Seating Circles & Donut Muffins

Beginnings of our Seating Circle which will be in the centre
of our Bush Medicine & Bush Tucker garden

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...........

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.

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.

Invitation for the Working Bee
for starting our Seating Circle

Another Seating Circle made from reclaimed tyres, rubble & timber.
I presume this in the one from either Kiama Primary or Kiama Community Garden

Seeing Kiama Community Garden's seating has given us the inspiration to build our own seating. You can check out the beginnings of their seating area here. 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.

Kiama Primary School has also built their own seating circle in their permaculture garden. You can check out a great post about the construction on Darren's blog at GreenChange here.

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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: 

• Freshly caught by Darren (that morning) Kingfish and Cuttlefish. 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. 
• Yummy Meat Patties and Vege Burgers and different breads supplied by Angela
• Delicious and filling Fried Rice by Marty
• 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.
• Coffee and tea was also served throughout the day, along with herbal tea brewing on the barbecue too.
• Yesterday I also made a batch of Donut Muffins 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. 

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.......

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!

Donut Muffins

175g (6oz) butter, softened

200g (7oz) caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

375 g (13oz) plain flour

3/4 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

250mls (9 fl-oz) milk

Topping

100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

25g (1oz) melted butter

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Grease your muffin pans well with melted butter.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until light, fluffy and creamy.
4. Add the eggs a little at a time, making sure the egg is incorporated well before adding more.
5. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and salt.
6. Add half of the flour mix to the creamed mixture along with half of the milk.
7. Gently fold the mixture together until well combined..then repeat using the remaining half of the milk and flour.
8. Spoon mixture into the muffin pans filling them to roughly 2/3 full.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. Or until lightly golden or clean skewer tested.
10. For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. 
11. Fresh from the oven after removing them from the muffin pan, paint the tops with melted butter, then toss them in the cinnamon sugar.
12. Eat them warm from the oven or eat them cold....if they last that long. 

Donut Muffins

Here's wishing all the ladies that are

celebrating Mothers Day

this Sunday.....

a very happy Mothers Day !