Re-organized Bar...

My husband went on a bizarre cleaning frenzy the other day and re-organized our bar.  It looks so beautiful now.  We organized everything into groups, spirits, vermouths etc so we are all ready to go and make some cocktails.

We stashed away doubles of bottles that we already had to ensure that one bottle would be finished before opening another.  We did also joke that we could almost do a 'Summer' and a 'Winter' bar by stashing away different elements that we only really use in particular seasons... maybe that is getting a little bit excessive though?!

I love our bar, it is quite the feature in our living space and visitors always comment on it.  So now it is dusted, organized and ready for Summer!

Everybody needs Cake Forks...

I was totally won over by these gorgeous Laguiole cake forks that match our cutlery set.  I figured that seeing we are hosting Christmas at our house this year, then we definitely needed cake forks to eat our desserts with!  Aren't they just lovely?!!!

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips...

Kale, torn from the stems.

Everyone seems to be on a kale frenzy!  It is one of those superfoods that is meant to be super good for you and it is also pretty easy to grow too.

We planted some kale seeds in our veggie garden a little while back.  They did seem to take a while to really get settled but now we are definitely seeing the 'kale of our labours' and have a fantastic crop of it.

I had seen a few kale chip recipes around but was inspired by someone mentioning about Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips!! Oh my, I love a good salt and vinegar ship and this seems like a much healthier version.

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips

These are very easy to make but can be a little time consuming.  So how do you make them?!  Well here you go!

1. Thoroughly rinse your kale and pat dry.
2. Tear off the leaves, discarding the tough stems and spines.
3. Place leaves on a baking tray in a single layer, it is important for them not to touch as they won't get crispy.  I line my tray with baking paper too!
4. Spray leaves with a little olive oil spray and then sprinkle a dash of white vinegar or other vinegar that you like onto the leaves.
5. bake in a hot oven (about 220 celsius) for about 4 minutes, check and see if they need turning after this or need a little extra time.
6. Remove, carefully place in a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

Depending on how much kale you have, you will need to replenish your trays and continue this process.  Don't worry though, these chips won't last long!  

Making a Meal Out of the Garden...

Our life is about shelling broad beans...

Our crops are definitely going off! After coming home to a fairly empty fridge after a trip interstate, we had to attempt to rustle something up for dinner!   My husband Mark (and chief veggie garden grower) rustled up this amazing salad to go with some steaks.  Proudly, everything is from our garden (except for the tomatoes) and was super fresh and delicious.

A delicious salad, straight from the garden.

So what is in it?  Well we have:

• homegrown broad beans
• homegrown white salad onions
• homegrown radish sprouts (these are just young radishes, we needed to thin them out anyway so may as well eat them!)
• and store bought tomatoes

A great salad, very simply dressed with some salt and olive oil, that was very quickly prepared!  Bless our little veggie garden!

Using up our homegrown Kale!

soup cooking away...

The kale in our garden has just gone crazy all of a sudden.  We had planted it from seed but it seemed to take a while to really get going but now, it's all about kale.

The other day I felt like a good bowl of soup, something healthy and hearty to warm me up.  I went to the amazing Gourmet Girlfriend's (the lovely Ruth) blog for her kale, potato and quinoa soup recipe.  It's so quick and easy and I can now testify... delicious!!!

I was so stuffing my face that I didn't take a 'cookbook' shot of the soup in a bowl.  But trust me, this recipe is amazing.  Visit Gourmet Girlfiend for more mouth watering recipes!!!

Pesto Love...

Pesto Love

I have not really been a fan of pesto in the past.  I find the smell of basil pesto a little too overpowering so I've never really gone too crazy about growing basil and making pesto.

Recently we received a huge bunch of lovely organic basil in our weekly fruit and veggie box from Organic Angels.  What was I going to do with it?  Well, I guess when life gives you a bunch of basil, you go and make pesto!

To try and lessen the power of the pesto, I added a good handful of baby spinach to my pesto which gave it a lovely green and made the flavour a bit more subtle.  I know that making pesto is pretty simple but this is what I am using to make mine and to create my Pesto Love!

Ingredients:

• fresh basil leaves
• fresh baby spinach leaves
• Parmesan cheese
• pine nuts
• salt and pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic
• good quality olive oil

Give it all a good whiz in the food processor until the flavours and seasonings are to taste and you're happy with the consistency.

I am loving this pesto with some cream on pasta - like a Pasta Genovese style - yum!

Grow Your Own... update

Spring onions straight out of the garden.

Our not so little veggie patch in our front yard is going great guns at the moment.

• We are currently growing:
• silverbeet
• spring onions
• garlic
• white onions
• broad beans
• kale

and our rosemary bush is getting huge!

the no-kill silverbeet...

 

It's a whole bunch of 'greens' but there is nothing better than freshly picked greens that you have grown yourself.  They taste so fresh and so sweet! 

broad bean flowers.

I can't wait for all these little broad beans to grow!  I'm going to make fresh pasta to have with them... yum!!!
What is everyone else growing at the moment?