Surround yourself with things you love.

Now we all know the best thing in life is to surround yourself with people you love and who love you. No brainer there! But I am talking about housekeeping and making your home a sanctuary for yourself and your family.

I often have a table where I am making something which is a kind of creative montage, but I tell myself at least it's a pretty mess. Otherwise I feel if the house is a mess or untidy it's annoying/depressing and frustrating. It is just no good for me. I am really influenced by my surroundings. In a cluttered mess I also feel unsettled and anxious. And apparently I'm not the only one. It's why hotels and spas have simple and beautiful interiors. They make people feel good, peaceful and calm.

Flowers do wonders for me. I always knew I loved flowers but I didn't really keep a lot in my home. Years ago when the girls were small I saw a bunch of roses that were just so beautiful I bought them for myself. Over the next few days they gave me sooo much pleasure. Every time I saw them my heart leapt. I decided their beauty was a glimpse of heaven. I would stop as I passed by to smell them. I will never forget that bunch of flowers. They made me so happy! 

Well that was a realisation how our feelings can be so influenced by our surroundings and I have tried to keep lots of flowers in the house ever since. 

Whatever IT is for you, that you know you just love and makes your heart sing, wherever possible surround yourself and enjoy it. It's the ordinary days and our surroundings that make up so much of our lives. 

I have so many this will be two posts! Anyway understanding if you were to go and buy so many flowers it would cost a fortune I am going to help you do it for very little. Over time I collect things and it really adds up!

This is just a vintage petticoat that I found in an op shop and some silk peonies that I have had for many years. Silk flowers eventually get dusty. I wash these in the bath tub every now and then. Dust is an awful give away so never let fake flowers gather dust!

These silk roses with lace are on the top of my french cupboard (featured in an early post) Arrangements on top of cupboards are great. Out of the way, not taking up space and so pretty.

I made the frame for a wedding photo (we got married three years ago) and the hydrangeas are from a couple of years ago in the garden and I made the roses from dying crepe paper. Some time I will do a tutorial on them!

This is a part of a huge display, over a metre high... a mix of dried and silk. oops you can see my crochet work in the background on the lounge! Oh well.

In the next couple of days I'll show some more, I took too many photos and have run our of time and space!

My flowers and pictures make home seem bright, fresh and pretty. Even when things aren't perfect (like all the time) they make a big difference! I love to walk into my home. It is my sanctuary from the world. I like it to smell nice to and sound nice... but those things are another story.

My Nana B adored flowers so passionately that I'm sure much of how I feel is from her and I think of her often when playing with flowers. Of course whenever I have flowers in the garden I bring them in, even a single bud is beautiful. 

One small thing at a time, keep beautiful things where you can enjoy them everyday!

Bouquet Garni.

After drying bunches of herbs the other day I had a cutting up session. Some crumble easily but I use scissors for the bay leaves. So I end up with bowls of herbs to use. They dried fast as it is summer and the faster they dry the fresher they seem and the colours are lovely and green.

They smell lovely! 

From here you can save them in jars (add a label) or cellophane bags. Anytime you have an excess this is a great way to save them. Another day I will do a post on how to freeze them or use them in things that will last like herbed oils and vinegars.

Most of mine I made into Bouquet Garni. You can buy it in kitchen sections of stores or by the metre. It is really cheap, I think mine was $3 a meter. I love it! You string needs to be plain un bleached and un waxed. The usual Bouquet Garni mix is thyme, parsley and bay leaf. As I had those I made these as they are cute, handy, easy to use and packs of them make lovely gifts. I know I will use these as in my chicken soup I would always use these herbs. These will be so handy in winter.

I made a longish string loop on each one so you can dangle into a pan or from a spoon if you want or else they are easy to fish out later.

They make lovely gifts once you package them up. You could use a jar and label them or cellophane bags and string. I have a couple of people in mind who I know would love them and would use them!

One of the good things about summer is we have so much free solar power! Quick drying of herbs for free is one use for it. The results are very good and fast.

I need to add a few new herbs to a few spaces. But in the end if I have spent about $4 on a punnet of herbs the amazing amount of produce is worth more than 10 x that and I will tend to use more herbs and more liberally too and then have some to give away. Lovely!

Easy jam making.

One of my favourite quotes is "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" which comes from Theodore Roosevelt. I just love it. 

Well currently I can make things, from apricots, in my kitchen. 

Right now I have enough apricots to not need to buy fruit for some time for fresh fruit plus enough to stew, make jam and pies. So each day I do something so nothing goes too soft and is wasted. Next I need to do the same with nectarines but they are not quite ripe. Then I have quite a few peaches coming from a neighbours tree. 

Jam makes a nice gift too. It's amazing who likes homemade jam. Once on face book I said I was making jam. Someone replied to me that he would give me whiting from his fishing trip in exchange for some he was so keen for some homemade jam. Deal! 

Another time we had problems with our air conditioner. We were desperate and called a service guy and it was going to be very expensive. When he arrived I was making this jam. He said "you make your own jam!" then starts telling me all about his mum and her cooking and his partner who he said was probably laying on the lounge about now watching tv. He adored and admired his Mum and seemed like he was wondering how to get rid of his partner! Anyway I always make tradesmen coffee etc and later I said to him he could take a couple of jars of jam too. When it came time to pay I offered to pay cash (as I always do) and between that and the jam he dropped the bill from $300 to $100. He gave me his card and we have called him since for air conditioner services and problems. The first time I called him I said "I am the lady who was making jam" and he says "Annabel!" Truly sometimes life amazes me. 

So here is the jam that will give you great gifts, supplies, trades and discounts, apparently.

In a lage microwave safe bowl put about a kilo of your fruit seeds removed.

I don't weigh. No scales. I use a bowl that I guess takes about a kilo and simply pile that with fruit...

You can have some under ripe fruit as long as you have some really ripe fruit. Put that in your big bowl then pour over about 700 or 800 grams of sugar. I use less sugar than fruit. I guess and under fill the same bowl I overfilled with fruit. 

Add the juice of at least half a lemon. This helps your jam to set. 

Do not cover the bowl. Put it in the microwave on high for 10 minutes. Stir. Re microwave for another 10 minutes. 

Now I use a stick blender to gently blitz the hot jam. You need to be so careful not to splatter hot jam! I would not even make jam with kids in the kitchen. Instead you could use a potato masher or fork.... something to squish up your bubbling soft fruit. 

Then microwave again 10 mins. Now you need to test it. If it is rising up in the dish and threatening to boil over it is probably done. Take a small amount on a teaspoon and let it cool. If it is still runny when cool do another ten minutes. If it holds a space when you press your finger into it then it is set. 

From the second ten minute session keep an eye on it. The first time you do this notice the times because each microwave is different, your measurements may be different. Once you know you will know for all your next batches how many minutes you need. So your first batch is an experiment and after that you will know your perfect times. For a fist batch use a little less than a kilo I think and see how it goes. Smaller amounts are quicker and easier, larger takes longer. Mostly when it threatens to boil up and over you have reached setting point.

Pour into sterilised jars. I top with cellophane tops straight away.

Every now and then all jam makers have a batch that doesn't set. You can re cook it or you can keep it in the fridge and warm it to use over pancakes or as a glaze on a cake or meat ie apricot jam glaze over a ham or chicken pieces. I remember both Nan and Mum having batches of jam that wouldn't set. It has only happened to me once or twice. Set jam should keep in the pantry for a year or more. 

I quite often give food hamper gifts. So these jars of jam with become a part of a gift. Otherwise these are my years supply of jams. And then my years supply of stewed fruit and  pies as well. 

This method works for any fruit. You can combine fruits too. The best ever was when I had pears and peaches and blended them. It was pink and delicious.

Strawberry is the prettiest colour. Last year I did other berries and the colours were like jewels. 

I keep jars all year round. Wash them and place them in a cold oven. Turn the oven on and let it heat up then turn it off and when cool you have sterilised jars. That is the easiest way I think. 

I do chutney and relish the same way. No worries about jam catching on the bottom of a big pot on the stove and hours of stirring. Also cheaper electricity wise. 

When you are done there is nothing sweeter than seeing all your jars lined up looking pretty. It is really very easy. During the year, especially winter, I will make a batch of scones and put out two or three types of jam I've made and have afternoon tea with someone. Somehow this simplicity is always a smash hit. In fact as a gift a basket of fresh scones and a jar of your jam would be a lovely mothers day gift, gift for a man you don't know what to give, house warming gift...  anything! 

Now I am craving scones. But I actually have to go pick the very last of the apricots as I see the birds have eaten a couple this morning. They can have a few but thats it, it is time to bring in the remaining fruit!

Bless Your Nest.

I am so excited! This year I am going to get more into things about organisation and planning. These things make life easier, happier and give you the life you want. They allow you to have time for the things you want to be doing.

All the time people say to me how do I get so much done? Well I don't really. I need a lot of sleep. Seriously I need 9 hours sleep minimum or I'm no good. To get a lot done I've found a few things that help me and there are things I don't do. I don't iron. If my husband wore business shirts I would iron those but he doesn't. Otherwise no ironing. I will do a post on it but mean time NEVER put dry clothes into an ironing basket. That is what causes the need for most ironing! Before they go into that basket the clothes are not too creased. That is why it is called an ironing basket... after anything has been squished into it of course they are needing ironing!

To start I will begin with planning your week. Sundays are my day for that. I get out my planner and look over the week just finished to see if I got everything done and what did I miss? It's possible something might need to be transferred over. If I didn't achieve things, why not? After all if your goal is to lose weight or exercise (for instance) and a week went by and you did neither, honestly, do something different this week. Doing the same thing again is crazy, TRY something different. Outsmart yourself. If I put my gym gear on I will go to the gym. If I get dressed normally, thinking I'll change later somehow it never happens. So on those days I put my gym gear on. You get the idea. We have to outsmart ourselves!

So today I am planning my week and last week I did ok with the things I had set out. Yeh! And then I think about what I have to shop for based around what do I already have in the fridge and on hand. Those things are number one. I have heaps on hand, apricots, lemons, eggs, herbs so I think about a menu plan to use all of them. 

My planner is too much to use as a shopping list and a list to take in the car with me. I usually print off cute lists from various websites. There are plenty of good ones. They have sections for groceries, appointments, things to pick up and so on so you can see at a glance what you need to do when you are out. They are so helpful. You don't come home having forgotten things!

Often as I look for one to print, rather than print the last one I have a little search for a prettier one. I have never found one I think is gorgeous. The other day I thought why not plan a Bluebirds Planner??? Me who has no skills.... I have a very favourite website for graphics +Free Pretty Things For You! . Keren is unbelievable. Her stuff is gorgeous. I credit the graphics and inspiration to her. And my husband who helped me so much, he who feels the back of an envelope is a fine planner still indulged my ideas. I chose my graphics and design and he sat patiently for a couple of hours with me.

The planner is in the side bar so it will be easy to find and is a printable pdf. I hope someone enjoys it other than me! I love it and am so excited! 

Here it is:

I cannot get the colours to show properly here but they are the same blues as the blog. So for the first time I am planning me week on my Bluebird planner. Truly this little time planning your week will save you time, petrol, running around and sanity. It is one way I get heaps more done. 

I hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday.xxx

Nan's Pie.

Nana used to have the whole family over for a roast lunch on Sundays. We would go to church and Nan would cook a big roast for everyone. This was the norm for quite a few years.

Nan had the hugest most gorgeous kitchen table. I think it seated about 18. Most Sundays there were about 12 of us I think. It was lovely!

Whatever the roast most times Nan would serve this tomato, onion and zucchini pie along with a huge number of roast vegies. Yum. I always loved this pie! Everyone must have as it was always demolished.

It wasn't until more recently that I understood what was going on. Probably Nan was trying to extend a roast to serve so many people. Nan and Pa were probably comfortable without being "well off" and Nan always had yummy meals for everyone. 

A roast dinner consisted of roast meat, gravy, a variety of roast and steam vegies and this pie. All of this must have made a roast go the distance.

Watching Jamie Oliver recently he made a roast go a mile too with loads of sides. Nothing has changed! I you want to save the series "Save with Jamie" is wonderful.

When tomatoes are cheap or in the garden this is fabulous. Also it uses left over bread. Any bread we have left from anything is always either dried or frozen for such things.

The recipe is very flexible. In a large pan fry up chopped onion and zucchini until soft and golden and add chopped tomatoes. For the two of us and planning for left overs I did 2 large onions, one zucchini and 5 large soft tomatoes. Do the amount that suits you.

Let the tomato breakdown a bit. Add pepper. I like to add some oregano.

It looks like this and smells beautiful. 

Pour it into a baking dish/casserole dish. Now cover with cut up left over bread. Be generous. Over this sprinkle cheese. Now bake this until the bread is crisp and the cheese is golden. Then it looks like a pie...

It smells lovely. It goes perfectly with a roast and roast vegies. And of course makes your roast meat go a mile further!

Left overs still are good with a grill or a steak. Or if you have lots of left overs make little spaces in it and place a cracked egg into each and put in the oven for a beautiful brunch. Just cook until your eggs are set to the degree you like them. 

If I am cooking like this I will make double and have enough for another night, or freeze one. Or you could make a large mix and use half by setting some aside to go with pasta, so then you have different meals.

I always think of Nan when I make this. It is so simple it barely qualifies as a recipe but it has so many virtues... easy, tasty, healthy, cheap, uses left over up, can be prepared ahead and popped into oven, freezes, extends meat, the list goes on! In our case we have lots of tomatoes that needed using and stale bread in the freezer. 

Old fashioned cooking is wonderful. It was economical and simple and delicious!

Also Nan always placed everything in dishes on the table and people would help themselves. This is miles easier than trying to serve and keep hot a dozen dishes. If you have dishes with lids this is the way to go. I used to serve up everyone's meals and now I wonder why I did that as Nan's way is so much easier!

New Year, new gifts to make!

After Christmas my gift cupboard is very depleted! But that is the idea, to have made gifts all year and to have enough! Many years I made some but never most of my gifts. Last year a resolution was to start in January and work on different things all year. It worked! I had such a supply and choice at each birthday and then at Christmas.

So it is January again! What ever it is you like to make start now! Each month you will have more and more lovely things ready. I have started with crochet edges around face washers and matching hand towels. And I started with pink, then white and now I'm on to a lovely blue grey which is rather french!

My bath soaks would go well with this. But as the year goes on I will add soaps, hand creams, bath bombs etc that would make it a spa gift and all look nice together. Then tie it up with ribbon. Then it's a lovely gift.

On my recent gift shop visits I notice $20 doesn't go far. Any gift I would want to give is more like $50 up. Somethings I truly loved were hundreds. Who can pay that? Especially when you have lots of people you give gifts to!?

Solution. Make most of your own. Men are harder I think but I have worked out most men like food. Especially home cooking. Last year I baked my brother a large fruit cake. I know he loves them. And I have a recipe to use for a gift for Andy. His favourite wine is Malbec. He loves the stuff. I found a recipe for Malbec truffles that look so luxurious. I'm thinking a lovely box lined with beautiful paper and full of these truffles would be a great gift. Maybe Valentines Day?

In the back of my planner I keep a page purely for gift ideas. Sometimes you get an idea or hear someone say something about a wish or a need and I write it down before I forget. It means you usually have a good list of ideas and it is thoughtful to have remembered something from a conversation and given this perfect gift! It all beats last minute desperate "what will I get?" shopping that usually costs a bomb because you have run out of time.

So this is my start.... 

I have the pink ikea t towels also tied up with pink ribbon. I'm thinking of inserting wooden spoons into the bows. The trip to the farm resulted in two more of those finished as the car trip is long. I learned I can go right round a t towel each way!

Even if you only sit down for a short time each day it is amazing what you can do. I never just sit and crochet. It will be when we are watching something on tv or in the car mostly. It all adds up. And handiwork is good for you! Yep. It is known now that knitting calms you, lowers your blood pressure and is quite meditative. Being absorbed in making something lovely adds hugely to your own happiness. Having creative outlets is really important.

If you have talents use them. If you have lost something you once had as a skill resurrect it. If you feel you have no skills (I don't believe it) choose something your heart really loves and start at step one. With something like crochet you can be a learner and in a week doing very well. Almost any skill can be learned for free on you tube. It is so exciting to learn a new skill. Even Dr. Oz, my favourite doctor, says having hobbies and passions is so good for you it will increase your life span and happiness over all! Don't argue with the Doctor! 

Seriously if I was idle I would bite my nails. Worry more. Be more stress and frustrated. All bad. Instead I know I can't live long enough to do all the projects I want to and try everything I'm dreaming of! 

Summer living.

Adjusting life to the seasons is lovely. Sometimes I have to think about it and make a bit of a plan or I will forget things. One summer change was to use the stove as little as possible and make the most of cold meats, salads and BBQs. Doing this alone saved $100 on our gas bill and also it makes for quick easy meals. If we swim in the evening it means afterwards I can have tea on a plate in minutes. This means being outside and enjoying the beautiful evenings is much easier to do. When we have a BBQ I add extra meat so there is cold meat for the next night. It has reduced the amount I need to cook so much!

Another summer bonus is evening picnics at the beach. Then a swim. Evenings are so beautiful, sunset at the beach! To do it I pack a little picnic and off we go. It's such a nice night out.

In both cases having ready made salads that keep well is a huge help. They help during the day too as if I am hungry I will pick at these and not think of other things! 

We love fresh crunchy lettuces and greens. A favourite salad is rocket, slices of pear and walnuts. But to have on hand or travel you need something that is not going to wilt away or brown. 

A favourite is a salsa like salad which I just make with chopped onion, parsley, a tin of corn, chopped capsicum, tomatoes, chopped cucumber... all cut up about 1cm squares. It is colourful, yum and doesn't wilt. I keep this for a couple of days and it goes with lots of things really nicely. A tin of tuna on top makes a lovely lunch.

Another is my Mums rice salad. I use a little less rice and more salad... it actually is better the second day and even better the third day. On a picnic I will pack it into little mason jars, one per person, and include forks.  It's really good.

It is about two cups cooked rice, a handful or more of cashew nuts, a tin of corn, chopped capsicum, sliced celery, sultanas, chopped onion, pineapple pieces... honestly make it as big or small as you like and use the ingredients you like. Mix a teaspoon of curry powder in about half a cup of italian dressing and pour over and stir through. Let it chill and stir again. The flavour kind of develops! It is great with a BBQ or cold meats. Knowing I will get three days out of it I make it in quite big quantities. Just adjust to suit your family.

The other reliable one is so far nameless... lets call it Healthy Chickpea Salad!

It's a can of chickpeas. Cubed feta cheese, chopped onion, tomato, capsicum, cucumber, parsley. Dressing if you like. It's a bit like greek salad minus the bits that wilt.

When life is rushed pre prepared salads are just so handy and a good influence on me!

If there is one in the fridge I won't even think about what to have, I will go to that. Having a protein in each salad makes it a meal and keeps you full. Now secret of secrets... adding croutons, crispy bacon, cheese, grilled chicken makes salads appealing even to non salad lovers.  Small additions turn a salad into a whole meal. 

I'm happy we have several months to go of living like this as it is so easy and healthy too. 

If you have a good salad that lasts please share as I would love some more!