Sunday, June 01, 2014

In My Kitchen ~ June 2014

There is always heaps going on in our kitchen, as we grind our own flour, grow our own meat (aside form pork, which we are lucky enough to be able to purchase from a local free range pastured pig farm) and make almost everything from scratch. Lately I've been determined to capture it more often and share more of our kitchen happenings here, so I couldn't think of a better way than to join Celia and a host of other bloggers in the monthly kitchen tour at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Make sure you pop over and enjoy a peek into everyone else's kitchen too.

In my kitchen is....


A large batch of meat pies cooling. Made with our organically grown home-beef and shop bought puff pastry. I wrote mostly from scratch above as we still purchase some things, such as this pastry. I'm not brave enough to attempt making puff pastry, especially with home ground flour! 
This time around we made about 32 individual pies. Out of this we had dinner and lunch the next days, still leaving lots to go into the freezer. Now when we're short of time one evening all that has to happen is heat up some pies in the oven and steam some greens to go with it!


A friend gave some chillies to Mum and she made a beautiful sauce from them. It tastes so good! I plan on posting the recipe soon :-)


Baked beans with pork is a perfect easy dinner on a cold night. It tastes even better enjoyed in front of the fire! 


It's so nice to be able to eat food from our own garden again! We've been enjoying lettuce for a while now but we got to harvest the first of the winter vege the other night. It was simply steamed with a little butter and it was oh-so-yummy!


Killed that morning, into the pan that evening. Poultry is a treat in our house, and one that is always relished with delight. This particular night we crumbed the breast and had it with the steamed greens above and some mashed potatoes. The rest of the meat is in the freezer.

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What's been happening in your kitchen lately? Are you an all-the-time baker or a weekender?
Hope you're having a good Sunday!


Sarah x



28 comments

  1. Thanks for the tour it all looks lovely I think it's so important to eat as close to nature as you possibly can, but I'm right with you on the puff pasty
    Clare x

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  2. Your kitchen looks delicious :) I used to do a lot more cooking than I do now (my husband does most of it), and I loved making pot pies. Now I'll make use of leftover turkey and make that into one big pie ... yummy! I still like baking though, and my family likes it when I go all crazy in the kitchen with that! Enjoy the rest of your weekend Sarah. Wendy x

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  3. Looks wonderful :) and I see that you are a first time IMK poster too! Yay! I really like the look of your kitchen, wonderful and those pies!

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  4. Everything looks very yummy, especially that sauce. I am very interested in the recipe as I have chillies galore at the moment.

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  5. How wonderful to make your own and grow your own. Don't be afraid to try your own rough puff pastry as I'm sure it will work a treat :)

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    1. Thanks so much for your encouragement! I may just just have to try some one day :-)

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  6. I really shouldn't have read this post before I'd even had breakfast, because all these lovely pics of yummy things have made me hungry! Very little going on in our kitchen at the mo except for painting and decorating, so it's been a bit messy. But I did manage to bake a cheesecake yesterday as dessert for a barbecue today :-)
    Happy Sunday,
    Xx

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  7. I make a lot of my own basics as well, and grind my own flour, but even though I have made puff pastry I figure life is too short sometimes. I buy a good quality pastry and concentrate on what I put in it instead. I will keep an eye out for that chilli sauce. I am drowning in chillies at the moment. Now I am off the eat the baked beans I have simmering in the oven at the moment :)

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    1. Exactly! We hardly have pastry and on the nights we do usually we're short on time :-) We use a butter puff as I don't like using margarine :-) Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Can't wait to see that chilli sauce recipe!

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  9. Thanks for the look in your kitchen, I will be investigating the bean and port recipe closer as winter sets in. Your bok choy looks amazing!

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  10. Great first IMK post, Sarah! I envy your lifestyle, I'm in a city suburb and love growing stuff in my little patch. The chilli sauce looks great, will eagerly follow you now to find out the recipe!

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  11. The colour of the chilli sauce is divine. Bet it tastes great too! Thanks for the tour hope to see you back next month at IMK. xx

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  12. Sarah, how idyllic your life sounds! It must be fabulous to have so much control over what you eat - homegrown meat and veg sound amazing! Your meat pies look delish - I use a very simple pastry that we throw together in the food processor for ours - and your baked beans look amazing! Thanks for letting us peek into your kitchen! :)

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    1. It's hard work but we're very lucky to be able to enjoy it :-) Thanks so much for hosting IMK :-)

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  13. Stunning pics ... that chilli sauce looks very yummy!

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  14. A beautiful look at your kitchen! Those individual pie pans are beautiful! And homemade chili sauce? What a treat. I think it's so lovely how you can produce so much at home. Can't get anymore local than that!

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  15. I love baked beans and pot pies! Sounds like we have a lot in common...grinding own flour, raising own animals, etc. Even having an overflowing yarn bin! You have a beautiful collie!

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  16. Everything in your kitchen looks gorgeous Sarah! I'm so impressed that you grind your own flour. Amazing!

    Katie xx

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  17. WOW Sarah! This is just fantastic....to make and grow and raise your own is wonderful. Good for you and good for the earth. You my friend are inspiring! Thank you for sharing this with us! Nicole xo

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    1. Thanks so much Nicole & so glad you enjoyed xx

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  18. Always good to have a home grown meal on the table. We're just coming out of the early spring bare patch in the veg garden. Another home flour here, though I only use it to make bread, not pastry - and now wondering why. We're nearly at the end of last year's wheat and looking forward to this year's harvest in a couple of months.

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  19. Hi Sarah! It is my first IMK post as well! Those meat pies look delicious and the greens so yummy! Looking forward to reading more!

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  20. Hi Sarah, welcome to the IMK gang.
    What a great first post, I'd happily order every one of your dishes especially the pies and the baked beans.
    cheers
    Jason

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  21. oh that chilli sauce looks marvellous and the pies! this is my first IMK post this month too so welcome:)

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  22. What a great post! I love IMK :)
    Your little pie tins are gorgeous - I love a good home made pie. Have also never made puff pastry as life is too short, especially when there is good commercially available butter puff to be purchased. I was going to ask where you get your pork, but then I saw you are nowhere near me *sigh*. Look forward to reading next month.

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