Farm Dreaming

These photos were taken on my visit to my cousin's farm. I am missing her a lot right now and wishing, everyday, that I lived 5 minutes down the road.

Food on the farm

I have just spent a wonderful week at my cousin's farm.

I went (all alone!) to attend some of the F.O.O.D week events. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time and with my favourite person living on F.O.O.D week's doorstep, it seemed like the perfect time to go. It was a great excuse for us to catch up and have some quality time together.

Local food and wine, farm tours, real* autumn weather, country drives, bric brac and wonderful new discoveries - together - that ticks all the boxes for a perfect week. But, hang on, these are not pictures of F.O.O.D week. This what we ate on the farm. These are photos of our last lunch together.

Our dinner on my first night.

An antipasto platter and red wine.

Homemade feta, blue cheese, olive hommus, tomato and basil from the neighbours garden, marinated olives, artichokes, rocket, salami - hot and mild, brie, crackers, homemade plumbrillo (made from the bountiful plum tree during summer) and figs from the farm.

But wait there's more... we definitely did a lot of eating this week.

We ate Karen's famous tandoori chicken pizza with mango, coriander and yoghurt dressing and the best-ever homemade sausage rolls. The last of the homegrown walnuts and persimmons were tasted, along with, out-of-this-world stewed apricots and tangy homemade yoghurt. Too many of my cold weather favourites - ham and cheese toasties were eaten (both at the farm and out) and too many cappuccinos were consumed (both at the farm and out). I loved eating Karen's homemade fig and vanilla jam on toast for breakfast, so good, that two jars of it came home with me.

This girl knows how to cook!

Maybe, we didn't need to leave the farm at all.


*In Queensland we do not get what I call 'real' autumn weather, we don't get the four seasons. Autumn is my favourite season, but I did not get to experience it for myself, until I was 22 and moved to England. Now, I miss autumn and the seasons. Every. Single. Day.

For my cousin

 

Beautiful, inspirational, kind, funny, generous, wise and a pretty good cook!

Happy Birthday Karen!

I believe you have truly found your place in the world. 

I am wishing that all of you dreams, can now become realities. 

You deserve it, more than anybody else I know. 

xoxoxo

Love you and miss you.

Farm kids

One of the funnest things to do on the farm is to go for a trailer ride - always a crowd pleaser.

Exploring and flower picking - everyday.

Rain? no problem, so much to do, so much to see, why let a little rain stop you.

Did someone mention building a treehouse?

 Bored... never, plenty to do on the farm - how about a tyre swing!

 Picking wildflowers.

 Lets go... quick - this way!

Lunch time.

 Why not make another tyre swing for the little girls near the house.

 Always something to amuse yourself on the farm - no time to sit idle.

 But sometimes you just need some down time - a snuggle with teddy and The Wiggles.
 

"I know, if we add some rope we can make this swing better!"

 These two again... always exploring... every paddock must be checked out!

 Morning tea - always apple slinkies at the farm.

 Yes... every paddock must be explored.

 Ice-blocks - the fun kind that we never have at home.

Now, that's trouble if I've ever seen it.

The perfect farm breakfast - dippin' eggs.

And a farm stay would not be complete without a bonfire... and super giant 

and super sticky marshmallows.

My cousin used to live on a beautiful little farm, just 2 hours away, now she lives on a BEAUTIFUL big farm, 2 days away. Do you think that that is going to stop us from visiting every chance we get?

No way! There is too much fun to be had!

(these photos were taken during the last school holidays in October)