Soup of the Day...

I was supposed to do this yesterday, but time did not permit! Shelley from Tea Time (the inspiration for my recipe posts) is certainly providing me with a challenge, as she apparently doesnt like most vegetables, particularly the green ones.

Hmm...

So, I sat around Friday night thinking about what recipes I had that dont have too much green stuff, but would still be considered healthy, hearty and tasty. The first that came to mind was my Nanna's recipe for tomato soup, because it's quick, easy and cost-effective, but super tasty at the same time.

This recipe can be cooked in either a slow-cooker or a pressure-cooker. I dont know how it would go in a regular pot, but if you try it and it works I'd be interested to know!

Anyways, the recipe! ~

Nanna's Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

1 Cup Soup Mix (pictured below), soaked overnight with water to cover

1 finely chopped Onion

2 sliced Carrots

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas (optional/replaceable)

1 tin Condensed Tomato Soup (400g)

1 large chopped Potato

4 Cups Vegetable Stock

If you're cooking it in a slow-cooker, put all the ingredients into your crock-pot and then cook on low for around 6 hours.

If cooking in a pressure-cooker, you will need to pressure-cook soup mix, onion, carrot and potato for 10 minutes, and then allow to cool. Add stock, tomato soup and peas and bring back to boil for 5 minutes.

Serves 4+.

Garden Makeover = Productive Weekend!

How it was: Geraniums and daisies galore!

No pruning or adequate mulching, making the plants look stressed and weather-worn.

No planning or design, making it look untidy and awkward.

As it is now: Almost all the geraniums and daisies have been removed.

We have replaced them with mondo grass, a maori sunrise and other grass-plants, a dwarf-lavender, native hibiscus, and a carpet rose.

We removed all geraniums, daisies and irises from around our (lone) peach tree, and instead have put in a small grass shrub and a dwarf-conifer.

All the plants we used, including the beautiful silver coastal grass-plant (centre), are supposed to be drought and frost tolerant, two very important pre-requisites for a northern Flinders Ranges garden.