Baking bread

Yum. I have been going mad baking bread in an old Breadmaker machine that we had in the back of the closet. I don't think I have ever used one, and once I discovered it I have been like a woman possessed! In the past few days I have made three normal white loaves and one foccacia type bread. (made on the dough setting! Yes! and then popped into the old fashioned oven).

Ooooh - the delay button - what's this!? [she asked, pondering the possibilities]. The next morning at 5am on cue the dogs started barking madly as the bread machine turned on like magic to bake us some Saturday morning bread.

Below is a photo of my very first one. I have worked out that with the bulk breadmix I bought - that it comes to about $1 a loaf - but we would go through 2 for every one of a normal shop bought sandwich loaf - so that works out about $2 a loaf. Still pretty good. {not sure about all the power used to bake it though!). I have also made with just normal flour, yeast etc, rather than the breadmix. My next experiment will be to use the 'dough' setting for pasta. And make some more home made pasta.

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Lettuce Seedlings

I am attempting to grow Lettuce from seeds. Many people probably think why bother - but I want to establish a routine of collecting seeds each year from various crops (starting with lettuce) to grow the next season. To become closer to a self sustaining vege patch. So the two types of lettuce seeds I have chosen are Red Romaine and Red Velvet - both heritage varieties from 'Eden Seeds'. They dont have a high 'cross pollenating' tendency - so hope they will be ok. I haven't had any luck in growing seedlings - not enought patience nor attentive enough...but I keep persisting. This time I have sown some into egg containers - which also mean that once the seedlings are ready I transport them - container and all to the ground - so they don't have to be moved. - Another thing I have learned to avoid. The other seeds I have in fact grown into pots - to eventually replant - see how I go. I have placed them on a north facing window sill. will keep blog up to date with pics of progress.

From various for blog

From various for blog

Banana Cake from Edmonds Cookbook

Today we made a classic banana cake from the classic NZ cookbook Edmonds. I actually found it from another blog here - (so thank you!).
We made the cake with our duck eggs of course! Yummy! I made it in two sandwich tins - but next time will just do the one. I also added a couple of drops of vanilla.

Lemon Meringue Pie - with Duck Eggs

What do you think? Tonight I made a Lemon Meringue Pie with some of our duck eggs. I found the recipe online here (using chook eggs, but I swapped) Both girls are laying every day now - so I need to keep baking baking baking! - Which isn't hard to do - as I have hungry mouths here - and I love it anyway. Thank god for Master Chef. Apparently our single older gentleman neighbour next door likes to bake and is happy to receive duck eggs instead of the Chook eggs we regularly give him. Now to eat....

From various for blog

From various for blog

It's snowing today

Well, my tag line under the blog title says it "snows in winter - sometimes" - but that was before global warming. Last year it didn't snow at all. But today and last night - FINALLY! it's snowing a little bit. - The kids are sooooo excited and hoped school would be called off. Alas not to be.

New Duck - Meet Charlie

Well unfortunately our beautiful Jessie Duck had to leave us. While we had all become very attached to him - with his non quacking growl like sound, his little mohawk that tried to scare you out of the pen, his 'i am the brave scary one here' attitude as he came right up to you - half wanting you to pat him - half trying to look after his ladies, and his 'I CAN fly - I CHOOSE not to fly' abilities - he did finally get a little too agressive. The other morning when 'A's' 8 year old girl was down feeding the poultry - 'A' heard a screeching terrified 'mummy, mummy, mummy'. 'A' couldn't have been there quick enough - lept over the kitchen bench and down to the back yard in about two seconds flat to find her little girl pinned up against pen fence by Jessie biting her leg quite visciously. Jessie is a Muscovy duck - and they are the one type which are known to get quite agressive as a pet. So with no fanfare or discussion - we decided to take him that very day straight down to the RSPCA and surrender him. It was sad. A was more moved than expected.
The next day we paid a visit to our local 'chookman sheepman' - who is the old guy who breeds poultry on a few acres nearby. Hes' lived in a caravan since his house burned down years ago. ANd is surrounded by all these chooks, ducks, his two dogs and the odd fox! We visit semi regularly to buy chooks and in this case our new duck! We told him our story of having two lonely girls who just lost their drake. And he sold us a beautiful calm white Pekin duck. Charlie. He also said we should have brought Jessie to him - as he would have used him as a breeding duck - as it's good to get non-related ducks into his breeding program. So we (8 year old and me) proceeded to go to the RSPCA and to reclaim our Jessie - who looked miserable and lonely in one of those awful zoo like concrete jungle cages. He kept flying away from the keeper - so I had to go in - he knew me and let me pick him up into the box. We returned to 'chookman sheepman' and gave him Jessie. He will have a happy life now. And we are all much happier for it!.
Anyway - meet Charlie... The funny thing that has happened now - is that Bob - one of the ducks has bonded and started laying. And Puddleduck - the rescued duck from Wentworth falls Lakes - has stopped laying. !

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Sponge cake using Duck eggs

Well the duck eggs are now coming in thick and fast. So I was due to start experimenting with them. Our first go - probably unwisely- was to poach them. Ick! Put us off them. Second go, was to 'bake' with them. All the googling had led to lots of recommendations for baking with them - especially sponges and meringue. So I just googled "duck egg sponge cake" - don't you love google? Up came a Duck Egg Sponge Cake recipe! This is the link for those interested. And below is the result.
!

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