right now...

Pregnancy has done something funny to my brain & I'm stumbling over my words at the moment. So instead of attempting sentences & paragraphs, I'm opting for a more simplified post. I'm hoping this will be a little more coherent & perhaps easier to digest.
This is what I'm up to right now.

Watching :: The Gourmet Farmer :: loving this show.

Reading :: The Constant Gardener :: gathering gardening knowledge & inspiration

Making :: A colourful quilt & flannel nappies :: anything baby related

Eating :: Pakistani rice pilaf for dinner :: quite delicious

Feeling :: a little uncomfortable :: the baby is tucking his feet under my ribcage

Thinking :: about meeting our little man :: only 48 days to go

Hoping :: that a bear arrives in the post tomorrow :: this is he

Wondering :: what goodies I'll buy at amitie on friday :: it's sale time

Hearing :: little ducklings squeaking away :: very chatty those girls

Liking :: our new bedroom :: much cozier than the last one

Wanting :: to see all my mates :: I'll see them on saturday, yay

Playing :: with the ducklings in the sun :: so cute

Wishing :: my hairy cows to come sooner :: must wait until the 8th of march

Enjoying :: the company of my gorgeous husband :: I'm a very lucky girl

Coveting :: Hunter Wellingtons :: perhaps just a little out of my price range

you silly chook...

Do you think this chook has missed her calling? Maybe she was destined for the chopping block. I shouldn't be so cruel. Still, I did find it quite amusing when Cagney was found oh so close to axe & block.

taste of summer...

What do you do with a huge bunch of delicious basil?
Well firstly, you make tomato bruschetta. Get some dense bread, cut it thick, toast it, rub it with garlic, drizzle with olive oil, top it with salt & peppered tomato, drizzle with more olive oil & some red wine vinegar & garnish with some basil. Simple & oh so tasty.
Secondly, make a big batch of pesto. I don't use a recipe for my pesto, I just add the below ingredients until it tastes good & has a nice consistency.
Basil, walnuts, parmesan, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.
I used a little on some gnocchi for dinner & popped the rest in the freezer.
No pictures of pesto, because the gnocchi was gobbled up so quickly & a frozen container of pesto isn't very photogenic.

one crafty mumma...

I've been slowly crafting away these past few weeks. Trying not to overdo it of course, but at the same time... a woman must keep her sanity!
Most craftiness these days revolve around the baby to be, so here's a few completed items for said baby.
A little amigurumi hippo, to squeeze & chew.

& two fabric balls with a mix of new & vintage from the stash.

Hopefully they'll go down a treat & the little one will love his mumma & all her crafty goodness... at least for the first few years.

making jam...

Here's the Jam recipe I promised. We have a glut of white nectarines, but I think you could substitute any stonefruit. I was so unsure of how the jam was going to turn out, that I made such a small batch. I was also so nervous about it not setting, that I over cooked it a little & now it is a bit too set. Oh well, the end result is still delicious.
This recipe filled these two jars plus a little extra. There would have been a bit more if I hadn't reduced it down so much. Next time I shall definately double it.
Nectarine Jam
• 6 Cups chopped nectarines, not peeled
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice
• 3 Cups sugar

•Take a skillet and add nectarines, sugar and lemon juice.
•Simmer for about 30 minutes at low heat.
•Skim foam from the top of the fruit at the end of cooking.
•Put it into sterilized jars.
•After filling the jars, return it to a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes.

fresh...

These wonderful vegies have come straight from the earth. Friends of ours that live two hills over, have just completed their summer harvest & lot's of goodness came our way. Tonights dinner is roast vegie salad. Yum!
The bounty was repaid with a dozen eggs from our girls & a bagful of white nectarines. Our tree is so full at the moment. I'm researching ways to preserve them so they don't go to waste. So far I've made jam & it's delicious. I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

for you...

I'm not a big valentines person. What's the deal with the one day a year thing? I'd much rather love & be loved all year round & luckily my man feels the same.

These roses aren't for love, they are a thank you. To all of you who read my blog, thanks for visiting. Here are some roses from my garden, just imagine it... the apricot ones smell like fruit salad. Truly.
Have a beautiful Sunday.

back to work...

Well, the sling has officially been ditched & I'm easing my way back to some form of normality. Rather than sloth-ing about all day, I'm now allowed to use my arm in a mild & gentle manner. It's not very strong of course, but a bit of physio over the next month should make it true again.

In the meantime, I'll be attempting some gardening chores. Yesterday saw us out in the paddock in what will soon be our magnificent vegie patch. While Samuel is ploughing up the ground, I'm tending to the fence. The dog wire has been nailed to the posts & is waiting to be cladded.
See the big piles of sticks around me, they're going to be wired in for a rough & rustic look. All up so far the fence has cost us a mere $2. That was the price for 20 metres of dog wire, which we picked up at the tip. Bargain.

I've drawn up the plans for all the bed's & paths, now we just need to get stuck into it so we can plant in time for the winter crops.
Minor hurdles always pop up when you're trying to achieve such things though. Such as the 100 year old driveway we discovered, hidden under a layer of grass & soil. At the turn of the 1900's there was a small school on this land & what a lovely bluestone driveway they must have had. We had always wondered how there came to be a huge pile of bluestone in the paddock. Most of it must have already been dug up.
Samuel had decided to plough by hand... perhaps he is now regretting this decision. Maybe we should hire the dingo after all.

good evening & good morning...

Well I must say, the fish & chips were pretty good. We sat on the jetty, basking in the evening sun & watching the crazy local kids jump off the Phillip Island bridge.

It was so lovely & relaxing to just sit & enjoy the company of my wonderful husband.
The colours were just captivating. Check out the two pics below.

There was a last minute cake purchase from the supermarket, just to make it feel like a real birthday, candle & all. I think I'll have to train Samuel up in the cake making department, everyone needs a homemade birthday cake..

The drive home was a race against the sun, as we wanted to catch it setting from the top of the hill. This is my beloved Petula & just to her right, you can vaguely make out the bridge to the island.
I was so exhausted after my big two days, that I pretty much crashed as soon as we got home.

Which of course, led to me being awake very early this morning.
When I walked out of the bedroom & looked out the window at 7am, this is what I saw. It was so bright, my eyes took a while to adjust.

I took a wander around the property & discovered these gumnut blossoms. No colour enhancement I swear. Just natural beauty & perfect sunlight. I was so excited, I picked some for the breakfast table.

Breakfast was cooked when the husband awoke. Crepes! I just love them. I must have eaten about 6! I like to have them with a variety of toppings... nutella & banana, strawberry jam & lemon & sugar. Delicious!

So that was the end of my birthday weekend. Most of it was quite impromptu & all of it was thoroughly enjoyed. I think we need a few more weekends like this as I don't think we'll be getting them when the bubba arrives.

28 & counting...

Well folks, I've managed to see my way through another year & I think this year will be just as good. Life is turning out to be very eventful & despite being quite childlike at times... I'm also starting to feel more like a grown-up. Yep... mature, sensible & full of responsibilities. Ha ha ha! Well I can try, can't I?
Let me introduce you to my birthday present...
two highland cattle steers.
This is Dougall.

& this is Samson.

Aren't they just adorable!
Samuel took me on a surprise drive yesterday. All the way to Sunbury to meet them. They were so sweet, letting us brush them & pat them. They've been halter trained for showing, so they're very well behaved.
I'm so excited, hopefully they'll be delivered before the end of the month.
My day today has been spent driving through the countryside, fossicking through markets & antique stores & eating ice cream. We're off to have fish & chips in San Remo now. Apparently the co-op down there was rated in the top five of Victoria... I have big expectations.
I hope you've had a beautiful, sunny weekend.

lazing on a sunny afternoon...

This afternoon was so gorgeous & sunny, we decided to hang out in the paddock. Our day was quite hectic up until this point, so we felt it was well deserved.
I eased into some crochet, while Samuel watched over the little girls. My shoulder is healing well & a little crochet now & then is helping to gently rebuild my muscles to their former glory (glory might not be quite the word to describe it, but I digress). I can get in up to an hour of crochet on a good day, before it all starts to ache. But boy, those little snippets are doing wonders for me mentally.
Here's the view from where I was sitting. Check out the belly!
I did pick up a few tips from this afternoon... if I ever want to entertain/distract the husband... just sit him in front of 4 little duck-ducks. Hours of fun.

They are growing so fast & have such funny personalities. Check the attitude from the one below.

And just to frighten you out of your seats... a naked belly shot! 29 weeks & counting...
Just so you know, this face is me trying my hardest to smile nicely & not laugh like an idiot. It's something I have always struggled with, I prefer to be behind the camera. I know it really is very sexy, the pursed lips & all... straight out of Vogue.