Around here...

Tah Dah!

I have finished it!

My first ever granny square blanket...

With fancy edge and all :)

Some flowers...

for me from hubby...just because :)

The tree loppers are in town, so hubby rounded them up to get some mulch for our yard.

$100 got us this much...

A new toy for me...

(again from hubby, a bit spoilt I think)

bargain at 1/2 price

now I just need some spare time to play...

Have picked some figs...

these are white ones

chopped

cooked

fig jam!

The recipe is one my mum uses,

6lb Figs

4lb sugar

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup vinegar

Make syrup from sugar, water and vinegar by heating together then add the fruit. Cook for approx 3 hours or until the jam sets on a cold saucer. (I cooked mine for 5hrs) Place in sterilised jars while still hot.

Apparently the vinegar helps to preserve it longer.

And a very enjoyable Australia Day lunch

of Blue Swimmer Crabs....YUM!

Things have been very busy around here, catching up on jobs that haven't been done since the start of the Summer holidays, and a little craft happening too, that is while it is cool. We had a run of hot humid weather for over a week, I did not like it at all. Sitting in a puddle of sweat is no fun!

What have you been up to?

xTania

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY MATE!

Recipe Time - Banana Cream Caramel Pie

Thank you Sarah for introducing us to this yummy dessert.

This is a favourite in our house at the moment.

Please ignore the fattening factor, I only have a tiny piece, I promise lol!

What you need:

BASE

1 pkt of sweet biscuits, crushed (I use Butternut Snap Cookies)

about 150gms of butter, melted

1 - 2 Bananas

FILLING

1 tin of nestles Top 'n' Fill Caramel

about 250gms of thick cream

2 tblspns icing sugar

a few drops vanilla essence

Chocolate for the topping (I used flake)

What you do:

BASE

Combine crushed biscuits and melted butter, then press into 23cm pie plate.

Place in fridge to cool. (I dont do this bit lol)

FILLING

Slice banana on top of biscuit mix.

Then add the tin caramel

Combine cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence. Beat until thick and stiff.

Top pie with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

YUM!

Doing...

I am supposed to be crocheting a granny square a day as a challenge to myself after reading this post over at Mum's Simple Living Blog. I thought this would help me get my granny square projects (I decided to make rugs) finished that I talked about in a previous post. I have collected my wool together, and found my crochet hook that mysteriously went missing, so no more excuses!

But...

I am starting a new project...

Just a simple knitted square x 20 to make a simple knitted quilt.

Just deciding on colours at the moment...

Oh and I have found a cute little Valentine's bookmark I want to knit up too :)

I am reading this book that I bought for myself as a birthday present back in December...

We had another visit from an unwanted guest!

I think hubby has a thing with shoes, he has a pair of mine on with little diamante's on them lol!

This one was 4ft 9inches and was waiting for me when I went to collect the eggs with my grandson...

We have large pieces of reinforcing rod (like what is found in concrete sleepers) that hubby made up and they hang at different spots around the veranda and yard. This makes it easy to grab one should we encounter a snake...

The attraction in the hen house would be the mice, even though I did find a hollowed out egg shell.

A very venomous brown snake, the third one this season!

Normally the ants do their thing with the carcass, but our neighbour the Goanna decided to have a feast on this snake.

The nectarines are ready again,

have been busy picking some at the end of each day,

and stewing them up for later use.

I stack these in the freezer...

17.01.12

It was 42.6C (108.7F) on this day,

and it produced the most spectacular sunset.

Wishing you all a fantastic day today,

xTania

Around here

Firstly I would like to give a big WELCOME to my new followers!

There has been

some pretty skies...

tinged with smoke...

from the recent bush fire that is out now thanks to the helpful rain...

Hazy, smoke covered moon

Getting some work done...

Gotta love his shoe laces lol!

Smiley happy Millie dog...

She has barely any teeth left now, she has worn them all down and her tongue now hangs out quite regularly, she looks funny sometimes :)

From the garden...

Beetroot, capsicum, carrots, zucchini, apple cucumbers...

Grating the surplus of Zucchini's...

Measuring into one cup bagfuls...

ready for the freezer to add to stews, quiches at a later date...

In the kitchen...

I visited ANGLESEY ALLSORTS blog today and was inspired after seeing the pictures and recipe of her drop scones.

So I went ahead and cooked up some good old fashioned drop scones too, I have not had these since my grandmother cooked them for me many moons ago.

I used a recipe from one of my grandmothers cooking books...

(Manual of Domestic Art 1953, cost one shilling and sixpence lol)

Drop Scones

1 heaped cup plain flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup of milk (small half)

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. cream tartar

1 tsp. carb. soda (lumps crushed)

1 egg

Method ---Sift flour, salt, cream of tarter, and carbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre of flour and put in beaten egg, stir in a little flour (using wooden spoon). Add milk slowly, beating all the time. Beat 4 or 5 minutes. Grease the hot girdle (a frying pan may be used as a girdle), and put mixture on in dessertspoonsful (allow space between them). Turn the scones over and cook both sides evenly. Serve with butter or jam.

I have been a little absent from blogland lately.

This past week I have been helping a friend to clean out her ex husbands house after he passed away suddenly, sadly he was only 59 :(

Hopefully I can get back to regular blogging soon. Sorry I haven't had much of a chance to visit all my favourites and leave comments, I am getting there slowly though...I have a lot of catching up to do!

xTania

It's raining!

I am happy to report that it has started raining,

so instead of seeing smoke in the hills all I can see is glorious rain...

We have a bush fire

The hills in the nearby Flinders Ranges are on fire.

We are safe but a couple of little country towns and farms could be at risk. So far no casualties and hopefully it stays that way. The fire is burning in inaccessible terrain and is being bombarded with water from five water bomber planes.

This photo is from the ABC North and West facebook page

(Mary from Port Germain sent this photo of the fire near Port Augusta.

This photo was taken Thursday night (5/1) from Stirling North).

This was the view from our driveway yesterday...

For more information and pictures see the links below:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-05/wilmington-cfs-battles-ferocious-blaze/3760484

http://video.theaustralian.com.au/2183869594/Bushfire-out-of-control#.TwYsmVVzfY4.facebook

Hello 2012!

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!

~An old Irish Blessing~