photo a day challenge ~ week 32 2015

I'm linking up again with the photo a day challenge that you can find the details for here.  

I don't always have the ability to hunt for the photos of each days word as such, more like I'll read the words when they are released for the week ahead and they will swirl around in my mind the whole week and sometimes I might find day 7's photo on day 1....I love how it keeps me thinking about something cool to find within the humdrum that can be my life. 

Monday 3: words

This is a note Mama wrote me years ago and I framed it.  We had a joke about the little sayings she would breathe into our conversations over the years, so I was thrilled when she wrote them down for me...it goes like this:
"Dear Janis, Always remember - what is bred in the bone comes out in the flesh!  A silent tongue makes for a wise head.  The easiest children to rear are "other peoples" and always, count your blessings! Love and god bless always from Mama xo"

Tuesday 4: on the shelf

Some of my favourite things on my kitchen shelf.

Wednesday 5: something purple

Another owl beanie for a friend's little lady...I think this one is my favourite so far.

Thursday 6: What I wish for

Blue skies :)

Friday 7: Quirky

I'm not really a quirky sort of person so this word just troubles me...the closest I could think of were these old taps at a dear friends house....and I'm not really sure they are that quirky!!

Saturday 8: Door

Ok, so maybe this is a gate but I figure it's the door to someones back yard!  Found on my morning walk when the frost hung low.

Sunday 9: Perfect

My perfect kind of time....reading cook books over a glass of cider or wine.
I'm already looking forward to finding next weeks words.....there are some tricky ones.

Ciao, Jan x

photo a day challenge - week 31 2015

Do you ever get overwhelmed with all that is around us on social media and the internet?  Breathtakingly beautiful photography, recipes, ideas, opinions, likes, followers, friends, (I could go on....) I know I do. Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to admit to being on and using social media but it often leaves me, especially when it comes to posting on my blog, with the dickhead feeling.  My dear friends will totally understand this phrase as we all use it at different times, so excuse the crassness but it's just the word that sums it up for us.  Once you get the dickhead feeling, it's hard to come back.  For example, one dear friend, once broke up with a boyfriend because he gave her the dickhead feeling.  I often think when I'm about to write a post "who cares, it's all been said and captured much better than you can do it" and so I don't write or post.  Please don't give me sympathy, I'm not chasing that, I'm really just trying to get over the dickhead feeling and remember why I do my blog.  It is for me when it all boils down to it and such a great positive outlet that it's worth me doing, I just have to be reminded, that's all :)

So, to help get my blogging groove back, I'm diving into the a photo a day challenge #fmsphotoaday .  I did do these challenges last year, although they were for a month.  This year they are for a week.  The thing I love most about this particular challenge is that it makes you be accidentally and easily mindful. 
When you are looking around in your daily life for 'that' photo, you can't not get down and dirty with the moment - pretty cool hey!

Here is my week (I'm early I know :) but I'm away over the weekend)

Monday 27: clouds

This was one of those photos that you take but don't realise what you have taken until you get home and have a look.  I was just snapping the bats asleep in the trees at our local gardens and was pretty chuffed to get one with the bat in flight.

Tuesday 28: looking in

mmmm sour dough toast about to be smothered in lashings of butter and vegiemite - be still my beating heart.

Wednesday 29: looking out

In the hen house.

Thursday 30: trash(ed)

Oh this made me laugh and cry all at once....all week I had been wracking my brain to think what I could take a photo of for the word 'trash'.  There was no way I was sharing my garbage bin!! And then, this happened....perfect really.

Friday 31: I brought it!

One step closer to my new kitchen - my new DOUBLE sink!!!!

Saturday 1: fiction

Can you pick the fiction and the non-fiction?

Sunday 2: a little moment

a wonderful cold but sunny winters day spent at the gardens...this was a last minute shot as my little lady was running to get into the roots of that giant fig tree.  Precious memories captured, I love it.

Ciao, Jan x

A photo a day for the month of June 2014 ~ week 2

I've been enjoying playing along with Fat Mum Slim in her photo a day for the month of June, you can check it out here.  Here are week 2's photos.

Day 8 "T is for ...." trying!

Day 9 "we live here"

Day 10 "flying"

Day 11 "in the beginning"

Day 12 "pastel"

Day 13 "simply"

Day 14 "cross"

Looking forward to next weeks inspiration :D

Ciao, Jan

A photo a day for the month of June 2014 ~ week 1

I've come to a big realisation about myself lately and that is I love to be held accountable and I love something that keeps my mind active, in both a creative and thoughtful way.  This month for some inspiration and accountablility I've joined in Fat Mum Slim's Photo a day for June.  Each day has a word as inspiration for the photo you take.  If you want to follow along you can look me up on facebook here for a bit of fun, but I will post a comment about the photo on my blog.  I'm not going to post each day on here, I'll do it each Sunday with the weeks worth. Here is week 1

Day 1 "Joy" 

a day out with my family...Daddies girl...the emu stayed a safe distance away, they scare me! 

Day 2 "Doing"

My hubby is making this amazing wet stone wall in our back yard as a retaining wall.  He is a hard working treasure.

Day 3 "Family"
This is my favourite painting that my then 4 year old daughter drew and painted which is we have framed.  This is our family under a rainbow.

Day 4 "Ordinary" 
Magic our dog.  He's far from ordinary but it's an ordinary day waiting for his breakfast. 

Day 5 "11 o'clock"

Cooking, again :D

Day 6 "adventure"
On a walk near the river after the rain.

Day 7 "pattern"
My 7 year old is crazy for the loom bracelets and has taught herself how to make them.  

I'm already taking a peak at next weeks words of inspiration to get my juices flowing, so to speak ;) Do you follow any challenges or goals each month or do you just roll in this rhythm of life?

Ciao, Jan

simple but delicious tomato and onion pie and week 13 of the money challenge

We have almost come to stand still with our tomatoes, almost.  There are buckets of green ones that are waiting to be sun kissed, but for now I'm eating them as much as possible.  They really are so unlike the ones you buy from the supermarkets and I'd encourage all of you to plant even just one tomato plant to try the difference for yourself

My nan has always made individual tomato and onion pies to go with her legendary roast dinners.  I've made this pie using the same ingredients but in a bigger pie dish.

For a start you need to slice enough tomatoes, around 3, not too thin, not too thick for the bottom layer.  Finely slice an onion and 5 cloves of garlic and spread them over the tomatoes.  Be generous with your salt and pepper at this stage and then add another layer of tomatoes.  Blitz up any leftover bread you may have.  I've used my no knead bread for this one.  I save all the butts and make breadcrumbs out of them and leave in the freezer for dishes just like this.

Chop your bread into small chunks and blitz with some tomato loving herbs ~ oregano, mint, basil and parsley.

Liberally cover the tomatoes with the breadcrumbs and dot with butter and pop into a 180c oven for approximately 40 minutes.  De-vine!

It's week 13 of the 52 week money challenge if you are playing along :)

Ciao, Jan

A kneady sour dough update and week 8 of the money challenge

I had a play around with the sour dough recipe on the weekend and had such exciting results, I just had to share.  So instead of baking in my oven I baked it in my camp oven like I do for my no knead bread but still following the 4 step process, with such amazing success,  I'm as happy as a mother with a new born....I may have even nursed it like a baby I was so chuffed!  Here are some pictures :D

Now I've shared my baby photos, just a reminder it's week 8 of the  52 week money challenge :D

I also had a wonderful experience of being interviewed by a fabulous, positive Southwest Victorian online mag ~ Bluestone Magazine with an article on me :D  They are 2 ladies showcasing our immensely diverse community of food producers, artists, local hero's and opinion pieces that are well researched and heart felt.    It was a very humbling and heart warming experience.  You can read the article here.  Watch this space for when I turn the tables and find out the whole Bluestone story in coming weeks.  I'd like to also take this time to thank all of my readers and supporters for turning up and reading my ramblings that have kept me sane.  Mwah!

Ciao, Jan.

Week 5 of the money challenge

Today marks Week 5 of the money challenge, so go and stick in your 5 bucks in your money box and while you are at it, add any extra you can afford and mark it off the weeks in November/December that will be $40-$50 a week which might be a stretch for some of you.  If you would like to start it's not too late, better late than never!!  It's only $15 we have saved so far, so whack the whole lot in and come along for the ride....we will have over $1300 come Christmas, all the incentive I need.

This week also marks the return to school week for the vast majority of school kiddies....I don't know about you but I'm ready! I've been working on lots of posts but honestly haven't the time with the little person needing my attention.  It really has been a lovely long holiday, lots of cooking together, arts & crafts, trips to cousins, the beach, the gardens and resting.

Looking forward to seeing more of you from next week!

Ciao, Jan

goings on in the garden and week 2 of our money challenge

It has been unseasonally cold here in Southwest Victoria, freezing in fact! While Queensland is sweltering in 40 plus I've been wearing my passion killing flannelette pj's at night.  So as a result the garden will be late this year.  There isn't any fruit on the tomatoes yet but there is still a bounty out there.  Here is a look at some of what is happening....

gorgeous crisp cos lettuces

baby bok choy...I took the above photo just a week ago, now look at them below

spring onions

sweet as lollies strawberries have been working a treat in the old guttering

I am so excited, my 8 year old mini lemon has so many babies on it for the first time!

Potatoes aplenty 

tomatoes that need thining out

the first zucchini flower

corn

always giving rhubarb

the biggest spinach leaves I've seen

the first apricots on my new tree planted only last year, I hope I get to try them before the birds

our 3rd Nelly Kelly passionfruit being planted.  We have had no luck with the first baring no fruit, the second dying and so here we go again! Everything is crossed

hubbies plaited onions

The thing I love most about growing your own produce is you never tire of eating it day after day, moving through what is abundant, added with the satisfaction of picking and serving within minutes, its just fabulous!!  Our vegie garden produces enough veg to give us a monetary win-fall each week and the pleasure of watching the growth unfold.  Come on sun, shine on our little patch!  

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And finally, its week 2 of our money challenge so go and plop 2 bucks in your moneybox :D

Ciao, Jan.