Corey's Oatmeal Cake

This is an excellent winter cake - but this one is for my ma - in the states!

Corey's Oatmeal Cake:

2c Oats
3c boiling water
combine and set aside

2c sugar (I use 1 1/2 raw)
2c br sugar (I use Coconut Palm Sugar)
1c butter
cream and set aside

4 eggs
1T vanilla
combine and add to sugar mix

3c plain flour
2t bicarb
1T cinnamon
1t salt

mix all ingredients together well and pour into a 12" greased round springform tin.

Bake 180C or 350F for 40-50 minutes - test centre.

Meanwhile - topping:

2c Coconut
2c Nuts (walnuts/pecans etc)
2c br sugar
1c butter
8T cream
bring to boil 2 minutes.  Pour over a cooked cake and brown in oven till bubbly.

I won't bother putting the nutritional information here - except that it will all go directly to your thighs - no exceptions - no amount of running can burn a slice of this one off, so be sure when you make it you are sharing the majority of it!

xx

Sourdough - my new favourite book!

I have a love/hate relationship with sourdough.

Firstly I love it -I love the pants off it for so many reasons...  its easier to digest, it's treating grains the way that they are meant to be treated by fermenting, it tastes absolutely delicious,
oh I could go on...

Secondly I hate it - because it is usually wheat flour (in all the recipes anyway...) and I don't tolerate wheat very well - it makes me grumpy and gives me the farts -- what's worse than an uber grumpy gaseous pregnant lady? not much.  And it's damn hard to perfect in your own kitchen.  I've had a go and we were blessed with many very heavy doorstops.

Well my friends - I am sharing with you a loaf of Spelt Almond Bread from
Yoke Mardewi's super excellent book
Sourdough - From Pastries to Gluten Free Wholegrain Breads

It is a comprehensive book all about sourdough and it uses alternative flours.  Hoo-rah! 

 

:: all things allowing butter should be slathered so that there are teeth marks left on it,
in case you did not know. ::
Butter is not evil. Processed and refined foods are evil.
more on that later...

Inside this container holds beautiful bacterial sourdough starter. If you've ever attempted and failed with sourdough, or if you have always wanted to try it - get yourself a copy of this book. It's truly my new favourite on the kitchen shelf.
Right next to Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions and Nigella's Feast.


What are your favourite cookbooks? Can you choose just one?

Winter is upon us

...not a bad haul for my first attempt at growing sweet potato, eh?
There's heaps of little ones that I left in for next year's crop.  Couldn't believe the big ones that I pulled! 

This is a cake from a little cafe that used to be in Chico (California) named "Corey's" - this is their Oatmeal Cake.  I made it using Spelt porridge and it has the most wicked topping made with walnuts, coconut, brown sugar and butter. I've filled 2 containers full of slices for lunchboxes and we've all enjoyed a warm piece after lunch too. Mmm. This is a cake best stashed away in the freezer me thinks - it is very more-ish.

 

 

and these pictures are from my little overnight getaway with my darling friend Liz - at the Park Hyatt.  The architecture is astounding.  It is modern art deco and mimics parts of the body.  Twas a wonderful outing!

 

 

Oh Melbourne - how I love to be cradled in your charm and character and coffee!

Third Trimester now - Baby in just over 3 months!

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?