A very welcome drop in temperature yesterday. I love summer for the produce it brings, especially here in the Valley, BUT give me a lovely cool, preferably winter, day anytime, when I can spend my time happily baking without sweltering. Just such a day yesterday. Even Tom moved inside, spending 12 continuous hours curled up … Continue reading A welcome cooler day

Another day in the garden, so much to catch up on. We do have some handsome helpers to keep us company as we work. They are quite a little 'family', each of them a great character in their own right. Old ginger Tom of course is top of the list, ready to "help" at every … Continue reading Menagerie in the Garden

Time for some weeding and feeding of plants. There have been lots of tiny vegetables to harvest as 'thinnings' - carrots, parsnips, spring onions, asparagus and beetroot. They will form part of a frittata I will make for dinner. With a carrot top pesto I think. Even the mushroom farm under the house has kick-started … Continue reading All in a Molesworth morning’s gardening

Spring comes a little later here at the end of this little valley. here's the first of the spring bulbs just beginning to show their faces. The possums have moved onto the property en masse it seems. We've tried loose chicken wire, electric fences and Christmas lights as deterrents but nothing has really worked, at … Continue reading Molesworth Spring

Here are the recipes requested by listeners to the ABC Jams and preserves talkback on ABC radio Tasmania this morning. (I'll certainly be trying this duck egg sponge rung in by Margaret). Margaret’s Duck Egg Sponge  3 duck eggs Weight of 3 of the eggs in sugar Weight of 2 of the eggs in plain … Continue reading Recipes from ABC Jams and Preserves segment 14th October 2017

I love rainy days, gives me all the more excuse to cook. Now with warmer days coming on apace, it's not going to be practical to light Hester the Nectre each and every day. What a shame. Withdrawal symptoms might be experienced I think. So ... time to make the most of the situation while … Continue reading Rainy Day Play

It's been really, really busy here with extra cooking classes and the like, so Hester the Big Bakers Oven has only been used each day to cook dinner. Today however, time for a bit of a work-out. There's the spelt and rye bread, and for good measure I baked some small pizza bases, which I … Continue reading

Here's something really exciting I was made aware of today! Follow this link: https://www.organicgardener.com.au/backyardbees  

I've had visitors drop in this afternoon - one of the best things is that "Hester" the Nectre is always at the ready for baking.  (That's the beauty of these wood fired slow combustion heaters/stoves). Within half an hour blood orange drizzle cup cakes were ready, as the oven had simply needed a little boost … Continue reading Blood orange cup cakes

Bran Bread Cakes/Muffins Adapted from a recipe in Woman’s Realm “Book of 101 ways with bread” by Susan King, a soft cover booklet, published by IPC Magazines Ltd, Plymouth and Fleetway Printers, Gravesend, 1980 225g plain flour 100g wholemeal flour 100g unrefined (natural) bran 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons sugar 3 teaspoons instant dried yeast … Continue reading Bran Bread Muffins from Griffith’s Bakery