I'll reserve judgement for the next couple of days.... kids adore him and he was very tolerant with all their pats today, didn't really bat an eyelid! He's attached himself to me as the pack leader and Hubby's gone off to the Rugby tonight so when the kids were coming out for frequent trips out of bed for various reasons trying to disguise the fact they wanted to hang out with Dougall, I roused on them and told them to go back to bed a couple of times, and then he started to do joke growls by my side then Laura tried to sneak in and he caught her, growled, and came running to me to dob !

Anyhoo, very cute, I didn't think I'd get another JR after Leroy (somehow felt like I was trying to *replace* him) but seeing him there today I think it was meant to be, he chose us... and that's the way it should be. Oh, and a very cute moment before bedtime, Laura sang twinkle twinkle little star very softly to send him to sleep.. very sweet. (pic below)

Overtired from many, many pats!

Awww. purdy!!

I was very very lucky to win a competition on Gymbofriends to win some custom bows. Now custom bows really haven't appealed to me before but there are some gymboree ranges that just don't have the hair accessories I like. Like Candy Shoppe - I have the curlies (well a few of them) but they don't match all of the range in my eyes which is a bit annoying.

Anyways when I won this set of custom bows I offered to obviously get 2 more sets as it's a bit unfair to my little ladies.. but she offered to make 6 smaller ones instead of 2 big ones - which was truly generous and actually much more appealing to me as the large bows (like the size of your hand) are just a bit over the top to me.

They arrived about a fortnight ago but we've not been sitting still for long enough or had the weather to wear the matching clothes - but today all the planets aligned so-to-speak and here they are! Thank you Jeanette!! (user bibbidibobbidi if you're interested in ordering some!) they are gorgeous and I appreciate all the effort and generosity sending them from the UK !!


Cheeky miss!

Eloise was being a little bit of a sook... hehe


I adore this pic of Eloise!