Odds and sods...

Expanding my crochet skills by

making removable covers for my coasters, while adding a bit of colour around the place.

Front...

and back...

Some pretty daisy squares for a cushion...

And a couple of bookmarks...

In the garden...

Picking some capsicums...

Silver beet going to seed...

Planted some pumpkins...

Beetroot...

Baby apple cucumbers...

More capsicums on the bushes...

Zucchinis are still producing although a lot slower now and the plants are looking tired...

Picking carrots too!

A bigger apple cucumber hiding away under cover...

Snow peas...

The white figs are still plentiful....

The citrus are back

Oranges...

Mandarines...

Grapefruit...

And a new lemon tree...

This is the third one we have planted, but the other two died so hopefully we have more success this time.

So far so good...

From two piles to one.

The mulch is slowly being spread around our yard...

The trees are loving it...

An inch of rain recently has helped...

My turn to wash the soccer guernsey's.

My son now plays in the under 17's and so far his team, the Stirling Strikers are undefeated this season. Not bad for coaching themselves because there is no coach available...and having the team with the most girls on their side, there are three :)

I wonder what is happening in your corner of the world?

xTania

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