THANKS

Yes, we are VERY lucky.  raspberries are just sooo expensive.  We plan to put some canes in for next year now that our boundary fences are up.  We have a decent vegie garden, and so will be keen to expand as the year goes on. 

My DS2 already loves to help with the cooking - he will run from wherever he is when he hears the timer beeping, and yelling "Thermie, Thermie, Thermie" as he goes.  DD was really crabby the other day when we were baking a sponge cake and I used the Kitchen Aid (had it for years) and not the Thermie - mummy was reprimanded by the 4 year old!

I did lurk for a while, love perusing the recipes.  Mum and dad also have huge amounts of rhubarb, any ideas on what I could do with that?  Thinking about jam, and just the usual stewing and freezing - absolutly love rhubarb here.  My dad has always been a vegie gardener, so growing up we always fresh fruit and veg from the garden.  Mum used to always preserve the beetroot, nectarines etc, and there were always peas, beans and carrots in the freezer.  I love that our kids are growing up that way too.  They love picking the starwberries each afternoon, and pulling carrots fresh from the garden to eat.

But once the waiting is over, then the playing can begin