A camping master list

The perfect formula for camping is one part Enid Blyton, one part Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom)  and one part reality.   That's what I'm thinking as I pack the car....lashings of ginger beer, plaid blankets and practical things like a sleeping bags if there's room.

It's that crazy thinking that means I usually forget something critical...like the camp oven, or the children's flip flops, sunblock or rain coats.  And we always need rain coats, because if we're going camping, in Tasmania it's highly likely that it will rain.  It's how we roll.

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27 comments camping, cooking, forage, holidays, nature, organize, tasmania

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Restoration :: part 2 :: the food

The night before we left for camp, I googled "camp food" for some inspiration on what to take with us. I was a bit taken aback at the results :: suggestions of cup noodles, dried soup, instant coffee sachets and weetbix with UHT milk capsules left me shuddering.  I'd rather stay at home than eat that stuff thanks.  

The best part of camping for me is the food.   Sure, cook simple food, but I think you can still eat well without resorting to such extreme measures.  It still has to be real food.  And a little stove top coffee maker doesn't take up much room.  If I was short on space I'd ditch the tent before I ditch mine.

On this trip I also fancied a spot of fishing, but my vegetarian daughter put a stop to that idea.  So we stuck to foraging for some greens instead.   After getting advice from local friends (and borrowing a frypan, because I, ahem, left ours at home) we were given some tips on where to find samphire, a native coastal succulent. 

We picked a couple of handfuls, happy to have a chance to use my lovely new knife, a Christmas present from my love.  Back at camp kitchen, I simply soaked it in fresh water, then fried up some home grown potatoes and tossed through the samphire until it started to colour.  

It was totally delicious, and the crunchy salty samphire was a perfect contrast to the soft starchy potatoes.  I loved it and so did the peeps.  Real food that's easy to carry, easy to make and easy to eat.  Perfect camp food.

The next morning, with bacon and eggs for breakfast, there was one sneaky camp food trick that a friend told me about that I did indulge in with my coffee, I know it's not strictly real food, but it was only because the fresh milk had run out...

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12 comments cooking, holiday, nature, real food, tasmania

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Restoration :: part 1

It was a little bit last minute - but the holidays were rapidly drawing to a close and we had to get away.   We filled the car with a tent, blankets, pillows and good things to eat then headed off to catch the next ferry.  Destination :: Bruny Island.

As soon as we boarded the ferry, it felt like a holiday.   We parked at the bow and the ocean spray splashed over the barrier and onto our faces.  The children squealed with delight whilst my cares washed away.  We were on our way for a three day camping trip.

Our camp spot was at Jetty Beach, a good 70 minutes drive south from the ferry.  A gorgeous beach, with calm shallow waters, and walking tracks through the bush.  The peeps spent most of the time at the shore, collecting shells, building sandcastles in the soft white sand or scrambling over the jetty ruins.  Only heading back to camp to fill those empty bellies.  We fried sausages and haloumi and mushrooms then squished them between soft white bread, adding a squirt of homemade tomato sauce.   Then we scorched marshmallows on our little gas cooker and drank hot chocolate.  Then the three of us squeezed into our cosy tent, filled with pillows, quilts and knitted blankets, and lit a lantern and candles to keep it bright. We fell asleep to the sound of the wind whistling through the trees and the birds settling down for the night.

A blissful three days away, on my favourite island, with my peeps was just what the doctor ordered. Before we left, I was feeling tired, cranky, run down and, well, flat.  Walking barefoot along the sandy beaches, I had the overwhelming feeling of restoration.  How precious to have some time and space away from the routine and chores of home.  To find the time to think, to dream, to have fun and to reconnect.

Restoration was what we needed. I'm so glad we found it.

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7 comments family, holiday, nature, something fun, tasmania, travel

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The autumn break

My poor garden is looking very confused at the moment.  You could be forgiven for thinking it's autumn, as a lot of the leaves are brown and some fruit trees have lost all their leaves.

Part of me wishes it was the end of summer, because it would bring the drenching rains known as the autumn break.  Goodness knows we need it.

The truth is, a lot of the trees were scorched in the recent heatwave that bought high temperatures and fierce winds. The leaves have blown off the plum trees, dried clusters of fruit hang off the currant bushes and some apple trees have turned up their toes, perhaps they've even carked it, but hopefully they've opted for an early hibernation.   They've all been given lots of long soaks to revive their parched roots, but we'll have to see if they bounce back next spring.

It's not all doom and gloom of course.  There are some tomatoes in their way, sunny sunflowers, lots of beans that I'm hoping to dry and use over winter, and a delicious crop of crunchy cos lettuce to eat now.

We've one more precious week of the school holidays, and once school goes back  I plan to devote some much needed time and energy to the garden.  Hopefully I'll be able to whip it back into some sort of respectable shape with more mulch, liquid feeds and a bloody good weeding (which are still thriving in this hot dry summer!)

In the meantime, the peeps and I are heading off on a mini camping trip.  I can't wait to get away and spend some down time with them.   Too early for the autumn break, but nonetheless a break of the midsummer kind.

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8 comments garden, nature, seasons

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The Ponds

After a little instagram inspiration from Paulette, yesterday we hit the road and headed north to the Derwent Valley to visit the Salmon Ponds at Plenty.  I love the Derwent Valley, it seems somehow more Georgian than the Huon, with its mid 19th century farmhouses and lovingly restored oast houses dotted among the rolling green hills.

Arriving at the Salmon Ponds, I couldn't help but fall in love with the old hatchery buildings and the impressive gardens.  Hawthorn hedges surround expansive grassed areas that showcase a large collection of historic trees.  The Salmon Ponds were established around 1864, and the garden planted with an enviable collection of exotic trees, some still standing 150 years later.

Feeding fish, a picnic lunch, and a walk along the river bank for a peek into the original Walden inspired fishing cabin, arranged as if the angler had only ducked out moments ago, kept us busy for hours.  Then it was into the museum in an old cottage, that left both me and the children wanting to move right in.  The peeps so they could climb the trees every day and I fancied taking over the cafe and serving afternoon teas.  At the very least I came away wondering where I could put a hawthorn hedge at home, and realised that the chestnut tree I planted doesn't have nearly enough room to grow into the fine specimen we admired.

Sigh. It's good to know that despite being an instagram addict, it can inspire me to get outdoors and fuel our dreams.

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10 comments holidays, nature, tasmania

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Real raw food

If last week I did something crazy, this week I did something totally illegal.  Yes, I broke the law.  I bought and drank pet milk.  Alternatively known as raw milk.

Inspired by the Real Food book by Nina Planck, I've been itching to get my hands on high quality raw milk for ages, and found myself considering the idea of getting a house cow. However quietly asking around for a regular supply, this week I finally found it.

"You're allowed to buy cigarettes but you're not allowed to buy this. It's not for human consumption -  only for pets" stated the source of my illegal booty.  I couldn't help ponder this absurd state of affairs as I drove straight home and poured myself a glass.  It tasted so sweet and delicious and unlike any milk I've ever tasted.  It was so good I had to pour it over a bowl of granola and promptly gobbled that up too.  

The big test was going to be if the peeps drank it, because really, I want them to enjoy the health benefits that raw milk provides.   Having never liked drinking milked before, they almost polished off two litres last night and this morning.  Law broken again.  But I was smug in the knowledge that their tummies were full of vitamins, enzymes, fatty acids, beneficial bacteria and a host of other goodness that crime seems a small price to pay.

The virtues of clean raw milk sourced from grass fed cows are extensive, and there's plenty of information around if you look.  Both for and against.  It's a complex issue that I won't explore here.  What I am looking forward to is making yoghurt, butter and fresh cheeses.  All for my pets of course.  I wouldn't to be involved in any illegal activity.

But I was reminded of this... 

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39 comments country, good things, nature, old school, slow

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A 'sort of' way to garden

 

If there is one thing I've been giving my garden plenty of this summer, it is neglect. A crippling bout of hay fever, coupled with a new job, has meant that really I haven't spent any time in the garden at all.  But you know what?  Despite my indifference, the vegetable patch is thriving.   The hard yakka of planting, mulching, weeding and feeding in early spring has meant that yes, whilst there's LOADS of weeds, there is also loads to eat.  Potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, lettuces and chives are just some of the foods we're eating right now.   The tomatillos whilst not ready yet, are going nuts.   The apples trees are groaning with fruit and well, the blackberries are rambling and wild and sweet, if not painfully prickly.  Amazing! Imagine what I could do if I put some effort in!

The greenhouse, hasn't been a complete success, there are some tomatoes and chilies happily fruiting away in there, but the weeds are so tall and so vigorous that I can barely get inside.   Over the winter I'll have to start again, build some raised beds and fill them with clean soil.  Those pasture grasses that come up all over the garden (we're surrounded by cow paddocks), chosen to withstand heavy cattle grazing, love it in the green house and I'm no match for their tenacity.  But you know, we'll just keep going, and that's the secret to this gardening caper.   

I miss spending time in my garden, and I could certainly use some motivation, (like this Turkey's great post) along with a good dose of antihistamines to get me outside.  So today I splurged on two long-coveted books by one of my favourite writers.   Twelve hundred odd pages of inspiring gardening and kitchen prose, the first volume on vegetables, the second on fruit. I shall relish every page.  

Mmmm, my garden may to have to endure a little more neglect...

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8 comments garden, home, nature

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For the birds

Today is the southern hemisphere's winter solstice, the year's shortest day and longest night. In southern Tasmania, the lack of daylight is quite noticeable, with the sun not rising until 7.43 and setting at 4.43. To be precise.

For the summer solstice, midsummer, we leave gifts of flowers and chocolates out for the fairies to keep them happy. On the flip side, today we made a gift for the birds, who might need a little extra comfort during these long cold nights. A wire ball stuffed full of materials to help build their nests. I can't remember on whose blog I saw this fantastic idea, but it is a good one.

They are easy and fun to make. We took some pliable wire and wrapped it around a pumpkin for shape. You could use a ball or anything round. You could even skip the first step and use old wire hanging baskets or maybe a pinecone. We carefully removed it from the pumpkin and we had a rough spherical shape. I left a little loop at the top for hanging.

Then we stuffed it full of interesting scraps from around the house and garden: wool, fleece, string, cotton threads, hair out of hairbrushes, clumps of possum fur, feathers from the chook house, tiny scraps of old fabric and moss.

We took them outside in today's precious sunshine and hung them in the trees. Over the next few months, we'll keep an eye out for nests in the garden to see if the birds have used any of the gifts we left for them.

Now we're back inside for soup and scones by the fire. We'll be lighting lots of candles tonight to remind us that the sun is on it's way back. Hope you're keeping warm and cosy too.

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17 comments birds, making, nature, seasons

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