spring flowers and good food

[Handstitched]

@chuck123wapati  Hope all is going well for you and yours 

 

Took my Father for a few med appointments a few weeks ago, our "major hospital" is a hours drive away, anyway, I treated my Dad to some McSlops for lunch  , he quite enjoyed the day out  on a nice sunny day in the same place where I have one of my markets, right next to a river where there are seagulls as well.  You only need to give just one chip to a seagull and a hundred would turn up . We're not technically meant to feed them , but its an 'Aussie right' to give a seagull a chip or two  I've been spending quite a bit of time in the garden as its been overgrown and neglected  over the last 12 months . Its now starting to resemble a garden instead of a jungle.  Been planting some Aussie native plants as they are , hopefully drought tolerant. We had 50c + degs in Summer and lost a lot of plants , trees etc, Thats the worst I've experienced . 

I still have a long way to , and I know nothing about plants, other than what I learnt from Mum,  but I''m giving it my best shot  .

The Pork ribs were nice btw

Take care

HS

[chuck123wapati]

On 6/3/2024 at 9:04 PM, Handstitched said:

@chuck123wapati  Hope all is going well for you and yours 

 

Took my Father for a few med appointments a few weeks ago, our "major hospital" is a hours drive away, anyway, I treated my Dad to some McSlops for lunch  , he quite enjoyed the day out  on a nice sunny day in the same place where I have one of my markets, right next to a river where there are seagulls as well.  You only need to give just one chip to a seagull and a hundred would turn up . We're not technically meant to feed them , but its an 'Aussie right' to give a seagull a chip or two  I've been spending quite a bit of time in the garden as its been overgrown and neglected  over the last 12 months . Its now starting to resemble a garden instead of a jungle.  Been planting some Aussie native plants as they are , hopefully drought tolerant. We had 50c + degs in Summer and lost a lot of plants , trees etc, Thats the worst I've experienced . 

I still have a long way to , and I know nothing about plants, other than what I learnt from Mum,  but I''m giving it my best shot  .

The Pork ribs were nice btw

Take care

HS

Things are much much better for my daughter, we spent the last two days driving to see the doctors and surgeons that saved her. it was two days in a row getting up at four am and driving 120 miles/ 190 k  each way but she is off her wound vac and healing faster than expected, we don't have the money or inclination to stay over night in the city, the drive is pretty nice if you like endless sage brush praires and distant mountains to look at lol. I haven't seen my garden hardly this spring but the wife and kids have it started, it starting to get warm here finally the soil is warm enough for corn and beans to grow.

 I have an aloe plant and a Christmas cactus that were my moms both are house plants that she  started in the 1970's so they are very old plants 50 years old or so plus a Clematis plant I took a start from back in about 1985 or so. they are the best reminders of my mom and I cherish them dearly. 

I'm not only doing wound care but also installing a shower, replumbing her house for her and fixing her house for her new life but trying to keep up my spring time chores at my place so am running constantly at one place or the other with just short times I can sit and rest. 

 The wife and daughters made some real kickass barbequed chicken and potatoe salad the other day double dipped in batter, deep fried then added the bbq sauce and baked until caramelized and gooey to the max lol.  I hope to get some outdoor cooking in soon summer starts in a couple weeks. 

take care as well my friend 

Chuck

[Handstitched]

On 6/6/2024 at 8:58 PM, chuck123wapati said:

I have an aloe plant and a Christmas cactus that were my moms both are house plants that she  started in the 1970's so they are very old plants 50 years old or so plus a Clematis plant I took a start from back in about 1985 or so. they are the best reminders of my mom and I cherish them dearly. 

G'Day friend,  good to hear things are getting better with you and yours   Winter has well and truly set in now . 

Theres so many reminders of Mum around the garden, an English Lilac, her fave plant, its in bloom atm too. . Mum used to do and teach pottery in the early days so theres a lot of her pieces around the garden and in the house. One of which is  a ''raku fired pot", (fired in a traditional  wood kiln) , the date on it is 1978. I was still in primary school then  I use it to store my oil bottle for my machines .

Not much as far food goes,  just the same ol same ol, but tonight, home made sausage rolls , I think I showed you those on here a while back, and may be a roast lamb on Saturday as I have the weekend off , yey !!   

All the best 

HS

[chuck123wapati]

On 6/19/2024 at 9:31 PM, Handstitched said:

G'Day friend,  good to hear things are getting better with you and yours   Winter has well and truly set in now . 

Theres so many reminders of Mum around the garden, an English Lilac, her fave plant, its in bloom atm too. . Mum used to do and teach pottery in the early days so theres a lot of her pieces around the garden and in the house. One of which is  a ''raku fired pot", (fired in a traditional  wood kiln) , the date on it is 1978. I was still in primary school then  I use it to store my oil bottle for my machines .

Not much as far food goes,  just the same ol same ol, but tonight, home made sausage rolls , I think I showed you those on here a while back, and may be a roast lamb on Saturday as I have the weekend off , yey !!   

All the best 

HS

first day of summer here finally lol. My oldest daughter is on the mend, just got her last drain taken out and here picc tube day before yesterday. I cant describe what a surreal ordeal this has been for us and now its over just like that.

 One of my other daughters just turned 21 yesterday, our tradition is to cook anything wanted for the day. So i started off the morning making strawberry crepes from scratch, yes even the whipped cream, then fried wontons and sweet and sour chicken for dinner oh and she had to have her first mixed drink strawberry daiquiris lol. Funny thing my birthday is on the winter solstice and hers is on the summer solstice. Man i cant wait to get back to some normal finally and try out this new fishing license, do some quiet sewing and some loud blacksmithing. Take care my friend  hug yer dad and  I hope you enjoyed that lamb.

[Handstitched]

The roast lamb was delish, I must be getting better at cooking lamb, it was so tasty and tender. I also made a big pot of home made ham soup using a left over ham bone from not from last years Christmas, but the year before. Man, is was just exactly the same as Mums soups , She taught me well . We keep our ham and turkey leftovers and freeze them for soups. I did the same with the lamb leftovers, that too will become soup sometime in the future.  Mum was a kid during the second world war, so she knew how to make food stretch ,  skills passed on from my  Grannies no doubt. 

I have to keep changing dressings on my Fathers back as he a few legions , one of which is cancerous . Trying to get a specialist to come to the wheatbelt from Perth  to operate  is near impossible , and being 93, its too far for him  to travel into Perth, 3 hrs away. So I just apply special prescribed cream to keep it under control. 

You did well with the chicken and the crepes 

HS

[Handstitched]

G'Day , still here, just been busy.  Hope all is well in your part of the universe  Not much happening in the food dept. although I did do a nice roast beef a few weeks back, the left overs went into a curry.  A friend of mine that lives close by is rebuilding a S2 Landrover SWB for a friend of his. He had a lot of  parts surplus to requirements, so he let me pick and choose and let me have them for nothing.

I have more parts than I can poke a stick at now. If only I had the time to play with my toys, that and my tractors 

 

Take care friend 

HS

[Handstitched]

@chuck123wapati G'Day from 'upsidedownland'.

 

Hope all is well in Wyoming ?  Its now getting into the warmer part of the year, and its that time of year ...again. Spraying ( weeds) slashing, fire breaks etc. I'm trying to get it all done early before it gets too hot.  Fired my ól Fordson tractor up for the first time since last year, started first press of the button  and ran great. 

I'm getting more creative food wise, Dad loves it , he's doing ok , so far so good, he's had a few 'hiccups' occasionally but otherwise good.  I'll have to tackle one of our cupboards as its full of about a gazzilion  baking tins, trays etc. of Mums, its like a game of Jenga, move one tin and the whole lot comes crashing down. 

 

Take care friend 

HS

[chuck123wapati]

On 9/23/2024 at 8:43 PM, Handstitched said:

@chuck123wapati G'Day from 'upsidedownland'.

 

Hope all is well in Wyoming ?  Its now getting into the warmer part of the year, and its that time of year ...again. Spraying ( weeds) slashing, fire breaks etc. I'm trying to get it all done early before it gets too hot.  Fired my ól Fordson tractor up for the first time since last year, started first press of the button  and ran great. 

I'm getting more creative food wise, Dad loves it , he's doing ok , so far so good, he's had a few 'hiccups' occasionally but otherwise good.  I'll have to tackle one of our cupboards as its full of about a gazzilion  baking tins, trays etc. of Mums, its like a game of Jenga, move one tin and the whole lot comes crashing down. 

 

Take care friend 

HS

Sorry for the late reply, all is well here for a change that is if your not traveling, the roads are closed this morning due to wrecks on the ice. i took a nice spike elk this year and with the garden we are set in for the winter. Now maybe i can pound some leather lol.Take care and feed your dad well lol. We had a huge elk roast last night with our garden carrots and fresh idaho potatoes. 

Take care over there also!!!! 

[Sheilajeanne]

Take care, Chuck! I'll bet you're glad you're not in Colorado!    Did you get much snow, or just ice?

[chuck123wapati]

16 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Take care, Chuck! I'll bet you're glad you're not in Colorado!    Did you get much snow, or just ice?

in more ways than one lol.. not much yet the wind here takes it away as fast as it falls.

 

[Handstitched]

On 11/13/2024 at 8:38 PM, chuck123wapati said:

We had a huge elk roast last night with our garden carrots and fresh idaho potatoes. 

Dam , that sounds tasty  

 I'll be doing Chrissy  a bit different this year. Last year I did a turkey and small ham but I had so much food left over, too  much ,  theres  only two of us and Dad isn't a big eater, so this year, I've got some turkey drum sticks , and I'll get a small ham, and maybe some turkey breast , for sandwiches etc.  I picked up some cooking ideas from 'Nigella' on the TV yesterday. She put her turkey into some home made brine (?)  with an assortment of herbs, spices etc left it overnight, . and put  a mix of butter and maple syrup on the turkey before roasting, ( I won't be going that far) and she par boiled the spuds, added some semolina to them ( never seen that before, but I'll try it)   and roasted  them on high in goose fat, I don't have  goose fat , but I can get duck fat, but they looked dam nice and crispy . . The ham will be  done the usual way, in the oven  with pineapple and glazed  cherries  and a  ham glaze , that Mum made a long time ago. Its mostly sugar so its preserved well in the fridge, I also have a jar of Her home made piccalilli, the last one  2022 vintage, in the fridge    Tastes absolutely yummo , goes well with ham .When I'm feeling brave enough I'll try to make some myself, I found Mums 'secret 'recipe'  in among the gazzilion cooks books thats she accumulated over many years.   Its a long process  and the house will smell like a giant pickle for about a week  , lol , but it will be worth it. 

I'll still be making  a heap of sausage rolls and mince pies ( fruit) , theýre easy to make and freeze. 

Just in case I don't get here ( public pooter)  before Christmas, have a  Safe and Merry Christmas to you and your family  

 

HS

 

[chuck123wapati]

On 11/24/2024 at 8:24 PM, Handstitched said:

Dam , that sounds tasty  

 I'll be doing Chrissy  a bit different this year. Last year I did a turkey and small ham but I had so much food left over, too  much ,  theres  only two of us and Dad isn't a big eater, so this year, I've got some turkey drum sticks , and I'll get a small ham, and maybe some turkey breast , for sandwiches etc.  I picked up some cooking ideas from 'Nigella' on the TV yesterday. She put her turkey into some home made brine (?)  with an assortment of herbs, spices etc left it overnight, . and put  a mix of butter and maple syrup on the turkey before roasting, ( I won't be going that far) and she par boiled the spuds, added some semolina to them ( never seen that before, but I'll try it)   and roasted  them on high in goose fat, I don't have  goose fat , but I can get duck fat, but they looked dam nice and crispy . . The ham will be  done the usual way, in the oven  with pineapple and glazed  cherries  and a  ham glaze , that Mum made a long time ago. Its mostly sugar so its preserved well in the fridge, I also have a jar of Her home made piccalilli, the last one  2022 vintage, in the fridge    Tastes absolutely yummo , goes well with ham .When I'm feeling brave enough I'll try to make some myself, I found Mums 'secret 'recipe'  in among the gazzilion cooks books thats she accumulated over many years.   Its a long process  and the house will smell like a giant pickle for about a week  , lol , but it will be worth it. 

I'll still be making  a heap of sausage rolls and mince pies ( fruit) , theýre easy to make and freeze. 

Just in case I don't get here ( public pooter)  before Christmas, have a  Safe and Merry Christmas to you and your family  

 

HS

 

yuuum my son brines his turkey then low and slow on the cooking temp and times. I've made the blackberry cheesecake, and pecan pie for turkey day. The wife and kids get to do the rest, a nice sixer of Guinness draught is what I'm gonna finish today lol.

Some nice choke cherry  wine will accompany the feast to day as well hope you have a great day and a very Merry Christmas!! 

God bless you my friend and take care of pops for me. I dont have one to spoil so I count on you .