10 March 2017

Weekend reading

There has been a lot of knitting and baking going on here this week. That is always relaxing work and something I look forward to every day.  Now the weather is starting to soften a little, I've been thinking more about this year's vegetable garden. I'm tending tomato, parsley and sweet pea seedlings in the bush house and when it gets closer to our planting time, we'll buy more seedings to plant out. We used to always plant in mid-March but with the weather as it's been these past couple of years, the planting have been delayed until the weather cools a little. We'll see how we go this year.

I hope you're well and enjoying the time you spend with your family, friends and work. Thanks for your visits this week. I hope to see you again soon. Have a great weekend. xx

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13 comments

  1. Hi Rhonda,
    Just wondering about that lovely bunch of herbs in your blog header. Are they growing together in one container? Hopefully the intense tropical heat will begin to ease mid to late April and I'm planning to replenish potted herbs and hadn't thought of growing a few together in a single container. Any suggestions?
    Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. Hi Jenny, that is a photo of a harvest of herbs, kale and lettuce in a basket. I grow most of my herbs in the ground. I grow oregano and mint in pots and tubs in the shade. It's the only way to grow them here. I don't think I'd plant them together unless they have the same watering requirements. So if you do want to plant two or three in the same pot, work out what you can grow there, find out their watering needs and choose those that are similar. If you want large crops though, plant single herbs in tubs in very rich soil. There is a new organic water retention product out now. I haven't used it yet but I'll trial it this season. Use some of that up there too. It should cut down your watering.

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    2. Thank you so much!! Have a wonderful week in your beautiful part of our state.

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  2. Hello Rhonda,

    I love the picture of your book shelves today! It looks so peaceful & inviting. Probably in part, because I love, love books and I love to see what other gals have on their shelves. :) If I have to --- I will often pull out my magnifying glass so I can read the titles of the books and then look them up on Amazon and/or E-bay to see if it is something that I "need". :)
    However, with your pic, the magnifying glass is not working --- the titles are too blurred when I look through it. So, one request, could we have a closeer-up pic of the books. Would you mind posting one? That would be awesome! There are several on your shelf that look great but I can't see the titles.
    How is Gracie doing? Haven't seen her in a while on the blog. :)
    Have a wonderful & restful weekend, Rhonda.
    ~Sue

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    1. Sue, I can't be bothered taking more photos but I can tell you what's there. It's Margaret Fulton's Indian Cooking and Wholesome Cooking (very old), La nonna, La cucina, La vita by Larissa Bertonasco, the Essential Seafood Cookbook, The River Cottage Cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, The Italian Vegetarian and Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion. There are also a few old Women's Weekly paperback cookbooks.
      Gracie is fine. I'll take some new photos of her during the week.

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    2. I was doing exactly the same with your books Rhonda. My favourites are the books that kindys, schools and often church groups produced with recipes from local people and had their names under the recipe they contributed. There is one that was published by the Weekly Times in the '70s by Miranda who had a recipe column in that paper. Being a farming family we always got the Weekly Times. Everyone in the family read bits! There was something for everyone! I still refer to those recipes. They are excellent simple foods that can be made with what you have in the garden, pantry and fridge! My kind of cooking. Cheers

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    3. Thanks so much Rhonda --- that's very helpful.
      I was surprised & happy to see you have Nourishing Traditions there!:) I quickly recognized which one it was after reading your note. That's a wonderful book to own! Loaded with great information.
      However, I'm still stuck with trying to figure out what the last book is on the left side. It has a red cover/spine and what looks like a rolling pin on it. I looked up the Margaret Fuller one and also the Stephanie Alexander one and I can't fine any with that same rolling pin on the spine of the book. Would you please tell me the title of that one?
      Thanks again.
      ~Sue

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    4. That's Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion.

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    5. Thanks so much, Rhonda!
      Now I know precisely what I'm looking for. :)
      ~Sue

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  3. Hmmm...I been have a bit of a look through your books there Rhonda - interesting.

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  4. This is a lovely photo of you Rhonda, and those glasses have made a return too. You know I'm most envious of them. Thanks for all of your posts, I never get tired of reading them.

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  5. Hello Rhonda. I too am waiting for the cooler weather here in Perth so I can restart my veggie and herb garden. Patience! Why is it that March is the time when I really want to get back into my home, my garden and to nurture my family? I'm currently rereading your books again for inspiration. Thank you for being a guiding light to me.

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  6. Just had to pop in to tell you i am so happy that I found the Great English Baking show on Netflix. You talked about it a bit ago and I was wanting to find it. They only have the first season on so far. I am having a bit of a pain flair today so I have given up to it and am curled up with the heating pad and happily "binge" watching it. What a delightful show!! Thanks for sharing it so I could discover it!!

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