eatin: giorno trenta e trentuno

A total family fave which has been trotted out semi-regularly since 2004 (trying to find link to first instance and failing, this is the best I've come up with).


30.01

Chili con carne from BBC Comfort food

Cooked by: Carol

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Another brilliant meal by the super-fantastic chef who is my husband. This is one of our beloved meals which we've been careful not to overdo (yay! we do sometimes learn lessons!) - some of which has been earmarked for the freezer for one of those easy shopping-night meals.


31.01

Gumbo. Inspired by multiple recipes on teh internets.

Cooked by: Don

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And that makes a whole month!

A whole month of remembering to get the camera out before eating and where we've not repeated a meal! This has been somewhat confronting because we're really wont to repeat (and repeat and repeat).

The challenge for February will be to only repeat once a week (primarily because there are leftovers from January in freezer).

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≤$6 ≤6 words

Regular readers will no doubt recall my ≤$6 readin' project.

The project was going hammer and tongs, but is kind of stuck at the moment because I'm using any excuse possible (such as reading strange religious tracts) to avoid the book¹ I'm 96 (of 572) pages into.

The burning question is, should I abandon a book I find quite tedious and characters I find supremely unpleasant and move onto something else? Or plough through and hope there is some sort of redemption? Or anything remotely interesting/diverting?

Smila raved about this author and gifted me a book while she was here (which is not the one I'm struggling with, that's still languishing on the shelf and may do so for a long while yet) and am trying awfully hard to like it, but have to admit that it is just not doing it for me. Ruth Rendell, PD James and Minette Walters do the whole genre so very much better (perhaps I should send Smila a care package?).

Anyway, I thought it might be cute to review what I've completed thus far in less than or equal to six words (because I spent $6 or less on each - I'm certain this thing has been done before on an infinite number of blogs, but hey, I'm going with it anyway).

Book 1: Judith McNaught: Someone to watch over me
Cost: $1 (St Vinnies)
≤ 6 words: Slightly fewer twists than hazelblackberry's life.

Book 2: Roger Moore: Roger Moore as James Bond (an account of the filming of Live and Let Die)
Cost: $1 (St Vinnies)
≤ 6 words:Rollicking. Need to buy biography. <3

Book 3: John Grisham: The Client
Cost: $1 (St Vinnies)
≤ 6 words: Same as every Grisham book ever

Book 4: Damned if I can remember who wrote it (because it has since been re-donated to St Vinnies) but it was an un-authorised biography of Laurence Olivier written in the 1970/80s. If I can recall who it was, will update.
Update: was Thomas Kiernan: Olivier

Cost: $1 (St Vinnies)
≤ 6 words:Olivier + Leigh = Execrable, tiresome jerks

Book 5¹: Elizabeth George: Playing for the ashes
Cost: $1 (St Vinnies)
≤ 6 words: Makes me hate books.

<edited to make it clearer which book I am struggling with>

<another edit because I hadn't disposed of the Olivier Book yet>

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eatin: giorno ventinove

One of the more excellent things about the babies being teenagers is that they will uncomplainingly eat all manner of foods and are happy to try new things.

This was possibly the best version of this dish Don has cooked because the wok is finally becoming nicely seasoned. Truly spectacular!


29.01

Kung Pao Chicken - from a long forgotten location on teh internets.

Cooked by: Don

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eatin: giorno ventisette e ventotto

Not the most attractive meal out there, but one of the most yummilicious! We'll be pairing the leftovers with steak later in the week.


27.01

Porcini mushroom risotto with greens (originally inspired by a recipe in Mark Bittman's: How to cook everything

Cooked by: Don

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Another quick and easy Thursday night shopping meal - with basils from rancho farmo!! And the first wee tomato from our plant!

We're really loving these salads.


28.01

Thai basil and beef salad from Donna Hay: beef, lamb + pork

Cooked by: Don

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eatin: giorno ventisei

Australia Day, and what for it but lamb (and loads of beer, but we'll gloss over that)?

Unfortunately what we had assumed was boned lamb contained bones, so Don had to brutalise the poor thing to remove them. He brutalised, I trussed. This meal will forever be known as bondage lamb.




26.01

Lemon and oregano roast lamb from Donna Hay: beef, lamb + pork

It was quite, quite lovely and we'll definitely be having it again.

Cooked by: Carol

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almost live beer tasting: tuesday

It was Australia Day, so to celebrate multiculturalism, we were drinking everything but Australian beers!

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Beer Five: Fuller's Extra Special ESB Champion Ale 5.9%
What the bottle says: Twice voted world champion bitter, three times voted champion beer of Britain and the winner of many awards around the globe, ESB is acknowledged as one of the world's greatest beers.

Smooth, full bodied and bursting with flavour, with marmalade fruitiness throughout, ESB's rich malty notes are balanced by a unique blend of northdown, target, challenger and goldings hops to give a long, satisfying finish.



Carol: 4/5
All those awards were definitely deserved, this is a really lovely drop. Very drinkable, but definitely beer-y.

Don: 5/5
Finally a beer that lives up to it's label.

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Beer Six: St Peter's India Pale Ale 5.5%
What the bottle says: Originally produced to quench the thirst of British troops in the 1800's. Traditionally highly hopped and robust to survive the long voyage to the Indian sub-continent. The result is a full bodied Pale Ale with a zesty character.



Carol: 2.5/5
I thought this kind of meh - definitely IPA-ish, could definitely taste the molasses but it was kind of jarring and not very well rounded. And, despite searching, I couldn't really locate any zest

Don: 2.5/5
Meh says it best, baby

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Beer Seven: Schwelmer Pils 4.7%
What the bottle says: Ingredients are just about it.



Carol: 2/5
Underwhelming. Expected it to be a great deal better, I'm really not feeling the Euro-beers to be honest.

Don:3/5
Not bad, but didn't get much of the saaz as I expected.

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Beer Eight: Monteith's Zesty Radler Bier 5.0%
What the bottle says: Monteith's Radler is a refreshingly fruity lager based on a style first brewed in Bavaria. An easy drinking beer brewed to full strength with light hoppy notes. A hint of natural lemon and distinctive tangy fruity character and zesty finish.



Carol: 3/5
Could definitely taste the lemon, just not the beer! Honestly tasted like sprite. Brought back memories of the mid-90s and the alcoholic lemonade fad. Would drink again though - just not when I'm wanting beer!

Don: 1/5 (as a beer) 3/5 (in the wider beverage category)
Didn't taste like beer at all. Very refreshing though.
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it's a boy!

My baby boy is coming to live with us! We're super-excited!

While I might focus on the many upsides of of being a non-custodial parent, it is a very, very difficult thing indeed (but of course I mostly keep that stuff close - because I'm all about the cheery!).

I'm thrilled I get a chance at the endless homework and clean your room naggery with one of the babies. Joan can attest that my nagging skills are quite advanced (not that they actually had any result, you understand) and I will be pleased to get to use them again.

And Don's getting a crash course in parenthood.

Handover details still to be nutted out.

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advice to live by

From the Old El Paso tortillas package:


Caution: product becomes hot when heated.

Apologies for the appalling photograph, I really do need to read that camera manual.

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quite belated live beer-tasting: sunday

I'm a very late adopter when it comes to beer, after years of screwing up my nose, I now adore it and love trying new varieties, so we've been toying for a while with signing up for a Beermasons beer plan, but general sloth and indolence and forgettery have prevented us from doing so up until now (and probably in the distant future).

Yesterday, when we dropped into the Amatos on the way home from the hardware store (a post for the monstera, top up of worms for the worm farm &etc), we decided to go for a mix of exotic/interesting beers and do a wee bit of a tasting of our own. It was nice to actually see a mix of exotic/interesting beers available, our local BWS has reduced their range to about 7 varieties of beer.

Don started the photographing, and I really think we can see who takes the superior snaps!

This was initally planned to be live, but it has suffered the same fate as the beer plan. We're continuing the tastings today though, so perhaps that will be slightly more live.

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Beer One: Abbott Ale 5.0%
What the bottle says: Brewed longer for a distinctive full flavour



Carol: 2.5/5
Inoffensive and drinkable, but ridiculously expensive for being just that. Value for money is on the Carlton Draught.

Don: 2/5
I didn't find the full flavour the bottle promised. It kind of fell flat for me.

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Beer Two: Waggle Dance 5.0%
What the bottle says: Brewed using our own natural mineral water and real honey, this delicious golden ale has tantalising honeyed aromas tempered by a grassy, lemony nose - all leasing to a finely balanced, fresh, delicate flavour of hops with a lingering dry finish.



Carol: 2.5/5
Again inoffensive and totally drinkable. The honey was just barely there and I stuggled to find any grass or lemon. But again no value for money in this one, didn't live up to the hype at all.

Don: 2/5
A bit of a disappointment. I expected, at least, a honeyed hint but didn't find it.

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Beer Three: Twisted Thistle IPA 5.3%
What the bottle says: A refreshing example of an India Pale Ale from the master brewers at Belhaven. The blend of Cascade and Challenger hops combine to produce an abundance of fresh hop aroma that preludes a bitter-dry taste explosion. Crafted from nearly three centuries of brewing heritage at one of Scotland's oldest breweries, this ale from Belhaven will have your taste buds lingering


Carol: 4/5
Delightful, delicious, de-lovely! I do love an India Pale Ale and this one was quite nice indeed, just enough of the molassesy. Would drink again.

Don: 3/5
Not bad, but the hops didn't come through enough for me.

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Beer Four: La Guillotine 9%
What the bottle says: lists the ingredients



Carol: 0/5
Perfectly ghastly. Too disgustingly sweet, then too disgustingly bitter. Would rather drink a vat of lukewarm poison than drink again.

Don: 2/5
Lots going on that covers up the high alcohol content. An example of how complex a beer can be, but not a taste I've yet acquired.

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one free with every $30 spent at bws

When too many flags are barely enough:



I'm not sure why people feel the need to drape their transportation in the Australian flag. All I know is that it makes me sad that I cannot ironically wear my gym-shower Australian flag thongs.

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eatin: giorno venticinque

Out for dinner tonight! We were planning to cook, but decided upon an impromptu meal out instead. We'd planned to go to the pub, but it was infested with trivia players, so Japanese it was (because I am a lovely and considerate wife).




25.01

Gyoza and BBQ Squid from Teriyaki Japanese Fusion‎.

Delightful!

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eatin: giorno venti quattro

I'd agree that it's the height of crazy to cook soup in the middle of summer, but fortunately the weather had cooled down quite a bit from the day before (which hit 42^oC) and it is quite delicious - slow cooked ham-hocks are so very yummy!


24.01

Cuban black bean soup from Women's Weekly The Weekend Cook

Cooked by: Carol

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stuff in my letterbox: batshitcrazy edition

It truly is not ever going to get crazier than this.

A sixteen page religious tract! Multi-columned with teensy type!


Galaxy in Rebellion! Ellen G White (1827-1915)

The bullet points are not terribly clear in the above photo, so let me share them:

• Wrote 50 inspired books
  
• Perhaps history's most
  
• prolific lady author
  
• Verified by 2000 visions
  
• All dramatically fulfilled
  
• Not 50 but 100% accuracy
  
• Wrote on healthful living
  
• on medicine, education
  
• All scientifically verified
  
• Written 125 years ago
  
• When science/medicine
  
• were mostly superstitions

I've been trying to wade my way through it, but it has an incredibly soporific effect and despite trying valiantly, I've not been able to make it past page 7. It's been a couple of weeks now and I'm still not entirely sure what the intent is.

Initially there's a heck of a lot of paraphrasing of the old testament, which Ellen claims as her visions. Then there's a whole lot of paraphrasing of the new testament. And then we get to the (very long and not quite clear) pointy end of things:

"The people were entirely deceived. They were taught that the popes and priests were Christ's representatives, when in fact they were the representatives of Satan; and when they bowed to them, they worshiped Satan." Excellent!

There's a bit of a recurring theme that Satan, through the agencies of his minions: the popes and priests, has tricked people in to celebrating the sabbath on the first day of the week and not the true sabbath and that this is A Very Bad Thing. And there's a fair bit of DOOM and such.

There's a bit about the reformation: Martin Luther and some dude called Melancthon. Peppered with more sabbath trickery. And lots of second coming prophesies which failed to materialise, but were really just god testing the failful. And more sabbath. And doom, lots of doom.

That actually makes the whole thing sound infinitely more exciting than it is. Mostly it is just plodding, turgid and crazy. Lots of crazy.

Today, despite being only half way in, I caved and visited wikipedia. The whole sabbath being celebrated on the wrong day became clear: 7th Day Adventists! I had no idea what they were about, but what with this whole incorrectly observed sabbath obsession and the "7th day" part of the name, of course! Who knew it was such a fringey, nutcase religion?

See the sort of quality material you're missing out on if you have "no junk mail" stickers on your letterbox?

If there are any insomniacs out there, let me know and I will pass it on, it will cure you entirely.

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eatin: giorno ventitre

At least five hours in the making, this was truly one of the most excellent things I've eaten, no wonder those American's like their BBQ! Certainly beats a couple of snags or a chop.

The ribs were rubbed and braised and smoked and basted and sauced. Rub, baste and sauce all of Don's invention.

A big shout out for the potato salad too - a brilliant accompaniment! Dressing also of Don's invention with fresh dill from Rancho Farmo (I take full credit for the genius farm idea).


23.01

Don's incredibly complex BBQ ribs with potato salad.


We then laid about groaning after gorging ourselves stupid.

Cooked by: Don

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eatin: giorno diciassette e diciotto e diciannove e venti e ventuno e ventidue

Rolling this into one post is way too horrible to compile (we ate what? when?), so the h4t3rz are going to have to suck it up while I return to daily or semi-daily posts.

I'd have to say one thing about this project, it has definitely forced us to try really hard not to repeat (and made us aware of how frequently we did so).

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17.01

Burritos! Thanks to Old El Paso as ever.

Cooked by: Carol

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Readers from the mrshardly days will be amused to see that I actually own a Donna Hay cook book. In my defense, I did not purchase it - it was amongst a pile of books a kindly neighbour had put out on the footpath (we seem to do that a fair bit around here, is nice!).


18.01
Veal with soft polenta and blue cheese - from Donna Hay: simple essentials - beef, lamb + pork.

Quite yummy, though next time would flick the polenta and serve with mash (shot of Don's plate where too much blue cheese is barely enough).

Cooked by: Don

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Out to see The Decemberists this evening (and gosh darned excellent they were too), so required speedily prepared nourishment beforehand.


19.01

Nachos! Burritos leftovers repurposed.

Cooked by: Carol

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Another that has only recently made a comeback from the wilderness after being consumed way, way, way too frequently.


20.01

Chicken Massaman curry. Thanks to Mae Ploy for the paste (and I was going to credit the fabulously named Thep Padung Porn Coconut Co, who were the importers, but seem to no longer be).

Ugly as all get out - but totally delicious!

Cooked by: Carol

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This was an utterly inspired, post-shopping decision. So quick! So tasty!

I've been somewhat reluctant to use this book because I completely and utterly loathe the styling of it. Honestly, if I met Gayna Murphy and Caterina Scardino (lifestyle and fashion stylists, respectively) in a dark alley, I would give them such nasty looks - so many pages of an otherwise perfectly good cookbook are wasted with full page shots of whimsical girls in tied-dyed slips and wellington boots in the middle of fields!

Anyway, lesson learned about judging books filled with annoying waifs.


21.01

Lamb Cutlets with chunky tabouleh from Marie Claire: Fresh + Fast

The tabouleh used herbs from our very own Rancho Farmo! It was utterly marvellous! I can't believe how infinitely superior fresh herbs from the garden are to fresh herbs from the store!

Cooked by: Don

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Had planned risotto, but it was so unpleasantly hot that we flicked that idea and took the take-away option.


22.01

Tom Kha Gai, Duck salad, Penang Curry from Thai Center in Glebe. Have to say I preferred it to Deli's Thai (which is a smidge closer).

Obviously brilliant minds think alike because we missed the lovely flashman and the lovely smallstakes by about an hour.

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the visitor

Last evening after we returned home from an amazingly fun Decemberists show (and as an aside, if you can, you should go see them!), Don went out to water Rancho Farmo (what? you don't water your garden at 12.30am?).

I was sitting inside tooling around on teh internets (as I'm wont to do), when Don called me outside, to show me this:


The biggest stick-insect I have every seen in my life. He resembled a very slender lobster. I was rather thankful we are well supplied in the fly-screen department!

This morning we initially thought he'd vanished, but he'd just wandered about the railing a bit. We've named him Sticky. Some people apparently keep them as pets, we prefer our giant insects to be free range.




Close up! Isn't he pretty?


For scale. Yes, that is a 30cm (12 inch) ruler.

Sticky was chillin' the same spot this afternoon, not having moved a great deal. I hope he sticks (ha!) around, because he's rather endearing. Although if he starts chowing down on the contents of Rancho Farmo he'll be encouraged to move on.

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stuff in my letterbox: mysterious edition

Yesterday when I collected the mail, I found this amongst the catalogues and home delivery menus.



It's a card for a registered post article. Which is perplexing, as I'm not expecting anything. Even more perplexing is that it is in my previous name, and as far as I know I have changed pretty much everything.

So far my list of probables is:

• A fabulous prize for some un-remembered contest I entered years ago
  
• Hate mail which the recipient really wants to ensure I receive
  
• A new digipass for my internet savings account (unlikely, I think they'd email)
  
• Library fine (quickly discounted as 1. in new name 2. no fines outstanding)
  

I'm collecting this morning - all will be revealed...

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And the reveal.....
Mystery registered post contained $40 of myer vouchers from some online surveys I'd completed and forgotten about haviang redeemed. D'oh!

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hottest 100: joan

Bon Iver: Blood Bank
Bon Iver: For Emma
La Roux: Bulletproof
Lily Allen: Not Fair
Muse: I Belong To You
Muse: Undisclosed Desires
Muse: Uprising
National, The: So Far Around The Bend
Radiohead: These Are My Twisted Words
Sia: You've Changed

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hottest 100: carol

Bluejuice: Broken Leg
Calvin Harris: I'm Not Alone
Flight Of The Conchords: Hurt Feelings
Japandroids: Young Hearts Spark Fire
Prodigy, The: Omen
Hilltop Hoods: Chase That Feeling
Paper Scissors, The: Howl
Monsters Of Folk: Say Please
Prodigy, The: World's On Fire
Yo La Tengo: Periodically Double Or Triple

Of course, after I'd voted, I found a whole bunch of songs I should have voted for.

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hottest 100: joe/frank

Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden: Bonkers
Eskimo Joe: Foreign Land
Flight Of The Conchords: Hurt Feelings
Foo Fighters: Wheels
Gossip, The: Heavy Cross
Jet: She's A Genius
La Roux: Bulletproof
Powderfinger: All Of The Dreamers
Prodigy, The: Omen
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Zero

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hottest 100: don

Atlas Sound: Walkabout (Ft. Panda Bear)
Big Pink, The: Velvet
Flaming Lips: Borderline/Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Like A Version)
Lost Valentinos: Midnights
Modest Mouse: Satellite Skin
Phoenix: Lisztomania
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Hysteric
Yo La Tengo: Periodically Double Or Triple
Flight Of The Conchords: Hurt Feelings
Japandroids: Young Hearts Spark Fire

I think we need look no further for the wooden spoon winner.
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hottest 100: bessie

Bluejuice: Broken Leg
Eskimo Joe: Foreign Land
Flight Of The Conchords: Hurt Feeling
Flight Of The Conchords: To Many Dicks
Franz Ferdinand: No You Girls
Jet: She's A Genius
John Butler Trio: One Way Road
Lady Sovereign: So Human
Los Campesinos: These Are Listed Buildings
Seth Sentry: The Waitress Song

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hottest 100: 2009 edition

And on Australia Day, the family hottest 100 trophy is once again up for grabs.



Who will win the people's ovation and fame forever?

Posts with votes to follow.

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a busy day

It's that time of the year again - school book covering time! Well, for Bessie anyway, she got her book list before school finished last year.


Book covering was revolutionised this year with the introduction of 3M pre-cut tape strips. Where have they been all my life?

Bessie and I have been rather crafty this week:


A tote for her best pal's birthday - refining her silk-screening skills. She did most of this on her own, with a bit of guidance.


A library bag for her little brother (lined, no less!) - requiring an emergency dash to the fabric store this morning.

Don was both crafty and frugal and whipped himself up some clam chowder for lunches this week.



Although I am a big fan of bivalve molluscs, I find the thought of clam chowder terribly unsettling. I think it is the seafood / cream / bacon combo. I could barely set foot in the kitchen while it was being prepared - perhaps some past life experience. Eventually I was coerced into tasting - it wasn't nearly as terrifying as I'd imagined. It would be delish if you liked that sort of thing - Don and Joe/Frank absolutely love it. Me? Not so much.

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eatin: giorno quindici e sedici

There have been rumblings of displeasure within the fam. that this has devolved into a "what I'm eating" blog, so henceforth I'm going to attempt a weekly eatin post and try to slot in some other content (well, after this post). Will try to post daily to flickr though.


15.01

Chorizo and pasta. A very, very old standby - chorizo, passata (or a tin of tomato), onion, fresh basil + pasta spirals (or whatever pasta is in the cupboard). Very little effort - very yum.

Cooked by: Carol

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Terribly complex and quite delish Saturday cooking project by the lovely Don.


16.01

Ropa vieja from Women's Weekly: New Casseroles

Cooked by: Don

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eatin: giorno tredici e quattordici

Sadly, Wednesday's meal was another we've overdone, it will also be having a wee bit of time out of the rotation. Will we never learn?


13.01

Orecchiette with roast tomato and basil sauce - Nigel Slater: Kitchen Diaries

It is completely and utterly delicious and ridiculously inexpensive, hence the overdoing.

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Shopping this evening, so another meal requiring not-a-great-deal-of-effort was required. This is such a default post-shopping meal that it is in danger of going on the bench too.


14.01

Chicken enchiladas (with accompaniments) - once again from the fabulous Lenards.

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eatin: giorno dodici

Quick, easy, yummy.


12.01

Lamb souvlaki on pita bread (with lashings and lashings of tzatziki): a recipe by Bessie

Cooked by: Don

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eatin: giorno undici

Formerly one of our favourites, we've overdone this one a little, as we have a terrible tendency to do, so I think we'll be giving this one a rest for a while.


11.01

Roast chicken wings with lemon and cracked pepper - Nigel Slater: Kitchen Diaries

Cooked by: Don and Carol

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eatin: giorno dieci

I skipped dinner last evening, I had a wee bit much to drink on an empty stomach and needed a lie down while dinner was happening. Thankfully my adorable husband had the foresight to take a photo (what a darling!)


10.01

Pasta bake (essentially lasagne with bechemel sauce, but with pasta spirals)

Cooked by: Carol, Don, Bessie (super cheese grater)

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pimpin' aint easy

Back in the mid-1990's, when the babies were very small and new and we lived in suburbia, husband2 and I sent away for some mail order thing (I have absolutely no recollection of what it was) in the back of the tv guide and received the one of the best things I've ever owned as a bonus.

Unfortunately, he got to keep it when we divorced. What is it, I hear you asking? A magic defrosting tray!

I've been periodically mourning it's loss to Don over the years, "If we'd had a magic tray, we could totally cook spontaneous x"...

I have never, ever been able to use any microwave to defrost anything successfully, but this, this was truly magic! Made from some sort of metal, it defrosted anything you put on it quickly and to perfection, with none of those horrid partially cooked bits that a microwave will give you.

A couple of months ago, I was in St Vinnies and yea verily, I spotted *the* tray! For $10!! In original packaging! I knew it had to be mine, honestly, I would have paid $100 for it.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I got to the counter and discovered it was 1/2 price day. Truly, sometimes the universe does love me.


Action shot.
Pork for tonight's pasta bake.

I am only sorry that I did not take a photograph of the box before I tossed it - it was a designers nightmare - plastered with awesome "as seen on tv" logos and lengthy italicised lists of its many features.

If you find one somewhere (particularly if it is $5), you should really make it your own.

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eatin: giorno nove

Dreadfully hot today, so an easy dinner was in order, unusual because ordinarily we use the weekend to cook terribly complicated dishes.

I am an enormous fan of potato salad in all of its forms, and Don truly makes the best in the universe: a secret combo of mayo (some secret American mayo), mustard and dill - to. die. for.


09.01

New York Steak + Potato Salad + Greens

Cooked by: Don (he really does do a great deal of the cooking, doesn't he?)

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i wondered what if my name'd changed into something more productive, like roscoe

Babies are here for the holidays, although you would not suspect they are here. They don't have access to the internet at their other home, so it is terribly quiet in their room while they catch up on their various online activities.

On the way back from collecting aforesaid babies, we dropped into a garden centre in the hopes that we'd manage to locate some corriander (everywhere in the immediate vicinity was severely lacking in same). And verily, we did locate some!

We also picked up some dill, tarragon, more mint and marigolds - to hopefully discourage the horrid flying and crawling creatures who love to eat everything we grow (we've been investigating companion planting).

As a consequence, the farm looks much more farmy...





And enjoy the view:



Pics taken on the birthday camera with the pinhole setting.

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