eat at dixiebelle's

:: Slow Living :: January 2012 ::

2012-02-01T21:58:00.002+11:00

Christine has started a wonderful monthly journal, or challenge if you will, at her blog, Slow Living Essentials, called SLOW LIVING - Month by Month 2012. I am going to participate, because it will help me reflect on the positive things I am doing each month, when sometimes I feel overwhelmed or frustrated that I am not achieving anything. I also like being part of a supportive online community and getting to read what other like-minded people are up to. Plus, I like Christine & her blog! I admired those who did Sharon Astyk's Independence Days challenge, though I never participated, but I think this is a great way for me to write blog posts, covering all the great things we are up to!

Slow Living - January 2012

NOURISH: The Year of Eating Nutritiously is off to a good start, experimenting with less refined sugars like rapadura and coconut sugar, making savoury crackers from scratch, consuming more coconut oil & going back to butter, learning the art of lacto-fermentation, perfecting water kefir and milk kefir, sticking with gluten free again, and now looking into making our own stock and lard. We are eating from the garden too, like the Chocolate & Zucchini Brownie above. My husband and I decided to only eat free range/ pastured and organic meat this year. In January, I used up last years preserved relishes and salsas too.

PREPARE: We finally got back to putting our grab bags together, and bought some more survival/ emergency gear while it was on sale. My husband has been for a Bowhunters Association 3D practice last weekend, and met a man who might be able to arrange some feral goat hunting. We then realised we'd better consider how we will store/ preserve any game meat we have, as well as the stocks/ lard mentioned above. Buying a chest freezer means a big outlay, as well as ongoing costs, and risks, but investing in a pressure canner, and using FV jars we already have, is the decision we made. In the mean time, I've preserved pickled beetroot, zucchini pickles, peach slices, dessert fillings, apricot relish, dehydrated apricots, and frozen grated zuchini too.

REDUCE: Hmm, we continue on our No More Stuff Challenge, though not necessarily doing so great with that one (see buying survival gear, above!). I am decluttering the kids toys at the moment, to donate them. I did some solar cooking, so that reduced energy consumption a bit.

GREEN: I bought more Bubbylon Goats Milk soap, op shopped for clothes & kitchenwares, continue growing organically, creating & using our own compost, plus continue buying fresh produce, some dairy, eggs & meat from our local Farmers Outlet Store.

GROW: We have a lot In Our Garden at The Moment, and in January, the apricot, plum and nectarine trees were harvested, plus zucchini, beans, corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, raspberries, onions and beetroot too. Our chickens continue to grow too, and we are hoping they'll start laying soon too.

CREATE: I started another crochet dishcloth, to keep my skills up! The kids and I made some paint & button canvas pictures for the kids bedrooms in this school holidays. We also did box craft, a pirate ship for A, and a caravan for Miss M's teddies & critters. I have also been debating upgrading to a Compact System Camera now our little point & shoot stopped working (motor has gone, apparently) as I'd love to take better photos and be able to use different lenses, yet I don't really have the time to learn how to be a better photographer anyways! It was a relief that Mum lent us her camera, as I missed taking photos of the kids and the garden! This is a bit sad, but I've also been having fun Pinning stuff & playing around a bit on Polyvore.

DISCOVER: I tried to work my way through a massive stack of library books, but had to return a heap, including Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible (story too sad) and Slow Death by Rubberduck, as I then got stuck in a book I had bought, Real Food by Nina Planck. I have borrowed Nourishing Traditions (the bible of 'traditional' food, I guess) from the library and have it on request again, but I am also learning a lot from some great nourishing food blogs too.

ENHANCE: We hosted the Urban Homesteading Club in January. My husband went to a Community Fire Unit practice, of which he is the Team Leader. I wrote another article for HerCanberra (not published yet) about Backyard Chickens.

ENJOY: It's been school holidays, and plenty of great times hanging out with the kids, making the most of staying in our PJ's and not being scheduled in for anything much, playing lego, doing craft and cooking, and on hot days, them playing in the splash pool, and me reading in the hammock. It is really nice when it has been a sunny day, and Daddy joins us outside after he finishes work, and we all hang out with the chickens, in the garden and talk and laugh together, having a BBQ and eating outside as the kids ask to do. Joy!

:: Solar Cooking Adventures :: More About Cooking Using Sunlight ::

2012-01-31T16:12:00.000+11:00

In between the rainy weather we've had again this Summer season, there has been some lovely hot, sunny days, and as I have been on annual leave, plenty of time for solar cooking adventures! So, I thought I should do another post about solar cooking for anyone who is interested (and here is the first one I did). I had always wanted to build our own solar oven, using recycled materials and being proud of our resourcefulness and ingenuity. Meanwhile, back in reality, my time-and-skills-poor husband and I bought a Sun Cook Solar Oven after seeing the recommendation by Tricia on her blog. I also had emailed with Heather, so felt happy buying from her business, as she is a smart, dedicated eco-woman! Being able to use this solar oven as a solar dehydrator also appealed, and being able to take it camping (one day) seemed like a good idea too. In the mean time, it is such a good feeling to cook a cake, vege bake or 'roast' some tomatoes for sauce without turning the oven on! Yesterday I cooked a Zucchini & Chocolate Brownie, as shown above.

At the time we were looking for an alternative cooking source, to reduce energy bills, and as a back-up for heating water/ food in an emergency/ power outage (besides gas BBQ, with a back-up gas bottle, from the outdoor heater we have but never use!) We had been looking into a Cob Oven, which uses fuel cells (you can get eco-friendly fuel cells) so you can cook no matter what the weather. However, that means you have to keep buying fuel cells, and also, you have the danger of something very hot & 'burning' (though it is contained) to contend with, if say, you are out camping. Of course, the solar oven can reach temperatures of 170*C or more, and there can be steam that escapes as you open the door. (Cooking safety applies to solar ovens as it would with any appliance)! We do live in an area that gets good sunshine most of the year, and general cooking/ reducing energy usage was what we particularly wanted, so we decided to go with a solar cooker/ oven. If the power was out, but the weather was OK, we could heat water & cook with a solar oven. Another positive is that you can use it as a dehydrator too.

What have we cooked so far? Well, I should say me, because my husband hasn't cooked in it, though I am sure he could! I have done several cakes, brownies, vege bakes, some beans & rice, roasted tomatoes for passata, and a casserole. I have not done any dehydrating in it yet. Things generally take longer to cook than in a normal oven, as the temperature doesn't get as high, with the average being 120*C for me, the highest was 170*C! You could get it higher, but I guess when a stinking hot day is forecast (above 35*C), I haven't been keen on cooking or having to go out to attend to it! The solar oven is easy enough to set up, esp. as this year I have been using a small outdoor table, keeping it up off the ground, making it easy to reposition as the earth moves. It is quite easy to clean, you can wipe out any spills, and just remember to leave the lid open for a while to dry up any condensation, after you've finished cooking. It stores well in our garage on a shelf, everything fits within it. I can lift and carry it, but it is a little hefty.

This is the second year we've had it, but as with last year, the weather has seen a lot of cloudy, and rainy, days (La Nina effect). I am always happy for some rain on my garden, don't get me wrong, but it just means less time available for solar cooking. You can cook on overcast days apparently, but lately, the overcast days have actually meant rain here, so I have cooked inside in the oven (or not baked) instead of risking having to go out in & bring the whole lot in, if it decided to rain. And of course, the days that are sunny are the ones I am going to work (last year), or have other plans! If I wanted to cook a slow-cooked dish, like a soup or casserole, I think it would be OK to leave it out cooking in the sun, without it burning or being ruined, for a few hours. However, I just haven't tried that theory out yet, and don't have the experience to know if things would burn. You can certainly get a browning effect on some things, but not a crusty/ crispy effect, as condensation can build up inside when cooking without lids, and the temperature just doesn't get that high. I have also found I need to go outside and reposition it slightly to get maximum exposure, so haven't cooked in it unless I am going to be home. You don't have to constantly be out there checking, but it is just like any new appliance or method of cooking... you have to spend time getting used to it, following the guide book or manual, and experimenting.

Whilst I am glad we invested in a solar oven, I just wish I had more time to experiment and put the energy into using it. You can do so many things in it, that would then save you energy usage and keep the house cool in hot weather, like cooking tomatoes for passata, slow cooking beans, and dehydrating fruit. As with anything, if you have a good set up which makes it easy to use, and you create a habit of using it, it's worthwhile. If you have any questions, just ask, or check out Tricia's posts about using hers too.

:: The Chicken Diaries :: 18 to 20 Weeks Old ::

2012-01-27T16:51:00.000+11:00

I have not written about the chickens since the roosters went to live on the farm, before Christmas. Now the three girls are growing up, and we are hoping they'll start a-laying anytime soon. I noticed the wood shavings in one of the nesting boxes was hollowed out a bit, and I've seen Spotty checking that area out a few times... but who knows, maybe she was just lost, and the wood shavings were moved during a tussle or something! Princess Layer and Spotty, the older two, have quite red combs and wattles, so I believe that is a good sign they are mature enough to start. Tweet Tweet, who is two weeks younger (maybe three) are still small and pink. They all have lovely fluffy bums though, as you can see from the photo above! Man, chickens are hard to photograph... I need to give them treats and then take photos whilst they are standing still!

:: The Joys of Preserving ::

2012-01-23T10:46:00.001+11:00

This is article I wrote for HerCanberra about growing, harvesting and preserving your own, and I thought it was a good time of year to share it here! I didn't grow these peaches, but bought them at a good price because I finally got my head around the idea that I don't *have* to rely on what comes out of my garden to do preserving! I can buy produce, esp. if there is in-season, local, organic and affordable produce available. I know this year I haven't put enough effort into growing chillies and capsicums again, so I will be heading to the farmers market to stock up one of these weekends when my tomatoes are in abundance, so I can make salsa.

As you can see, I am having fun making my own groovy labels this year (just using Word, and a cute owl stamp I have), as in previous years I have just used plain stickers with handwriting. There are so many awesome labels out there, but these are easy, don't use a lot of ink and I can customise them. I have been using lines from songs, but with the internet playing up, I haven't been able to Google the actual lyrics of any songs, so I just made it up to suit my preserves

:: In Our Garden at the Moment :: Mid Summer ::

2012-01-21T15:56:00.001+11:00

I borrowed my Mum's camera (exact same one as ours) and am using my husband's work mobile broadband, but I thought it was a good time to do a post about the garden, seen as it is in full swing at this time of year! We are harvesting Golden Nugget pumpkins already, they grow so quickly, but I recall they don't have a lot of flesh in them. Do you like my $2 op shop basket too? I do... makes me feel like some sort of glamorous garden goddess, out doing the harvesting!

The bees are doing their thing! The big yellow zuchini and squash flowers must be so delicious for them.

First attempt at growing edamame/ soy beans, but a few got eaten as seedlings, though a couple of them are doing OK. Just a little slow...

Our first year of growing corn, and a couple of weeks ago I noticed the 'browning' silks, so pulled the husk back to see if they were ready but the kernels were all white. Today they seem more yellow and little bugs were getting in where I pulled it back so I harvested this cob. Will try to leave the others for a bit longer, esp. as we have cobs in the fridge from our local farmers market outlet store already!

Tomatoes are coming in! The Red Fig (a spontaneous purchase from the Diggers Club range at Bunnings) in the top photo (with spiders web in front) and my favourites, the Black Russian, only one has ripened so far and it had a grub in it! There are also Camp Joy Cherry tomatoes and Roma San Marzano's ripening, and the others are covered in green fruit still.

The Giant Russian sunflowers are huge! I am not growing them for ourselves this year, but for the chooks... who will probably turn their noses up at having the get the seeds off the heads themselves!

We don't seem to have as many pumpkins on the vines this year so far, but I have now pinched the tips and have noticed more female flowers coming on... may need to go and hand pollinate too!

Asparagus. I've had asparagus seeds for a couple of years now, but never bothered to grow any, as I was told they take so long, you are best to buy 2 yr old crowns to plant. Well, we hadn't gotten around to organising a specific garden bed for asparagus yet, so didn't get to do it that way either. This year I threw some seeds in pots when I was potting up everything else and they did OK, so thought why not throw them in the garden bed near the clothes lines that I was wanting to make into a perenial garden bed. They seem to be doing just fine and even if it takes two or more years to start harvesting, well that's better than my effort at buying crowns & planting them anyways!

Mint that was from a fellow UHCer, but I am not quite sure which kind. We have an abundance of zuchini and squash coming in, plus some purple king beans and rattlesnake beans now too. I just pulled up a few beetroots, and pickled two big jars worth. The apricots have finished, the plums are being attacked by birds and driedfruit beetle, the nectarines were ruined by some sort of moth, then driedfruit beetle, which brought in brown mold as well! The raspberries has stopped as it's been hotter & drier for a few weeks, but hopefully they will start again in Autumn. Soon we'll have loads of tomatoes, but very few chillies and probably no capsicums. We've got a few culinary herbs too. Generally, the garden is productive and happy!

:: The 'Good Feeling' Drinks :: Water Kefir & Milk Kefir ::

2012-01-19T07:27:00.000+11:00

Life is great! I am on holidays for another couple of weeks, we’ve just hosted The Urban Homesteading Club, my little boy is about to turn 4, we are ready for back to school, and altogether I am feeling fairly relaxed and on top of things. I think the change in our diet has already had a positive effect on my attitude… the extra B vitamins, the extra good fats, the satisfaction of actually doing exercise (whilst watching past episodes of Glee!) AND of course, the feeling of making positive changes. Yes, I’ve been trying to have time to read (so many good books), hang out with the kids, hang out with the chooks and not over schedule us this holidays, so that helps. But we have also been eating more free range & organic eggs, organic pasture-raised butter, organic & grass-fed beef, whole milk (goat, or organic, where possible), and reducing our processed food consumption. I am cooking with coconut oil (raw, virgin, organic) and I take a spoonful of it each day. I have been totally gluten free again (like my Coeliac husband). We are all drinking filtered water, reducing our sugar intake, and best of all, have been drinking both water kefir, and milk kefir, (pronounced keh-fear) which translates to mean "Good Feeling"!

What is Kefir?

Some of you might not know what kefir is! I had heard of it on Julie's blog and in reading Wild Fermentation but only recently looked into it more. It is a lacto-fermented drink, full of good properties to help your health in many ways, but for us, we particularly wanted to improve our GI health and strengthen our immunity. The milk one is sort of like a yoghurt drink, but they apparently have way more good bacterias and yeasts than yoghurt does. The kefirs are fermented from ‘grains’ (which are like crystals or granules, not an actual grain, they are gluten free) using a growing medium. You brew/ ferment the drinks by ‘feeding’ the grains, either with sugar-water (non-chlorinated, non-fluoridated) for the water kefir, or with milk sugars from fresh milk, for the milk kefir. The sugars are consumed by the colonies, so you are not consuming any sugar. The grains also pre-digest the lactose and protein in the milk too, making milk kefir products easier to digest, apparently.

How Do You Make Kefir?

You can make them at home just using glass jars, strainers and mesh fabric cover or lids (no fancy equipment needed). I am using Fowlers Vacola preserving jars, because that is what I had. I bought stainless steel tea strainers, though many use plastic or nylon ones. You may be able to source kefir grains from someone you know, or buy from a website or eBay. (Australians can check out Cultures Alive, or Tumbletree). In a bit of a mix-up, I ended up with two batches of each kefir grains sent to me in the end from both these companies, but to reduce my confusion, I have now combined the water kefir grains from the two different companies together, and then the milk kefir grains together in a different batch (my husband didn’t think that was very scientific!).

Basic Milk Kefir Instructions

Place the grains in a clean (not-warm-or-hot) jar. (I use the jars that have been washed by the dishwasher overnight, so are cool by the morning).
Add 1 cup of milk for every 1 tablespoons worth of grains. I use milk straight from the fridge.
Put a lid on, or use a mesh/ muslin cover, if you prefer.
They stay on your kitchen bench, in a position that is warm but not too hot, and no direct sunlight. (I wrap a teatowel around mine).
Each day you strain the grains out and put them into a clean glass jar with new milk. (You may need to leave them more or less than 24 hours, depending on the warmth and health of your grains. In Summer, I have found 12 hours means a good bodied kefir, and not too sour).
The strained liquids can be drunk straight up, or used in smoothies.
You can also make a thicker 'kefir cheese' product, which is like yoghurt, sour cream or cream cheese. Pour the strained milk kefir into a coffee filter (or layers of muslin), which is held inside a sieve, and put them over a bowl, which will catch the whey as it seperates from the 'cheese'. Leave the bowl & sieve in the fridge until the desired thickness/ dryness is reached (overnight is OK).
You can use kefir or the kefir cheese/ yoghurt in cooking, like naan bread, cakes, but I believe that heat destroys the good stuff though.
You can second ferment milk kefir, which I tried once using lemon rind, which was nice enough. I have also tried adding vanilla bean to the fermenting milk kefir, for a lovely flavour, which then makes a really great kefir yoghurt/ cheese too!

Basic Water Kefir Instructions

In a clean (not-warm-or-hot) jar, add a cup of filtered or Spring water, and 1 tablespoon of sugar (raw, rapadura, palm sugar, castor) and stir to dissolve.
Then add about 1 tablespoons worth of grains.
Put a lid on (they don't need to breathe, but you can use a mesh or muslin cover apparently, without problem).
They stay on your kitchen bench, or in a position that is warm but not too hot, and no direct sunlight.
Each day (more or less than 24 hours, depending on the warmth and health of your grains) you strain the grains out and put them into a clean glass jar with new sugar-water.
You can experiment with flavours in a second ferment, or use any excess grains you have grown to try experimenting with flavours, but it is a good idea to keep a basic plain sugar-water kefir ferment alive at the same time.
One of the companies I bought from said there was no need to add anything else other than sugar-water, but some recipes use dried fruit (no sulphur), dried egg shell or coral, molasses and bicarb. I have so far found that the water kefir grains are multiplying when I use only fresh sugar-water each day, and a pinch of bicarb about once a week. This must be providing them with enough minerals and nutrition to grow their colonies!

What is Second Fermenting?

We’ve found that the water kefir after the first ferment is a little sour (though my husband likes it) so we mix the strained water kefir liquid with preservative-free juice and second-ferment it on the bench top (allowing the good stuff in the liquid to keep feeding and growing, even though the main grains are not in there anymore). This produces a nicer flavoured, not sweet, fizzy drink. With second fermenting, make sure the juice you use is preservative-free, any fruit or rinds are organic, and dried fruits are sulphur-free. Otherwise you may be inhibiting the fermentation process. We’ve had such good growth from the water kefir grains (if they get enough minerals from the food, the colonies keep growing) that I now have the basic water kefir fermenting at all times, but have started some flavoured first-ferments too, like ginger and lemon. You can second ferment the milk kefir, using flavours or lemon rind and letting it sit for longer on the benchtop.

Excess Grains/ Preserving Grains

I found the water kefir grains started multiplying quickly, and now the milk kefir grains are growing too. Apparently, you can swallow/ eat the grains, feed them to your pets or compost, or you can share them around. Perhaps try preserving some by freezing/ fridging or even dehydrating them, so you will always have a source, esp. if your main ones die for some reason. I haven't tried preserving any (see links below for how to do that), but we have been adding some to our second ferment water kefirs and then I drink them! If you need to go away, or want a break from kefir, you can put them in the fridge in some sugar-water or fresh milk, and this keeps them alive, without growing, apparently!

Warnings & Tips

I am not an expert on this! Please do your own research, but here are some things I have learnt.

There are always food safety concerns in lacto-fermenting, so use clean equipment, wash your hands and if in doubt, throw it out... go by appearance & smell (it smells a little sour, but only like sour cream, really).
The kefirs don't like heat, which can destroy them. You can apparently warm the milk to get them culturing faster in Winter, but no hot jars.
Limit the amount of metal they come in contact with (it can 'leach' into the kefirs over time & be toxic to your health). Stainless Steel is apparently not as 'reactive' as other metals.
In regards to lids or covers for your jars for first ferment, some people say to use a lid, whilst others say they use a breatheable cover (mesh fabric, muslin, coffee filter) to keep out bugs & flies. They don't need to 'breathe', but carbonation will occur, so you don't want anything to explode! If you have Pickl-Its or brewing airlock equipment, you could use those. (If you want them bubbles to stay in during second fermentation, you can apparently use a good quality bottle with a swing-top lid, like Grolsch).
Don't use water that contains fluoride or chlorine, which inhibit the fermenting & growth of the kefir grains. We have a water purifier but it doesn't remove fluoride, so we have been using Spring water, but hope to put our own rainwater in our water purifier to use that.
You can’t go too crazy overindulging in kefirs at the start, apparently, because you can feel unwell from any toxins being released into your body when the good bacterias knock out the bad ones! We haven’t really had that, as we took it slow.
There is also a certain low percentage of alcohol that can be produced, esp. with the second ferments, but I am researching that more, so I can feel safe giving it to the kids.

Milk kefir on the left, and Water Kefir on the right. I am using Fowlers Vacola jars with Snap On FV lids.

The water kefir grains are clear-ish grains, which may float, esp. as the kefir becomes bubbly as it ferments.

I started by using rapadura sugar, which gave the water kefir a brown tint, but have been using raw sugar and it has become much lighter, as in the photo above.

Here is the milk kefir after it has been fermenting on the bench top for about 24 hours. It can become quite curdled, as in the whey and curds seperate. You can pour the whey off and use it in lacto-fermenting or other cooking. I shake it gently back together, as it makes straining the grains easier if the milk kefir liquid is more liquid.

Here is the strained milk kefir (left), in the middle is a tall jar which had second-ferment water kefir (I put any second-ferments in tall jars so I know which is which!), and some milk kefir being strained through a coffee filter & sieve/ strainer to make a kefir 'cheese', which is like sour cream or a tart cream cheese.

More information

I am very new to this, so please check these links below for more information. There is a lot of information about kefir out there, some of it conflicting or overwhelming! I bought the Cultured Food Life book by Donna Schwenk, which covers milk kefir, kombucha, sprouted flours and LF vegetables. She has information about kefir on her website.

More information about Kefirs can be found here:

I Love Water Kefir (Facebook page)

Cultures for Health

Nourished Kitchen

How to Make Coconut Milk Kefir

:: Kitchen Machines :: Goods & Bads ::

2012-01-18T17:22:00.000+11:00

So, this is The Year of Eating Nutritiously for my family and I, taking on small projects and challenges as we can, gradually eating less processed foods, more real foods, and cooking more of our food from scratch. At the start of last year I tried to focus on improving my health, but instead of dropping anything to make time to see doctors/ specialists, and take on new diets and exercise regimes, I just tried to squeeze it all in on top of my already full schedule. A few things led to my husband, The Bowhunter, and I both feeling burnt out, but it did teach us a lesson about ourselves and our limitations. I know there are things we could be *should be* focusing on now, but if we can improve our health and energy levels, everything else will be easier, and we will in turn, actually be supporting the planet and be better prepared by being fitter and more resilient. I also realise that if I want to learn more about real, nurturing foods, and also start cooking more from scratch this year, I can’t just expect to do that without either sacrificing something else, or finding a way to make it as easy and time-saving as possible. That’s why The Bowhunter and I started looking into kitchen appliances (and we quickly went from considering a basic stand mixer, to the all-singing-all-dancing Thermomix or Kenwood Cooking Chef varieties), even though it goes against our principles of being prepared for the energy descent, and learning skills. Yes, even basic cooking skills are important, in amongst gardening, preserving, crocheting, bowhunting, and all the other skills we are trying to learn!

Of course, I love to cook, and make a lot of our food from scratch already, but there are things I want to learn and perfect (and teach my kids) like making custard from scratch, or gluten free pasta by hand etc. In other areas of our life, we have made efforts to acquire and use equipment that is hand powered or highly energy efficient. Now, in saying that, we still have a dishwasher, a toaster, sewing machines, a washing machine and a car. By no means are we eco-saints or peak-oil-prepper experts! There are plenty of ways we could be doing better in this regard, but it felt weird to be considering an expensive kitchen machine (both the Thermomix and Kenwood Cooking Chef cost almost $2000) that might save time and my energy, but that would require power to use. I remember when I first heard about the Thermomix several years ago, and a women (whom I admired and was further along the eco-prepper journey than me at that point) remarked that it wouldn’t be useful at TEOTWAWKI. That was the first time I had heard that term (and had to Google it!) but it made sense. However, in the scheme of everyday life that my family and I currently live, it seems ridiculous to avoid buying something that could help us out, just because at some point in the future there may be nothing to run it on!

Convenience. *sigh* Convenience, it is such a nice sounding word, but often can have disdain and a touch of ugliness attached to it in the world of this blogger. Is it wrong to desire and like convenience? How much convenience is OK? What is worth sacrificing for the sake of convenience? And for this discussion, if I have the convenience, how much more can I achieve for the sake of our health? A kitchen machine can save time, mess, and my sanity. Maybe… maybe not as much as I dream about. Maybe it’s like Erica says in her post, Hope in a Bottle, but really, I don’t expect miracles. Initially, learning how to use either of these machines, and adapt recipes to them will take time, especially for someone like me, a kitchen rebel who treats recipes like a one-night-stand. Not even that. I barely get the recipe into bed before I discard it and move onto the next hot & happening dish. I like to do my own thing. I like to see my food, taste my food, add what pleases me, leave out what I consider too heavy on food miles, or not in season. Why do I even bother checking out recipes and cook books? I guess they inspire me, tantalise me, sometimes I even promise to stick to them, but in reality, I just never do. It’s a curse, and a virtue at the same time. Could a kitchen machine and I really commit to a full and faithful relationship? Would it be one more thing I buy, but never have the time to fully explore and take full advantage of? Or worse, what if I find myself so enthralled by the convenience and time saving aspects, I forget how to use my tastebuds and eyes to cook, and what if the love was lost from the food I serve my family? (OK, that’s a little melodramatic, I got carried away!)

A kitchen machine may in fact, allow me to serve more food with love to my family. I currently use a whisk, a grater, a good set of Furi knives, Scanpan and cast iron cookware, Pyrex glassware, a few other bits & bobs, and my imagination, when cooking. I do have several appliances, though, that save me time and my own energy, that haven’t stolen the love from my cooking! For example, my little food processor, Oskar, has done me well the last few years, despite my husband’s misgivings about buying a small and low powered appliance (he wanted the hefty thing I thought I’d struggle to get out of the cupboard!) but maybe that’s because he knows how I cook! I do tend to push my appliances to the limit of their capabilities. If we justify and can afford some sort of kitchen machine in the end, it will definitely be worthwhile investing in the most power and quality that we can. And one that can either do everything, or be adapted as we go along in this nutritious-eating-journey, like pasta or grinder attachments. These will allow me the time, but also the ease, of making more of our foods from scratch. From whole foods, without additives to keep things fresh or separate, without extra packaging, without all that darn sugar! To make our own gluten free flour and mince whole cuts of meat. To expand my repertoire and actually eat things we usually don’t, like sauces, custards, ice cream, but those made from real ingredients, and using our own eggs or raw milk (when we can source it).

Another advantage of these kitchen appliances, is that they replace a whole swag of appliances taking up room in your kitchen cupboards. I don’t have that many to replace anyways, though one that I do use occasionally is an air-popping popcorn appliance, which apparently neither of the $2000 machines do anyways! I tell you, a good sort out and declutter of my kitchen cupboards would produce some space. The Bowhunter doesn’t like all-in-one appliances, because he thinks they never perform the job as well as that of what an individual appliance, specifically designed to perform a task. Plus, he thinks if one part of it goes, you’ve then lost the use of the others until you can get it fixed or end up having to replace it. Spending almost $2000, you’d not want to be replacing anything anytime soon. Both the fancy appliances we considered come with warranties, by the way and the backing of years of quality performance. But oh, boy, that almost $2000 (more for the Kenwood Cooking Chef, when you want to buy more attachments for it, but hey, at least it can be ‘upgraded’ or added to) is a big chunk of money. Honestly, we *could* afford to buy it, but the reason we have savings is because we don’t buy stuff! We work hard, we live fairly frugally, and we do without, because we like having savings in our bank (building society, actually) in case of emergency, like the car breaking down, I get sick and can’t work, or my husband loses his job etc. Whilst I am sure we would not regret owning a Thermomix or Kenwood Cooking Chef, we may regret not being able to fix the car or pay the mortage! If I was working more, we’d be able to justify the need and the expense, but as it is, I am actually going to find myself with a bit more time this year (with both kids in school at the same time, for 9 ½ hours each week). Time that I can be cooking and creating, maybe even flirting with cookbooks and acquainting myself with lovely ingredients, like lard, and falling in love with butter again.

That is ultimately what brought this kitchen-machine-dream undone. At the moment, with our lovely little camera (miss you, Sony Cybershot) not working and needing a replacement (having photos of my kids and our adventures is a priority for me, one I would forego for food & shelter, obviously, if it came down to that) we are considering taking the next step up, from a point & shoot, to a Compact System Camera. OK, again, this will take a little chunk from the savings, but one we think is worth it. Funny, really, considering that eating is far more important than taking photos! The way I see it, for the money that a fangle-dangle-kitchen-machine would cost, we could have a great camera and upgrade to a great food processor (or even just add a mandoline to my kitchen toolbox), and have the best of both worlds, without draining our savings big time. I can whip up good looking real food, making the most of what I already have, build on my skills and knowledge AND take better photos to show you all!

:: These Days ::

2012-01-12T16:39:00.000+11:00

:: The Art of Lacto-Fermentation ::

2012-01-08T09:54:00.000+11:00

Hello all, did I say I wasn't going to go on & on about my new-found passion and our Year of Eating Nutritiously? I won't, I promise, this is still an urban homesteading/ prepping/ save-the-planet type blog... just add a cup or so of traditional & nourising food to the mix. Besides, instead of researching new cameras (and therefore updating you with garden or chook photos), I have been researching kitchen appliances instead (I am thinking my old whisk, grater, mini-food-processor and breadmaker may not keep up with my enthusiasm for more cooking from scratch!). I have also been learning about and practising new 'cooking' skills... one of them, a major one, is lacto-fermention.

I first became intrigued about this last year when reading Sharon Astyk's Independence Days and the section on lacto-fermentation for preserving the harvest. This led me to read Wild Fermentation, which was so educational and inspiring. I had also read about it on blogs like Towards Sustainability, but I guess back then, I never thought it was something I would be into/ have time for/ need to do. Some of you are wondering where have I been, hiding under a sterilised stack of processed food? (Pretty much!) Others who are reading this will be looking out from their own sterilised stack and thinking, what in the world is this lacto-fermentation business? Yoghurt is an example of a common lacto-fermented food, as well as cheese, sour cream, sourdough bread. Most of you will have heard of sauerkraut too (though like me, may never have actually tasted it!) There are loads of other foods & cultures who are into this method of food preservation & enhancement. It's just one of those replaced and forgotten nourishing habits that happily, you can all start doing too.

Here are some great links if you'd like to do some more reading about lacto-fermentation:

Fermentation 101 - What You need to Know (Nourished Kitchen)
Benefits of Lacto-fermentation (The Nourishing Gourmet)
Fermented Food for Beginners - Lacto-fermented Vegetables (Nourishing Days)
What is Lacto-fermentation? (Pickl-It)
Fermented & Raw (Food Renegade)

Vegetables - kimchi, sauerkraut, cucumber pickles, dilly beans
Condiments - salsa, ketchup, dressings, mayonaise, sweet chilli sauce
Beverages - kefir, water kefir, kombucha
Other - yoghurt, sour cream, sourdough

These are the the foods I am planning on creating and enjoying, and maybe more if I really get into it. Maybe less, if I find there are things I don't like! I've got to tell you, though, it's a tricky thing this lacto-fermenting. You've probably got to knock the years of food safety concerns and expiry-date-mania from your head to start off with. Then there is the Am-I-doing-it-right? virginal jitters. Even if you think you've managed to pull it off and lacto-fermented something, there is still the trepidation in consuming your bubbly, sour, just-sat-on-the-kitchen-bench-(without refrigeration!!!!)-for-several-days food item. I think there should be a hotline number for new lacto-fermenters to call and ask all your dumb questions, and get someone to sniff it for you over the phone! I am thinking some classes or a mentor would definitely help me out. I've had several attempts at lacto-fermenting now and I am feeling like a failure.

1. Sauerkraut that didn't - stirred on by Sandor Ellix Katz's passion in Wild Fermentation, I hastened a ceramic casserole dish, plate and weighted dish together and shredded, pounded and brined (narrowly avoiding using iodised salt) a cabbage. I waited, I pondered, I sniffed, I thought I saw bubbling, I saw white scum, I Googled, I skimmed, I waited, I aired the house, I tasted, I threw it out. How could I make sauerkraut when I've never even tasted it? I had no idea what this cabbage mix was supposed to become. I bought a jar of real lacto-fermented cabbage (with juniper berries), and ahh, hmm... I didn't like it that much!

2. Next up, Kimchi! Sharon Astyk & her family love kimchi, therefore I will love it too. I reasoned that if I added spices & other vege's to cabbage, I will like the taste of it better. And I did. I am pretty sure it lacto-fermented safely and correctly (I had bought a Pickl-It system by then). It tasted spicy, crunchy and because I knew it was good for me, I ate a reasonable amount of it the first night. Maybe about a cups worth, which might have been a cup too much. Without going into any gory details, I had a very upset tummy the next day. This isn't anything too unusual for me, but I became paranoid that the cause of it was my poor lacto-fermenting technique. I threw it out (and my Facebook friends will know the story there!) and felt like a failure... again. It didn't occur to me that eating that much spicy cabbage & vege's might have given me the GI issue! Hmm, I'll never know.

3. After reading recipes like Erica's, I'd been hankering to eat LF salsa, and to try LF cucumber pickles. I felt ready to try again, but didn't have any tomatoes, capsicum, chillies or cucumbers ready yet. I did have beans. Quite a few purple king beans from when we came from our trip... they needed to be used up, so dilly beans seemed like a logical way to try LFing again. I found a recipe, but I was stuck... last time with the kimchi, I used some bottled 'organic' water that had come frozen in our delivered organic vege box. (We have a new water purifier, which removes chlorine but not fluoride). So I used some of the remaining bottled water, but maybe one of them wasn't all organic, but some tapwater in it instead. Can you guess the punchline... the dilly beans didn't dilly. Oh, the dill & garlic smelt great, but they didn't bubble. Must have been the water, or maybe the garlic with all it's antibacterial properties??

4. This brings me to my most recent attempt, which was LF Fruit Chutney. I had a heap of apricots, so why not. I used some whey I had from making kefir cheese (using a bottle of bought kefir drink, mind you, not something I made... that is my next challenge!) and it all went swimmingly... except that I didn't like the taste of the 'raw' spices. It's not a complete failure, I cooked the batch & hot water bottled it as a Spicy Fruit Chutney, which my husband really liked.

What will I lacto-ferment next, I hear you all ask? I am turning my hand to making kefir this week, with both water kefir grains, and milk kefir grains, arriving here in the next couple of days. I loved the taste & texture of the kefir I bought from a health food store, so I feel more confident in it. It is something I can get the kids to consume, I can make into other things, and it is fairly foolproof... maybe! I have the Cultured Food Life book by Donna Schwenk, and she is right into kefir. What can possibly go wrong??!!

:: Turning Over a New Leaf ::

2012-01-05T15:45:00.000+11:00

I am all gung-ho about our new eating habits, but not too gung-ho... just enough to keep momentum and motivation. It is the busy season for gardening and preserving here at the moment too. We are harvesting apricots, raspberries and some plums, as well as zuchini, beans, beetroot, herbs and even pumpkins already. I am making relish and dried apricots, using zuchini in everything, and preparing for a whopper tomato haul soon! I am still really a beginner with preserving (this will be our third season), too, so I am rechecking instructions and remembering my know-how as I go along. I love learning though, and absorbing information about topics that I am interested in and passionate about. I love experimenting and seeing what works... and what doesn't. I am really trying not to take on too many new things at once, and deciding where to start is a bit overwhelming too. I want to heal my body & nurture my family, but getting stressed out isn't going to help!

This 'traditional eating' movement is big, and there are some great blogs, books and recipes out there. Some of it is information I've read before, but had been fairly transient in my brain cells, labelled 'something I will do one day', and promptly returned to the universal library from where it came. OK, so some ideas stuck, like butter is good, coconut oil is good, lacto-fermentation is good, and sugar is bad, processed is bad etc. Now I am searching those shelves, thinking 'I know I read about that somewhere'! But anyways, I have come across some great resources that I am tapping into (while waiting for my books to arrive, Real Food by Nina Planck, and from the library, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon). I am enjoying gleaning information from these blogs/ websites:

The Nourishing Gourmet

The Nourished Kitchen

Food Renegade

Plan to Eat

Nourishing Days

North West Edible Life

Simple Bites

From Scratch Club

The Nourishing Cook

Thank you for those who have given me information & support on my eatatdixiebelles Facebook page. If you have any links or book recommendations, I appreciate those too! PLUS, in case you think this blog is just going to be all about The Year of Eating Nutritiously, it isn't... I was going to do a In Our Garden at the Moment post and a Chicken Diaries, but our camera broke!

:: The Year of Eating Nutritiously ::

2012-01-01T14:56:00.000+11:00

It's that time of year again, isn't it. I am reading great blog posts summing up the year that was, or laying out plans for the year to be, but I am resisting making New Years Resolutions, or commiting to any big challenges. What we will be doing is eating more real food... in fact, 2012 will be the Year of Eating Nutritiously in this family! The Year of Real Food... increasing our awareness, changing our habits, continuing on with the changes we've been making in 2011. There are loads of things (in the garden, in our home, to our bodies, for the planet, to be prepared) we could be improving, changing, finishing and paying attention to. However, I believe these changes we are making and focusing on, in regards to what we eat, will affect all the others. I believe that eating more wholesome foods (even more than we do already) and feeling differently about eating, will increase my energy, reduce my ongoing health issues, improve my mental health and general manner too! I'm about half way through my life (all things going well, I hope to have at least another 36 years) and it is more than time to be living a healthy, happy and content life. To get out of bed in the morning, instead of complaining about my stiff neck and shoulders, being unable to breathe through my congested nose, my stomach churning, my skin inflammed and itchy, and feeling sluggish and grumpy... to feel energised and be able to truly live with the gratitude I have in my heart, through my whole body!

You know, I have always been interested in nutrition and thought myself pretty aware of good food habits, of real food, and of food as medicine. Food, cooking & feeding my family are big parts of my life, and with a Coeliac husband who eats Gluten Free, and various dalliances with Dairy Free over the years, I spend a fair chunk of my time thinking & creating & planning around food. I advocate SOLE food, we grow some of our own organic produce, we try to source local/ organic and Fair Trade foods, we appreciate and are willing to spend time and effort on good food. For the most part, we eat well, we eat healthy, and we eat great tasting food. The downfalls are the convenience items I rely on, being a part-time working mother, such as packaged snacks (cookies, crackers, school items) and the 'treats' we allow ourselves to have because we work & live hard everyday (like occasional lollies or ice cream). The 'may as well' or the 'this will make me feel better' eating is the problem here... comfort eating in amongst the healthy eating. The mental resilience needs changing & supporting, as much as what we actually put in our mouths. I think that building mental resilience and the will, or self control, will only increase as we become healthier and nurtured!

The plan is to:

learn more and increase my awareness about 'traditional' foods
enjoy real food, with our treat foods being good for us too
cook and bake more from scratch (gluten free, low refined sugar, using good oils and fats)
create my own 'cookbook' of tried and tested basic recipes which can be adapted seasonally/ locally, so I have a go-to folder of recipes on hand
not stress myself out trying to be pure or perfect, or only-from-scratch all the time... and build the mental resilience by nurturing our bodies

Santa didn't bring me Nourishing Traditions like I thought he was, but I can borrow it from the library (currently no. 11 on the request list) or perhaps from a fellow UHCer, as I want to read it and research more. In the mean time, I bought a book they don't have at the library called Real Food by Nina Planck. I have a couple of decades of 'marketed nutrition information' to hammer out of my brain! You know, the stuff that you've been led to believe about what is healthy or a healthier choice, by those with invested interests, based on the research that suited them. Over the last couple of years, I have been slowly rejecting the data I had stored away as to what constituted healthy eating, along with all the other food awareness I've consumed! Now, I may be a little cynical, but I am not the only one. There are loads of people eating to the beat of this traditional drum! I am not an expert, and not planning on becoming one, just becoming more informed and not afraid of real food. I enjoy eating butter, I enjoy eating meat & some meat fat, I love vegetables & herbs, I love using homegrown produce, I know how to cook gluten free, I enjoy sourcing organic & pasture-raised foods, and want to experiment with cooking more from scratch. That is what makes me happy, and hopefully will make me healthier... and my family too.

While they aren't a huge part of our diet anyway, I feel sugar and processed foods need to learn their place again. I am not ready to go cold-turkey on sugar (obvious refined & high sugar foods can go, we don't eat those very often anyways) but I will start finding/ using alternatives, like honey, that we like and I can cook with. I reduce the sugar in recipes when I am cooking as it is, this is just taking the next step. I also know there will be times we crack open a box of GF crackers, or packet of GF biscuits, and I am OK with this. I do currently make gluten free cakes, muffins, and cookies quite regularly, but I just need to get a routine or habit about it. Cheeky A starts Preschool this year (and Miss M is in Year 1), so there will be a couple of days I'll have some kid-free hours. No pressure on myself, of course, because him starting preschool will take additional time & energy in itself. I also want to practice using our solar oven more, or making no-bake snacks, for hot weather when having the oven on isn't practical. Beyond crackers, I'd like to try making corn tortillas and other flatbreads, maybe even GF pasta at some point too. Breakfast cereal will be another challenge!

We eat organic meat most of the time, and have started eating game meats (in preparation for when The Bowhunter, my husband, actually starts bringing home rabbit, maybe even goat). I want to practice cooking these items well, in a few different ways. I also started cooking with lard last year, but didn't find time to source organic fat to render myself. I went back to cooking/ baking with olive oil and coconut oil, as well as starting to eat butter again too (we stopped while on a Dairy Free diet for my little boy). Making lard is something I am interested in doing this year, along with making my own stocks. It's all easy enough to do, I've done it before, it is just that convenience factor I guess that has stopped me. While Cheeky A (almost 4) and I will continue drinking goats milk, eating goats cheese and hopefully we can source goats milk yoghurt, too (making our own is further down the track). We'd like to try The Bowhunter and Miss M with raw cows milk, but they will keep having good ol' pasteurised organic milk and cheese where possible.

I am hoping we will start having eggs from our 3 chookies soon too, and perhaps we will get another chook at point-of-lay. If we have enough eggs, and the desire to eat them, I would like to learn & then perfect my own mayonaise, creamy salad dressings and custards. These are things we just don't eat that much normally, so I've never bought them on a regular basis, but if it suits & it's healthy, I would incorporate them. I have also been learning & starting to practice lacto-fermentation in 2011, so want to expand on that, with kefir, kombucha, pickles, salsa and yoghurt, perhaps GF sourdough bread too, at some point. We bought a benchtop water purifier while we were away, and water-filter drinking bottles for The Bowhunter and myself too.

Gosh, this is turning into a long post... that's what happens when I don't post for 10 days, go away on holiday, and have a whole heap of ideas busting out in my head. I feel better for getting it out here, though! Anyways, while there is a lot for me to think about, research and change in our eating for 2012, there is a lot we already do. There is no rush, there is no 'challenge', just a desire to be healthier and to nurture my family and myself better. Once we can start doing that, there will be energy for other projects and desires we have, and to handle any coming global issues or crises. I hope you will join me along the way and continue giving good advice, for those who already do eat more 'traditional' foods and have experiences to share... oh, and recipes!!

:: Wishes ::

2011-12-21T10:32:00.002+11:00

Thank you for those who have read this blog over the last year, who've given feedback and support, and who have put up with me. I've enjoyed reading and hearing about your adventures too. I always say that this blogging community I've become a part of means so much to me... to have that connection with like-minded folk, that can be hard to find in the real world. I am so blessed in the life and opportunities I have, to share it with my wonderful husband and delightful kids, and be surrounded by amazing family and friends. I hope you all have a safe and happy Festive Season. I am looking forward to blogging, and reading your blogs & comments in the new year.

:: From Scratch ::

2011-12-18T20:21:00.000+11:00

Because I am just *so* organised & relaxed about Christmas (!) I have been thinking these last few weeks about the New Year, and maybe, maybe, a challenge or focus I'd like to take on in 2012. Well, just because the Mayans couldn't plan that far, doesn't mean I can't! But for those who've read this blog for a while (and I congratulate you for making it this far, I'd shake your hand if I could!) would know I am anti-challenge. Just on a personal level, I am not against challenges or pledges in general... it's just that I take on too much as it is, I am challenging myself every day in many ways, and tend to over do it. My husband and I burnt ourselves out earlier this year. I'd like to think we've learnt our lesson! However, I have been reading and learning more about nutrition lately (it's always been a passion of mine) and challenging some assumptions I had. I know I'm a bit slow, but I am interested in Nourishing Traditions (which Santa is bringing me for Christmas!) and have been finding good information on various blogs like The Nourishing Gourmet, Cultured Food Life and a variety of articles or posts too. This is something that's been in my brain for a few years now, and rather than see it as a challenge, it will be more of a slow & steady lifestyle change!

What I am thinking is not as full-on as my SOLE Food Challenge idea, which proved to be too much, perhaps because I was trying to take on too much as well as having dietary restrictions or adjustments. My husband is Coeliac (gluten free), and my 3 yr old son and I are both low casein/ dairy (we go OK on goats milk and goats milk cheese, some yoghurt, plus have reintroduced butter recently). Even though I do most of our meals from scratch, and regularly bake gluten free (muffins, cakes, cupcakes, slices, pastry, biscuits etc.), there are certain convenience items I've come to rely on. I want to ditch the packaged, convenience, probably not very healthy food items, and try making my own from scratch. Better (and not that hard) versions of biscuits, crackers, corn tortillas, pizza bases and flat breads. I also want to add custards, desserts, sauces and dressings to my repertoire, which include good fats BUT mostly, to make the most of the fresh eggs our chickens will hopefully soon be providing! Lacto-fermentation is something I've been experimenting with on & off over the last few months, since reading about it in Sharon Astyk's Independence Days, and would like to do non-Easiyo-sachet yoghurt (we've been buying Jalna again lately), vege ferments like kimchi, as well as try kefir, kombucha and things like that. Making my own lard and stock is something I'd like to do, and more cooking meat on the bone, and using up all parts of an animal.

I think I need to go totally Gluten Free again too, because of ongoing health issues with my skin, GI system, sinuses and general mood! It will be easier for all the family to be gluten free, and for the recipes I will work on creating and perfecting to all be gluten free. This means there are some products that will be challenging to make myself, like pasta and sourdough bread. Currently we make our own bread in a breadmaker using regular Laucke flours (which are Australian grown & processed) but they do have a fantastic GF bread mix... really, I am not sure if I can do it better than that. Yes, I'd like to make GF sourdough bread for the family, but for everyday bread, I think using the breadmaker and GF bread mix is my best bet. In terms of pasta, we eat San Remo GF pasta, which is great and is one GF pasta I find I can cook in advance & it reheats really well. For the days I work, I make the dinner the previous night and it is often pasta. I am not sure making my own GF pasta is going to happen, but I am trying to find suitable Aussie GF bought pasta, as the San Remo comes from Italy!

While I do still want to source as much as a I can locally, and avoid stupormarkets wherever possible, I am realistic about this. We will continue to grow our own, buy from the local farmers outlet store, and farmers markets, and hopefully be able to shop online for GF grains & flours, but I can see there will still be supermarket purchases and convenience items at times. I don't want to stress myself out trying to do this, it will be a slow change over and adapting a new set of habits... like freezing slices (Zuchini & Chocolate Brownie, Coconut & Banana slice) for when cookies run out. Lately I have been trying to incorporate local olive oils into baking, but have also been using FT coconut oil for a few months now, because of it's nutritional properties. Using honey instead of refined cane sugar. While I find time to perfect my rendering skills, I will buy lard from the butcher or supermarket. Pasta and GF sourdough might be way down on the list of recipes/ skills to learn and practice!

It's about health and nutrition, but also reducing packaging and 'food kilometres'. It's about awareness and education, but also taste and fun too. There are so many 'challenges' I'd like to take (100 Days of Real Food, Ethical Clothing Pledge, I Quit Sugar) or things I could focus on (finally getting some Be Prepared stuff finished! Argh!) but this is what my body and that of my family are telling me we need to do. I am not going to go crazy about it, really, just do a little more cooking from scratch and try learning some extra cooking & nurturing skills. Surely that is a good way to start the new year! How about you, got any new years resolutions or plans in the making? Do you think you could change some eating habits? Got any recipes and links for me?! Maybe not taking on anything extra is your plan?

:: Home Truths :: The Christmas Edition ::

2011-12-15T10:06:00.002+11:00

Hello everyone! Hello esp. to my new 'followers', and a HUGE thank you to my long time followers (you all rock!). Hey, how you all doing? Feeling stressed, panicked, crazy with all this Christmas stuff? Not me. I feel good. Mind you, I feel like I could do with a holiday... because I bloody well haven't had one since March. First world problem, I know. But, still, I am so looking forward to a week away... now don't get me wrong, I love my urban homestead, and I cannot WAIT to be home after holidays, knowing The Bowhunter will have another weeks annual leave to spend with us, and we can enjoy our hard work from all year. We can hang out with the girls (chooks), have fun with the minions (kids) and start harvesting (food)! But going away for a week means very little housework, tidying or cooking. It means catching up with friends and their kids and new babies. We can hang out with family. We can visit some of our favourite places in Coffs that we haven't seen for over 3 years now! Christmas this year is going to be busy, but I feel so relaxed about it. I feel good about the presents we bought (or didn't buy!) and the approach we are taking to it all... truthfully, I don't know why people go to such a fuss!

I don't understand last-minute Christmas shopping... OK, we all lead busy lives with lots of stuff going on, but really, Christmas is the same date every year. You know it's coming for months. You can hardly forget that Christmas is coming when the supermarkets give you a major heads up, by putting out their Christmas merchandise in October! There is nothing wrong with starting early... make your lists early (better yet, make a template, so you can use it again, year after year) and start buying/ making, keeping the items tucked safely in a box or up in the top of your cupboard. I dislike supermarkets and shopping centres at the best of times, but being there with hordes of people, desperately grabbing junk and overloading trolleys, seems like a nightmare that a little bit of organisation can help me mostly avoid. Shopping online is awesome, I highly recommend it, when there are great online stores like Made It, Todae, Biome, and Oxfam. Maybe people like the adrenaline rush, or the excited-mad-flustering at shopping centres? Maybe people put it off as they find it hard to buy presents because they don't know what their family/ friends actually like? No doubt there are lots of reasons why people leave things til the last minute, (for some they may not have the money available until then, or maybe there has been a family emergency) but the Christmas time parking issues alone are enough to motivate me to be more organised!

I wonder why people get caught up in traditions, expectations, obligations... am I sounding like The Grinch yet? I guess I've never really been one for traditions-for-traditions sake... you know, 'Our family has alway done this, so I guess we'd better keep doing it'. How about, 'I love how our family does this, and the kids look forward to it every year!' or 'That isn't working for us anymore, let's start a new tradition that we all like and is good for the planet!' Shake off those obligations... who cares what is 'expected' of you. Think about what you & your family are doing... is it because it makes you happy? Is it because someone else has deemed it to be that way? If you are left feeling exhausted, stressed out, burdened and miserable at this time of year because you are the one who does all the shopping, planning, cooking, wrapping, cleaning up, preparing and running around, then WHY do it? A traditional Christmas might sound magical and if doing all that makes you happy, no problem, but I just don't understand why people create work and stress for themselves, only to end up complaining and hating it! Who is enjoying the festive season? Is it the people running around like crazy, worrying their kids won't be happy with the amount of stuff in their stocking, stuffing themselves til their belly aches, drinking too much, and ending up with a pile of stuff they have no idea where to even put? Maybe. But for me, and my family, we are creating our own traditions and magic, and taking a 'slow living' approach to it all. I still like a little sparkle, I like magic, but I like keeping it simple!

Four Gift Guide I recently saw this on Sam's blog, and think it is a great guide for gift giving for kids... and adults. I've said it before that we have too much stuff in our house, and the kids have way more toys, books and play stuff than they could possiby need. It doesn't matter that it is preloved, kept for years, eco-friendly or Fair Trade, educational, and donated on afterwards. It is still stuff, and cutting down on bringing in unnecessary stuff is an ongoing challenge for us in 2012. Experiences, practical items, and quality time are much better presents to give and receive. The truth is, in the past, I've been to blame for feeling like I've got to fill up their Santa Bags more. This year, I am proud of myself for limiting the stuff and dealing with those feelings, and urges to just slip some extra presents in! I've got to give our kids (and the way we've raised them so far) more credit because though they might feel excited about toys, they both care about the planet and the creatures who live here more. Plus, they can feel equally excited about experiences... like going to Carols, spending Christmas with their little cousins, and we are even having a big treat and seeing the Lazytown Christmas Show on stage (unfortunately, Magnus will not be the one playing Sportacus!)

Kids & Santa Photos Urgh, this whole sit your kid on a strangers lap (while he is dressed in a weird outfit, mind you) and take a photo just erks me! We did a Santa photo one year, as a family, because my daughter really, really wanted one (or maybe she just wanted the toy that a friend of hers got when they had their photo done?) but of course, when we got it done, she cried and had a tantie about it. No offence to the men who pay Santa in shopping centres & the like, but I don't sit my kids on strangers knees, I don't force them to stand in a photo with someone they don't know and expect them to like it... and I tell my kids that it isn't the real Santa, but one of Santa's helpers, because how else do you explain 3 different Santas in one shopping centre? (Besides, when we go to a shopping centre at Christmas time, I am moving fast and getting us out of there ASAP!) My 6 year old knows Santa isn't real, but my almost 4 year old is adamant that Santa is real, so we aren't going to ruin it for him. We watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music, we like the magic (and myths) and talk about Santa, but we don't put out cookies & milk, and carrots, for Santa and his reindeer. I prefer not to tell them a stranger is coming into our house in the night to deliver presents (he 'magics' them into their Santa bags). I don't want to be Bah-humbug about Christmas (or any other fake childhood character) but I tell my kids the truth about so many things all year round, I don't want to lie my pants off to them about this.

All I Want for Christmas Seriously, what do I *want*? Nothing. Sure, I could come up with a list of material things I'd like, but I don't need that stuff. I'll get along OK without it, and anything we really need, we make do or buy throughout the year. I am so blessed, and so privileged in my life, and while I am not suggesting in any way that I am perfectly congenial ("I want world peace!"), I do prefer the simple pleasures, and am grateful for what we have. Something I do hope for is that Australia (well, the world, really) doesn't face another natural disaster this Summer. I hope we can start to see governments of the world get over themselves, and start protecting vulnerable nations and peoples, and the future of our nation (Australia is one more likely to be affected by climate change issues). Real action, not just talk & taxes that don't amount to anything. I'd like to see a growing movement of urban homesteaders, of people supporting local (& sustainable) farmers and businesses, of people prioritising real food, community bonds, and fair share. If Christmas is the time of year for giving, I'd like to see people giving and receiving the possibility of a safe and healthy future.

:: The Chicken Diaries :: 11 to 13 Weeks Old ::

2011-12-11T16:11:00.000+11:00

I've been meaning to update The Chicken Diaries, but I've been meaning to do a lot of things! Tweet Tweet is 11 weeks old, so the other 5 about 13 to 14 weeks old. Bossy Beak is still crowing up a storm, so far only at a decent time in the morning! Robot Chicken has the most beautiful glossy green in his tail feathers, and irridescent purple in his wing feathers. There has been a little concern that perhaps the other Light Sussex, Geneviere AKA Jimmy, that we presumed was a rooster, maybe wasn't. Everything said rooster, except he/ she just didn't have any shiny tail feathers, like Bossy and Robot do, and hadn't been seen crowing. Hmmm, anyways, they've all been such well behaved chooks, though soon, six is to become three.

Princess Layer (front left) and Tweet Tweet (front right) with Bossy Beak (back left) and Geneviere/ Jimmy (back right). You can see the difference in the red combs and wattles compared to the two roosters at the back, and Princess at the front, who is the same age (a week difference max.) If we had time, we would have happily kept the roosters until we knew for sure they were in fact, boys. As we are soon going away for a week, and the hens are going to a 'chook motel' we had to make a move. We wanted to offer them for free to anyone who would keep/ breed roosters first, before dispatching them. They may as well live as long as they can on a farm, than end up as rooster soup. For starters, at 13 weeks, they are still scrawny and we'd better off to buy a chook at the butcher if we want to eat one! I also think it is a sad part of livestock, that it is the boys that get the chop, simply because of the gender they happened to be born! However, we've always said from the start that one aspect of keeping chooks, is connecting with our food, and getting them as babies meant we had to be prepared to either rehome any roosters, or eat them.

We offered them for Free on a local classifieds, and had a few interested people. We made a decision to give them to the first guy, who would take them all. Then we started to wonder, is Jimmy (was Geneviere) really a rooster? Wouldn't it be a darn shame if we gave a perfectly good hen away, all because we are novices and didn't know better! Geneviere had big red comb & wattles (see photo below), and the start of a rooster-like tail, so we called him Jimmy instead.. but then we noticed there were no glossy tail feathers spiking out like the other two roosters... and no (witnessed) crowing. Perhaps because Bossy Beak has been a very dominant roo from an early age, the other two haven't crowed yet? (None of the chooks has very developed spurs yet). I did ask on Facebook, and posted some photos/ description on the Backyard Poultry Forum, for reassurance that the chook is a boy. To an expert though, it is pretty obvious that Geneviere/ Jimmy is a boy. Above is Bossy (left) sizing up with Geneviere/ Jimmy, during some free range time.

In the mean time, I was feeling a little unsettled about the guy who was going to pick up the roosters... he would have a 3 hour drive to take them back home. OK, I know that given if they stayed here, they'd end up dead, maybe this was the better option for them, but I still didn't want them to suffer and be stressed out in a box in a car. I also wasn't sure if this guy was taking them to a farm to live (or just intending on eating them), even though our ad in the classfieds clearly said that they were on offer for someone who wanted to keep them. He texted me they were going to a farm, but when he cancelled his plans to come here at the last minute (sick grandma) and wouldn't be able to pick them up til next weekend, I was relieved. I was happy to call one of the other interested parties, who said they'd happily take them all to their 60 acre farm, and would be there to pick them up in an hour. Lucky Roosters! A farm with loads of lovely ladies to hang out with, and a much shorter drive to get them there... which is where they are headed now. Plus, the people who took them, raise and sell Silver Laced Wyandottes, and Plymouth Rocks chickens... so when we want to add to our flock, we can go & buy a couple from them.

Tweet Tweet, getting some attention... such a sookie chook!

It may seem strange that we were willing to dispatch and eat them ourselves, but didn't want to give them to someone else to do that. Part of the experience of keeping chooks, and thinking one day we may raise meat chickens, includes knowing how to kill and process them. We've not done it before, and as I discussed in this post, I am not sure I'd be able to be involved in it at all. (Euthanising them is a different topic). So, if it was going to come down to that being their only option, we wanted to have that experience ourselves. To give them as 'decent' a death as possible, with as less misery or stress to the animal. Besides thinking maybe I'd not be able to eat a home-processed-chook, my main concern with doing it ourselves was only making sure as first timers, that we could do it quickly and efficiently. Now, of course, they've gone to live on a farm (the guy who got them was a lovely fella, and his wife does the chicken keeping), and all we can hope is that they get to lead long and happy lives. Maybe if we get chicks again, we'll be in the position to keep any roosters long enough to feed them up and make it worthwhile eating them, but for now, I feel very happy with the outcome. Our three hens are getting used to their brothers being gone, which means more room in the chicken house... and more treats for them!

:: The Problem is the Solution ::

2011-12-07T13:28:00.001+11:00

The problem is the solution. Good ol' permaculture advice, that some days and in some situations, makes perfect sense to me... I get it, I feel all permie and clever. Other times, I turn the 'problem' on it's head, look at it from every angle and I still don't get what the solution is. It's all about mindset, really, instead of feeling upset/ angry/ distraught or irritated by 'the problem', find the positive in it... think about the problem as actually being the catalyst for something good. Got too many weeds? Make a weed-based fertiliser. Got a shaded damp spot where nothing will grow, consider what you can put there that loves shade & damp? Got too many snails? Get yourself some ducks. It's about working with nature, not against it... working with what you've got, rather than wishing for something you don't. In my case, I was wishing for apples, but had small, unripe, half-grub-filled ones instead. Turns out I had rose petals too, and what do you get if you combine unripe apples, falling-off-rose-petals, a lemon in the bottom of the fridge, some water and sugar?

Despite it being too late, I had already ordered the codling moth 'apple pouches' or socks from Green Harvest, and they were indeed socks. Nylon sockettes, disposable ones really, like you might find in shoe stores. When my order arrived, there happened to be a free brochure on Organic Codling Moth Control (perhaps my ordering of apple pouches clued them in to my plight!) with some good advice. I had already grown various companion plants under the apple trees, including a sprinkling of 'Good Bug Mix' to attract the natural enemy of codling moth. We can't let the chooks under there to forage yet, because the trees are too young (plus whenever our chooks are out of their tractor home, all they want to do is get back inside with their mates!) The information sheet also suggested a pyrethrum or garlic spray may be suitable, which I happened to have some of in our garden shed.

Though the label said it is not safe for bees, I decided to take the advice and spray before applying the pouches to the few apples which did not have any holes. I carefully sprayed the stinky garlic, chilli & pyrethrum spray (avoiding any flowers nearby) before adding my apple pouches. I tried twisting the top & tying some pouches on, but ended up knocking the apple off the tree! I had read somewhere during my brief research, about using rubber bands, which went OK, but who knows how long they will last. Someone else suggested pegs to keep them on, which was easier to apply too. I also decided to try leaving some of the baby apples on the tree which only had very small holes, hoping the spray will kill the tiny grub inside before it did too much damage. Maybe.

For the apples that I took off the tree, some were almost completely decimated by grubs (and they went into plastic bags and into the rubbish bin). For the others that only had a small part affected (which was cut off & dumped in same plastic bag), I took Belinda's advice and made pectin. I followed this recipe, using a poor sad lemon that was hiding under lettuce in my fridge! You know, I always wanted to be one of those people who have things hanging in muslin from their kitchen cupboard handles... you feel sort of domestic-goddess-like & clever, like you are making magical things from scratch!

To top it off, in between my pectin-making cleverness, I was tidying the kitchen and about to compost the roses that had been there for a few days and were starting to lose some petals. It might sound strange, and seen as I hate waste and I like pretty things, I sometimes take the petals off the roses and scatter them around the garden or on the 'lawn'. Sort of like fairies have been there... ahem, OK, ignore that strange thing I do. Back to my kitchen cleverness, and the Ah-ha moment I had taking the roses out. I could do something else clever, by using Alison's recipe for rose petal syrup, which can be used in baking or desserts! Just imagine my domestic-goddess status if I had hanging-muslin-bags and rosewater syrup in my kitchen! See, I had organic rose petals, I had sugar, I had water... I could do it! I didn't have lemon juice anymore (nope, no more hiding under the lettuces) but I used the juice of a few mandarins who'd been hanging out with said lemon. Would that work? I'd soon find out.

Now, here comes the really clever part. The part where I had a brilliant thought pop into my head AND I followed through on it. I had pectin, I was about to have rose petal syrup and I had no real plans for either of them (they were just ways to make the most of a bad situation, to reduce wastage, neither one I ever really cooked with) but I could make rose petal jam... or jelly (to those who think of jam-without-pulpy-fruit as jelly!) You know, like those beautiful jars you see with the sunshine making it all pink and pretty and sweet, like this, this or this. Nothing like how mine actually turned out! The rose petal syrup wasn't very pink, because I didn't use red roses, of course, but I had some rosehips in my cooking shelf basket (from a gift, I think) and added those, as well as some honey too. I also had trouble getting it to thicken, but eventually, it boiled up, over the pot, made a mess on the stovetop, but was set! It tastes quite nice, as I had some on yoghurt last night. It would be good to dollop a little in sparkling wine (like Banrock Station White Shiraz), or in between a sponge with fresh cream, on fresh white bread wth butter, or scones & cream! Oooh, yum, yes please!

So, a sweet way to end a sour story about not knowing how or when to protect our first ever homegrown apples. Well, of course, the story doesn't end there, as hopefully there will be more apple adventures to share, and I am sure there will be plenty more problems to be the solution in the future!

Linking to Frugally Sustainable's Blog Hop

:: It Ain't All Apples ::

2011-12-03T08:48:00.001+11:00

I love apples. We planted two apple trees just over 2 years ago, a double grafted Granny Smith & Jonathon, and a Red Fuji (we have since added a Cox's Orange Pippin, and I would add more if I can find a spot & convince The Bowhunter!). I love that there is a huge variety of apples that grow around the world, all those interesting names, colours, flavours and uses! I'd so enjoy one of the apple festivals, like this, this or this too, that let you taste loads of different heritage apples! I would love to go on an apple tasting/ picking holiday with the family, or just go to a local orchard, who have an Apple Day too. I love to eat fresh apples, I also like pie, juice, cider, stewed apples and in general, eating anything that we've grown in our own backyard. Fruit trees do not have the instant satisfaction that annual produce has, but oh, boy, when they finally get fruit on them... you get excited! This is the story of how that sweet, crisp apple-bearing excitement turned sour.

The story begins in early Spring in 2009, the first in our new house. When we bought this house, there were a few established fruit trees, but no apples. So, we'd been in the house a few months, and the garden looked dismal due to drought and having just been Winter, not to mention that the people we bought the house from had neglected the gardens for years. We wanted to grow some of our own food, and the garden needed TLC ASAP! Not knowing anything about fruit trees, we started looking into what sort of trees we would like to have in an urban food forest (technically, we didn't go about creating a 'food forest' in true permaculture terms, as we didn't add any nitrogen-fixing trees or ground covers first and build it like you should... we added fruit trees and companion plants, and hope they all grow OK together in a forest-y sort of manner!) We dug out a rambling rose bush and tidied up a section near the fence, added a heap of mushroom compost and cow manure, and quickly planted out the apple trees, and raspberry plants, as well as some chives.

We did this in a hurry, as we learnt that fruit trees should be planted in Winter... well, barerooted ones, that is, which are cheaper and readily available at the local nursery. (So many varieties to choose from too, but I love Fuji apples to eat, Granny Smith are good for cooking, and Jonathon pollinates both well. Plus, we chose based on which season the apples are ready, to hopefully have apples early, mid and late season!) They need to be planted out while they are dormant. The nursery man said that September wasn't too late to get them in (esp. given the Springs here can still be quite cool) and they also gave us instructions on how best to do so. We grew squash under the trees that first year, because, well, we didn't have any other garden beds ready, there was ample room and nutrients, and we were super keen to grow, grow, grow!

Fast forward a couple of years, where the trees did little but grow in the mean time, with a couple of (very pretty) blossoms last year, but little else. They were healthy and getting taller, and below them, we had added some 'good bug mix' seeds, lavender, rosemary, parsley and other herbs for attracting bees and companion planting. We'd established some other garden beds by then, so didn't plant any more annuals in between the apple trees. Besides, we had raspberry picking to do, and needed to be able to get in to the raspberry bush at the back! This Spring, our lanky apple trees were covered in blossom and there were bees galore, and you know what happens next! We were delighted to announce there were loads of baby apples. Wow, that was unexpected... you just sort of go along thinking it takes years & years before you get fruit off your young fruit trees. The baby apples were so little and perfect, and growing quickly. *sigh*

This is where the story gets a bit sour. I knew there were diseases and pests that could affect them, because for every thing that grows, there is a trouble-maker to wreak havoc. With the apricot tree, we'd found that pests like fruit fly didn't cause problems until the fruit was ripe, and we use mesh sleeves as an exclusion method, applied to the branches (heavy with fruit) weeks before any sign of fruit fly is around. So, I sort of put off the need to research and work out what attacks apples and how to stop it, as the apples wouldn't be ready to harvest until Autumn and beyond. I was busy with something else at the time, figured as long as I worked it out before we go away in December it would be OK. The apples were still fairly small and unripe, so what could really hurt them? I had even checked up about codling moth and other grubs, but not purchased any pest control, believing I had time. Then I noticed a few little brown spots on some of the apples, and by the time I went out to properly check them over, just about every single apple (maybe about 50 apples?) has a tiny hole, or in some cases, a big hole!

Next year, next year, we will know to get the organic treatment happening early on, and the exclusion apple 'socks' on straight away. We have learnt our lesson, and though it is not exactly the 'hard way', it still hurts. You see, I had plans for them there apples! To eat them, for starters. Maybe make a couple of pies, and to feel so proud that these were our homegrown-hard-earned-waited-two-years apples. Well, they'll be even harder-earned by next year! In the mean time, I am not giving up on my apple-pie-cider-sauce-preserving dreams... I am going to go apple picking, or at least to the farmers markets or farm door and get me some apples! I am not calling it a failure (as Erica discussed in her brilliant carrot post) but a learning experience. Growing our urban food forest is as much about the 'learning curve' as the harvest (but how I do love the harvest!). It's about learning skills, gaining knowledge and working with nature. Nature, you wonderful thing, you give and you take, and the gardener/ urban homesteader has to learn to embrace your indifference to us & our desires!

The thing I always think about when I have gardening or preserving failures is, thank goodness I am not trying to provide for my family. How lucky that I can go to the farmers markets or farmer direct, or even to the supermarket, to feed my family. We are far from struggling or starving, and for whatever doesn't grow in our backyard, so many great things do come out of it! Also, it reminds me of how hard it must be for farmers and producers, who have to deal with nature, trying to make a livelihood, year in and year out, esp. those organic or biodynamic, who can't/ won't just sloosh some chemicals about to solve the problem. I lost a few apples, but I've gained some knowledge and some resilience... and some more respect for nature's power.

Linked up to Homestead Barn Hop #39

:: In Our Garden at the Moment :: Late Spring ::

2011-11-30T11:21:00.001+11:00

It's raining here... there has been a lot of rain lately. I love it. The garden loves it. The chickens... not so much. Life has been pleasant, no Christmas rush or obligations here. All Christmas shopping was done weeks ago, and is now wrapped up under our Christmas branches on the table (looking rather pretty, if I do say so myself!) Plus, we are on the countdown to having a 'break', so that helps... The Bowhunter is finally taking Annual Leave again (none since March!) and having 3 weeks off. We are going away for a week, which means packing, travelling and being busy, but no housework, little cooking, lots of catching up & relaxing! I pretty much have 6 weeks off, because I had loads of Annual Leave up and the Operating Theatres slow down over this time, so my manager was trying to get people to take A/L. I was taking the 2 weeks off over Christmas, plus Tuesdays of the school holiday period off, and ended up having my other day off too... after 6 weeks, will I think 'I don't feel like going back' or will I be 'get me away from these crazy children'!!??

I am hoping that our garden fairs OK during our week away. The wicking worm bed reservoirs can be filled before we go, and easy for our neighbour to come fill them if there have been hot days while we are away. We could add some shadecloth to some areas too, though really I'd like to *finally* get the drip irrigation systems in place! I will ask my neighbour, or perhaps someone from our Urban Homesteading Club will come, harvest & take home produce (likely to be tomatoes, raspberries, squash and beans galore by then) to stop things from rotting and attracting pests. I don't think the apricots will be ripe by then, a saving grace!, and they can have their 'mesh sleeves' in place for resisting fruit fly. The chooks are going to a Chook Motel for the week, so we know they'll be OK. When we get back, I am hoping The Bowhunter will get the permanent chicken run done, as though we will probably only have 3 chooks by then, they need an area to forage and express their essence of chicken!

I think I either labelled the seed packet wrong, or the seeds as I was potting up, because all the 'Delicata Squash' I put in, are actually Yellow Button Squash! Which we love, and everyone loved when we had an abundance of them a couple of years ago. I am pretty sure I have Delicata Squash in somewhere else... hopefully, because they store so well.

Our first beans of the season, Purple King Beans, and in the background, bright yellow flowers from the several zuchini I have in there. You know how you put in several seedlings, because chances are the snails or earwigs or whatever, will come and eat some of them... these zuchini all survived! I have several varieties of zuchini this year too.

Some onions are still in the wicking worm beds. I didn't have the massive onion success I was hoping for this year (and let's not even mention my horrid garlic fail). I was harvesting the onions a bit early, thinking I needed to get other stuff in and was worried they might be affecting the growth of my tomatoes... until I checked the Companion Planting List, and of course, onions help tomatoes! So I left the rest in to mature a bit more and look after the tomatoes!

Do you think the tomatoes need looking after? No, they are sure doing just fine on their own... or perhaps having the few onions left there is helping them! Despite planting fewer tomato plants and further apart this year, I still have a tomato jungle! I must confess I wasn't quite as good as sticking to just the few varieties I planned to! I have Red Fig, Black Russian, San Marzano Roma, Peron, Rouge De Marmande, Longkeeper, and I also got an Amish Paste, that I've always wanted to try, from one of the UHC members (thanks Margaret!) There are several 'volunteer' or surprise tomato plants about too!

Ah, poor old half dead lemon tree, not ever given a single fruit. It is just in the wrong spot, really, and not looked after properly in our frosty Winters. We were given some advice to cut it back, spread the fertiliser around under it (chook poo pellets) and hope for the best... it is coming back to life! We still want to get a dwarf variety in a pot to put against the North facing wall, but who knows, maybe this one will do OK too.

Don't you just love when some poor neglected plant (leeks) goes to flower/ seed, and you sprinkle (whack the heads) around on some newly-conditioned (half sludgy compost dug in) ground, and wa-la, baby leeks galore!

I only have one word... raspberries!

These are for the chooks... sunflowers!

I can see why it is an invasive pest in some areas... tansy gone crazy. I will cut it back and add it to the compost.

Beetroot leaves... pretty and edible! We've been eating Chioggia beetroot too, such a good all-round vege, and the kids didn't even notice it in their Spaghetti Bolognese sauce!

Unlike the zuchinis, the chillies and capsicum seedlings got mostly decimated by pests, despite growing them that bit bigger in our mini greenhouse & covering them once planted in the wicking worm beds. I am sadly going to end up buying some seedlings from somewhere, for those salsa dreams I have been having since reading Erica's recipe. I love making my own Chargrilled Salsa, but must try this lacto-fermented version. This year I won't be stubborn in not wanting to buy in season, local produce though, if need be, to do our preserving!

Having a much better attempt at growing corn this year, with Early Gem, Hawaiian and Popcorn varieties... fresh corn, love it as much as fresh green beans... and fresh tomatoes... fresh raspberries. Did I ever tell you how much I love vegetables!

Apricots look like they'll be ready about January at this rate... same as last year. It is such a lovely tree, we were so lucky to buy a house with an established fruit tree like this one!

This year, we have baby apples on the two trees (Granny Smith/ Jonathon, and a Red Fuji) we planted two years ago! Yay! But like all new mothers, I am already worrying that something will happen to them by the time they are ready to eat in Autumn, so I am looking for the best pest control methods for apples... but I've noticed some little holes in some of them already!! Any advice on caring for apple tress & apples please!

Baby pumpkins! Our pumpkin harvest was so good last year and stored so well, and we are hoping for even more this year!

Pretty chive flowers... under the apples!

I never know which is the good lady bug and which are the naughty ones! I know we had plenty that ate powdery mildew last year, but now can't remember how you tell the difference... the number or shape of the spots, I think.

Phew! And that is just some of the garden... I love my garden and I love showing it off too! It gives me such pleasure, even if I do grump and complain about it sometimes! What is your garden up to at the moment?

:: The Minions & Pocket Money ::

2011-11-26T12:19:00.001+11:00

We have started The Minions, our two kids, on a 'pocket money system'. In our house, we talk to the kids (in kid-friendly ways, of course) beyond just the financial aspect of items, to the energy and resources that things require throughout their life cycle too, and the cost to the planet, and to the people. We hope that in the future, a different way of thinking will lead our world, but in the society we currently live in, we think learning about money is important... like being able to use it wisely! There won't be any 'handout' pocket money or allowance they automatically receive each week. They can earn their money, 50 cents at a time! We hope to teach our kids that there are certain job/ activities that always need to be done by everyone in the family, that won't earn money. If they cannot do these required jobs, they don't get the option to earn (or spend) any money. Deciding together what they can spend 'their' money on is also important, and part of the experience. We are just trying to find the balance, keep with our No More Stuff Challenge ideals, and work out the best way to go about it all!

Miss M is 6 1/2, and her little brother, Cheeky A, is almost 4. It's a good time, as we are going away over Christmas and thought they could earn some 'spending money', and start taking a little more responsibility around the house too. Miss M is also learning about money at school. My husband and I have talked about doing it before, but getting Miss M (the Diva in the family... no, of course she didn't get it from moi!) to do her everyday things, like make her bed in the morning, put PJ's under her pillow and tidy up after herself, was hard enough... let alone then get her to do other jobs as well. But Cheeky A, well, he is a hard working fella, and has led the way with this new project. While he still needs help with some things (some days more than others!) he can make his bed, tidy up after himself, get himself dressed, get the tooth brushes out & put toothpaste on them, collect the mail, help take things to the bin, carry his plate & fork to the kitchen bench etc. Now obviously at her age, Miss M can do those all things and more, she just need reminding & encouraging. A lot of encouraging.

Like the No More Stuff Challenge, I think we just needed a 'system' and a one-liner to remind the kids to do their everyday stuff, or "you won't qualify to be in the 'pocket money system'". Everyone knows the rules, everyone knows the rewards. It's not complicated... good for little kids & for tired parents! They do both have bank accounts, where we put a small amount of money each month by direct deposit. When we opened these accounts, they got a little package of stuff, including a tin money bank. They've had some toy money in them to play shops before, and one day I let my little boy have some real money in there... which he thought was great! Miss M got a wallet with a $5 note in it for her birthday from her Great Grandparents. She also put her tooth fairy money in there to 'save' (which R and I were pretty impressed she didn't want to race off & spend it on some little pony or littlest petshop toy we are always saying she can do without)! I printed off a very simple spreadsheet to keep in their money bank or wallet, which has a section for us to write what job they did, how much they earnt and what their balance should be.

To keep it simple, they can earn 50 cents for all jobs (though perhaps if there is a super-big-or-important job they did they might earn $1). The 'jobs' are things like:

washing up the plastic cups, lunch box containers, anything safe (and drying up too, if their attention spans last that long!)
helping hang the socks and underwear on the racks (perhaps on the clothesline in warm weather, we'll just need a sturdy stool or chair)
helping fold socks & underwear, and put them away
helping in the garden, like weeding, bringing in harvests, potting up seeds
helping clean out the chicken tractor
housework like dusting, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning mirrors

Those are things they can easily do with a little preparation & guidance. Part of earning the money is to do the job properly (not wander off halfway through, or talk the whole time while your brother does all the work, like some 6 yr old I know!) Though I do realise there will be a certain amount of patience and acceptance on my part, when it comes to the quality of the work, or the days I'd rather just get on with it myself. I also think the difference between an 'everyday' job and a 'pocket money' job is open to interpretation... my husband and my interpretation that is, not the kids! As they get older, I am sure this 'system' will change and adjust as need be. For now, we hope it will give them the motivation to take some more responsibility for themselves, their belongings and the home too. We haven't quite gotten to the 'spending' rules yet, but that will come soon enough! The idea has been incentive enough to get them started...

:: Christmas Decorating with Children ::

2011-11-24T17:26:00.001+11:00

Yesterday we gathered some fallen branches in the reserve next to our house in a dry patch of the weather. This afternoon the kids couldn't wait any longer, so we put up our decorations (minimal) & Christmas 'tree' (branches with a new decoration added to our collection each year... this year it was a crochet star!) I also needed a couple of photos to add to frames we are giving grandparents as Christmas presents, so dressed the kids and snapped off a heap of photos, hoping for at least one where they are both smiling and in focus (didn't happen!). As I arranged and decorated (and the kids went through our Christmas box, getting out the collection) I was thinking how lovely it would be to have something simple, like crocheted stars & decorations, and a few bows from pretty ribbon this year... you know, a theme, a classy stylish setting like you see on Pinterest or in glossy magazines! Ah, but look how busy our 'tree' ended up, and we have vintage tinsel & mini disco balls hanging around the place too! Ah well, that is Christmas in the real world, with kids, and I wouldn't have it any other way! The branches look better with our 'memories' hanging on them anyways!

:: How Sweet It Is ::

2011-11-23T10:41:00.001+11:00

Life, that is. I know some people may think that I don't appreciate the opportunities I have in life, but I do. Even when I feel frustrated or overwhelmed, I still know how lucky I am, and am grateful for everything I have (and the opportunity to work hard to have what we do)... I just need to debrief sometimes about the annoying feelings, so I can get back to doing all the good stuff! I also know I am my own worst enemy when it comes to being frustrated or overwhelmed, because I enjoy doing stuff, I love being busy, I love new ideas, I tackle new projects with relish, and have so many things on my 'Wish List'... I just sometimes end up disappointed and annoyed because I can't do it all. Oh, but there is so much good stuff to be involved in, or to try out, in this 'urban homesteading/ eco' life my family and I lead.

Taking things one step at a time is hard, esp. when I read blogs, books, articles or see ideas on Pinterest, and get all excited. Does that happen to you too? Talking about ideas, Pinterest is not the time-sucking or temptation-creating site like I thought it might be. I joined ages ago, then deleted my account thinking I spent enough time online & didn't want to end up in a Pintrance! Then I heard Green Bean talking about it and thought it can't be all bad, so joined again (having to use a different email address) and have found there are many positives for an organising/ fantasizing/ homesteading person like myself. I can't lose links like I was when bookmarking on Facebook. I am getting some great DIY, crafting and straight-up-clever ideas from it, as well as delicious real food recipes. I also like the 'fantasy' aspect of it, and even have a 'board' for stuff I'll probably never buy or wear or do, but it is a bit of harmless escapism fun! I don't spend a lot of time there, but it is a quick burst of inspiration or laughs, and well, it just looks pretty and neat... which appeals to me when nothing looks or feels pretty and neat in everyday life!

Ah, but of course, it is all perspective, isn't it. There will always be days when I feel old & bitter, grumpy & irritable, but more days of feeling blessed and happy. I have loads of gorgeous, wonderful, neat, organised, soul-satisfying things in my life. I have learnt to embrace simple living beauty and to take time out from things I enjoy but feel are necessary, for things that I enjoy and are perhaps not really that necessary at all! Like crocheting stars for our Christmas branches this year! Some days are all humdrum, work, tiredness and meh... finding the little pockets of sweetness are what keep me going. Whether it be calling my little boy's name and he looks up, and I pop an "I love you" at him... and now he says it back too, not so shy about saying it anymore! Or trying a recipe out for panzanella, something I've always wanted to make! Watching my daughter prance around in the new dress I just made her. Or walking around the garden, seeing baby zuchini, pumpkin, squash, raspberries, apples and tomatoes. That is sweet!

And how exciting, here is an interview about me and our urban homestead on The Praire Homestead blog!

:: Summer Is On The Way! ::

2011-11-21T15:28:00.001+11:00

Well, for all my Southern hemisphere readers, anyways! We have loads going on in the garden, plus I am sewing, crocheting, cooking, reading and playing with the kids. We are getting ready for Preschool next year, for Christmas holidays, and for Annual Leave. The chooks are growing fast, the garden faster, and we are getting some garden projects sorted... 12 months after we planned them! Though it's about to be several cool & rainy days in a row, there has been some gorgeous weather here! I will blog proper posts again soon, but right now I am just enjoying & doing too much to sit at the computer long enough... though I am still reading all my favourite blogs, just perhaps not commenting as much as I used to. Sorry about that.

:: Why I Love Spring! ::

2011-11-17T20:11:00.001+11:00

Well, for all the obvious reasons, I guess. Like growing tomatoes, beans and pumpkins (and the huge variety of others produce I have growing!). Like spending warm days outside, pottering about in the garden with my 3 3/4 year old, and the kids playing together in the afternoons on the swings or under the patio. We've been having BBQ for dinner and eating outside under the patio... the kids ask every evening if we can eat outside tonight! I love daylight savings (and at the moment the sun stays up til almost 8pm) because we can stay outside in the garden, caring for the chooks, wandering around checking on what's growing, and generally enjoying the hard work! I am glad when The Bowhunter is able to come outside after he finishes work and do stuff, or just hang out too! I love drying clothes on the Hillshoist clothesline and knowing they will get dry. Shorts, sandals and my secret sin, painted toenails! I am not loving the hayfever, but I do enjoy seeing the flowers, the bees, the green neighbourhood. I am planning for more spontaneous picnics to unusual places too, so the kids are not stuck homesteading all the time... perhaps with some gleaning, if safe and suitable. I love the potential everywhere... baby zuchini and delicata squash, raspberries filling out, tiny apples bigger everytime you look, herbs and flowers just spreading out... and those first few tomatoes. Spring rain, that's good too. I do love Autumn in this area, but Spring has plenty to sing about too! What are you enjoying at this time of year?

:: Give Away Winners :: The Great Disruption ::

2011-11-15T07:39:00.000+11:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered and for all the positive comments! My husband helped me randomly draw the names, and the winners are:

Australian reader: Sally M
International: John from Japan

Congratulations! Please email me with your addresses eatatdixiebelles @ incanberra.com.au so I can send you both a copy of Paul Gilding's The Great Disruption.

:: The Chicken Diaries :: 7 to 9 Weeks Old ::

2011-11-14T13:40:00.001+11:00

Our babies are growing up fast! Five of the chickens are now about 9 weeks old, and Tweet Tweet is 7 weeks old. In the photo above, from left to right, Tweet Tweet in foreground, then the first Light Sussex is Princess Layer, then Bossy Beak in the middle, then unnamed (Geneviere if she happen to be a girl after all), then the next Speckled Sussex is Spotty, and the last is Robot Chicken. After Tricia noted in our last photos that 3 of them looked like boys, we really noticed those 3 had quite pronounced red combs, which filled out quickly over a couple of weeks & fast growing wattles too... but three of them barely had any, and still don't. We'd been busy looking at the shape of their bodies, feathers and tails, thinking how hen-like they all looked! Except Bossy Beak, who always looked and acted rooster-like since early on... and has a great time crowing every morning, getting better and better at it!

We've had them outside day and night now for just over a week now, and they are doing well so far. Finally they got the hang of going up to roost at night, though they still huddle in the middle of the tractor together when there is rain blowing in! We haven't built a proper permanent chicken run yet, still debating the best way to go about it. For now there is enough room for them to 'run' in their Chicken Castle Deluxe chicken tractor (recommend up to 10 chooks by the manufacturer, though I don't think we'd ever want to squeeze that many full sized chooks in) which gets moved each day. That will be fine for the next 5 weeks or so until we go away (the chooks will go to a Chook Motel). Before then we'll know & have re-homed or eaten the roosters. Then in January, The Bowhunter will (finally) have some annual leave and we can build it then. If we do only have 3 hens left, I am hoping to get a couple more POL or pullets, but we'll see. Three is probably a good number for us, really.

So far they aren't too excited about snails and caterpillars (getting too spoilt I think!), but they love the greens we pick them, stale or ends of bread, some vege peels, and the grass the kids love poking through the mesh to them. My husband has also watched them catching flies! It's funny to watch them exploring their world, and reacting to noises... or the visiting cat (one reason we really want to make a very secure chicken run). They don't get too easily ruffled, in general. We've noticed personalities too. Princess Layer really is a princess, so fluffy and beautiful and a bit aloof. The Speckled Sussex are much friendlier in general, esp. Tweet Tweet and Robot. They seem generally nice to each other, no major pecking order disturbances so far. Tweet Tweet had a very sore & bruised foot about 10 days ago, was limping, but all better now, but we think it was an accident while they were still in the brooder area at night.

All in all, we are so happy to have chickens, and glad it was a project we finally decided to do. Even though sometimes I feel overwhelmed or frustrated by this whole urban homesteading gig, it can be so rewarding and positive.