Back To Basics Challenge

From August 29 onwards:

Sowing seed or Planting

We got three bales of straw from the town on the highway when our son came home last weekend

Planning for The Future

I learnt that French-styled lentils, the small black ones, are probably called beluga lentils in the US and Canada, so have been able to find two new recipes so far, it was difficult last time I had a bag of those lentils from Coles.

• Curried Beluga Lentils (a recipe that includes miso paste) that includes a picture of the product there, from the brand Timeless
• A recipe from Woman & Home, French Sausage & Beluga Lentil Casserole which uses pork sausages.

We have been out to the regional centre and our hometown a lot, which is 3/4 hour past the regional centre. Yesterday I found a shop that sold engineering tools and my husband bought a punch for $20 to punch out a part on our wood heater handle at the other house. (Pictured my little girl and I after eating lunch on Tuesday.)



I thought ahead and got them to buy some ingredients I thought I would have trouble buying here, like prosciutto.

If anyone has spinach to use up, try this bolognaise, even without feta it would be gorgeous. We had it on Thursday night. Thankfully we have grocery shopped since then. The feta and spinach were what we had on hand hence the recipe find.

I may research something to make with quandong jam, but I think we will just eat it how it is.

Working for the Future

Wednesday we set up a bed and mattress etc. that we bought at the op-shop here for $20. It is a 70s chrome one. Really if you ignore the strong base, when it has the doonas on it is quite cute. Any surface marks on the chrome came off with a clean. My other daughter put the extra bed back on top of hers for a bunk, so when our son comes home for a mid semester break our eldest daughter won't have to sleep on the fold out bed in the lounge. It makes it a bit hard when she has to go to school the next day. Really though I bought it to style the other house to show the dimensions of the single room. Her new desk from Target has silver legs it will also style the room, she got it last summer.

Building Community

I went to my favourite op-shop on the way back from picking up my car. On the way down I got a good look at the swan's nest. The other went to the dentist and continued on, and I drove my car home. It is not fixed yet though. It is going to the local workshop on Monday. I got two $2 pictures that are modern shabby chic, crackled glaze, cream with pretty flowers on a muted pink background with moulded corners. A blue plate, some splades and a $5 fan for the summer as our pedestal fan in our room stopped working a few days before the end of the heat last summer. It is not as good, but I assume works.

Learn a new Skill

I have been been learning about health issues on a blog called Fanatic Cook. Here is an article about heart attacks and another about dental issues and osteoporosis drugs. Very interesting reading. If you take ibuprofen you may want to read the first one.


This meme comes from Belinda's blog.