A week of tree pain...

Tree lopping is just not my thing.  I simply don't have the arm or back strength to carry it out...that's why I usually pay my gardening guys to do it. But if I want to go away on holidays in October, I need to do this myself.  Eek!

 Here's what I managed to cut all by myself.  It is the correct size to go either in the green bin, or to be bundled and put out for the next Council Clean up.  Either way, it's ready to go!

 What is left to go.  There is still about 1/4 of these 4 trees left to go.  I trimmed some from each tree, mainly so I wouldn't be dropping great big branches on to my neighbour's veggie patch.  I don't think they'd be impressed with that!

 Oh dear, the end of our pergola has collapsed.  That's the second reason why I needed to get rid of these trees.  The first was because they're starting to die, and I don't want termites invading, thank you very much!

More branches to be cut up into size.  This lot of branches attacked me.  Worse than bunny scratches!  And no, I didn't chop these trees down with gloves on.  I thought I'd be brave and 'get closer to nature'. That, and I can't use my pruning chopper tools (awesome, they are!!) with gloves on.  I'm more likely to drop them on my foot, and that wouldn't be so great.

So why isn't Phil chopping these down you ask?  Simply because the last 3 times I have let him loose in the garden, he has managed to nearly slice his thumb off (and I am not good with blood...at all!!!). He needs his thumbs.  For programming.  For the space bar.  Meh, he needs his thumbs *.*

Tuna, Potato and Cheese Patties

I had written 'Tuna Croquettes' up on my Dinner Planner, but I couldn't find my croquette recipe, so I made my own up.  Hubby (not a tuna lover) had second helpings, so they must have been pretty good.  I think he might have even snuck in a third helping too.

They were rather good, even if I say so myself.

My recipe:-

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 can drained sandwich tuna
• 1/4 cup shredded tasty cheese
• 2 tablespoons herbs (chives, parsley, whatever you want to include)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg (lightly beaten and set aside in a bowl)
• Breadcrumbs (lightly salted if you wish, and set aside in another bowl)
• Oil for pan frying.

1. Peel and cut your potatoes into chunks.  Microwave until 'mashworthy' (however you do your mashed potato should work - I just put mine in a microwave steamer with a little water down the bottom and zap for 10 mins.  Then I left them in there while I taught music lessons for 1 1/2 hours).
2. Mash your potatoes, if you haven't already done so.  Add in your drained tuna, shredded/grated cheese and chopped herbs.  I put a little salt in at this point.  There is already some in the tuna brine and cheese, so if you don't want added salt, leave it out.
3. Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture into your hands.  I have read that wet hands is better to do this, but I didn't bother.  Mine were just fine!  Flatten the mixture out into patties.
4. Roll the patties in the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs to coat.
5. Pan fry away until golden on both sides.
6. Makes between 15-20 patties, depending on the size of them.

My 'Team' decided they wanted sweet chilli sauce with these.  I am the exception.  Nothing remotely chilli for me please :D

I didn't cook them all last night as we had to run out.  I put the leftover mixture in the fridge to see if they would be okay to cook today.  The refrigerated mixture was as easy to work with as it was last night.  I didn't mash my potatoes quite to the consistency of absolutely no lumps.  They were workable but not overdone.  They were really easy to coat and didn't fall apart.  I'm not sure if it depends on the type of potato you use - mine were the standard brushed Aldi potatoes.

Orange Vinegar Cleaner

I have been doing some reading about this citrus/vinegar cleaner, and how wonderful it is.  I have been using about 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups water (or something like that - probably more like half and half because I can't be bothered measuring) to clean my kitchen benches with, and everywhere else except the bathroom.  I figured I needed something a bit stronger for my bathroom.  Because I was using vinegar already, this seemed like a logical idea.

So on this Blog: http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com/2011/05/citrus-cleaners-so-easy-and-good.html there is a wonderful easy recipe to make your own citrus cleaner at home. 

Navel Oranges are in season right now.  We had a huge box of them we have been munching through, so I gave the orders that the peel was to be removed and put into glass jars containing vinegar.  How easy!

This was our second box of oranges - about 1/4 full in this picture.  They were $12 a box and are super sweet, just as fresh oranges should be!  Unfortunately we don't have an orange tree, so this is the next best thing for us - straight from the Grower's Market.

You could use an orange peeler before you use the orange but I found it much easier to use a filleting knife.  My arthritic/RSI-ridden hands prefer this method - it's more of a downward action so my thumbs are much happier!  You want the peel, not the pith.  The peel contains all the oil that you want to infuse with the vinegar, which helps with cleaning.

I started our third jar yesterday.  The first two will be ready this Saturday (I think - or I could leave it for another week if I wanted to).  The third jar began two days ago, so will need a couple of weeks to steep.  They smell lovely and orangy, and after a day seem to lose the vinegar smell.  Or perhaps my nose is refusing to smell the vinegar *winks*.

So the quick run down on how to make it:-

- Grab a very clean glass jar.  With a lid.
- Peel an orange or lemon (or mandarin if you wish) trying to leave as much of the pith off.
- Put the peel into the glass jar and top with vinegar.  Keep adding peel to the jar as you go through oranges until the jar is full to the top.  You want to try to cover the peel so it doesn't end up mouldy. Depending on the size of your jar, one helpful suggestion was to fill a small snap-lock bag with water and place that on top.  It will keep the peel submerged.
- Leave for 2-3 weeks. The vinegar will extract the oil from the citrus peel, and create a lovely concentrate for you.
- Pour half water and half the citrus cleaner into a spray bottle and use away!

Week 35 of the 2011 Food Storage Challenge

$10 Plan
Store 5 kgs rice

$20 Plan
Store 10 kgs rice

I put some information up on the different types of varieties of rice up in week 6 of this challenge, when we first stored rice here: http://denleydiaries.blogspot.com/2011/02/week-6-of-2011-food-storage-challenge.html

You might like to store 4 kgs of long grain rice, and one of risotto rice.  I like to store some Calrose rice to make rice pudding just to vary our diet (and to use up some milk).

You could also store alternatives like Sago for even more variety.

Goodbye Mr Slug Part 2

I posted this: http://denleydiaries.blogspot.com/2010/01/goodbye-mr-slug.html a while back when I was last having mighty trouble with slugs.  Well, they're back with a vengeance.

I went to check on my bunnies last night, and almost stepped on one.  I have no idea what came over me, but I had read that salt kills slugs.  This one was on concrete and it was HUGE!

I hadn't seen what salt does to slugs.  I hadn't even read what salt does to slugs.  Can I just say that I don't think I'll try this one again.

I poured some table salt on the slug, and it started to froth immediately, much to my son's delight.  He just jumped around yelling "IT'S GONNA BLOW...IT'S GONNA BLOOOOOWWWWW".  Great help he is!

Needless to say, "Goodbye Mr Slug number two".  He won't be coming back anytime soon.

And just because you might like to look at all the goriness I got to see through my camera last night, here's one for you:-

This slug was about 5 cms long last night when it was headed for my Butter Lettuce.  A quick sprinkle of salt and the lettuce is safe...for now.

August in the Garden

How did we get to August already?  And how did we get to nearly the end of August already?  I would like February back please!

I thought I'd better get my garden back into some sort of order after the hibernating I did all Winter.  Here are some hidden delights I found:-

Some pots with random things in them - mini strawberries, petunias, a rose bush and the seeds planted are rocket, possibly Zucchini, marigolds and a 'surprise' seed.  I have since learned to label what I plant straight away, rather than wait a few days.

My Spinach - protected from the sparrows that love to munch on it. 

I'm not sure how this butter lettuce survived the onslaught of Sparrows, but it did.  Now the slugs are trying their hardest.  I must have planted a gazillion lettuces and the rest were all attacked :(

Yes, there IS a rubber snake in that pot too.  The sparrows don't like it very much but it hasn't stopped them trying to snack away.

Parsley, growing back after a struggle with a herb-munching-bunny.



Basil growing without me planting anything!  Hooray!!  There are some Spring Onions planted in this pot too.  Somebunny decided to eat the last lot.  I don't think Spring Onions are really all that good for bunnies!

A passionfruit vine that has a mind of its own.  A very SLOW mind!  It has been slowly growing for well over a year.  I guess at least it is growing!

Pretty sure this is Rhubarb.  Mine is weird though.  It doesn't turn very red i.e. the stalks stay mainly green, but get tinges of red.  I haven't been game enough to pick any and eat it yet, although it has been growing happily for about 3 years now.  Rhubarb dies off in Winter, then green shoots start to come out of the 'cone' about July.  Soon is is going to be HUGE (hopefully).  I also have flat leaf parsley growing wild in my garden.  Free food for the bunnies!

Marinated Chicken

I can't even remember how long I have been making this, but is a an easy, fail-proof recipe that my family loves!

Here's what you need:-

1. Some olive oil (not the extra virgin type, just the 'normal' kind)
2. Chicken salt and/or chicken seasoning.  I usually add in a little salt you buy from chicken shops for chips as well, but I decided to be good today and go easy on the salt.
3. Sage.  Either fresh or dried is fine.
4. Chicken. Breast or thigh fillets.

Splosh some olive oil, chicken seasoning and the sage into a bowl.  Mix away.

Add in your chicken.  Depending on how you want the end result to be, you can either cut the chicken into strips, or have it in bite-sized chunks.  I want to eat ours with veggies on the side, so I did strips.  Put it in the fridge until you need to use it.  I leave mine in for 3-4 hours to get the marinade going all the way through.

When you cook it, put the flavoured oil in as well.  Obviously don't save the oil because it has raw chicken juice in it!

Pan fry it until it is golden brown.  It cooks in its own oils and ends up YUMMY.  On to absorbent paper and you're done.

You can put the marinated chicken on sandwiches or burgers.  It can be BBQ'd. I put it in an Italian Pasta Salad I make.  You can probably even marinate wings or drumsticks and pop them in the oven with foil over the baking tray to avoid oil splattering everywhere.

Enjoy!