49/52 - Curtains

Barely finished in time...in fact the hems are just pinned, they need to be finished

48/52 - Decorating

Finished painting and decorating the guest room and bathroom for our Christmas break visitors...the only thing still missing is something for the walls...all in good time!

47/52 - Tshirts

Finding decent clothing for my children is proving a challenge, so I settled for some plain tops and with the magic of fabric paint made them more interesting.  These are going under the Christmas tree

46/52 - Pickled Red Onions

A long awaited copy of Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook arrived earlier this week and I was more than happy to try out a recipe immediately, and so we ended up with a jar of the prettiest (and tastiest) coloured pickles!

So...Chickens

We got ourselves some chickens a week or two back and they have settled in so nicely.
They are about 2 months old so not laying as yet, but they have already grown enormously just in the short time we've had them!
So far they have provided endless entertainment, from catching worms, crickets & grasshoppers to feed them, to teaching them to go "home" to their coop at night, so learning how to catch them, and watching how they run when you call them...and just generally watching them busy themselves around the garden.
The children have really taken to them and the other day I caught sight of them, chicken under arm, walking about and just had to take some snaps.  Apparently they were taking Princess on a walk around the property :)

So...an update at last

I know I've been bad, I haven't updated at all about our move...but as most of you who have moved know there is not much to talk about and a whole lot to do, so we have been keeping ourselves busy and settling into our new home.  A month down the line I can honestly say we are all happy to be here.
Here's a few snaps of what we've been up to (the few times I remembered to take photos in the chaos)

45/52 - Crochet Bottle

I was trying something out for another project I have planned and this was the result...I think it looks ok as a decorative bottle or candle holder

43 + 44/52 - Chicken Stock & Marinated Sun dried Tomatoes

I didn't have time to upload my photos last week so am combining last week's and this week's post today.

Firstly these may not look like much but trust me when I say they are delicious, marinated sun dried tomatoes. 

I covered the sun dried tomatoes with boiling water and let them sit for about 5 minutes to rehydrate them, before draining the water.  Then I mixed half a cup of olive oil, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, a teaspoon of dried oregano, a teaspoon of dried basil and a bit of salt and pepper, tossed it with the tomatoes and packed them tightly in a glass jar.  Pour over any of the remaining olive oil mix and top up with olive oil until your tomatoes are covered.  Pop in the fridge and eat whever you want...they will be ready almost immediately but as they marinade the flavour increases.  Also remember oil does solidfy in the cold, so don't get a fright if your tomatoes look white!

Secondly we had a roast chicken this last Sunday and I try always use the carcass to make a nice chicken broth.  Just cover the carcass with water and bring to the boil.  Chuck whatever else you want into the pot and simmer for several hours before draining.  In this pot I have onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley and some seasoning.

42/52 - Ant Trap

There are quite a few ants outside our new kitchen and I'm worried about them finding their way in and making a nuisance of themselves, so we are actively trying to kill ahem, discourage them.
I'm using a combination of diatomaceous earth, lavendar oil and these ant traps which I've baited with equal parts of honey, sugar and borax mixed together.
Fingers crossed it helps!

41/52 - Pineapple Beer

40/52 - Walking Stick

This one is the Father Person's creation, a branch rescued from the collapsed half of our Pride of India and carved and crafted into a walking stick which came in handy on our recent hike through the Whale Trail

39/52 - Limoncello

The Limoncello was ready just in time to give some gifts before we move, and 'm looking to enjoying some this summer on our new patio!

So...The Whale Trail

We had the amazing opportunity of taking a week out of our every day lives, leaving the children in the capable hands of their grandparents and spending it walking through the amazing De Hoop Nature Conservancy on a hike better known as The Whale Trail.
It really was a wonderful experience, the scenery was exquisite, the fauna and flora diverse, the whales majestic, the accommodation endearing, the company entertaining, the food delicious and the wine good (if slightly rationed...probably just as well though, walking with a sore head would not be much fun I'm sure!)

These are some snaps I had on my phone, but I have more to share once I get a chance to upload the ones from the camera.

So...Snapshots

We are winding up things on this side and busy doing lots of packing, but here are a few snaps from the last download from my camera
1.  Celebrating a goal at his last session of Little Kickers
2.  Slip & sliding at our friend's farm
3.  Dancing
4.  Concentrating very hard...don't you love the hair, she did it herself :)