tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61558115291047289512024-03-16T16:22:07.976+11:00Just Like My Nan Madenellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-65483286990082546552013-12-05T11:37:00.002+11:002013-12-05T11:37:55.937+11:00Preparing for Honey BeesWe've been thinking about getting bees for a few years now...and Chris has seen me in his office more than once...but late winter I decided to go for it. I ordered my first batch of bees. I had initially been thinking of getting stingless native bees for the garden just to pollinate. But once I found out that it's not really wise to harvest any of their honey I decided on honey bees. You see, natives don't like to come out of the hive if there's a big drop in temperature, and they only produce about 1kg of honey a year, so if you take it from them, you are in fact starving them of a supply of food if you have a cold snap and they don't want to go out that day foraging for 'extra food'.<br />
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I'm a firm believer in being stocked up myself...If someone took my stockpile away from me, I wouldn't be too happy. With the endless possibilities with honey bees, natives just aren't for me.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that native bees are being used in gardens, they are becoming very popular for extra pollination. I recently learnt that a local organic school garden has introduced native bees to their garden. What an excellent opportunity for the students to learn.<br />
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Yep, they sting, <i>(I haven't been stung yet, touch wood) </i> but they do much more than that. I'm already gathering honey recipes...and soap recipes and even cosmetic and candle recipes.... It's endless. Even hubby has his eye on some to experiment within his brewing shed.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Building the beehive - Stage 1</span></b><br />
I sourced my beehive kit from Chris at <a href="http://www.parkerbeekeepingsupplies.com.au/index.htm" target="_blank">Parker Beekeeper Supplies</a> in Dunmore. Chris is a lovely gentleman, full of information and shares what he knows willingly. He's helped me out a few times even over the phone.<br />
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He also makes and sells plastic beehives on his property. They are interchangeable with the timber hives too. If you don't have time or don't want to go to the trouble of soaking it yourself you can always invest in the plastic version. But for my first hive, I wanted to learn more, so I chose the timber kit.<br />
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Firstly you have to soak all the hive timber in a 1:4 solution of Coppernapthanate and Mineral Turpentine. This is a long soak of usually around 3 to 4 days.<br />
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Once soaked, then you need to drain and allow all your timbers to dry. Leave this timber layed out undercover for a good week depending on the weather.</div>
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After soaking and drying all the beehive timber you need to assemble the beehive. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat packed beehive kit after soaking and drying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screw every joint.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembling the base of the beehive</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assembling the lid of the beehive</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Once you have the whole beehive put together, then you have to paint it. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Use a good turps based paint, and white is the preferred colour.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting the beehive. I used two coats.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Building the beehive - Stage 2</span></b></div>
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All that soaking and drying takes some time...so if you like you can use this time to build your frames. There's plenty of YouTube videos online to help you along the way. </div>
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First you need to build all the frames. I have chosen a ten frame hive, so I had ten frames to build. Glue and nails worked perfectly for putting the four outside pieces together. </div>
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Once you have all the timbers made into frames, you then need to wire them up, using stainless steel wire, which is supplied in your kit. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xljKaH7R2-Q" target="_blank">I found a great tutorial video on YouTube</a> that saved me loads of time.</div>
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Once you have all your frames wired up, then you place a sheet of wax in each frame. Weaving the wax sheet into 2 or more wires helps keep them in place. This wax and wire should be part of your initial kit.<br />
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With a battery charger you can also melt (gently) the wax to the wire. This doesn't take much time at all, and be careful you don't melt all the way through the wax, as it will cut it.<br />
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Clip one terminal from the battery charger on one end of the wire and quickly but gently strike the other end. This creates the heat needed to embed the wax to the wire. There are electric embedders out there on the market, but they are very expensive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a battery charger to embed the wax to the wire.</td></tr>
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Once you have all your frames built, wired and waxed you can then put them in the hive.<br />
I've found it handy to number each frame, as you have something to refer to when making notes each time you enter the hive.<br />
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Store your hive indoors or in the shed until you get your bees, this will prevent a wild swarm taking over your fresh new hive. It's unlikely that this will happen, but prevention is better than cure. </div>
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Some people collect bees this way, even adding a queen pheromone to the 'bait hive' to attract a swarm. But 'collecting' bees in this manner doesn't guarantee you of a disease free hive of bees. It's far better to buy your bees from a reputable beekeeper like Chris. </div>
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<b>It's important to decide exactly where your bees are going to be in your yard</b>. </div>
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Because once you place them, it's very difficult to move them and can take months. </div>
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I was told that East Facing is particularly important too.</div>
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It's handy to know that you may have trouble with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diseases_of_the_honey_bee#Varroa_mites" target="_blank">Varroa Mite</a> that likes to hide up in your hive. Apparently the bees toss the mite out of the hive every chance they get, but the mite just climbs back up into the hive. Nasty chemicals are often used to stop this from happening.</div>
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If I ever get mite in my hives...I have employed my chickens to help with this problem. </div>
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I moved the chookpen fence in, but left a step or shelf for the hive to sit on. It sounds very complicated so a picture helps heaps. You will see from this photo that my chickens have access to beneath the hive. </div>
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You can see here the view from the front of the hive which is accessed by the bees via the chicken pen. If any mite get into my hive, then are kicked out..the cycle wont repeat itself. Win Win for the bees, Win Win for the chickens...and Win Win for me too. Happy bees make more honey!</div>
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This photo was taken the morning I picked up my bees. <i>(stay tuned)</i></div>
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Here you can see that I have complete access to the hive without entering the chicken pen. Everybody wins! </div>
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I've been sprinkling a little bit of food there to 'train' them to look for goodies beneath the hive. If I ever get the hive beetle, and the bees toss them out, the chickens will gobble them up in a heartbeat. Ingenious! </div>
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Say hello to Daffy scratching around near the hive. <i>(the photo WAS taken after I introduced the bees)</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's all very exciting!....</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stay tuned for my next post .... </b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Bringing Home the Bees!</i></b><br />
<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-30412274962226541992013-12-04T10:27:00.001+11:002013-12-04T10:27:24.449+11:00Dehydrating Eggs for Winter<br />
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<i>There's no point apologising for the vast gap in blogging....let's just say I've had other commitments within my life.....</i><br />
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I've recently discovered that having many chickens, you often have a surplus of eggs.... (Although this didn't happen overnight, as most of them were hatched by myself)<br />
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I also know that when you rely on those eggs, your guaranteed to have your girls not lay as well that day. This especially applies during winter when chickens hardly lay or shut down egg supply completely. This is where my Winter Egg supply comes in.......<br />
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Yep, you guessed it...<br />
<i><b>I'm dehydrating my surplus eggs for winter stock. Why not!</b></i><br />
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All you do is blend...pour...dry...crumbled and store.....<br />
It's that easy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC81x6yAqb0kk6QejQ5bhNqY7d5SjkQFc7gaJT1yN3cd8n9wsIZ8GqptBIocOokoGLY4mZlGdaDTP92nQo3Bgbpymg5SAKdFWXsn2mLAbj_hByvEf2LDvEg6gI-0ffltpJlxKQbCWSMQ/s1600/DSC_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC81x6yAqb0kk6QejQ5bhNqY7d5SjkQFc7gaJT1yN3cd8n9wsIZ8GqptBIocOokoGLY4mZlGdaDTP92nQo3Bgbpymg5SAKdFWXsn2mLAbj_hByvEf2LDvEg6gI-0ffltpJlxKQbCWSMQ/s320/DSC_2161.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt09NcmNCljdEOCgVRkp601j_nvnU9GSxrlwjNWkxl7NOWnNhZWA90xmx-4UP86BtYKnmyhw7aDyj87mllaAsIxInH-CC9Cd14Gq3NhZsT_sbD7gwnISygbWOuQ5td7NYb-Sdx6Larw/s1600/20131204_083824%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt09NcmNCljdEOCgVRkp601j_nvnU9GSxrlwjNWkxl7NOWnNhZWA90xmx-4UP86BtYKnmyhw7aDyj87mllaAsIxInH-CC9Cd14Gq3NhZsT_sbD7gwnISygbWOuQ5td7NYb-Sdx6Larw/s320/20131204_083824%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dehydrated Egg</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dehydrated Egg ready to crumble or blitz</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">And it's that simple..... </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I will have a stock of my own eggs all throughout winter. </span></b><br />
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If you're wondering how to use this egg powder...It's just as simple....<br />
For every egg needed use 1 tablespoon of powder to 2 tablespoons of water. Mix thoroughly into a bowl...and allow to sit for a few minutes to reconstitute.<br />
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Then use as you would any other egg.<br />
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Here's how I used some to make scrambled eggs....and it tasted just the same.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hints: </span></b></div>
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<b>1.</b> Make sure you have good plastic sheets to pour your egg onto. I'm not sure if parchment paper would be sturdy enough. My dehydrator comes with liquid trays which I also use to make fruit leather.</div>
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<b>2</b>. Make sure you blend your eggs well. Preferably with an electric mixer of some sort.</div>
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<b>3.</b> Take the mix TO THE dehydrator trays... THEN pour it on the trays...(<i>spoken from experience</i>). Don't try to move the trays or the dehydrator once you have poured....It just makes an awfully huge mess.</div>
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<b>4.</b> Ignore the oily feeling of the egg powder once it's dried...although it looks and is really dry...it feels really oily...and that's normal.</div>
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<b>5.</b> Once the dried egg is blitzed into a <i>(large grained)</i> powder....<b> allow to cool</b> in a large bowl before decanting into your storage container. (<i>Blitzing can generate heat that will make your powder sweat in an airtight glass jar...which will compromise and probably waste all your hard work</i>).</div>
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<b>6.</b> Reconstituted egg can be mixed quicker in a blender....but just sitting it on the bench for a few minutes for a couple of eggs is fine.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Do you have surplus eggs AND a dehydrator? </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">What will you be doing with your extra eggs next time?</span></i><br />
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-69640552706411960612013-06-29T07:13:00.000+10:002013-06-29T07:13:22.902+10:00Spelt n Sweet Potato Scones<br />
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<b style="color: #37404e; font-style: normal;">Spelt n Sweet Potato Scones</b><span style="color: #37404e;"> - </span></h2>
<span style="color: #37404e; font-size: 13px;">These were super yummy....super light AND delicious! </span><br />
<span style="color: #37404e;">Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">In one bowl add...</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">2 cups of spelt flour</span><br /><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #37404e;">1 1/2 cups plain flour</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">7 tspns baking powder....and sift 3 or 4 times</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">add to this 55g of softened butter and rub butter into flour.</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">add 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other sugar) and blend.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">In another bowl mix the following...</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">1 egg</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">1 cup (preferably cold) steamed sweet potato flesh..... </span><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(I usually fill the steamer with either sweet potato or pumpkin, then bag it into 1 or 2 cup bags and pop in the freezer...For a quick defrost, lay your bags flat to freeze, then store them upright in the veg basket in your freezer....it takes no time to defrost when some scones are on the planner)</span></i><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">1/4 cup yoghurt</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">1/4 cup milk</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">Now add the wet mix to the dry mix and blend until combined...</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">Roll onto floured board, the mix will be rather wet....keep floured so it doesn't stick.</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">Cut rounds using an inverted glass, dipping the glass in flour with each cut.</span><br /><span style="color: #37404e;">Place on baking tray and cook until golden brown, usually about 18 to 20 minutes in hot oven.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">Do you ever make sweet potato scones? If you try making this recipe, do come back and tell me how they went. I'd love to hear your feedback.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">I'm off to Jamberoo today for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JamberooFarmersMarket/info" target="_blank">Jamberoo Weekly Artisan Markets</a>...I hope to buy some lovely Blood Limes grown locally at <a href="http://www.jamberoovalleyfarm.com.au/" target="_blank">Jamberoo Valley Farm</a>.......<a href="http://www.jamberoovalleyfarm.com.au/produce-animals/vegetable-gardens-fruit-orchards/" target="_blank">you can read about the Blood Lime Orchard here.</a></span></div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-80379662020452615482013-06-28T00:06:00.000+10:002013-06-28T00:06:12.327+10:00PB Choc Chip Cookie Dough Bites<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXKp9h9TLAfLMqd4UEwCJVHfexnMFGuJ9Weg6Ua-f0i3QtQdf880nEIrdF1FgpRCRzFkPbdmnlJiPMRTfjfREs5j4bt4zYO04Kz0om1Ji1OIFJ1hmPQl60BOlbLeNxq9thokOwawT-A/s1600/DSC_2094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXKp9h9TLAfLMqd4UEwCJVHfexnMFGuJ9Weg6Ua-f0i3QtQdf880nEIrdF1FgpRCRzFkPbdmnlJiPMRTfjfREs5j4bt4zYO04Kz0om1Ji1OIFJ1hmPQl60BOlbLeNxq9thokOwawT-A/s200/DSC_2094.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<i>Thanks for all the wonderful words for my last post, It was a true joy to hear from you all....and yes, I was right....He was a rooster, (he proudly began testing his voice just yesterday), but he got kindly and quickly dispatched today and popped in the freezer. I'm picking up two more roosters from someone else tomorrow and I'll do the same with them.</i><br />
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<br />
I've been trying to go a lot healthier these days....We have bad hearts, diabetes and kidney troubles in the family just to name a few....<br />
So I figure the healthier I eat, the healthier I should be.<br />
<i>(If I can just keep away from all the <u>Quick Fix-Processed Foods</u>, I'd be fine)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I recently discovered a cookie dough recipe on my facebook page that was reasonably healthy...and I know that although I'm trying to be grainfree at the moment, I also know that they have choc-chips in them, but I do want the rest of the family to enjoy them too! I'll just need to go steady with how many I eat.....<br />
Did I mention there is ......<br />
No Flour !<br />
No Oil !<br />
No White Sugar !<br />
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<h2>
<u><b>Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookie Dough Bites....Yummm!</b></u></h2>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: red;"><i>For a triple batch which I made; see the red adaptions....</i></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="color: #898f9c;">1 1/4 cups canned* chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel </span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: red;">2 full cans, rinsed and dried quickly</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract </span><span style="color: red;">6 tspns</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter </span><span style="color: red;">495grams</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">1/4 cup (80 grams) honey </span><span style="color: red;">3/4 cup</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">1 teaspoon baking powder**</span><span style="color: red;"> 3 tspns</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it </span><span style="color: red;">3 pinches</span><span style="color: #898f9c;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips </span><span style="color: red;">3/4 cup</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">* My can was a 400 gram can, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">** If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #898f9c;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #898f9c;">Directions:</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;">If your making a triple batch I suggest blending the chickpeas smooth first, then transferring to a mixing bowl (electric as well at this stage would be even better)...then continue by adding the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth, then fold in the choc chips.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span><span style="color: #898f9c;">Combine all the ingredients, </span><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #898f9c;">except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls </span><span style="color: red;">(I used about 3/4 of a tablespoon per ball)</span><span style="color: #898f9c;">. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes. </span><span style="color: red;">I thought they took much longer than 10 minutes, more like 15 to 20 depending on your oven.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.</span><br /><span style="color: #898f9c;">*** Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. </span></span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">* </span></i></b></span><span style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Remember....they are <u>Cookie Dough</u> Bites...so they aren't as firm as a cookie, rather doughy inside...but they ARE delicious....</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">I enjoyed 3 for desert tonight! What a treat! </span></i></b> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHyypKYr3j1xsR7nMaALSvjbzA6wfyIVI73bN0gBAh3MDCCY1Zeu9oe4WmR0QgJdjQmT_eKTNJCSVOs2kR7J3gABRk1ANN-bsKPQ4AFrNOtCQRf0fvkyQXztKMRaVmRR5K7pZ0EXGZw/s1600/DSC_2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHyypKYr3j1xsR7nMaALSvjbzA6wfyIVI73bN0gBAh3MDCCY1Zeu9oe4WmR0QgJdjQmT_eKTNJCSVOs2kR7J3gABRk1ANN-bsKPQ4AFrNOtCQRf0fvkyQXztKMRaVmRR5K7pZ0EXGZw/s400/DSC_2095.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookie Dough Bites</span></td></tr>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-14448037227182166802013-06-13T07:33:00.000+10:002013-06-13T07:48:35.710+10:00We've got chickens...and ducks...and rabbits.....<br />
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It all started with me wanting chickens for my birthday...a dear friend offered me his pets if I had the space....so for weeks I worked furiously on getting my yard to accommodate for them.<br />
I tell ya! My life has changed in so many ways since having the extra animals in the back yard. Yes we live in town, yes we have 2 dogs that would love to eat them....but it's working!<br />
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Here's our adventure so far......<br />
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We began by converting Mum's shed into the chicken coup...with panels removed for ventilation.....<br />
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and a viewing hole in the door so we can see if there's any escapee wannabees before going inside....<br />
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Roosting and nesting ....<b>Plan A.....</b><br />
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<h2>
<b>Dividing the yard....</b></h2>
<h3>
Please note that all our resources were on the property except the wire mesh which we sourced at the local recycling center connected with the tip.</h3>
That fancy door....was for my purple runner beans......After hubby halved it; it's now converted into the main gate. We decided it best if we followed the path of the pavers...that way our 2 four legged hunters (Rusty & Cindy) couldn't dig their way into the chicken pen....It's working so far....<br />
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All hands on deck getting the wire mesh installed...thanks boys!<br />
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It started with 2 rabbits from my mate Richard....which we had been keeping in a cage in the front yard...I named them F1 and F2 (Fertiliser 1 and Fertiliser 2)<br />
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Then we thought one got out...but turns out he was only visiting.....</div>
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so he went in the cage too.</div>
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After 3 days...we now had 3 rabbits....and the cage was getting smaller and smaller.....</div>
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Meet F3...</div>
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Soooo...then Richard asks me "If you want my chickens and ducks too, you're more than welcome, I need to clean up my yard!" .....I knew it could work, because apart from F3, they had all lived together rather happily.</div>
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And that's how all this construction began in my backyard....</div>
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<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits & 2 ducks.....</b></div>
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So here are the ducks.... </div>
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and here are the chickens....all reunited again.....</div>
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<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 2 ducks & 4 chickens...</b></div>
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I then decide to source some fertile eggs from two local schools....and incubate them using a friends incubator.....from 36 eggs, we get 10 chickens hatched healthily....<br />
<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 2 ducks & 14 chickens...</b><br />
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One chicken is born with what I think is brain damage, so quickly put to sleep....<br />
and then there is Daffy.... Daffy had clubby curled up feet and I knew that this would definitely be a problem if he/she was to get older and become heavier...Daffy couldn't walk properly and I couldn't see any perching future for the little one either....so with internet at my ready...I researched the possibilities.....after all, Daffy could be an egg layer, I'm thinking it's worth the research....<br />
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So...Daffy got new shoes (double sided sticky tape) for a week or so...changed regularly when they fell off....and it's worked...<br />
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Apart from one toe, Daffy is growing up to be a lovely hen.....<br />
Apart from one toe being curled sideways (which you can't really see, because she is stepping in poop)....Daffy keeps up with the rest of the crowd, you'd never know she had to wear special shoes when she was tiny.....hehehe<br />
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Oh...did I mention that Hubby thought it would be good to buy some older birds....not much older, but 2 to 4 weeks older than our babies....so a road trip <b>bought 10 chickens home</b>...apparently they should all lay blue eggs....I was told they are <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?q=golden+black+chickens&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ANe4UYWbH86ViQfk1YDIDQ&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1536&bih=729" target="_blank">Golden Blacks</a>...<br />
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Hubby named this one Moe.....cause it has a mohawk on its head....lol<br />
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<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 2 ducks & 24 chickens...</b><br />
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Moe is also growing up to be a fine looking lady....She also wishes she could get back in under my passionfruit vine...No more scratching Moe !<br />
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We've been lucky so far not naming any boys....as the boys will all be despatched quickly and put in the freezer....I'm thinking this one is a rooster, cause I seen him mounting a hen the other day...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Am I a rooster...I think I am...</td></tr>
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Another road trip brings us 6 Welsh Harlequin ducks (left) from my cousin in Bundanoon....2 female, 4 male....the boys were dispatched a few days later and put in the freezer.<br />
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<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 4 ducks & 23 chickens...</b><br />
<i>Yep...1 chicken missing, because it decided to go for a day trip over the fence...and Rusty got her... The chicken is now buried under the apricot tree.... Naughty Rusty :(</i><br />
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Early days; we also got offered this lovely little bantam and her boyfriend from a local school....We named her Jenny, but had her boyfriend for dinner....He was way too noisy to even keep just one night.......</div>
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See how Jenny only has two tail feathers in this picture....That's because she decided to go for a holiday over the neighbor's back fence....lucky he was home to remove Jenny's butt from their dog's mouth....She hasn't gone on holidays since, and her tail feathers are all grown back now. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny</td></tr>
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<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 4 ducks & 24 chickens...</b><br />
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Of Course anyone who has Silkies knows that they are prone to being clucky and broody....so Miss Bad Hair Day decides she's going to sit on a clutch of eggs...<br />
I was kindly donated 8 eggs for her to hatch from my mate Ross...these eggs being Isa Brown chickens.....Thanks Ross!<br />
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Meet Miss Bad Hair Day and her 5 babies out on the town....(one is hiding under her)<br />
I've been told that <b>Isa Brown day old chicks can be sexed by the colour of them.</b>..<br />
I've got two red chicks and 3 white chicks...so I'm thinking I have 3 more boys for the freezer when they start to crow loudly.<br />
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You can also see in this photo that the chicken run is almost the full width of our yard...lucky chickens!<br />
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<b>Headcount: 5 humans, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 4 ducks & 29 chickens...</b><br />
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Update on<b> Plan A </b>with the chicken roost and the nesting boxes....<br />
I think were settled with <b>Plan D and E </b>now.....<br />
The roost was built from dowel stands that DS21 brought home from work...we now have lots of dowel.<br />
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The nesting boxes were built from two sets of steel shelving that were in the shed originally.<br />
I simply laid one on its side...cut the shelves from the other one in half and pop-riveted them in place to make the middle shelf for the upper nesting boxes.<br />
The timber slats to keep the straw encased...that's from an old timber blind.<br />
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<b>....</b>and when the weather fines up and I'm not building extra garden beds....I have the nursery/sin bin in the making.....<br />
I have enough steel mesh to enclose this area, the frame is made, I just need to work out a door/frame and its all set.<br />
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Soooo sorry, for the life of me I cannot get this photo to rotate....<br />
Pffft, never a dull moment in blogger...and I thought it was going to behave itself today<br />
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<b>That's it for now...just wanted to catch you up on all the goings on around here.</b><br />
<b>I'd love to hear what you think of my new additions .......</b><br />
<b>I know I have too many for my block, but remember I'll be culling the boys as they grow their voices...</b><br />
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<b>I'll be back soon to show you my garden bed expansion....off to have some breakfast then do some serious dirt relocating....</b><br />
<b>Happy blogging!</b><br />
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-22421290399637352382013-04-27T21:32:00.000+10:002013-04-27T21:32:27.501+10:00Mum's eulogy<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO15R1YM8Ue_djGDjgXMRDSBxjmNIg9ytR2GlJANuaxbuQfBkg8JEYGwhWy1wElCYy8vmU5nrPo1vZltgt_MPJ6Y1XBaaSFDvfNcTl9Be2SaBoweGb8JUOmJ-V0u3bsL4QRMergHpug/s1600/Joyce+Clarke+Nov+2009+Aged+75.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO15R1YM8Ue_djGDjgXMRDSBxjmNIg9ytR2GlJANuaxbuQfBkg8JEYGwhWy1wElCYy8vmU5nrPo1vZltgt_MPJ6Y1XBaaSFDvfNcTl9Be2SaBoweGb8JUOmJ-V0u3bsL4QRMergHpug/s400/Joyce+Clarke+Nov+2009+Aged+75.JPG" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In memory of Joyce Clarke<br />28.04.1934 to 01.09.2013<br />Photo taken in 2009 (age 75)</td></tr>
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It's Mum's birthday, she would have been 79....... I've mentioned before how dear I miss my mum, and for those who have lost a loved one dear to you.....You know how I'm feeling....</div>
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There have been many firsts since my mother has passed away in September last year....</div>
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But this one...this first....is her birthday and I'd like to share with you the eulogy I wrote honouring her life...</div>
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********************************************************</div>
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<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">here do I start? There’s so much I could say
…and what parts do I leave out?</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope I don’t keep you too long…but
here goes….</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>J</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">oyce Isabel Cady was the first of five born
to parents Richard and Edeline Cady on 28 April 1934 at the Brooklyn Private
Hospital in Kiama. Joyce found her
calling as a Nurse’s Aide, working in Obstetrics and the Psychiatric Ward in
Goulburn. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">fter giving up nursing because of her
allergies, Mum moved back to the Kiama area. In 1954 Mum married my father
Horace. Everyone knew him as Nobby though…
At that time Dad had not long returned from active service in the Korean
War. … </span></span></i></span></div>
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<i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">hat I </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> know was that 8 years earlier, my father had married
another lady…also named Joyce. I found this out while researching the family
history. I gently approached Mum with the subject, having no clue how she would
react because I never found documentation that he had divorced the first Joyce. </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">She said in a quiet calm voice…</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">”Oh yes, he told me that there was another woman
named Joyce, but that I had nothing to worry about.” </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">“I had already fallen
madly in love with him, so I just accepted what was, and got on with it.”.....and this love glowed brightly throughout their entire marriage.</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> guess she thought the strapping young
soldier, (my father) was quite a catch and worth the risk. Trustingly, he had
told her that the relationship was a mere marriage of convenience, and that they never</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> lived together very long..... and it was over before he went to Korea. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">s any
family historian would do, I investigated further, wondering if there may be a
half brother or sister out there somewhere. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">t was to be an eventful and rocky start to
their marriage because Mum fell ill and had her gallbladder removed while on their
honeymoon. How romantic!<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">In the early years of their marriage, Mum had
trouble conceiving and sadly delivered two stillborn babies, both at full term.
It </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> until about three years ago, that I found that these babies had been
buried in the Albury Pioneer Cemetery. When I told Mum I had found her babies,
she became rather quiet with many unhappy memories flooding back….she recalled
how upset she was to have lost her baby (Robert) the day before Anzac Day, only to have
her newly wedded husband leave her to join in the Anzac March and two-up
festivities. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>O</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">n top of the heartache, she was never allowed to hold either
babies she lost, and assumed they were discarded as hospital waste. Sadly, this
was common practice in those days….I </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">can't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> imagine the darkness of this 50 year
assumption. After more discussion, we realized that Dad must have ‘handled
things’, as the babies burials must have been paid for. One was even named.
Only Dad would have had the means to pay for the burials of the babies. But it
was never discussed and I know that troubled Mum, wondering why her husband
would make these arrangements without telling her. I often wonder what things
would be like, if Robert had lived...... Would I even exist?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">s my father was a soldier before life with
Mum, she learnt very quickly that she had also married the Army. The next ten
years or so would prove that while they lived at 3 Sub Depot Army Barracks in </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">Bandiana.</span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">hile living in </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">Bandiana</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> in 1956……Mum gave birth to her first daughter, my sister
Susanne at the Wodonga District Hospital. Not long after Sue was born, the
young family moved to Englehart Street in Albury and it was to be a long and
difficult 9 ½ years before they would conceive again successfully. That’s when
my brother Richard came into the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>B</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">etween the birth of Richard in 1965 and
1968, Mum, Dad, Sue and Richard moved to the family home that we know as 34
Lindsay Street, Wodonga. Every house in the street was Army. Over the next few
years, Mum and Dad tried again to conceive.... as they felt another child would
make their family complete. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After several miscarriages, they decided to adopt a
child. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is where I come in……....<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> can thank my lucky stars that in 1969, Mum
became ill and was too sick to complete the adoption. Mum has told me on several occasions that they had the adoption papers in the house. After seeing several
doctors they were blown away by the news that Mum </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> really sick, when in
reality, she was just pregnant…..With me! … </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> guess you could say I was her most
troubling pregnancy, with her </span></span></i></span><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">spending more time in the hospital than out.
The troubles I caused her when I came into the world two months early </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> stop there. Dad was also in trouble with the matron, as he had remarked; “bi
crikey, she’s small”….The matron stiffly turned and said to Mum, “What does he
expect for a 2 month premmie?”</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Both Mum and Dad used to tell me that I could fit
into a child size shoe box. Hard to
imagine now hey!</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">hen
I was four, Dad had his first major heart attack. The worries for Mum with a
husband with a bad heart must have been horrible. Somewhere in there Dad
retired from the Army due to health conditions </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">brought</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> on by being in Active
Service in Korea. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">t was only in recent years that Mum let slip here and there, the degree of Dad’s
nightmares. Over the years, Mum must have kept a lot of things bottled up
inside her heart.</span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">’ve always called her the Peace-Keeper of the family and she
definitely stopped some big wars between us kids over the years...... With Dad so ill, what he
didn’t know, </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">couldn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> hurt him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">n
1974 we moved to Rutherglen and into the Old State Bank Building. Looking back,
I can see how Mum was virtually a single Mum, but with an invalid husband who didn’t
leave the house much. Despite the difficulties, we had some great fun with different
activities on the weekends when Mum would take us yabbying…or if it was the
right season, </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">we'd</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> go picking mushrooms. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> don’t ever remember Dad being well enough to go kick a football with
my brother…and that’s so sad…..but I do recall him taking me down to the local
footy oval to teach me how to ride a pushbike without trainers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">ost
weekends involved hunting and gathering some sort of food. Whether it was
yabbying, picking wild fruit, or buckets of mushrooms or even shooting rabbits.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When
blackberries were in season, we also made many trips to the Stanley forest
near Beechworth to pick wild blackberries. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">um
taught me to rub the green fruit onto your hands to lift the stains from your
skin. I know this works with Mulberries, but I can’t recall if it worked with
the blackberries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">rips
to Beechworth, often involved a packed esky and we’d enjoy a quiet tea on the edge
of a little creek, just off the main road into town. We also picked up rock lichen
in the surrounding hills, which Mum would use to dye the wool of her sheep. Lichen dyes wool
a lovely bright shade of pale green.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">um turned any gathered fruit into the most
delicious preserves and jams around. She was a good cook, and loved cooking
pickles too. Desserts and home baked bread were specialties of hers too. Growing
up around Mum’s kitchen, we were often volunteered to “STAND AND STIR”, if Mum needed
help. I guess Mum had her share of
“STAND AND STIR” while learning from her Mother too…..Just a few months ago; I
got her to stir sauce for me while I quickly did something else. I even get my
boys to STAND AND STIR occasionally for me now too. I know Mum was very proud of me for taking on
all the old family recipes. It’s a nice feeling to know that you’re keeping
things alive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">fter Dad had another Major Heart attack
while up a ladder, Mum and us kids packed up the already sold house, and moved
everything over to our new home in 5 Booth Street, still in Rutherglen. This
was across the road from the old timber Sawmill. Mum always said that we </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> need
an alarm clock because the saw mill started up every day at 7am on the dot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">he lengths that mum went to while we were
growing up was above and beyond what makes a good mum. Even while caring for an
invalid husband, she always had time to run us around. I remember one year, I made this huge poster
for an art competition for the Winery Walkabout Long Weekend. Well; Mum drove
me around to all the wineries so that I could take a photo of them to put in my
display. She never once questioned her time or the cost that would have been
involved. I won the competition that year and my poster was displayed in the
window of the local solicitor Rod Ambrose. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">aybe that was the same weekend our goats ran
loose in the main street of Rutherglen. I remember hearing an announcement come
over the loud speaker with Tony Gillman saying “ Could Joyce Clarke please come
and collect your goats, they have escaped and have been running wild in the
crowd” You see; Mum rented the empty block that backed onto the Main Street. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">y mother was a very generous member of the
Rutherglen Community. She was always
willing to help out when a young girl found herself pregnant too. She would
ring around and gather whatever was needed. While packing them up though, she’d
give me a stern…."Don’t you ever find yourself in this type of situation, because
I won’t be so nice"....so when I finally fell pregnant at the age of 21, I went to
my sister and told her first….I was horrified at how mum would react, so took
Sue along with me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">um drove us everywhere. We used to go to
Lavington for roller-skating on a Friday night. Richard had Judo in Albury too,
and I doubt that Dad was well enough to take him. </span></span></i></span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At 16, I was selling Nutri-Metics at night,
and mum was always taking me to demonstrations. Never once, do I remember her
complaining about all the running around.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1987</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> must have been Mum’s worst year. I watched
as she grieved for her husband. Dad had his final and fatal heart attack. We
found him outside the old dunny down the back yard. I think because mum had it
torn down so quick, some folks actually thought he died on the loo. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">hose that knew Mum, knew that her main passions
were Bingo and Craftwork. She reveled in her own Craft Shop called Calico and Hessian
and for a number of years, even Dad got involved. I remember Mum doing a
leatherwork course to add to her many skills and list of crafts. But it was Dad
that eventually took over the leatherwork craft. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>O</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">ver the years mum has put her hand to
Knitting, Crochet, Macramé, Leatherwork, Dying and Spinning wool from her own
sheep, card making, bread baking, soap making, gardening, Lapidary work with
Opal, and breeding meat birds…and that’s just to name a few…..So you see, it’s
in our blood to be creative, us three kids are all creative in some way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>E</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">ven after she moved from Cooper’s Court- </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">Rutherglen, </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> up
to Oak Flats (600km away) to help out with Nan Cady…..Did she give up her role in the craft
shop in Rutherglen….No way!....She had me send her craft by mail to be put in
the shop on consignment. I guess she couldn’t bring herself to make that final
break. After all, the ladies connected to the shop are friends from a lifetime.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">O</span></b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">ne of mum’s favorite gadgets was the
telephone. Keeping in touch with friends and family by phone was very important
to her. I know she loved talking on the phone, because her bill used to come to
us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">um lived with us for almost 9 years before
passing away. In that time, she was as involved with her grandchildren’s lives
as much as she could be. She had a brag book, which I had to keep up to
date…she showed off those photos to anyone that was willing to have a look,
especially at bingo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>D</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">istance was never a problem for mum and up
until about 18 months ago, she could still do the 600km drive to Victoria to
visit family and old friends. Driving </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 20px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> the problem, it was with walking to
her car and getting in and out that was hard. She struggled daily with pain…..With
these long road-trips; Mum could rattle off the location of every fruit tree
from here to Rutherglen. </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t think she ever stopped thinking I can do
this….I can still do that…..but my husband; knowing her limited mobility... had this
ongoing but fun debate with her about the cost of apples as opposed to the cost of fuel
and the effort involved hunting for wild fruit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">’ve watched her body grow old, but her mind
was always strong…..I’m sure quite a few of you have heard her tell her
favorite joke about the prostitutes and the police handing out oranges. She
loved telling that joke. Ask around...you’ll find someone she’s told it to
here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">hen she lived in Coopers Court, another move
in Rutherglen….she was a member of the Rutherglen Fishing Club, and while her
body didn’t allow her to go fishing much once she moved up here...She was
satisfied to be able to watch from the car. It was the same with gardening….I
would set up a chair for her in the shade, and she’d watch me tend the garden.
I think she enjoyed the company too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><b>O</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">nce she had her unit built in our </span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">backyard</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">
we decided it was in her best interest to have quick contact with us in the
main house if anything went wrong. Let’s just say that modern technology wasn’t
mum’s thing. We tried different phone setups, we also tried walkie talkies, but
somehow she managed to reprogram her hand piece so that it would NOT
communicate with the other one...With this total disagreement with technology,
we decided on a wireless doorbell. We had the doorbell beside her bed, and one
where she sits in her lounge room…..and if she rang the doorbell, it would then
ring in our hallway where everyone would hear it. </span></span></i></span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">t was a great idea, and
worked wonderfully…But remember how I said it was for emergencies, or if
something went wrong……..It got to the stage that when the doorbell rang, we’d
almost roll our eyes, wondering who’s turn it was to go see her….Talk about the
boy who cried wolf…..We even teased her about it, but we dreaded that doorbell because it ended up being to ask, “What color wool should I use next?”
OR…."Look what I made" .....or even …. “Is the Wrestling on
today?” </span></span></i></div>
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<i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She loved watching the wrestling with Andrew and knew most of the
wrestlers by name.</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>S</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">ometimes it’s the little annoying things
that we easily recall…..like how Mum had hand gestures for things….I don’t know
why, but she often just gestured that she needed a drink..instead of just
asking for a drink….or she’d wave her empty drink bottle around while watching
television with us, hoping someone would catch on and ask if she would like a drink. She
had lots of little hints like that, subtle but not subtle…..Maybe we joked
about her free-use of that doorbell too much, because I would go hang the
washing on the line, and I’d hear this almighty THUMP THUMP THUMP a few
times…..This was her banging her walking stick on the floor in the unit….I’d go
see what she wanted, and she would play the “I have no idea what you’re talking
about"…."Oh that! I just had a cramp in my leg."<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">t’s those little things, and big things too,
I will miss….She’s been a big part of my daily life for 9 years and my mother for 42. I was her day
to day carer and confidant. But more than that, she relied on me to pick her up
if she was down, she trusted me to keep her safe. She depended on my strength. I promised her a
long time ago that I’d let her go if the situation presented itself….In the
hospital, we had a few talks about her going to be with Dad, after all, 25
years is a long time to be on your own……</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">W</span></b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">ith her body failing so quickly; It would have been selfish of me to
fight for her to stay….<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love my mum, and I’ll miss her terribly. </span></i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Narelle Pearce</span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in honour of my mother </span></i></span></div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-36657317021987391252013-03-19T07:06:00.000+11:002013-03-19T07:06:04.738+11:00Jean & Graham's garden - Truly Inspirational<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do you have fruit trees in your garden? Are they
old enough yet to prune? I recently had to visit a lovely garden owned by good
friends Jean & Graham. While there for the morning, my good friend Richard (also my Garden Guru) had to prune the apple trees for Jean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: white;">Wow oh Wow oh Wow! As soon as you drive up the driveway, you know there's
something extra special about this suburban block of land in Oak Flats. To the
right is a lovely feature angled rose garden; I was rather excited to be given the
opportunity to go back there when they are in full bloom. The grape-vine is
first to greet you on the left, followed by the lovely bushy fig tree. There's
plenty going on beneath the fruit trees too; along with Comfrey and other herbs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Still on the left of the driveway is the
kiwi-fruit, asparagus, cherry guava, almond and other edibles.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After the rose garden, still in the front yard...younger children
are accommodated with a huge trampoline...The pumpkin are growing
happily in and around the legs of the trampoline...and the quaint little flower
garden is a great space for the lady of the household to grow all her 'girly'
plants. Overall, the space works brilliantly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As you stroll down the side of the house...you can't help but wonder
what awe-inspiring views await you when you reach the back yard. You've just
passed more edibles including lemon verbena and elder-flower. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Narelle found herself speechless as she came round the
corner....feasting her eyes every which way....with camera in hand, where does
one begin to take photos? I can tell you now....We found it hard to limit the
amount of photos used in this post....and I'll just leave you with a small list
of the photos taken that day.....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When you first walk through the garden...it's obvious that anyone can be
totally gobsmacked by the vastness and creativeness that has been used in the
design of this garden. Well done to Jean & Graham for all your hard
work....It sure is worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6XXebvxOpnojRW88D9iQouSvF8itFksgq21CPR6DG2ApXrzUmHCtnKnpCAfrIeui7nb9bv_ySyeNAn8rnSoBdeL5f5A9DZuEcvNv87xZEAcS7xqZ7yEkEu5peGwbv_MxYBVMYuaIgQ/s1600/IMG_2343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6XXebvxOpnojRW88D9iQouSvF8itFksgq21CPR6DG2ApXrzUmHCtnKnpCAfrIeui7nb9bv_ySyeNAn8rnSoBdeL5f5A9DZuEcvNv87xZEAcS7xqZ7yEkEu5peGwbv_MxYBVMYuaIgQ/s400/IMG_2343.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi Jean</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt;">No words can explain the beauty, appreciate the work and inspiration one
gets while wandering around in this garden....I've decided to keep all the
photos as large as I can...due to the amazing detail in each one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Everywhere you look, there's another type of plant....and another....and
another........<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lovely tall corn...ready to harvest...see below!</span><br style="font-size: medium;" /><span style="font-size: small;">L to R: Here's Richard, Anna and Jean</span><br style="font-size: medium;" /><span style="font-size: small;">checking out the skyscraper tall corn.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagging your apples early helps eliminate fruit fly</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Out the back: The chickens enjoy the width of the yard...</span><br style="font-size: medium;" /><span style="font-size: small;">but fenced off from the dogs.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikasIuSqSWewQwxVsTjfQNa1vFLA7ZUa9De4793qSrxgYPQrxBOIwtXAF8iTPQPwFgakGbksmM8r7zyLkyGAcAeh5CFpXYieuRpf6xy_BWmK_4_vwLZeR1Fkb8EmFO6GAu1uDBnPgLtA/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikasIuSqSWewQwxVsTjfQNa1vFLA7ZUa9De4793qSrxgYPQrxBOIwtXAF8iTPQPwFgakGbksmM8r7zyLkyGAcAeh5CFpXYieuRpf6xy_BWmK_4_vwLZeR1Fkb8EmFO6GAu1uDBnPgLtA/s400/IMG_2323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of pollinators </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham pruning the thorn-less blackberry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choko vine shading the henhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockmelon - very sweet<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard, helping Graham prune the blackberry<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jean's Goji Berry<br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJIgvSDsB0RwwNN0FOcpbv1Zvfq_Xn7RcfDyP9w7rzzOZ6perMuc-1FdOnT9jZl2IDCVyvv2feiVQxFDZO9VR9Y-28mbVuqEUhM_VA3bploNVWbzqIUvKNhZeE7FHFA0x1ZwIfn85rQ/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJIgvSDsB0RwwNN0FOcpbv1Zvfq_Xn7RcfDyP9w7rzzOZ6perMuc-1FdOnT9jZl2IDCVyvv2feiVQxFDZO9VR9Y-28mbVuqEUhM_VA3bploNVWbzqIUvKNhZeE7FHFA0x1ZwIfn85rQ/s400/IMG_2313.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of their harvest a few days after my visit</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bounty of Corn, Cucumber, and Carrots<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dehydrated fresh chillies<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FFFMzrfC7y3TKqb7Gaj8H2ct-isdpVLKdOMjliZ6qXWuw2Qe_dVBRoVZcOReeULsKMT_RZ-0ZkUcIKQ8R5nxJCoarFrkKVvkq_vC02v4GU40UczNte1WS_p99RhwXBpyQN3m8sU6FA/s1600/Rockmelon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FFFMzrfC7y3TKqb7Gaj8H2ct-isdpVLKdOMjliZ6qXWuw2Qe_dVBRoVZcOReeULsKMT_RZ-0ZkUcIKQ8R5nxJCoarFrkKVvkq_vC02v4GU40UczNte1WS_p99RhwXBpyQN3m8sU6FA/s400/Rockmelon.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Sweet Rockmelon<br /></td></tr>
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Many thanks to Jean & Graham for allowing me to visit their garden...I'ts made me re-think my entire back yard....Just wait till you see what I've done....</div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-53896972102369964712013-02-15T10:13:00.000+11:002013-02-19T14:15:08.739+11:00See...I AM beautifulBoth myself and DS18 recently made a trip to Queensland to spend time with my sister, nieces and their children. Marie is my youngest niece from my sister and she opened her home with all the love that could be expected. It was a true joy to spend time with my grand nieces and nephews...to watch them grow...err to have them help me cook....<br />
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Hmmm topsy turvey scones DO taste just as good as straight scones...lol <br />
<i>Oh, when making scrambled eggs for 9...a little egg shell never hurt anyone...did it? lol</i><br />
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While it was nerve racking to have the helping hands of 2 boys aged 8 and 6 and two girls aged 5 and 3....I loved every minute of it. My only wish would be that I had a few photos, but I was up to my arms in little hands, flour and egg shells. I'm sure they will remember the days they helped Aunty Narelle in the kitchen, I know I will.<br />
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Back to the photographer....Yep! The best photographer I know......<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-mwfnhp3Vv2hyK1iudqI7yiVoivuoQBzlL3LCPIfM_UDH2eQ33_CmQYb7Gll4eq8JVZ4bv8qK6elMn5afuwCtXQUkFv4y3DsmaQTJ-Tje8-GgvNjORZdNbfqjfJV7M9COpnoROhBmA/s1600/Kayana+Photography+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-mwfnhp3Vv2hyK1iudqI7yiVoivuoQBzlL3LCPIfM_UDH2eQ33_CmQYb7Gll4eq8JVZ4bv8qK6elMn5afuwCtXQUkFv4y3DsmaQTJ-Tje8-GgvNjORZdNbfqjfJV7M9COpnoROhBmA/s1600/Kayana+Photography+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Marie runs her own business called <a href="http://kayana-photography.com/" target="_blank">Kayana Photography</a>. She has her own studio at home and loves to capture memories of children of all ages, especially in the belly, and newborns....You can also check out Kayana Photography by clicking on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kayanaphotography" target="_blank">her facebook page</a>......<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>********************************</b></span></div>
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From the webpage of Kayana Photography....</div>
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<div style="background-color: #f6f0d6; border: 0px; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: BergamoStd, Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
Kayana Photography is situated in Rochedale South, only 20 minutes south of Brisbane and just minutes off the highway. Open by appointment only, I am a purpose built home studio so I am able to accommodate for times and days that are suitable for you. Night appointments are available for maternity sessions only.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f6f0d6; border: 0px; font-family: BergamoStd, Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #3e3e3e;">Make a booking for your photography session: </span><span style="color: white; font-family: FontSiteSans-Cond, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 1px; background-color: #3e3e3e; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 1px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1em; margin: 5px; padding: 7px; text-align: center; text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039) 0px -1px 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://kayana-photography.com/contact/" target="_blank">GET IN TOUCH</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>********************************</b></span></div>
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When my son DS18 went to visit Marie with my mother<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6155811529104728951#editor/target=post;postID=5321250423218130960" target="_blank"> I posted some lovely photos of mum that Marie captured</a>...little did I know that mum would pass away just a few short months after those photos were taken.<br />
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<i>Note: Some photos were removed from this blog post for legal reasons out of my hands.</i></div>
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I cherish this photo.....thanks matey!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><i>Did I mention that Kayana Photography also does Boudoir Photography? </i></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b><i>....here's me</i></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>See...I AM beautiful</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
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(Many thanks to my dear niece Marie)</div>
nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-5843553161902882682013-02-10T10:03:00.001+11:002013-02-10T10:07:28.774+11:00The little things....17 to 36<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Please be patient...I'm having major tech problems with Blogger at the moment....It's taken more than 24 hours to add these photos.<br />
I'm in contact with Blogger, so it shouldn't be much longer before things are back to normal.<br />
After you have checked out my new photo's,<a href="http://bloominggardens64.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"> head over to Blooming Gardens </a>to see what's happening there. I'm a bit behind in writing for them too, due to Blogger difficulties, but I'm working on solving the problem and will be back there very shortly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORTjsIlkw5RX_kC8zBC1K3GshSaHPqVPvOxcZ2RtQ8L0acowXKLJbu_S7oEoH0w4z43km31lOqRjyq7e4xZAukY1jTj-JYxxPAmKvhprzJ1xNl1AWhnBAWZcd3V5JtkyN7npYaBDJZg/s1600/IMG_1236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORTjsIlkw5RX_kC8zBC1K3GshSaHPqVPvOxcZ2RtQ8L0acowXKLJbu_S7oEoH0w4z43km31lOqRjyq7e4xZAukY1jTj-JYxxPAmKvhprzJ1xNl1AWhnBAWZcd3V5JtkyN7npYaBDJZg/s400/IMG_1236.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Poppy's Maggies which comes visiting<br />
when Poppy is home from Truck Driving<br />
He's watched 4 generations now</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvesting my Elephant Garlic</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of Poppy's wood for the fire come Winter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was good Yabby season this time at Poppy's<br />
We dined on Yabby/Laksa sausage rolls, pizza's and more<br />
All freshly hunted, gathered, cooked and eaten!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">At Poppy's under the shade....<br />They'd never met before, but a deck of cards bought them together</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomegranate </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well behaved for the camera, thank-you young man!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We often discuss 'Sex in the Garden', but not this type of sex.<br />
Usually it's all about Pollinating..lol</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Can anyone tell me what type of fruit this is?<br />Growing near Brisbane<br />at least 6m high</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagging your apples, to save them from the dreaded Fruit Fly<br />
<a href="http://bloominggardens64.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/friends-gardens-jean-graham-true.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE to Check out Jean & Grahams spectacular vegie garden<br />Truly Inspirational!</a></td></tr>
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-20016375219505364712012-12-30T19:39:00.003+11:002012-12-30T19:39:42.127+11:00Launched today<span style="font-size: large;">Hi everyone....here's hoping you all have a wonderful evening bringing in the new year of 2013.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I've been rather busy these holidays designing a new blog</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>for my good friend Richard </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>at </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Blooming Gardens</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've launched it today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bloominggardens64.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Head over to Blooming Gardens, become a member, have a read, leave some comments and most of all.....</a></span><a href="http://bloominggardens64.blogspot.com.au/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">enjoy! </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>There's much much more to come too.....</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>2013 is planned to be very exciting...so check it out!...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-5898932037985652412012-12-25T09:09:00.001+11:002012-12-25T09:09:19.058+11:00The little things....10 to 16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No words today ...............except Merry Christmas to everyone. Wishing you all good health for 2013.<br />
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Merry Christmas to one and all with many hugs!</div>
nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-34209869345518265882012-12-21T07:22:00.000+11:002012-12-21T07:22:57.059+11:00And cards are created...I've finally gotten around to creating some cards for our neighbors....I'm not sending out many Christmas cards this year due to family circumstances, but I thought I would show you a few of what I've been creating....<br />
Some are not Christmas related but most are... It's been quite a few years since I was in this craft box; hope you like them; I enjoyed making them.<br />
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<i>Thanks for all your wonderful support throughout the year, thanks for reading my blog.....</i></div>
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<i>Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas for 2012, <span style="text-align: center;">and good health for 2013.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="text-align: center;">I'll be back before 2013 as long as I have time.....take care and keep your family close!</span></i></div>
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-14289616337339685662012-12-18T00:51:00.000+11:002012-12-18T04:19:33.540+11:00Pickled Cucumbers & Pickled Onions<span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>he house still smells of pickles and onions. If hubby doesn't have a training day on Wednesday he will be home for his 3 week holiday tomorrow. He'll smell them when he drives in the driveway for sure. Hubby loves my pickles and usually puts in a request when stocks are low. So this will be a nice surprise for him. I'm making all his favorites so far...come to think of it...<b><u>All</u> </b>my preserves are his favorites.<br />
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***************************</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">Hint: </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><i><b>If you plan to make both recipes at the same time, </b></i></span><i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>it makes for one lot of preparation. </b></i><i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>One mess to clean up too which I like. </b></i><i style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Weigh out onions for both recipes, keeping them in </span>separate<span style="font-family: inherit;"> bowls. </span></span></b></i><i style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Prepare 1 double batch of the spiced vinegar mixture and bottle the cucumber mix first. </span></b></i><i style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">After bottling the cucumber mix, reheat the spiced vinegar.</span></b></i><i style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Add the plain onions and repeat the bottling process. Too easy!</span></b></i><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***************************</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bread & Butter Pickled Cucumbers</span></b></div>
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12 medium burp-less cucumbers <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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1 ½ lb onions </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6 </span>tablespoons <span style="font-family: inherit;">salt</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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1 ½ lbs sugar</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3
tablespoons mustard seeds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">½ teaspoon <o:p></o:p></span>turmeric powder<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 </span>teaspoons <span style="font-family: inherit;">celery seeds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1
¼ pints white vinegar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ </span>teaspoon <span style="font-family: inherit;">cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyb3z7GCFQbeXf-FLvg-gfzNks96igsCqAk8TGtECIgnc3lB6CSMelmJdy4ydKDcOYGjffZWIcgQDwvKqbXliPZC3_fhaLQQKmdfWuWHBH6sEf0ZzpMOiIn_COLgBposqSu_vod1_gA/s1600/IMG_0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyb3z7GCFQbeXf-FLvg-gfzNks96igsCqAk8TGtECIgnc3lB6CSMelmJdy4ydKDcOYGjffZWIcgQDwvKqbXliPZC3_fhaLQQKmdfWuWHBH6sEf0ZzpMOiIn_COLgBposqSu_vod1_gA/s320/IMG_0387.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>I'm trying out a new seedless variety</b></span></i><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n a suitable large vessel put thinly sliced cucumber and onion. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 4 hours or overnight. <i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>I always leave them </b></span></i></span><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>overnight<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></b></span></i><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaWaolVq-TzstNi5g4HZMan-gR8OnvN4Da3HewTKXHEe8SYvejBvzU9y5hyphenhyphenqyjULDdZEO9o90WmG4F-sS8chk7AFfpKaABo200IbNaesKYOrwNlsJoZ9wU7tKTICocMLFEoGw6ZqkvQ/s1600/IMG_0392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaWaolVq-TzstNi5g4HZMan-gR8OnvN4Da3HewTKXHEe8SYvejBvzU9y5hyphenhyphenqyjULDdZEO9o90WmG4F-sS8chk7AFfpKaABo200IbNaesKYOrwNlsJoZ9wU7tKTICocMLFEoGw6ZqkvQ/s320/IMG_0392.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>our into colander and rinse and drain well. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rinse and drain again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span>oil together vinegar, spices and sugar. Then add rinsed cucumber and onion and simmer for 2 minutes. (avoid actual boiling) </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkl1jBsZNpWEAt3V4KYRvXlQpMJs3e4LWFP2kyzZWoIhsElSEwvme3J52FdOKd2ZVA2AYfj687AmZsRczxJfN6-JW8VhTmI9xnZzN4JxTrqYIUTRlXIveDx4FOBxZDA6fH5MV9VMEAw/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkl1jBsZNpWEAt3V4KYRvXlQpMJs3e4LWFP2kyzZWoIhsElSEwvme3J52FdOKd2ZVA2AYfj687AmZsRczxJfN6-JW8VhTmI9xnZzN4JxTrqYIUTRlXIveDx4FOBxZDA6fH5MV9VMEAw/s320/IMG_0714.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread & Butter Pickled Cucumbers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span>ack in </span>sterilized<span style="font-family: inherit;"> jars, clean rims and any drips and seal immediately. If any don't seal; pop them in a moderate oven for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool. This process <u>should</u> seal all jars. If not, discard the lid once you have finished eating that jar. Enjoy in 3 to 4 days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Y</span>ou can <a href="http://www.greenlivingaustralia.com.au/homepreserving_lids.html" target="_blank">order new lids for recycled jars from Green Living Australia by clicking here</a>.<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>(I don't get any credit)</b></span></i> They also have a great FAQ page on replacing your lids too, It has loads of information on there.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdd9boJfziO4AbxYzt9JNDWlGzULBDJTeAXWTtTw_kQNcrbetxqAqVjrbAJkCWLnNZIEJl1L5C3sD-WdXJw7nEnLRcF9CKvj-CUXOiJqpM2VTVBvKVbgdkBbaVN3QxiglZOzseJukHGg/s1600/IMG_0716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdd9boJfziO4AbxYzt9JNDWlGzULBDJTeAXWTtTw_kQNcrbetxqAqVjrbAJkCWLnNZIEJl1L5C3sD-WdXJw7nEnLRcF9CKvj-CUXOiJqpM2VTVBvKVbgdkBbaVN3QxiglZOzseJukHGg/s320/IMG_0716.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All these jars sealed, except for three. Those lids will be ordered.</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***************************</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pickled Onions - For sandwiches <i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(Yep! Pre-sliced pickled onions...Brilliant idea of mine I think!)</span></i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4KG
ONIONS sliced thin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6 </span>tablespoons <span style="font-family: inherit;">salt</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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1 ½ lbs sugar</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 tablespoons mustard seeds <o:p></o:p></span><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">I added extra mustard seeds, </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">as most went in the Pickled cucumbers first.</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ teaspoon <o:p></o:p></span>turmeric powder<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 </span>teaspoons <span style="font-family: inherit;">celery seeds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 ¼ pints white vinegar <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">I like to use 50/50 of white vinegar and malt vinegar </span></b></i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ </span>teaspoon <span style="font-family: inherit;">cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Use the same method as the above "Bread & Butter Pickled Cucumber recipe"</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4A0iwrYP5zTloZur3Uc6LpYhuKETFZGMrMt4jP2Zuf8ZXhkJIspFU1RKMaVDwjmTas8UDaUGDnl7m7NdrR5KsCLi3-TanFuf7iFOX4BsDUXYKlwfLAhP2b_MApwkr7vWo5j2odIZzA/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4A0iwrYP5zTloZur3Uc6LpYhuKETFZGMrMt4jP2Zuf8ZXhkJIspFU1RKMaVDwjmTas8UDaUGDnl7m7NdrR5KsCLi3-TanFuf7iFOX4BsDUXYKlwfLAhP2b_MApwkr7vWo5j2odIZzA/s320/IMG_0393.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted overnight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKJCfd_45Wz1v2H-o5QlySRoSv1-tbxRf6zNi2au2BSF_6hL1-u5hfmQt6QqMoVf3I_r8aDHgicBq8mZOCdSdPHPdlvJ4w8L-m6Haay1EVFVlNND-ow8V-4Zo7JsiadLDB96AjDxNTA/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKJCfd_45Wz1v2H-o5QlySRoSv1-tbxRf6zNi2au2BSF_6hL1-u5hfmQt6QqMoVf3I_r8aDHgicBq8mZOCdSdPHPdlvJ4w8L-m6Haay1EVFVlNND-ow8V-4Zo7JsiadLDB96AjDxNTA/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rinsed twice and added to Spiced Vinegar then bottled.</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">H</span>aving Hubby home will give us a chance to spend some quality time together. We have lots of plans to go fishing, especially since I've fitted out the boat with a new motor, new forward controls, mounted burly bucket, speedometer, mounted knife holder, mounted tackle draws, mounted live-well tank and a new drive-on trailer. That's quite a list; but it's been quite a year for hubby too, he's worked so hard this year, he deserves to be spoiled. It was a huge surprise for him to come home from Mudgee (on his birthday) to find it all decked out....He had no idea</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span>e are all looking forward to having him home. Our family of four will be together now for Christmas....Time with family is precious, especially this time of year, <u>especially THIS year.</u></i></div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-5480892614880617492012-12-17T09:43:00.001+11:002012-12-17T09:43:32.476+11:00Green Tomato Pickles & Green Tea<span style="font-size: x-large;">I </span>wake, it's still dark outside. I lay wondering what havoc the crazy wind we had last night has left for me to clean up this morning. I can't help but think about my garden, but still I nuzzle into the thick pillow and quickly drift back to sleep. It's there to take the space of hubby when he is away at work....<i>I can't sleep in an empty bed and this helps</i>.When I wake again, my attention is drawn to the food prep I have in the kitchen. I've almost used up the 10kg bag of onions I bought at the markets on Saturday, and <a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/recycling-glass-jars-for-preserving.html" target="_blank">I need to track down more jars.</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span>hen I need good tomatoes or cucumbers I go to the one 'shop' I know best. Each Saturday our local markets are held at Warrawong on the lake; and if you don't catch your regulars there, you can drop in on Sunday at the Dapto markets. I visited both this weekend past to get the finest organic produce I know to make some preserves for Christmas gifts this year. When you first park your car on the lawn in Warrawong, as you enter the rows of stalls, they are right there on the right hand side. You can't miss this stall. They confidently advertise that they are 100% organic and the sweetest in Australia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1smvYwUY3k3oaNM-4ril5D-7LqxvQLo_1reMegPAIdo_0NV-LBIaamjk3TvvP-UUGKYQMB9j7ONcp6Xrwv8SjV_wd-XQNo67OogKys4npLOALBhCUu3vBZBFoww-8nBmyakN_g3R3iQ/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1smvYwUY3k3oaNM-4ril5D-7LqxvQLo_1reMegPAIdo_0NV-LBIaamjk3TvvP-UUGKYQMB9j7ONcp6Xrwv8SjV_wd-XQNo67OogKys4npLOALBhCUu3vBZBFoww-8nBmyakN_g3R3iQ/s400/IMG_0354.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>'ve been going there for years now, and have just began sharing my preserves with Mama. She's the boss on the stall, Mama sits at the scales and the cash-tin and everyone pays her; but her hubby and two boys work the stall and help out the hoards of customers. They sell out every week, so I know their produce is very fresh, and they are only up the road in Picton as well. Brilliant! Yesterday I took them a jar of my Plum Sauce and a small basket of Mini Black Russian tomatoes from my garden, and much to my amazement Mama was blown away by my generosity. She kept popping more cucumbers in my bag while we talked, even though I had already paid. I can't wait to find out what she thinks of my Tomato Relish and Choko Pickles.<br />
Last weekend I ordered another box of Green Tomatoes off Mama, which I picked up on Saturday.<br />
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<i>They have introduced a new cucumber variety (I'll tell you about it tomorrow) to their stall and I've decided to try them out on my <u>Bread and Butter Pickled Cucumber recipe</u>, but that will be tomorrow's post, as I only salted them last night.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt3eiZ40Q1hLj2KMCCPwEAZtmAVSo2bzzaOw-kiUzWPP6xbWc9IKQhsN4-F1vEapRyMVzgaUbcNbNlN5_z8O_SwnrYMxD0JvyNyUoWMYOC5V9Zio2CX5uHQVKZuKm5kmp_AuYiicdZw/s1600/IMG_0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt3eiZ40Q1hLj2KMCCPwEAZtmAVSo2bzzaOw-kiUzWPP6xbWc9IKQhsN4-F1vEapRyMVzgaUbcNbNlN5_z8O_SwnrYMxD0JvyNyUoWMYOC5V9Zio2CX5uHQVKZuKm5kmp_AuYiicdZw/s400/IMG_0365.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Not all the produce here is from the markets,<br />but I had already made some purchases elsewhere.</span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>'m a bit late in the making of these gifts, and the preserves stockpile is a bit bare like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Mother_Hubbard" target="_blank">Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard</a>, and <a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/storing-my-preserves.html" target="_blank">nothing like my stockpile here</a>.....but I still have some time left in the kitchen before heading off to Cousin M's in Bundanoon for the big day. I like to share my preserves with family and always take a box of goodies with us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>'ve blogged about <a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/hello-if-this-is-first-time-you-are.html" target="_blank">Green Tomato Pickles</a> before but I was lazy and used the whizzer to chop them up...It made the final product far to runny for my liking. I chopped them all by hand this time; producing a much better consistency.....<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">E</span>nough chatter Narelle!! Get on with it!!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Green Tomato Pickles</span></b></div>
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5 1/2 kg green tomatoes</div>
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2 to 2 1/2 kg of onions</div>
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140 grams salt</div>
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1 1/2 to 2 kg sugar</div>
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1 bottle of Ezy Sauce <i>(Shake well before opening)</i></div>
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1 level tablespoon of mustard powder</div>
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1 level tablespoon of curry powder</div>
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1 level tablespoon of cornflour</div>
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2 level teaspoons of turmeric powder</div>
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Slice or chop into a large dish the green tomatoes and onions. Mix in the salt, then cover and leave to stand for 12 to 24 hours.</div>
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After that time,add mustard, curry, cornflour and turmeric to a small mixing bowl and add a little water to make a runny paste. (I used Apple Cider Vinegar). Set this aside for later. </div>
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Empty the onion and tomato mix into a large boiler and bring to the boil before adding the sugar and Well shaken bottle of Ezy Sauce. Boil until thick (<b>at least</b> an hour). </div>
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Add the runny spice mix and cook for a further half hour stirring all the time. Check for setting on a cold plate placed in the fridge. </div>
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Once set remove from heat and bottle in clean sterilized glass jars.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">TIPS:</span></b></div>
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<li>I can't stress enough on how organized you need to be at this bottling time. It's important that you have enough bottles ready.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-Qm2OQVm3QYfHEXqeWZQwu4h53uTwAHAbPei6Xq0F9rbEgA16Zx2d2JEI_hTmaqORMtP6Xw2svGDCcxCt8HBziQDPVlK8nyjOXmRObzM-zHh9PkvYE0nORg0ROI32BckD1rVj-4GCg/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-Qm2OQVm3QYfHEXqeWZQwu4h53uTwAHAbPei6Xq0F9rbEgA16Zx2d2JEI_hTmaqORMtP6Xw2svGDCcxCt8HBziQDPVlK8nyjOXmRObzM-zHh9PkvYE0nORg0ROI32BckD1rVj-4GCg/s400/IMG_0374.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>When decanting into glass jars, I use a jug with a handle like this....If I need to put down the jug, I just hang it over the inside of the boiler like so. The only time I put the messy jug on the bench is when I scrape down the sides of the boiler for the last 1 or 2 jars.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0136R7Ta7la0A3q0ms_QpyDMz3Lcnb3OSc5gFp3G9d3-aV5TTfesvDslOWeu-ubduLbGGKqC7xv_759nEbc2JF6_3voUQ32pvIhtRk0ek0px_e7nkxEULe7AJOiiemGCZ9jyFvuYZQ/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0136R7Ta7la0A3q0ms_QpyDMz3Lcnb3OSc5gFp3G9d3-aV5TTfesvDslOWeu-ubduLbGGKqC7xv_759nEbc2JF6_3voUQ32pvIhtRk0ek0px_e7nkxEULe7AJOiiemGCZ9jyFvuYZQ/s400/IMG_0376.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>After scooping up a jug of hot pickles, scrape the outside of the jug onto the inside of the boiler. This helps to prevent any drips on the jars, and makes for a lot quicker cleanup.</li>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">E</span>nsure lids and jar rims are clean by wiping with a lint-free cloth as hot as you can bare; then place lids on while hot. Any that don't have the lids pop down with a good seal can be placed in a moderate oven for 20 minutes, then removed to cool. This should seal the rest of the jars. If not, use those jars first by storing in the fridge.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-5UmljfPyc65KkUIl9YVuZ_vjvNG9qg33GEVV0iQt2c4d6Hd6jiWgP8MbZfrL02frmqxx-NbSJ8LrIARmbCNL5WPHnh28et_ASqegZ7loV06tX3bnrBx3-GjgoDQLGgEgX-4XsIRww/s1600/IMG_0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-5UmljfPyc65KkUIl9YVuZ_vjvNG9qg33GEVV0iQt2c4d6Hd6jiWgP8MbZfrL02frmqxx-NbSJ8LrIARmbCNL5WPHnh28et_ASqegZ7loV06tX3bnrBx3-GjgoDQLGgEgX-4XsIRww/s400/IMG_0379.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tomato Pickles<br />5 1/2 kg of Green Tomatoes AND 2 1/2 kg of Onions</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Green Tea</span><span style="font-size: large;"> - </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 24px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Camellia sinensis</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 24px;">Did you know that Green Tea can be grown in your own garden? I never knew that a Camellia variety <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sinensis" target="_blank">(Camellia Sinensis)</a> was in fact Green Tea that tea-drinkers enjoy. There are <a href="http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060912_greentea.htm" target="_blank">many health benefits</a> to be had by drinking Green Tea.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 24px;">My mate Richard gave me a few small branches, actually I pinched them out of the back of his ute....lol It's easy to propagate too, but I dried this lot, as we have done them in class.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIlzQPc_bmTNddwKSmB73yyNYh10dlJE4erJV_9QggSqWJ3qwVOpnCJ_SsTEhWZNCO35Nedrm59HLFM9rwxCA4lmc38AsNL4Ml5IMkEJcN-a70TxEfHAT07jfNqcQYXcGwO0sJar0Cw/s1600/IMG_0343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIlzQPc_bmTNddwKSmB73yyNYh10dlJE4erJV_9QggSqWJ3qwVOpnCJ_SsTEhWZNCO35Nedrm59HLFM9rwxCA4lmc38AsNL4Ml5IMkEJcN-a70TxEfHAT07jfNqcQYXcGwO0sJar0Cw/s400/IMG_0343.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea - Camellia Senensis</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinO7FMOaxbaRuYYRvxZtPo0IOwqrJTZwxZ0eqPgLYZnJHL8YYKm-Y-NjSCGJs4TAkgkHiNozA1ZBntBbQZ3nUYMFfMj-PPe3RPNmxIuzpqBzxjunwF_qUdSGicRIixJsuG8tL8-wEKkQ/s1600/IMG_0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinO7FMOaxbaRuYYRvxZtPo0IOwqrJTZwxZ0eqPgLYZnJHL8YYKm-Y-NjSCGJs4TAkgkHiNozA1ZBntBbQZ3nUYMFfMj-PPe3RPNmxIuzpqBzxjunwF_qUdSGicRIixJsuG8tL8-wEKkQ/s400/IMG_0383.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 24px;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><i>While my taste-buds are still learning that tea is a good thing, I might try adding <a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/growing-stevia.html" target="_blank">my home-grown Stevia powder</a> to it to have a ready sweetened tea to just add boiling water to. </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 24px;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 24px;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><i>Do you grow your own Green Tea? Is it something you would consider?</i></span></span></span></div>
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-20153434397715677422012-12-15T09:42:00.000+11:002012-12-15T09:42:09.120+11:00The little things....1 - 10It's been a busy week and with warm welcomes here on my blog. It's lovely to 'see' old friends again. <div>
I've lost so much this year it's hard to put in perspective and believe things will return to 'normal'. </div>
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<b>Sherri;</b><i> I've received your card all the way from Canada. Your family photo is cherished and I loved reading your Annual Family Newsletter. What a lovely idea....and yes, you lift me up. Thank-you so much....I can't wait to show you all off to hubby</i>.<div>
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Now given all the sadness that lingers around here, I've decided to start a new thread. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>I think it's important to take time to enjoy the little things</b>.</i> </span></div>
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Here's the beginning of my list....Hope it's a long one to come!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGqpUwZ4ie4av87mealNMkMpv66pAcivxCcm-8opXarp5O-OGeg_CbEObfBGruLVS9zgd0C4IudGfG7ExnfUj1T06cqt0CwHdrJm1qwXSRyYMiYW9mWwbzjVSLuYhzd5KCO1vkX_ZWg/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGqpUwZ4ie4av87mealNMkMpv66pAcivxCcm-8opXarp5O-OGeg_CbEObfBGruLVS9zgd0C4IudGfG7ExnfUj1T06cqt0CwHdrJm1qwXSRyYMiYW9mWwbzjVSLuYhzd5KCO1vkX_ZWg/s400/IMG_0013.JPG" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Watermelon </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsdMdW-vRP8oZAe4-vcZnd2HlvlAx99mVh3_8N8ur7pjzYuSSZOD1Y9Jc6XOxarEd4i0ZfCadsRsaXZqk_4roEllbDZc7_EaHMoaG8GgAxL9PmpZpsM6jafPQJYpAxMiYDwJpFpFuWg/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsdMdW-vRP8oZAe4-vcZnd2HlvlAx99mVh3_8N8ur7pjzYuSSZOD1Y9Jc6XOxarEd4i0ZfCadsRsaXZqk_4roEllbDZc7_EaHMoaG8GgAxL9PmpZpsM6jafPQJYpAxMiYDwJpFpFuWg/s400/IMG_0043.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Garlic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9FxzlbBoaznBuRZfPaYoV1H01iHShmL3sBUlj0aLStYQnml4K_UDsTqN1GlK7Dn_Okh4Hq0wmt2PFfuzcrX07PcO3_S_cFGRuQJlkBIFHfUosJtvhL8WH1wKynrgLjUfViy2k8smyQ/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9FxzlbBoaznBuRZfPaYoV1H01iHShmL3sBUlj0aLStYQnml4K_UDsTqN1GlK7Dn_Okh4Hq0wmt2PFfuzcrX07PcO3_S_cFGRuQJlkBIFHfUosJtvhL8WH1wKynrgLjUfViy2k8smyQ/s400/IMG_0045.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny Tom Black Russian Tomatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIphz-TMElypdiKo9ZwJI-PaS-6exPPIXgpWwU6eNUMZbPw4J3R-CG0X6DSXy4GOen-qxC7dqhSvfBCJnvFsyxCsIFc4ulRybBxgGFS9bUvDtybypC931Clc0ZxMwwRpxNuEz63A32Yw/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIphz-TMElypdiKo9ZwJI-PaS-6exPPIXgpWwU6eNUMZbPw4J3R-CG0X6DSXy4GOen-qxC7dqhSvfBCJnvFsyxCsIFc4ulRybBxgGFS9bUvDtybypC931Clc0ZxMwwRpxNuEz63A32Yw/s400/IMG_0105.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 Tiny Tom tomato vines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUFACor3a43k96Sji7JmyhPqb0H9efxFkgBX3O9x24rMgifUff85yuVjHmOTzVHc_LGGw-KkowOUIfGiYH6mOesLGc9qnK_aYlfTaU0aFJpxobdQUztJrO3f736ZSl-78jjPbCrvSsQ/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUFACor3a43k96Sji7JmyhPqb0H9efxFkgBX3O9x24rMgifUff85yuVjHmOTzVHc_LGGw-KkowOUIfGiYH6mOesLGc9qnK_aYlfTaU0aFJpxobdQUztJrO3f736ZSl-78jjPbCrvSsQ/s400/IMG_0127.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marigold<br />According to my gardener aka Stinkin' Rogers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTg-K89qzozWJmjo8UJFyNNSjlFE7oNW2rrkmsYhOYyQQ_bn8OOc0izdOJ3REjhiVrHzUv1KWur_Et34xWYIAe0t6CMHt78toA783pI2iVnMKryxJ0a4zRiVj9o1d2InT1R2Eg8A6g8w/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTg-K89qzozWJmjo8UJFyNNSjlFE7oNW2rrkmsYhOYyQQ_bn8OOc0izdOJ3REjhiVrHzUv1KWur_Et34xWYIAe0t6CMHt78toA783pI2iVnMKryxJ0a4zRiVj9o1d2InT1R2Eg8A6g8w/s400/IMG_0172.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many Honey Eaters that love dancing<br /> in my garden in search of bugs.<br />I look forward to their daily visits.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtxFvUsVN8uoZ8GMnBeH6k0glXG7uLDor3NWHEPwcjmRdNRkiIFBbf38DJjI7FN-XaVEirxN9aKEY9FWfg7dqDrXd8aWD9NzvFrmzu2SngtLOoZFoNsewgAX0RECqtPVyFg04fCTvqw/s1600/IMG_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtxFvUsVN8uoZ8GMnBeH6k0glXG7uLDor3NWHEPwcjmRdNRkiIFBbf38DJjI7FN-XaVEirxN9aKEY9FWfg7dqDrXd8aWD9NzvFrmzu2SngtLOoZFoNsewgAX0RECqtPVyFg04fCTvqw/s400/IMG_0291.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lonely Pelican, <br />I got up early to capture an Illawarra Sunrise, <br />unfortunately it was too cloudy and misty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpluDuPeJhmo9Ia-6ere7teCDY3-c7NfWC1WEVqH0o4ym9mD6ooFzE_8AYsm-ag8OXnI-ZygbfVoR8F4DWG6t9WXdu9e0O8dG1rePY0KVWpBzavqppEMYbCsEycwS6wk4OkVux0WaAg/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpluDuPeJhmo9Ia-6ere7teCDY3-c7NfWC1WEVqH0o4ym9mD6ooFzE_8AYsm-ag8OXnI-ZygbfVoR8F4DWG6t9WXdu9e0O8dG1rePY0KVWpBzavqppEMYbCsEycwS6wk4OkVux0WaAg/s400/IMG_0333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinkin' Rogers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM9vYSDwVo1qplRY7t3VtzZ2aXwXNZRSXRisXAWe8R1V-m8WSchIzjNA_bGEBswsASYpgpvFlfre3rLi3oYQvA4EYVRG0stf8zUUnvYDxtn45XMwL1V3rMqfgDVaX7JG_xEsFLdTY8Q/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM9vYSDwVo1qplRY7t3VtzZ2aXwXNZRSXRisXAWe8R1V-m8WSchIzjNA_bGEBswsASYpgpvFlfre3rLi3oYQvA4EYVRG0stf8zUUnvYDxtn45XMwL1V3rMqfgDVaX7JG_xEsFLdTY8Q/s400/IMG_0336.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Zucchini Flower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59AwGh1fVlwclNpFdDtYNSlDL0kcdG4fIOrGx6nHNpvpImp9BVSCFD8lPzevGPaTyXoopzXeerbMfg-DRNM8tmQViqrWrBB45RLq9nkt6MXtlmxzAyZixnLhGyBXVNdH-qLaeaHLXMQ/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59AwGh1fVlwclNpFdDtYNSlDL0kcdG4fIOrGx6nHNpvpImp9BVSCFD8lPzevGPaTyXoopzXeerbMfg-DRNM8tmQViqrWrBB45RLq9nkt6MXtlmxzAyZixnLhGyBXVNdH-qLaeaHLXMQ/s400/IMG_0009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinkin' Rogers OR Marigold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
<i>If you have captured 'the little things'; and blogged about it....please; feel free to link back to it in your comment. I'd love to have a look!</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I'm off to the local markets to pick up a crate of green tomatoes which I ordered last weekend....What are you up to this weekend? Wishing everyone a lazy weekend if you want it that way, or a busy weekend if you plan on getting things done.....</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>To be continued.......</i></div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-43018270083476152762012-12-11T01:30:00.000+11:002012-12-11T01:30:01.269+11:00Seed Saving...and Swapping again<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thank-you to each and every one of you for your warm welcome back.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>How lovely it was too to receive. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes readers; it's that time of the year again for me. It's time to take another walk around the garden and decide what seed to harvest. I can't stress enough on how important it is for every gardener to save at least some of their own seed....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>No matter how large or small your garden is;</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>you can save your own seed!</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tRiGojRA5b8EKYl2ujpQyYL1hpgiVRace_5cKtyk6-RGvsjUVpYIENaJmCUT6Fo81sMyJrvnPBZkmW314bksj-IueuuTki0QJ0oCU7TXgNrzFBKS_Mhos_u195f5oIqRrDKbIdq0YQ/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tRiGojRA5b8EKYl2ujpQyYL1hpgiVRace_5cKtyk6-RGvsjUVpYIENaJmCUT6Fo81sMyJrvnPBZkmW314bksj-IueuuTki0QJ0oCU7TXgNrzFBKS_Mhos_u195f5oIqRrDKbIdq0YQ/s400/IMG_0039.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marigold seed - to be harvested</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you practice organic methods, (like me) you can take comfort in knowing that your seed is chemical free. Over the seasons; you can also build up a strain of seed that is resistant to disease AND </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">climatic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to your own region. How much better can you get?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you do harvest your own seed, you more than likely will have plenty to share with other gardeners. Maybe you could even do a swap with them for something that you don't have or haven't tried growing yet. The possibilities are truly endless once you begin saving seed. Especially when you encourage friends and family to save their seed too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Think about it...Depending on what you grow; </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>you may never have the need to buy seed again....</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mind boggling isn't it!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7Ms1JBfwk6hnwUaSYBgMPkbbrWsdMaGqRPygctW3N_FEPO-JZBfNuTclElpk8x8lqug0cEzavXw-HNxQZbymwtN2HMUIVzeFKG9H0sQzmEMH_Y6VOkg_m3cwtfctLiTuOGqOk6Bm1Q/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7Ms1JBfwk6hnwUaSYBgMPkbbrWsdMaGqRPygctW3N_FEPO-JZBfNuTclElpk8x8lqug0cEzavXw-HNxQZbymwtN2HMUIVzeFKG9H0sQzmEMH_Y6VOkg_m3cwtfctLiTuOGqOk6Bm1Q/s400/IMG_0037.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perennial Basil seed - <br />to be harvested once dried on the stem</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've written about saving my</span><a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/on-my-mindrhubarb.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> Nan's Rhubarb seed here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">....and you can see when you click on the link how huge Nan Cady's rhubarb is. Good genetics in that seed I'm sure. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cFwHBC136sVjcxkGtkdIdKGWsx102ZiMHAgkIFSiwLWm8OX1StWlK1i4xqVvBo7LcjbTezz2MZss4pxTWHtWdqby4lJIuuuJh9inePNmXAXeCZGq85NqKSbFhPO21Twv2CraNQhj7A/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cFwHBC136sVjcxkGtkdIdKGWsx102ZiMHAgkIFSiwLWm8OX1StWlK1i4xqVvBo7LcjbTezz2MZss4pxTWHtWdqby4lJIuuuJh9inePNmXAXeCZGq85NqKSbFhPO21Twv2CraNQhj7A/s400/IMG_0047.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasturtium Seed - to be hunted for and gathered</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've also written about those crazy </span><a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/klumpin-tomatoes.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Klumpin' Tomatoes</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I grew last year....and wrote about how I saved seed from them as well....There's a cool trick to saving Tomato seed without the gel sack around them. Did you know that if you soak tomato seed in some water, let the water go rancid, it develops an </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enzyme </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that eats the gel exterior on the seed....when strained, and left to dry on a plate, they dry clean, just like the seed you get in a packet....I used this method on many varieties of seed that I save. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievoz_THtLn_kQX7hO-3kwdGPefwonwYdIB14YSg-CwbDLeU9JCiPV94AvRbX6KApBdsJQGmyK6yeVzrD41bjvhe_oeI8eqfS3bgfwwqZhGSfFAX17kRfpWNih6kxrFL3T-FQuc0TNtw/s1600/IMG_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievoz_THtLn_kQX7hO-3kwdGPefwonwYdIB14YSg-CwbDLeU9JCiPV94AvRbX6KApBdsJQGmyK6yeVzrD41bjvhe_oeI8eqfS3bgfwwqZhGSfFAX17kRfpWNih6kxrFL3T-FQuc0TNtw/s400/IMG_0049.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocket <span style="font-family: inherit;">seed </span>- <br />Once dried, the seed pods will be harvested and shelled </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/gardening-101-for-december.html" target="_blank">Last December I wrote about saving the seed from Corn Salad Leaf, Tatsoi Salad leaf, Water Cress and Poppy Seed</a>......My corn salad isn't doing so well this year, but I have enough leaf to harvest ocasionally for salad. I don't have Tatsoi at the moment, but I do have another salad leaf in seed which I need to save </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(see the Pick-as-you-grow seed head below). </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNfkLJNGyb0gXwImBbmJLm-vJw4Y3T4EJlXiUT29VkRF8U4DeltvPSCA4lXKNnNdbL-Uz-AlwufeaJfmTEH5YsQZfvKztt2xZg8wgxocgG_3cs8OQ2pb7m7rQgb-mafwfAn-gHq1SEw/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNfkLJNGyb0gXwImBbmJLm-vJw4Y3T4EJlXiUT29VkRF8U4DeltvPSCA4lXKNnNdbL-Uz-AlwufeaJfmTEH5YsQZfvKztt2xZg8wgxocgG_3cs8OQ2pb7m7rQgb-mafwfAn-gHq1SEw/s400/IMG_0050.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pick-as-you-grow lettuce seed - <br />all the fluffy heads need to be gathered and dried fully</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Water Cress bed is totally bombarded with Water Celery at the moment. I must tell you that Water Celery is very invasive....in the 12 months since planting it in my water garden (Maureen's bath after her bathroom reno, thanks neighbor)....The Water Celery has totally taken over the entire bath. The whole bath is one huge tight root ball of Water Celery. I find it hard to believe that there is any room in there for my water chestnuts to be peeking through, but they are....Thankfully......</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never used my Poppy Seed for the tops of bread either; because it was sooooo small it would get laughed at.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_MIYTv6TbPkC9puSd0LBZUEaz2adlxRUq42X66HrGIxohzNtuSLUNCzWxEeJDYeFto5FlzAKci7vaMQ2MdIez7N8ZvBaZJpeppGeXUYkUHwt4MtDtHSgyHQ2RLB-DdyLy-eg_5qS4g/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_MIYTv6TbPkC9puSd0LBZUEaz2adlxRUq42X66HrGIxohzNtuSLUNCzWxEeJDYeFto5FlzAKci7vaMQ2MdIez7N8ZvBaZJpeppGeXUYkUHwt4MtDtHSgyHQ2RLB-DdyLy-eg_5qS4g/s400/IMG_0052.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorrel seed - ready to harvest</td></tr>
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<a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/gardening-101-for-december.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Last December I wrote about saving the seed from Corn Salad Leaf, Tatsoi Salad leaf, Water Cress and Poppy Seed</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">......My corn salad isn't doing so well this year, but I have enough leaf to harvest ocasionally for salad. I don't have Tatsoi at the moment, but I do have another salad leaf in seed which I need to save. My Water Cress is totally bombarded with Water Celery at the moment. I must tell you that Water Celery is very invasive....in the 12 months since planting it in my water garden (the neighbors bath after a reno)...It has totally taken over the entire bath. The whole bath is one huge root ball of Water Celery. I find it hard to believe that there is any room in there for my water chestnuts to be peeking through, but they are....Thankfully.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never used my Poppy Seed for the tops of bread because it was sooooo small it would get laughed at.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhox9rZbiW8Yyntfch9p3IE4wCamUfXODGdFd_Z071g3C9LPem5qQ_mVJ35e9WTJvd84pl1BTjktrOIEc7NAGCt3r9ncnQFH5-eMZBi-v4nrAjNvY16cEnYx8umJOZLjc1ZDGf4lUAMqg/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhox9rZbiW8Yyntfch9p3IE4wCamUfXODGdFd_Z071g3C9LPem5qQ_mVJ35e9WTJvd84pl1BTjktrOIEc7NAGCt3r9ncnQFH5-eMZBi-v4nrAjNvY16cEnYx8umJOZLjc1ZDGf4lUAMqg/s400/IMG_0057.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chervil Seed - to be harvested</td></tr>
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<a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/saving-seeds.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">If you click here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> you will see photos of me saving Celery seed and 2 types of Pick-as-you-grow lettuce leaf. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I have never had any problems growing from my own seed, I never assume that they will <u>always </u>germinate....especially since none of my Rosella seed germinated this year, but all of the plants did develop a nasty disease last year due to heavy rainfall...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I guess that's the reason the seed didn't germinate this time...................</span><br />
<i><a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/making-friends-spring-prep-seed-saving.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">I was so thankful to Holly too for sending me the Rosella seed which I swapped with her for one of my shooting choko's.</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Holly; I hope your choko vine is doing well. </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This week I need to harvest from my own garden the following: Nasturtium, Marigold, Perennial Basil, Chervil, Sorrel, Pick-as-you-grow lettuce and Rocket.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Later in the week, </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I will come back and show you all</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>just how much seed I gathered from my garden.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'm looking to swap seed with anyone who is interested. (Australia and only certain states)....</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'm looking for Rosella seed, as mine developed a disease last year and all seed harvested refused to germinate this time. I'm also looking for some Loofah seed again, as mine went rotten...but I'm still determined to give them both another try.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>I will be posting a list of surplus seed that</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>I have harvested too....</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>so keep watch and</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>maybe we could do a swap.</b></i></span></div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-31076483951826551232012-12-09T13:42:00.002+11:002012-12-09T13:42:36.204+11:00Let them fly!<i>With all the changes happening around here, I don't know where my head is some days. I wish to thank each and every person who has contacted me wondering when I was going to begin blogging again...After dealing with Mum's estate; It's time I did something for myself again.....Well I guess now is that time.....</i><div>
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<i>Please understand: I've been putting it off because I didn't want the most important post I've published, moving down the blog line.....and that was when I wrote about the<a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/rip-mum.html" target="_blank"> recent death of my dear mother</a>. It's taken some time for me to realise; and lots of tears, but I know that mum would want me to keep blogging. So I've moved some things around to keep some very important people at the top of my blog.... </i></div>
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<i>There will be more changes to my blog (slowly) as I get back into the swing of things....but they'll all be good, I promise.</i></div>
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********************************************</div>
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<i>How does that saying go? If you catch a butterfly, let it go, if it comes back, it's yours....Something like that ....the point is...you have to let them fly!</i></div>
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Being a mother to two completely different boys...I often look back at all the one-on-one times with each of them. You know; the times before they decide they want to hang out with their Dad more..or hang out with their mates..you know before they discover girls? My boys are growing up, turning into fine young men too I might add. They've both now gone through all those stages and are both now preparing for their future. </div>
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<a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/happy-20th-birthday-d.html" target="_blank">DS21 </a>is slowly moving into Mum's unit (on our property). Sometimes we call it 'his place', but it will always be 'Mum's place' to me. His girlfriend is moving in with him after Christmas too which is such an exciting stage for a young couple. I'm glad they will be close, as DS21 still likes to come to me for advice, comfort and security. Since Mum has passed away and Hubby works away from home I've realized just how much I depend on the company of my boys. It's a big change for everyone having mum gone, and it's something we are slowly working on...and it's definitely a quiet change I wasn't predicting in my near future. </div>
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Before Mum passed away I had made the decision to allow K to move in with DS21 into his bedroom and that they are welcome to live with us until they save a deposit for a house. I'm at peace now with the decision I made to move them into mum's unit; I know that Mum would agree with me. A young couple needs their space...they would have been rather cramped in his little bedroom....Mum was always looking out for her grandchildren and always wanted what was best for them. </div>
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DS21 will be starting his 3rd year of his apprenticeship (Mum would be so proud of his top marks at TAFE) as an Overhead Linesman Electrician for CityRail and<a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/gnocchi-gourmet-style.html" target="_blank"> K (his girlfriend)</a> will be begin studying as a Veterinarian Nurse in the new year. It's a big move for K living away from her family (10 hour drive)...but don't worry K's Mum...I know I will look after her as if she was my own. It will be good to have another woman in the house too.</div>
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DS17 (18 in the first week of January) [to soon I might add] has also had some changes with his world too. While he played a big part in his Nan's life, he has had some good distractions to help him cope with her death. DS17 recently obtained his licence and is able to drive a car on his own now. I've bought mum's car for him from her estate and it's a comfort knowing the history of the car and the maintenance that my hubby and boys kept up on it too. Last week DS17 approached the same business where DS21 first started employment and came home with the offer of being accepted for a trial shift. While it yanks hard at the heart strings, I'm pleased and mighty proud of my boys for the growth they have made over the last 12 months..</div>
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I guess his trial went well (I knew it would though), because last night DS17 had his 2nd shift at Sam's Pizza delivering the best pizza's in town. Being offered a bright snazzy new uniform I guess he is part of the team now. So now he is part of the workforce now too. He looks so grown up......</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPdx6_F_aVkrBrV_gXRCAuG80p4wz5ScNyioiBChctc9MBlLq9sNkEkIqcBdfzlFwr_GCHtqsJrMfISMGboZ7KsrqhhvzTQwZMTDev6EzBWLx-WQBZ5GKhE782uH1piju04oDfBOoPA/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPdx6_F_aVkrBrV_gXRCAuG80p4wz5ScNyioiBChctc9MBlLq9sNkEkIqcBdfzlFwr_GCHtqsJrMfISMGboZ7KsrqhhvzTQwZMTDev6EzBWLx-WQBZ5GKhE782uH1piju04oDfBOoPA/s640/IMG_0003.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam's Pizza - DS17 Delivery Driver</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
This is new to me too, as I'm not used to being on my own for meals, and evenings....another change I wasn't counting on anytime soon.....While I know that this is only a temporary position for him, I also know that he is reaching higher with possibly a trainee-ship in the Army. That's a whole new change I will deal with if/when the time comes. For now, I take one day at a time!</div>
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We all have to start somewhere...I started with babysitting...like lots of my friends at the time...then moved on to a take-away shop on the front counter and on from there......</div>
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Looking back...Mum had watched my sister, then my brother both leave the nest and marry....then my father died, then I left the nest....I wonder what things mum did to help her cope with the loneliness, the humm of the silent house? It must have been tough for my mother to let me go, being the baby of the family, not having the love of her life to grow old with......I wonder how she coped with this "Empty Nest feeling"?</div>
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<i>If my mum hadn't let me go...I never would have learn't to fly.....</i></div>
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<i>It's not only my boys who grow from the decisions I make...It's me too! </i></div>
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<i>I'm letting my boys fly now too!</i></div>
nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-84552183277158063232012-09-05T11:49:00.000+10:002012-09-05T11:49:20.792+10:00MUM'S FUNERAL DETAILS<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">MUM'S FUNERAL NOTICE</span><br />
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;" /><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">CLARKE</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">Joyce Isabel</span></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">Passed away peacefully on September 1, 2012 of Warilla formerly of Rutherglen/Wodonga. Beloved wife of the late Horace (Nobby). Dealy loved mother and mother in law of Susanne and Jim, Richard and Missy, Narelle and Andrew. Much loved Nan of her grandchildren Shona, Marie, David (dec), Deserae, Donny (dec), Jordan, Kennedy, Douglas, Lloyd and her great gra</span><br />
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ndchildren Callum, Kayden, Eliana, Nikaya. Loved sister of Evelyn, Joseph, Irene, Donald. Mum will be sadly missed by her loving family and many dear friends.<br /><br />Aged 78 Years<br />Forever in our hearts<br />Reunited with Dad<br /><br />Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service for Joyce to be held at the <b>Main Chapel Wollongong City Memorial Gardens, Berkeley Road Unanderra on Tuesday 11th September, 2012 at 11:00AM</b>. In lieu of flowers donations to Diabetes Australia would be appreciated.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">******************************</span><wbr style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"></span><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">*********************</span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">GRAVESIDE SERVICE WILL BE HELD ON 17th September, 2012 at Wodonga Lawn Cemetery, Cnr Melrose Drive, Wodonga at 10:00AM.</span><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"> </span></b></div>
Friends and family are welcome to attend....On the day, Mum's ashes will be placed with Dad.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">Followed by Tea & Coffee at my brother Richard's house. Address will be given on the day.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">******************************</span><wbr style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block; line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"></span><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">*********************</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6neHkMf23GweKHPsnB6jv1SEjULB9uq22MABqqOBgzMtlg1XhGuTrYBWpWxW-U1S4pBB_rLV-OKD437eb5eYZyt2JrqCv3zRS43Xh8JYqmNMxi7FuhuoW2Z185vgzkGawIuS2nl0AbA/s1600/Mum+and+Dad+REUNITED+AT+LAST.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6neHkMf23GweKHPsnB6jv1SEjULB9uq22MABqqOBgzMtlg1XhGuTrYBWpWxW-U1S4pBB_rLV-OKD437eb5eYZyt2JrqCv3zRS43Xh8JYqmNMxi7FuhuoW2Z185vgzkGawIuS2nl0AbA/s400/Mum+and+Dad+REUNITED+AT+LAST.png" width="325" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><i>I'd also like to say a huge thank-you for all the love and support coming through. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><i>It is giving me great courage to follow through with</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">all the </span><span style="line-height: 17.981481552124023px;">organizing</span><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"> that goes with arranging two funerals.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><i>Thanking everyone</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><i>Chat soon</i></span></span></div>
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nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-53212504232181309602012-09-02T22:56:00.001+10:002012-11-29T09:20:52.481+11:00RIP Mum <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rest in Peace my dear Mother</b>.........</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGp5mhpZxdvk-C5dVAXoRYozFxtnQSIlrfzjzGwQhMYYjcyqCUeaajLG8vKLzrdiAgMBpBzvZCQQhYSfdFfQcLpfCRsjdcQrNOTHV_UZ6ugu6U-UMxheGRMdZqWE2tC8By_4TdtRlPQ/s1600/IMG_7676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGp5mhpZxdvk-C5dVAXoRYozFxtnQSIlrfzjzGwQhMYYjcyqCUeaajLG8vKLzrdiAgMBpBzvZCQQhYSfdFfQcLpfCRsjdcQrNOTHV_UZ6ugu6U-UMxheGRMdZqWE2tC8By_4TdtRlPQ/s400/IMG_7676.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanna Clarke....taken about 2 months ago in Brisbane</td></tr>
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I'll keep this short for now<i> (as I haven't had time for a full post for months, <u>and certainly aren't up to it at this time)</u></i>,<b> but I'd like to announce the sad passing of my mother this week.........</b><br />
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Mum suffered a long battle with <b>bowel problems</b> along with other medical problems including <b>Diabetes and Kidney Disease.....</b><br />
Two weeks ago I called an ambulance due to mum suffering with violent vomiting which then turned into vomiting what I though was bile. It was diagnosed that she had suffered an <b>obstruction in the small bowel</b>.<br />
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After 9 days in the hospital, Mum began to recover<i> (us thinking how great it was that she would not be needing corrective surgery)</i>..... only to start asking for strong pain relief again. More investigation showed that at she had developed<b> another bowel obstruction</b> which perforated within 24 hours. The infection that developed also<b> began to shut down her kidneys</b>....... Once this was known it was decided by family and surgeons that she would not benefit from any surgeries, but only suffer more.....<br />
<b>The enormously tough decision was made to...... </b><br />
<b><i>'just keep her comfortable for the next few days'</i>.......</b><br />
<br />
Mum kept up the good fight for quite a while.....after all, she's the strongest woman I've had the pleasure of knowing.......<br />
I guess she decided for herself that those who needed to say goodbye...had done so...Mum had many loved ones visit over the last few days....even travelling from Brisbane and Victoria.<br />
<br />
<b>Some say that maybe she even knew that her 78 year life was beginning to come up short</b>......planning a trip to Wodonga (600km) for a visit with two life long, very ill friends..<i>.(I worked it out that the three of them hadn't been in the same room for more than thirty years)......</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iWtrqzH6SlTbEyPLVCe5oY0AKZ7n_G5nCw3NvKP-38gYRCqz0fwlYKKJdDZegDJA_ATztZehw7VhZ9t3bl2j5mBY5AUyhQ2w3EXKmcORIE-muyRtr6-R8jtNwJ7CJEVkmNxe1vcbSw/s1600/104_0740+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iWtrqzH6SlTbEyPLVCe5oY0AKZ7n_G5nCw3NvKP-38gYRCqz0fwlYKKJdDZegDJA_ATztZehw7VhZ9t3bl2j5mBY5AUyhQ2w3EXKmcORIE-muyRtr6-R8jtNwJ7CJEVkmNxe1vcbSw/s400/104_0740+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cynthia, Freida & Mum<br />
Reunited after more than thirty years.<br />
I loved making this trip for mum.</td></tr>
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<i>.</i><i>.........</i>Followed by a trip to Brisbane (1800km), accompanied by my son Lloyd......"<b>Thanks matey</b>...your Nanna could never have made such a huge trip if you didn't give up your entire school holidays to go with her and help her cope." I'm so proud of you Lloyd.....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx2879RfrkPF2Yi-2Kz78Hur_ji_aib4rxeYLsZx0CCdvV1RYwBRZzW7gNdHuKSOWh8Zq7D01D04Dll6p2jaXx5zY87VfFGVwOgDNj43GnWtj8bW35ggJPAUo3W5SWHbU3qjx03lOGw/s1600/IMG_7680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx2879RfrkPF2Yi-2Kz78Hur_ji_aib4rxeYLsZx0CCdvV1RYwBRZzW7gNdHuKSOWh8Zq7D01D04Dll6p2jaXx5zY87VfFGVwOgDNj43GnWtj8bW35ggJPAUo3W5SWHbU3qjx03lOGw/s400/IMG_7680.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lloyd with his Nan<br />
This would be the last time Nan had any photos taken</td></tr>
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This Brisbane trip was to <b>meet for the first time....her two great-grand daughters </b>Eliana and Nikaya from her 2nd born grand-daughter Marie...<i><a href="http://kayanaphotography.com.au/" target="_blank">(Marie is a wonderful photographer)</a></i>.<br />
<br />
*Mum also has two great-grand sons from her first born grand-daughter Shona.<br />
<i>A 2nd trip for Eli and Nikaya to see their 'Gate-Nan' was planned for before Christmas, but this was not to be......</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRhLYIwMsHnDlnLqFNhmL5wrpYMcYyQYQfWSJN0_evUDxBduXRaIfVhnh1ffpctkGfljuxjZxfeMRIHiE_9f5iLBo9mHNKKfFbjjdkaY-CcopYzWefaCFwA1jyEfO3b-wCxRTiTLb2w/s1600/IMG_7703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRhLYIwMsHnDlnLqFNhmL5wrpYMcYyQYQfWSJN0_evUDxBduXRaIfVhnh1ffpctkGfljuxjZxfeMRIHiE_9f5iLBo9mHNKKfFbjjdkaY-CcopYzWefaCFwA1jyEfO3b-wCxRTiTLb2w/s400/IMG_7703.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikaya, Nanna Clarke and Eliana</td></tr>
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After gathering family from all over, I gave Mum many opportunities to finally go be with dad....<br />
<i><b>(Giving your mother permission to leave you, in a room full of other people that also don't want her to leave...is really tough, but she asked me to do this for her many years ago, if the situation ever presented itself)</b>.......</i>So with this plan that she had always had....I guess I just thought that once she had 'seen everyone' she would gently pass away with many loved ones around her...which would have been nice......<br />
With me busy putting all those plans in place....I never dreamed that it might be me, that would leave the room while she passed away.......<br />
<br />
<b>Mum's passing........</b><br />
Both myself and my niece Shona (Marie's sister) kept a very tight bedside vigil with her for the last 48 hours. We had ordered pizza at 12 midnight, which was to be delivered at the hospital at roughly 12.45am. I told Shona to put her feet up and shut her eyes until I picked up the pizza from down stairs...I figured 45 minutes of shut-eye would be good for her as she had not rested since driving from Victoria with her two young boys. I planned to take the time to just tidy up the room a little and have room to serve the pizza.<br />
Time passed and the pizza guy rang...Shona said...."That was a short 45 minutes"....and I looked at my watch...which read 12.21am.....I went down to the main entrance to collect the pizza. I was gone for a very brief time, as he was there waiting for me already. With pizza in hand, I casually walked down the long hallway of the ward...smiling at familiar faces who were still awake....and when I opened Mum's door.......<br />
<br />
I could tell that her health had declined drastically.....I ran for the nurse and it was figured that it was probably less than 30 seconds before I entered the room that she gave her last breath. When the nurses entered her room she had already began losing her lovely glow......I knew by then, that my Mum had passed away. Shona and I both looked at each other with tears in total disbelief and soon decided that Mum passed away at 12.25am on 01 September 2012. Shona and I rang family to share the sad news, and after formalities and packing up her room, we left the hospital at 4.45am Saturday morning.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Mum had a gap of roughly just 3 to 5 minutes of being alone..... The perfect time I guess...if you don't want to cause your daughter or grand-daughter the pain of seeing you breathe your last breath and leaving this crazy wild world..........</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">******************************</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">[[Dearest Mum.....you have no more back pain, no lack of circulation pain, no kidney troubles, no diabetes to worry about daily, no more nasty meds and injections, no more skin ulcers developing from your extremely thin skin, no concerns of going into a home, no worries about losing your memory like your mother did..... You were a great peace-keeper, the best I know, calming and stopping many wars....and you were a very generous person. You've taught me many skills along the way, skills I'm grateful for, skills that make me some of the mother I am today.....</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">My dear mother, you will be sadly missed....It's been 25 years since dad died....and that's an awful long time to be alone......It's time now Mum, for you to finally rest with Dad. I'll make sure that happens for you. I love you.]]</span></i></div>
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-38608822372128596682012-06-24T09:20:00.000+10:002012-11-29T09:22:11.911+11:0030 Minute StockYep, you read it right!<br />
I've been experimenting with my Pressure Cooker after rescuing it from the top of a cupboard in my kitchen. It's been there since I bought it, remembering the <b>complete disaster </b> I had with a find at an op-shop when I was first married. This attempt involved complete bowing of the bottom of the pot. <span style="background-color: white;">No instructions, no internet...........It's taken me 20 years to give them another go.</span><br />
<br />
But this time I would be prepared...boasting to hubby on the phone that I would be using it that night; I'd let him know the outcome the following morning when we talked again. Turns out I wasn't that prepared after all...........The meal would need to be cooked the following evening because......<br />
When you first buy a Pressure Cooker, you need to season the pot before you cook in it.<br />
Don't forget to take time to read all the instructions that came with the cooker.<br />
<br />
<b>To season your new Pressure Cooker....</b><br />
Season the rim of the pot with a little cooking oil. This lubricates the lid and the pot making it easier to remove the lid.<br />
Fill the <span style="background-color: white;">Pressure Cooker to half way with cold water.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Place the lid on according to the instructions</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Heat until steam releases, then turn the heat down and allow to 'season' for another 20 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Then turn the heat off and leave to stand until cold. Do not remove the lid until the whole unit is cold.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Meal number one....Beef Stew</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFY_IxI8cHeqZ1lmra0J7BeBq3uFuuDw2ujpXlaT4lwO5h6-GI_NmCfI1e9UdutHkiZ64Nr53Ezt0NsYVXXi7WqQ-Jqz8-w8y6V2MK2FJArJpAMqA9zw3Z1SWAOkfGnH5U7YNV77PcQ/s1600/104_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFY_IxI8cHeqZ1lmra0J7BeBq3uFuuDw2ujpXlaT4lwO5h6-GI_NmCfI1e9UdutHkiZ64Nr53Ezt0NsYVXXi7WqQ-Jqz8-w8y6V2MK2FJArJpAMqA9zw3Z1SWAOkfGnH5U7YNV77PcQ/s320/104_0823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">*Huge success with minimal fuss.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">*25 minutes under pressure</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">*You can see how the meat just falls apart.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">*Brilliant!</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>************************</i></span></b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Now onto some much needed STOCK.</i></span></b></span><br />
I was pleased to discover that <u>our local Meat Market had re-opened</u>...so I went to check it out.<br />
I bought home two big bags of Beef Bones $4 each....and two big bags of Chicken Carcasses $2 each.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Baking all the bones in the oven, gives you a deeper, richer flavour....</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOZVOstSErg0sYBgUk80N7X8I4Sc0pk-Lqn2ZHNWxM6oQOSdcLufB6DZqcHz7fMdSWKMaO0VnueGnJMrtxuH61e09WHRIMym-b7yrF_gzuahyphenhyphen9XkxD5bCYFNDmAnTz4SryFlPW40ssw/s1600/DSC_0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOZVOstSErg0sYBgUk80N7X8I4Sc0pk-Lqn2ZHNWxM6oQOSdcLufB6DZqcHz7fMdSWKMaO0VnueGnJMrtxuH61e09WHRIMym-b7yrF_gzuahyphenhyphen9XkxD5bCYFNDmAnTz4SryFlPW40ssw/s320/DSC_0916.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Bones<br />
$8.00<br />
Ready for the oven</td></tr>
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Using half the baked beef bones, I went on to add other usual ingredients that I put in a stock....<br />
The other half of the baked beef bones are labelled and in the freezer for another stock day.<br />
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Add 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery, fresh herbs and mixed spices<br />
Cover with 3 litres of water. <b>Make sure your pot is never more than two-thirds full for stock.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk0i5hhjm05v5UAZv-j6De-G3Zkdf0jtZbgGJL0YZ73tWaUD96FA9KoMQfx2Ct5xJeU_tVPNxvkQyXlBZUl83O76CDfhEMwXIi_xw5B72HoLS0kkTHxlzE5eFHkHj0khJOMgndI_H1w/s1600/DSC_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk0i5hhjm05v5UAZv-j6De-G3Zkdf0jtZbgGJL0YZ73tWaUD96FA9KoMQfx2Ct5xJeU_tVPNxvkQyXlBZUl83O76CDfhEMwXIi_xw5B72HoLS0kkTHxlzE5eFHkHj0khJOMgndI_H1w/s320/DSC_0919.JPG" width="221" /></a></div>
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Put the lid on following the instructions....then once the steam starts to come out of the relief valve....turn the heat down low and allow to cook for a further 30 minutes. Allow to cool or release the steam as per instructions and reveal a lovely stock, ready to strain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Stock in a Pressure Cooker</td></tr>
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While the oven was on I also baked the Chicken Carcasses....<br />
I'll be making Chicken Stock using half of these baked chicken bones today....and the other half will go in the freezer for when I want to make some more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uY56bAvrUaV6t6e9FxxrHJCYHCIz7UCG2BuLE_dyszbEk2A4Kp25SgCmDVa7wJxGVH3L2AtlhYz6dc8bCnEcjeeVY_fAN6zwYqb6clTjI8oXqWodpaf1sAJOOxqAxtBu46Naq5qHNA/s1600/DSC_0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uY56bAvrUaV6t6e9FxxrHJCYHCIz7UCG2BuLE_dyszbEk2A4Kp25SgCmDVa7wJxGVH3L2AtlhYz6dc8bCnEcjeeVY_fAN6zwYqb6clTjI8oXqWodpaf1sAJOOxqAxtBu46Naq5qHNA/s400/DSC_0922.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Chicken Bones<br />
$4.00</td></tr>
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<i style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you make stock? </span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you use a pressure cooker? </span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">What do you cook in your pressure cooker?</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-56312505634875209762012-06-14T08:55:00.001+10:002012-06-14T08:59:53.189+10:00Wood Stoves & Charities<br />
I've always admired the people who are equipped to cook on a wood stove in their kitchen. Glimpses take me back to my childhood to a few of those people. The first that comes to mind was my best friends Nanna. Nanna Humphries taught me how yummy mushrooms were, by dabbing a bit of butter directly on the hotplate and frying a freshly gathered mushroom right on the heat....a pinch of salt and ohhhhhh sooo yummy. I couldn't wait to run home and tell mum I finally like mushrooms. I'm sure she was most impressed as mushroom hunting was a weekend event we enjoyed quite regularly.<i>(I never liked the way Mum cooked mushies back then...even though I cook them the same now)...lol</i><br />
<br />
Aunty Milly (my Nan's sister) and Uncle Lindsay lived in Ardmona Victoria and ran a Dairy Farm. I always got up earlier than the others because if I was sneaky enough I could pour fresh milk on my cereal without stirring the cream in. "Did you stir the cream in before you poured your milk Narelle?"<br />
"Yes Aunty", I'd reply.....I think she knew better though...lol<br />
<br />
On childhood visits I recall cooking toast on the fire with Aunty and her always having a huge teapot of hot water on hand...even for washing the dishes. A good cook knows how many logs of Red-gum and how many of Yellow-box will make a good batch of scones; Aunty was one of 'those' cooks. She certainly knew her Slow Combustion Stove and she knew her cooking too. The taste of smokey toast after being 'blackened' by the open fire was delicious...or maybe it was the farm fresh butter.....even if I did have to scrape half the charred remains off. <i><b>The mere fact that I was allowed to fork a slice of bread and sit at the fire to 'toast' it, was good enough for me.</b> We certainly weren't allowed or able to do anything like that back at home.</i><br />
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I recently spent the weekend in Mudgee with Hubby and the family he is boarding with while away for work. What a wonderful family they are too. <i>I never imagined that allowing my hubby to live with another family would be so hard.</i> BUT....all my fears and insecurities have now been washed away after spending the weekend with them. I felt right at home and am also
able to join in the conversation now with Hubby when he talks of the people
'I didn't know'...It's great, as I am able to relate to everything
much easier...and I'm welcome back there any time as they say I'm now part
of the family too.<br />
<br />
While there <b>I was able to cook on top of a wood stove all
weekend ... which was heaven</b>. I was truly in my element...only problem now is
that I am looking for ways to incorporate a wood stove here...<span style="font-size: large;">.the family
think I'm nuts</span>..all that extra work....lol.. <b>A girl can dream though hey!</b><br />
<br />
Sure, the cooking can be fantastic, but the money saved in heating excites me big time.<b><span style="font-size: large;"> I heard on the radio this morning that electricity prices in the Illawarra will rise by 18% next month</span></b>...and even though I have natural gas for heating, we have three heaters on our property that can all be on at once sometimes.....If I could limit the amount of gas used in the winter months, by rendering fat, brewing soups, drying clothes, enjoying the warmth, ect on a wood stove I'm sure we could come out in front.......<br />
<br />
I figure if I have any chance of installing a wood fire in our house...<span style="font-size: large;">I better get rid of some stuff!</span> Lately it seems that almost every room in the house has become a spare room...so I'm decluttering the spare room and moving things around to get things fitting back in there. Maybe then I will be able to work on decluttering the kitchen and moving larger items into the spare room. <br />
My larder takes up an entire wall of the dining room and it's hard to do a full day of cooking up and down the step that divides the two rooms. I'd dearly love to have the dining room floor built up to the same level as the kitchen...So I've kind of set myself a 12 month plan to be ready for next winter......but to do all that renovation...<i>(as cheap as possible of-course)</i>.......<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I first need to de-clutter....</span><br />
<br />
If your local to the Illawarra area and are looking for a good place to recycle your old computers...look no further than the <a href="http://www.cbi.org.au/donations.htm" target="_blank">Illawarra Computer Bank</a>.....they do a great service providing people with computers who can't afford to buy one......<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nq6u2mXCOV-YP2Pv6JhYlup_yDRqCX8-x306up2BW_-lwhkdO-YIrgmHfFZLvn1s6fz7sev6Ko2BOq-0rn0Yh5u9-iKn_VnMVbWVYkAwPVxCl_B7uxpC9NYRAl3Lkk4yfc_CaUrbYw/s1600/DSC_0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nq6u2mXCOV-YP2Pv6JhYlup_yDRqCX8-x306up2BW_-lwhkdO-YIrgmHfFZLvn1s6fz7sev6Ko2BOq-0rn0Yh5u9-iKn_VnMVbWVYkAwPVxCl_B7uxpC9NYRAl3Lkk4yfc_CaUrbYw/s400/DSC_0910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donating 2 computers & 16 boxes of books<br />
Not a bad start to a dream</td></tr>
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Also, if your looking for a good charity to donate books to...<a href="http://www.lifeline.org.au/About-Lifeline/Lifeline-Locations/South-Coast-NSW/News-Articles/Lifeline-s-Big-Book-Fair-raises-more-than--104-000/blog.aspx" target="_blank">Lifeline runs a 3 day book fair every year</a> raising thousands of much needed dollars. T<span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">he profits of which go toward supporting Lifeline South Coast activities in our community.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>Do you have a wood heater or wood stove? What tips do you have?</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>Maybe you have used these charities before....I'd love to hear about it. </i></span><br />
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>Do you attend the book fairs?</i></span><br />
<i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Maybe you know of another charity similar in your area. </span> </i></div>nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-5410364897564943992012-05-28T05:00:00.000+10:002012-05-28T05:00:02.909+10:00Milling wheat & making pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyrQbseys37-14kOmlumxy8F78tF0ZvRcN6uoOvN_wFCttwQLhB8Hyq1BSpX16fa_p5iTcAXQ0fNW74fSS6xntM3hElFlzfvNNbWPKxC1x-ZOZErf78mo4IKF78cTCP55YXzOn9Dn7A/s1600/104_0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyrQbseys37-14kOmlumxy8F78tF0ZvRcN6uoOvN_wFCttwQLhB8Hyq1BSpX16fa_p5iTcAXQ0fNW74fSS6xntM3hElFlzfvNNbWPKxC1x-ZOZErf78mo4IKF78cTCP55YXzOn9Dn7A/s640/104_0763.JPG" width="396" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://figjamandlimecordial.com/2012/05/27/simple-pasta/" target="_blank">Yesterday; Celia over at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial posted about her Simple pasta in 15 minute's</a> ......and that got me thinking of another way to thicken up the rest of the weekend soup to make into one more meal.....</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Many people mill their own grains at home; and <a href="http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/wholemeal-bread-triple-batch.html" target="_blank">I've been giving it a go too.</a> It's far healthier for you, no additives, no thickeners, no bleaching chemicals....just plain good wholesome wheat! If you have your own grain mill you can mill down a whole number of grains, seeds, nuts and even legumes. You even have full control over how fine you make your flour, depending on what you are planning to do with it.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Since sourcing some good bulk grain I've been experimenting more with my electric grain mill. Here are some photos to show you the different stages of milled grain I've been playing with.........</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Stage 1: Wheat berries</span></b>....Whole clean, husked wheat ready for use.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cFDWsdZKNy_tWF0ozOGWHBpGfDuRZ4T6mmvUL_UmQpIAfD85SwRPnRECbKerMV2jc6O_azl_Nf8jYEpvPJzN_j1z-_FDgxb0f20mzXQJu4k43hVz0ffEurGtqMpconAwrLQ4abO3eg/s1600/01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cFDWsdZKNy_tWF0ozOGWHBpGfDuRZ4T6mmvUL_UmQpIAfD85SwRPnRECbKerMV2jc6O_azl_Nf8jYEpvPJzN_j1z-_FDgxb0f20mzXQJu4k43hVz0ffEurGtqMpconAwrLQ4abO3eg/s320/01.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stage 2: Cracked wheat</span></b>....I think cracked wheat is prepared by first boiling it...so this is really just crushed wheat. I've been adding some of this to a mix of whole grains when making 'multi-grain bread' and also sprinkling it on the top of bread rolls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCApXhG7P_xFtggTSTb9yS-qvKoUmbgRjoM3yUHzfvSAHfb8Ny5EkoAFOOlg5_O8uumSypVRZh59JYOgmLjCFo550BRRf5fA8MVuwZEZEnmwXz7wkxs2X9UN6zSf9Sla-xut2vgts_A/s1600/02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCApXhG7P_xFtggTSTb9yS-qvKoUmbgRjoM3yUHzfvSAHfb8Ny5EkoAFOOlg5_O8uumSypVRZh59JYOgmLjCFo550BRRf5fA8MVuwZEZEnmwXz7wkxs2X9UN6zSf9Sla-xut2vgts_A/s320/02.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Stage 3: Wheat Bran</span></b>....This is what you get when you sift the milled flour from its finest setting. Bran is really a by-product of making flour and is made up of the hard shell of the wheat berry. We're sprinkling this on our breakfast and also adding it to other recipes for added fibre.<br />
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If I'm making bread, I don't always sift the flour to separate the bran, but when I don't; it makes a very heavy bread....A better or lighter bread is made from 50:50 of whole milled flour and plain white flour. If you don't want to use such refined and bleached flour....just sift your freshly milled flour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQssbbf0W6KUbLA_P1mYefb9yTElz4SzE9wN468Pejdv-C1AbYfpl__Ffym3I97pq80zxl1D9AUFruRZ_uTef2u9zf1MDoNvkqI5GWSNmI0zfRnWG4_81UinKrzurZG2qu3VU81NQ_w/s1600/03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQssbbf0W6KUbLA_P1mYefb9yTElz4SzE9wN468Pejdv-C1AbYfpl__Ffym3I97pq80zxl1D9AUFruRZ_uTef2u9zf1MDoNvkqI5GWSNmI0zfRnWG4_81UinKrzurZG2qu3VU81NQ_w/s320/03.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stage 4: Wholemeal flour</b>.</span>... Here is your flour at it's purest.....<br />
No refining, no bleaching, no additives.<br />
Just Wheat!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOnUJJsMD45xIkV6xY-rF4P2zyGwRpT7CMouKHMhAvYXbEZGpLlCeO207h71ZUZDwk2pQwCFz10uEKsYjq4lwtm-ebB6Inba7xgltFvysbL2odZ4bksu6dhHSZEo_n2vl_HXy848rkQ/s1600/04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOnUJJsMD45xIkV6xY-rF4P2zyGwRpT7CMouKHMhAvYXbEZGpLlCeO207h71ZUZDwk2pQwCFz10uEKsYjq4lwtm-ebB6Inba7xgltFvysbL2odZ4bksu6dhHSZEo_n2vl_HXy848rkQ/s320/04.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now I'm ready to make some <b>WHOLEMEAL PASTA</b>......<br />
To every 100g of flour add 1 whole egg.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rxv8goyaL2vbo-0uh57eIHDxhTdZ2Gz12TAgFuZ7G53rU90iFQZsDpVsDINo5y2JiORaufcd4GLKb8CW4kFv9rZZVu9H1aJk_1XMObmSf0hMu8bW9PCdlKaPqrmnaptRJB4GoCDDVQ/s1600/05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rxv8goyaL2vbo-0uh57eIHDxhTdZ2Gz12TAgFuZ7G53rU90iFQZsDpVsDINo5y2JiORaufcd4GLKb8CW4kFv9rZZVu9H1aJk_1XMObmSf0hMu8bW9PCdlKaPqrmnaptRJB4GoCDDVQ/s320/05.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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To 400g of wholemeal flour add 4 whole eggs....and mix well until combined.............<br />
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Then divide into four even blocks before putting it in the fridge to rest. I prefer to rest pasta dough for an hour before running it in the pasta machine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQl-feNn6C18NpNaxaBZAqvDQinhyD0yZ8SaUJ-D2VBt77j1zhiqIraATB3zJ3ON1y6tD8p8klrsWAjl8V6B1fEicuZIbsTWjD2k4xZBHyblh-PsOWNOhMclgZ7kp-jX0cqrIYokK-g/s1600/07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQl-feNn6C18NpNaxaBZAqvDQinhyD0yZ8SaUJ-D2VBt77j1zhiqIraATB3zJ3ON1y6tD8p8klrsWAjl8V6B1fEicuZIbsTWjD2k4xZBHyblh-PsOWNOhMclgZ7kp-jX0cqrIYokK-g/s320/07.JPG" width="264" /></a></div>
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Flatten the divided dough before placing in a plastic bag and pop into the fridge to rest. This shape helps to start preparing the dough for the dough machine.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSpHxvjAIK_B8y79ZGUYCjfPTejirLfHVBKVOIUmRrwtGyqdXYudmybARNvaYISYGPUyRw07M4RV1LiQn3l-1m1KQpOTaP5hxdUhaZeQpf3VVocujK13RSaxM7fnD_lq-h528zWrppQ/s1600/08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSpHxvjAIK_B8y79ZGUYCjfPTejirLfHVBKVOIUmRrwtGyqdXYudmybARNvaYISYGPUyRw07M4RV1LiQn3l-1m1KQpOTaP5hxdUhaZeQpf3VVocujK13RSaxM7fnD_lq-h528zWrppQ/s320/08.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Only remove one piece of dough from the fridge at a time. This ensures that the other dough pieces don't dry out while you are working. I used half the dough for dinner ....the other half will keep in the fridge for one or two more days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPzKFdW_fGMyQyysrbXIAKDH9C2GfFLJyzPHv_yl-JnaspOoURTRGw4hwufm6q590Q4iqkU8U-Il3NCZVaO0SAtEByUaeC6Q-jeeoSvv-Z6osp-Afvqnm5LtDOD7VM7IpB6SVGfIDiw/s1600/09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPzKFdW_fGMyQyysrbXIAKDH9C2GfFLJyzPHv_yl-JnaspOoURTRGw4hwufm6q590Q4iqkU8U-Il3NCZVaO0SAtEByUaeC6Q-jeeoSvv-Z6osp-Afvqnm5LtDOD7VM7IpB6SVGfIDiw/s320/09.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I heated up the soup that was made earlier..and also put on a pot of water to boil for the pasta....<br />
<i>Due to the cold weekend weather....another pot of soup was on the stove.....</i><br />
The soup was made up of the following....<br />
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<ul>
<li>a smoked ham hock - boiled for an hour, meat removed and added</li>
<li>a few roasted chicken carcasses, with meat removed and added</li>
<li>chopped meats left to rest in the stock overnight....then fat skimmed off the top before adding other ingredients</li>
<li>grated vegetables of carrot, Swedish turnip, parsnip, onion, zucchini</li>
<li>mixed legumes and grains <i>(another filler and thickener)</i></li>
<li>thickened with milled rice flour</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NyHLfe3nDk7rcIkZv8uuxnXvJR2c-4OR_AlcV9ZoVYQjSJyXLc2F0Leu261OqwN8ghVJInatLpMVlpy4rdOJh9raTfpDkBNlc-viMTV3hWSQfCdRZkMBeDChh4-8CbQ7KRA5StaCAg/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NyHLfe3nDk7rcIkZv8uuxnXvJR2c-4OR_AlcV9ZoVYQjSJyXLc2F0Leu261OqwN8ghVJInatLpMVlpy4rdOJh9raTfpDkBNlc-viMTV3hWSQfCdRZkMBeDChh4-8CbQ7KRA5StaCAg/s320/10.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When all the rolled pasta is cut into strips, lightly dust it with flour to stop it from sticking to itself.....<br />
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Once the water is boiling, add half of the pasta and let cook for 1 minute...remove the pasta with tongs and toss into the boiling soup....Repeat with the other half of the raw pasta. It's very quick!<br />
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then serve.........this soup was <b>very filling</b>, delicious...and quite rewarding; even for DS20 who took great joy in helping make the pasta.....Thanks mate...a job well done.<br />
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<i>Do you have a grain mill? What other grains do you like to mill? I'd love to hear your ideas. </i></div>
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<i>Have you ever made your own pasta? Do you prefer wholemeal pasta or white pasta? How do you make your pasta? What do you add it to? </i></div>
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<br /></div>nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-6041239402199943272012-05-21T14:32:00.000+10:002012-05-21T14:32:31.513+10:00Zucchini & Choko Slice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_br-9x2AF39AXXpZPEOYlq2sOHREBMUyo5FtJtS1aRBIS-nSYjcuzPOSFQzxotWAxzCMsUUod5aHoPC1EguF7HiW39ab6TxRedcLQr7p-yG5KQCjT5awMcXK0t0nd4xd_qKqCdkTqmg/s1600/SDC16508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_br-9x2AF39AXXpZPEOYlq2sOHREBMUyo5FtJtS1aRBIS-nSYjcuzPOSFQzxotWAxzCMsUUod5aHoPC1EguF7HiW39ab6TxRedcLQr7p-yG5KQCjT5awMcXK0t0nd4xd_qKqCdkTqmg/s320/SDC16508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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How many knuckles does it take to make a great slice? Three to be exact....well today anyway. With band-aids in place I continued grating until all the veg were done. Who knew a few pieces of skin could make such a delicious slice. Seriously though; there was no skin added, but I've never added choko to a slice before. With only two young zucchini I needed to increase the mixture. Hence another use for a Choko or three.<br />
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<b>Zucchini & Choko Slice</b><br />
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8 medium eggs <i>whisked well</i><br />
<i>add to that</i> 2/3 cup of Olive Oil<br />
<i>then mix in</i> 1 heaped cup of Wholemeal Self Raising Flour<br />
<i>mix well and put aside.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Now in another larger bowl grate the following:</i><br />
2 zucchini<br />
2 choko<br />
1/2 a carrot<br />
1/2 a sweet potato<br />
1 cup of tasty cheese<br />
<i>then finely chop </i>1 brown onion & a small bunch of parsley<br />
<br />
Mix all this together, then add the egg mixture and stir well.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mb3vVY86vrYGvt02JOOx6TCxJE7mho28geOxCE3RVsy2Cts_6dJpKACNK6Jzw1uyJsFp11g_hg7ubeo-S6KGIMEJwuTUBAsZyU1iyzF2J-vWFFKUOQSVnJ1ONcu4NJqUWwsrXcxMMw/s1600/SDC16489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mb3vVY86vrYGvt02JOOx6TCxJE7mho28geOxCE3RVsy2Cts_6dJpKACNK6Jzw1uyJsFp11g_hg7ubeo-S6KGIMEJwuTUBAsZyU1iyzF2J-vWFFKUOQSVnJ1ONcu4NJqUWwsrXcxMMw/s320/SDC16489.JPG" width="230" /></a></div>
When you fill your trays, you can fill right to the top, it will rise while baking, but fall when cooling.....<br />
After pouring into two trays,....if your like me you might just have some mixture left over...so if you do...add another egg, a tablespoon or so of flour, and add in another grated choko....then you will not only have two large slices, but enough slice baked for lunch.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGb6Tqi3nxfr9JcC1A-vTghOztbvsMqazUZ_5mtJZS9L-roxBaj3_gCOkQ8hdsnPDR2fcVNMfKNd8SuLeyL4jmVwe1GhgHDE9kTcfDmDDxDKL9WPaSCuVIUBdJFaFgcFAB2cEIPgdCCw/s1600/SDC16500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGb6Tqi3nxfr9JcC1A-vTghOztbvsMqazUZ_5mtJZS9L-roxBaj3_gCOkQ8hdsnPDR2fcVNMfKNd8SuLeyL4jmVwe1GhgHDE9kTcfDmDDxDKL9WPaSCuVIUBdJFaFgcFAB2cEIPgdCCw/s320/SDC16500.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_br-9x2AF39AXXpZPEOYlq2sOHREBMUyo5FtJtS1aRBIS-nSYjcuzPOSFQzxotWAxzCMsUUod5aHoPC1EguF7HiW39ab6TxRedcLQr7p-yG5KQCjT5awMcXK0t0nd4xd_qKqCdkTqmg/s1600/SDC16508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_br-9x2AF39AXXpZPEOYlq2sOHREBMUyo5FtJtS1aRBIS-nSYjcuzPOSFQzxotWAxzCMsUUod5aHoPC1EguF7HiW39ab6TxRedcLQr7p-yG5KQCjT5awMcXK0t0nd4xd_qKqCdkTqmg/s200/SDC16508.JPG" width="200" /></a>Grease your trays well, then bake in a moderate oven of 170o C for 20 minutes for the small ones...and an extra 15 to 20 minutes for the larger baking trays. It was a delicious surprise for mum when she returned from Bingo today.<br />
I have enough to serve for dinner tonight, and one for the freezer. Yummmmm!<br />
<br />
Have you ever added choko to a slice?<br />
<br />
<i>Please forgive the poor quality of the photos today, I guess my camera was having a bad day and maybe I need to refresh my rechargeable batteries. </i><br />
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</ol>nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-10251297166512499652012-05-15T07:25:00.000+10:002012-05-15T07:27:57.611+10:00Today's agenda & Worm CastingsI've had some lovely emails welcoming me back to blogland...thank-you to all who wrote. While I am extremely busy now that I run the house fully on my own, with Hubby being only home briefly for weekends.....I do hope to continue writing posts. I still do lots, but I just don't get around to computer time much nowadays.<br />
<br />
<b><i>What's on your agenda today? Here's what is on mine....so far:</i></b><br />
7.30am... Solar Skylight man coming to check a skylight that has gone dark.<br />
Hang washing out on line<br />
Tidy up kitchen<br />
8.30am... Need to have DS17 at work in Oak Flats for Work Experience<br />
8.35am ...Pick up 5 bags of gum-nuts from Freecycle while in Oak Flats<br />
9am... Community Garden with Albion Park Rail<br />
12 noon Lots more house work or garden work, which ever I feel like doing more.<br />
2pm... Community Garden with Barrack Heights<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">4.30pm....Pick up DS17 from Oak Flats work experience.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>Oops,....I double booked myself here...will have to fix this with Max......</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">4.30pm... <b>Max</b> is dropping of 160kg of <b>Worm Castings</b> (2 x full Potato Sacks roughly 80kg each) for $40....bargain$$$</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Max also supplies a <b>tipper ute of good food compost <i>(from restaurant waste)</i> for $80.00</b> which is a great way to enrich your gardens and pots quickly while waiting for your own compost to break down. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Max works out of Albion Park and can be <b>contacted on 0414 733823</b>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">He's one of those genuine blokes that you will go back to time and time again.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">If you ring him, tell him you seen his number on my blog. I know he'll appreciate the work.</span><br />
<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">*********************************</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Over at Rose's blog, she has a lovely <a href="http://greeningtherose.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/on-weekend-fellow-blogger-and.html?showComment=1337028692380#c673905769954455419" target="_blank">photo of Big Bill all cuddled up on the couch</a>....</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so I thought I'd show you a photo of my Cindy Loo</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
enjoying the warmth of a pillow-slip....</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's so cute to watch her try to get inside...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sometimes I just can't help myself and give her a bit of help...lol</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoak1UTmQHuDqDrWJmNQcPfr7LsXEkaqKUXdCQlXxYqWW6J4El1nT60IjDc8Lq7n7H2WkOUSjJMefi8mxNfQruPz_DoxV5rcWyKVJvibA1V8p-QB3oYGlUpqucYyC_oWPtHETJxWh7Q/s1600/DSC_0671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoak1UTmQHuDqDrWJmNQcPfr7LsXEkaqKUXdCQlXxYqWW6J4El1nT60IjDc8Lq7n7H2WkOUSjJMefi8mxNfQruPz_DoxV5rcWyKVJvibA1V8p-QB3oYGlUpqucYyC_oWPtHETJxWh7Q/s320/DSC_0671.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy Z z z z z z z</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv12Tzf3OhPm9aOQxNRGvb7akJqOikrrlBuVUJ1Nx5YexucTYu9m5Uu3k1CX1hXbGlSem8nPouuNgndDDt9WfWhUUnWqlRDdseUypf7aiv7tdJLXBW0J0GoWEJDoSvXHfzhvLllQfxcQ/s1600/DSC_0669-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv12Tzf3OhPm9aOQxNRGvb7akJqOikrrlBuVUJ1Nx5YexucTYu9m5Uu3k1CX1hXbGlSem8nPouuNgndDDt9WfWhUUnWqlRDdseUypf7aiv7tdJLXBW0J0GoWEJDoSvXHfzhvLllQfxcQ/s320/DSC_0669-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's the bright light for...don't you know I'm trying to sleep?<br />
After my nap, THEN I will take on the world.</td></tr>
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155811529104728951.post-21139760389794175202012-05-12T22:15:00.000+10:002012-11-29T09:48:29.947+11:00Seating Circles & Donut Muffins<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadhHey8N-m_Eurrvx2S5jGxUlSpMbJuSaokKOOFTdHw7K5K9AozZvaTusQg8pah1ZoLJxgJ-ymrsPBthRMlQ3zz8OxOVqxlGkD0M14Lt2DEprtn6GbdaphHL-VFqhhz2ihNspJqSRPA/s1600/SDC16485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadhHey8N-m_Eurrvx2S5jGxUlSpMbJuSaokKOOFTdHw7K5K9AozZvaTusQg8pah1ZoLJxgJ-ymrsPBthRMlQ3zz8OxOVqxlGkD0M14Lt2DEprtn6GbdaphHL-VFqhhz2ihNspJqSRPA/s320/SDC16485.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginnings of our Seating Circle which will be in the centre<br />
of our Bush Medicine & Bush Tucker garden</td></tr>
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Wow, what a weekend already! We had a productive day at the Community Garden today with the beginnings of our Seating Circle. Down the track it will be the centre of our Indigenous Bush Tucker and Bush Medicine Garden; but things have to start somewhere...........<br />
<br />
So that's what we achieved today....It was all hands on deck....or tyres & bricks really. We are using some reclaimed bricks to help fill the tyres. But it's lots of hard work, as the bricks need to be smashed up and the earth dug up to make the seating level.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
We still have lots to do, there's more filling in for this level, then another level of tyres needs to be built on top. After that the framework goes on to make the timber seating....then we will start incorporating the garden around it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlP4KOJnnuAw7NKsnzjukL4qyVFkTMVpn3yIli0i-DJ2jFM6eAlIIjghi_NVkNW08gCmbYSUW0Su30FzTBcOKyJ87VrvLFRllsiZ_-IoYnCU7QOsPV7rfytwUWY2wvVB2jshofH2CunQ/s1600/DSC_0844.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlP4KOJnnuAw7NKsnzjukL4qyVFkTMVpn3yIli0i-DJ2jFM6eAlIIjghi_NVkNW08gCmbYSUW0Su30FzTBcOKyJ87VrvLFRllsiZ_-IoYnCU7QOsPV7rfytwUWY2wvVB2jshofH2CunQ/s320/DSC_0844.1.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation for the Working Bee<br />
for starting our Seating Circle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4GH-kLKiKZPvtu_ZC-sDH23SiOP5eYHeOO9Ovo1_H7RgcksbPiRobrINMUus8hzIG68AgQRYlvltb3xjkeDQe4Qjzcq6p8iDKrvyIZf3DW10AHXMP4vJalEFkoBFZGxhu8x1IPr-UA/s1600/DSC_0844.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4GH-kLKiKZPvtu_ZC-sDH23SiOP5eYHeOO9Ovo1_H7RgcksbPiRobrINMUus8hzIG68AgQRYlvltb3xjkeDQe4Qjzcq6p8iDKrvyIZf3DW10AHXMP4vJalEFkoBFZGxhu8x1IPr-UA/s400/DSC_0844.2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Seating Circle made from reclaimed tyres, rubble & timber.<br />
I presume this in the one from either Kiama Primary or Kiama Community Garden</td></tr>
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Seeing Kiama Community Garden's seating has given us the inspiration to build our own seating. <a href="http://www.google.com.au/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=888&bih=475&tbm=isch&tbnid=yG2PWTWu1aamPM:&imgrefurl=http://kiamagardens.blogspot.com/2011/02/green-tomato-pickles_06.html&docid=d0ngW_NC2R68TM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwKPSyOy-AEbqojLdDoLi8FW5mhRaME2gdQpv26TckIzoDbaqCxD0EG0q5PugPTchl3WyQ6pMXtqz3Cd7guxFRXTh0pAsXTXDzwwuXwDobqMYBqnUv6Bg2A1MRlbGrM_Of4Y6vVOvkEM/s1600/DSC02389.JPG&w=1600&h=1067&ei=pD6uT6nuB8-aiAf61b3yCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=293&vpy=141&dur=2726&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=117&ty=83&sig=108443022289291915917&page=1&tbnh=132&tbnw=186&start=0&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:83" target="_blank">You can check out the beginnings of their seating area here</a>. <i>I'm sorry I don't have a colour photo of the finished circle yet, but next time I visit them I will take a camera.</i><br />
<br />
Kiama Primary School has also built their own seating circle in their permaculture garden. <a href="http://green-change.com/2011/11/17/kiama-primary-school-permaculture-garden-tour/" target="_blank">You can check out a great post about the construction on Darren's blog at GreenChange here.</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>**************************************</b></span></div>
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We had a lovely lunch cooked on our little barbecue, which is also in the plans to be moved and enlarged....but here's what we dined on for today's lunch: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Freshly caught by Darren (that morning) <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=kingfish&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=GVCuT9uQDImQiQenyJX8CA&biw=888&bih=475&sei=NlCuT5C1BMajiQeGsb3bCA" target="_blank">Kingfish </a>and <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?num=10&um=1&hl=en&q=australian+cuttlefish&revid=1962320191&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=888&bih=475&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=pVCuT7veDOWViQeUvZXsCA" target="_blank">Cuttlefish</a>. I wrapped the Kingfish in foil after placing it on a bed of Warrigal Greens and scattering aromatic herbs from the garden, before laying lemon slices along the fish. It was then cooked on the makeshift barbecue we have at the moment. I sliced the cuttlefish ribbon thin and tossed it in olive oil before being quickly frying it off in a very hot pan. It only took about 1 minute to cook the cuttlefish and I can still taste it. </li>
<li>Yummy Meat Patties and Vege Burgers and different breads supplied by Angela</li>
<li>Delicious and filling Fried Rice by Marty</li>
<li>I made a salad from fresh pickings in the garden including Nasturtium petals and young leaves, marigold petals, chives, lettuce, cucumber and many herbs. A simple dressing was made from lemon juice & olive oil.</li>
<li>Coffee and tea was also served throughout the day, along with herbal tea brewing on the barbecue too.</li>
<li>Yesterday I also made a batch of <b>Donut Muffins</b> to take along....these were a great hit with everyone. I'd say especially the children.....but I think the adults enjoyed them just as much. I had to hide them yesterday afternoon from DS17 or there might not have been enough to take to the garden...lol. </li>
</ul>
There was plenty to go around. I'm glad I made a double batch, and the mini size went down well while everyone was working.......<br />
<div>
So here's the recipe for the Donut Muffins....this is a new recipe for me....but I will certainly be making them again....so easy....but ohhhhhh so doubly yummy!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Donut Muffins</u></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7esmMyMGTgWz5_v1habFZSAM6fbEWw2Lr2gBiZjBYXsRged0lxkSFaOJuzolKnC6sqmvcC-2dHUmkVaoIWL90L9NkyppYkUvBGDvDTIT3VkrDwDLBMcTBKbQ23WgEo5LS4B2foZOxGQ/s1600/DSC_0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7esmMyMGTgWz5_v1habFZSAM6fbEWw2Lr2gBiZjBYXsRged0lxkSFaOJuzolKnC6sqmvcC-2dHUmkVaoIWL90L9NkyppYkUvBGDvDTIT3VkrDwDLBMcTBKbQ23WgEo5LS4B2foZOxGQ/s320/DSC_0843.JPG" width="240" /></a>175g (6oz) butter, softened</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
200g (7oz) caster sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 eggs, lightly beaten</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
375 g (13oz) plain flour</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3/4 tablespoon baking powder</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
pinch of salt</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
250mls (9 fl-oz) milk</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Topping</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
25g (1oz) melted butter</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. </li>
<li>Grease your muffin pans well with melted butter.</li>
<li>Beat the butter and sugar until light, fluffy and creamy.</li>
<li>Add the eggs a little at a time, making sure the egg is incorporated well before adding more.</li>
<li>In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and salt.</li>
<li>Add half of the flour mix to the creamed mixture along with half of the milk.</li>
<li>Gently fold the mixture together until well combined..then repeat using the remaining half of the milk and flour.</li>
<li>Spoon mixture into the muffin pans filling them to roughly 2/3 full.</li>
<li>Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. Or until lightly golden or clean skewer tested.</li>
<li>For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. </li>
<li>Fresh from the oven after removing them from the muffin pan, paint the tops with melted butter, then toss them in the cinnamon sugar.</li>
<li>Eat them warm from the oven or eat them cold....if they last that long. </li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemLORx5V4nxVJNF-l4Pk1jX_eUFPhzyLcUnGbFtvFPxBEG5oU-n_4wwUcw76qkGc6B3lIO53XROWzkCvVC8wCzj55lG6m-4s1IbiiG3lZYaCOtge7lkEzxg25U2CkLGfRR9uMyF95tA/s1600/DSC_0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemLORx5V4nxVJNF-l4Pk1jX_eUFPhzyLcUnGbFtvFPxBEG5oU-n_4wwUcw76qkGc6B3lIO53XROWzkCvVC8wCzj55lG6m-4s1IbiiG3lZYaCOtge7lkEzxg25U2CkLGfRR9uMyF95tA/s400/DSC_0842.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donut Muffins</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Here's wishing all the ladies that are</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>celebrating Mothers Day</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>this Sunday.....</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>a very happy Mothers Day !</b></i></span></div>
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<br />nellymaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00290358658245310632noreply@blogger.com8