About Me

My photo
Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Randomness



Around here
The hydrangeas are in flower...


It has been Hot
44.4C
(111.9F)


Sparrows seeking some cool air in the heat


With the hot weather, comes the beautiful skies...





 We are picking tomatoes from the garden...


and making them into 


sauce (ketchup)


And zucchini's



into


 Relish


Zucchini Relish
Ingredients

3.5 kilos finely sliced zucchini
3 chopped capsicums
3 chopped onions
125 grams salt

5 cups vinegar
5 cups sugar
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed

Method

Add salt to vegetables and cover with water. Stand overnight.

Drain water off, and add remaining ingredients.
Boil 12 to 15 minutes ( I do a little longer if necessary)
Blend 4 tablespoons of plain flour and 2 teaspoons of turmeric together with a little extra vinegar to a paste.
Add to mixture and cook 4 to 5 minutes.

Bottle while hot into sterilised jars.

I have found it needs a little more turmeric.
This recipe makes about a dozen jars or more depending on jar size.
You can easily make half this amount.

***


Still working on the trailer, when it is not too hot.
Getting the tin on now...



Some of the temperatures we are experiencing
45.5 (113.9F)


 46 C
(114.8F)


46.2 
(115F)


 Poor hot girls...


 Today could reach as high as 50C (122F) by the forecast on the radio. 
 I am hoping they are wrong...
Already we have strong north winds and cloud cover, so that should keep the temperature down.  It was 36C (96.8F) at 8am and I have been out early watering the garden and animals.
Good start to the New Year J

I am not getting to post as much as I would like, because our son is on holidays and he likes to play online games that cause our internet to slow right down, thus making it impossible to download photos. It is mid morning here and he is still in bed so I can sneak in a post J

 How is the weather at your place? 
How did you spend the New Year celebration? Mine was spent on my own as hubby was at work J


xTania

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas


From our house to yours...

Merry Christmas


Happy New Year!! 


xTania

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Hot, hot, hot!

This is what the heat feels like atm!!


Not looking good for Christmas this year...



It reached 46C (114.8F) yesterday, 
it was supposed to be 42C (107.6F)...

By 9.30am today it was 40C (104F), 
Its going to be a couple of long days...

They have forecast 44C for tomorrow, but it is looking like the temperature may rise as high as 
47 - 48C (116.8 -118F)
I hope not!!

We just have to stay home and take care of the animals and garden in these temps!

Stay safe, cool or warm, depending on where you are J

xTania

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Snippets of December

Beautiful sky


Healthy green juice


Unusual visitor



Australian Budgerigar 


Baking


Lovely


Pickings


Yellow



 A little rain


 Another unusual visitor,
Maybe a Kingfisher?


Different bird of the sky


That time of year again


Some family history


Our chooks
making themselves at home


 Construction...
an enclosed cage for a friends motorbike trailer


Country drives






 Yum!
Gifted apricots





munching on our Acacia seed pods




Last nights brilliant sunset


I am not getting much time to blog at the moment during this Christmas season.  
Christmas is at our place again this year so we are having our normal cleanup and preparations. I have family arriving so time will be filled with enjoying our special time together J

We are in the middle of a heat wave at the moment with high temperatures all week.

Monday 39C (102.2F)
Tuesday 39C 
Wednesday 42C (107.6)
Thursday 43C (109.4F)
Friday 44C (111.2F)
Saturday 34C (93.2F)

Hopefully it is cooler for Christmas day, nothing worse than a scorching hot Christmas! It is hard to get things done in this heat, and hopefully the garden can survive J


xTania