The Juice Factory

What a productive weekend we've all had. In our backyard we have two decent size imperial mandarin trees which produce loads of fruit each year. Mandarins are one of my favourite fruits, they are great to pack into the childrens lunchboxes easy to peal and great to juice up for a refreshing hit of Vitamin C and apparently, they also go well cooked with chocolate. . . 

Master Sam is usually the driving force behind our juicing day, his little helpers collect the  mandarins, the kitchen is set up,  and the juicing begins. This is where I usually leave the room with my face screwed up thinking about the sticky mess they are about to create, but the kids don't mind, it's such fun, it 's messy, and of course its Yummy!  

We picked over 100 mandarins off the trees and squeezed out about 5 litres of fresh juice to enjoy

and look, we've still got heaps left for those Lunchboxes...

The unveiling of The NEW Kitchen

So after months of washing up in the bath tub, lots of cereal, sandwiches and BBQ's on the back deck the New Kitchen is now officially opened.

Old Kitchen - Warm,  Cosy & TinyNew Kitchen -  Open, Fresh & Spacious 

 About 6 months ago when we found out we were expecting our 6th child, the first thing my husband said was, "We'll need to build a bigger Kitchen".  Now, when my Hubby says he is going to do something, he's not one to muck around! We were lucky enough to buy a  basic 3 bedroom home many years ago that has been easy to renovate (well hubby makes it look easy anyway!) Over the years, thanks to the sale of an investment property, we have managed to build on an extra lounge room, a couple more bedrooms, en suite and an office/sewing room to meet the demands of our ever growing family. Then there was also this built somewhere in between all of that as well!!  We're a busy lot here, there is always something on the go.  
I've still got a lot of pottering to do, finding spots for this to sit and that to hang but it's always fun redecorating.

 I am finding that the warmer colours I am usually drawn to like Reds, Yellows and Orange are not quite fitting in with the new modern style, but being so much bigger now and I am loving the space and freshness of it and am being mindful not to clutter it up so much anyway . . .
Mental Note: DO NOT CLUTTER, Fill with laughter of Children, gathering of Family & Friends and plenty of Home Cooking instead!

I still have an old cabinet to paint and add to the back dining room wall, pictures to hang and boxes and boxes of kitchen treasures to unpack that I have been collecting for many years, hoping to find a suitable spot for.     
    All in good time though . . . 
Once I finished these Stool Restorations,  (thanks for your inspiration ANNIE), I'm heading out of the Kitchen and into the Bedroom to get started on the Babies Corner.    

Good Old Fashion Jam Drops

with home made Plum Jam . . .

and a sneaky peak at my New Kitchen 

Plum Jam

2 kg Plums

250 ml water

1 tab lemon juice

1 1/2   kg sugar

Wash the plums then quarter and stone them.  Place plums, water and lemon juice in a large heavy based saucepan.  Bring it to the boil on a medium heat and cook until the fruit is soft, approximately 15 minutes.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Continue boiling for approx 15 - 20 minute or until a little will set on a chilled saucer.

Remove from heat, allow to settle then bottle and seal.

Jam Drops 

½ cup Sugar

125 gm Butter

2  eggs

2 cups SR Flour

1 teasp Vanilla

pinch of salt

Jam (Plum, Apricot, Raspberry, Strawberry, Gooseberry etc…)

 Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla.

Gradually add sifted flour and salt to make a stiff dough.

Roll into balls, place on greased oven tray.

Push thumb into center to make a small indent and fill with your chosen variety of Jam

Bake in moderate, quick oven until just brown.

If your too cool for Jam (like a certain teenage son of mine) this mixture is a good basic biscuit mixture. Just add a handful of choc chips, walnuts, peanuts or dried fruit, roll out, flatten and bake as above. 

 Quick and Easy to make, and great to freeze for Lunchboxes.

As for 'The Kitchen' well after a 4 month extension/renovation it is finally finished... (breathing a huge sigh of relief), before and after shots will be released soon,  just awaiting a few finishing touches and a dabble of clutter. 
It's so good to be back in the Kitchen baking again! 

Everybody needs a

NuT DiSH  

My Eldest started High School this year . . .

With High School comes Design Technology 

and with Design Technology comes 'The Nut Dish'

 Such a versatile little piece too . . .

Works well with Garlic & Herb butter. 

Am wondering what else I could use it for....

other than Nuts of course!

So Proud, Clever Boy!  Thanks Sam XXX

Had to Have

With a few minutes to spare last week I popped into my favourite Salvos store for just a quick look around. I usually walk out with a few doilies or some kind of old glass dish or enamelware but today there didn't seem to be much on offer and as I wandered up the last aisle, there it was . . Well, I just about fell over when I saw it, my heart pounded and I knew it was mine,  there was no way I was walking out without this beauty...

The Whole Set, 2 x Fully Reclining and Rocking Armchairs 

and 1 x Reclining Two Seater Lounge

In Immaculate Condition!  $$$  Bargain  !!!

It's VERY GRANNY I know and I didn't quite know how the rest of the family would accept it, it's a 'You'll either LOVE it or Hate it' kind of Buy.... Well I Just LOVE it of course , I have been waiting for something like this to step into my life for a while now, My living room needed a face lift and this gives me a good base to work with!

   Hubby wasn't to sure about it in the beginning but  it 's growing on him...He's enjoying putting his feet up at the end of a hard day. . .

"The Banging Wall"

   

Cling Clang, Bang Bong

We play music all day long

Ting Tang, fun for all

Playing on our BANGING WALL

I have to say I feel quite proud of my latest creation, Our Banging Wall, What do you think? This was inspired by the one and only Soule Mama mother of "The Creative Family".  I finally found a way to use and display some of my collection of old  kitchen wares...the ones that are a bit too rusty and crusty to actually keep in the kitchen...It's been so much fun to make, I have tied them to the fence with old scraps of leather I had in my craft box. A few weeks ago there were only a couple of pieces then I found a few more to add, and a few more and well luckily we have a big fence because I see this thing growing for a while yet.

It sits right in the middle of our backyard so not a day goes by without someone having a bash... well my little ones don't really bash they tend to just tinkle a little and sing,  precious little things they are.  But, we have had a few visitors here of late and it has certainly been put to the test.
Cling Cling...Ting Ting...Clonk, Clang,  BANG!!!

Fresh Flowers

Just as expected, In summer they bloomed and as Autumn arrives my Zinnias were picked for the Kitchen. 

Ooops. . .I really should have taken a photo before I cut the best of them out of the garden. . .

This lot I'll seed save, so I can sow again next spring.  I'm not sure how they'll go? Bit old do you think? I'll plant them anyway when the time comes and we'll see what happens. Just to be on the safe side, I think I'll save a few seeds from this seasons too. . .

 This is actually a little milestone post for me today, These Zinnia's, now in my kitchen were just seedlings in one of my first posts when I started this blog....

That puts a really big smile on my face, it makes me feel like I've been really productive...

YES! I have achieved what I set out to do!  :)

Would you like cheese with that?

 

I found this Really Cool Cheese Grater recently at an Antique store, I don't usually buy from Antique stores as I much prefer the thrill of the bargain when I find something old and junky or old and useful, at markets or second hand stores. . . but when I saw this I just had to have it. I have a thing for cheese graters, I have several of them on display in my kitchen and plenty more stashed away for the day when my kitchen might just magically double in size!!!   I have noticed with my purchases of kitchen collections over the years just exactly why some utensils have become extinct and I have found others to be very practical indeed.  This is one of them. Best grater I have ever used.  It attaches to the bench like an old meat mincer, and works on the same concept. Turn the handle and out come grated cheese...no more grating off the edges of my fingers which I have done on many occasions in an attempt to grate large heavy chunks of cheddar.

 

  

 Tonight it was Pizza on the menu.
 Homemade pizza dough of course...

Voila!!!   Pepperoni Pizza!!! with stacks of cheese!!!

The heart of my home...

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!

STAY TUNED FOR THE RENO  

COMING SOON

Today I am linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter , 'Pretty over the Kitchen Sink'

Leila writes the most amazing posts about keeping house, all things important in the home and also offers some great advice on raising children. Please allow yourself sometime to read her blog.

I have been waiting for the right moment to do a kitchen post and well I guess it just falls right into place now.

My kitchen is small but practical...... Oven on the left, sink in the middle, dishwasher to the right and fridge just an arms length behind me. It is by far my most favourite room in the house.  It is situated right Smack Bang in the middle of my house and adjoins our main living area.

My day starts and ends here....

• Good Morning Kisses with my husband
• Lunchboxes made and packed for my school children
• Lunchbox and thermos made and packed for Hubby
• Breakfast prepared for the little ones
• Dishes Done
• Coffee time...
• Fruit time...
• Lunchtime...
• Bottle time...
• Coffee time...
• Dinner Meal preparation time...
• Dishes Done...
• Afternoon tea time...
• Coffee time...
• Babies dinner time...
• Final Dinner Meal served...
• Dishes Done
• At least once a week I also Bake.... 
• I also keep all my daily "To Do" list on the Fridge, my calender, my shopping list and all my school notes... 
• This is  the place where my children come to talk to me, cook with me, spend time with me.
• It is the last room I leave when I go out as I grab last minute food and water for the little ones, 
• It's the first room I enter when I get home,  usually to put the kettle on ready for my next coffee...  

The Old Wood Stove... now my fruit bowl shelf and potato keeper

Centre stage, not the most practical item to be sitting in the middle of my living room but the favourite of my collection...

My Kitchen is a very busy but organised place.....

 I also love that this place is now home to my collection of old kitchen utensils and wares...I  wonder what the story is behind each and everyone of these pieces, what kind of kitchen did they originally came from...?