Food Growing in our Garden

While I dream of an entire backyard devoted to growing food, in reality our main veg patch extends just down the length of our back ramp. While not the largest of patches, I still manage to home grow a variety of foods that we enjoy picking and eating. 

Little yellow globes of goodness.

These little cherry-like tomatoes are an heirloom variety, called 'Lemon Drop', that I've not grown before. I will be saving a few seeds though because I want to grow them again. They are delicious in salads and a lovely colour contrast to the usual red cherry toms.

Crisp & crunchy snow peas.

Snow peas are one of my favourite garden snacks. I can't walk past them without picking one to munch on! Besides walking around the garden and eating them, I've been harvesting small handfuls and adding them to stir fries. They've grown so well this season. 

A frilly fancy lettuce.

Lettuce has so far been a bit of a hit and miss affair this Autumn. I planted some which were bitter after a blast of heat earlier in the season. These frilly fancy lettuces are doing well though. The leaves are being used on sandwiches and in salads. 

A little purple eggplant.

I'm not a huge fan of eggplant so just planted one this season. These are a small variety and perhaps, once they get a bit bigger, will make their way onto a pizza somehow or maybe into a bake of some kind. There's no point in growing what you don't enjoy eating!

Bright green basil. 

Sweet basil is flourishing in the garden where it self seeds happily. The bees and I love it! There's been such an abundance that I've been able to give bunches away to friends who want to make pesto too. Here is a recipe for Macadamia Basil Pesto which is so delicious.

Tall spring onions.

Spring onion grows in our patch all year round. I cut some almost every day and use it in everything from our morning omelettes, salads, stir fries and I always garnish nachos with sour cream and chopped spring onion.

Leaves & stems of silverbeet.

Then there's  silverbeet. It's the most dependable veg in our patch, there's always an Autumn abundance of it and it's so nutritious. One of my favourite recipes in which to use our homegrown silverbeet is this Impossible Pie from Fiona over at Stay Home Instead. Perfect for lunches!

A garden volunteer.

This is the last pumpkin from those that grew on the volunteer vine that popped up in the garden. I picked it after I took this photo as it's time to pull the vine out now and make some more space for new plantings.  Of course, I will roast some of it as that is one of my most favourite things to eat in all the world!

What is your garden growing?

Meg

Home-baked Chocolate Chip Bars

There's always a home baked offering for morning or afternoon tea at our place. It might be  our favourite biscuits, fruity muffins, a simple slice, fresh scones or, on the odd occasion, a cake. This past week, we enjoyed home-baked chocolate chip bars which are a homemade alternative to store-bought, plastic-wrapped, super-sweet chocolate chip muesli bars.

Yum!

These homemade chocolate chip bars are very easy and quick to make. With a few minor adjustments to this original recipe, for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars, from Lydia at the Thrifty Frugal Mum site, this is how I made them:

Home-baked Chocolate Chip Bars 

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour (or plain wholemeal flour)

1 cup quick cooking oats

1/3 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil (I used macadamia nut oil but canola or a light vegetable oil would also work.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 180C and line a 20cm cake tin or medium size slice tray.

1.  Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2.  Whisk together wet ingredients in separate bowl or jug.

3.  Make well in centre of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients.

4.  Mix until combined. 

5.  Press mixture into your lined tin or tray.

6.  Bake for 15mins or until lightly golden.

7.  Cool on wire rack before cutting into bars. 

One of these chocolate chip bars is just right for morning or afternoon tea at home but also perfect for putting into a lunchbox too. With a list of easily-recognisable ingredients, that does not include things like humectant, modified starch, invert sugar and some unknown flavour, they are a more wholesome alternative to that store-bought something that comes in a packet.

Well worth baking!

Meg

Some Sweetness & Some Light

Little things, delicious things, thoughtful things and wonderful things that have brought some sweetness and some light to life this week. It began with rainbows...

A magical double rainbow.

Not one but two beautiful rainbows arching over a lush green paddock. Just one rainbow is a wondrous thing so two made me feel ever so fortunate to be standing in this particular spot on this particular morning. 

Pink icing & sugary flowers on Mothers' Day.

A little vanilla cake, simple and sweet, for a Mothers' Day afternoon tea. It was purchased from a little local bakery that we want to support in our community. A slice served with vanilla ice-cream, fresh raspberries and one of those little marzipan hearts was such an special treat!

An old toffee tin that arrived in the post.

I 💗vintage tins! This one is an old toffee tin. Holding seeds for me and foreign coins for my collecting boy, it arrived in the post during the week. Such a sweet gift from a very dear friend. (It seems that Molly Bushell, featured in the logo on the front of the tin, began making toffees in 1753!)

 A cluster of tiny yarrow flowers.

Feathery green leaves and tiny white flowers with mustard-y yellow centres. Yarrow is such a pretty plant. It's just coming into bloom in my garden now. The bees and I are ever so happy!

Homemade chocolate chip slice.

An afternoon tea slice homemade with simple ingredients. A newly discovered recipe that's quick and easy to bake and that is equally as good with a glass of icy cold milk as it is with a hot chocolate. (I'll post the recipe soon.)

A little green frog atop a rock in my birdbath.

Seeing my week included both rainbows and a little green frog, a gift from my boy on Mothers' Day, there is one more lovely thing to share with all of you. Here is the very unique sound of that ever-so-famous Muppet, Kermit-the-Frog, and his song, Rainbow Connection. I hope it brings you a smile. 🌈

Meg