Lemon Delicious!

The thing about Winter in Australia is that there's nothing to look forward to, except Spring. In the northern hemisphere you have Christmas to fill you with things to do, family, excitement and tradition. It takes your mind off the cold.
In my house, we have the excitement and large task of LEMONS. Picking, juicing, zesting, making, baking.

My friend offered to get the ripe ones from the top. I asked DH for the ladder.. then it all went out of control. Asking for the ladder apparently was asking for "help" and a full tree strip.

These could have done with another two weeks of ripening and getting all juicy... no matter, they smell and taste DELICIOUS!! My cooking juices are already flowing and lemon cheesecake is first on the agenda. Well, I've already done lemon delicious (self saucing pudding).

I've been trying to find a way of preserving lemons without salt or alcohol....help??

Today I love my kitchen. Apart from the fact that DH cleaned it up so well that now I have this itch to cook and mess it all up again - it contains lots of things from the garden. The pumpkins I grew MYSELF! YES THAT'S RIGHT!! I know they're not massive and there's only 3 (with one more on a vine yet to die) but they're mine! These will be nice and sweet when baked. Yu-um!

The spuds are mine too, a cup of kipfler minis and the rest are ruby reds. They re-grew from last year and I needed the space for spinach (next to the garlic) so out they came.
I really should move that bread maker. Since I got it I've been motivated to make more by hand and it turns out soooo much nicer :o)



This doesn't count as there's hardly any work involved in making this, it's ham and cheese damper that I LOVED and no-one else touched funnily enough. (??)

Recipe from What's for Dinner Mum?

With the rest of that ham I made ham and veg soup - delish! Then with the rest of that huge wretched pumpkin I made more curried Pump soup with coconut milk and fresh coriander - since it's the only soup man enough for DH (not a soup man).

All in all I'm loving feeling alive again, gardening and cooking.. from dirt to dinner. Ahh!

Pumpkin Quandry

I got this pumpkin on holiday - yes, stopping at the roadside stall was the most exciting bit! There were lots of exciting bits I just love this stuff.

Anyway, anyway, anyway, it turns out that this pumpkin is not as nice as it looks.

I baked some thinking it would be sweeter that way and I could make pies, pasties, soup and just eat it. Nope, no joy... blurgh!
I made some soup, onions, sweet potato, baked blurgh, chicken stock, curry spice mix and cinnamon. Then added coconut milk and a heck load of chopped coriander. It was so nice that DH took it to work!!! SHOCK!

My second try was a bit of a long shot. I'd seen a recipe for a brownie with a cheesecake swirl (I made pumpkin cheesecake swirl).. Anyway anyway, one was runnier than the other, didn't work out and I ended up just mixing them together and baking it. I topped it with the BROWNING SECRET RECIPE CHOCOLATE SAUCE.
It was chocolate overload (heaven for some of my friends) with secret vege ingredient.

Bad bad picture, but this was all that was left after a day or so. Sooo fudging good!

DS1 loves smooshing his hand in the remains and feeling all those slimy seeds. I think these will definately be toasted and eaten, not sown and grown!

Any more suggestions welcome!

Now I'm off to bake the rest and think of what to do with this whopper ham I have in the fridge. Reduced from $60 to $40! Slice it and freeze it?

Anyway, anyway, anyway, lemons are calling. Tree is ripening and I am loving it!! I'm dedicated to make lemon butter this year, already made lemon surprise pudding..