MT is always up for a cheesy grin but so far isn’t keen on posing for more than 30 seconds.  But in a gesture of goodwill and marital harmony he did indulge me and seek to bring the bassets to order.

Without much success, expect that Fortnum was delighted to be having a love in with his master.  Mason was up to his usual delaying tactic of stopping for a scratch. Undeterred we pushed on for a little more posing attention.

Not bad although it’s fair to say that the bassets’ minds are elsewhere and certainly not interested in looking back at me.  So it was time for my tried and tested method of getting their attention.  This worked a treat.

Or not!

When Mason starts to behave like this it is truly deliberate.  He knows what’s required but refuses to co-operate.  But with a little manhandling we were starting to make progress.

But it was clear that this was going nowhere – Little basset just wasn’t up for any formal portrait and Fortnum was getting more interested in something rustling in the bush. So we just let them have their moment which is when I captured this my favourite snap.  A little more candid.

Whereas this is more like candid camera as little basset demanded attention.

Of all the reading I’ve done about getting the great shots the best tip is to remember that the best shots usually come moments after the formal click.  So all I need now is a little more patience and practice and maybe I can make my picture taking much more like my snapping but with better results.

I’m hankering after a better class of camera but the truth is that it doesn’t matter how good your camera if you’re not getting into situations where you can get great photographs.  My daily snap regime has certainly focused my mind on not just getting out with the camera but practising something specific.  Sort of like a daily assignment.  It is time to step that up again this month with some broader assignments.

I’ve tried following along with other budding photographers’ assignments but I’ve learned that what I want to perfect is photo storytelling rather than just photographs for art sake.  I’d like the photos to be artistic but I’m just not into photography in an abstract art sense.  I consume photography blogs and the ones that impress me the most are wedding photographers who have to be portrait, architecture, close up and documentary photographer all in one package.   I think its the essence of capturing life in all it’s dimensions that interests me so now all I need to do it work out how I’m going to create the right opportunities and then just go for it.

It’s times like these you really miss your family and long standing friends as they are the ones that I’d be arm locking into action right now.  But they are 12,000 miles away so I’ll have to find a way of improvising.  So any local blog readers who are game for some candid camera leave me a comment or send me a tweet and we’ll see whether I can do better next time.

This is my kind of cooking.  A true gather, whizz and mix up recipe.  The fact that you end up with a mountain of sweet and moist muffins is just a bonus.

Gathering all the ingredients together before you start cooking is a relatively new concept for me.  I’m generally pacing back and forth across the kitchen which is exhausting and invariably ends up with me realising I don’t have the vital ingredient necessary.  Also, ingredient cruising can be dangerous with two bassets to navigate around since they’d worked out that parking themselves flat out on the floor is the most effective way of catching the cooking debris as it falls to the floor.

Yes, cooking in our kitchen now requires you to master the quick step and perfect your assault course techniques. So to save energy and preserve my bassets I gather all my ingredients together before I start.

First whizz up two oranges in the food blitzer – yes, skin, seeds, the whole caboodle.  Add the eggs and melted butter.  Blitz for a few more seconds but don’t over do it.  Then in a large bowl put the orange mixture with the dates.  In a separate jug or bowl mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and sugar and then add to the dates and orange mix but don’t mix at this stage.  Finally sift in the dry ingredients in small amounts and start to turn over the whole mixture together.  It’s important not to beat or over mix – muffins like to be treated gently – blend all the dry ingredients together in small amounts until you’re left with a light batter.

Here’s the kicker.  This recipe makes 24 muffins so make sure you’re hungry or have plenty of people around to share them with you.  They do of course keep fresh in an airtight container for 2-3 days or better still freeze a few so that you can whip out a muffin to put in your lunch box and feel smug about having home baking in it.  Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes and cool in the muffin tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool.

Enjoy.  These muffins are sweet but the orange gives a nice kick making them feel healthy to eat.  This is where the whole orange is the perfect whole food to enjoy.  We took a box with us when we went away to the beach and they were delicious with our morning tea watching the sun come up.  I’m sure they’d have the same warm uplifting experience whether you’re at the beach or warming up in the snow!

Date and Orange Muffins

Adapted from Annabelle Wright from A Treasury of New Zealand Baking

2 whole oranges

2 large eggs

200g butter, melted & cooled a little

1 cup pitted dates

400g natural yoghurt

A squeeze of lemon juice

3/4 cup of sugar

3 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.  Grease two 12-hole muffin tins or line with muffin papers.
2. Blend the whole oranges in a food processor.  Add the eggs and melted butter and mix again. Don’t over mix.  Put the mixture in a large bowl with the dates.
3. Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and sugar together in a bowl or jug and add to the date & oranges but don’t mix.
4. Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add them to the orange & date in small amounts blending all the ingredients until a light and fluffy batter is formed.  Don’t beat or over mix.
5. Spoon the mixture into your muffin trays.  If you want some muffin bling, slice an orange thinly and cut a segment and pop this on the top before baking.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until when your test skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before completely cooling on a rack.

The muffins freeze well or keep in an airtight container for about 2-3 days.

I munched my way around the beds pulling out the occasional weed but otherwise marvelling at what nature has produced for us to eat.

The trouble is now that a trip to the bottom of garden can turn into a personal pig out.  The bassets and I were true gluttons as far as these fresh and sweet carrots.  It’s the first time ever that I’ve grown carrots that look like carrots should and taste better than anything I’ve ever had before.  It struck me how even the organic carrots I buy from the supermarket are by comparison a poor imitation of a carrot.  There’ll be no turning back now.

Flushed with success in the carrot bed I admit it’s hard not to feel crestfallen about the tomatoes.  I know I was too late getting them underway and the summer weather not conducive to tomato cropping but I still feel a twinge of disappointment.  But I have hope.  There are signs of tomatoes forming.  I celebrated this new milestone and crossed my fingers again.

It can be tricky gardening with your fingers crossed but I’m convinced its a key factor to successful growing.  I’ve never grown bortollini beans or turnips before.  They are making a welcome appearance and I’m already starting to think of the culinary possibilities.

I know exactly what I’ll do with these butternut squashes that have just started to spring from the creeping leaves.

The courgettes continue to be prolific and the brocolli is springing up daily, as are the beetroots.  The cabbages and cauliflowers are soldiering on despite the onslaught from the cabbage white butterflies.

Another surprise has been a few blackberries sprouting on our thornless bush.  They will make a small feast but I have high hopes for better crops next year.

There is no doubt I have so much to learn about growing your own food but I am encouraged by my efforts this year. We have a wide variety of vegetables to pick from and I can see what needs to be done differently next year to things in the ground earlier and to protect the brassicas from the pesky butterflies.  For now I’m going to keep munching my way the rich pickings we’ve been lucky to harvest this year.