Whoa - winters here!

Oh my goodness it was a chilly morning here. Mark had to wash the windows of his work car to get the ice off it so he could see and even as he drove out of the yard it began to ice up again! Brrrrrrrrr!

I got moving after having a cuddle with the pup and got the washing started. It's a pain at this time of the year trying to get it all dry before the afternoon cold and damp closes in. I've been laid low with an awful cold so didn't do much at all, washing, made salsa to go with the salmon for dinner and made a pear cake for desert. I pulled the blinds back in the family room and dozed on the chair in the sun for a few hours. Bliss!  The pear cake is lovely; not an original however. I had extra pears so trawled the ipad (sitting in the sun under a blanket) to see what I could make; easy and quick being the order of the day as I just couldn't be bothered fiddling for too long in the kitchen. I may have gotten the recipe from Simple Savings - I get so many fabulous recipes from that site - I highly recommend it. If not then I can't remember, but accolades to whoever made it up. Lovely with a little ice cream or cream.

Ingredients.
 1 kg pears - peeled, cored and sliced
2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1 cup white sugar   { I use Natvia, which is a natural substitute (Stevia) and I use a bit less than a cup as it can be a little sweet for some people)
1 1/2  cups plain flour
1/4 tsp mixed spice

Method.
Preheat oven to 190 c.
Grease a spring-form pan or round baking tin and dust with plain flour.
Mix eggs and milk together.
Add sugar, mix well.
Add flour and mixed spice and beat until it resembles a thickish batter.
Fold in pears, making sure all are covered.
Pour into tin.
Bake 45-55 minutes until golden brown on top.
Cool in the tin for 20 minutes.
    And yes that missing bit was YUM!

I've got some bulbs to go in tomorrow, they should have been in a week or two ago; never mind, they'll be O.K. They're tulips,daffies and freesias. I'll put them around the gates that are leading to the secret garden; they should look gorgeous come spring.
There's a bunch of leaks to be pulled so I'll make some soup to pop in the freezer.

Oh I've just bought a cheese making kit; that's next on the agenda. I'm really looking forward to trying that.

So.......it's quiet and peaceful here at the moment, cold but peaceful. :)

A THOUGHTFUL DAY.

It's a lovely sunny autumn day. The horses are milling about, the birds have been in for breakfast and a swim and have gone to....well .... wherever they go through the day. Have just picked some onions, capsicum, and beetroot, 3 figs, and got 7 eggs from 6 chickens (???) Washing is hung and the bread maker just started up and scared the heck out of me! I'm making some fruit bread for my eldest; hoping it's ready before I go over to their house for a barbeque lunch. Doesn't a meal made by someone else taste soooooo much better than when you have to do it yourself? :)

It's a thoughtful day today. A boss where my daughter works passed away today after only being diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. Her passing must be so incredibly devastating for her family and friends; today will be forever etched in their minds. It made me think again at how quickly life can change; how fast what was so important one day pales into insignificance the next due to a change in circumstances. How easy it is to be caught up in the trivial things and miss the beauty that's all about us - be it family, friends, our home. An attitude of gratitude can turn a crappy day into a brilliant one.

* This was sitting in my drafts from a couple of weeks ago. Thought I'd pop it in. :)