by Krista | Apr 2, 2015 | Autumn
One of the things I love best about living on our farm is that I’m always learning new things. I may get tired and dirty here, but I never, ever get bored.
This week I learned more about my favorite trees on our property: Golden Rain Trees. Although they are lovely and green all year round, Autumn is when they come into their true glory. First they’re covered with tiny yellow flowers that give a siren call to any bee within sniffing distance. These then fall off, carpeting the ground in a sea of yellow. They’re replaced by these gorgeous fuchsia pods filled with small green seeds that later turn black.
I love the Golden Rain Trees for their shade, their colors, their beauty, and this week I learned, much to my amazement, that the seeds are edible if roasted. I cannot wait to try them in a few weeks when they are ready for gathering.
This weekend we trimmed one of our Golden Rain Trees to ensure our new cider orchard will have plenty of sunlight. I made numerous cuttings from the fallen branches and planted them to see if they will take. I’d love to have a whole new bunch of rain trees to plant around our farm.
I like how the branches provide cuttings, seeds, firewood, and even beautiful displays of gorgeous, amber sap. When I was a little girl I used to love roaming the woods and finding nuggets of jeweled sap on various trees. I would taste the different types, most rather pitchy and resinous, always hoping that they would taste as wondrous as they looked. I still think they’re beautiful, like droplets of spun glass against the rough wood.
With the big winds we’ve had this week, the Golden Rain continues to fall, covering the dirt, grass, potted plants, and even my rain-filled wheelbarrow. It makes me smile every day.
Do you have a favorite tree where you live? xo
by Krista | Apr 11, 2014 | Autumn
“Into the woods–you have to grope,
But that’s the way you learn to cope.
Into the woods to find there’s hope
Of getting through the journey.”
Stephen Sondheim
I like these lines very much, especially as I face some great changes in my life. They’re good and wonderful changes but still scary as I figure out my place in them.
I’ve been going to the woods nearly every day this week, taking advantage of gorgeous Autumn weather to get my daily exercise in a place that never fails to calm rumpled spirits and clarify scattered thoughts. It’s lovely to head out there feeling overwhelmed or uncertain knowing I will return with my priorities realigned and a clarity of purpose restored.
As I leave the fields behind and enter the woods, worries about finances or deadlines dissipate, lost in vistas of lush undergrowth dotted with delicate wildflowers and sturdy mushrooms.
I’m delighted by these sprays of tiny yellow flowers providing cheery spots of light across the dusky forest floor.
It’s so pretty in here at dusk. The light is soft and gentle and it’s so quiet you can hear the thump of a kangaroo hopping by in the distance and the rustle of an echidna waddling past.
Echidnas are also known as spiny ant eaters, and they are the most amazing creatures. Until this week I’d only seen them at a distance before they disappeared into the undergrowth. But this one stayed right where she was, curling up into a spiny ball at first before realizing I had no intention of hurting her. Then her little snout came out and I was even able to touch her, gently stroking her spines that felt like the sharpened quills at the end of a feather.
Luna was delighted by her but then got distracted by kangaroos hopping in a nearby paddock. Apparently kangaroos are much more interesting than a spiny ant eater.
Yes, I love this place very much at dusk, especially when the grass is set aglow by the sun even as gathering storm clouds cast an eerie darkness overhead. It’s pure magic.
Where is your favorite place to go when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed? xo
by Krista | Apr 7, 2014 | Autumn
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne
I find myself making any excuse to go outside these days: checking on the garden, hanging laundry on the line, or sitting on the back steps with a cup of tea. Especially since a cool front came in and the sweltering afternoons of late have given way to sheer Autumnal perfection.
This afternoon Luna and I went for a meander around the farmyard, watched by curious ducks and our three goat dogs, Freja, Solar, and Apollo as they rested contentedly in puddles of sunshine.
Luna happily nosed about sniffing everything, nibbling tender shoots of grass, galloping after me when I got too far ahead.
The grass is so green it almost seems fake. Bear and I keep stopping by the windows to exclaim: “Look at that green!” We’re easily delighted around here. 🙂
It feels so good on bare feet and is wonderfully cooling after a few hours working in hot sunshine building fences or planting new seedlings.
The Autumn school holidays are in full swing and we are enjoying every minute of it. Bear has been in his shop sawing and pounding away building a medieval sword box. I love going down there to help because the wood smells so good!! I swear, if Bear had aftershave that smelled like wood shavings, I’d never leave the poor man in peace. 😉
I’ve been reading and cooking and planning dreams with Bear, pottering in my gardens and taking afternoon rests. It’s been so good.
I’ve been on a young adult books kick lately, reading stacks of marvelously fun books like: “The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place”, “The Power of Poppy Pendle”, and the Barnaby Grimes series. They make me smile.
My creativity in the kitchen has returned with oomph since I got on the right medicine last week. I think the best part is not having any more dietary restrictions. After nearly a year of trying gluten-free, dairy-free, low-salicylate, etc, we realized my afflictions had nothing to do with the food I was eating and, in fact, the restrictions were doing my body harm. That’s the funny thing about human bodies. What is healing for one body may be detrimental to another. My body is very happy indeed to be eating fiber-rich breads again and good quality dairy and any fruits and veggies that take my fancy.
Today we decided that Autumn needed to be celebrated so I popped in cds for a British murder mystery to entertain myself, then set about making salads (cucumber and celery salad with fresh mint and cumin dressing, cabbage salad with dill and Thai seasoned dressing), a decadent dark chocolate trifle that started out as a cake but turned into a trifle when the ganache filling didn’t set properly, and Roasted Mustard and Garlic Pork Loin sliced thinly for sandwiches and easy snacking.
We like it alone dipped in mustard or layered on fresh bread rolls smeared with garlicky mayonnaise and good German mustard.
What are your best memories from this weekend? xo
Roasted Mustard Garlic Pork Loin
Ingredients:
2 pork loins (about 1 pound each)
4 cloves garlic, peeled, halved, and sliced
good salt such as Himalayan Pink
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp grainy or Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 C (200F).
- Rinse pork loins and pat dry.
- With small sharp knife, make slits all over meat and insert garlic pieces.
- Sprinkle meat all over with salt and pepper.
- Use 1 Tbsp mustard per pork loin, and smear it evenly over entire roast.
- Place pork loins on roasting rack in roasting pan and roast for 45-60 minutes until done. (Don’t overcook or it gets very tough.)
- Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes.
- Slice thinly and use right away or store in fridge/freezer until ready for use.
by Krista | Mar 21, 2014 | Autumn
After a long and terrible drought, we finally got rain this week and I was so happy I nearly cried. Our parched, dusty earth is dark brown and moist again and the air is so clean and fresh and cool. At least at our farm. Neighbors 10 km away didn’t get a drop. 🙁 I ache for them and wish for bucketing rain for all of Australia.
Yesterday I spent the day in town so I could meet a new specialist who is making great strides in evaluating and helping my situation. Hooray! While I was waiting, watching the skies fill up with massive dark clouds, I decided to risk a drenching and walk down to the park.
It was gorgeous, with leaves in glossy russet, pale green, and sunny yellow carpeting paths and fields. The wind rushed through the poplars making the leaves shimmy and whisper. It was so cooling and refreshing I just stood there, eyes closed, letting it whisk away the week of suffocating heat and humidity.
I wandered slowly, stopping every few feet to sigh happily at one beautiful Autumn vignette after another.
Who can resist apple red leaves on Kelly green grass?
Or sage gum leaves etched against blackened bark?
Or a carpet of leaves under a stormy sky?
What about an aging poplar leaf…
…or a starry orange flower…
…or a lap full of colored leaves?
Then, as I walked and looked and sighed, the gentlest of rains began to fall, cool and luscious, misty and wonderful. A walk in the rain. The cherry on top of a magical morning.
What’s making you happy about your weather today? xo
by Krista | Mar 7, 2014 | Autumn
It is definitely Autumn here in Queensland, the ground carpeted with crunchy leaves and drifts of white feathers from our molting Muscovy ducks.
The cool weather plants are flourishing – hollyhocks, marigolds, calendula – and although the herbs are trying to flower and go to sleep for the winter, I nip the blossoms so they keep producing for a while longer. I want to have fresh basil, mint, and parsley for as long as possible.
We have a new rooster on our farm, and he’s a laid back, totally chill fellow named Adolf. He doesn’t do anything quickly, just moseys around, taking his time, except for the other day when he got a white plastic bag caught on one of his spurs and ran around like a lunatic trying to escape from this bag that was chasing him. I was doubled over laughing, trying to catch him so I could free him from his scary pursuer, but he was having none of it. Finally a gust of wind took the bag away and Adolf returned to his ambling ways as if nothing had happened.
I’ve spent time each morning sipping cinnamon espresso and nibbling pieces of maple shortbread as I make lists and dream dreams, sketching out diagrams for new gardens and a bigger pond, a flourishing orchard and a productive vineyard.
I also plan the foods I’m craving.
This week it was stew, a hearty, beefy, savory stew rich with ham, spiced with smoked paprika, and laced with dark port wine. After our first tastes Bear and I looked at each with wide eyes, declaring it, hands down, the best stew I’ve ever made. Just what we need as the nights turn cool and we get cozy over episodes of Murdoch, Psych, or Person of Interest.
What favorite foods best suit the weather you’re having in your part of the world? xo
Port Wine Beef Stew
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp bacon fat or olive oil
2 onions, peeled, cored and diced
1 head garlic, peeled, trimmed and sliced
3/4 cup diced ham or bacon
3-4 cups cubed stew meat
2-3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup port wine
4-5 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced
5 potatoes, cubed
small handful fresh parsley, chopped
small handful fresh thyme, leaves removed from stalk
3-4 cups beef stock
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
- Heat bacon fat or olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and fry 3-5 minutes until they begin to caramelize. Add ham and stir.
- While ham cooks, place stew meat, flour, paprika, sea salt and pepper in large bowl and toss gently to coat.
- Add stew meat to frying pan and fry until outsides are beautifully browned.
- Scrape everything into slow cooker and deglaze the pan with port wine. Scrape wine and pan bits into slow cooker.
- Add carrots, potatoes, parsley and thyme and stir to combine.
- Pour over enough stock to barely cover, add Worcestershire sauce, stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours until vegetables are cooked and meat is tender.
- Serve with fresh bread or a green salad.
