Here and Now: April 2018

16 April 2018
The last month has gone by quickly with Easter, camping and a few birthday celebrations. After a very warm start to April we've finally hit some true autumn weather. After eight years away from Canberra I think there will be some acclimatisation to occur. Yesterday it hit about 14 degrees - this is the average maximum winter temp in Adelaide!!

Dried apple slices.


Loving // Watching the change in season. Canberra really does autumn leaf change well.

Eating // Lots of delicious food over the past few days as I've celebrated my birthday with family and friends both out and about and at home. 

Drinking // Tea. The change in weather has brought out my inner chain-tea-drinker. Lots of black tea with the occasional herbal tea made from home dried herbs.

Last of the basil harvested - just in the nick of time I think now that the cold has hit.

Feeling // A little cold. After going from summer temps to winter temps in just two days my body has not quite adjusted. But lots of hot tea is helping...

Making // Lots of snacks to stock the freezer for kids and adults a like. This month it's been focaccia pizzas, muesli balls, cinnamon scrolls and sourdough banana bread.

Chillies got the preserving treatment.


Thinking // About warming autumn soups and stews for the meal plan this week. Also thinking about the preserves in the cupboard and if I need to squirrel anything further away before I wind things down and pack away the preserving gear.

Dreaming // Of cold days ahead spent snuggled under a blanket with a good book and nothing else to do.


Warming campfires.

And that's my Here & Now for the month. If you want to add yours head over to Say Little Hen to join the link up or pop your April happenings in the comments.

What have you been up to?
Has the cold weather hit where you are?


20 comments

  1. This time is supposed to be warm here, but it's very chilly today. I have been setting up the garden, so I spent the most of the weekend planting seedlings and cleaning the raised beds. :)

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    1. Good to get a few of those jobs done before the warmer weather hits I'm sure. Hope you get some spring weather soon :)

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  2. I actually have temperature envy. Summer just won't go away here in the Northern Rivers. I can't wait to feel that cold air of winter on my face putting roses in my cheeks! We have stews as well when it gets cold, it is such a comfort food, and nights in front of the fire. Bring it on!

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    1. Yes, it's always nice to anticipate the change of season. I imagine it takes a little while to feel the cool change up that way. We used to have a wood fire in Adelaide but sadly not in Canberra.

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  3. I love campfires, the colours and the warmth. Still quite warm up here during the day, no really chilly days at all yet though the early mornings are a bit crisp which is nice. Comfort foods are one of my favourite things about colder weather, nothing like a warming bowl of soup or a hearty stew on a cold night. Meg:)

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    1. Yes, warming foods and drinks make the cold weather much more enjoyable, that's for sure.

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  4. We are having another burst of summer, I'm in the northern rivers too. Just when I was ready to pull out the jumpers and socks, it's back to shorts and singlets. I love your purple basil...is it basil?....such a rich colour. I'm wondering how you preserve your chillies, I have an abundance.

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    1. Yes it's purple basil Nanette - gives a nice colour to the herb patch. I'm actually planning a little chilli post. This year I made sweet chilli sauce, dried some and tried out pickling them. I had some pickled jalapenos on a burrito recently that a friend made and they were really delicious so I was inspired to give this a go. If the harvest overwhelms me I often pop them in a bag in the freezer to put into stews/curries as I need or to turn into preserves when I have the time. Oh, another favourite is chilli jam - delicious on toasted sandwiches or on top of poached eggs!

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  5. Laura, it has been in the high twenties here but I believe the next few days will be a tad cooler. I have just put another batch of chillies in the dehydrator and make chilli salt with them. Half chilli flakes to half Himalayan salt.Tomorrow I will be making some elderberry syrup and fire cider so will add some chilli to the cider.

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    1. Chilli salt sounds great Chel. I must do a little research on the fire cider - it sounds intriguing.

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  6. Happy Birthday Laura! It definitely turned chilly here today. The chillies look so fresh-can I ask how you preserved them? :D I love chillies and often overbuy!

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    1. Thanks Lorraine. I'm actually planning a little chilli post in the next week or so. These ones were turned into sweet chilli sauce but I also do chilli jam, dry them or pop straight in the freezer and just put in dishes as I need.

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  7. I love basil. It smells so fresh always.
    I saw you link on Say little han blog and it always makes me happy to read other here&now blogpost :)

    Gretings from Turkey :)

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    1. Hi Ezgi, thanks for popping over from the link up and taking the time to comment :)

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  8. Canberra sounds like it would be absolutely beautiful in Autumn!
    It's getting cooler here, but we don't get that cold here I don't think, although I suspect I will be feeling it a bit more than the locals for my first winter after spending my whole life in far north QLD :-)
    Preserving is such a satisfying thing to do, and I love that feeling of organisation that having food stored in the freezer brings!
    Thanks so much for joining in Laura,
    Sarah x

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    1. Yes Sarah you'll definitely notice the temp difference in the winter from Nth QLD but nothing a light cardi wont take care of i'm sure. I remember doing a uni placement in tweed heads over winter and was so happy to be swanning about in light cotton shirts. This is our first Canberra winter for 7 years so I'll be feeling the cold this year I think - nothing some thermals wont fix!
      Yes, a stocked freezer is kind of like a food security blanket. My favourite though is opening up the pantry and just peeking at all the colourful jars of produce ready to see us through until next spring. x

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  9. I love autumn! Soups, stews and teas are some of my favorite things! Your birthday celebrations sound like a lot of fun. Snuggled up under a blanket reading sounds glorious to me.

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    1. Snuggled up under a blanket with a book is the epitome of a good time around here! Thanks for stopping by Angela.

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  10. You Here & Now looks so fresh and lovely! Those apple slices look divine - great photo as well. My basil is hanging on by a thread I fear as cold wet weather is settling in over here. Most have been harvested but I've left some lingering for a few final fresh leaves if possible.

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  11. Yes the cold is here too, but your reminder of warm soups and stews makes it sound not so bad. Its very rainy here today, I think I might just get a soup on myself :) Happy belated birthday too.

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