My Cooking and My Garden: A Good Day.

The end of the year, everyone is busy and also tired, it is time to slow down, relax and take it easy. The children are happy at their own places, Mel and family just moved in into their brand new home, a few things still to be sorted but they are together under the same roof. Jane and her family, who live in the Netherlands, are enjoying the cold season. We were told that in her town was snowing, but the snow dropped then melted away, it did not stay, there was no white snow in the yard, but today we Facetime with her and she said the snow is 15cm deep, lucky Milo will have a wonderful time building a snowman and playing outside. Susan in Melbourne and it has been raining a lot, and it is Melbourne, so she knows it, we are looking forward to seeing her and her husband soon.

Sunday early morning I decided that I will have a good day today, in fact, a grand day and happily working to make the front room better, to create a sense of it, it's going to be a big job. Hm, house chores are endless, but it got to be done. Multi-tasks is women's prerogative, it is indeed. Since I had lovely days before the weekend and had Saturday rest, I thought it's alright that Sunday was dedicated to working around the house. First thing first, must remember that I had special sourdough prepared and sitting in the fridge ready for baking.

Freshly baked. A perfect loaf
of sourdough bread with pecan, craisin
and apricot

Ten o'clock am, how pleased and proud I was to pull out the perfect loaf from the oven, the freshly baked sourdough bread was light, large and lovely, it has a rustic look as sourdough bread should be. I was so happy.!! That was energised me much to do all the chore that had to be done today.
All-day almost without resting, keeping on working. The family is happy enough to prepare the lunch, oh yes, I remember now, I did stop for a bit to have my cuppa for morning tea. Dinner was really magical, what I did was simply put the meat with other ingredients in a pot and cooked in the oven to make the best of the high heat after the bread baking.
I adorned with smiling face a happy face for the whole day, which rubbed on to Rayner, he's pleased to do the same, busy and busy helping.

The first washing some glasses

Getting ready for Christmas? Could be. But for me, it is the annual cleaning up or changing the scenery in the house, moving furniture or as simple moving indoor plant is fun. To have clean glasses is essential, imagine drinking out of smelly glasses, it is nothing worse to have a drink out of eggy or meaty gross smell out from the dusty glass. Took all the drinking glasses out from the cupboard and clean the unit inside out, indeed took a long time and followed by washing up the glasses.

The Cabinet Glasses

The indoor plant - Monstera Deliciousa had to be moved as the space is not big enough for the glass cabinet to be around that place.

I am not too sure where the Christmas tree will sit this year. No, the tree is not up yet, the cleaning up now is taking place.

Cherry Tree-Winter Sun

So far is so good about the front room, it is petty good. How about outside, I have been neglected the garden due to the rains, but Rayner has been doing a great job out there, cutting the lawn, cutting wild branches of the trees and trimming the topiary plants. Now, these plants the topiary are beautifully dressed, very neat and pretty, I chipped in a little thought, the other day trimmed down the standard Japanese cherry tree the winter sun which is sitting in the front yard. It was not the best, but at least it looked better, and I know Rayner will fix the hedges underneath to make it right. Yes he did, and it looks immaculate, I thought that would be nice to have a front garden looking right for the family and for us to come home and of course for visitors. Thanks to the rain, the plants, the grass are all well and good, they are healthy that makes the garden so beautifully green and gorgeous.

It is suitable for the children to come home, enjoy the place and restful after the long drive.

Christmas Day is always a big event, in the past cooking and baking preparation was significant as we had all the family together, now it is important too only we are more practical, but we will have a festive celebration together with our youngest daughter, her husband and family.

Talking about baking, this morning was the most beautiful morning for me, big success of baking sourdough bread using the wild yeast that I caught and prepared myself. What an achievement. At last, the dream is realised. I still could not believe that I could bake such beautiful loaf. I am blessed.

Sourdough Bread with Pecan, apricot and craisin.

Rustic Looking Bread, the homebaked that I never had. Look at the sliced bread, is studded with the nuts, golden apricot and deep red craisins, how good is that. Baking bread becomes addictive, and I am glad friends happy to have the share of it so I could do more. From now on it is going to be the regular weekly baking. Special bread sourdough baking for the family.

Incredibly, a good feeling leads to having a good day and good spirits. A good day brings joy and peace. Enjoy Monday, and have a great week everyone!

Updated:
Last night at ten pm brioche dough was prepared, tomorrow another baking day, sourdough bread with cashew and papaya. I thought I will make the best of the hot oven to bake brioche, It's meatloaf with a whole egg in the middle wrapped in brioche. Late-night it was the brioche dough appropriately risen, and then it slept in the fridge for overnight. Today is Tuesday, and the great day keeps ongoing. Catching up with friends and went home with a large potted Maiden Hair Fern, thank you, Anne and Max, for a lovely afternoon.

Baking The Brioche