Picnic Cob Loaf/Loaves

Perfect to take for a (pretty much) mess free picnic with the family. Can be served cold or warm in small individual or large cob.
I little indulgent but this recipe would lend well to changes on the basic idea for example ham or salami instead of prosciutto or cheddar cheese or ricotta instead of brie. You get the idea....enjoy!

Picnic cob loaves
Serves 4

1 red capsicum
1 yellow capsicum
1 tsp olive oil
1 zucchini, trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways
1 small (about 300g) orange sweet potato (kumara), peeled, thinly sliced
4 small sourdough rolls
¼ cup (70g) green olive tapenade or pesto
½ cup basil leaves
4 prosciutto slices
50g brie, thinly sliced
50g semi-dried cherry tomatoes

Preheat grill on high. Cook capsicums, turning occasionally, under grill for 8-10minutes or until charred and blistered.
Transfer capsicums to a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes (this helps lift the skin).
Use a knife to peel, then cut lengthways into quarters and remove seeds.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add half the zucchini and sweet potato and cook for 2 minutes each side or until tender. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining zucchini and sweet potato.
Use a small serrated knife to cut the top third off each sourdough roll. Reserve tops. Scoop out bread, leaving 1cm-thick shells. Spread the inside of each roll with tapenade, then arrange half the basil leaves over the bases. Place a layer of sweet potato over the basil, then top with prosciutto. Continue layering with brie, zucchini, capsicum, tomato and the remaining basil. Replace tops of rolls and press down firmly to compress filling.
Place rolls on an oven tray and top with another oven tray. Place cans ontop to weigh down. Place in the fridge overnight to develop the fl avours.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Bake rolls for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Serve warm.

Spring Cleaning - Part 2

Spring Cleaning Guide

Try to look at the whole room and one room at a time only.

Grab two baskets. Toss - Wrong Room - Put back away 
Get your cleaning gear ready. Vacuum - duster - damp cloth - bucket warm soapy water - paper towel - vinegar/water mix in spray bottle - multipurpose cleaner (such as EcoStore Products found in most supermarkets) - sponge with net cover

Bathroom/Laundry/Toilet

1. Start at the ceiling

          - dust light fittings
          - dust ceiling for cobwebs or fluff
          - wipe over cornices in wet areas with damp cloth
          - remove and clean any exhaust fans
2. Look at each wall individually
          - clean light switches/power points with well wrung out cloth
          - clean architraves and skirting boards with damp cloth
          - remove and wash curtains or wipe over blinds with damp cloth
          - clean windows with vinegar and paper towel
          - clean exterior of cupboards with cleaner and cloth
3. Tackle each fixture individually
          - remove any items from inside cupboards, sort into boxes where necessary, or clean items and  place outside room
          - clean inside cupboards with whatever necessary (cleaner/cloth) or
          - clean fixture with cleaner and sponge
          - Move to next fixture
4. Flooring
          - mop hard floors
5. Finish off the baskets
          - put it in the room it belongs
          - throw it in the rubbish
          - consider storage containers for small grouped items (e.g hair box, nails box, shaving box)
          - replace larger items in grouped usage (e.g beauty, suncream/mozzie, tissues and scenting, cleaning products, washing machine products)

6. Open up the windows and let the fresh air in!

Spring Cleaning - Part 1

I love the idea of spring cleaning but to be perfectly honest - I have never done the 'spring cleaning' you see in magazines. But doesn't it look wonderful?
Airing out the house, cleaning the veil of filth from winter, organizing your house to be fresh and clean....that's it! I am doing it this time!

I am a nutter of an organiser! I have been accused of some OCD tendancies so have what I think is the perfect spring cleaning system. I know, I know I said I haven't 'spring cleaned' before but I have done whole rooms before - just not in spring!

Spring Cleaning Room Guide

Try to look at the whole room and one room only.
Grab three baskets. Toss - Wrong Room - Charity
Get your cleaning gear ready. Vacuum - duster - damp cloth - bucket warm soapy water - paper towel - vinegar/water mix in spray bottle

Lounge/Dining/Family Rooms

1. Start at the ceiling
         - dust light fittings
         - dust ceiling for cobwebs or fluff
2. Look at each wall individually
         - wipe over any picture frames/mirrors/hangings, clean glass with vinegar and paper towel
         - clean light switches/power points with well wrung out cloth
         - clean architraves and skirting boards with damp cloth
         - remove and wash curtains or wipe over blinds with damp cloth
         - clean windows with vinegar and paper towel
3. Tackle each large item of furniture individually
         - remove any items from furniture, sort into boxes where necessary, or clean items and place aside
         - clean item of furniture with whatever necessary (vacuum/cloth/vinegar)
         - replace items to keep. Move to next piece of furniture
4. Flooring
         - vaccum any rugs and roll up
         - vaccum carpeting or mop hard floors
5. Finish off the baskets
         - take it to charity
         - put it in the room it belongs
         - throw it in the rubbish
6. Open up the windows and let the fresh air in!

Voila! See that wasn't so hard?!?

Next blog....kitchen - bathroom - laundry

2 Guest Blogs coming soon....

We have a guest blogger coming soon!

Hopefully we can drag him away from his busy career to write two blogs.

Ricky Muller has a Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservaton from Flinders University.
He takes a keen interest in sustainable, organic farming practices such as using permaculture and biodynamic methods to improve and maintain agricultural soil condition.

One of his blogs is going to give us a life-cycle story which follows the journey of chemicals used in farming. He will describe the impacts of such practices to demonstrate how we end up ingesting them in ways we *hadn't* thought of as well as what these practices do to our land and the future of farming in this country.

Blog number two will be about the journey the chemicals we use in our homes and on our gardens take. He will discribe just where these chemicals end up and also look at how they end up on our plates!

I don't know about YOU but I can't wait to have a real example of how each of us contributes to our environment and our own food.
I will be nice to be able to understand how our choices affect ourselves and others - good or bad and know what we can do about it.
Stay tuned...