Potato, pea and mint salad

My mint, growing in a half barrel near the chook house, is flowering right now. I love the smell as I brush past to open the gate.

The purple potato plant is flowering now too. I have them growing in a pot by the veggie patch. Next time I'll put them in a bigger pot I think, it's as easy as tipping out the pot when they are ready and not digging to look for them. I've just topped up the pot with some composted sheep poo.

Potato, pea and mint salad

1 kilogram of pototoes, chopped into 2cm chunks, with the skin still on(you could use baby ones here.
3/4 cup frozen peas

Dressing
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 good tablespoon finely chopped mint

Cook the potatoes in salted water, for about 10 minutes or until are just soft enough to get a knife through. Leave to cool.

Cook the peas(you could do this in a steamer while the potatoes boil).Let cool.

Mix the dressing ingredients together and stir through the cold potato and peas.

You could add other ingredients like radishes, carrot,celery or ham of you like, even swap out the spuds for pasta to make your own version.

Added to flaunt your flowers at Tootsie Time

Begonia

Begonia semperflorens comes in shades of pink, rose, red and white. They'll grow to 25 cm in height and like a bit of shade. 

I have them in pots under the veranda on the back deck, and some in shady spots in the garden.

Kalangadoo SA - #openslather

My place in time #50 - Somewhere I used to live

This is where I grew up.

All of my childhood memories stem from this little town, up until we moved, the summer before I started high school.

It was a time of innocence. Life was so carefree, no responsibilities and not old enough to have made any of life's big fuck ups. 

It lives in my heart this place, plays with my emotions and reminds me of a time when life was simple.

The church we used to go to, across the road from our house.
My two sisters, twin brother and I were baptised here when I was eight.

We used to roller skate here on weekends. There was a picture of the
queen hanging on the wall, probably still is.

The old post office and looking down John Street.

The veranda on the right used to be a shop, I think it was Humphries store. I stole an eraser, can't remember how old I was, Mum made me go and hand it back. 

Log trucks still hurtle through town. There is a timber mill in town still, not as
busy as it was back when I was a kid.

The laneway I walked up and down a lot as a kid. The fences were not there then. There was a deli and fuel pumps on the right. I remember Dad giving me $5 to buy him a packet of Marlboro smokes, there was enough left for a can of coke, a pie and a huge bag of lollies. There was also an area where Dad and others drank plonk and played bowls(or bocce) under a pergola covered with grapevines.

The house I grew up in, on Ann Street, a little lot old now. Dad built the bit at the left, onto the old workers cottage. This brings happy memories of fresh cut grass and playing with my sisters and brothers. Happy times. I knocked on the door, no one answered, with the intention of asking for a cutting off the rose. I took one anyway.

Mum seems to think it is 'Sutters Gold'. It's special to me and I can't think of anything better than to have a cutting off the actual plant, I hope it takes.

An InLinkz Link-up

Glenelg River, Victoria

Some views from a chick(namely me), with a camera, in a boat on the Glenelg River.

Pattersons canoe camp

A tree, growing on a rock!

Camping weekend - #openslather

Friday, not long after lunch, after Brett had knocked off work, we headed off on a short trip to the Glenelg River.

Just over the Victorian border, lies the Lower Glenelg National Park. We stayed at Wilson Hall campground. It has a boat ramp, a jetty landing, a great flushing toilet block and 12 good camping sites. If you want to be close to the toilets, book a site from 1 to 8. If you want to be closer to the river book sites 9 to 12. 

No one saw any snakes, we saw a dead one, that a previous camper had obviously killed, it was in bits, laying next to a tree. So be warned, they are about in Summer.

The campgrounds are in the middle of dense bush, it was dry and dirty. Despite the dirt, we had a great weekend.

Brett cooking breaky in the camp kitchen. His camp shower in the background to the right.

All is good with the world, when Summer has Giggle Asaurus and a drink.

'I'm king of the world'

We stopped up river at the Princess Margaret Rose caves for a picnic lunch. We didn't have a cave tour, but got big pencils and ice cream from the shop. (You'll see Brett having a little
lay down on the bench behind the girls).

Stopped on the way back for some fishing

What is a campfire without marshmallows?

An InLinkz Link-up

WeetBix Slice

This is a bit more of a cakey mixture because of the eggs. If you don't have any or don't want to add them, the recipe will still work without them.

You could even drizzle the slice at the end with melted chocolate or slather on some icing.


3 WeetBix, crushed
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup SR Flour

2 eggs, beaten
125 gr margarine, melted

Combine all first four dry ingredients.

Mix beaten egg into melted margarine, then add to dry ingredients.

Stir until well combined, then press into a lined slice tray(27 x 17 cm)

Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Let it cool, before slicing up.


Depending on what your kids like, and what you have available in the pantry the following could be added at the start with the dry ingredients

• 3/4 cup sultanas
• chopped walnuts(not recommended if sending to school)
• 3/4 cup choc chips(dark, milk or white)
• 3/4 cup peeled apple, grated 
• 3/4 cup of any dried fruit eg. peaches, apricots, cranberries, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa for chocolate slice
• you could even mix the ingredients as long as there is 3/4 cup in total.

Apple(left) and Dried peach weetbix slice

Oh, How things have changed!

How do these make you feel?

Like kicking an advertising exec in the goolies?