Rain Glorious Rain

 We have had 30mls of rain since yesterday..its fabulous..our long hot summer we only got 30mls for an entire 6months.

So I wandered round the garden this morn.

 

 

Run Rabbit Run Rabbit Run Run Run

 

We went rabbiting today and caught NOTHING..and that's the end of our story

this week in the dehydrator

Pears,Dried Apricots,Grapes,Mandarins,Kiwifruit

You can see some of my dehydrated foods in jars with oxygen absorbers  for freshness

 

 

Stuff dehydrated but not shown is tomatos,mushrooms & potatoes

Almost all of this food would have ended up going to the chickens if I didn't get to it and dehydrate it all.I ordered a second dehydrator to keep up with all my plans..Loving it..Is anyone joining me??

 



Updated with a movie:::Before/After garden Pic/Couch Grass Update

when we first arrived here sept 2008

We all got stuck into the vege plot again today and finish turning it over before we get the rotary hoe into it..we laid out the black plastic for another large plot for next year..I would like to plant out a big lot of the plot into potatoes this year..some parsnips,more carrots,beetroot,more garlic and some more peas.

What are you planting or planning to plant out ?

 

 

Couch Grass Update

So I thought I would update you about the horrible couch grass..boring I know but when I looked on google for how to kill it I couldn't find much for killing it without chemicals.So someone might stumble upon this in there search..

 

this is the  grass after a year under the plastic-the roots where black

So in my research I found that in summertime it takes 4 to 6 weeks to kill off weed seeds and in winter 8 to 12 weeks

But I knew I wouldn't be ready to dig this plot for at least 7 to 9 months so I just left it covered up for a whole 9 months..the roots under ground where black and there has been absolutely no sign of life since we have dug up the first section of this plot(which was 3 weeks ago)So ..SO far so good..and not a chemical in sight.

Busy day in the Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They worked like champs in the garden for me..we planted out more strawberry plants ..moved in some extra garden boxes(some need repairing)..

The big vege plot is getting dug over(in the back ground) everything was just go go go..we have had some rain which has been wonderful..everything is dry and parched out these ways.

I am totally dehydrated and its fabulous

I have had stockpiling on my mind for sometime now..I have looked at some awesome places you can buy items from,but gosh they are costly
for a family of 8 for a 1 yrs supply its 15 grand, well you and I both know that is not going to happen,even if I did win the lotto(which I almost never take anyways LOL)..
So I was chatting with God as ya do...I was asking if the Lord had any ideas for a simple, cheap way to store food for short(1 to 2 yrs) and for long term ( 8 to 10yrs)...and during my morning
look around the net one morning I stumbled(or the Lord led me to--I prefered to believe i was led) to a forum that was chatting about dehydrating foods...there was a link  to this chicks Youtube Channelhttp://www.youtube.com/user/Dehydrate2store/videos?view=0 that is totally awesome..it has taken me a week to download the 10 basics shows(due to me using up all my data allowance..its been painful to wait but worth it once you have them downloaded)...Go watch and get yourself HOOKED on dehydrating like I am

 

So over the last few days I have been popping in all sorts of stuff into the dehydrator

strawberries

A yummy strawberry fruit leather

bananas..not one person liked them

apples

Celery Tops and the Little stalks that can often get wasted

Other things I done are Peas and Pears( I ate them pears so fast they where my favourite thing of everything..like addictive lolly delishous)

So expect LOADS of Dehydrating posts over the next few months..hopefully you will get addicted like me and we can share ideas.

 

Happy Mothers Day

Crysathamums hand picked from our garden

I have always thought Mother's Day must an awfully hard day for some women..world wide all these mothers are being honoured ..but what if your childless? Or you have lost your child? Must be a hard day

So to all the women out there struggling to become mothers or mothers that have lost their children..Happy Mothers Day to you xxx

My boy turned 13

 

We played games, had prizes, made the biggest burgers you ever did see, and ate ice cream sundaes.all to celebrate my boy turning 13.