The house cat also known as Pushka, in HIS garden , where he spends most of the day sunning him self, in between regular visits to the kitchen for a top up on Cat food

The Passion fruit vine has started to yield its massive crop of extra large very sweet Passion fruit the size of Apples and Oranges.
I planted the seeds a little over a year ago.
I only keep a vine 2 seasons as the yield will be marked reduced at the 3rd season

This is the Orchid that got me all started growing Orchids again,
Gemini bought me this particular one at Woolworths when she was doing the weekly shopping one Friday some twenty years ago.
We were living in a unit at time but as soon as we moved into our then new house at Hervey Bay it was on again and the Orchid fernery started expanding very fast
To the extend it is now.
I enjoy my Orchid growing hobby!!!

an other butiful speciment this one have been in bloom over 2 months

Having received my order of 12 new roses from Trelore Rose nursery in Victoria I have been busy planting as to get them in on the right Moon cycle

Also pruned my established Rose garden and mulched with Sugar cane Mulch ready for the Spring time and the hot Summer as we get here in south Queensland, this is the 3rd season coming on and they have done well on the first 2

Daily Common Remedy

Andrographis

Andrographis
This ancient Indian herb has created a buzz among Herbal practitioners due to reserch showing it helps treat and prevent colds.
Scientists belive it stimulates the immune system by boosting production of antibodies.
Historical or traditional use has long been used in traditional Indian and Chinese herbal medicine. The most common reported uses were for digestive problems (as is the case with most non-toxic bitter herbs such as andrographis
Interestingly, some of these uses have been validated by modern scientific research. Although the roots were sometimes used in traditional medicine, the leaves and flowers are now more commonly used.
Active constituentsThe major constituents in andrographis are diterpene lactones known as andrographolides. These bitter constituents are believed to have immune-stimulating, anti-inflammatory, liver-protective, and bile secretion-stimulating actions.
Though some older studies suggested andrographis was antibacterial, modern research has been unable to confirm this finding.
Several double-blind clinical trials have found that andrographis can help reduce symptom severity in people with common colds. Though the earliest clinical trial among these showed modest benefits, later studies have tended to be more supportive. Standardized andrographis extract combined with Siberian ginseng, has also been shown in a double-blind clinical trial to reduce symptoms of the common cold.
A preliminary uncontrolled study using isolated andrographolide found that while it tended to decrease viral load and increase CD4 lymphocyte levels in people , It is unknown whether the andrographolides used in this study directly killed HIV or had an immune-strengthening effect.
Andrographis has proven helpful in combination with antibiotics for people with dysentery, a severe form of diarrhea. It has also shown preliminary benefit for people with chronic viral hepatitis.
The safety of andrographis during pregnancy and breast-feeding is unknown.

Monday nights Dinner
Chicken and Asparagus served in Volavents

Sauce:
Melt some butter with some plain flour then add chicken stock to make a smooth sauce, season with salt and pepper. In the meantime stir an egg yolk with a teaspoon of sugar then add a little lemon juice and stir into the sauce. Keep warm but not boiling.
Warm the chicken meat picked from the bones and the asparagus bits, turning gently, not to break up the Asparagus.
Meanwhile having heated the Volavents in a 200c oven for 3 or 4 minutes remove from the oven for a few minutes and repeating the process so as to make them very crisp
Serve up the chicken asparagus in the Volavents with a small steamed potato on the side.

Bon appetite

Have had a busy weekend with family and freinds celebrating birthdays and anniverseries.

Linda and GB at the farm arrived Friday and stayed over till Monday it was time to catch up on the last months happenigs all had a great time

Common remedy of the day.

Natural Vitamin E.
Taking this immune-boosting supplement can help reduce your chanes of getting a cold, according to a year-long US study

Spicy Pie melon Chutney with Ginger

Place in the preserving Pot the following ingredients: -

260 gr White Sugar
200 gr Chopped Onion
100 gr white Sultaners
100 gr thinly sliced Fresh Ginger
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
¼ Teaspoon White Pepper
½ teaspoon Salt
1 ¾ Cup of Cider Vinegar
Zest of One Lemon
Juice of 1 Lemon
½ Teaspoon Coriander seed powder
½ teaspoon ground Cumin seed
¼ - ½ teaspoon hot chilli paste or a dessert spoon of Sambal Oeleck paste
1/8 teaspoon ground Cardamom
1 teaspoon of mixed Pickling spices
1 Kg. of cubed seeded Pie Melon
bring to boil and let simmer under constant stirring till thickening to desired consistency.
Bottle and seal immediately, keeps for 12 month or longer.
NB. The Chilli paste, Ginger and garlic can be varied according to taste




The start of Pie Melon Lemon and Lime Jam

1 kg Pie Melon seeded and chopped to small pieces
Cover with 1 kg Sugar, when the sugar has melted and taken the juice out of the melon pieces, add the Juice of a large Lemon and the zest of 2 Limes and the juice of 4 limes.
Bring to boil and simmer stirring occasionally for ½ hour
Lift the melon pieces out and process in the blender to a pulp and return to pot.
Simmer, stirring most of the time.
The jam will set very fast. Bottle and seal.

A very delicate flavour but delicious on buttered breakfast toast
My wife Marcella better known as Gemini was very kind to scrape the seeds from the melon as I cut it into 2 inch slices to make it easier to handle.
I then used a potato peeler to take the skin off before chopping it to ¼ inch pieces

The Pie Melons was with complements from Linda and the GB on the farm
Thank you both

Daily common remedy
Internally – Horseradish can be used for lung and urinary infections. It is also a helpful herbal remedy for arthritis, sciatica and gout. It can be used for general weakness. This herb is a diuretic and can be used to treat edema. It stimulates the digestion. It has been used to remove worms in children. Some people have used horse radish to treat excessive thyroid activity. The oils of the herb are antibiotic.
Externally – Horseradish poultices will increase the circulation around infected wounds. It can also be used to increase the blood flow for rheumatism, bronchitis and pericarditis. It is useful for arthritis, stiffness and neck pain. Horse radish is regenerative and disinfectant. It can be used on blemished, oily skin and to stimulate hair growth.
Other Uses – Horseradish is a popular spicy condiment used for meats and as an inexpensive substitute in wasabi paste. Young fresh leaves can be eaten in salads.

Pork Spare Ribs, or Veal if you dont eat Pork!!

1 Kg Pork Spare Ribs or Veal
1 Medium Onion chopped medium
1 large Clove of Garlic chopped fine or 1 teaspoon minced Garlic
4 cups of Chicken Stock

Sauce
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
6 Tablespoon Teriyaki Marinade
6 Tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
6 Tablespoon Honey
1 – 2 Teaspoons Sambal Chilli paste to taste

Brown the Pork ribs in some olive or Peanut Oil
Remove from pot
Remove excess oil fry the Onions and Garlic till clear
Add the Spare Ribs and chicken stock and simmer under cover till tender approx 40 – 50 minutes
Mix the ingredients for sauce and add to pot, simmer for 10 minutes
uncovered before serving
Serve on a bed of steamed Rice
Delicious

Daily common Remedy
Vitanin C
Resarch suggests vitamin C doesen't do much to prevent a cold but it may reduce its length.
It acts as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory to help dry up a runny nose and inproves immune function.

Common remedy for the day

Garlic

A British study found people who took Garlic supplements for 12 weeks during

cold season were less likely to get sick, and recovered more quickly if they did, than those who took placebos.

Common Remedy for the day:-
Elderberry is particularly good for the Flue. This herb cuts the severity of symptoms in half and reduces the length of Flu if taken within 48 hours of first symptoms.
Can be used as fresh or dry herb or herbal extract.

I have picked a basket of semi hot bell peppers for Linda on the Farm.
They are great pickled for use in cooking as well as with cold meat

Pickling:-
Clean and cut up the peppers in suitable pises and place in a screw top jar
Bring to boil the vinegar pickling mixture and pour over the peppers seal the jar and store in the fridge, they keep forever in the fridge

Pickling Vinegar:-
50/50 cider and white vinegar with 130 gr Sugar @ liter of vinegar
It is s a good pickling mixture

Here is a report that I received Main in USA via e-mail from a distant relative of my wife's,
for what it is worth Asparagus taste good ad well.
I simply process a tin of Edgels Asparagus Cuts and Tips in the vitamizer (Pulser) till soup consistency bring to simmer and taste to with a little black pepper and Knorr Chicken stock powder, Delicious.

Asparagus and Cancer

After reading this article over a month ago, I could not remember where it was. So I asked my sister to send it to me again. I am asking you toread it to the end. My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned stylea sparagus that she pureed and she took 4 tablespoons in the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3 lung cancer in the pleural area and her
cancer cell count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week.
Her oncologist said she does not need to see him for 3 months. THE ARTICLE:
Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who
had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article,entitled,
Asparagus for cancer' printed in Cancer News Journal, December
1979. I will share it here, just as it was shared with me:'I am a biochemist,
and have specialized in the relation of diet to health for over 50 years..Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R.
Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project. We have
accumulated a number of favorable case histories. Here are a
few examples: National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body's most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

We had excellent Luncheon catching up wit Freinds to day

LYREBIRD WINE TASTING CLUB LUNCHEON

DE-GUSTATION MENU

ON ARRIVAL –
CANAPES- TOMATO CONSUMEE
BROWN BROTHERS PROSECCO 08 – KING VALLEY, VIC

ENTRÉE - CRISP SOFT SHELLED CRAB WITH
VIETNAMESE SALAD & CHILLI JAM
ALLANDALE SEMILLON 03 – HUNTER VALLEY NSW

MAIN – ROASTED DUCK BREAST WITH DU PUY LENTILS
CARAMELISED CHICORY & BEETROOT, WATERCRESS SALAD
OUTLOOK HILL PINOT NOIR 05 – YARRA VALLEY, VIC

DESSERT – NUTMEG INFUSED PANNA COTTA WITH
GLAZED QUINCE & HONEY TUILE
TWO HANDS BRILLIANT DISGUISE MOSCATO 08 – BAROSSA, SA

TEA/COFFEE

GUESTS: all ours Friends from the long standing Lyre Bird Group
for more information go to Marcella's Blog

Great Grandmother Bentsen’s LIVER PATE

Yesterday I made som of my Great grandmothers Liver Pate
it keeps well in the freezer
50gm Butter
90gm Plain Flour
600 ml Milk
Melt butter and whisk plain flour into butter over a low heat.
Slowly add milk while whisking and make into a White Sauce.
keep aside to cool.

1/2 kg Chicken liver.
Soak in mixture of milk and water 50/50 for
½ - 1 hours,
Rinse liver in plenty of fresh cold water.

Put 1/2 kg Ham Bits or Bacon
1 chopped onion and liver
through the meat mincer with the fine holes plate TWICE.
Then mix with the white sauce and
2 eggs
pepper to taste (approx 1/4 teaspoon)
NO SALT ham is salty as it is!!!!!
Blend altogether
Pour into foil trays with lids or soufflé containers.
Can be frozen.

Place pate in a baking dish with 1/4” of boiling water
In a preheated oven -
225c for fan forced oven or 240c for ordinary ovens
Bake for 45 minutes.
Water will evaporate throughout the cooking process.
After baking time is complete test with a cake tester if
after insertion the cake tester is clean cooking is complete
if not cook for a further 5 minutes and repeat the test.
For the Microwawe convection:-
8 minutes at 300 then 1 minute at 150

The finished product and the flavour was exquisite we had
some with Sundowners

Friday’s Dinner
Pork stir fry with home grown garden vegetables and steamed brown Rice

The Fresh harvest for the stir Fry

young yellow wax beans,

3 hot Bell pepers

Fresh Ginger and some

Thai Spinich

I went out to Robins Kitchenware shop a few days ago to buy a new knife sharpening steel, the old on had had it a long time ago.
The new one is diamond dust impregnated and should last a life time
It is a vast improvement on the old one it dos an excellent job.

The green harvest of Pawaw's hope they Will ripend!!!

The reserected tree

The daily harvest:- Bulls horn Capcicum, Very sweet

Hous wife Stringless beans brought to Aus in the 1880 s

first stringless beab to aust.

Had a busy day in the garden, managed to get my Paw Paw tree upright again with the help of

3 steel stars posts and tried the, support it looks good.

The snails and slugs have found the lettuces and silver beet after all the rain.

I Mixed 1 part of brewed coffee to 5 parts of water, a good heavy spray of the mixture to any vegetables susceptible to slugs and snails and the Caffeine kills them,

and leaves the garden with the aroma reminding me of a up marked coffee shop

The Onions I transplanted last week is doing well

Not a lot to report to day, we have had wild weather and very heavy rain for the last 36 hours I measured 240 millimeter (close to 10 inches) and 90 kilometer winds to go with it there is a lot of localized flooding around.

My pride Paw paw fell over with the weather,
The weather should improve tomorrow and I will attempt to rise up the pawpaw tree as there is a lot of small fruit which will develop in the next 6 months.

I picked 2 Cucumbers and 2 ripe PawPaws and about 30 green once that I have placed in a dark place down the shed, I hope they will ripen!!!