OMG I LOVE my new pie maker

Well, I decided I "had" to have a pie maker. I checked on Ebay but there wasn't a lot on offer. Lucky for me I received a voucher from work - my wonderful supervisor, Amanda, nominated me for a recognition award - I received a $50 Westfield voucher!!!


So, I went to DJ's. $79.95 for the pie maker I wanted (Sunbeam 4) mmmm I think I can do better than that - Bing Lee $69.90 mmmm I can do better than that - Mum took over (hehehe she couldn't wait for me) and we ended up getting the piemaker for $62 (just for asking "is that your best price?") - so it only cost me $12 - BARGAIN.


I decided today that it is TOO expensive to buy pastry from the supermarket at $3 - $5 a pop!! So I made my own today - and it worked brilliantly - soooo easy. I made meat pies and apple pies and they went down a treat with everyone (even the kids!!)





The pastry - home made, cut, ready to go.....



So here is the pastry recipe (from Simple Savings website)

• 2 Cups plain flour (or SR)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (don't use if using SR flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar (for sweet pastry only)
• 1/2 Cup butter or marg (I used marg)
• approx 4 Tablespoons of cold water

Process all ingredients except water. Slowly add water with processor running until ingredients combine and form a ball. Roll out to desired size and thickness. Can be frozen and thawed.

I made apple pies. I bought a bag of granny smith apples (on special for $1.50 as useby date was soon). Peeled, cored and chopped and put into a pot with 4T sugar and 2T water. Simmered until mushy and soft. Then put in a handful of sultanas and approx T ground cinnamon and mixed. Then put in the pies. YUMMY AND CHEAP. Serve with icecream. Can be frozen for later.

Apple mix in with home made pastry in pie maker

With their lids on...........

Cook for 8 mins in pie maker......

YUMMY home made apple pies.......

freeze and re heat for 30 mins or so..........

Will post my meat pies next time...........

Rach

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Veggie Garden Update

As mentioned on my previous post here is a picture of my veggie garden planted up, the fruit trees we planted and the herb garden.





We are growing: tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, capsicum, pumpkin, snow peas, cucumber, white cucumber, corn, spring onion, rockmelon, celery and onions!! Fruit trees: lemon, lime and honey murcott mandarin (these are planted in front of the chook pen. Herb garden: strawberry plant, corriander, rosemary, parsley and then mint up the back yard (no photo).







Fingers crossed they grow well - currently looking good :-)

Rach
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1st Blog 1st Day of Spring....

Wow - my first post!!! Very exciting...........LOL What I hope to do is tell a little of our life and introduce a little of our world to yours. Never know - someone out there may find it a little interesting and may even learn something new (as I have from other Blogs and Forums).



Well, for Greg, Jem and I this has been a very busy weekend. Lawns, garden, washing aggrrrhh does it ever end - no it doesn't!!



I have wanted a vegie garden for a while now and this weekend and last weekend have been perfect to get these done. So Greg got into action last weekend and made me two perfect garden boxes (isn't he clever :-) So here is the progress:








These are 2.4m x 1.2m treated pine sleepers and bolted?? together. We bought the wood new as we didn't have anything laying around but they wern't too expensive (around $10 ea - so $60). Greg made me two of these boxes and after putting down thick newspaper on the ground, we filled them with beautiful compost made by our chickens from lawn clippings and kitchen scraps!! BEAUTIFUL RICH SOIL - and all free!!! I have planted them up but will show that in another post later.



Another thing we did this weekend is clip & wash the dogs and our Persian cat Squishy. Squishy was a stray kitten that my sister gave me when she was dumped at the vets where she works. She is beautiful however is a high maintenance cat. I personally think the breed is a mean one - with that hair grows sooooo long and then matts/knots so easily, her squished up nose (hard to breathe) and a jaw that makes it hard for her to pick up food off the ground. We keep her clipped in the "Lion cut" - her body is shaved and her head, paws and tail are kept fluffy. We DIY as we bought a shaver. We are not experts AT ALL but our animals don't complain that they don't have designer haircuts LOL.



I have to post this picture of Squishy having a bath (we didn't know but she had fleas :-( YUKKY HORRIBLE things but nothing a bath and Frontline won't fix :

AWWWWW how cute!!

We that is enough for today - bye for now

Rach
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