Rain!

Oh my golly gosh have we had some rain!  Three inches in two days.  The creek (left of picture) nearly broke its banks and the other creek (on the right, out of the picture) has flooded the flats.  As we are in the thick of lambing some rescue missions were required and although we lost a few lambs the damage could have been worse.  Sheep are not the brightest of creatures but I have to say they are tough and some are amazing mothers. 

 An old bridge was nearly swept away and a tree fell over in the garden and I have spent the last couple of days picking up fallen limbs and tidying up the mess.  As I was going about the garden I came across a million other jobs that need doing but it is such a miserable day today, I have decided to cook instead.

I picked a basketful of cumquats and instead of marmalade I think I will make pickled cumquats from a recipe in Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion (the orange one).  I made them last year and they were fantastic shoved into the cavity of a chicken or duck before roasting.  You can then slosh some of the vinegar into the roasting pan after the bird is cooked to deglaze and make a sauce with wine or stock.

I will also make some soup.  I am one of those tedious people who regularly make chicken stock as I cannot bring myself to use the bought stuff.  I also freeze some in ice cube trays.  I know this sounds rather earnest but I do use them all the time.  As we are all trying to shed a few kgs it will be a vegetable soup with some soup mix added.  I have found a good organic one which you should be able to get at the health food shop, try  http://www.goodness.com.au/ . It is full of lots of good stuff and makes the soup seem more hearty and nourishing for these bleak winter days.