Courtesy diannehope@morguefile.com

Home late after a full Sunday out

House is dark.

Key turned in lock

Greeted by Coldness

Lights on

Easy flick of switch for heater’s warm glow
For others a more time consuming fire to be stoked

We are so blessed with manifold creature comforts

Home
It embraces us and whispers welcome
A much loved Haven

What’s to eat

Know my fridge

Find cooked chopped vegetables and dry fried mince with onion

Into microwave bowl to heat
Add boiled water with stock powder and little gravy powder
Continue heating and boil a little
Blend partially with stick blender carefully due to hot liquid

Serve.
Savour and enjoy.
Comfort food.
Replete.

Quick soup not from a tin.

Being prepared is a ….

Winner
Time saver
Sanity saver
Dollar saver

Boring for some
A necessity for others

A small thing for one
A momentous find for others
Practical for me

PROVERBS 31

Perfect ending to a Winter day

Till later

Far too windy today to do any gardening as can be seen by my grown from a cutting Lavender bush. It is sailing to the left.

The plan had been to spray the Roses again for scale to really kill those suckers before all the new leaves appear on my for now Winter hibernating bushes. I am so looking forwards to my Roses flowering again in the warm months.
Just like this Rose in all it’s summer glory!

What could be better today than soup.

Open fridge and find goodies for the making of Real Food.

A veritable feast of bargains. Reduced priced goodness. The best shopping.

Large packet of soup vegetables …mine was 1kg and included parsnip which sells for $10kg on special at the moment.

Large bag of Beef soup bones ….mine was 1kg

Find largest cooking pot or crock pot…my crockpot was out on loan.

Whilst quickly peeling and rough chopping vegetables, heat pot with a little oil and toss bones in for a quick brown

- add chopped onions and stir for a slight brown
- add rest of vegetables and stir for a quick mix
- add 8 cups water and stock powder for that quantity. Or use packaged stock liquid.
-add a glug or two of Worsestershire Sauce

Even quicker is to pile all the ingredients into the pot without any frying, but the taste will not be as rich.

Bring to boil and skim off scum that rises to top for the first part of cooking.

Simmer till meat is tender enough for you. The longer the better.

Remove soup bones from soup liquid and cut meat off.

I then mashed vegetables with potato masher to squash them somewhat. You could use a stick blender being careful as soup is hot

Return meat to soup.

As I wanted to make a slightly thicker soup I made a brown Roux kind of thick sauce and added some to the soup.

Then we devoured it for lunch with only a little left for a small snack.

Wholesome food.

The best taste.

Love my soup….

Then a reduced price afternoon tea treat at a fraction of going out for coffee.

Even better was that we sat in the afternoon sun in our enclosed verandah soaking up the warmth

Till later

Courtesy Jaeb@morgueFile free photos

Having just arrived home from a lovely driving visit interstate with family and friends I came across a refreshing recipe. It would be wonderful as an entree or for a gathering of friends and supper. Light, but I would say very moorish.

I would add a delicate sprig of fresh Dill as well for its wonderful scent and aroma.

My dream raised garden

Dill brings back memories of my dear mother when she still had her own garden and little herb patch. Whenever we visited Mum always chopped up some Dill and added it to her wonderful mixed salad and home made dressing….between us three girls there would almost be arguments over who got more of this delicious trademark salad

Here is this refreshing recipe of Salmon Rillettes

Alternatively you could experiment just with some smoked salmon and flake it instead of the fish stated in Downtownshift.
I seem to recall a friend of mine does this, or is it potted shrimp…..Keren if you are reading, is this how your mum makes her dip?

…and so I’ll sign off for now and maybe do a bit of unpacking. The painful part at the end of a trip…..but I have many wonderful memories which will spur me on:)

From country to city and back again, day by day.

Fathers, Family, Friends

Father’s Day was celebrated on Sunday gone here in Australia. It always happens on the first Sunday of September, the beginning of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

It is a time when I truly would prefer not to visit the shops as there are such a number of people about, with car parks overflowing and spilling onto the road….people, people everywhere. This is the commercialised side that I do not enjoy.

Photo by Paula Presswell, edited by Alexa-asimplelife

Rather we delighted in a beautiful time of family catch up spread over two days. Why two? Well, because on Saturday was one little grandson’s birthday having turned “three old”. Family fun beginning with a laid back afternoon tea with nibbles of cheese platter, crackers, fruit plate, homemade dip, home made choc chip cookies looking extremely posh being displayed beautifully on glass stand with its domed glass lid, and drinks of choice. Then present time of course because that’s the exciting bit for little ones and for grandpa who is like a little boy himself again going into the Toys Are Us choosing the gift, but under instruction from the mummy of what is really required.

The afternoon was spent in chatter and playing. Older and younger cousins interacting and making up games outside and inside….little boys instructing…then the bigger ones…follow the leader…take your turn pushing the little toy lawn mower round the lawn regardless of whether you are three years old or twelve or fourteen…short or tall. Very grown up sixteen year old grandaughter running out and joining in whatever game was happening. Hand ball with numerous and ever changing rules…cricket with a Ping pong ball as all other balls had disappeared.

Later observing two little squatting figures nearly invisible in the growing dark playing with their jazzy cars which glowed red. That’s basically all you could see, the red glow. It was precious.

So the day wound down to tea and bath and story time. Delightful. Beautiful memories.

Today another round of catch up. Lunch together at the other daughter’s home for the young ones with us two joining them after our own quiet lunch out….but always having a little space for some dessert!

Nothing really grand happening, just being able to sit, chat, laugh, hold the baby, pass round the baby to various laps, snuggle and kiss that fresh baby scent, join in a game, watch and absorb all the little happenings unfolding around us, running, scooter riding, teen grandsonson whipping the cream for late dessert, kiss for that cheeky face and jump out of the way of that moving toy car.

Fathers, family, friends.

Life.

A journey following an unfinished map….

Remembering with love those far away.
Those who could not join in.
Those in pain.
May you travel well.

Joining Essentially Jess IBOT
Also joining http://amamasstory.com

Duck eggs by taliesin @ morgueFile free photos. With thanks

Duck eggs and Memories.

Duck eggs are fantastic for Gluten free baking according to a friend because the eggs are so rich!

Google “duck eggs” and you will find that there is an abundance of information from how to keep and raise ducks to cooking with duck eggs and Gluten free cooking.

Jamie Oliver the down to earth very popular cook gives a lot of cooking information. My mother too used them and a favourite of mine was her tray of Streusel cake which was a layer of plain cake topped with a thick layer of lumpy delectable streusel. Mother used the duck eggs for general baking because they were so large and given to us for free. I don’t think we ever ate them as scrambled or such, yet some people do like them.

A glance at a photograph of Duck Eggs sent to me some time ago on Facebook set off an avalanche of MEMORIES from my primary school years during the 60′s.

Photo by phaewilk@morgueFile free photos. With thanks

Living at “Bradley House” in Stirling in the beautiful Adelaide Hills.
Our old landlord Mr Voden. A Scotsman with a rumbling burr, his accent hard to understand at times.

He lived next door on a long property with the house near the top of the hill. There was a very narrow twin track drive way of white crushed limestone going from Mt. Barker Road all the way up to their house. Then a small narrow bridge linked the two properties near the main road. This is where my father would enter to park his motor bike (brought with us from Germany when we migrated). That narrow plank bridge went over a tiny creek which was an overflow from a spring.

In winter dad would have to be careful pushing his bike across as the wood became slick with frost….starting that bike six mornings a week was the local alarm clock for 7am . It was also our family’s mode of transport when dad put the sidecar on.

These were the days before town water was connected for the house and garden. We depended on rain water tanks which in summer sometimes needed to be filled by the fire Brigade with water from elsewhere. Also two wells, one of which ran dry in summer. All watering was done by hand with a watering can. Mr Voden I seem to recall had a small dam with some sort of small generator pump.

Thinking back now and wishing that I could wander along with Mr Voden because he had the most amazing array of fruit and vegetables. Also bees, chicken, Bantams, ducks and geese, and possibly pigeons. It was like a huge market garden and he was always out there with his battered hat on his head…I suppose like a Highland Crofter in his home country….and he always brought us something. In retrospect, none of the above I really appreciated as a child.

Red currants, black currants, goose berries, blackberries, apples, quince, rhubarb, spinach,salads. We even ate the darker green leaves of the lettuce; good for iron our mother said as we dutifully swallowed it

Photo courtesy morgueFile free photo by Marcin-Modestowicz

But the most memorable were the RASPBERRIES. Fresh, plump, sweet and soft. Bejewelled Red fruit in a glazed bowl. A bowl that us three girls shared oh so carefully.

The red currants were nice with sugar, but black currants…none of us girls really liked them! Though now I know they are very healthy and I suppose we got our dose of Vitamins. The motto was waste not, and when, as now, families have a lean purse all good foods are used thankfully.

So, back to the present again and an observation.

Homesteading, growing Organic Foods, Sustainable Living, back to basics. These are the modern names given. But for us as children it was a way of life and we knew no different. It was a great way to raise children. There was that sense of adventure, fresh air, open space, simple rural living…then we grew up, moved to the city and life carried on. Nevertheless the love of gardening was entrenched….and I have my tiny patch of herbs and such to give me joy.

Now over to you dear readers. What memories have you recently been taken back to.

Till next time, and to be continued…
Alexa

Joining in with Essentially Jess for IBOT

Thanks to Self Sufficient Home Acre for this link providing some interesting reading about duck eggs and much more…happy reading
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/10/how-to-use-duck-eggs.html

A proud catch and feast for a king

Joining in with Trisha and My Little Drummer Boys for
Wordless Wednesday

Why soup is good for the soul…

On being absent for some time…others needed me

Just lurking in Blogdom
Being inspired and occasionally commenting
Being refreshed

So back to my original comment on soup. But why soup?
Here in the Southern Hemisphere we have our winter. Colder in some parts of Australia than others.

Well winter is here in this household, along with myriad mounds of discarded tissues filling the bins, sounds of coughing and a pyjama and dressing gown day. Great to be able to have these without having to bring in a sick certificate.

Time to let the body take care of itself with a smile.

What better day than to serve soup for testy appetites with a smile.

There was enough for one serve of chicken broth and vegetable soup left in the fridge from yesterday but not enough for two.
So my aim was to make it stretch for both of us with minimal effort.
The bunch of celery was still sitting on my bench in its cellophane from yesterday’s catch up vegetable shopping as was a large bag of the freshest young carrots.
I snapped a couple of pieces of the top celery leaf stalks off and chopped them.
Grated some carrot.
Microwaved them briefly with the addition of a little bit of the left over refrigerated soup..carrots first as they take longer and adding the celery bits at the end.
Added to soup
Added water to quantity required…for us that was one and a half cups
Add some stock powder as per instructions
Chopped and threw in a little of some cooked chicken gotten at bargain price yesterday
Added some of the cooked Spetzler I had in fridge
Also added some Roux which I had a small portion of to thicken soup
Cooked in microwave and stirred

Voila! Easy and nutritious.

Soup for the sick
Soup for the soul
Chicken soup for the soul

Take care and eat soup
… And imagine a beautiful place

Courtesy taliesin @ morgueFile free photos

World environment day which was some days ago…

…well Life and Caring happened in between, but Hi, I’m back

How am I doing world environment day … every day
How do I see it … every day

In simple language, in a grandma, mum and dad and family way

Abundance of newly striked cuttings vigorously growing

Grow plants from cuttings to spread and share the abundant growth and joy around

Huge mushrooms on a dinner plate grown from mushroom compost by friends…a by product of spreading compost under the orange trees :)

I’m going to again push my love of seeing bees busily collecting nectar amongst the bushes and herbs which we grow in our tiny patch….as soon as the sun comes out even in winter here in Australia the bees come out foraging. But soon I’ll have to prune my flowering Lavender hedge which I am so loathe to do. I know, I have to be cruel to be kind to keep my hedge nice… But still !!! Also this time of year our little veggie/herb patch looks a bit sad as I really need to plant spinach to fill in the hole left by the finished Basil and tomato

On an aside though, did you know that Rhubarb flowers and goes to seed. That spike of a tall Lacey flower though has the most disgusting smell which made me promptly cut it off…but there are still stalks of rhubarb growing for a second crop….firstly I wondered how to harvest rhubarb as I’ve never grown it before, so I Googled for info and found that you twist the stalks at the base and they come off easily. Then as I hadn’t cooked rhubarb for years I found a recipe which may have been a Jamie Oliver one. The instructions said to roast it which I did in an old-fashioned Corningware dish from the Op shop. The dish was just the perfect size. Pour the required sugar on top with a tiny dribble of Vanilla essence. Cover and cook. There was a suggested time and then also that you’ll smell it as soon as it’s done….well that was so correct as to the smell; divine. Next time though I’ll use less sugar. It was SO rich I could only eat a bit of it with my homemade thick Greek yoghurt.

I was happy to have learnt that old milk is a good fertiliser even though it was only half a cup….my parsley is thriving

Then memories…Remembering when…the tying up like a bandaged bear and staking, with a neighbours help, of a vandalised small tree on our park just opposite our house. It is now a huge gum tree.

Also saving a tiny acacia tree years ago from having the long leaves plucked off by then toddler grand-daughter, explaining that we wanted to see the tree grow big. It has!

So there’s many a way to celebrate World Environment Day. We care. We do it everyday without even thinking sometimes, just like the older generations before us.

If you pause for a moment, how or what have YOU done. How do you care.

Do you wish to share?

Even the seemingly trivial things?

Whether you are just starting life’s journey or well on the way like us. With a looking forward to it soon to be retired hubby. New happenings and new adventures and new horizons but always learning.

Photo courtesy from {click} at morgueFile free photos

Sustainability …what does it mean for you and me.

What about …How to live a joyful and abundant life by observation, example and Attitude…or changing our Attitude!

So many different things to different people and depending on your circumstance.

Sustainability in suburbia, sustainable living in suburbs, sustainable living in the city, sustainable living in the country, apartment sustainable living, high-rise sustainable living, single person household sustainable living, rental sustainable living, sustainable living garden, sustainable living with communal garden. Endless list here.

I Googled to find the meaning and was met with a vast array of discussions. Then I found a site for children which made it so much easier for me

http://www.googolpower.com/content/free-learning-resources/environmental-education/definitions-of-sustainability-for-children

“Like a circle it goes round and all is reused” ….

Now this I can understand because in a way many of us already use this principle without even giving it a name.

An example could be that we are trying to make a recipe and don’t have all the ingredients, so instead we Google to see what substitute we can use. Easy, we do it all the time without thought. Then instead of going to the shop, or because we can’t spend any money on petrol to drive to shop and anyway our grocery budget is already shot and we can’t juggle the money any other way we use what we have. Stew those wrinkled apples that otherwise would go bad and into landfill and use that instead of oil in a muffin recipe. Find that recipe! Or make a Dairy free and egg free cake. Simple again.

I’m sure you have done the same in some other way without even realising it!

Thinking back to my childhood I fondly recall mother doing so many of these things. It was not because it was fashionable or had a name or that everyone was discussing it on talk back Radio, but because it was a way of life for many people to survive by making do.

….toothpaste tube rolled up and squeezed and squeezed to get the last bits out but I really did want to start a new one …No!

….all the kitchen scraps were saved in the kitchen bin and then had to be emptied in the garden. Us girls put it off for as long as possible till not a scrap more of vegetable peelings could be squashed in ….mum was patient, but we still had to do it!

….clothes were remade -

Mum was given a woollen skirt which was showing some wear in the weave. So she washed it and then unpicked and pressed it. No steam irons then. Just a damp cloth and hot iron. Every piece was reused. So by turning the material inside out there was a new looking skirt which lasted for many long years and looked classy.

When I was asked to be Flower-girl (now called junior bridesmaid) mum was given a pale pink cotton dress from neighbouring ladies. This also she took apart and remade into a pretty dress for me.

Inspirations for us today….for us to pass on to the next generation and live joyful content lives. Teaching by example and our attitude.

So now as a grandmother just doing a little looking back to my mother’s days I am so thankful for the many things I have learnt and have been able to implement into my own and my family’s life. It’s just the simple observations of the everyday life that can unconsciously work its way into our routines.

Who visits the Op shop or also called Thrift store? Isn’t that part of sustainable living. What one person has decluttered is something that is useful for you….and vice versa, don’t you put things in the Op bins or take to the thrift store? I found a new looking beautiful fine knit red woollen dress that is hand washable. Great again cause it doesn’t need to be Dry cleaned and especially, saves me money.

…sew that button on, redo that hem, fix that tiny undone seam, put funky patches on little trousers worn at the knee, fix worn bottom of trousers….and if we don’t know how to just ask someone for a helping hand or Google ” How to…” , there are myriad sites which will give you info. Just be willing to learn. Slowly.

I am sure that if we stopped and thought about it, we would find there are many ways in which we ARE living richly by reusing or making things go around…and that also includes how we deal with or treat each other.

Busy little cousin fun, “How to…”

So have a great day all and remember it’s in the little things that changes can happen.

Alexa x

Title photograph courtesy {click} morgueFile free photos

Also came across a tiny kernel of an idea for this article whilst having stumbled upon an article on microfiber cloths in a Blog called Sustainable suburbia….

http://sustainablesuburbia.net/the-pros-and-cons-of-cleaning-with-microfiber-is-it-really-eco-friendly/

All other Photographs and writing belong to Alexa from

http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com

EasiYo yoghurt made the cheats way. Instead of using the whole pack use the method below and store the rest of packet in sealed container in fridge ready for the next batches.

You are able to do this because approx 99% of packet is dried milk powder anyway and you only need a bit of the yoghurt culture to get the process going.

Easy yoghurt made the frugal way.

This is a short post made for my friend Trin.

2 Large Heaped TABLEspoons EasiYo mix Greek Style

1&1/3 to 1&1/2 cups Full Cream Powdered milk

(I also add a couple of Tablespoons of skim milk powder for a richer , thicker mix)

1 Litre Blood Temp Water

Place milk powder and EasiYo powder in the yoghurt container pictured and add most of the water. Screw on lid and carefully but thoroughly shake it up to mix. I do it over my sink cause it always seems to drip a bit. Add rest of water up to its maximum fill line. Lid on and shake again briefly.

Fill the thermos part of yoghurt maker with boiling water to marked line. Place the container of mixture in and screw on the Thermos lid.

Place on bench in corner where it will not be moved or disturbed. Leave 12 to 18 hours…. The longer left the stronger the taste.

Carefully remove yoghurt container from thermos and place in fridge to chill.

Delicious yoghurt with stewed plums and LSA

Once chilled you should have a thick-set style yoghurt. I don’t like to stir mine before eating….also remember the whey which collects in the yoghurt after some serves have been takes out is good to eat or use in baking etc.

Another thing to remember is to always use a clean spoon to serve out. Don’t eat from the jar as saliva on the spoon tends to make the yoghurt turn runny.

Once my EasiYo Greek yoghurt powder mix runs out I will try out the Aldi version Brookdale Greek style yoghurt mix.

You cannot carry out the 2 TBSPOON method with the flavoured mixes as the flavour will not carry through and be strong enough…rather do a plain yoghurt and add a tiny bit of jam etc to each serve and mix through….enjoy!!

As a side note, before I had the EasiYo Thermos kit I used a preheated with boiling water wide mouth Thermos picked up very cheaply in Op shop. I used it as a combined jar and thermos wrapping the whole thing in a big fat towel and let it stand un disturbed in a warm corner of bench. Winter time it does take longer to set. Once done I upended yoghurt into an appropriate sized container very carefully over sink and chilled in fridge. This way it did tend to be bit more runny.

Anyway, there are lots of methods for making yoghurt if you Google it, but this is my go to way. Also with myself being the only yoghurt eater and my fridge being very cold it will keep for about two weeks….so lots of smoothies….see my previous post on my version Boost juice copycat recipe, quick breakfasts, as a dollop on Mexican meals, instead of sour cream…etc , etc…

Enjoy

Bye for now
Alexa from www.Alexa-asimplelife.com

Photos belong to Alexa and written by me