Coffee Liqueur as part of Frangelico cream martini.

[Nikkit]

I especially love it when the wind blows in the right direction and I smoke out the nasty neighbours next door!  (I know - childish, but they do it too!)

[achookwoman]

Naughty Nikkit,  hope you haven't got washing out when they light their fires.    No neighbours close enough to benefit from our smoke.

[Bootobethin]

I am just interested in why the leaves are not put into compost Nikkit?
We are not allowed to burn litter like that even though it is fun.
We have a farm in our family and all leaves etc are composted and tilled back into the soil over time.

[Nikkit]

I am just interested in why the leaves are not put into compost Nikkit?
We are not allowed to burn litter like that even though it is fun.
We have a farm in our family and all leaves etc are composted and tilled back into the soil over time.

I have 5 acres, don't crop it, and have loads of trees on the back fence, so we rake and burn every winter/spring. Ideally I'd love to just let it all mulch in, but reality is we have some pretty serious bushfires up here in summer and there's no way I need to add more fuel to the fire so to speak, by leaving 200-300mm of leaves and sticks on the ground every year.

I have way too many leaves to mulch for garden/vege garden, plus it would still be a fire hazard.

Where abouts are you Bootobethin - if you aren't allowed to burn?

[Bootobethin]

The farm is in the Adelaide hills so high fire risk. The large fallen timber is burned every few years but the leaf litter etc is composted and tilled back in areas where it is possible to till so all is clear and tidy each fire season. The property is 40 hectares with some grazing and some bushland. I am not judging but am genuinely interested in how it is all dealt with it is so different from place to place. Every one has to keep their property as safe as possible from fire the best way possible.

[cookie1]

I would imagine fire risk is paramount in the Adelaide Hills. Nikkit you had a few fires up your way last summer too.

[achookwoman]

We are in a fire prone area in the Macedon Ranges.  We are encouraged to burn branches that drop each year.  Ral saws up branches for our heating.  The wood is stacked up away from the house for 3 years to dry out.  The leafy bit are burnt each year.  The GC love to help with this. The council  has a program of burning each year.  They never get it all done.  Leaves from the Autumn trees are raked up and put on the garden.  We add the rice hulls from the chook shed to these.
We have a mulched that we also use to munch up green trimmings.  We have 25 acres and it is a lot for us to maintain.  1/3 is forest.

[Nikkit]

Interesting Bootobethin...

we have to have firebreaks (3m) here...which I don't, BUT I mow my paddocks here so the grass is kept at about 10cm or less at the start of summer. The shire has never complained about what I do. I have seen fires go through up here and a 3m firebreak is about as useful as the "g" in lasagne, a clear block with low grass is a lot better.
we also have times when we can and can't burn, this years restrictions were extended as we didn't have any rain til late April. We wait until we have good green coverage before we burn anything. We don't have trees within 40 odd metres from the house either, so no leaves in gutters etc.

I can see your point with mulching etc, but with fires being such a risk in the hills either here, SA or Vic or anywhere else, it surprises me that owners of their own properties can't "fire proof" their place by burning off each year. If you have acres of bushland that you can safely burn every couple of years, to get rid of or reduce the leaf litter on the ground, that has got to be a whole lot better than having a massive fire go through and decimate the lot, house included.

I know there's the whole "greeny" debate here too, but not getting into that side of it all. I just want to keep my property safe, and if/when a fire does come through here I can keep my home from burning and the firies might have a chance to stop it seeing as my paddocks are clear.

I'm not judging either...just saying what I think!

[Bootobethin]

I agree nikkit we can and do make the property fire safe.
It is interesting the different ways of managing the process
We can burn in non fire season but we tend to burn large timber .
The composting has really improved the pasture area and soil now holds water better and is healthier.
I agree that the bush areas require burning to regenerate etc but this is infrequent and a low burn.
It is all interesting and balancing the land and the need for safety takes quite a lot of work.
All worth it.

[kmw]

Yum ... Having this now, very easy to drink 😉

[Nikkit]

I confess...I still haven't made this yet, but I will tonight as having guests for dinner.
I'll go get the ingredients out now so I don't forget!

[Nikkit]

Ok...quietly now please ladies... (I need sunnies on inside ... the lights are bright  )

I made this delightful cocktail last night.

About 7 times I think, although I may have lost count, I am not too sure, but the big bottle of Frangelico is glaringly empty this morning and I have no Kahlua or anything else remotely coffee liqueur like left either.  There is an empty bottle of tia maria on the bench and I didn't even realise I had the stuff in the house!

I might add, that I did run out of cream and hilo milk works just fine and dandy, it is just a bit thinner - and thankfully not as fattening, but not that I really cared about that last night or is it bothering me this morning!

I'll write "yummy" on this recipe when my hangover has departed and I'm feeling a bit more like having a drink again.

Now off to have a little lie down for a while.......

[goldfish]

  . . well done, Nik!!  Must have been a doozy of a party . .

[achookwoman]

Ha, Nikkit.  Glad you and other enjoyed it.  I don't remember cooking dinner the night I made this for guests. 

[judydawn]

What, you tipsy Chookie - now there's something I'd like to see