by Krista | May 6, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
How I love Autumn in Australia. Each morning I bundle up in sweater and socks, wrap a blanket tight around my legs and park myself in front of the heater. Within an hour or two I step outside into glorious sunshine and brilliant blue skies with air so warm I have to don a sundress or I get too hot.
Heavenly.
Last time I shared a few of the beauties to be found on our Australian goat farm in Autumn, and today I’ll share a few more.
I never cease to be amazed at the brilliant snippets of color to be found in what looks at first glance to be a sea of gold and brown.
Like these bright pink blossoms bobbing in the wind down by the pond.
Or these fabulous spiky, lime green pods dangling from long branches.
And these cheery little fuchsia blossoms nearly hidden among the long, golden grasses.
There are also the lovely things you expect to find in autumn: fallen leaves.
This green one caught my eye with dew drops glistening in the sunlight, and I liked the look of these rich brown ones caught on an old barbed wire fence.
Yesterday we had a marvelous time with several of our medieval friends from Black Wolf. The air rang with the clash of swords and the cheers of kids. I loved it. 🙂
We had a medieval feast on the back porch with all sorts of Turkish fare: garlicky flat bread and creamy yogurt dip, hot buttery hummus with toasted pine nuts, and a hot carrot dip with caraway, dill and paprika.
I’ll share the other Turkish recipes soon – but I promised two of my aunts that I’d post the carrot one immediately, so here goes. 🙂
What’s your favorite moment of your weekend?
Turkish Hot Carrot Dip
Ingredients:
10 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup crispy fried onions
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Steam or boil carrots and caraway seeds until carrots are soft enough to mash with a fork.
- Drain and place in food processor (or blend by hand) and add all remaining ingredients except onions.
- Taste for seasoning, add more if you like it stronger.
- Pour carrot mixture into pie pan or earthenware pan. Top with crispy fried onions and bake 20-30 minutes until mixture is bubbling around the edges.
- Serve warm with slices of Turkish flat bread.
by Krista | Apr 16, 2012 | Gulliver Tuesday
I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a more glorious Autumn than this year in Australia.
I wake up to cool, foggy mornings that are quickly dissipated by the rising sun, turning into breathtakingly sumptuous days of sunshine, brilliant blue sky, and a cacophony of bird song.
After a year of nearly incessant travel, I am luxuriating in quiet days in the country with time to just be.
Time for hanging laundry to dry in the sun, for walks with Luna and Fletcher through crunchy leaves, and for washing dishes as afternoon light streams through my kitchen windows.
I think it’s the light that gets me. It seems mellower, more golden and soft than the summer light.
It comes through different windows than during the spring and summer, and I love how it makes my kitchen glow with warmth as it shimmers off the wood walls and glints through the old glass bottles on the window sill.
The yard looks magical at sunset with the light shining through hundreds of feathers from our molting ducks, geese and chickens.
It’s inspired me to embrace Autumn in all its richness and depth of color. I even bought new nail polish in a gorgeous Aubergine as my own little salute to the changing season.
The farmer’s markets have been overflowing with tomatoes and capsicum (bell pepper) lately, so my oven has been running overtime roasting them for soups, sandwiches, and even snacks between meals.
I made a crustless quiche with them the other day, and as I set it to cool on the counter it looked so gorgeous in the afternoon light that I had to capture it.
Alongside these simple pleasures, I’ve been working hard on some exciting projects and I can’t wait to tell you about them. 🙂
What is projects are exciting YOU these days?
Roasted Tomato and Pepper Quiche
(makes two quiches)
Ingredients:
1 cup roasted red bell peppers (capsicum), diced
1 16 ounce container cottage cheese
8 large eggs
1 4 ounce container mild green chilies
2 cups diced ham
4 scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp powdered mustard
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup feta cheese, cubed or grated
24 oven roasted tomato halves
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix all ingredients except roasted tomatoes and pour into two greased pie pans.
- Top with roasted tomatoes and bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden and firm.
by Krista | Apr 1, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
Oh it is SO good to be home!!
After my mad dash to the States for visa and residency requirements, I cannot tell you how happy I am to be back on my beloved farm, hugging my dear ones tightly and basking in days that feel like the Indian Summers of my childhood in Canada.
This morning I had to go outside for a wander with our dog Fletcher, soaking up glorious sunshine and taking pictures of beauties such as this tree covered in papery pods. Any Aussies out there know what sort of tree this is?
Wildflowers are blooming again around my favorite fallen log and I want to sit there for a long time, eyes closed, face lifted to the sun.
The pure white Muscovy ducks are molting and the grass is covered with feathers and fluff. I think it’s the closest thing to snow I’ll see for a while.
My favorite part of this Autumn on the farm are my new baby goats born just a few days before I got back. They are twin girls named Flopsy (because she kept flopping on her bottom) and Lindt (because she’s the color of chocolate). They are wickedly cute and I love leaning on the fence at sunset watching them leap and gallop on their tiny spindly legs.
What season is it where you live? What is delighting you most about this time of year?
