What have you been doing today?

[*suzanne*]

Jo poor you and dd xx
glad to hear all is well astarra resting is so hard when pregnant good luck with it
Lily and I did some baking this morning now she is having a rest and I'm off to vacuum and put the clean washing away before the boys get home from school

[Nikkit]

PP there are a few different ways of doing olives. I have tried a few different ways and have narrowed it down to the one that works for me. It does take a few weeks, but worth it. I have tried salting them - but found them too salty, I have brined them and had bottles quietly fizzing away in the pantry - scared me when I found them as I was hoping they were not going to blow the lids off when I moved them! I've failed miserably and had more fuzz/fur/green hairy growths coming out the bottles that I have ever seen before! Pickling olives certainly are a learning curve!

Nothing like a good set of "cankles" astarra  I had them too. Rest up though. 

[cookie1]

Nikkit I checked with DH when I got home. He said you need at least a trailer load of olives. The place that did theirs took a heap of the oil too. Keaney College at Bindoon has a press to, don't know what they charge. If you would like more information ill ask DH to ring the farm.

We do our olives using caustic soda and then of course rinse VERY well and a brine solution and then pickle them in a vinegar solution. They aren't salty at all then.

[Nikkit]

Thanks cookie - I think that might rule me out, I don't have a trailer load of olives. Is that the Catholic Ag place up at Bindoon that you mean? I can give them a call and ask - thanks.
The place where I buy my fruit in the valley has olive oil, so I'll ask them next time I call in. (don't know why I didn't think of it before  )
Thanks Cookie - much appreciated 

[cookie1]

Yes you are right about Keaney college. Good luck with the olives.

[Kimmyh]

Glad things are well Astarra. Yes rest is best.

Today have been forced to strip our bed and wash everything including woollen underlay.  Thanks to DS4 who gulped juice too quickly this morning and ran crying into snoozing mum with ingestion pains. He threw himself at me which produced an enormous burp followed by vomit. Eew! Why is it I always get spewed on???  Of course lots of rain forecast today, which we sooo need, but I want my underlay dry first

[*suzanne*]

oh dear  kimmy poor you and ds hope you get your underlay dry and yep it's always us mum's that cop it )

[cookie1]

It's because they love us.   

[*suzanne*]

can think of other ways they could show us

just got back from watching dh play cricket,  now I know why in 11 years I've never been to watch,  thank goodness the weather was perfect the kids played with the footy and ate and I laid back on the picnic rug chillaxing with nothing to do for 3 hours which actually was really pleasant

[Kimmyh]

Relaxing does sound great Suzanne. Secretly I hope the boys don't play cricket.  It's sooo boring

[*suzanne*]

yes it is but laying on the rug was absolute bliss who would of thought

[Amy :-)]

Suzanne, poor you, I feel sorry for my mum when I think of all the soccer games she had to come to, but cricket must be ten times worse!

Kimmy, eeeewwww!!

[Kimmyh]

Yes Amy. I am still saying eewwwww!

[Delightful Den]

We hardly ever entertain but today we had friends visit from Perth and also had dinner guests.

I had invited a friend of mine who also teaches at DWs school and his family for dinner. Last week our friends from Perth mentioned they might come down, we assumed for the weekend and thought that's ok dinner for 10 instead of six. We hadn't heard anything from them so assumed they probably changed their mind. Then they called Friday night and said they were only coming for the day.

So Saturday morning I am now planning lunch for 6 and dinner for 6. Deep breath. Sixteen hours later and 3 loads of dishes in the dishwasher plus hand washing I finally got to relax. We survived and I think I pulled it off ok. Better planning and a little bit more notice and I think I could have enjoyed myself more.

Here is what I did. Lunch was a Nigella's Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup from here and a sort of Ploughman's with cold meat, bread (bought I didn't have time to make my own), olives, pickled onions, cheese assorted salad type veggies, a baked cheese with crackers to dip with and fruit.

Dinner was Camembert En Cruet (from FFS) ,olives, cheese and crackers for starters, Stuffed and Steamed Chicken served with vegetable ribbons for mains and finally Rhubarb and Strawberry Dessert soup with vanilla gelato.

Oh yeah plus much wine and coffee.

 

[Cornish Cream]

When walking the dog this afternoon I caught this rainbow as the rain stopped and the sun came out.