Garden update

 A few photos from my garden.  it's all coming along nicely though things seem to be taking a lot longer this year with our cooler than usual summer.  Here are some tomatoes, I have 6 different plants on the go & finally they are starting to produce

 First lemons on the lemon tree, lets hope they will live to mature, I haven't had much success so far

 The first of my tomatoes to ripen, these were actually some Winter tomatoes that I picked up at the garden show last year, I planted them a bit late so nothing in Winter but nice to have something ready to pick now

 Thai basil (back) & sweet basil (front), all from last years seeds.  This year I have been planting basil every few week so I have a continuous supply, these are my youngest

 More Winter tomatoes from last summer, yet to redden

 A rogue pumpkin plant I have let live amongst the weeds, one budding pumpkin so far, who knows how many more I will find amongst the weeds

 The first of my cucumbers looking good

And lastly some corn just about ready to eat....

How is your garden growing this year?

Happy 2011!

Happy 2011 to all.  I have been a bit of a slack blogger lately, I seem to have lost my mojo since the finish of the Cookbook Challenge (which I did not even complete!).  I have still been cooking lots, just no time or inclination to write about it.  Guess that's what happens when you're busy with a new job & trying to run around doing Christmas stuff.  I did lots of Christmas cooking, 2 puddings, mince tarts, stained glass window biscuits & a glazed ham to name some of the more traditional recipes and for my mums birthday I made Poh's Jaffa Chiffon cake which I have to say I was very dubious about yet it turned out amazing & stayed fresh for days afterwards in the fridge, the fridge didnt even make it go hard & cold like I find it does to most baked goods making them inedible.

One of my resolutions this year is to have a bbq every weekend while it is still warm enough/daylight savings.  We tend to only fire it up when we have company and that is something I want to change.  I have so many mouth watering bbq recipes I want to try & most are ones I wouldnt bother to make if having a party so Saturday bbq night is the perfect excuse to try some of them out.  Tonight was the inaugural fire up & I went with some sticky ribs from Ben O'Donoghues barbecue cookbook.  I teamed it with some corn cobs & sliced chats.  Fantastic recipe, slow cooked for 3 hours so can sit back & relax until the last half hour where the veges are banged on & the glaze applied.  Kids were chomping away at there 'bones' quite happily & I have to say the only downside was how much I stuffed myself, smaller portions next bbq I say!