Our little patch of orange

Our citrus patch this winter.

With a bit of a slow start, our mandarins are coming along nicely.

 
I didn't think they would be any good this year, the first few were tasteless and not too sweet.

However, another month of sun ripening has improved them a lot. 

These five or so trees are more than enough for our family of three.  I tend to give them away to any friends we see or who visit, and make the occasional cake or something - but the majority of the time we just juice them.

Usually too a morning juice is enough to keep the colds and sniffles at bay.  Not this year however!  I have succumbed (blame the other half) to a head cold (think ears nose throat) and husband still has the cough which is probably bronchitis actually. 

However, as medical attention *clearing of throat here* has not been sought despite my prodding, we don't really know.  What is it with guys and doctors!?!

cheers for now Wendy 

Mandarin-mad dog!

 
 Or should that be mandarin mad-dog!

Our normally sweet, but ever so slightly silly dog Angel loves this time of year.

 She loves her mandarins. 

She has weird tastes - which include mandarins.  She also enjoys bananas and tomatoes.

(Please excuse my terrible recording skills, but this is a first for me with new camera!  Hopefully you will be able to view the clip).


Enjoy.

cheers for now
Wendy

Orange seems to be the colour of the month

I have noticed an abundance of orange lately

 Still lots of mandarins ... and  orange trumpet vine (info source Burke's Backyard)

 

This will be the last season for our vine which would be over 10 years old.  Orange trumpet vine is spectacular at this time of year in a lot of Queensland gardens I think.

Ours has been lovely, but past its best and the tree it grows on will be taken down soon.  Too close to the house and too messy.  I do like the shot of it peeping out as seen from the front driveway.

 

For those who are interested - today's vase was a recent op shop purchase - $1!

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My reply to comments on previous post 

Judith  - I did enjoy that particular post and indeed the whole blog.  She just mentioned a piano recital in the last para of Teenager parties.  What a lovely lifestyle!... . .. and I'd love to make rhubarb crumble if we ever get any jolly rhubarb!

Nelly said... hmmm the taste?  the apples were granny smith unsweetened and the crumble texture certainly turned out very crumbly.  I liked the addition of the toasted pine nuts and almond and will probably try that again.

Daffodil  - it was nice, but why just dream of it?   easy to make or are you avoiding any of the ingredients.  Actually, I'm guessing that you are just really busy? ...

delia hornbook  - I think the ginger really did it for me, I will have to use it again.  Hope your Mum tries it!  I would probably suggest more ginger (powdered or raw) in her case!...

Shaheen  - rhubarb crumble again!  I will have to buy some as ours just isn't growing.  I have to admit to not having tried rhubarb this way .   

saving for travel - I can imagine that muesli crumble would be Delicious!  Must try that also.

librarygirl  - Forget the crumble, I'm just pleased you read and enjoyed that book!   I'll miss your frequent posts while you are on hols.  Enjoy.

A little of what has been going on lately

 

Lots of juicing of our plentiful mandarins at the moment.  We do eat a lot, and I have cooked an orange (mandarin) cake,  but juicing seems to be how we deal with them the best.   A big glass of MJ in the morning is just lovely. 

Actually looking back, a few years ago, if we mentioned to anyone that we juiced our mandarins, that was considered strange.  However, now I see mandarin juice all the time in the shops.

 

So this is how to make one clucky hen very happy, if a little bemused to what happened overnight!  This hen (Little Banty to her friends) has been clucky for so long I decided to do something about it.  As the rooster we have is her sibling, we can't go that way!   In the past I have bought some fertile eggs and put them under her, but only one hatched and he consequently died, so that was a bit of an expensive exercise.

I bought some 1 day old chickens and put them under her at night. The breeder seemed to think that it would work, but didn't totally guarantee it, so she advised to be prepared to have to take them back out again and keep them under a lamp if she rejected them.  Not a chance!  Little Banty loves them and straight away fluffed up and tucked them under her wings. 

They are all bantams - the breeds being Silky (hopefully one lavender, one buff) Pekin (black) and Light Sussex (white with black).  They all seem to be doing well.  I'm hoping to start a little bantam flock. 

These two are still getting a lot of attention too!

cheers for now Wendy