A Return to Simplicity.

The garden is providing a bounty of produce this year and as I don't like to waste, in between working and renovations,  I have been very productive in the kitchen. Large green tomatoes just make me think of Green Tomato Pickles. Although I haven't made it for a number of years I thought it a good time to drag out the old Women's Weekly recipe book and gather the ingredients. The only item I had to buy was half a cauliflower, but everything else was on hand, onions, green tomatoes, cucumber, and spices.     I have loved this cook book for ever and I keep coming back to it time and again. We also have a Tangor Tree (it's a citrus fruit hybrid of the mandarin orange and the sweet orange) in the hen house and each year it's full of fruit and the marvelous thing is the cockatoos don't touch the fruit!  I have never used the fruit for jam making but have often wondered about it, so I thought I would give it a go as it would answer the question once and for all! WOW!...

 How prepared are you when something unexpected happens?   I recently needed to host overnight guests that were stranded in my town  due to a fatal crash on the highway!  What I quickly realized that I was not prepared by way of toiletries, bedding, clothes......lucky for me I had food aplenty. I was able to scrounge up some new toothbrushes and I did have plenty of toothpaste, but I forgot I had some small guest soaps! Bedding I had but, nothing suitable for adults, just the old (and clean) grand-kids linen. A bit faded as they haven't slept over for a couple of years.   Clothing.....well I guess you can never be prepared for this as people come in all shapes and sizes and they were kind enough to compromise. Food was not an issue as I have worked that day so the slow cooker was on with spiced pulled pork. All good there! So that was one thing off my mind.   I had to work the next day, leaving at 0530 for a shift in the hospital, so I sorted out breakfast ...

 Reminds me of that song by the Rolling stones, but they were talking about a love coming back so they had time to wait....   Me on the other hand, I just don't know where the time goes! It's the beginning of the day and then it's night and you're very tired, it's the beginning of the month and then it's the end! Where does it go?      With the weather really starting to cool I'm spending a lot of time outside and just coming in to eat and sleep...........well that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it sounds good!  This means that I am trying to prepare meals in advance so I can have that time outside guilt free knowing there is good nutritious food ready when we are hungry or at least ready to pop in the oven.       The garden responds to all this love and attention with copious blooms and a bounty of harvest.       Spare time is spent in the craft room and I have been busy trying out a new pattern. The Holland Pouch by Cent...