Spring Cleaning my head for Autumn


$2 Aluminium coffee tin from the Salvos Op Shop

Every time I sit down to write a blog post I end up spending the whole time reading everyone else's blog updates. This is normal, right? Right?? Well this cannot go on. I will not give up any of the blogs I follow because I am an enthralled stickybeak supportive blogger; I just need to manage my time in a more productive way.

Right then, now that I have stopped performance managing myself, there are a few points I would like to get off my chest so that I can move on mention. But first, a 'Kids say the darndest things' moment.

Last night at dinner, the boys where discussing which insect they would rather be (as you do). Monkeyboy announced that he would like to be an 'Ass Whopper'.  I am assuming he meant 'Grass Hopper'??

That's right Darling, you whop that cake's ass.
The Garden is going well, although we are inundated with insects - grasshoppers are indeed whopping our ass. The cucumber vine that had grown so well was practically decimated by the combined efforts of banded pumpkin beetle & aphids. Bastards. The vine died a death, despite the assistance of aphid munching ladybirds, & then a few good sprays of Confidor. It ended up being pulled down, extra disappointing because at one stage it was covered in flowers, which I assume would have been fruit.

Noodle Salad with sliced cold brisket, lettuce, shallot & BOUGHT cucumber.
Oh the shame.
The tomatoes are mostly home to larvae, unrecognisable until you have let the fruit ripen on the window sill for days & then have your mouth all ready for a toasted tomato sandwich for breakfast, only to cut the tomato &... too incredibly gross for words. 

Beans, carrots, capsicum, spinach, lettuce, corn & herbs are all going really well but the real star is rocket - it is continually harvested a few leaves at a time & just keeps regrowing! This weekend I am planning on adding some chillis to the garden.

Home made pizza with tomatos (no not from the garden!), olives, anchovies & rocket-from-the-garden. I have been experimenting with the crust & have discovered that allowing the dough to 'double rise' after it has been rolled makes for a crust that is thinly crisp. And super delicious.

I have a lot of projects on the go, which means that none of them is getting the attention they deserve. We bought an old meat safe from ebay that is being restored for the bathroom; I am frankensteining a tricycle with a stroller; completing the 'Family Gallery' wall; creating a vision board to align with my 2011 goals & filling my notebook with more ideas & projects than I think I can actually do in this lifetime! Oh, & I have a chair quandary. And I have been op-shopping a bit. And cooking alot. I think I need an assistant to help out with all of this!

I will post pictures & hopefully success stories soon. Or my imaginary assistant will.