Wakefield Grange Butcher at Wattle Flat #butcher #myponga #wattleflat #wakefieldgrange #organic #grassfed

I've been driving past this farm-gate butcher on my way to Lady Bay for the past year and have never turned off.  Yesterday I turned off and I'm so glad I did.

Wakefield Grange Butcher is located at Wattle Flat, between Myponga and Yankalilla.

Can you beat this entrance for a local butcher?

Wakefield Grange was formed in June 2013 by husband and wife team Nathan and Sophie Wakefield.  They met on an outback pastoral property where Sophie was the governess and Nathan was the contract goat musterer.

They have a paddock to plate philosophy, raising much of their own meat on their 400 acre farm, practicing holistic farming and permaculture. They raise animals that are only fed on grass that are able to graze freely for 365 days a year and are hormone and antibiotic free. And any animals they need to buy to supplement their supply must be 100% grass fed.

There has been research to show that grass fed animals have high levels of conjugated linoleum acid (CLA) with claims that these higher levels of CLA can lead to reduce body fat, clearer arteries and may help prevent diabetes.  It certainly tastes better.

Nathan and Sophie run Angus x Hereford cattle; berkshire, duroc and large white pigs.   I bought 5  grass fed Angus beef scotch fillets at a really reasonable price.  I'm sure my daughter and her carniverous friends will accept an invitation to a dinner of scotch fillet. I'll probably accompany the steaks with duck fat roast potatoes and green beans.  And perhaps a dollop of garlic and parsley butter on the steaks.  Good thing the meat has CLA!

They rotate the livestock through the paddocks to help rejuvenate pastures.

They also run a buyer's club where you can order packs to be delivered to your door.  For more information, click here

Ideas for our upstairs terrace #design #renovations #decoration #outdoors

This is the tile we are currently getting laid onto our upstairs outdoor terrace (if it ever stops raining). It has a Moroccan feel.

We weren't going to re-tile the terrace given it was only built and tiled 6 years ago, but after water started pouring through our lounge-room ceiling from a breech in the water-proofing under the terrace above, we had no choice. We had to rip up everything and start again. Let's hope the water-proofing technique used this time works. 

Still as they say, with every cloud is a silver lining.  I think the terrace will look stunning paved in these Moroccan tiles.  Now the next question is, how to decorate? 

We have gone from thinking tropical to Mediterranean, and I think at this stage the Mediterranean has won out, given that is our climate.  I'm thinking lemon, lime, olive and bay trees and perhaps geraniums in  hanging baskets.  But maybe I can sneak in a bit of both. A couple of kentia palms in the shadier areas, or perhaps bird of paradise or sword fern?

Our terrace is open with a pergola and no roof but I quite like the look of these terraces/ verandahs.

So I'm on the hunt for pots and furniture that would look good with the new tiles.

These lightweight fibre-glass pots have an appeal given they don't weigh a ton.

But I prefer terracotta or even a raw cement look.

I like the idea of an outdoor fire pit.

And perhaps a bit of outdoor sculpture on the walls? But maybe a moorish pattern? Or even mirrors?

In a future post I'll show you before and after pictures.  In the meantime, any suggestions are welcome!

Roses in Winter #roses #winter #flowers #seasons

It's a crisp winters day in Adelaide. Unusually our Pierre de Ronsard rose is in bloom.  The climber is over 10 years old but has never bloomed at this time of the year.  Why?

The bare branches of the deciduous trees out the front of our house have their own beauty.

And the camellia buds in the front garden are starting to open. Their timing is right.

Trying to get a bit more life from some variegated heritage roses.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

#Eurilla #Historic #AdelaideHills #Home #realestate #history

Historic Eurilla in the Mt Lofty ranges at Crafers is for sale. The house was built in 1884 for wine and spirit merchant and politician, Sir William Milne (1822 - 1895), as his summer residence. The name Eurilla is thought to come from the Kaurna Aboriginal word for Mt. Lofty, Yureidla. Sir Milne came to Adelaide in 1839 from Glasgow in Scotland.  He started out in the colony as a humble farmhand.

Eurilla was home to the Bonython family for 70 years, with Lavington Bonython purchasing the property in 1917 and Kym Boynton being in residence from 1972 until the house was burnt out in the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983.

Lawyer Chris Ganzis and his wife Jacquie bought the burnt out ruins in 1998 and have gradually restored the home and gardens.  Chris and Jacquie spent 5 years restoring the gardens and many more years rebuilding the upper story and turret.  Jacquie found the original plans for the building in the Victorian Art Gallery.

Architect Nick Ingerson helped the Ganzis's with the restoration.

William Morris wallpaper and curtains.

There are over 5 acres or 20,234 square metres of gardens.

The view over the Piccadilly Valley.

Interested? Find out more here

The Loose Caboose #theLooseCaboose #Bowden #Hindmarsh #cafe #food

The Loose Caboose Cafe at Hindmarsh sits within the old Bowden railway station. 

The Bowden/ Hindmarsh area is undergoing a transformation with hundreds of new high-density apartments and units being built. The area is only a short distance from the city, serviced by both train and tram. The train goes through to Port Adelaide and outer harbour.

The cafe is noted for its coffee, roasting its beans on site.  They are very serious about coffee and the house blend consists of:

40% Brazil Passeio

30% Colombia Santa Rita
20% Sumatra Wahana Estate 
10% India Monsooned Malabar

They serve brunch all day, as well as an interesting selection of other options, including tapas.

Someone has an eye for the quirky, adding interesting touches.

The menu makes a good read, quoting newspaper clippings involving the Bowden railway station from days gone by.

The Mercury
(9 October, 1892)
BURGLARY
At 2.30 this morning two ticket offices of the Bowden railway station were entered by burglars, the windows being broken, drawers ransacked and papers left lying on the floor. Some writing in a disguised hand was found in the ticket report book as follows:- “Blackleg, catch me if you can,” and underneath was a sentence of indecent writing. The iron safe was not tampered with. All the money taken amounted to 3s. in half pennies.

And the bill comes in a little Golden Book "Little Red Caboose".  Cute.

It's open from 7am to 4pm weekdays, 8am to 4pm on weekends.  Something just a bit different.