Roasted

I apologise to any vegetarians out there for the following images! My partner and i are dedicated omnivores and there is nothing we like better than a good roast. The great thing about this pork is that it is locally sourced from a free range farm where they specialise in old and rare breed animals which are slowly grown and not pumped full of all those 'extra's' we seem to get with our meat these days. It's nice to enjoy a meal knowing where and how the animals have been raised is ethical.

A few weeks ago a friend mentioned cooking pork in cider. Pork in cider! i love both those things so it was certainly worth a go.

So into the pan goes 1 cut onion, the pork leg and you guessed it cider (about 1 cm deep). Score the meat and rub with salt and a little olive oil.

Cook at 250 degrees C (yes you read that right) for 25 mins until the crackling is golden and crispy. Reduce the heat down to 180 degrees C and cook until juices run clear. (about 1 hr per kg, this leg took a bit over 2 hours) Add extra cider as needed so the pan doesn't run dry. I used a full 1.5L bottle of cider. You can also put your veges into the cider and pork juices to roast too.

Yum, doesn't that look good?

Then take the meat and veges from the pan when done and add in some water or vegetable water to the pan and stir well. Thicken with cornflour and water as desired. I'm very casual with quantities for gravy. Too thick more water, too thin more cornflour mixture - you get the idea.

Delicious cidery gravy goodness.

Dinner is served.

Enjoy your weekend xxx

Making peace with the breadmaker

Well after nearly 2 months of breadmaker war we have finally reached an agreement.
Things i know for sure -
The breadmaker is not my ally.
The breadmaker is not smart.
The breadmaker's rising times cannot be trusted.
The breadmaker makes stupidly shaped bread with a hole in the bottom.
The breadmaker was at risk of becoming a large doorstop or possibly being thrown over the back fence.
The breadmaker kneads bread just fine, which saves my hands.

A truce was reached. The breadmaker will carry out the kneading and initial rising duties of making said loaf and then shall give up all rights of baking to the oven and breadmaker owner. Failure to complete these duties may result in the breadmakers ultimate destruction.

So far the new agreement is working out perfectly. I have the right size, shape and texture loaf. I have more control of the ingredients i add which frees me up to work more with sourdough ( yes it's still alive). And most importantly all acts of violence against the breadmaker have so far been avoided.

Win-Win

xxx

Pumpkin perfect

Remember these beauties?

Lovely aren't they? Almost too good to eat, well almost.......

They made a beautiful autumn table display but with winter settling in, my mind turned to thoughts of soup.

Yup those pumpkins days were numbered.......

First one on the chopping block ready for the better half to butcher.

Chopped and roasted ready for the soup and it was at this point i forgot about photos and focused on the soupy goodness. The pumpkin had a much thinner flesh than i expected. 

I sauteed 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves of chopped garlic in a pot with 1T butter until soft. Then i added in the roasted pumpkin and 3C chicken stock (you can add more or less depending how thick you like your soup.) Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg and mash the soup to your desired texture.

Pretty easy to make and i have lots of variations once cooked like sour cream, greek yoghurt, chilli sauce or my favourite peanut butter. Nothing better than a heaped teaspoon of peanut butter stirred into a bowl of pumpkin soup. Totally delicious.

The texture of this pumpkin was creamy and fluffy and not as strong as a normal pumpkin which makes me think this pumpkin would be better suited to baking recipes. So for the last pumpkin i'm thinking maybe some pumpkin, date and ginger scones or some pumpkin bread. Or maybe even some pumpkin pie? Hmmm i'm a little uncertain on what that would taste like but it might be worth a go.

Watch this space for more pumpkiny goodness.

xxx

Herbal syrups

Herbal syrups are easy and delicious to make and can be used for an array of conditions. Over the long weekend my little boy came down with conjunctivitis, a head cold and an ear infection. The poor little thing was crawling around squeaking due to a raw throat. He really is a trooper though and managed quite well despite it all. So i decided to whip up a classic herbal syrup to soothe his throat and upset tummy.

~Marshmallow root, chamomile and dill seed syrup~

 1 t dried dill seed to soothe an upset stomach and 'lull and calm fractious children' - a quote i will always remember from my studies.

 Half a handful of dried marshmallow root to soothe and coat the throat and digestive system. Marshmallow root becomes very very slimy when boiled. It sometimes tries to escape your spoon! But this makes it perfect for sore throats and sore tummies.

 3 t dried chamomile flowers to soothe and calm. Also good for soothing the digestive system and easing into sleep.

 Put into a pot with 2 C of water 

Simmer for about 20 mins or until reduced by about half

Strain. You now have a strong herb decoction. 

 Return to the pot and add 2/3C sugar and simmer for about 15mins until it reaches a gelling point.

I test the gelling point by dropping some of the syrup onto a cold plate. Leave for 30seconds and then run your finger through it. It should gel stick to your finger. Now its all ready, you have syrup! Allow to cool and pour into a clean jar, cover and store in the fridge for up to a month. A bit of this cold from the fridge is bliss on a sore throat and is quite well recieved from the little ones who think it is just a treat.

Adults - Take 1t up to 3 times a day as required.

Children under 5- 1/4t up to 3 times a day but remember there is a lot of sugar in this!

If you found yourself needing to use it more a herbal tea might be a better option.

Please note i make a stronger decoction for syrups than i would to drink. This syrup can also be made with any of the herbs used on thier own. 

 Always make sure you source your herbs from a reputable source so the quality is good and they have been correctly identified. Not all herbs are used in the same quantities and not all are safe for children so it's important to do consult a medical profession if unsure.

Take care people.

Loving.... Grateful....

My Monday night ritual to reset and start the week in a good place.

Loving.....

Imelda May

Grateful......

-For the people who take a different path in life and share their creativity with us.

- For music that moves me.

- For hot baths with aromatherapy oils and candlelight.

- That my little boy is finding starting to feel better.

- That in this day and age we have medicine to help and heal.

- For herbs to help support his healing.

- For hot cocoa and warm snuggly dressing gowns.

xxx

The winter table

One of the few rituals i still keep to these days is the seasonal table. It's something i used to be involved in when i worked in a Rudolph Steiner community. The community had a strong focus on routines, rituals and the rhythms of life. The changing of the seasons always bought with it, its own songs, pictures, stories and rituals and it was a lovely feeling acknowledging the change of season and the movement of life. I'm hoping to bring a little more of this into our lives now i have my son. I think it creates a feeling of connection to the environment and is very a grounding practice. So this week i set up the winter table and finished it off today by going out to pick rosemary with my son and share the creation of the table with him. He's too small to understand now but over time i hope it will become a special time for him and he will feel the magic i did when i first experienced it.
I hope you can all bring a little bit of magic into your lives this week too.

Slow living - month 5

Wow this year is disappearing quickly, month 5 already! I'd love to say its been a great month for slow living but in reality its been a months of colds, busyness and a feeling of being out of sync. It sounds like i haven't been alone in this this month. But that's the reality of life and i look forward to another month moving forward. Life is a blessing even when it doesn't go to plan.

Nourish - I cook almost everything from scratch these days and this month has been no exception. Homemade lentil stews, frozen beef stocks, wheat crackers, cranberry crumbles and lots of baking for my hungry little boy. Check out my last post for my favourite deviled sausages recipe.

Prepare - Preparing the last of the years capsicums and packaging them up for freezing. Making a batch of fig chutney for those winter lunches of hot fresh bread with cheese, pickle and a bowl of warm soup. Stewing some rhubarb for freezing for Sunday fruit crumbles.

Reduce - Pulling out some old scraps of fabric to sew together a new apron for doing the housework in.

Green - Cutting back on our electricity bill by not using the drier where possible, turning off lights and generally being more aware of our power usage.

Grow - Harvesting the winter crop of silverbeet, figs, herbs and capsicums. Potting up some coriander to go on the windowsill for cooking over the cold months.

Create - Finishing another month on my chestnut and vine quilt and sewing a new apron. There has been lots of planning and digging around in my fabric stash this month planning a few new projects based on scrappy quilting and recycling. I'm very excited, watch this space!

Discover - Enjoying a book about the history of the embroiderers who worked on the Bayeux tapestry. Discovering new (and old) quilting techniques for my upcoming projects.

Enhance/ Connect - This month saw the first meeting of my new craft group - Threaded. Over the years ive been part of many craft group but for the last few years i've been too busy with work and life in general to stay involved in one. So now i'm in a different place in my life it felt like time to start one again. I also know a  very different circle of people now i'm a mum and it's been great to connect with people who share my love for craft.

Enjoy - We had a wonderful evening out this month with friends made possible by the kindest of another friend babysitting. It was a beautiful food and wine matching evening from one of my favourite vineyards from my home town - Alpha Domus. Five courses of beautiful food perfectly matched with 5 different wines. Bliss.

On reflection this month wasn't too bad after all! Gee we can be too critical of ourselves some times can't we? I suppose that's why i've enjoyed these monthly reviews so much, its a reminder to slow down, reflect and breathe.

Have a great weekend everyone. xx