Fake it

You know you can even dress up your pool.  These are some foam waterlilies that I found at a garden centre.  You can use candles or silk flowers too.  This is a simple way to create a special occasion for your family or friends.  Don't let a chance go by to create memories.

Why not? 

Dining for a Dozen.

Do you have a large family or love entertaining large groups?  Well this is an inexpensive way to purchase furniture to enable you to seat everyone in comfort. Choose a 6 seater dining suite and buy two.  This gives you plenty of flexibility. These I can separate (to have two tables), form a big square or as you can see a big long table.  Keep in mind you will need a large room for this idea.

Party on!

Native Bees

SPRING!! The weather is beautiful and everything is coming to life. Flowers blooming and insects moving in. Australia has 1500 species of native bees and only 10 species are stingless.  These ten are the honey producing bees. The smallest native be is 2mm long and the largest is 24mm long.  They are both interesting and a vital part of our Australian bushland. I am happy to say I seem to have a lot in my garden. Do you have any native bees?

Broccoli Flowers

Check out this beautiful flower head.  It is broccoli that has gone to flower. I know I should have picked it by now but it wasn't the best specimen and the bees were having such a lovely time.  The spray is about 45cm tall. I have had it in the vase like this for nearly a week.

Spectacular!

Easy Caramel Icecream Birthday Cake

Sometimes the trick is to find out what flavours the Birthday Boy,Girl, Man or Woman really wants and make it happen.  My youngest loves caramel. So, caramel ice cream seems like a good place to start. Just buy a tub of the best quality you can get your hands on and invert on to a large platter.  I then made a Caramello Koala guard around the edge.  The smarties and sherbert sticks were added for the wow factor.... Trust me, they never get too old for the wow factor.

Too easy!

Begonias

These are great little plants although some varieties can be huge. They have interesting foliage and beautiful flowers.  They make great indoor or outdoor plants but the reason I love them is because they are tough.
They do well in pots even if you forget to water them and seem to survive out in the garden on their own quite well too.  Frost is their enemy so plant in a frost free position.  Once established, you can just snap off a piece and pop it into some moist soil and watch it grow. Why not pot some up, they can be wonderful gifts to take to a friend.
Begonias are the perfect plants to fill that spot in the garden that has filtered sunlight and stays moist.

Try these little beauties

Easy Shortcrust Pastry

This is fool proof and everyone will be raving......even the Oldies.  Let's face it some areas of everyday cooking are a dying art but take back control and try this easy melt in your mouth pastry.
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
250 g butter
150 mL cold water (approx)
Combine flour, salt and sugar.  Add butter and mix until mixture resembles coarse sand. ( I use a food processor) Add water gradually until the dough forms a ball. Place dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 30mins before using.  This will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Cosmetic lift for your chest!

This is an old pine chest of drawers that still has a few good years left in it.  I just roughed up the drawer fronts with some sandpaper and wiped it clean with a damp cloth.  The colours I chose are to reflect artwork on the opposite wall.  The paint is just artist's acrylic.  It is inexpensive and you will use it again somewhere.
Apply two coats or three depending on the coverage achieved.  To get that shabby chic/ pre-loved look, take to it with the sandpaper again.  keep in mind where it would wear naturally eg. edges and handles. Finish with furniture wax.

 Done in under 2 hours.

I can hear you...

Sometimes when I am sitting in the garden enjoying a cup of tea and of course..."The Serenity", I find that I can hear all sorts of noises after a while.  Lately it has been crunching noises. Grasshopper teeth....yep teeth.
My chooks love them.

Ahh The Circle of Life!

Happy?

These make me smile.
When you lean down to smell a rose, all of your worries seem to disappear. Unless there is a bee in it.  But bees are good too.

Happy.

Peony

This is Peony.
She is one of my three chickens.
None are laying at the moment.
Although they are beautiful .......their days are numbered.
Help save Primrose, Petunia and Peony.

Tell me why!!!!

Fennel Tarts

These tarts are to die for.  I like to make them with a slightly sweetened shortcrust pastry. (on blog somewhere)  If you haven't cooked with fennel do it!!!  It has a subtle licorice/anise flavour that is just beautiful when caramelised.
Filling
Cut a whole fennel bulb into small chunks.  Saute in 2 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of brown sugar on low heat.  Add a Tbsp of plain flour to thicken the mix.  I like to add some pepitas about now and cook for a further 2 minutes. Now take off the heat.  Allow to cool before spooning onto pastry.  Cook until pastry is slightly golden.

Share if you want. 

Basil farming

The basil in my herb garden is flowering.  I have two choices.  I can cut off the flowers and trim the plants back a bit or I can wait for it to go to seed and keep an eye out for the seedlings popping up in a few weeks.
OR I can do both and keep my supply going.  Too easy and less work.

Do you love basil?

SSSensssational

Here is an idea! When you are giving a fun gift, like this colourful snake, try making a card to match.

Not only is it obviously a one off card but if the card is kept it will always remind the recipient of the gift's origin.

Cute and functional!

Beautiful Days

I love the weather at the moment.  It is a bit brisk first thing in the morning but if you are lucky enough to be able to stroll around in the garden at say 10.30 am with a cup of tea....... you will get some wonderful surprises.  (That is a respectable time)

I know it sounds cliche but DO take time to smell the roses.  It will set you up for a great day.

There is nothing better

We have an Easter Tree!

These were made about 10 years ago.  We used real eggs that had been blown and dried a week before.  However, these days there is a lot of Easter paraphernalia available so you can side step this lengthy process.
Next coat and decorate with acrylic artists paints. (Easy clean up) You can use a marker to outline and draw on the finer details. Add glitter, sequins, small stickers, feathers or whatever takes your fancy.  We even sprayed with glitter hairspray. Thread ribbon through from bottom to top and tie to a tree or some twisted willow.
Let the kids do their own.  Yeah that is a bat on the blue one. Every year when we put them out the kids really enjoy looking at them and laughing at each others.

Create art..create fun!

Companion Plants

Marigolds are fabulous flowers to plant in and around your vege garden.  They reduce nematodes and repel whitefly from your tomatoes. Basil does too. In fact there are many combos that you are best to look up before planting out your next plot.
I like them because they give the garden a little sparkle!

Looking for Sparkle?

Take the time

Watching your children explore can be very therapeutic.  A bit like watching them sleep.  They are amazing and you will fall in love with them all over again.

I wonder what he is thinking.....

Bathroom Floor

When deciding on flooring for my poolside bathroom, I was in a bit of a dilemma.  I wanted to keep it airy and create the illusion of space but I really needed a surface that was non slip.  Children often leave it to the last minute to race to the toilet while still dripping wet from the pool.
So this was the solution I came up with that ticked all of the boxes.  A path of mosaic made up of tumbled marble, broken grey tiles, grey grout and small glass mirrors.  The large white tiles make the room feel spacious and were really quick to lay.  It looks great when the light hits it and no slips to date.

I laid these myself!

Dumb Cluck

Check out this!  Rosemary made this for me to put in my vege garden.  I love it.  It was her first attempt at this type of thing but I think she is really on to something.  
Don't overlook the home made gift when next racking your brain for the perfect present.  It is a one off and it really makes me smile. When I see it,  I know she loves me even though "I" grow the best veges.

Thanks

Slow as a Wet Leek!

Finally I am harvesting my leeks.  I planted these babies in April and finally they have matured.  Plant in autumn and harvest in summer.  They take a long time but they are low maintenance and look great in the vege patch.  I had no problems with pests so I consider them worthwhile.  Last night we had Potato, Bacon and Leek Soup.

Delicious.

Rosella Flowers in Syrup

Try this simple recipe yourself and impress your friends.  Rosella flowers and the cordial/syrup that they produce are a delight.  Here I have used a champagne flute, put a splash of syrup in the bottom, popped in a flower and topped up with soda water. Give it a whirl.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups fresh rosella flowers, chopped
40 - 60 fresh rosella flowers, whole

Method
1. Place the sugar, water and chopped rosella flowers in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the liquid has reduced by 30%.
3. Take off the heat and strain to remove the solids. (keep the liquid)
4. Return liquid to the pan, add the whole flowers and bring to the boil. 
5. When it starts to bubble, remove from the heat and pour into clean jars.

Pretty and tasty

Diggin Farmer Louie

Check this out!
Rosellas, corn, capsicum, chilies, beans and eggs. Now I know it looks like I am a natural at this farming thingy .... but I have put in a big effort.  It is time consuming and yet rewarding so I do suggest everyone has a go at farming on whatever scale suits them.

Beans are great producers.  I have been able to harvest enough beans for a family of five in a garden plot of 2 square metres.  In a plot half that size I have 3 Rosella bushes.  I have produced 2 batches of jam and several bottles of the flowers in syrup. Watch this space for recipes.

So you don't need a huge space to reap the benefits.

A big green thumbs up!

Valentine's Day - Love it or Hate it?

I don't know what all the fuss is about.  If you don't want to celebrate it, don't.  I think what is wrong with a day to remind you to tell the people you love how you feel.
I like to make cakes and put them in the lunch boxes for my family.  Hearts if I want to embarrass them.
Just make and cup cakes and pop some cute chocolates on the top - so pretty.

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Teenager's Birthday Cake

Instead of making a round cake - try doing a batch of cup cakes and decorating them with the teenager's favourite sweet.
These sour straps are always a good choice as they look spectacular.

I wonder what else would work!

The Gabba

Recently my family and I went to the Gabba to watch an ODI. It was a cracker of a game..... record breaking even. I really enjoyed the day even though they ran out of Chiko rolls.  It was a real eye opener for me as some people have a strange idea of how to celebrate. I'm blaming the full moon.

I love cricket ...................really I do

Spider Lilies

These Spider Lilies are beautiful even before they flower.  Their strappy, green foliage is enough to make them a favourite of mine. But, after a recent shower of rain - they sprang into action.

Very impressive ... don't you think?