Brussel Sprouts look out!

Actually these are mini-cabbages.

Seems we have to pick them early before the Wicked White Moths descend.  I'd like to say that it is a good way to eat them, but sadly it is not.

Speaking of cooking. ...... what do you cook on?  I don't mean hotplate or grill, or even brand names of saucepans, I'm talking type of cookwear.

I think I've tried them all.  Starting off with a very expensive stainless steel set when first married.  Then the various teflon types.  However, I've always been wary of teflon.

So we have gone back to the basics.  Not all the time, but cast iron cookware definitely has appeal ...... and it's good in so many ways.  Including muscle building when lifting out of cupboard.

Not so good for the person stuck with the washing up however!  More muscles needed here too. Luckily Son is either doing the cooking or the washing up so win-win.  He's definitely doing the eating (refer previous post  What's For Dinner Mum)!

Sigh..........I have to frock up and front up to a big Big Night Out in the City this weekend.   You definitely know you're getting old when you'd much rather be at home with a book / glass of wine / knitting or all three!. .. or I would anyway.

cheers for now
Wendy

Hippeastrums, Tomatoes and Eggs

Well it is a strange title, but it all seemed to fit together for this post.

Like Hippeastums, sometimes things just look better grouped together.

 

The tomatoes and eggs have been bountiful.  For us, tomatoes now  are at their peak.  Before too long, it will be too hot.

 The eggs are plentiful, with a big variety in sizes.

Oh - and that strange looking one?

This has to be a first!  I’ve never seen one like this before, and I would say it’s a ‘oncer’.

Weird eh?!  4cm long.  It wasn’t from one of the bantams, so one of the other hens produced this little anomaly.  Looked so cute with the little feather stuck to it.

However, photographing it proved to be difficult without managing to make it look – well let’s face it – somehow obscene.

So I've tried to be a little creative, and I leave you with an egg circle to ponder upon.  Guiness Book of Records look out!

Cheers for now

Wendy 

Naturally Carol -  Yes I think everyone loves this time of year Carol – but maybe not how quickly it flies until Christmas season!!

Kim – the garden is very rewarding this time of year.  I’m guessing it’s still a bit cool where you are though Kim

Claire – Glad you like wisteria too Claire.  Both ours have actually nearly finished flowering for the moment.  So  I’m glad I took those photos when I did!  Our greens are still powering on though.

bonsaimum – yes, I believe that would be a valid statement Bonsaimum! ...  (you must have heard my bones creaking!)

Maria – thanks Maria - yes we do take the weather for granted a bit I guess.  I could swap when it gets hot though!  Not a fan of the really hot weather. 

librarygirl    thanks LG – nothing like a bit of garden envy!  Wisteria is fairly easy to contain, not too rampant – well in our experience at least.  Would look lovely in your garden I’m sure. 

muppy – No problems Muppy!  In return however, I’d like your cooking skills lol.

Coal Valley View – Yes I guess things would be still cool where you are Mel.  Swap you on one of our hot days though lol.  

Chooks and Decluttering

Seeing it's the weekend and Duke is going back to work on Monday after a fairly long Christmas/New Year break, we (and I use the term 'we' lightly) have been getting a few things done around the yard.

We have had a lot of rain over the last 6 weeks or so, as has most of SE Queensland.  The grass has grown and lot on our small acreage and the mower has broken down.  Not a good combination.

However on the plus side of things, Duke has done a great job of decluttering the veggie garden in preparation for planting up for our winter vegies.

February is our hottest most humid most horrible month here (in my opinion anyway) and to me, the worst time to be gardening.  However, it's the best time to put in things like cabbage, lettuce, corn and generally things that can handle the hot weather and settle down to produce into the winter months.

So he got the old rotary hoe going and ploughed up our old veggie patch which was full of leftovers from the last season - old tomato plants, bean vines etc. and then covered it with several loads of mulch which had been sitting cooking away nicely for a few months.

Then the chook factory went into work!  Don't they love it - had a great time digging everything up and doing the work for us.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a before photo, but this is how the veggie patch looked back in May.  We mainly plant up the basics, things that through trial and error we find do well and grow easily.  Usually we manage a good crop of broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, peas, lettuce, corn and sometimes cabbage.   

The chooks provide us with plenty of eggs, and although far from self sufficient, we certainly have enough to supplement the shopping.  We have always gardened organically and although some things have taken a while to get established, we are finally starting to 'get there'.

Here's a nice bunch of bananas just cut down today.  The joys of living in sub-tropical Qld!  I just wish we could skip the humidity.

Back into the housework tomorrow and into decluttering mode.  I am very pleased that I have been able to find a home for some furniture which we no longer use.  The items will go directly to a family whose home was totally submerged in the recent flooding - and they have no insurance.  That makes me feel good :)