Liquid Gold = Water Saved

My darling man came home from his weekend away to the bucket in the loo, ready to collect all our liquid gold. In discussing the whole issue, we did some rough calculations and realised that we'd save in excess of 20,000 litres of water each year by collecting rather than flushing.

Here are the numbers (based on old loo - we estimated 6 litres per flush):
Weekend days: 12 less flushes = 72 litres saved
Week days: 8 less flushes = 48 litres saved
Weekly total = 384 litres saved
Yearly total = 19,968 litres saved

These are only our flushes and are not counting the children's contributions when they are here. That means for our family alone, we will save more than 20,000 litres of water per year and probably more like 25,000 litres. I wish we'd done these calculations a while ago. It is quite staggering.

love and light
naturewitch

Today's Fun

Some of us should never be left to our own devices. This weekend, my darling man has taken the children to visit his sister and their children. In the meantime, I am meant to be studying for my upcoming exams, which I am, but you need to take a break every now and then . . .

Since he left, about 27 hours ago, there have been a couple of changes around the place. A bucket has taken up residence in the toilet for all that "liquid gold" (thanks for the reminder Crunchy and Crone!); there are now mung beans growing in our bathroom (thanks to there being too many in the sprouter to go in the stir fry the other night and which have now sprouted roots) and I've been cooking vego food again.

I used to be a vegetarian and have spent a good deal of my life either completely or mostly vegetarian. However, because of some serious health issues several years ago, I had to start eating meat again and then I fell in love with a darling man who loves his meat. I've been wanting to go back to being (at least mostly) vegetarian again for some time and have been able to slip in the odd vegetarian dish on occasion, but not on any regular basis. Well, I'm going to make a concerted effort now to have a higher proportion of our food vegetarian fare. I just hope he's ready for it!

For dinner tonight, I made a gorgeous variation on a dahl:

1. Saute 1 chopped red onion in a little oil for a few minutes.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin seed, coriander seed, mustard seed, tumeric and one small dried chilli and continue to saute until you hear the mustard seeds popping.
3. Add 1/2 cup each of red lentils and barley (both unsoaked) and saute for a few minutes before adding 2.5 cups water and some of your favourite vego stock powder.
4. Bring to the boil, then add two fat cloves of garlic (sliced), turn the heat off and leave for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Add 1 peeled and chopped sweet potato, then simmer until everything is soft and the consistency is to your taste (about another 20 to 30 minutes).
6. Serve with garden fresh steamed broccoli.

This recipe is probably enough to feed 3-4 people, depending on how much veg and/or rice you serve with it.

The other fun thing I did today was go for a walk around my neighbourhood to see what was in flower at the moment. There was Italian lavender, Westringia (native rosemary), rosemary, gazanias, erigeron, roses, early sweet peas, potato vine, dandelions, a couple of bottle brushes, some kind of yellow daisy bush and a stunning flowering cherry/plum/peach with a most beautiful scent.

I was looking for potential winter-flowering bee plants should I get a hive, as I don't want the little dears to starve over winter. Yes, I know you supplement their food in winter, but it would be so much nicer for them to have real bee food within bee flight of their home. Our garden will be fine as it is from spring through to autumn because of the fruit trees and veges, but winter might not be so wonderful. Guess I'll have to plant them some winter food crops.

love and light
naturewitch