Sunday 22 March 2009

Pickle of plenty

Well the bad news is that only one of my jars sealed yesterday. They say that if you want you can reprocess with in 24 hours an it should be still ok; but they don't recommend it. An besides it takes so long to heat the water up to boiling point anyway.

So we are going to have pie apples, pasta sauce an pickles coming out our ears for the next little while. SH* has asked me to make an apple pie an freeze it our of the failed apples, an I thought I would try making a lasagne out of the pasta sauce. Which leaves me with 1 & 1/2 1 litre jars filled with pickles. I like pickles (else I wouldn't have made them) but I not the sort to eat them on absolutely everything, an SH* isn't really a big fan.

Will really have to do something about the jars, I seem to be going to keep this up, so perhaps it is time I got some real jars, where I can buy more lids separately so I can reuse the jars. Thinking a pressure canner would also be nice, then I can make pumpkin soup or potato leek soup an store that. Have a few wedding presents still to be filled, prehaps I can get it that way...

Weekend cooking

Well I did some more bottling today. I made my first bottles of bread an butter pickles. made 1 and a half bottles of it, using 2 1/2 cucumbers. I was saving the other 1/2 of the cucumber for lunch's; Then I realised I chopped all the tomato's for the pasta sauce.

I also made a bottle of Pasta sauce. Looks yummy though I'd be interested to know how companies make their sauces so red, mines orange.

I also made 3 bottles of pie apples. One exploded whilst it was processing, so we'll eat that this week. might have to get better lids, possibly just splurge an get some real bottling jars instead of Coles ones.

Also making banana yoghurt. I got an easiyo which has been great. I made bossenberry on Thursday; It was so yummy. Got caramel and Necterine flavour for later.

Plan to make banana bread and brownies latter in the week, if I not to tired after work. Also wanna make cheese shapes for lunch's if I can get moulds.

Note: Pictures too come

Friday 20 March 2009

Working Girl

Well I now have a job. I am working in the city as a 'receptionist'. Though I think the job is more PA and Events Coordinator with a little reception thrown in. Currently it is just temporary for 4 weeks, with the potential for it to be permanent.

It is going to be an interesting few weeks, as I am getting my tonsils out in about 2 weeks and got a all weekend wedding in about 4 weeks. So there is a least 3 days off I am going to need.

Having to organize my week though really well. Washing clothes, cleaning house, making food, preserving food an generally keeping my SH* happy as well as staying awake at work.

It's an interesting job, in the dynamic of the place, the work itself has the potential to be boring. I meet the boss yesterday, he thought I was a client or something an I had to explain I was working there now. It is a bigger office then my previous job, an the dress code is higher. There are 2 other girls at the office at my 'level', but there seems to be a relitivly relaxed enviroment for people that are working from 7 in the morning an still there when I left at 5:30. An it isn't just one or two, it's everyone, there isn't like a mass exodus at 5:00, an no one headed for the beer fridge at 5:00 Friday either, (I don't think I have seen that much beer in my life).

Any way we'll see what happens. It's work, an will bring me about 3000 dollars by the end of the four weeks, an that is provided I don't work overtime wich is far to easy to do in that enviroment.

Saturday 14 March 2009

Kaisa Pizzaria

I made pizza for lunch today. Pizza from scratch. I like making pizza from scratch. It is so much more filling then Pizza Hut or Domino's.

An your toppings can be what ever you want.

Today we are having;

  • tomato pasta sauce
  • onion
  • garlic
  • olives (the super yummy ones from the markets)
  • capsicum
  • pineapple (from the home made pineapple we made last week)
  • cheddar cheese


So super yummy.

Tap Trauma


I'd like you to meet our kitchen tap.
This is him running at full speed.
He's such a party pooper.

He's the reason the dishes are piled so high.
The reason our water purifer/chiller is almost empty.
An why my benches aren't as clean as they should be.

Call a doctor.
Call a nurse.
Call the plumber with the alligator purse.

Jummy Juicing

Sh* an I made juice today with produce we bought at the markets this morning. We put in 6 ruby red grapefruit's (8 for $2), I lost count of the apples but was a mixture of red and green. 4 lemons an 4 limes ($1 for 4) in our juicer an made about 4 litres of juice.

We often make juice on a Sunday morning. not usually this much though. Normally just a 2 litre bottle. An SH* likes carrot juice on a semi regular, when he remembers occourance. Personally I can't stand carrot juice. So SH* made himself some carrot juice also. After we made the citrus apple juice, that way he also gets citrus dregs in the carrot juice too (an I don't have to tast any carrot dregs).

I it is a lot of fun. A lot of work too (just ask SH* he's washing up an throwing out the rubbish whilst I post.) Oh well off to the next task... clean up, then pizza dough.


Tuesday 10 March 2009

Electrical Doh

Well I think my monitor is almost about to kick the bucket. This morning it just sort of greyed on the left hand side of the screen to about 1/3rd the way across.

Can't be bothered figuring out if it can be fixed. It's a big chunky monitor, that I have been dieing to replace for ages.

TV Died too, the antenna connection just ripped it's self right out of the box. still works if you don't bump the building an move the cord.

Oh well can still watch dvd's... then again I might just do the dishes

Sunday 8 March 2009

Pineapple, Pear, Pineapple

As you would have suspected, I of course did some impatient bottling.

I went to the market an bought lots of things to bottle. I got about 1.5 kilo's of pears, 2 average pineapples, 2 kilo's of apples, 2 kilo's of tomatoes, about 8 garlic's and 2 giant cucumbers. This was just for me to bottle. Also bought stuff for eating during the week an some to go through the juicer... (Special note: We walked there an back, carrying all this in green bags. My muscular SH* carried it all for the last 100 metres or so)

When we got back I took a short rest then couldn't help myself. I began to peel, core and cut the pears, an rub them in lemon juice. I heated up the sugar water; an threw in a jar to sterilise, an encouraged the water to boil in my big big pot.

The pears were so juicy. SH* even nicked one for his own breakfast consumption. As I worked SH* kept asking where the hard part was. He (as I had) figured if it was this easy why didn't everyone do it. I bottled the pears added the syrup and put it in the pot to process.

That wasn't enough for me though, so I began on the pineapples. I cut an bottled one pineapple then began on the other. I think it was having not eaten, the exercise and the heat of the kitchen that then paid a toll. I got dizzy and shaky. SH* made me sit down an finished the second pineapple for me.

The processing went extremely well. Two of the jars sealed themselves whilst I slept to recover from my episode. The third had been very hot when I tried to screw on the top an I had not done a good job at it. It sealed with a little encouragement from SH*, but I think we will eat it this week just in case.

I am trying to wait till Thursday when my jar lifter should arrive, as it was difficult getting the jars in an out of the pot. But I have big plans. Pie apples, gherkins, pickled garlic and pasta sauce. An that is just this week. I had hoped to get peaches an nectarines as mentioned in my last post, but they were $3 a kilo this week, way over budget. So maybe I just wait an see what winter brings us. Tempted to buy a dragon fruit, told they taste ok. Dunno though... they look weird.

Thursday 5 March 2009

Bottling Dilemma

Well a dilemma has been struck. I went an sterilised my new jars in my new pot, an I can't get them out again.

I've given up after a couple of hot water splashes, impatiently having to wait for the water to cool down. This means I can't do all the bottling I was planning to on Sunday until I get something to pull them out with.

It is so distressing.

I've run out of flour so I can't make more bread or pizza an now I can't get my jars out. I'd go ahead impatiently except I am not sure wither the processing will be hampered if I let them sit in the pot till they cool.

On Sunday I will be so anxious to do all my bottling. I was planing on pasta sauce, pie apples, nectarines and peaches. Was also hoping to bottle more pineapple as it was so yummy last time.

After some reading I was also hoping to bottle some of the juice SH* likes to make with the juicer. Can't bottle the carrot juice, but we've made a mean citrus combo that would be great. Though I think I'd like some bottles (For the ethsetics) to do that with so perhaps that might wait a while.

Must endevour to buy the product to bottle on Sunday an organize a jar lifter.

Diary of a Devoted Wife - Entry One

Outside my window... I can see our balcony, an into the court yard.


I am thinking... About all the preserving I am going to do on Sunday an all the fruit I want to buy and all the mess I need to clean up before I can do that.


I am thankful for... The bath room is the cleanest tidiest totally unpacked room in the house.


I am wearing... My orangey/red and purple Moroccan dress, with green puma's and pink and purple socks.


I am Reading... Cook books, the self sufficiency sort.


I am Creating... a huge mess in my kitchen... again.

One of my favourite things... My Water Purifier/Filter .

For education this week...That I can't preserve pumpkin soup without a pressure canner. Doh!

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning Bottling and bread making.


A spiritual lesson I’m learning
Initiative.

A godly character trait I plan to work on Self-control.


For the rest of the weekMust finish one more room in the house. Bedroom would be nice.

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Cubby House Living

Now that the house is now kinda sorta set up I am glad to say I am back to posting. My SH* and I live in our little cubbyhouse in a hot humid sub tropical climate. I am desperately hanging out for winter to come. I was very excited when my fridge and washing machine arrived. Never thought I would be so thrilled about my first white goods. Contemplating getting a dryer due to my in ability to remember to hang out the washing. But I just got to learn to do it, even though all my other housely projects are much more interesting.

I've taken up baking, a project I can finally achieve. I don't know what makes the difference weither it is the new climate or the new type of just throw it in yeast. I been making yummy olive bread an pizza dough.

I am also starting to indulge in bottling. I had a rather woody pineapple, that had a beautiful taste so I decided to bottle it. It was absolutly delectable. Saddly I couldn't process properly (not that the pineapple lasted long enough) I am out to get myself a bigger pot an some more jars.

Where we live is just down the street from a farmers market. It is there ever Sunday an is really worth going to. The fruit an vegies are nice an fresh as well as most importantly cheap (except broccili atm). There is also a excelent stall that sells olives wich are to die for. Their expensive but totally worth it. We've only missed one Sunday so far an I wouldn't wanna miss another.

Will tell you all about my activities as a house wife.

The Homely House Wife   © 2008. Template Recipes by Emporium Digital

TOP