OK - a new challenge sent to me by Hedgewitch on her Earth and Tree blog. BTW, if you haven't yet gone to Hedgewitch's sites, I'd highly recommend it - lots of lovely environmentally focused crafts and tidbits of information and musings - a really good read.
Here is the deal: you pick up the nearest book set in a foreign country and then . . .
1) Open page 123
2) Find the fifth sentence.
3) Post the next three sentences.
4) Tag five people and acknowledge who tagged you.
My book is The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche.
p123 from the 5th sentence:
Now ego poses as the righteous arbiter of all conduct: the shrewdest position of all from which to undermine your faith, and erode whatever devotion and commitment to spiritual change you have.
Yet however hard ego may try to sabotage the spiritual path, if you really continue on it, and work deeply with the practice of meditation, you will begin slowly to realize just how gulled you have been by ego's promises: false hopes and false fears.
Slowly you begin to understand that both hope and fear are enemies of your peace of mind; hopes deceive you, and leave you empty and disappointed, and fears paralyze you in the narrow cell of your false identity.
Wow, pretty heavy stuff for a Monday evening. Funnily enough, I was just talking to some colleagues at work this morning about the only two true emotions - love and fear.
Now I am seriously in danger of waxing philosophical and don't really want to bore you with my ramblings, but I wonder how this applies to us all at the moment with respect to topics such as food and energy crises? Although I am sure we are right to read the signs as we are, maybe we need to implement our plans for survival with a lighter heart and not one based on fear; to rejoice in what we are collectively achieving day by day to reduce our footprint on dear Mother Earth; and to be grateful for her bounties.
As I said, a bit heavy for a Monday night . . . . .
As for those lovely people I would like to tag - I think I'll just pick two (given I've recently tagged a bunch of you):
The Crone - who provides us with such entertaining reading of her journey in reducing consumption and impact on the planet and
Molly - who finds such terrific information on what is happening in the world that she almost single-handedly keeps us up to date
love and light
naturewitch
Monday, 19 May 2008
Sunday, 18 May 2008
I've Been Tagged Again!
The dear Crone has tagged me again, so here goes:
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was living on a 360-acre (144ha) property, trying to do the self-sufficiency thing while working full-time and building a house - I don't believe I was actually trying to do all that!
2. What were five things on my "to-do" list today?
Making goat milk yoghurt
Making goat milk cottage cheese
Cooking oat cakes (ala Apprentice Domestic Goddess) for breakfast
Straining two herb tinctures that have been sitting there brewing (Plantain and Solomon's Seal)
Vacuuming the house
3. Snacks I enjoy
Chocolate (who doesn't?)
Fresh fruit - especially figs and persimmons
Fresh dates with cheese
Oat cakes
Left overs
4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Definitely ensure family and friends were setup financially
Finish my course and do healing for free
Work for charities
Keep gardening, especially growing fresh food
Help others to establish their own food gardens
Establish a national food seed bank that was accessible to the public
Buy up heaps of land and save it from developers
5. Places I have lived
Australia - SE Queensland (mainly Brisbane); NSW; ACT
London (3 months)
6. People to tag
Hedgewitch
Naturegirl
One Busy Mama
My Wildlife Sanctuary
Erbe in Cucina
love and light
naturewitch
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was living on a 360-acre (144ha) property, trying to do the self-sufficiency thing while working full-time and building a house - I don't believe I was actually trying to do all that!
2. What were five things on my "to-do" list today?
Making goat milk yoghurt
Making goat milk cottage cheese
Cooking oat cakes (ala Apprentice Domestic Goddess) for breakfast
Straining two herb tinctures that have been sitting there brewing (Plantain and Solomon's Seal)
Vacuuming the house
3. Snacks I enjoy
Chocolate (who doesn't?)
Fresh fruit - especially figs and persimmons
Fresh dates with cheese
Oat cakes
Left overs
4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Definitely ensure family and friends were setup financially
Finish my course and do healing for free
Work for charities
Keep gardening, especially growing fresh food
Help others to establish their own food gardens
Establish a national food seed bank that was accessible to the public
Buy up heaps of land and save it from developers
5. Places I have lived
Australia - SE Queensland (mainly Brisbane); NSW; ACT
London (3 months)
6. People to tag
Hedgewitch
Naturegirl
One Busy Mama
My Wildlife Sanctuary
Erbe in Cucina
love and light
naturewitch
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Today in the Garden
I am, as ever, thankful for the bounties supplied by my garden. A couple of months ago, I cut a couple of cauliflowers from their stems and didn't remove the rest of the plant. The result is that they have now sprouted a few mini caulis each. The biggest one (pictured) is now about 12cm across and I am looking forward to harvesting it very soon.
Meanwhile, the baby broccoli plants are getting a move on and the biggest head (pictured) is now about 10cm across. So, soon we will be starting on our winter pig-out on broccoli.
This morning, I also picked a colander-full of tomatoes, still surviving even though we've had a couple of light frosts now. And amaizingly (pun intended), the maize is still alive and the little cobs are starting to fill. I will definitely be planting it earlier next season.
I also dug over a new patch this morning and planted some oats and the old costata zucchinis, which produced so brilliantly this year, were cleared to make way for some Yakumo Giant snow peas.
love and light
naturewitch
Monday, 12 May 2008
Feeding the World
Tonight on the ABC was a very interesting edition of Landline Extra. One story related to our ability to feed the world (click on the link to see transcript and view the video). The program was presented in the context of the growth in world population, the failure of crops in Australia due to drought and the increased use of grains for biofuel production.
They listed world population figures, which I have plotted up. As you can see, we still have a linearly increasing population growth, which is not predicted to slow down for another 20 years or so.
The program discussed how businesses and investors are starting to look to the rural sector as a potential cash cow. (It always worries me when big business gets involved in our food chain.) Also, in the past year, the price of corn has risen by 31%, rice has increased by 74%, soya beans are up 87% and wheat is now 130% more expensive than it was 12 months ago.
All this adds up to the need for us to take more personal responsibility for our food production. I think I'm starting to repeat myself - I'm sure I said this yesterday . . . So, I'll repeat myself again and say - go forth into your gardens and multiply! Put some seed or seedlings into the ground and start growing more of your own food. And while you're about it, teach your children how to grow food as well - their future may very well depend on it!
Don't mean to sound paranoid; I just think this is a very important issue. Who will feed us if we don't at least try to feed ourselves?
love and light
naturewitch
They listed world population figures, which I have plotted up. As you can see, we still have a linearly increasing population growth, which is not predicted to slow down for another 20 years or so.The program discussed how businesses and investors are starting to look to the rural sector as a potential cash cow. (It always worries me when big business gets involved in our food chain.) Also, in the past year, the price of corn has risen by 31%, rice has increased by 74%, soya beans are up 87% and wheat is now 130% more expensive than it was 12 months ago.
All this adds up to the need for us to take more personal responsibility for our food production. I think I'm starting to repeat myself - I'm sure I said this yesterday . . . So, I'll repeat myself again and say - go forth into your gardens and multiply! Put some seed or seedlings into the ground and start growing more of your own food. And while you're about it, teach your children how to grow food as well - their future may very well depend on it!
Don't mean to sound paranoid; I just think this is a very important issue. Who will feed us if we don't at least try to feed ourselves?
love and light
naturewitch
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Our Bees, Our Food
Just saw a story on TV about the Varroa mite. Apparently, Australia is the only country free of the varroa mite, a little critter that affects bees. It rides in on the backs of bees into the colony (or hive) and infects the bee larvae with a virus, killing them.
The reason this is so important (apart from the damage to bees and our honey supply) is that bees are critical in the production of our food. Australia is now exporting bees overseas in a bid to help other countries maintain their food production.
Without bees, many plants won't be pollinated and will therefore not produce their fruit, which is what we eat. The only other option is hand pollination - not really possible on the scale of production of much of our food. Imagine a world without honey, stone fruits, apples, pears, melons, pumpkins, almonds and avocadoes, to name a few of the foods that could be affected.
This is yet another reason why it is so important for us all to take some responsibility for producing the food we eat. Every step you take to grow your own food will reduce your impact on the environment, as well as securing yours and your family's future.
So get into your gardens and plant some food, even if it is to put a few lettuce seedlings or herbs in a pot on your balcony. Every little bit helps and you will enjoy the freshness and vitality of your own produce. And the satisfaction of creating a meal from your own produce is unparalleled. Happy gardening!
love and light
naturewitch
The reason this is so important (apart from the damage to bees and our honey supply) is that bees are critical in the production of our food. Australia is now exporting bees overseas in a bid to help other countries maintain their food production.
Without bees, many plants won't be pollinated and will therefore not produce their fruit, which is what we eat. The only other option is hand pollination - not really possible on the scale of production of much of our food. Imagine a world without honey, stone fruits, apples, pears, melons, pumpkins, almonds and avocadoes, to name a few of the foods that could be affected.
This is yet another reason why it is so important for us all to take some responsibility for producing the food we eat. Every step you take to grow your own food will reduce your impact on the environment, as well as securing yours and your family's future.
So get into your gardens and plant some food, even if it is to put a few lettuce seedlings or herbs in a pot on your balcony. Every little bit helps and you will enjoy the freshness and vitality of your own produce. And the satisfaction of creating a meal from your own produce is unparalleled. Happy gardening!
love and light
naturewitch
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Eating on a Budget
Following comments by The Crone and Molly regarding eating well on a budget, I thought I'd share an old-time family recipe with you - home made baked beans. These are infintely superior to the tinned ones and if you have a good supply of tomatoes on hand, pretty cheap to make.
Baked Beans
2.5 cups unsoaked dried navy beans or haricot beans
3.5 cups tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
0.5 cup tomato paste
0.25 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons oil
1 large, whole onion (peeled)
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
Soak beans for a few hours or overnight and cook in salted water until tender. Drain the beans and put them in a large baking dish. Add the tomatoes, salt, tomato paste, sugar, honey and oil. Mix well. Place onion in the centre and bake, covered, in a moderate oven for 1 hour. Add basil, stir well and bake uncovered until the liquid is thickened.
This recipe will feed a tribe of six. Depending on how sweet you like your beans to be, you can add only the sugar or only the honey, rather than both. You can also add other things, if desired, like more onion or bacon or chorizos.
love and light
naturewitch
Baked Beans
2.5 cups unsoaked dried navy beans or haricot beans
3.5 cups tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
0.5 cup tomato paste
0.25 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons oil
1 large, whole onion (peeled)
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
Soak beans for a few hours or overnight and cook in salted water until tender. Drain the beans and put them in a large baking dish. Add the tomatoes, salt, tomato paste, sugar, honey and oil. Mix well. Place onion in the centre and bake, covered, in a moderate oven for 1 hour. Add basil, stir well and bake uncovered until the liquid is thickened.
This recipe will feed a tribe of six. Depending on how sweet you like your beans to be, you can add only the sugar or only the honey, rather than both. You can also add other things, if desired, like more onion or bacon or chorizos.
love and light
naturewitch
Death and Life in the Garden
I always feel a little sad in autumn when the plants that have served us so well with fresh food over the summer are dying back and need pulling out of the ground. It's a little like a friend dying.
So this afternoon I was clearing up number 1 tomato bed, lamenting the passing of my friends. But after adding cow manure, dolomite, mushroom compost and some trace elements, I was back into planting mode again and I put in some spring onion and leek seeds, with hopes of new life and a crop by spring.
Then I moved onto the next bed and removed some spent zucchinis and assorted weeds. After manuring the bed, I put in peas (red flowering and greenfeast), Asian vegetables (wong bok, pak choi and Senposai greens), kale and winter lettuce. Bare spots in a couple of other beds had broad beans planted. And the broad beans, red flowering peas and the greenfeast peas were all from seed I'd saved myself, so I'm feeling pretty happy.
When I was clearing out the tomato bed, a couple of the stakes broke off at ground level - they are quite a few years old and I guess they've finally rotted. I've been eyeing off some new ones at the hardware store - made from recycled plastic or something so they should last a lot longer - maybe an option for next spring?
Also, for all of you gardening women out there who wear tights/pantyhose/stockings in winter - if you should get a ladder in them, don't throw them out. Simply clean them and then put them aside for plant ties. I use them to tie up my tomatoes and they are fabulous - long lasting, soft and elastic. And you get to use them again and again until they disintegrate, which has to be better for our planet.
love and light
naturewitch
So this afternoon I was clearing up number 1 tomato bed, lamenting the passing of my friends. But after adding cow manure, dolomite, mushroom compost and some trace elements, I was back into planting mode again and I put in some spring onion and leek seeds, with hopes of new life and a crop by spring.
Then I moved onto the next bed and removed some spent zucchinis and assorted weeds. After manuring the bed, I put in peas (red flowering and greenfeast), Asian vegetables (wong bok, pak choi and Senposai greens), kale and winter lettuce. Bare spots in a couple of other beds had broad beans planted. And the broad beans, red flowering peas and the greenfeast peas were all from seed I'd saved myself, so I'm feeling pretty happy.
When I was clearing out the tomato bed, a couple of the stakes broke off at ground level - they are quite a few years old and I guess they've finally rotted. I've been eyeing off some new ones at the hardware store - made from recycled plastic or something so they should last a lot longer - maybe an option for next spring?
Also, for all of you gardening women out there who wear tights/pantyhose/stockings in winter - if you should get a ladder in them, don't throw them out. Simply clean them and then put them aside for plant ties. I use them to tie up my tomatoes and they are fabulous - long lasting, soft and elastic. And you get to use them again and again until they disintegrate, which has to be better for our planet.
love and light
naturewitch
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Tomato Sauce
I was still looking for things to do with tomatoes and I had several small Granny Smith apples from our tree, so I put them together and got tomato sauce.Here's the recipe:
3.25kg ripe tomatoes
0.75kg apples
450ml apple cider vinegar
500g sugar
30ml veggie salt
15ml paprika
2.5ml teaspoons cayenne
20ml cornflour
Wash the tomatoes, chop them and place in a large pot. Wash, peel and dice the apples (retain peel and cores for apple jelly making, if the apples are not sprayed). Put apples in the pot with the tomatoes and place on low heat until everything is soft and pulpy. You shouldn't need to add water, as the tomatoes will be juicy enough.
When tomatoes and apples are cooked, leave to cool for a while. When cool enough to handle, press through a sieve. This will remove most of the seeds and the tomato skins. Make sure you push the apple through, as this adds a bit of bulk to the sauce.
Put the puree back into the pot (which you have rinsed) and add the vinegar, sugar, salt and spices. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently; cook until mixture has thickened a little. Combine cornflour with a small amount of water and stir into mixture. This will thicken it a little more. You may add more cornflour if you like particularly thick sauce.
When the sauce is cool enough to handle, pour into clean screw-top bottles, leaving a little room at the top of the bottles. Put lids on bottles and sterilise in the following manner:
Place filled bottles in a deep pan of hand-hot water (about 50C). Make sure the water does not cover any of the bottles. Put the lid on the pan and heat until simmering (about 88C). This should take about 30 minutes. Leave the bottles in the simmering water for another 30 minutes. When finished turn off the heat and let it cool down until you can safely take the bottles out. Make sure the lids are still well sealed. Label and store.
This a fairly basic recipe. You could experiment with adding different herbs and spices, like garlic, basil, chilli, etc.
You need to be very particular about sterilising the bottles of tomato sauce. This is because the main ingredient is tomatoes and they can result in botulism if not processed correctly. Having said that, this method is possibly a little bit of an overkill, but where my family's health is concerned, I'd rather be safe than sorry.
This amount of tomatoes makes about 3L of tomato sauce. That's probably more than a year's supply in our house . . .
love and light
naturewitch
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Brahmi
At last, I seem to be able to keep a brahmi plant alive. My previous attempts have ended in premature death of the poor herbs, but this time things are looking good.The trick to keeping Brahmi alive seems to be keeping it moist and protecting it from too much sun and also too much cold. Apparently, they like semi-shaded, moist conditions.
This Brahmi is in a 20cm pot and now that things have started to chill down here in Zone 2, I've brought it inside. Hopefully, it will survive the winter. I'll let you know its progress.
love and light
naturewitch
Moon Gardening for May 2008
The New Moon at 10:19pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Monday 5 May sees the start of the lunar planting cycle for this month. Leafy annuals (eg, broccoli, spinach, cabbages) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted from 10:19am to 9:20pm Tuesday 6 May and from 9:03pm Thursday 8 May to 11:10pm Saturday 10 May.
The First Quarter will occur at 1:45pm Monday 12 May. Fruiting annuals (eg, beans, peas, corn) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted between 1:46pm Thursday 15 May and 12:12am Tuesday 20 May.
The Full Moon will occur at 12:12pm on Tuesday 20 May, so remember to put your crystals out overnight to recharge. Given that the full moon is occurring near midday, I would probably choose the Monday night during the waxing moon, rather than the Tuesday night when the moon will have started to wane, to recharge your little friends.
Root crops (eg, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips) can be sown between 1:55am Friday 23 May and 1:53pm Sunday 25 May.
The Last Quarter wil be at 12:57pm Wednesday 28 May and the New Moon will occur at 5:24am Wednesday 4 June. Between these times, weed your garden and make compost.
Happy gardening!
love and light
naturewitch
The First Quarter will occur at 1:45pm Monday 12 May. Fruiting annuals (eg, beans, peas, corn) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted between 1:46pm Thursday 15 May and 12:12am Tuesday 20 May.
The Full Moon will occur at 12:12pm on Tuesday 20 May, so remember to put your crystals out overnight to recharge. Given that the full moon is occurring near midday, I would probably choose the Monday night during the waxing moon, rather than the Tuesday night when the moon will have started to wane, to recharge your little friends.
Root crops (eg, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips) can be sown between 1:55am Friday 23 May and 1:53pm Sunday 25 May.
The Last Quarter wil be at 12:57pm Wednesday 28 May and the New Moon will occur at 5:24am Wednesday 4 June. Between these times, weed your garden and make compost.
Happy gardening!
love and light
naturewitch
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
The Ice Man Cometh
No, these are not ice ghosts hanging about in my garden . . . .The last two mornings we've had frosts! Not good for someone praying to the gardening angels for time so her maize crop can mature.
This is when I give thanks to my hoarding ways and drag out the old sheets from the shed and cover up the maize. So far, so good. The maize is still surviving.
Tonight is meant to be 2C, so should be OK, but I've covered up just in case the Bureau have it wrong.
I really, really, really want the maize to survive. Wish me luck!
love and light
naturewitch
Living Simply and Being Grateful
Given all the current issues around food, energy and the future of our planet, you might like to read this http://doing-it-naturally.blogspot.com/2008/04/even-as-child-i-was-mule.html
Molly has expressed it all so beautifully.
I was reflecting on this and thought that one of the keys to living simply, sustainably and reducing our consumption and load on the planet is to be grateful. The rationale behind this is that if we are grateful for what we have, then we are less likely to "want" other things (stuff!) and therefore to consume less and live within our planet's means.
So I thought I'd start by writing down ten things I am grateful for:
love and light
naturewitch
Molly has expressed it all so beautifully.
I was reflecting on this and thought that one of the keys to living simply, sustainably and reducing our consumption and load on the planet is to be grateful. The rationale behind this is that if we are grateful for what we have, then we are less likely to "want" other things (stuff!) and therefore to consume less and live within our planet's means.
So I thought I'd start by writing down ten things I am grateful for:
- my loving partner, family (including the cats!) and friends
- being able to go to bed each night, knowing all my loved ones are safe, fed, clothed and housed
- being able to see, hear, touch, feel, taste, walk, talk, laugh, sing, dance, live
- my back yard in which I can grow food and muck around in the dirt
- my income
- living in Australia and all the good things that brings with it
- my old sewing machine (it's 26 this year, but still a trooper; last year I had a serious case of sewing machine envy when a dear friend bought a new machine (she really needed it!), but I got over it)
- the fresh air I breathe every day, just by opening a door or window
- the stash of fabrics and wool I have for quilting, sewing, knitting
- sunshine and laughter
love and light
naturewitch
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Back at Home
Been on holiday for the last couple of weeks, enjoying the sun and surf at the Gold Coast. Great fun, but sooo good to be home.
While we've been away Autumn has well and truly arrived in the garden. Most of the summer crops are now dying back and I'm not certain if the cold weather will hold off long enough for the maize to crop - guess I'll have to get it in the ground earlier next season.
Good news - some lettuce and Asian vege seedlings have emerged and the winter brassicas and beets continue to do well. My herb seedlings are continuing to grow, too. I'm leaving a couple of mega zucchinis on the bush to see if they ripen fully so I can save the seed for next season. Surprise in the garden - a little artichoke plant, which must have come up from some artichokes I let go to seed more than a year ago! Oh, and our one pumpkin from a self-sown vine this year was ready to pick when we got back, along with a heap more tomatoes - pumpkin and tomato soup anyone?
Have a herb exam to study for now, but will try to post later on this week.
love and light
naturewitch
While we've been away Autumn has well and truly arrived in the garden. Most of the summer crops are now dying back and I'm not certain if the cold weather will hold off long enough for the maize to crop - guess I'll have to get it in the ground earlier next season.
Good news - some lettuce and Asian vege seedlings have emerged and the winter brassicas and beets continue to do well. My herb seedlings are continuing to grow, too. I'm leaving a couple of mega zucchinis on the bush to see if they ripen fully so I can save the seed for next season. Surprise in the garden - a little artichoke plant, which must have come up from some artichokes I let go to seed more than a year ago! Oh, and our one pumpkin from a self-sown vine this year was ready to pick when we got back, along with a heap more tomatoes - pumpkin and tomato soup anyone?
Have a herb exam to study for now, but will try to post later on this week.
love and light
naturewitch
Monday, 7 April 2008
Moon Gardening for April 2008
The New Moon at 1:55pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Sunday 6 April sees the start of the lunar planting cycle for this month.
Leafy annuals (eg, broccoli, spinach, cabbages) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted from 11:21am Monday 7 April to 11:27am Wednesday 9 April and from 12:45pm Friday 11 April to 4:33pm Saturday 12 April.
The First Quarter will occur at 4:33am Sunday 13 April.
Fruiting annuals (eg, beans, peas, corn) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted between 8:10am Friday 18 April and 8:25am Sun 20 April.
The Full Moon will occur at 8:25pm on Sunday 20 April, so remember to put your crystals out overnight to recharge.
Root crops (eg, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips) can be sown between 8:25am Monday 21 April and 7:08am Wednesday 23 April and from 7:48pm Friday 25 April to 7:27am Monday 28 April.
The Last Quarter wil be at 0:15am Tuesday 29 April and the New Moon will occur at 10:19pm Monday 5 May. Between these times, weed your garden and make compost.
Happy gardening!
love and light
naturewitch
Leafy annuals (eg, broccoli, spinach, cabbages) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted from 11:21am Monday 7 April to 11:27am Wednesday 9 April and from 12:45pm Friday 11 April to 4:33pm Saturday 12 April.
The First Quarter will occur at 4:33am Sunday 13 April.
Fruiting annuals (eg, beans, peas, corn) can be sown and seedlings can be transplanted between 8:10am Friday 18 April and 8:25am Sun 20 April.
The Full Moon will occur at 8:25pm on Sunday 20 April, so remember to put your crystals out overnight to recharge.
Root crops (eg, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips) can be sown between 8:25am Monday 21 April and 7:08am Wednesday 23 April and from 7:48pm Friday 25 April to 7:27am Monday 28 April.
The Last Quarter wil be at 0:15am Tuesday 29 April and the New Moon will occur at 10:19pm Monday 5 May. Between these times, weed your garden and make compost.
Happy gardening!
love and light
naturewitch
Knitting Bug
If you are looking for top quality wool at reasonable prices, have a look at Bendigo Woollen Mills. I got their new shade card in the mail today and am resisting the urge to buy more wool (have heaps in the cupboard I really need to use first). They have a range of products, including alpaca, cotton and baby wool. Their Classic wool is probably my favourite - it is machine washable, has a wide range of colours and is akin to Patons wool. I would recommend asking for a shade card (free), as the colours on your screen may not always be accurate.
love and light
naturewitch
love and light
naturewitch
Glut Cooking
You know the signs - they start groaning any time you produce yet another dish containing that magical vegetable or fruit you happen to have in excess. Sometimes, they actually leave it on their plates (as my beloved did last spring when he simply couldn't face anymore asparagus)! So the solution is what I call glut cooking.
My current glut is zucchini and tomato, so I have been cooking up things like zucchini, tomato, onion and herb chunky mixes to freeze for the winter months when I will use them in stews, casseroles and soups. But the freezer can only hold so much of that - it's got to have enough room for other glut cooking, like pumpkin soup.
So yesterday I made The Chutney. I love this recipe - you can use it as you normally would or just throw it in with spare ribs or any other cut of meat you like and bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours - superb and oh, so easy.
Zucchini and Tomato Chutney
1.5kg zucchini, diced
1.5kg tomatoes, roughly chopped (or just use the little ones whole)
750g onions, diced
500g apples, peeled and diced
250g raisins
15ml paprika
15ml cinnamon
5ml mixed spice
30ml salt
125ml water
Place all of the above in a large pot and cook over low heat for a couple of hours until everything is soft and pulpy. You'll need to stir it occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add 400ml vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, but you could use malt vinegar) and 500g sugar. Simmer until thick like stew (it never gets as thick as shop-bought chutneys). Ladle into sterilised jars and cap while very warm. As it cools, you will hear the satisfying pops of the vacuum forming. This recipe is enough to fill four large and six medium jars.
Note: to sterilise your jars, wash thoroughly and place still wet jars and lids on a tray in a 120C oven for about 20 minutes. Use jars with metal lids if possible, as you can achieve a good vacuum seal with these if you put them on while warm. Fill straight from the oven, wrapping a damp teatowel around the jar. Place lid on top and screw down while placing your knuckle in the middle pop-up thing (you might need to use a teatowel so you don't get burned).
love and light
naturewitch
My current glut is zucchini and tomato, so I have been cooking up things like zucchini, tomato, onion and herb chunky mixes to freeze for the winter months when I will use them in stews, casseroles and soups. But the freezer can only hold so much of that - it's got to have enough room for other glut cooking, like pumpkin soup.So yesterday I made The Chutney. I love this recipe - you can use it as you normally would or just throw it in with spare ribs or any other cut of meat you like and bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours - superb and oh, so easy.
Zucchini and Tomato Chutney1.5kg zucchini, diced
1.5kg tomatoes, roughly chopped (or just use the little ones whole)
750g onions, diced
500g apples, peeled and diced
250g raisins
15ml paprika
15ml cinnamon
5ml mixed spice
30ml salt
125ml water
Place all of the above in a large pot and cook over low heat for a couple of hours until everything is soft and pulpy. You'll need to stir it occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add 400ml vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar, but you could use malt vinegar) and 500g sugar. Simmer until thick like stew (it never gets as thick as shop-bought chutneys). Ladle into sterilised jars and cap while very warm. As it cools, you will hear the satisfying pops of the vacuum forming. This recipe is enough to fill four large and six medium jars.
Note: to sterilise your jars, wash thoroughly and place still wet jars and lids on a tray in a 120C oven for about 20 minutes. Use jars with metal lids if possible, as you can achieve a good vacuum seal with these if you put them on while warm. Fill straight from the oven, wrapping a damp teatowel around the jar. Place lid on top and screw down while placing your knuckle in the middle pop-up thing (you might need to use a teatowel so you don't get burned).
love and light
naturewitch
More seedlings emerge
More of the herb seeds we planted a couple of weeks ago are coming up. The calendula certainly won the race, but the chickweed (Stellaria) and the marshmallow are now showing as well.
love and light
naturewitch
love and light
naturewitch
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
The "What's in my garden?" dinner
Simple yummy dinner - find the following ingredients in your garden:
1 small eggplant
1 medium-large zucchini
about a punnet of cherry tomatoes
2 spring onions
1 bunch English spinach
1 bunch amaranth leaves
2 sprigs basil
1 sprig marjoram
4 cloves garlic (hiding in the cupboard)
Slice eggplant, place in bowl, salt and leave for half an hour. Rinse well and dice eggplant and zucchini (medium-sized chunks). Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok or pan. Put in eggplant and zucchini and stir fry for a few minutes. When about half cooked, throw in tomatoes and spring onions. When close to done, drizzle with balsamic glaze (OK, this is from the cupboard, too!), then add spinach, amaranth, chopped herbs and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then serve. You can serve this with pasta, rice, meat, vege patties or just have it on its own. Delicious!!!
love and light
naturewitch
1 small eggplant
1 medium-large zucchini
about a punnet of cherry tomatoes
2 spring onions
1 bunch English spinach
1 bunch amaranth leaves
2 sprigs basil
1 sprig marjoram
4 cloves garlic (hiding in the cupboard)
Slice eggplant, place in bowl, salt and leave for half an hour. Rinse well and dice eggplant and zucchini (medium-sized chunks). Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok or pan. Put in eggplant and zucchini and stir fry for a few minutes. When about half cooked, throw in tomatoes and spring onions. When close to done, drizzle with balsamic glaze (OK, this is from the cupboard, too!), then add spinach, amaranth, chopped herbs and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then serve. You can serve this with pasta, rice, meat, vege patties or just have it on its own. Delicious!!!
love and light
naturewitch
Better Butter
Have to share this one - good way to get saturated and unsaturated fats together and it tastes great.
Ingredients
250g organic butter (there's an Australian one now - Tatura, from Victoria)
1/2 cup (125ml) rice bran or safflower oil
1/2 cup (125ml) water
Method
Put water and oil in food processor and blend together for a couple of minutes on high. Add the room temperature butter and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Put into container in the fridge and use like butter or margarine.
This tastes rather like butter, but you are getting some unsaturated fats as well. It is definitely better than margarine, as margarine has lots of different additives and the oils are heated during manufacturing, which can lead to some nasty by-products. So, Better Butter is a win all round.
If you don't like cleaning out the greasy mess at the end, simply leave some in there and make a treat for the family, like some home made bikkies or cakes. Speaking of which, I substituted half the flour in a banana loaf the other day with oat bran - worked a treat and we got the lovely insoluble fibre to help reduce cholesterol and fats!
love and light
naturewitch
Ingredients
250g organic butter (there's an Australian one now - Tatura, from Victoria)
1/2 cup (125ml) rice bran or safflower oil
1/2 cup (125ml) water
Method
Put water and oil in food processor and blend together for a couple of minutes on high. Add the room temperature butter and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Put into container in the fridge and use like butter or margarine.
This tastes rather like butter, but you are getting some unsaturated fats as well. It is definitely better than margarine, as margarine has lots of different additives and the oils are heated during manufacturing, which can lead to some nasty by-products. So, Better Butter is a win all round.
If you don't like cleaning out the greasy mess at the end, simply leave some in there and make a treat for the family, like some home made bikkies or cakes. Speaking of which, I substituted half the flour in a banana loaf the other day with oat bran - worked a treat and we got the lovely insoluble fibre to help reduce cholesterol and fats!
love and light
naturewitch
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Calendula's up!
Went to water my herb seed pots tonight and noticed the calendula is just emerging - v happy!
love and light
naturewitch
love and light
naturewitch
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