Vegepod update 29/01

The pod is doing well.  Everything looks healthy and is definitely growing.  The cucumbers are flourishing.  I have also added a little tomato plant to see how that goes.  Usually, tomato plants need to be planted by early November in our area to get summer fruit.  Let’s wait and see!  We had a really hot weekend but the pod was still moist after all that.

Cheers - Joolz xx

Vegepod update...

Things are going well in the Vegepod.  I haven’t lost any plants although the peas lost a few leaves but they weren’t the greatest fresh seedlings either.

Same with the beetroot, they were pretty spindly but they’re all standing up and starting to thicken.  We are in for more hot weather from Friday onwards so they should get a grow on.

Cheers - Joolz xx

A quiet weekend...

I had a new oven installed last week...my Westinghouse blew another fan element which was going to cost around $200 to fix - I have had that replaced before in November 2016.  I remember saying then, that if anything else goes on the oven, we need to replace it not fix it as we’ve spent plenty on it over the past 5 years.

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So, we bought a Miele.  We have a Miele dishwasher that hasn’t missed a beat since we installed that in May, 2009 so we figured the quality must be good.

It did a brilliant job baking these dinner rolls.  Really even browning which my other oven wasn’t doing.

Next up, a lasagne and again, lovely browning.

Oh, yeah!

We had a rainbow appear at 8.15pm ...

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I know Mason jars have been around a while and everybody has been drinking juices and shakes out of them but I’ve noticed some US homesteaders drink their coffee out of them.  

I thought I’d give it a go with a Rose’s marmalade jar, enjoying a coffee with my poached googs...

I potted up these two teacups to gift to our visitors who are coming for Australia Day.  I think they’ll like them...

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I did a lot of pottering and tidying on the weekend.  I ‘tried’ to tidy the spare room as best I could.  We seem to have suitcases and ‘stuff’ that doesn’t have a home so it gets dumped in the spare room.  Ugh!  I also dusted and made up the beds in the girl’s room, ready for our guests.  Time to rehydrate with a lime mineral water, served in a champagne flute!

This morning, I converted 6 boxes of beer bottles...

...into a crispy $20 note!  Gotta love South Australian recycling - every stubby is worth .10c when taken to the recyclers.  Luckily, the recyclers is about 2 minutes down the road... 😊

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I have a busy few days coming up - working plus doing meal prep for our guests.  

I need to make...

Lemon slice (Tuesday, refrigerate)

Monte Carlo biscuits (Wednesday)

Butter cake for lamingtons (Wednesday, freeze for Friday am)

Flat breads (Thursday morning)

Raita (Thursday)

Kachumber salad to accompany curry (Thursday)

Chicken curry (pm Thursday)

Lamington preparation (Friday am)

Pasta salad (Friday am)

Tossed green salad (Friday am)

That should keep me busy!

Cheers - Joolz xx

 

Potting out succulents...

It has been a stinking few days here, about 40C on Thursday and only a bit less yesterday.  Today, I got to and potted along the succulents that Annabel sent me.  Now, we live in the same state, so plant swapping is allowed but I don’t think posting interstate is a good idea.  South Australia has strict regulations for bringing in fruit and plant material.  I hate that I can’t buy fruit and veggies at a farmers market in Victoria then bring it home over the border.  There are big fines if you are caught.

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So these are the succs, I’ve just popped them in potting mix and they should take off just fine.  Once they’re established, I can repot if needed.  That greyish one is a ring in from another pot...

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This little Aloe was in the mix so I potted that in a mug that the handle had broken off...

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This driftwood pot was looking a bit tired (I got it for Christmas 2016) so I pulled it apart and started again...

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All new soil went in and the stones got a wash...

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Much better, with a few additions...little baby succs got popped in and they will soon grow little roots...

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That’s a better temperature - a cool change blew in Friday and by 7pm it was just above 20C.  We are lucky to live near the coast...

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I moved my succulents under the pergola for shade, I didn’t want to lose them in the extreme heat...

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Possibly one of the nicest desserts for summer weather is a good old trifle.  I knocked this up on Thursday (zipped home from work at 3.30pm and set the sponge in the green jelly and made the red jelly, ready for pouring in when I got home from work after 5pm.

A layer of bought, thick vanilka custard, tinned peaches and the red jelly were next. When set, I cut up a banana then topped with more custard .  You can do whipped cream as well but I didn’t.

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Delicious after a hot day!

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These rotten Corellas have been invading our yard and picking at our lawns.  They fly in at about 4.30am, squarking and making a ruckus!

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Shoo, you noisy buggers!

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Now, I must say that these standard roses must thrive on neglect, have a look at this flush of blooms!  All I did was dead head the old blooms last week and boom!  I wish I could remember the name of this beauty...

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Other than all that, I’ve dismantled Gus’s barbecue and given it a lady clean then reassembled. It’s sparkling and ready for our Australia Day guests, arriving later this coming week.

I also potted out some petunias - I haven’t had a thing growing in pots all year.

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Cheers - Joolz xx

Setting up the Vegepod...and a lovely gift in the mail...

(web pic of Vegepod)

Sunday, 14th January - Gus assembled the Vegepod for me.  I think it took around 3 hours all up.  There was a bit of swearing and skun knuckles but otherwise it went smoothly.

Once he’d finished, I filled it with bags of potting mix and cow manure...

...then I planted (from back row) green peas, Lebanese cucumbers, beetroot and in the front, strawberries.

It has it’s own spray watering system.  Simply connect to hose and water for about 10 minutes each day.

I put it out in the sun then wheel it in under the pergola each night, as we have auto sprinklers that come on early each morning.  Please disregard all the dandelion weeds in our lawn! 

These are the bags of soil I used...

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With this hot spell of weather, I have left it in the shade today as it’s meznt to reach 43C today. Eek!

More flowers on my rose, but no more shoots yet for more buds yet...

Yesterday, I received this box in the mail from Annabel at The Bluebirds are nesting ...

She very kindly sent me some succulents to plant out from her collection.  Also included was a nice card, some magazine pages showing ways to make succulent wreaths and some parsley seeds too!  Thank you, Annabel! :)

I also moved my succs into the shade for today.  I know they like warm temps but I’d hate to lose them.  How berserk has the chamber pot on the right gone?

Hmmm, this is what we face today.  Hot again tomorrow before cooling off a bit on Saturday.  I hate this hot weather.  I think it’ll be a Woolies chook for dinner tonight!

Cheers - Joolz xx

End of December 2017 photo dump 2...

27/12/17 Beautiful sky, view from our back yard....

Dinner outside after a hot day...

Cous cous with orange, currants, capsicum and mint...

Dukkah crusted lamb cutlets...

29/12/17 Aperol Spritz

Relaxing at our beach house rental...

Egg & Bacon McDonald Muffin...

Chilling on the deck...

Barbecued smoked hotdogs...

30/12/17 - We had Angus's family Christmas at his sister's beach rental house.  We took these yummy little morsels.  Puff pastry, shredded cooked chicken, a small cube of camembert cheese and a dob of cranberry sauce.  Bake until puffed and bubbling.  Delicious!

We had oysters kilpatrick...

We had barbecued lobster tails!

Kirby and I made these desserts.  Whipped cream, smashed Gingernut biscuits, caramel sauce and almond praline on top...served in plastic wine glasses...

They went down a treat!

31/12/17 We drove around to the Five Mile...

Suspect clouds...it kept sprinkling with rain, then the sun would come out, then it would rain...

This is further around the beach where Brianna's boyf, Michael, was setting cray pots with his family.

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More to come...