Divine sweet potato peanut soup

I made the most divine soup tonight. 

This is superb, every one will think it came from a very classy restaurant.  

The recipe is adjusted from something I found on pinterest: 

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup roast unsalted peanuts

1 small can coconut milk

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

juice of 1 fresh lime

Saute chopped garlic and onion briefly to release flavours. Toss in sweet potato and top up with enough water to just cover.  Bring to the boil, then simmer until sweet potatoes are soft.

Puree with a blender. Return to pan.  Puree peanuts and coconut milk, add to sweet potato puree and return pot to low heat. Add lime juice and stir through well.

Warm up the soup but don't let it boil. 

Serve and eat, eat, eat. You might like coriander on top. I scooped up with a bread roll, but could have skipped it without feeling deprived. 

This recipe has lots of flavour, you don't need all the salt in stock!

Thank goodness there are left overs for tomorrow, and next week. Oh man this soup is good and so simple, homespun simple. Definitely quick enough to make after work!

Herbs for chicken health

Today I gave my chickens a posie of herbs for their good health. 

They've been out all day scratching around. When they go in tonight there is a surprise for them hanging just near their laying boxes. I have given them dandelion, thyme, mint, lemon balm, parsley and oregano.  I found a list of herbs and their uses for chickens here. I have a lot of them in my garden already although some like parsley and oregano are in short supply at this time of year.  This way they can self medicate and eat what they need.

They have clean bedding in their nesting box which I have strewn with lavender to keep mites and bugs away. 

It is also supposed to reduce stress and increase blood circulation. 

Day one of my homespun bliss week: where do I start?

Day one: where do I begin? Its sunny, but windy. The chooks are scratching around in the yard. The dogs are under my feet, the cats are sleeping in their favourite sunny spot. I got lots of housework done on Saturday but I didn't quite finish it. So I suppose I'll quickly round up the rest of the vacuuming, laundry and sorting. I have a small bag to go off to charity: I think there are a few more things to go in there. 

Once that is done I'll feel I have more space to be creative. 

Oh what a wonderful feeling a week at home is! Homespunbliss ahead.

Homespun bliss for one whole week - follow my week

I am off work for one whole week! 7 days/168 hours from Sunday evening to Sunday evening.  Today I have been doing housework, setting the stage if you like for a week of relaxation, organising, reading,  crafting, gardening and cooking. One whole week of homespunbliss is in store for me. 

Quesadilla with guacamole for lunch

A fancy name for toast, a quesadilla makes a yummy lunch or light supper.  You can fill it with anything: pesto and roast vegies works well. Today I suck with the Mexican theme.

Quesadilla ingredients

2 tortillas (I used spinach)
refried beans
mushrooms finely chopped
shallots chopped
baby spinach leaves
grated cheese

Spread the filling on one tortilla place second on top. Toast under the grill or in a cafe press. Use sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice into triangles.

Guacamole
Mash flesh of a fresh avocado.   Stir in chopped shallots, tomatoes and sweet chilli sauce.

Christmas in July at Grand Fountaindale Manor, Robertson

Tourists in our own town again today.

We walked down to Grand Fountaindale Manor for the last day of their Christmas in July celebration.

People from the northern hemisphere usually think its a very strange thing, decorating big hotels in full Christmas regalia in July. But its winter here now. Our summers are hot, hot, hot. You don't want egg nog and mulled wine and pudding when its 40 degrees and you run electric fans outside.  But its perfect in July.

We enjoyed Devonshire tea in front of a fire listening to old carols.

Planting dwarf apple trees reminiscent of Monet's garden

Our front garden is inspired by our trip to Monet's garden in Giverny, France.  While I could never claim a garden as wonderful as that our garden is pretty in a cottagy sort of way with flowers in shades of blue.

One of the things I loved in Monet's garden, and there were lots of things I loved, were the espaliered apple trees.

Ever since then I have wanted to plant apples in the same way, well today we did it. I bought two dwarf apple trees, one is a Jonathan and the other a Gala.  Both crisp red apples. I can't wait for Spring to see them come into blossoms and leaves.  Woebetide anything that causes the blossoms to fall early and reduce my chance of apples ;)

Not quite Monet style yet.  Well it needs to start somewhere.