The Wonderful World of Beetroot!

I just love Beetroot! For those of you cringing about now I don't mean the stuff out of a can, although it definitely has a place in my pantry stores. I'm talking about fresh beetroot, lush green leaves, beautiful dark red colour and a deep earthy sweet flavour.  Whats not to love.

Beautiful Beets

I found a recipe in the paper weeks ago and was reminded of it when a friend visiting for the country  bought me a jar of home made beetroot relish.  Isn't that just so country and wholesome, home made beetroot relish from a country kitchen.  Well I blinked and I'd managed to eat the whole jar, on a sandwich, on a burger, or my favourite with a piece of cheese.  So rather than wait for another visit, I thought I'd try it out for myself, although I don't think relish made from my inner city kitchen has quite the same appeal.
Now do you think I could find the recipe I was looking for? It was gone, thrown out in a cleaning binge no doubt with all the other bits of newspaper that clutter my table tops.  After a bit of research I came up with my own version and in no time I had some relish for my cheese!  There is only one problem .... I think it needs some tweaking.... It tastes just fine, the flavour is spot on but my limited relish making experience has left me with strips of beetroot in a watery sauce.  Im not sure where I went wrong?

On the other hand I took some nice photos so will revisit my relish soon and try to perfect it. Until then enjoy the photos of my failed relish attempts!

Beetroot Relish - what not to do!

8 cups grated beetroot
2 cups grated apple
2 cups grated or finely chopped onions (brown or red)
3 cups vinegar - I used malt vinegar and white wine vinegar
2 tsp white mustard seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
the rind of one large orange
1 1/4 cups of brown or white sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and boil.  Once boiled simmer until vegetables are cooked and soft, leave to simmer for a further 30 mins. Place into pre-washed warm jars and seal while still hot.

MC's Room

My 18month old daughter never had a nursery. Throughout my pregnancy we were renovating our house and decorating never seemed as important as getting the walls up and roof on!
We finished renovating six months ago and her room is a still a blank canvas.  Im really excited by the idea of this project but haven't been able to find the motivation to actually do anything.  Its really time I did....

Its the best room in the house, but as time goes on and I get disheartened its becoming a real mess.

There are a few restrictions..... The blinds, the paint, and the cot.

With a toddler that didn't sleep well I had to have blinds made up quickly so we could move in once renovations were finished.  For the first time I actually made a decision on the spot, knowing that the longer I stayed in the fabric shop the harder the decision would be I was in and out in 15 minutes.  That must be some kind of record.

The paint colour is the same as the rest of the house and I actually like it so in order to save time and money the blinds and the paint are staying.

The other difficulty with this room is that I don't want to make anything permanent.  We will eventually need to move to a bigger home so its important that we can take things with us.

Over the next few months Im going to show the progress of this project.

To keep up to date jump over to projects and have a peek.

Blog blog blogging....

Wow! Who would have thought that I might actually do this? For those who know me well, its a small failing of mine that I am a thinker not a doer.  All talk and no action, always dreaming and never achieving.  Don't let me deceive you I have plenty of acomplishments to my name, a beautiful family, two degrees, my own small business.

For those of you out there that are of the creative ilk you will understand my dilema, I want to do it all. I want to be a designer, a dressmaker, a chef, a decorator, a photographer, a stylist, an artist, an architect, the list goes on. How can one choose? I love to dabble in little of everything jumping from one creative outlet to the next.

My good friend over at The Littlest Anchovy has inspired me to do this offering me great ideas and tips on how to be a blogger.  Ive got big dreams for this blog and lots of ideas and I hope to share them all.
Hold on .....