winter postcards

Spring takes a little longer to reach us here. There's signs if you look, daffodil stems poking through soil lining the footpaths to houses. Lamb ewes with their mothers dotted across the landscape as you drive by on the Monaro Highway. Right now we are dealing with rain and lingering winter illnesses. The mountain man and I declared this to be one of the worst winters for us in nine years. I was then surprised to come across some photos that showed things might not of been so gloomy after all and that there were some beautiful moments to be grateful for.

Starting with friendly afternoon visitors...

The excitement (and relief) when the mountain man brings home another load of wood to be stacked. There's nothing more comforting than being surrounded by piles of wood when you live in a cold region, knowing you will continue to have a warm cosy house and dry clothes in the morning.

 

Family skiing at Selwyn Snowfields. Finally a year where we could all ski together. We only managed a few days skiing in the entire season due to illnesses and bad weather and the snow then being rained away but it did come back! Unfortunately at the same time our wood piles were pretty low and mountain man had to spend a couple of weekends in the woods chainsawing. But never mind, I was so relieved I could even manage some time on the snow after my health issues this year and to do so with my favourite peeps was bliss. Luckily I took some photos with my phone camera, as you can see our hands are literally full.

How was your Winter? Are you yearning for Summer? I am! Bring on plenty of vitamin D and mouth watering fruits and salads. If you are heading in to cooler weather, are you ready? Well then, you better get your knit on.

holidaying

:a short walk through the forest :: a steep climb to the lighthouse

 :: a breathtaking view from Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse

 :: a magical family day out.

It felt like we had traveled to another country. From kangaroos at our back door to pelicans at our front door. From a lake full of rainbow trout to a lake full of fresh farmed oysters. A family road trip for two blissful weeks in Forster, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.

There's a very friendly atmosphere in caravan parks. Walking by neatly spaced out caravans and campervans you always get a cheery hello - just like in small towns where you say "g'day" to almost every person that passes you by.

We arrived home on a holiday high and had grand plans of selling everything we own and buying a caravan and traveling around Australia for a year. After some number crunching we realised it's not as cheap as we thought. Also, where would I put all my crafty stuff? What about the veggie garden? Could we have a mobile veggie garden growing in the trailer? Okay, we can't take the trailer. Oh that's right, I really just want to move to a property where we can have chickens. Could we just go camping in the school holidays? Yes, this seems like a much better idea.

But there are some major issues in the camping community. Caravan parks have moved towards attracting more clientele by catering for younger families with facilities such as games rooms and jumping pillows and the entry fees reflect these "extras." Many grey nomads have invested in upfront costs in self sufficient caravans and motor homes and rely on free or low-cost camping areas which are under threat. Both types of camping styles would make it fun yet keep holidaying affordable, except for the initial cost of a second hand camper van, yikes!

For now the shorter and colder Autumn days has brought us back to reality and we are busily preparing for the frosty winter ahead. And next summer? Perhaps a "staycation" will be our only choice.

Do you stay in caravan parks? Are you an RVer? Have you been affected by any of these issues?

almond meal cake with strawberries and cream

Happy first birthday to our little bumblee.

 

We went on a tour about how fish are bred and raised at the Gaden Trout Hatchery.

Archie squealed in delight every time the fish splashed around when fed.

 And then we went home for cake!

Almond Meal Cake with Strawberries and Cream

1 1/2 cups of Almond Meal
1/4 cup Organic Self Raising Flour
200g Unsalted Butter
1 cup of Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
4 eggs
300ml Double Cream
Strawberries to decorate cake

Preheat oven 180ºC

1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at time.
2. Fold in the almond meal and self raising flour with a wooden spoon.
3. Spoon the mixture in to a lined 20cm cake pan.
4. Bake in oven for 50 mins or until cake comes away from the sides of the pan. Let cake pan cool for 10 mins before turning on to a wire rack.
5. Lightly whisk double cream.
6. Spread jam on top of cake (I used Hanks Jam) and then whisk cream and top with strawberries (ours were from our garden).

I took a fairly unhealthy recipe and made it simpler and healthier. I think it was the perfect summery cake for a first birthday. Happy special day little one. xx

around the lake

A walk around the lake and a bit of sunshine on a cold winters day was very much enjoyed after a long "croupy" school holiday.

snow day

 

A magical morning enjoyed by all the local children right in their own backyard! We usually experience the cold temperatures with just some snow dustings here and there. It's a lovely moment to savour, even just briefly before the sun melts it all away. It was wonderful to find Mr 5 out there busily making a snowman. After a long and tiring week tending to a sick croupy family a nice wintery surprise was just what the doctor ordered to lift our spirits.