Tim's tips for the easiest things to grow in your vegie patch - get fresh, save money = winning!

Though it was a bit hard to get out of bed this morning (as it was 4 degrees and I forgot to turn my oil heater on!), it was worth it to get out in the garden on a non-rainy day to tidy up the vegie patch.

Unfortunately no pictures of my actual vegie patch (due to it being a bit muddy and an uncharged mobile phone), but my top tips for planting (given that I usually kill anything I do in the garden) are...

1) Mint

Mint is great to grow - it's just about impossible to kill, and great with many of my favourite winter dishes (lamb in particular!). Plus if you like a bit of tea in winter, try adding some crushed mint and sugar - trust me, it's amazing! Picked that one up in Morocco...

2) Rosemary

Rosemary is pretty good I reckon - it's a reasonably decorative plant which is flowering in autumn, very drought resistant, grows anywhere (I've got it growing in builder's mud and it's doing fine!) and just like mint, it's beautiful on lamb dishes. I'm particularly fond of it in a slow roasted lamb shank.

3) Spring Onion

Maybe this should be number 1 - I use it all the time in asian cooking, but you can use this pretty much on any dish calling for it! Go grab a bunch of spring onion from the supermarket or asian shop for $1 or so, chop off the bottom inch with the roots attached, and go stick these roots outside in your vegie patch. It'll take well, and start growing new shoots, which you and chop off and use over and over again! Though I usually rip it out after 6 months as it gets a bit woody. Then you just get some more spring onion, replant and start again!

Verdant Dental are Melbourne's Defence Health Preferred Dentists!

Free dental checkup, clean and fluoride treatments for eligible Defence Health members!

Finally, now that we're in June, I figure I'll put out this bit of public information - for anyone with health insurance and extras with Defence Health (includes Navy, Army, Air Force etc) then your extras benefits expire at the end of June 2017!  If you have Defence Health Extras Premier, Value, Top Extras or ADF Total Package then you should receive your dental checkup clean and fluoride for free if you attend at Verdant Dental!

Most other health fund benefits expire at the end of the calendar year, so we usually are extra busy in December. Defence Health is the one major exception - so call Verdant Dental on 9379 3736 and we can get you seen before your health fund benefits expire!

Tim

A cooking session with Adam Liaw thanks to Metricon!

So last month we managed to grab an invite to see Adam Liaw cooking at the Metricon display home in Burwood East.

Must admit - we've both got a massive crush on Adam Liaw, who won Aussie Masterchef back in 2010. He's had an amazing career since then, and if you haven't seen his cooking shows on SBS (Destination Flavour: Japan is our favourite!) then do yourself a favour and go stream it now!

The demonstration was mostly about Chinese New Year, so I got to make a few dumplings (poorly) with Adam. We also got to have a good look around the display home, which in typical Metricon style was fully maxxed out with amazing features.

In retrospect, would've been nice to have a butler's kitchen in our house... as well as a butler to cook for us! With the long hours we're spending at Verdant Dental Niddrie, we're usually back home late eating reheated frozen food, which is a long way short of a Masterchef meal!

And of course I'm obliged to finish this post with some good news and an offer for everyone out there - if you have private health insurance (with extras) from HCF or Defence Health, you're probably eligible for a FREE dental checkup/exam, clean at Verdant Dental Niddrie! In particular, HCF members who are eligible also get free dental xrays and a free fluoride treatment, as well as a free mouthguard every year at Verdant Dental Niddrie!

To make an appointment at the best dentists in Melbourne (Verdant Dental, obviously!), give us a call on 03 9379 3736!

Tim & Tina