Bendigo, Blondies and Basil

I haven't been blogging much lately - I am working on a pretty exciting new project, which is taking up a bit of time, and hopefully I will be able to reveal more later next month!


We escaped to Bendigo for the long weekend, visiting dear family friends on their beautiful property.  My parents and sister came to, and we all had the most relaxing few days.  We played with the animals (horses, cats, dogs, chooks, guinea fowl!), we swam, ate, drank, toasted marshmallows on their outdoor fireplace, and watched some spectacular sunsets over the bushland.  I have posted photos of their lovely property before, HERE - there are also some very sweet photos of Tabitha with the chooks.


Tabitha adores their larges dog, an ever-patient golden retriever, Jem:

Jem is licking her tummy!

It always makes me laugh that chooks will all crowd in and lay their eggs in the same nesting box, instead of using the others on offer:

Back home, made a delicious and relatively healthy dark chocolate and rolled oat Blondie (recipe HERE):

Tabitha and I are spending as much time in our little back garden as possible, as the sun puts in a fine effort despite the beginning of Autumn.  The hammock is in full sun, the basil and tomatoes are still thriving, the cats are loving the warmth.  


Here is Tabby in front of the basil:

And eating cherry tomatoes straight from the bushes:

I love her hair so much - soft and straight as cornsilk:

Eww!  Ate a stem by mistake!

One for you, Mummy!

Disturbing the napping cats:

This is a little patch of miniature violets which grow along the edge of the decking - Tabitha often picks them all for me, offering them in her chubby fists.  Melts my heart!

Enjoying a bowl of walnuts (along with a whole raw carrot, her favourite snacks).  A bit of an evil look on the face - "don't even think about eating my walnuts!"

Lovely girl, offering her beloved walnuts to Possum:

The days are long but the years are short.  Lately, I have begun to occasionally feel slightly panicky, watching this incredible little girl, where just yesterday I was watching a baby.  When I hold her at night, feeding her before bed, my heart overflows with love, and I cannot believe how perfect and warm and delicious-smelling she is.  I pat her hair while she has her milk, and her hand tangles gently in my own hair.  There is no greater moment, and I am blessed to sit here with her, like this, three or so times every day.


It seems like just weeks ago that I was cradling a tiny, soft, chubby, pink-cheeked little baby.  She is now the sweetest, most hilarious, kindest, prettiest little girl, and her constant wonder and interest in all details of life are so thrilling to me.  I desperately want to freeze time, to keep this fascinating, fascinated child, her hand in mine.  But it is not to be, so all I can do is treasure every moment.

Winter is Coming

The weather is cooling.  Lamb shoulder is back on the menu.  Rub the lamb with olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Slash the skin a few times, deeply, poke some garlic slivers in the slashes, sit the lamb in a roasting tray on top of a couple of rosemary branches.  Cover the roasting tray with tin foil, sealing well.  Crank your oven up as high as it will go, put the lamb in, immediately turn it down to 170 degrees, and leave alone for 4 hours.

Remove to a warm plate, cover, then make a gravy using the pan juices (pour off the fat), some flour, a couple of tablespoons of chopped capers, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and some torn fresh mint.  If you want more formal instructions, I posted the recipe for the lamb and gravy HERE.

In the opposite end of the seasonal spectrum, I'm clinging to the last sighs of Summer with plenty of flowers around the house.  White roses with the strongest, most heady fragrance, lisianthus, white freesias.

The Daddy cooked!  He made an actual meal, and it was excellent.  Nachos, with a mixture of yellow and blue organic corn chips, homemade guacamole, and he fried up some onions, fresh tomatoes, and re-fried beans into a delicious, almost meaty sludge.  A bit of hot salsa, and some natural yoghurt instead of sour cream (full fat natural yoghurt - try instead of sour cream for dolloping on everything from soup to savoury pancakes to nachos, it's a winner).

In fact, writing that, I have a sudden craving for these wonderful nachos.  Perhaps I can ask him for a repeat performance on the weekend...

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention - we sold our home.  On the weekend.  It sold under the hammer at an exciting auction, so we are most pleased!  Our new house, currently under construction, should be ready in the next few weeks or so.  Now, to prepare myself (mentally) for moving!