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Tag: Drinks

harvest of lemons and tangelos

Homemade Lemon Cordial

Debbie,

November 10, 2022November 10, 2022

It’s harvest time for a lot of juicy good citrus fruit, and it’s also starting…

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Welcome to Merchant Homestead

This is me, Debbie, in my natural habitat. Messy hair, natural face, wearing Dan’s borrowed jersey. This is the happy face of a girl in the sunshine, snacking on peas and picking spinach. It’s a good time and I’m glad you can enjoy it too. Thanks for following along my garden journey.

Mix up a couple of sourdough loaves with me

Mix up a couple of sourdough loaves with me 😊

#merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #bakingbread #sourdoughbread #homebaking

My little welcome home from the feijoa tree

My little welcome home from the feijoa tree 🥰

Getting some pep in my step and giving the chicken

Getting some pep in my step and giving the chicken house a good clean. It's super easy with our new style coop, dump the bedding trays, hose off and water blast any grubby bits, leave to dry (and let a chicken perch a while) and then fresh bedding and back together.

Happy nesting, my flock! 😊🐔🐓

#merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #urbanhomestead #mybackyard #chickensofinstagram #backyardchickens #cleaning #yardwork #homesteading

New sprout coming to Merchant Homestead this winte

New sprout coming to Merchant Homestead this winter ❤️

Pickled the last jar of gherkins for the season on

Pickled the last jar of gherkins for the season on the weekend before tearing out the plants to make way for something new. There were just a couple of tiny fruit still left so into the jar they went. I'm sure I've seen teeny tiny snack gherkins on fancy platters before, so hopefully that's where these lil beauties are headed! 😆🥒

I think it's time to acknowledge this beauty, whic

I think it's time to acknowledge this beauty, which is my serrano chilli. It's taller than me (not hard), has been neglected many a time, shrivelled, blown over and yet still gets up again, and has started churning out these spicy little numbers like it's going out of fashion. What a star 🌶🤩

#merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #urbanhomestead #mybackyard #harvest #chillies #growingfood #gardening

The first Autumn harvest basket, with the last of

The first Autumn harvest basket, with the last of the blueberries, a few little tomatoes, some miniature capsicum, jalapenos, serrano chillies, and a handful of fresh spuds. It's the colour of it all that really takes me in. 😍🌶🫐🫑🥔

That jiggle at the end

Double batch of s

That jiggle at the end 😍👌

Double batch of sourdough sandwich bread coming right up! Looking very good after a month of fridge hibernation for my starter 😅🍞

#merchanthomestead #thegoodlife #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #sourdoughbread #bakingbread #bakingfromscratch #urbanhomestead

Not too many more of these little gems coming out

Not too many more of these little gems coming out of the backyard garden. Autumn is arriving and with that, many of the abundant summer plants have browned and withered, ready to make space for the next season.

Welcome to Autumn my beautiful friends

Welcome to Autumn my beautiful friends 🍂

Today I got my first round of seeds down for the new season. Talked through them all on my stories with a bit more detail and tips, but for the TL:DR version, here we are!

Autumn is bringing me green peas, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot and swedes. And it's going to be wonderful.

Have you started thinking about your Autumn garden yet?

#merchanthomestead #gardening #fromseed #planting #autumn #nzgarden #homegrownfood

There's a new face in berry forest. An imposter. N

There's a new face in berry forest. An imposter. Not a berry at all. A pumpkin of some kind it would seem, has snuck through the neighbours fence and found its cosy new home here. 😅

Bowls like this on the dining table seem to herald

Bowls like this on the dining table seem to herald a changing of seasons on the way 😊

We're almost at the end of pickle season, but ther

We're almost at the end of pickle season, but there's atleast one more jar to put away. And before long autumn seeds will be going into the ground and we'll be embarking on another adventure all together. 😊

Hello friends! And hello to insta follower number

Hello friends! And hello to insta follower number 5000! I'm so happy to have you here. Thank you for coming along on my little gardening, nature loving, adventure exploring and good food eating rollercoaster. May your gardens be abundant and your bellies and hearts be full 🌱❤️😍

We've just run out of lemons from our last season

We've just run out of lemons from our last season harvest so I'm starting to keep an eager eye on these guys who are starting to plump up nicely 🧐🍋

I had a spare minute before work this morning, and

I had a spare minute before work this morning, and I snuck out to the garden to make the most of it. Found a whole handful of beans, even though the plants are looking tired, a little forage around still brings up the goods. I got a little bit too carried away collecting that I was just about late for work, but hey, there are worse things. 😅🌱

Thanks to the bees! To the summer and the sun. Th

Thanks to the bees! To the summer and the sun.
Thanks to all who do the work needed done.
To grow the big blossoms, the flowers so bright
To bring us a meadow basked in daylight

Thanks to the people, the birds and the bugs
Who spend their time planting and pollinating shrubs
So that each little plant can grow to its fullest of fulls
And each little person can feel the garden, it pulls

Because every human, we are drawn to the plants
They bring us a calmness, and nourishment grants
They fill our lungs with a breath of fresh air
And all can relax when we find ourselves there

So here's to the gardeners, the tenders of growth
Here's to those nuturers who encourage us most
Thank you for your mighty yet unsung efforts
For after all, it is you, we owe for these sweet warm comforts

🌱🙏❤️

#natureisbeautiful #gardeners #gardening #poetry #sunflowers #nature #gratitude

The first of the feijoas are here! I adore this ti

The first of the feijoas are here! I adore this time of year, where I pull into the driveway after work and wander over to see if any feijoas have fallen for me today. What an excellent way to be welcomed home. ❤️

Summer colours from the summer garden 🤩🍅☀️

This lil red is coming inside tonight! How gorgeou

This lil red is coming inside tonight! How gorgeously crisp does he look?! 🫑🤩

This little blossom makes me feel pretty blessed.

This little blossom makes me feel pretty blessed. My summer garden has been a law unto its own. Left to ramble and burst however it pleases while I've been popping in here n there collecting tomatoes hidden in thigh high grass and gherkins the size of gerbils.

Much has been lost already to the mildew and fade, the vine hoppers and heat, while I've been under the weather and blanketed on the couch. And yet, this tomato, still brings forward another round of blossoms. Another bright yellow beacon for the little bees. Another glimmer of hope that the tomatoes are still coming. That summer marches on. And I think that's a pretty special thing. 🥰🌼

Last night, as a little birthday treat, we made a

Last night, as a little birthday treat, we made a rustic Potato Dauphinoise and it did not disappoint. Creamy cheesy herby slow baked potatoes. Ultimate indulgence. 😍🥔🤤

#fromscratch #homemadefood #potatoes #homecooking

It looks like one of the last big bowls of blueber

It looks like one of the last big bowls of blueberries to come in from berry forest this season. The bushes are just about finished, and it feels like summer has just flown by in a blink. 🫐☀️

It's my birthday, and my sweet flock all pitched i

It's my birthday, and my sweet flock all pitched in and got me some eggs! Aren't they the best? 🤩

Over Auckland Anniversary weekend, we were booked

Over Auckland Anniversary weekend, we were booked to hike the Routeburn Track. Unfortunately, the forecast wasn't looking promising for us, and at the last minute, we decided to cancel. Instead, we spent rainy days enjoying Glenorchy, but then on Monday, the sun came out.

Determined to make the most of it, we set off from Routeburn Shelter, climbing over 15kms and 1200 vertical metres to the Harris Saddle in time for lunch. We ventured through old river beds, mossy wonderlands, fern filled forests, alpine tussocks and rocky mountain peaks to reach the stunning vista.

Then we turned around and did it all again, downhill to the car. A huge mission, a mighty effort, and a trip well worth it. ❤️🏔

#natureisbeautiful #hiking #tramping #trekking #thegoodlife #outtheredoingit #mountains

We've been battling a rough cold this week, so I'v

We've been battling a rough cold this week, so I've been indoors more than I would like and missing the garden. But today, I hoisted up my pjs and managed to get myself out to berry forest. Of course, I was richly rewarded. 🫐

Summer tomato bowls

Summer tomato bowls 😍🍅

Homegrown peach snacks - it's a yes from me 😍🍑

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