Back To Basics Challenge

Sowing seed or Planting Planning for The Future - meal planning, the next seasons garden plan, working out storage plans or more long term goals and projects like plans for digging root cellars

On Monday I went outside with the little girls. I found that our sunflowers had come up. The same dark coloured multi stemmed sunflower has come up in the same place for years now and is my favourite. Only problem the dog loves things with stalks, so have to think of a plan before they get too big.

I found there were some greens there from our daughter's vegie garden that we could harvest.

On Wednesday night I tried to menu plan for two weeks around the hampers. I could double check I haven't used the same ingredients twice in my menu plan. I was fortunate that even after paying for school books and a power bill that I could still order fruit and vegetables I don't think waiting until the new delivery date of Tuesday will be a problem this week, but we will see.

Thursday I found in an old magazine I am trying to declutter (often they are more interesting later) some pear varieties. We want to establish an orchard at our new house. I have a site worked out, but didn't have cash for trees this year. It didn't want to get tiny ones. We decided we liked the sound of the Honey Pear as it is good bottled. None of the other pears said that. It is a little like a brown pear but a plumper shape. They are also known as Quall or Winter Nelis.

Working for the Future - storing food, managing stores, preserving, building that home made cob or solar oven, adding house insulation, saving for manual grain mills etc

I made a start on my magazine pile that is obviously old and not interesting. Trouble is it is all interesting to me in some way. But I took at least 15 or so out so far, when I get a small stack ready I ask my 17 year old to take them to the recycling bin before I forget which pile is which. Later on I had another couple of goes and got some more magazines taken to the bin.

We reacquainted ourselves with an old recipe for lunch.

Bacon and Mushroom Croissant Filling

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon french mustard
2 bacon rashers, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
60g mushrooms, chopped

Combine mayonnaise with sour cream and mustard. Cook bacon until crisp. Spread mayonnaise mixture over one half of each croissant. Sprinkle with bacon and shallots, top with mushrooms then other half of croissant. Bake uncovered in moderate oven for about 10 minutes.



Someone lent us a Jamie Oliver frypan by Tefal. It made it easier to turn the food, so something to think about.

Got inspired to cook by Beyond River Cottage Episode 10, a Christmas episode. Please don't judge it by the first minute. It is nice to revisit some cooking that you have done in the past and remember why you like it so much, even if you don't take advantage of it straight away.

On Saturday in soil that has been cultivated and watered hubby found a gorgeous red poppy like the one we are saving the seed from, only that one was purple I think. It could have been grown by the previous owners. This prompted hubby to ask if there were any seeds I need to get planted from my seed stash. He doesn't have a lot of time, but at least we are going through it thinking.

Building Community - volunteering, donations, joining an existing community group, forming your own community group, taking a cake to a friend having a hard time, calling someone you just let drift out of your life, etc

I got two shopping bags full of clothes ready to take to the op-shop. Hubby has a better eye for size and took a few minutes out to help me. Some clothes just seem to be the wrong shape after awhile. I got the bags taken away so they are not still in the house.

Learn a new Skill

I am in the middle of getting a refund for some goods that weren't exactly right when they arrived. I need to write a letter and get it posted. I haven't done that before.


The ironed dress for the Christmas concert.

Please visit Belinda's blog to find out more about this meme.