I have said before that Australia Day is fairly low key here and mostly business as usual. However, lamingtons are a must, in some form. Last year I made Brydie’s lamington cake and this year I made JJ’s lamington cupcakes. Thank you blog friends for sharing the lamington love.
An unruly tangle of rockmelons, cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchinis.
Slow magazine is full of inspiration. I am not sure I will ever actually be slow, but reading about it seems like a good place to start.
by Doug Purdie is not only visually beautiful but full of valuable
information. Some mouth-watering honey
recipes at the end are a bonus.
rarely add new blogs to my reading list these days simply because I can barely keep
up with my favourites as it is. But, I
have just discovered Olive and Oak. This
blog just has an honest feel about it with gorgeous photography.
Tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil. All home produced and heading for the oven.
As you can see I have made a few change to my blog page in an attempt to make it cleaner and hopefully easier to read on mobile devices. Please excuse any glitches you might find while I am fine tuning a few things. The technical side of my blog knowledge is limited!
I wonder what you are baking or growing or reading?
I hope you have some sun warm tomatoes on your kitchen bench x
annewheaton
Fabulous tomatoes. Do you keep bees? One of the things I like the idea of but probably will never get around to.
Jane S
No bees here Anne, like you…I like the idea but I think I am just too scared of them!
Cheryl
I am definitely going to try those lamington cupcakes! Maybe even this weekend!
What did you do with the tomatoes after you roasted them, were they for a sauce or just to eat like that?
Jane S
Thank you Cheryl. I made sauce after roasting the tomatoes, it was a messy process but the sauce did turn out to be rich and flavoursome!
Joolz
I didnt get a chance to make lamingtons this Aussie Day. I'll make a batch next time my girls come home. I did make some lovely dried apricot jam (using South Aussie apricots) this week. Delicious and it makes a lovely gift.
Jane S
Your jam sounds delicious Joolz! Thank you for calling in.
Kate
NO!!!! It's been such an awful tomato season here so far that I think all we've ripened is three little cherries. And we had to share them. I'm still hopeful for February but I'm getting impatient. xx
Jane S
Tomato growing can be a frustrating business! Last year I hardly picked any and my plants were weak and poorly. I honestly think it requires a little luck sometimes x
Zara
Your lamington cupcakes look delicious. Australia Day was low key here too. We drove out to the lake at Menindee. It was beautiful there and surprisingly very few people there.
Oh yes, this is the bee book we were talking about.
Your new blog layout looks lovely, I've been meaning to do the same with mine for a while.
x
Jane S
Thank you Zara. If you went to Menindee you would have driven straight past our driveway 🙂 I will lend you that book next time we catch up x
kate
Oh, Jane, those tomatoes look divine! I'm loving the new, clean look. Have a wonderful week x
Jane S
Thanks Kate, you have a wonderful week too x
SophiaTerraZiva
Jane, you just gave me a wonderful tool for a long time old plans we have with my husband about having some bees. As a matter of fact I was ordering last month few bushes of Rosa Damascena Kazanlik for their honey…
Wonderful post, please tell how do you keep the little flies from the tomatoes. We were not lucky this year, out tomatoes were rotting from inside. Still learning how to protect them in an organic way. Big hugs. S.xo
Jane S
You would love the bee book Sophia!
We don't seem to have a problem with the flies in our tomatoes when they are actually growing…I am guessing that is what you mean? If I left these trays of cut tomatoes out for anymore than 5 minutes they would be covered in revolting flies.
Sending you tomato success x
Kate @ Kate Writes
I agree Jane. Whatever is happening on Australia Day, lamingtons are a must!
Jane S
We are on the same page Kate x
Pool Party in Gurgaon
Awesome work.Just wanted to drop a comment and say I am new to your blog and really like what I am reading.Thanks for the share
cityhippyfarmgirl
Blog looks good Jane, really good 🙂 The technical side to these things is painful for me which is why the changes are few and far between. Why can't someone just wave a little fairy dust around, and shazaam, done!
Doug Purdie's book I haven't had a squiz at yet, but I do know his work quite well here. He IS the bee man 🙂
Have a good week lovely. x
Jane S
That is kind of you Brydie. Fairy dust certainly would help with widgets and gadgets and templates!? I should have known you would be totally down with the bee man! Happy Sunday x
Erin
Sadly my garden is overgrown with weeds.
Jane S
The weeds never stop do they? Thanks for calling in.
Lizzy (Good Things)
Hi there Jane… love seeing all the things growing in your patch! Your tomatoes look great! And what a beautiful way to serve them! Doug's book is excellent… so wish I had the 'right' yard for bees! Thank you for sharing your latest photographs, lovely as always xo
Jane S
Thank you Lizzy!
look see. by naomi fenton
I'm definitely a lamington cupcake fan – and those tomatoes! Yum! I'm doing school reading at the moment, so it's 'Othello' and a re-read of Wuthering Heights for me.
Jane S
Wishing you a smooth start to the school year Naomi!
e / dig in hobart
i cannot wait to have enough tomatoes to doTHAT to them 🙂 love your lamington cupcakes, what a gat ida i may steal…
i love the clean new look but i do miss that lovely header pic you had of your old wooden cooking utensils.
Jane S
Thank you e, I am working on a new header photo!
Francesca
I love the new blog look- very clean but I miss the lovely retro kitchen implements! Those big fat tomatoes look heavenly!!!
Jane S
Thanks Francesca, I appreciate your thoughts. You are the second lovely friend to miss my junk/implements! I am working on a new header photo and I think it will involve implements and possibly flour 🙂