Brave corn

I have wanted to share this recipe with you since the summer holidays.  It is just so delicious that you will never want to eat sweet corn any other way. 

This was a BBQ/dinner favourite.  And I had it for lunch today as fresh sweet corn is still about.

Great for a summer BBQ, Mexican night or a just because you crave/fancy it night.

Super easy to prepare, here is what you need:

Corn on the cob
Mayonnaise
Parmesan cheese - grated
Chilli powder
Limes

What you need to do:

Boil your corn cobs or if you are having a BBQ, grill them.

Once cooked, smother with mayo and the grated parmesan cheese.  Lightly dust with chilli powder and squeeze the juice of your lime all over.

Drool, devour and repeat.  Enjoy!



*** This recipe is from my favourite Nici Wickes cookbook.

My boys and Seventeen/52

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"A portrait (I've included extras this week) of my boys, once a week, every week, in 2014."

 

Tom

George

 

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".

 

 

Nice things and changes

With Easter and the first week of the school holidays under our belt things have been busy.  Not frantic, just family life, running around here and there with the kids.  The first week went quickly so I'm going to saviour this week a little more.

 

Here are some nice things from the past week.......

 

Craving colour at the moment so new cushions have been bought.

 

 

 

And a new rug.

 

 

 

Feijoas (Pineapple Guava) season in full swing.  My nephew dropped of another box, just when I had nearly gotten to the bottom of the last one!  This week I have been making Feijoa crumble and sponge cake.  More jam is on the cards I think.

 

 

A parcel from overseas and a friend.  Sewing goodies galore.  I just love the little wicker basket.

 

 

I have finished sew school now and will update you next week of my progress.  I have a few projects on the go that I'm hoping to finish soon.  I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately and enjoying books and movies in the evenings.  I don't know if it's the change of season and recent bugs but I've been feeling so tired in the evenings.

 

 

A very sweet pin cushion - love the chicken print.

 

 

More washi tape.......

 

 

And new to me fabric tape.  I've bought it for gifts before but have never used it before.....any ideas?

 

 

Pins for my quilting.

 

 

Hazy afternoons and leaves disappearing from the vines.  I love the sight of washing hung on the line.

 

 

We have been moving furniture off the grass and back onto the gravel for the colder months.  Clearing and weeding gardens and lots of tidying up around the house.

 

 

Just love these three.  Bell turned fourteen this week, can you believe it?

 

 

I'll back tomorrow with the 52 project although from now on it will be a little different.

 

I'll just be photographing the boys.  I have noticed a shift with Bell lately.  She has been wanting more independence and with that she spends less and less time hanging out with us.  It has become more noticeable in the past month or so.  A letting go has been needed on both sides.  She is craving more freedom so with that I won't be including her in the portrait project anymore a decision that was decided between us both.  My girl is growing up.

Have a wonderful weekend xo

 

Joining in here with Meg and here with Em.

 

 

 

Sixteen/52

 

"A portrait of my children together, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Nature trail walking, peek-a-boo!
 

Bell
Tom

George

 

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".



 

A bit of this and that

Flamingo fairy lights - I love this quirky pink bird.  These are currently hanging from the mantle but will be moving somewhere else once we start lighting the fire for winter.

 

 

Stargazer lilies - these have been my favourite flower for ages.

 

Orange-gate - the orange quilt is the result of "letting" Mr H choose a new bed cover.  I thought he  was joking and trying to wind me up as I wanted a blue one.  He said it will go perfectly with my ugly flower power pillowcases.  It's grown on me and it lets of this unreal amazing glow in the bedroom.......which can also been seen when you are in the garden AND walking up the hallway.

 

 

A craft package sent off in the recipients favourite colours of orange and fuchsia.

 

Making homemade pasta sauce with Roma tomatoes.

 

 

A London linen tea towel and Harrods Tins found for my collection.

 

 

Rugby season has started.  Ah yes, Saturday morning sport...........in winter.

 

Obsessing about getting washing dry.  We have had lots and lots of rain.

 

Long weekend breakfasts.

 

 

Easter drawing and the beginnings of story writing.

 

 

And Easter making.........thank you Julie for the idea and recipe.

 

 

Enjoy your Easter long weekend.  It is also the start of the school holidays for us here in NZ - 2 weeks, can't wait!

 

Happy Easter! xo

 

 

  Joining in here with Em.

 

 

Fifteen/52

"A portrait of my children together, once a week, every week, in 2014."

I took a series of photos hoping to get all three looking at the camera, impossible.  Funny faces, looking in all directions, then Georgie did a runner.  In the end I think candid photos always work out to be the best.

Bell
Tom

George

 

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".



 

The ladies

We have had our 4 bantams for about 2 months now.  I love these quirky ladies and their very different personalities. 

They are free range in a large enclosure (if that makes sense) with a shed that holds the nesting boxes (that they don't use) and the roosts.  The two bigger bantams Betty and Roseanna sleep in there at night, but for some reason the two younger ones Clementine (white) and Sunday (grey) choose to roost in one of the peach trees, same branch every single night.  Even with all the rain we have had they won't go in the coop.

Betty and Roseanna are bossy and there is most definitely a pecking order so I wonder if this has something to do with it.  I'm worried though once the cold weather comes if they will be ok on their branch.   With Autumn here now and the leaves falling their lovely peach tree is now looking a little bare.

They are fussier eaters than I thought they would be when it comes to kitchen scraps, but after a bit of online reading I see that this is often the case with free range chickens who have access to lots of grass, weeds and bugs.  They get a good mix of grains, pellets and corn and love bread and apples, but not the skins.

I have also weeded a large patch that they spend their days dust bathing in and they get quite territorial about their spots.  Or if Betty wants a certain spot she goes and gives whoever is laying there a good peck until they move, bossy cow.

Roseanna is the champion egg layer.  And hides in the asparagus patch to lay her eggs.  They have never used the nesting boxes.  I was thinking about using the golf ball trick, have you tried it and does it work?

They always lay their eggs in the afternoon, I always thought they did this in the morning.........maybe I've seen this too many times in movies!

Chicken/bantam lovers and owners - I have some questions that I would love answered.

Are my two girls ok sleeping outside on their branch at night?

 

Any ideas on how to get them into the coop?

 

What type of coop (roosting) do you have?

 

How often do you feed your chooks, Mr H thinks I overfeed them?

 

Do you recommend any tried and well liked foods?

 

Any hints/tips you would like to share?

From garden to plate

 

 

 

Homemade vegetable soup is a staple round here in the colder months and although the weather so far this Autumn is still warm I have been hanging out to put on a pot of vegetable soup.  I have been fighting the flu the past week and all I've been wanting to eat are bowls of soup (and hot cross buns).

 

I remember coming home from school to this cooking away on the stove top and eating bowl after bowl for afternoon tea and dinner.  It is great to get this started on a Friday evening, then you can help yourself to it over the weekend - perfect to come home to after Saturday morning sport as well.

 

My raised vegetable garden that sits under the apricot tree needed harvesting and composting so I was able to use some of the vegetables picked in my soup.  Our baby carrots and celery were used.  The coloured silverbeet and purple headed broccoli will be used tomorrow night when I cook a roast for our dinner.

 

I always make this soup with a bacon hock, which gives the soup a lovely smokey flavour.  Chunky cut potatoes, a packet of soup mix which is full of peas, barley and lentils, chopped onion, garlic and any vegetables you have to hand.  Grating in the vegetables is also a good way to get the greens into fussy eaters.

 

My kids love this soup, broth and all.  Serve with buttered bread or freshly baked scones and enjoy.

 

Do you have a dish that you enjoyed during your childhood that you love to cook now?

 

What is your winter warming go to dish?