Holiday

Today we are having our 1 Day Holiday :)
Each one of us today are relaxing, and doing whatever we feel like doing.
And it's been wonderful :)
Everyone is so relaxed. DH been hardware shopping. Just getting bits and pieces, but having no kids or real work to do, its been a break for him. DS13 is out spending his pocket money. DS12 is playing games with friends, same as DD10. DS7 has loved having time on the PlayStation without others having their say. Me well I have been working on the chicken tractor, just bits here and there.
We will all be back to work tomorrow, but for today PEACE :)

Wet Spring

Slowing the progress of our raised vegetable bed.

Raised garden almost completed.

Chickens helping in the garden. Have got everything we need to make their Chicken tractor, just need a fine day to finish it.

Started to get the netting up. Free netting so still a cheap garden :). Momma Hen checking the progress, inspecting the quality of workmanship.

The netting up, will be great for our squash. Nearly every squash seed I have planted has sprouted. So hope to get a good harvest this year.

Did get a bit of our compost out, lovely rich soil that it is. With some help will get more on to the garden where we are going to start planting. Splitting the garden into 2 metre sections. Will plant the first section and have the chicken tractor on the second section. Then will move the chickens along to the third section, and we will plant in the second section. When the chickens have finished this whole garden we have the other raised garden bed that will be ready for them to work on by then. Im very excited :)

Menu Planner - DONE!

Went with the wipe board menu planner. I had the paper for it, and it didn't take long to make.

Here is my menu planner. Not very clear but those butterflies are cut out paper with their wings lifted up.

Up on my kitchen wall, already being used.

This is one way to save on printing out menu plans.
Made 2 with my nieces today for their mums. The girls helped choose the paper and frames. Then they also helped with gluing and stickers. Shows how easy it is to make a 2 and 3 year olds can make them (with help of course).

Menu Plan Last Week of September

Finally finish this week menu plan. To many choices didn't make it easy.

MONDAY: My mum had cooked us a yummy casserole (was lamb or beef?) which we had with our boiled potatoes, and steamed garlic silverbeet.

TUESDAY: Using up the gravy and leftover beef making Beef Soup served with buttered buns

WEDNESDAY: Having a bit of fun with Tray Baked Lamb Chops with Cous Cous. It's a one tray dish that is so yummy and filling.

THURSDAY: Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta. A quick easy dish, great for a very busy day with hospital trips, and school production etc

FRIDAY: I had trouble thinking what to do for dinner? To may choices :) But decided on Red Beans and Rice.

SATURDAY: We are having dinner with friends :)

SUNDAY: A good ole Roast Chicken with Roast Vegetables and homemade gravy mmmmmm.

These are all what we are having for dinner. Because breakfast is pretty much the same porridge or cereal (Sunday we might have pancakes). And lunch is normally sandwiches, snacks is home baking and fruit.

Now I have been looking at another project for our menu planning. Have found two interesting ideas that I would like to try.
I found a list of ideas here http://tipnut.com/meal-organizer/
and from the list I found the wipe off board and the DIY board to be the ones I would love to do.
I like the wipe off board because it is simple and I think I can do very cheap. Would also make a fun gift to give others. Can have it hang on the wall or stick to the fridge.
I like the DIY board because it is going that bit further into menu planning having all the meals already written and recipes on hand too. But it involves more work and costs more to make.

What do you think?

Time For A Food Challenge

The Monthly Shopping has been a big help with less time at supermarkets. Especially as the past 2 months have been very busy. But this month is the time to a stocktake and cleaning, where we store our food. As well as prepare for the coming busy months.

So $21 Challenge here we come :)

Have just finished a stocktake and with a bit of filling we have almost enough for next months dinners. Almost enough meat for each day, OH BOY!
Might need some flour and sugar for baking. With our chickens provide us with eggs and a freezer with 7 butters, we don't need much else.
We have lots of potatoes, silverbeet and oranges
So now to menu plan.
Will come back to share how that goes :)

Seedlings - Not Long Now

Cute Couple, Cucumber and Sunflower. Will be planting these both together :)

The free soil keeps coming. Right now DH, DS13 and DS12 are out getting another trailer load. Next we will spread our compost on top. Can't wait to plant our seedlings.

Our first raised garden bed is growing well :) Been getting lots of yummy greens from it.

Maybe, just maybe this Summer we will be having all our fruit and vegetables from our garden.

Did it :) Finished My Tote Bag

Sewing up the journal wasn't as hard as my tote bag.
Ok hand sewing it was time consuming, but this bag was also an idea I had stuck in my head. So was following a pattern in my head. But I'm pleased with the end result, a personalised bag.

My t-shirt has been well used.

The insides before the final sewing together. See the straps.

The inside lining, before I realised hey I want to add a couple of pockets. So have a pocket for my cell ph, a pocket for my keys and a pocket for my pens.

Journal fits wonderfully into my bag. My life is slowly getting more organised.

I'm very happy with the straps, as they are very comfortable. Now my next project is to make a cash envelope wallet. The type where you can split your money into different areas (like groceries, petrol etc)

Changes Happening in the Garden

Up early so thought would share our exciting garden changes.
This weekend DH, DS13, DS12 and DH's-dad built us a new raised veggie garden. A wonderful birthday present for DH :)

Laying out the wood. Shadow the Bunny was moved inside, to snuggle with DS7 in the lounge :)

DS12 and DS13 carried the wood in for us.

Progress with poles in the ground, and now levels being added one at a time.

Boys having a lot of nailing practise. The garlic in the orange container still growing well.

Adding the last pieces the capping, where I can sit to garden.

Finish raised bed looking great and giving us a large amount of growing space. We slowly filling with free top soil, and our compost and original veggie garden soil.

We are very happy with the end results of our garden, made even special that is was family built :)
can't wait to get gardening in it.

Spring has Sprung

Time to get back to the garden.
This year we are trying to save money in our garden (and kitchen). Starting with growing most our plants for the vegetable garden from seeds. But what cheap and easy way could we do this?

Toilet rolls

Yes after a search on the Internet found a great way to recycle our toilet rolls. Printed off a instruction sheet for my home journal and got started.

Filling a tray we had (came with the house when we moved it so free)

Can you see the box fold for the bottoms of our seed starters?

A spare plastic box we had, makes a great mini plastic house.

Sunflowers and Cucumbers already sprouting. That sprayer at the back is what we use to water the seeds.

Most of the seeds we have are either given to us from family and friends, or leftovers from last year. So at the moment not costing us a thing. The helpful part of using toilet rolls is you can write what you have planted on the roll, saves on using tags.