Between emotional meltdowns

All is well for the moment, as I am currently between emotional meltdowns.  I had one two weeks ago, and I am sure there is one creeping up on me just around the bend.  This has proved to be a full-on year thus far, and it is not about to get any easier.  But for every challenge there has been a huge reward, and I am still loving (almost) every minute of it.  

I am starting hospital placement next week... I mean this week.  Where did the weekend go?  We had a great time making yummy food, gardening, baking bread and buying a new compost bin yay!  What has been going on in the past few... months you ask?  I will not draw too much attention to how long it has been since last post.  ye gads, it is shameful.  I do have plenty of photos this time though!!  I have to admit I have a hard time posting without photos.  I am not such an entertaining writer, and I love sharing photos, so I am excited to show you a few photos of what we have been up to.

We have been very busy lately, and somehow managed to find the time to put in a fairly extensive veggie garden.  About a quarter are still in seed trays, waiting to be planted.  But the garden includes:

• Kale (Palm tree cabbage)
• Ruby chard (red silverbeet) 
• Leeks 
• Multiplying leeks 
• Onions 
• Collard greens 
• Pak choi 
• Cabbage 
• Maori potatoes 
• Purple potatoes 
• Globe artichokes 
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Agria potatoes 
• Pumpkins 
• Strawberries 
• Arugula (rocket) 
• Miners lettuce 
• Ice king lettuce 
• Mesclun greens 
• Horseradish 
• Green eggplant 
• Classic eggplant 
• Watermelon (this won't grow, but one can always hope) 
• Zucchini  
• Green beans 
• Yellow beans 
• Peas 
• Basil 
• Cilantro (fresh coriander) 
• Tomatoes (a few varieties) 
• Pea sprouts 
• Daikon radish   
• Broccoli 

And wait until you see where it all is or is going to go.  I think I am crazy trying to grow all of this, but I had the seeds and wanted to try!  The kale, miners lettuce, and arugula are doing incredibly well and have been growing throughout winter.  We have already had several fresh salads from the greens.  I will show a photo of a purple potato salad we had last night for dinner.  The potatoes were grown by my girlfriend Alice.  She gave me most of the seeds for my garden.  She also showed me how to make homemade tomato sauce (ketchup for you northern hemisphere folk) and natural body creams and salves.  Very clever lass.  

I haven't been sewing at all.  School has been far more demanding than expected and I haven't had any spare time other than an hour here or there to plant a few things, bake bread, make pasta, etc.  We bought a pasta machine recently and now make all of our own pasta from scratch.  I have a few photos to show.  We have also been baking all of our own bread since February and have only bought 2 loaves since then.  I have attempted to make a sourdough starter this morning and shall see how that goes.  I make myself gluten-free bread and it is much cheaper and WAY yummier than store bought.  If anyone is interested in that recipe let me know.  It is very easy to make and really quick.  It is a Rice Soya bread and is fluffy, moist and tasty.  Matt will even eat it, and enjoy it.

Here are some photos:

This is what I look like every morning before I manage to get a coffee into me.  I'm digging the hair though. 

  

This is our homemade bread.  Sunday is our bread-making day.  My gluten free loaf is the dark one on the right.  Matt's are the other two.  I think they are buttermilk?

 

Sampling the bread.

These boys are making bread.  It is around 6 in the morning.  

 

Matt is making and hanging pasta.

 

Pasta all made and drying.

 

Pasta machine.  Love.

 

Purple potato salad with homegrown arugula and miners lettuce.  I made a pesto and balsamic dressing.  Yummy.  I ate leftovers for breaky this morn.

 

The main veggie patch.  It is nearly all planted up.  The potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, pumpkins and kale, cabbage and pak choi are all too small to see.

 

This is slowly filling with more tubs of veggies...

 

More tubs... my whole yard is full of tubs... fun!

 

The little cherub is growing too.

  

Comments

[Heart Felt]

Loved seeing your photos, Teo has grown up so much! I know you are really busy ~ but we are moving to the country.....you would love it! Hugs and kisses and you are just incredible with all that you are achieving ~ xxx

[Julie]

Wow your garden looks amazing!!! Don't know where you find the time... I am only half way through my pre-health science course and am blown away by how busy life is now. Handed my midwifery application in last month and am just keeping my fingers crossed that one of the 25 places will be mine. I'm sure you remember how it feels waiting to hear.... Loved your pre-coffee photo, I am very scary looking before my fist cuppa of the day, being English though it's gotta be tea!! Good luck with your hospital placement, have fun!! X

[Bonnie De Gros]

Thanks for your comments! And yes I do remember waiting to hear back about my application. I think I checked my mailbox four times a day... I felt like I was stalking the postie from my upstairs window. I wish you the best for that and hope you hear back soon!

I don't know where I find the time to do everything. I can tell you than my study does suffer a bit. But my garden is what keeps me going at the moment. Matt has a bike that he is working on so that is his little project. I think I would go crazy if I had nothing else on the side. My sewing is not happening at the moment and I am sad about that, but at least I have fresh veggies to pick! I am off to a lecture now... hope you have a good week. I will post more photos soon. XX

[Shenandoah bed and breakfast]

pics were really amazing and wonderful.Thanks for sharing..