Shoo Fly

With a list of chores complete and the kids happily playing I sat down with the local paper, only to be covered in what felt like a swarm of flies.  It was more like 2 or 3 but the constant bothering was unbearable.

With a quick Google and browse through Pinterest for homemade fly repellent I found long list of essential oils that do the job. Lucky I have quite a few so I grabbed what I had from the list and got mixing.

It's works really well - the pesky flies are avoiding the kids and I and I've even sprayed the dogs bedding in the hopes to deter flea (if not she'll  smell good).

Shoo Fly Repellent

300ml Spray Bottle (I got mine from www.arthurholmes.co.nz)
75ml Witch Hazel
75ml Vodka
150 Cooled Boiled Water
Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Tea Tree, Citronella, Cypress Essential Oils

Put witch hazel, vodka and water into spray bottle.  Add 5 drops of each oil.  Shake well and spray on skin, clothes etc.  Shake well before each use.

Busy Mumma

The last few months have flown and the poor old blog has been on the back burner.

With my boys growing, more active and curious and with 5 times as much vegetable garden to tend to, time to sit and write is pretty much non existent.

There were a lot of distractions this spring so the only thing I needed to give my seedlings - water - was forgotten quite often, so they were a little thin this year.  What I did manage to rescue has grown well - mostly flowers, cosmos, sweet william and sunflowers.  Early summer included a last minute flurry seed planting to make up for the spring failure.  I managed to get some corn, gherkins and apple cucumbers to sprout, which were planted before the holidays.

Corn next to the cucumber and gherkin frame (broken umbrella frame)

I brought some  heritage zhuccini seeds and planted them early summer too, I just chucked half a bucket of compost in a mound and dropped in seed or 2.  Now look at them - behemoths spreading out over my silverbeets and path.  We don't mind though, they make perfect veggie steaks.  We slice them thickly length wise, toss through a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper and grill on the BBQ - so simple, so tasty.

Behemoth zhuccini!!

I 'cheated' with most of my tomato plants this year, buying seedlings - shameful for Mrs-grow-from-seed-it's-cheaper.  The first sweet, sun-warmed cherry tomato I picked yesterday made it all worth it - there I a mountain to come too.

Everyday I'm bringing in loads of food - pretty soon there will be too much to eat so pickle recipes will be tried, and with luck, blogged.

Healthy Bites : Zesty Lemon and Oat Slice

The more we cut processed ingredients out of our diet the better (and slimmer) we are feeling.

We've always eaten pretty well really, nearly everything is homemade so additives and other nasties are very low, and we eat loads of fruit and vegies fresh from the garden.  Now we are trying to eat more whole foods (un-refined) and organic where we can afford it.  Slowing swapping things white flour for wholemeal, fruit juice, dates and honey for refined sugar and eating vegetarian most nights of the week.  Our waist lines, energy levels and health are starting to be a lot better off for it.

This recipe was inspired by my love of citrus slice.  I tried a slice from a café a few months ago.  I enjoyed it enough but felt really gross afterwards, too much sugar and fat.  This version is clean and pretty healthy.  Refined sugar is replaced with naturally sweet dates, honey and fruit juice.  Flour is replaced with oats and ground almonds.  This is still a treat food - our first option for snacks is fruit and vege (mostly...) but when we feel like a treat these will really hit the spot.

Zesty Lemon and Oat Slice Recipe

Base
1C Dates
¾C Coconut
Juice of an Orange
½C Water
1½C Organic Rolled Oats
½C Raw Almonds

Put dates, coconut, juice and water in a small pot.  Heat gently for about 10 minutes until the dates mash easily with a fork.  Set a aside to cool.  Meanwhile, whizz oats and almonds to a crumble (not super fine).  When dates are cooled add to oat mix and whizz on medium until combined well (1 to 2 minutes), adding a little more water if needed to help it bind.  Line a brownie tin with baking paper.  Press oat mixture firmly into tin.  Spread over then press down topping and leave to set in the fridge

Topping
1/3C Coconut Oil (I have organic, cold pressed, unrefined)
¼C Firm Honey (use agave or maple syrup for vegan)
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 2 Lemons

Gently warm coconut oil and honey till just soft - like room temperature butter.  Beat all ingredients together till well combined.

Perfected : No-Knead Vogels Style Bread

I was very excited a few months ago to be given a no-knead homemade 'Vogels' style bread recipe.  If you don't know what Vogels bread is, it is moist, slightly dense, grainy bread.  It makes wonderful sandwich bread but is best toasted with a slathering of peanut butter, honey or butter and marmite.

After several attempts with my new recipe I was always disappointed, the bread would rise well but half way though baking would sink in the middle and then was impossible to prise from the tin.  My best guess was that the mix was always too wet.

I have made quite a few modifications since first trying to make this bread, and twice I have started with a completely new recipe.  Now finally I have got it right - so here it is.

No-Knead Vogels Style Bread Recipe
Makes 2 Loaves

500ml Boiling Water
1T Honey or Brown Sugar
500ml Cold Water
20g Active Yeast (4 teaspoons)
3¼ Cups / 400g Wholemeal Flour
3¼ Cups / 400g High Grade Bread Flour
2t Salt
½ to 1½ Cups Mixed Grains (We like golden linseed, sesame and sunflower)
¾ Cup Rolled or Quick Cooks Oats

Turn oven on to 50°C Bake (you don't want the fan on for this stage if you can help it - so the tops of your loaves don't dry out).  Line 2 loaf tins with baking paper, or grease generously with cooking oil.

Mix the hot water and honey/sugar to dissolve.  Add in cold water then yeast, stir well and allow to activate for 10 minutes.  Add in flour, salt, grains, seeds and oats and mix well.  The mixture will look like thick porridge.
Divide mixture between your 2 loaf tins (sprinkle with some seeds/oats if you like) and put into the oven on middle rack.  Leave to rise for 25-35 minutes until the dough reaches the top of the loaf tin (even better if it looks like it's just about to over flow).  Turn oven up to 200°C and switch to Fan Bake if you've got it.  Bake for 45 minutes.
Leave in the tins for 15 minutes after cooking then turn out onto cooling rack (you may need to gently ease sides from tin).  Cool completely before slicing - it's kind of like a cake - it will stick to your knife and make a big mess if cut too early.

Digging for Treasure

My 2 baby bears and I took advantage of the nice weather this weekend and went potato hunting in the garden.  They were amazed how with a turn of the garden fork potatoes would magically appear from underground.  There was fierce competition to gather them up.

I planted 12 each of Rua and Summer Delight potatoes in early August.  The tops were slowly starting to look brown so I figured it was time to harvest.  It is nice having fresh potatoes from the garden but I will do a little more research into varieties next year.   I was hoping these would be firm and waxy, but both are quite fluffy.  The Summer Delight are the better of the 2, slightly yellow flesh and nice earthy flavour.  The Rua is white and quite bland, I'll need to be a little more creative when cooking these.

Spicy Thai Pork Salad Recipe

Tonight dinner was meant to be my favourite way to use pork mince - Chinese Potsticker Pork Dumplings - a recipe which I promise to blog next time I make them.  However, when little boys have had a big day of walks, day care, playing at the park and having friends come and play, time for making dumplings was not a luxury I had this evening.  Mouths needed filling - and fast!

With a fridge full of lettuce, a garden packed with goodies and some prime home-kill pork mince I set about making a tasty dinner in less than half an hour.  Wraps and some kind of Mexican pork concoction came to mind but I always love Asian flavours with my pork, so this Thai inspired dish was created.  This was devoured with bowls scrapped clean and cost about $6 to make - a winner!

Spicy Thai Pork Salad Recipe
Serves 4

1T Oil (I use Rice Bran)
2-3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed/Grated
1cm Ginger, Grated
½t Chilli Flakes (or to taste)
2t Sesame Oil
1t Chinese 5 Spice Powder
500g Pork Mince
1 Tomato, Diced
½C Water
1T Fish Sauce
3 Spring Onions, Sliced
½ Large Iceberg Lettuce, washed and roughly chopped
1 Large Carrot, Grated
Steamed Rice and Coriander to Serve

Put rice on to cook (I used 1½ cups)
Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat.  When hot add garlic, ginger and chilli flakes and cook till fragrant and beginning to brown.  Add in sesame oil and 5 spice powder and cook for 30 seconds longer till very fragrant.  Add in mince and turn heat up to medium-high.  Sauté till mince is browned.  Add in tomato, water and fish sauce and bring down to a simmer for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, till sauce has reduce by half.  Add in most of the spring onion, keeping a little to garnish.  Stir and cook for another minute or so.
Pile lettuce, carrot and pork on top of steamed rice with a sprinkle of spring onion and coriander to finish then watch it disappear.

Poor old blog

Oh dear...

My poor old blog has been a bit neglected lately.  Life hasn't been the same since my youngest stopped having day time sleeps.  I used to use that time to blog a little and do a few of those fiddly jobs you just can't do with a toddler at your feet.

Life if good though, I happily toil in the garden while my boys play in the garden and continually muck aboutin the kitchen.  I'm currently having a smoothie each morning with a wheat grass shot and growing sprouts -  and feeling fantastic.  My boys are playing together a lot better (we've had a lot of push-and-shove the past few months), the other day they spent 4 solid hours together playing 'batman' after watching the 1966 movie.  Amazing how my sofa cushions can be turned into a bat copter, then bat boat, then bat car or bat bike!

I am still slowly transforming our old office into a scullery, learning how to plaster and paint as I go.  I'm looking forward to making this house feel more like home.  After moving 19 times in my nearly 32 years I seem to have made it a habit.  But I think it's time to put roots down - for a good few years at least (there I go again).  Painting this house to make it our own will help me feel more settled I'm sure.