Moved

Sorry to those couple of people following me. I've moved over to here:

http://insatiableinsomnia.blogspot.com/

I'm finding it easier to squeeze everything into one blog. I've been neglecting this one and soap-art so if you could remove these accounts and if you like add the other then you won't have this non active account on your lists :)

Recipes that make the grade.

So I'm going to start keeping a record of recipes that will become regular meals for the house.  

The criteria is obviously something we think is yummy.  And hopefully it will be quiet cheap to make.  Nothing too fancy or expensive involved.  And I would also like it to be something that can be made in a bulk batch to it can feed us for a couple of nights, or be frozen or modified into a different meal.  

So this is one we had this week.  We had half as a Shepard's pie, and the second half was frozen as a beef and veg lasagna.  It was very very yummy as the pie.  That half of it also fed the 2 of us for 2 nights (with veg) and I was able to steal a little for lunch with bread too.  

Savoury Mince Ragout

Serves 6

prep 20 mins

cooking 30 mins

• 1 tbs oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg beef mince
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
• 1 celery stalk, trimmed, diced
• 2 x 400g can diced toms
• 1/2 cup of water, stock or red wine
• 1/4 cup tomato paste

1. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat.  Saute' onion and garlic until tender.
2. Add mince and break it up as it cooks.  Cook for 5-10 mins until browned.
3. Add veggies and cook for 5 mins, stirring.
4. Add toms, tomato paste and water then season to taste.  Bring to the boil.
5. Simmer for 10 mins or until veggies are tender.  Serve with pasta, rice or on toast.

This is a double batch so you can freeze half to make something else with.  Eg lasagna, Pie, Spaghetti, Shepard's Pie or Moussaka.

This is also a cheap desert I was rather impressed with.  

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

serves 6

prep 20 mins

cooking 45 mins

• 60g butter
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
• 1 cup (150g) s-r flour
• 1 tbs cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1tbs cocoa powder, extra
• 2 cups (500ml) boiling water

1. Pre-heat oven 180 deg C / 160 deg C fan-forced.  Grease 1.5ltr (6-cup) ovenproof dish.
2. Melt butter with milk in med saucepan.  Remove from heat and stir in extract and caster sugar and then sifted flour and cocoa.  Spread into dish. 
3. Sift brown sugar and extra cocoa over mixture and then gently pout boiling water over the mixture.  Bake for 40 mins or until center is firm.  Stand for 5 mins before serving.

This was very nice with some whipped cream, or would be great with vanilla ice-cream.  Yum!  Sometimes I crave that kind of thing.  And used to get the crappy pre-mix packs from woolies.  No more!

Well tonight I am going to sew a few seeds for the end of summer.  I will try some of the new tomatoes I got today.

Jaune Flammee Tomato

Purple Russian Egg Tomato

Some of the capsicums I had laying around.  I only got a couple to germinate and they didn't really progress, and I neglected them.

I am planning to do some beans along the chicken fence, Once I work out exactly what I am doing with that and how to fence them in.  Either Blue Lake or Madagascar Beans.  

I should do a couple of Jap pumpkins.  But I should mow the backyard first, and just do some no dig plantings.  

Herbs, Italian Parsley, Basil and Coriander.

Potatoes will need to go in soon too.  

I have some Kumera (orange sweet potato) Sprouting too.  The one I had was the purple with white flesh.

The white eggplants out the front are looking good, and so are the tropic tomatoes.  T gave me these from a guy who sells them at one-mile markets.  

I don't think I will put to much effort into the brassicas, I just don't have the time to keep the moths and caterpillars off of them :(

I will do some lettuce at the end of feb, and I would also like to make sure I have some of the large pigeon Pea growing.  I think the ones I have might all be the small ones.  

I will need to start clearing out my eggplants and such from the back door garden, the plastic is cracking over the treated pine sleepers.  I will start that garden again, with them covered better or painted.  

That reminds me to get some sage rooting too.

Well my plans didn't happen :P

Meal Planning

So since getting a couple of decent cook books and the like I have been starting to get more organised with making our dinners.

But on further reading of Rhonda's blog http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com and reading about her home journal and all of her planning details, in particular meal plans I have become even more inspired.  

I'm still at the very start, trying to figure out what we can get within the budget ect, but over time this will even out and I will have a proper idea.  

But for starters this week, I have chosen 6 meals, which I am hoping to spread over the fortnight really (but I doubt it), if we can manage it.   But that will include a couple of ring in nights of baked beans on toast, or toasted sandwiches, omelet or veg pasta.  

I am working around these meals:

1. Vegetable Fritatta with salad  (no meat so cheap)
   
2. Savory Mince Ragout with veg (double serve so will also be made into a Shepard's pie or lasagna, I will see how far we can stretch this one as technically if it is just the 2 of us we might be able to get 3 serves each out of it )
   
3. Chickpea Curry (no meat again, rice and maybe naan bread will be good fillers)
   
4. Cauliflower soup (no meat.  I hope we like it :/, this one may just be for lunches, not sure yet)
   
5. Beef and Beer stew (this one was nice!, and its a big hearty meal we can spread over 2 nights and have some for little oliver)
   
6. Hot dogs.  (yes we are cheep enough to eat these :P)
   

I will settle with that to make sure I can stay under the budget, and trial things a little.  

So the food shopping list this week (not that you care, but just for my own reference):

• 1kg beef mince
• 500g stewing beef
• 12 frankfurts
• bananas
• 8 onions
• 2kg carrots
• 2 zucchini
• 1/2 pumpkin
• 1kg potatoes
• 1 bunch celery
• 1 cauliflower
• salad ingredients, lettuce, cuc, cap, red onion
• 1kg cheese
• rice, pasta,
• baked beans
• olive oil
• milk, bread
• 6x diced tom cans
• 2x chick pea cans
• garam masala spice
• coriander seeds
• 500ml ale
• mayo
• dog food
• chicken food
• ham

So we will see how much that comes to, and how long it feeds us for.  But if I am organised, and know what I will be cooking, and what meals will best uses up the perishables ect we should, in theory, save money and avoid take away.  Which we are guilty of resorting too often, when things just get too hard or disorganised.  

Now I just need to stay committed.  I'm sure the benefits will make it worthwhile, as long as hubby and I are on the same page.  

We do have some things available at home like eggs, beans, eggplant the odd bit of home grown stuff, but I'll get into more detail about that the more sorted I get :)

P.S  We got these things and a few extra things like dog food, nappies, cat food and cerial for $163.  Not too bad.  It was worse when I was getting the things needed in the pantry.  I still don't have it all but as I need it I am getting it.  I have the stuff for curries and pies at least.  

• Sat: Porridge, Noodles, Hot dogs
• Sun: Cereal, nibbles, Hot dogs  (I find the weekends hardest to be organised or have the motivation to do much cooking so I thought I would use this to my advantage.  Mind you the bread rolls aren't lasting well.
• Mon: I think I will make the savory mince and also use it in a Shepard's pie or lasagna.  (this was Shepard's pie with veggies)
• Tues:  Shepard's Pie/or Lasagna (I froze the Lasagna for next week.  the rest of the mince tonight, with some salad or veggies)  Also made a banana cake today.  
• Wed: Veg Fritatta and Salad.  I might make potato salad.  (Was a hit!)
• Thurs: Baked beans on toast, or toasted sandwiches.  The rest of the fritatta if there are leftovers. 
• Fri: Chick Pea Curry with rice.  

Photo Tag

I have been tagged by mountainwildlife at http://waratahsinthemist.blogspot.com/ to do a photo meme so here is mine :)

Instructions are -
Go to your sixth picture folder in your picture file on your computer

Pick your sixth picture
Try to remember the details

Post it on your blog

This was a wallpaper I made for my husband for when he is at work.  It is my son, who had decidede to join the circus and begin climbing on absolutly everything he could find.  Hence many things were taken out of the loungeroom.  It is constantly in a state of evolution.  

I just can't get over the look on his face in the second pic, back off mum, I'm my own man, I can look after myself.  Cry!  It starts already.

Now my turn to tag..

Mall at http://nnayam.blogspot.com/
She has incredibly beautiful illustraions.  Please check her out!

Also I would like to tag Kirst at http://gobblersrun.blogspot.com/

Beautiful soap!

It's HOT!

So it is now 2009.  We are in the end of summer and I'm actually feeling that Autumn cannot come fast enough.  This has just been rediculas.

I got a good lot of corn from the hedge like planting along the fence.  I do think next time I will take the time to hand pollinate.  Many of them did well, but we could probably have doubled our harvest.  And now that we have CHICKENS!! they would appreciate some of the "excess" if there is such a word.  

I saved seed from 3 cobs, aparrently you should do from 10 for diversity.  But it is a good start for me anyway.  I have another group in the middle compost bay, will see if it happens before it gets too cold.  

Colliegirl from ALS was kind enough to let me grab 4 of her Lohman chickens that she is looking to rehome to make room for a new breed.  

There house came together very well, we were in a bit of a panic trying to work this out, but we were overthinking it.  We managed to pull together enough bits and pieces from the parents place nect door to do it without spending a cent.  Thankfully :)  

I will try to remember to take some photos of it and the girls.  We do need to refine some things but for now it is a good space for 4 chickens.  But I need to work out screen from some of the dogs around, including our own little Boofy. 

My potates seem to be being eaten by bugs along the stems, they are all very very sad.  I dont think we will get a crop :(  But Kirsty (ALS)  has agreed to send me a couple of her seeds spuds as her went great guns :D So I might be able to try again in feb, like Steve (ALS)  suggests. 

He says in Boonah the farmers plant in August and Feb to try avoid the heat of summer.  

I'm dissapointed but by now have succumbed to the fact that they arent happening.  I used so much of my compost and mulch there too, I'll have to make sure I reclain most of it.  But the bloody nutgrass has grown through everything.

Next house we get I am scouring the yard for nutgrass!!

I managed to get a couple of caps to germinate, but then they stopped growing and stayed small and stunted so just havent bothered with them.  

I have 3 cuttings of white mulberry which have struck nicely.  And this was done in summer so the whole winter dmant thing doesn't matter.  

I took some more black cuttings from Danielle, hoping to replace the weedy one I struck.  

I have also taken lots from my pink camelia that I would love to make a hedge out of.  So hopefully a couple of them work out, they have plently of nice little buds on them so fingers crossed.  I have wanted them since we moved here 2 years ago.  The one I have is in a silly spot. 

I grew 3 measly golden nuggest pumpks.  I've kept the seed but they really didn't do well at all.  I may need to try localised seed next time.  

I've chucked in a couple more zuchs out the front, I would like to save seed from one of those too, then I will have checked a few things off the list.  

I have read a few threads about bush tucker plants and have decided I want finger lime and round lime :D

There are several other things too, but I need to calm down and give it all time rather then diving in and not being able to work out where to put stuff or keep them watered :)

I have the rest of my life to collect these things!

Slowly I am checking things off.  

I mean I have chickens for godsake, I'm running out of things I "want".  

Now I just need to commit myself to art stuffs and get it together :P

I have an art and craft blog now too.  

http://soap-art.blogspot.com/

A quick update

So we have survived a few huge storms, the heat is getting dreadful and it has been very windy.  But things are still powering on.  

• The potatoes are flowering and looking like they may be starting to die off.
• The corn has flowered and we are already picking a few fresh cobs here and there.  I will try to save some to aclimatise it.
• My Lost Seed zucchinies are doing terribly.  I don't know if it is where I put them, or all the wet weather.  But the non-open pollinated ones were doing great, but I was stupid and pulled them out to make room for the new ones.
• My pair of Golden nugget pumpkins are fruitung.  I had pollinated a couple to try make seed saving 100% 
• I have had cucumbers coming out of the wazoo
• Am just now starting to get a few small tomatoes forming.  Absolutly no luck with them this year!
• Lemon tree is getting lots of folliage.
• Picked 2 garlick corms, but they have been very slow to form, I may try the elephant one that is meant to do well up here.
• Beans have done great, but they are quiet tough and dry.  They are fine for cooking but not that great fresh.  But Oliver doesn't seem to mind too much :)  He happily walks up and picks and eats them.
• I've added a few more herbs. Choc Mint, Lemon Basil, Tarragon. Got some Lollo Rosso Lettuce Seedlings from bunnines, but they are so bitter, and I made sure to keep them watered and fed.  They look like they might instantly bolt to see also. 
• Mulberry cuttings have struck.

I'm thinking I will plant another batch of corn, the Small blue popcorn doesn't seem to be sprouting.  They can fill the compost bays.  Otherwise the weeds are trying to take over.  

The yard is a mess, all the rain has made everything take over.