Echidna's, Wild LillyPilly fruit & Packed Lunches to go

These last few weeks I have been wondering about the wild apple trees up the mountain...Have I left them too late?..Usually the start of March is when I go picking apples...I'm sure it's too late....But you know, when things get stuck in your head, sometimes you just have to pack the car with containers, and go for a drive and see for yourself.

Yep! I had left it too late...But not to go home empty handed, I had a hot tip, where some Lilly Pilly trees are out in full fruit at the moment....Thanks Darren from GreenChange

I took mum for a drive too, it was a lovely day for a drive...and when the two of us get in the car on these adventures...anything can happen...if something interests us on the side of the road, well; we will stop and check it out....Like farm fresh eggs for sale....Check.     Picked up two dozen...Yummm.

We went past a sign saying "Jamberoo Lookout".......never checked that out before...Oh.why not...so I turned the car around....

Now if the lady at the farm took a few moments longer to answer the door......If we didn't have trouble finding change for the eggs....If I hadn't had to wait for that car to pass us, before turning back..........

we wouldn't have seen this little guy....

An Australian Echidna

Look closely to see the ants all over him,
he was so busy with the ants nest, he didn't even notice me.

I even took a video of him pigging out in the ants nest, 

I was so close I could hear his little tongue flappin' like crazy. He was so cute.

If the little guy had taken in the beautiful scenery

on that Jamberoo mountain lookout.....

he would have seen this.....

Well it's the best I could do with my little camera...

I actually made this panoramic view out of 5 photos.

Truly breathtaking!!!

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NEXT STOP - 

LILLYPILLY FRUIT IN THE POOL CARPARK

I reckon I was there for just under half an hour picking fruit...

Many of the locals gave me strange looks.

Five people approached me and asked what I was going to do with the berries.

I convinced them to try one...

They never knew you could eat them....

Let alone make them into Jam.

Surprise, Surprise...

Here is my bounty for the day...and all of it free.

Now all I need to do is research recipes for them.

According to Australian Native Food Industry Limited

Frozen LillyPilly berries, 

otherwise known as Riberries

go for AU$30 per kilo.....WOW!!!

Here is a photo of the berries on the tree, compliments of the ANFIL website.

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Just letting you know....I'm slowly winning the war on the little bugs....

Although I did upgrade my traps...added 5 more and made them bigger. 

Bait: Apple Cider Vinegar, 

a teaspoon of yeast, 

and two slices of dried banana.

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SANDWICHES FOR WORK & SCHOOL

ALMOST A WEEK'S WORTH.

I see a lot of people saving their crusts to make bread crumbs. Great idea too, I hate waste!

Tonight it dawned on me why I never have any crusts to save.....

It's because I use them when making sandwiches....

You can see in this photo....that I butter the outside of the crust...

it then gets flipped over when joining the sandwich.....

No crust to be seen.

See the top sandwich......... I used a crust for the top of that sandwich, 

and you can see how I did it, in the one below....

 All the sandwiches get put in the kitchen freezer above the fridge. Every morning, each person just grabs their own lunch directly out of the freezer.....they defrost by the time lunch comes around...and I don't have to stay up late making sandwiches. I always use cold meat from the deli and Colby or Edam sliced cheese..When I get enough stock of My Cheese, I will use that....

I have tried different fillings in the past, and these work well for defrosting.  Every weekend I make enough lunches for both boys, hubby and even Nanna on her bingo days. 

A is for hubby, because he likes to be different.

Top row of freezer: LtoR: Cubed banana, Cooked chicken meat, Pumpkin mash, BananaScones...and Ice cube container.

Bottom row of freezer: Always two rows of lunches, another Grab n Go 

Before you ask....I tried this system with home baked bread...it just doesn't work, and well I have to keep my men happy...so this is what they get for lunch....Fresh sandwiches each day....Neither has the facilities to take anything else really....and yes, I do recycle the plastic press seal bags.

I wonder if you could use this same routine.....

I'd love to hear how you deal with packed lunches.