Long Week end.

 I have had a busy week end here, long week ends do that if your not going away.

 

 

Saturday in between Soccer and football I spent baking up a storm, cakes biscuits and sour dough bread.

 

 

Sunday I tried a new bread recipe and was really happy with it, simple but good.

Bread

6 cups P flour,

4 teaspoons yeast

pinch salt

Tablespoon of bread improver

teaspoon sugar

dash good olive oil

Mix all together and add tepid  water until a nice sticky dough has formed.

Need for 15 min.

I put mine in the mix master and used my dough hook.

 

 

 

From this recipe I got a loaf of bread and 12 bread rolls above is the loaf and two rolls.

We  had them with pumpkin and cauliflower soup yummmmmo

 

I also bottled my first batch of Ginger beer. I'll let you know in 10 ten days how it turned out, good I hope.

My Mother in law has been here all week end and has been busy knitting me some dish clothes, and face washers. She is like a knitting machine, my supply is done again for awhile.

 



 

Today I finally got around to making the bunting for Harrison's room. I will show photos of it up later as he was sleeping when I took it over.

 

 How did you spend your long, wet week end????

 

Blessings

Mandy

On Thursday the 30th this beautiful amazing girl turned 21.

 

 

IN Las Vegas...

Yep what a way to spend your 21st.

Alanah even though we didn't spend it together I know you had an amazing day. I love you and miss you so very much.

 

 

Alanah is in the middle of a trip around the Bahamas now, boy that girl knows how to travel. Pity she didn't update her blog more often so we can all see the sights with her.

Kids no matter how old they get or where they are they are a part of you aren't they. I'm feeling rather old what with Alanah turning 21 and then in April my youngest daughter Cassie turned 17 sigh. Glad I still have 2 little boys to keep me exhausted I mean young.

 

Cassie isn't a bad cook either as Saturday morning she brought us breakfast in bed. My fave scrambled egg, I'm a simple kind of girl.

 

The rest of the week end I was kept busy though, later in the day we got new members of the family....sheep. I haven't got a photo yet as every time I go down the farm I forget my camera...

 



 

Then I made some mozzarella cheese which turned out really well. I have also been experimenting with the sour dough bread... So much easier to make and quick as well. I make a loaf every day now. I will do a post on it later in the week with how I make it....Lunch was all home made, tomatoes, lettuce and cabbage from the garden. Home made sour dough bread, home made mozzarella cheese and the chutney in the back ground is choko chutney that my friend made and surprise, surprise, it was really nice. Who would have thought Chokos.

 

 

 

Monday being my day off from work a couple of my friends have been coming around and I've been teaching  them to make soap. Yesterday we made Goats milk soap, it was a little bit fiddly but worth the effort I think. We have to wait 6 weeks though to see just how well it turns out.

I'll let you know, has any one else had a go making soap from goats milk????

 

 

 

Have a great week all

Mandy

A Busy Week end...

 

Boy o boy have things been busy around here...

Last week end I went to a cheese and sour bread making workshop.

 

 

 

Meet some lovely ladies up in Toowoomba and will be going back to some of there other Simply Living mornings.

We learnt how to make mozzarella cheese yummo..It is so quick and easy.

I am yet to make the Sour dough bread, my starter has been working away all week and I think I will be making bread tomorrow with it.

 

Last Saturday after the workshop I got to look after this most cutest baby.....Lots of Granny kisses and cuddles (lots of crying too) Truly I forgot how exhausting babies are lol.

Would do it all again...Soon I am going to have lots of time to look after Harrison.

 

Harrisons Mummy (Chloe) was in her cousins wedding, doesn't she look beautiful. Not the best pic as I was juggling Harry.

I also got to meet the newest member of the Storey Clan.

Benjamin MacGregor Duncan..

There is a few MacGregors in the family as it is a family name.

 

All in all a good week end...

 

Blessings

Mandy

 

 

Haha thought I posted this Monday....

So here it is Thursday.

Living Simply Workshop...

What a great week end we had with Rhonda and Hanno at Flagstone.

I finally got to meet Rhonda in person, and what an inspiring woman she is a wealth of information. I also met other like minded men and women.

 

 

Rhonda did two demonstrations, one was making the laundry liquid which is washing my clothes as I am writing. The other was one blanching your veges. Not something I have ever done as having so many to feed there is never enough to blanch.

 

 

They was plenty of tea, coffee and wonderful home made food to keep us going through the day.

I made a few contacts while there, I am getting a sheep and some pigs and this came out of this week end and talking to people.

 

The best part was listening to one an others ideas and how they do things. It is good to know there is so many like minded people around this valley.

Thank you Rhonda and Hanno for a great inspiring week end.

 

 

I ended the week

Sunday night treating myself to a nice long relaxing bath while thinking about all I have to do this week.

 

Blessing to All

 

Mandy

This week end...

Robbie is going away for his Cadets camp.

 

 

The wood fire is going to get started up, wood chopped and brought in and the house will start to warm up after the last couple of freezing days.

 

Cassie and I are going to Rhonda's work shop at Stockyard Hall. I must remember my book and camera so I have lots to share next week.

 

William and Bruce will be putting up new fences for the new we have coming next week.

 

 

and at some stage I will get out here to plant out my seedlings...

 

 

What are your plans for the week end?????

Look what's been happening in my Vege Garden.......

Happy Monday all.

The weather is starting to get cool here now so it is a good time to be out in the garden.

 

This year I am having a go at planting my strawberries in this old wheelbarrow as it might keep the pests of them. My basil is coming up all over the vege garden so I've been putting it in pots and giving it away.

 

 The passion fruit vine has a mind of it's own and is taking over the green house. I don't mind though as it has the most amazing fruit on it.

I have got lots of little seedlings coming up in the green house as well and will be ready to plant out soon.

Today there was a T.V camera in my old  vege patch.

 Guess why????

and guess who is coming to our local hall this week end to do a work shop.

 Rhonda from  down---to---earth.blogspot.com   Am I excited yes I am, I have been a follower of  Rhonda's blog for a lot of years it was through her blog that inspired me to do my own. Well now I not only get to meet her but also got interviewed with another lady for the local WIN news to promote this week end....

Only thing is I don't get the Toowoomba channel down here which is probably a good thing because I was so nervous I'm not sure what the heck I said....

 

 

The interview was down at the local hall but then they came back home to get some footage of my garden, the area below is what they were looking at as I planted some herbs.....This would have to be the WORST view of my garden....

 

 

 All to a good course though promoting our local hall and this week ends work shop.

 

Now I'm going to see what you all have been up to.

 

Blessing from

The T.V Star :)

No Comments..what have I done!!!!!!!!

 

Hello every one.....

Yes I know it has been such a long time since I blogged, lately all my blogs seem to start with this sentence....So whatcha all been up too?

 

Me?

Well

 

 

 Once we got back from holidays it has been go, go goooooo. Getting back to work and catching up on book work. Catching up around the house, I'm sure you know what I mean.

But I'm home and caught up now and there are some changes that will be happening in the next couple of months in our  lives, so please hang with me.

 

COMMENTS what comments?

My comment box has been full of spam I have never had this problem before, any ways last night I sat down and  deleted all the spam ( I thought) turns out when I look this morning I have deleted ALL the comments. :( Big thump to forehead here....

I love every one of your comments and thank you all for them, and I am truly sorry for deleting them.....Please, please still leave me a comment every now and then.

 

The gardens are all doing well, my wintering flowering salvias are looking amazing. They are growing all so well, the 2 photos above are cuttings I got from Mum and planted near the new water tank. They are loving this spot and have just taken off.

The fruit trees are heavy with fruit, below is a grape fruit, not many this year but the few I have on the tree are huge. Each week we have been buying more fruit trees from the markets and getting them planted. One day all my grandbabies will be running around them and helping me to pick all the fresh fruit.

 



 

 

Talking of grand babies, David rang me yesterday to ask what I wanted for Mothers Day.

I knew what I wanted....Send me Mason for a week I said.....David's reply " Yeah don't think so Mum"

Why ask me what I want if I can't have it!!!!!!

 

 

I'll leave you with this picture taken when we got back from snorkeling for the day at Cairns. Yes babies and all.

 

Have a great day

Mandy