We Are Here!

We are here and here we are!  After a long break with a very wet and cold winter, I feel inspired to write in this space again.  Sometimes we need time to refresh, recharge and re-evaluate.  I have enjoyed the inspiration from other blogs Soulemama, Down to Earth, Ivy Nest, Typically Red and Foxs Lane, over the last few months.  Now I feel ready to write again (with plenty of encouragement from Phil), with happenings to share.

So, what have we been up to these last few months?  It's been busy time. We have been.........................(in no particular order as I get the hang of the new blogger format!)

 planting spring and summer seeds for the garden

 on a weekend away to south coast new south wales

 completing a knitted vest for Ava - HOORAY!!

 celebrating the Swans (Phil's football team) winning the grand final (it's a BIG DEAL here!)

 finishing Ava's vest

 making sausages with our own lamb that Phil butchered (and beef)

 experiencing spring lambing

 hearing Michael Pollan speak in Melbourne Town Hall - inspiring stuff!

 learning how to milk at a friends dairy

 on a spring holiday to Tasmania

celebrating Peter Rabbit's 110th Birthday (also BIG NEWS here!)

So a little snapshot of our last few months.  More to follow.  Have a lovely evening.

This Moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. Inspired by soulemama at www.soulemama.com

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see................

Hello again and wishing you a lovely weekend.

A Weekend Away

A Weekend away was just what we needed.  Recently, we packed up our camper and headed to our very favourite spot for a couple of nights.  Just to recharge our batteries.  To spend some quality time together away from the work of the farm.  To remind ourselves why we choose to live where we do.  How beautiful this place really is.  And to relax.  And to breathe.
We walked through the forest to the beach.  We kayaked up and down river.  We watched the birds.  We listened to the chorus of the seals in the surf and enjoyed the serenity.
And we returned home refreshed and restored.  A Weekend Away.

This Moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. Inspired by soulemama at www.soulemama.com

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Enjoy the first weekend of Winter!

Garden Harvest!

It has been a busy few weeks.  I've been working away in the wilderness and time at home has been spent preserving the last of the Autumn harvest.  Phil has been busy; removing the last of the tomatoes from the garden and replanting with winter crops.  The tomato haul was very big!  We have been busy making tomato passata, red tomato sauce (ketchup) and my favourite, yellow tomato sauce (ketchup). 

I'll miss fresh tomatoes from the garden,but I am already planning the varieties for next seasons planting!

All that preserving made for a healthy appetite!  We took some time out to bake scones and have afternoon tea out on the lawn.

This Moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. Inspired by soulemama at www.soulemama.com

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Have a great weekend.

Rosehips at Dawn

The kinder run in the morning is normally pretty routine.  That is, until I found these beauties growing on the roadside.  We stopped the car and inspected the bounty - it was an exciting moment.  I am a big fan of rose hips and have been wanting to make syrup for some time, but could never find a source.  Until now.  We have discovered a lone bush that provides us with the best rose hips I've seen!

 So I set about finding a recipe to turn these into syrup.  The River Cottage Cookbook provided all the information I needed to transform these rose hips into something special.  After washing them carefully..

I blitzed them in the blender.  They don't look particularly appealing at this stage!

Then into a saucepan of boiling water.  Remove from the heat allow to steep, like tea, for half an hour.

Then strain through a muslin lined sieve and repeat the process above - (into boiling water, steep and strain). 

 Boil the strained syrup (it started to smell amazing and filled the house with a rosy perfume!) until it's reduced by a third.  Then add golden caster sugar and simmer until it is thickened and reaches a syrupy consistency.

Pour into sterilised bottles - isn't the colour just amazing!

Enjoy on pancakes or ice cream - divine!