Damn you rechargable batteries!!!

Recently I have discovered Blondies. A dangerously addictive cakey slice thing, somewhat like a brownie but not so rich and chocolately. I guess Blondies aren't something that is that common in Australia, however, I don't think that will be the case for too long.

This simple little recipe is so great in the fact that you can change the flavours to what ever you feel like, or have floating around in the pantry. You just take your base recipe and try different things.

A couple of weeks ago I made them with pecans, choc chips and a swirl of left over caramel. They were pretty good, and Grumbles happily took them to work for smoko.

This weekend after reading quite a few blogs, I tripped over a recipe for Peppermint Oreo Brownies. (sorry , I can't find the link again). Now I don't really like peppermint, and I didn't feel like going into the expense of making brownies, so thought about adding the biscuits to Blondie mix.

O....M.....Gawd!

I said a naughty big person word when I tried them. It was divine!! And I think I have eaten close to half a tray over the course of the day. However, They stuck to the bottom of the pan (must use baking paper next time) and the rule is, if it breaks all the calories fall out, so its ok if I ate so much of it.

Now I could post a photo, but those bloody useless re-chargable batteries have gone flat on me again, so you're just gonna have to wait til I can take a pic. And hope I don't eat the rest in the mean time, but here is the recipe.

Blondies

8 tablespoons of butter melted
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
vanilla
A pinch of salt
1 cup of plain flour.

This is so easy. I just use a large 1.5litre jug. Melt the butter in the microwave, whisk in the sugar, then the egg and vanilla and the pinch of salt. Then stir in the flour. Then add in your flavours. Today I chopped up about 6 or 7 oreo type biscuits and a handfull of choc chips. Stir them in and then pour into a 8x8" square cake tin, that has been greased (and I suggest lined with baking paper). Bake at about 170 degrees for about 25 minutes. You don't want them cooked to death, you want the centre to be set and stay fudge-like.

Let them cool before you cut them up and then hide in a closet where the kids can't find you with a big glass of milk and scoff!

Next time I'm going to try with Kingston biccies I think.

Growing and growing and growing!

Its amazing. Most weeks I go out and take photos of my second plot with intentions to post, but for some reason don't get around to it, and here I am today finally getting the time and the photos just won't do. My veges are so much bigger than what they were last week. They are doing fantastically and I'm going to have to go out into the gale force winds outside to get some more so you can all see how its coming along.

It is so nice to have a fresh and always ready supply of lettuce. I just trot out the door, take 10 steps, pick a few leaves and then back to the kitchen for a quick rinse. No trudging around the shops, looking through all the half saggy dehydrated offerings trying to find the best, and then handing over $3, for it to be stuffed within 2 days in the fridge. This is why I always want my vege garden.
My tomatoes are growing so strong. This variety seem to be less fussy, and there are quite a lot of flowers. We will have fruit coming out of our ears before we know it. The big test will be to see if we can eat it or if the fruit flies, grubs, bugs and birds get first dibs. I intend on trying the paper bag over then to see if that will help.

This weekend I also finally got around to planting my broccoli, cauliflower and celery seeds. I am so excited about the idea of fresh broccoli and cauliflower for winter. I guess I had better find a way I like cauliflower, as I have been turned since my Mother dished up the over cooked, sloppy, tasteless grey sludge all those years ago. However Chicken loves a good lump of cauli, so I'm happy to grow it solely for her if it means she will eat her veges.

Plot one is still having a nice rest. It has been topped up with compost and manure, and has been sitting for a couple of weeks now. I tossed a packet of bean seeds that our friendly neighbour gave to us (must take her a pumpkin) and will also toss a packet of broad beans in as well to help fix the soil.

*Edit* I just had to come back and say that we pulled everything except our strawberries and garlic out of plot one. We decided it was working so poorly that the ground was in desperate need of R&R, and the pests were winning the war, especially on the cucumbers. Its been like this for a good couple of weeks now, and will probably not get much action over winter because it doesn't get enough sun at this time of the year.*

Pumpkins are still growing madly, but it looks like production has finally slowed down. The vines are starting to look a bit sad and I think we will be coming to the end of it soon. So, I better get our next plants in for when we run out of our dozen or so pumpkins we got this round. Its actually been really rewarding to finally get some 'real' produce from out of the garden. It feel like we have been plodding along and only growing food for the boys (Guinea Pigs) because all the other pests get to enjoy it before us. Learning how to do all this as organic as possible is definitely trying and character building.