Bounty

Finally!

I have managed to grow beetroot successfully! The last couple of times I tried they never filled up and rounded out..... I can't work out what it was that I did wrong, but they weren't happy. Now everything else in the garden is coming ready too, and I have a bit more enthusiasm for getting out in the garden and doing something about it.

Last night is the first night in a long while that I have grown all the veggies that we ate. Sugar snap peas (probably the last picking), beetroot, yellow and green french beans, and pinkeye potatoes. I probably could have done something with the zucchini that are starting to clutter my kitchen bench but I couldn't handle any more complaints from the children about all the foods that they are having to re-learn the flavours of (I have been trying to buy and cook as seasonally as possible, and grow as much as I can in the half of the back garden that I am 'allowed' to dig up and grow stuff in).

It seems that every night one of the two little ones are complaining (loudly) about something on their plate..... my daughter started this and now my son has picked it up from her..... I insist on one bite to have a taste and if they don't like it they can leave it (in the vague hope that they will have the 20+ tastes of each food they need to become used to it), as long as they know that there won't be any sort of dessert (chocolate, icecream or frozen yoghurt) if they don't finish.

My daughter owned up to hiding her beetroot under her mashed potato (at about the same time my patience ran out) last night, so I gave up and they went to bed asap.

I need to go find my bottling jars in a minute, I have a couple of bags of apricots from my grandma who has decided that she doesn't need all of them (and knows that I appreciate the fruit). My tree is loaded with fruit, but it's a week or so from being ripe enough to eat or cook with, I can't wait, because they are so beautifully apricotty and sweet and juicy. Hmmmmmm I might go check them again.

Hot and bothered

As if it's not enough that the temperature outside during the last couple of days has been HOT compared to the 16-18 degree last few weeks (see bottom of little blue bar in pic), I have a sore throat......

Not just any sore throat though..... a keep-you-up-in-the-night-and-not-let-you-swallow-sore-throat, so tired and getting grumpy me trotted off to the doc this morning, sweltering along the way.

Now happily and lazily ensconced on the couch in the cool I have to admit my day is getting better..... world peace cookies from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours went a long way to improving my mood..... baked in my still clean kitchen.

I have been busy having a bit of a clean out in the kitchen and living room this last week or two, removing and cleaning everything, as well as recycling and repositioning things..... Sort of a mid-summer clean (or maybe a spring clean that is dragging on a bit).

There's also been doona washing going on.... drying quickly in this hot weather, very satisfying to tick that one off the list.

Might have to have a bit of a go slow for the next few days while I throw off this bug..... I'm looking forward to a museum visit with my daughter early next week so I want to be feeling better before then (there's nothing worse than wandering around amidst lots of people feeling like you want to be home lolling on the couch).

Ok, more washing to hang out...... and blog surfing to do :D