Feather your Nest Friday, 2020.

Last weekend I had Scarlett come to stay so we were busy for a few days. She is just happy to do everything along with me.    Lucy has less than two weeks before the baby arrives.  She isn't sleeping and could do with some prayers.

Of course we had to go visit Aunty Chloe and see Paddy...

Paddy was so dirty from rolling in mud!   🙄

At home we made Honey Crackles.  It is so many years since I made them.  I had to dig out my old recipe.  Being easy Scarlett pretty much filled all the cup cake liners herself and it was a case of eat a bit, put some in the pan, but she loved it.

I told the girls how Mummy and Chloe used to take these to school.  Anyway, they loved them so honey crackles are back!  I love how many of the old recipes are so good.  Nan used to make Rock Cakes.  This is another one I would like to resurrect!

I finally finished my rug for the lounge.  A rug in Australia is a blanket, or a badly concealed coupe. haha.  The things that go on the floor are mats.  I learned to say this because in The Tuesday Club it was very funny as people were wondering why I would put this on the floor!   So it is to be on my lounge, in the cold months, to be warm and snuggly.  It took forever!

It is all pure wool and I have left overs so now I am working to use those up.

My A Working Pantry assignment for the week was to add meals to the freezer.   I made several Shepherds Pies.  I cook them a little under so when they are recooked they will not be too dark on top.  So they look a little pale.   We had one for dinner and it was beautiful.   Meals added to the freezer is a good thing!

I also stood and made up ham and cheese rolls and croissants to freeze.  Both rolls and croissants were half price.  Made up rolls are so handy.  I warm them up quickly and they are like fresh. 

If I ever have ham or roast meat left over (that is not enough for a meal) I usually make up rolls to freeze.  

I added to my raised garden beds.   In went squashed cardboard boxes, manure and a dead rabbit.  I think Andy might wonder if I am the only person alive who can be pleased about a dead rabbit. 

Buddy has been promoted to the orchard paddock.  He is a month old today.  And a very good little eater.  He has a morning and evening bottle now.   

We have underground water and rain water.  Most of the time the house is on rain water and the garden on bore water.  Rain water is beautiful but gets gum leaves in it sometimes and this affects my white linens.  I decided to give up on so many whites and dyed two sets of cotton sheets.  They turned out wonderfully and look fresh and new.  Not quite white looks dingy so this was my solution.

I made a cake to take over to Chloe and one for us and some slices for the freezer.

Things have been pretty good, supply wise, at our local supermarket.   But now our neighbouring state is experiencing empty shelves again.  This has come about because the virus has taken off there again and they really do not look like they have it contained.  While the shelves have been good I restocked everything we needed and we have even been able to get hand sanitiser, masks and many things that were impossible to get a couple of months ago.   They will all probably disappear again.   I got ahead with towels and linen also.  I keep working on my pantry.   Gradually (after lots of sorting out cupboards and re arranging) I have re homed things like canning supplies to other cupboards.  This has given me more room in the pantry for actual food.  When I stocked up fast a lot of things were put in funny places.  Now I have things so I can actually see how much pasta do I have?  How much rice? And so on.  All my jars are topped up.  Keeping a well stocked pantry is kind of an endless job but so important.  I have dried parsley to add to a jar today.  

With so many things going on and changes to our normal lives we need to think differently.  While we need to be awake and watchful we don't want to be fearful.  Being prepared takes a whole lot of pressure off.   The wise woman is not afraid of the winter.  It is true.  Prudence and ingenuity might be the words for the second half of 2020!

How did you manage to build up your home, pantry or garden?   It all counts! xxx