Me Today

 

I AM

:: 22 weeks pregnant!

:: anxious about our business and farm

:: spreading our Biodynamic Preps around our home garden and orchard in this pic

:: anticipating a new little soul joining our oh-so-busy family

:: worrying about trivial things

:: worrying about how it will all work out

:: seriously enjoying the ages and stages of my children:

    Baxter - independent, footy mad and social

    Gretta - hungry to learn and sympathetic

    Monty - super cheeky and wise beyond his almost 3 years 

:: creating in the kitchen. usually without a recipe

:: thankful for good friends

:: in a strange funk

Sometimes crazy to go with the ebb and flow of life. How do you bring it all back to a manageable level?

the rag rug

Months ago - after a large closet clean out for the entire family, I decided to embark on creating a rag rug.  Inspired by Amanda Blake Soule, I set out to whip this puppy up.

Well, To be honest, I restarted it 3 times. Yes THREE times.

It got to the point where I left it in the spare room and kept away from it for a while.  After we re-vamped Baxter's new room it has been staring at me. Calling out to me to be finished and fixed.

It was a bit "bubbly" in the middle - ie: too tight and it bubbled up in 2 spots.  I had an epiphany the other day to just cut out the middle.  So I did.  It was either that or pull the whole blasted thing apart again and start over.
Off I went with the shears...

hacked out the middle few rows...

pulled together the middle to get rid of the bumps...

and weaved it back together.

(photo's by Gretta)

Happy once again - I've added 3 rows of bright blue to the outside rings and we're not stopping there!  Unfortunately sitting on the floor - which you have to do when it gets bigger - is the WORST thing for my back.  I've been in pain for 2 days (not to mention that I did eat nightshades on my whirlwind trip to Melbourne for 500 baby chickens and some egg boxes with 2 sick kids...)

So, I might pop it to the side until I can find a way of doing it without becoming a painful monster.  But,  I can't wait to get it finished.  I envision it running to the dark blue to purple to orange to red on the outside.

My pointers for rag rugs:

1. do the braiding LOOSELY - if you don't there won't be give in it to make it sit nicely on the floor.

2. attach the strips by cutting slits in each end of strip and pull through each other to connect.  Do not use knots.  And sewing them??? You've got to be kidding - you'll be there for years.  

3. cut heaps of strips, with the slits in each end for connecting.  then do heaps of braiding, and then do the weaving it together.

4. If I were to start this rug for the 4th time... I would have made the middle strip about 2-3 feet long.  Not 12 inches.  I think it would make for a less bumpy finished product - getting around the tight corners take a bit of finesse.  

 

 

Happily growing the baby bump by the way, and totally happy that we're having a fourth baby (finally!)...  Have now decided to have this baby in Foster in a hired birthing pool with a doula at the Hospital.

I would certainly be having a home birth if it were not going to cost me upwards of $3000 - shame on you Australian Government for making it so difficult for the Independent Midwives.

The hospital has been very accommodating to my hippy ways, and I'm happy with my decisions.  I guess in the end - that is the most important thing!  Besides - staying in the hospital with my meals being brought to me for a couple of days sounds more appealing that getting back home to 3 demanding, lively, lovely children with a baby on me!

Kiddos are all being very cuddly and sweet.  Talking through my belly button to the baby. Nic took these pictures this morning after breakfast.  They were clobbering me and we were talking about where they might choose to go when they have their 10th birthday holiday with their momma.

When they were little babies I decided that I would take each child individually to a country of their choice for a 10 day holiday with just me.

So far the bets are in -
Baxter: Russia to see the Kremlin and to wear wooly hats
Gretta: Camping in South America (I was hoping for Paris, but I love this option too!)
Monty: Mexico & Italy (in hopes to find his mate Fermin!)

Happy Days to you and yours... xx

Autumn-ing's

Beef stock on the fire...  First day with the fire on for a while...

a cubby house somewhere in there.  I heard that the green box is the telly...

Beef and Sweet Potato Stew with Cider in the Crock pot.  I think I was a bit overzealous when I created this concoction.  Perhaps a meal or two in the freezer for when bubby arrives?

a bit of homemade garlic tinture for man and bovine (and ovine and poultry as well, I suppose!)

Easy recipe...  Just take 1 cup of finely minced garlic, add 2 cups vodka. Leave on kitchen bench for 10 days shaking around daily. On day 10 run it thru a fine strainer and decant into brown glass droppers.

Humans can take anywhere from 1 drop to 5 drops per day.  Keeps nasties away! We use it on the cattle and chooks when needed too.

I used it last winter with good success to keep my circulation going better.  I'm one of those women with ice cube feet and bum at night. Shocking circulation, but 1-2 drops/day made it considerably better.

One of the early pumpkins we had to harvest because one of the dogs dug up the vine early.  Not as gorgeous glowing orange as I like it, but homegrown goodness all the same. 

This little boy is SO in love. Penelope is so obliging!

These are going to have pumpkin custards poured into them in about 10 minutes.  It's the lazy version of pumpkin pie - just no crust (which is of course the time consuming part of pumpkin pie'ing!)  Anyone want the recipe?

 

We've had glorious Autumn sunshine, and the next minute it's black outside with wind, rain and hail all at the same time.  It leaves the air so fresh.

 

Had a re-vamp of kid's spaces.  Baxter has graduated to the little blue room into a lovely double bed.  His dinosaurs have followed him so far.  We're making way in the big bedroom for a little baby, so we've freed up some space for a cot in a couple of months.  I love having the kids all together.  They seem to want to be together at night.  They love it.  This way Baxter is still nearly in the same room, but with a bit of space when the blonde assassin is up to no good at bed time...  Which happens frequently!

Next project to tackle pre-baby: laundry room storage and sort out.

xx

Ahh, April. Delicious days...

 

 

 

a few snaps from Autumn Arvos - check out the rest at Ruby Hills Organics...
xx

Fishypalooza 2012 and other bits...

Well, another year of Fishypalooza has passed.  For us - it's a bit of rocking up, boogieing down a little, eating a little, getting the most aahmazing Face paintings from Harriet, enjoying the campfire and then heading home busted.  For most of the others - it's a 3 day camping and partying extravaganza up on the hill in Glorious Fish Creek.  This  year we did a farm tour - and we think it was pretty well appreciated - as one of the chicks that came out had beautiful compliments about the farm and felt moved by the whole experience.  ... Makes what we do all the more worthwhile!

Saturday morning saw the family out and about snapping up total bargains...

Mulcher $5 - Fridge $50 - Orchid $2 - Gumboots $2

bargain adorable soup bowls.

my total find for the day - food sealer system upwards of $300 for $70!

glass lined flasks

proper linen.

and this little jewel.  a little rare like hens teeth.
Nic wants to sell it on Ebay as it's so rare, but I'm a little attached to it already.

I love garage sales. Especially when everyone has something that I want - and cheap as chips.  Op shops are a little more hit and miss for us. And often, there's no really true treasures there because if there was - someone would have already put it into an antique shop with a hefty price tag! Garage sales are where it's at, baby!

a bit of chocolate hunting was had.  Nic swears next year that we will not have the chocolate frenzy.  it wasn't exactly a frenzy, but always seems to send the children into a sugar induced frenzy! I guess that's what you get when they're eating chocolate by 7 a.m.   What do you do about this - do you give in and let them have a massive sugar hit or do you curb it somehow?

the garlic is in.  this year we saved all of the bulbils from the scapes - so that the year after next it will be crazy town garlic around here.  There's also oodles of cloves to keep us in supply again. Sign and fence by Baxter...

And this little miss and her best mate Clyde. Too cute to not take a snap of.

In the kitchen in the last 30 hours we have concocted The MOST beautiful ruby rosy quince jelly, Lamb Stew, Bread rolls for said stew, Feijoa cake, butter and yoghurt.  I'm ready for my cup of Chamomile tea and put my feet up. Love having the kiddos home playing playing playing all day.  School doesn't leave much time for that does it?

Roasted Beetroot and Chocolate Cake

Beetroot and Chocolate cake

original recipe here

Although a *messy* endeavour, totally worth it!

I spent most of the day out in the garden yesterday - autumn gardening - and pulling up all of the bulls blood beetroot.

The evening they spent slowly roasting away in olive oil and balsamic and I just turned the oven off before bed.

This morning we had a hankering for chocolate!

I doubled this original recipe and used a bit of coconut oil in place of macadamia oil. What's the point of making a cake if there's not enough for a few rounds of guests and maybe a slice or two in the freezer?

Blitz and Bake beetroot and chocolate cake

175g roasted peeled and roughly chopped cooked beetroot
200g spelt flour
1T baking powder
100g cocoa
250g raw sugar
3 eggs
2t vanilla
150ml Macadamia oil
50 ml melted coconut oil
100g dark chocolate

blitz up the beetroot until it's in fine pieces in the food processor.

add all the rest of the ingredients except for the oils and chocolate. Process till smooth, then add the oils slowly - as if emulsifying like a mayonnaise.  Stir in chopped up chocolate at the end and pour into a loaf pan.

Bake at 190C for an hour or until firm centre.  Rest and slice when still warm.  We served ours with yoghurt. Delish.