This week May 28, 2008

1. Plant – actually nothing for the long term, but I have sprouted alfalfa and sunflower seeds this week. Oh! And planted out a squash plant, lavender plant and sunflowers into the allotment.
2. Harvest – again – nothing! Me = lazy
3. Preserve – we are in negative reserves as the freezer accidentally defrosted so I had to get rid of stuff.
4. Prepare for the future – got rid of old wellies like I said I would. Got rid of some unwanted books.
5. Cook something new or use up old produce – made a lentil curry! Used up old tomatoes in the curry. Also made home made pizza and used up some old tomatoes too for the sauce.
6. Manage your reserves – well the freezer accidentally defrosted so I lost some soup.
7. Work on local food systems – not in the local area but if we move I have been scouting out where to get food from ie veg boxes, dairy etc. Have found a great dairy that does unpasteurised cow, sheep and goat products as well as tofu which they make on the premises.

So I’ve been dreadful this week but I’ve been nursing a stinking cold. And the weather has been pretty odd – either really hot so everything is going off. Or really rainy so a lot of our plants drowned. Next week I’ll try and do much better! Have set myself a reminder and everything. I plan to plant up whatever seeds I have leftover. Clear out a few more bits – mainly paperwork stuff. And try asparagus risotto. I found the recipe but was too poorly to make it.

See more progress on: work on the independence days challenge

43 Things May 28, 2008

I found a great site (well my friend told me about it), called www.43things.com

It’s a goal setting site (no matter how big or small) and you publish your goals and other people cheer you on, or give advice, that sort of thing. Pretty inspirational, and fun. And it has been proven that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Maybe because you are less likely to forget, procrastinate or whatever? I guess if you have a secret goal it would be easier to put it off all the time unless you are very disciplined and driven.

Being told about 43 Things tied in pretty nicely with a book I had just read called ‘Eat That Frog’ by Brian Tracy - all about setting your goals and avoiding procrastination. The theory being that if the first thing you have to do each day is eat a live frog, you can be happy that that is probably the most unpleasant thing you will have to do all day - so in a nutshell - do your biggest, hardest, most unpleasant task first. Although mainly aimed at businesspeople its methods could be easily transferred to anything else. It is a nice short book, with exercises at the end of each chapter. Very manageable.

So this week, although I have actually mainly been ill and in bed a lot, that’s freed up a lot of time to sit on 43 Things and work out what my goals are and how I will go about achieving them. I’ve mainly focused on small goals to start with although the big one will make its way onto there in due course. One extra good thing about the website is that you can post updates and set it to post to your blog too. So I’m going to post my independence days challenge updates from there for ease.

All change! May 20, 2008

In a crazy turnaround of events, we may be moving to Plymouth. That’s miles away! It would be for a good business opportunity and we should have decided in a couple of weeks. Although the move will probably not be until September-ish. However, a large downside for me (other than the obvious being far away from friends, family etc), will be having to give up our allotment. A real shame, especially as if we move, we will only have a courtyard garden and no time to get a new allotment (although we can do container and windowbox gardening). Really quite gutted about that as I found pulling up weeds and generally sticking my hands in soil to be very calming. On the other hand, this work opportunity will help us get enough money together to buy a smallholding abroad and get us started off on the real path we want to take.

And another upside is that we will be fairly near Totnes! Which is the first transition town, and also is full of hippy wackiness which I *love*.

But yes, so I’m a bit in limbo at the moment, because we’d only just started to get settled into our new house, got used to our jobs, got the plants going now it looks like we’re going to have to pack it all up (AGAIN!) and move on. Anyone who knows us in real life will not be surprised though. My husband and I have always had itchy feet and to be honest felt that we don’t really belong here in Shepway or in fact don’t really belong in the 21st Century sometimes! (apart from the internet, I don’t think I could cope without the internet) And being in the West Country (alright, I know it’s Plymouth but it’s a darn site nicer than here where we have hypodermics strewn in the road behind our house and I have to leg it home the 200 metres after work clutching a rape alarm lest some 10 year old decides to stab me), puts us a lot closer to places we’ve always wanted to visit i.e. the Eden Project, The Centre for Alternative Technology and all that jazz.

However, before I get ahead of myself, I haven’t even viewed the place yet, my husband is there at the moment, and I’m just waiting for a phonecall from him to fill me in. He went out on the town last night with a friend of ours (who also used to work for us so she knows exactly what we’re looking for), and said that it was lovely, and he didn’t feel wary or threatened whilst out and about at all. So whilst it is looking like all is ok, nothing is set in stone yet.

To be continued………..

May 14, 2008

I found this and just thought it was awesome: (taken from Sharon Astyk’s blog - Casaubon’s book)

“I challenge myself and all of you to work on creating food Independence Days this year - that all of us try to do one thing every day to create Food Independence. That means in each day or week, we would try to:

1. Plant something. Obviously, those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere and having spring are doing this anyway. But the idea that you should plant all week and all year is a good reminder to those of us who sometimes don’t get our fall gardens or our succession plantings done regularly. Remember, that beet you harvested left a space - maybe for the next one to get bigger, but maybe for a bit of arugula or a fall crop of peas, or a cover crop to enrich the soil. Independence is the bounty of a single seed that creates an abundance of zucchini, and enough seeds to plant your own garden and your neighbor’s.

2. Harvest something. From the very first nettles and dandelions to the last leeks and parsnips I drag out of the frozen ground, harvest something from the garden or the wild every day you can. I can’t think of a better way to be aware of the bounty around you to realize that there’s something - even if it is dandelions for tea or wild garlic for a salad - to be had every single day. Independence is really appreciating and using the bounty that we have.

3. Preserve something. Sometimes this will be a big project, but it doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t take long to slice a couple of tomatoes and set them on a screen in the sun, or to hang up a bunch of sage for winter. And it adds up fast. The time you spend now is time you don’t have to spend hauling to the store and cooking later. Independence is eating our own, and cutting the ties we have to agribusiness.

4. Prep something. Hit a yard sale and pick up an extra blanket. Purchase some extra legumes and oatmeal. Sort out and inventory your pantry. Make a list of tools you need. Find a way to give what you don’t need to someone who does. Fix your bike. Fill that old soda bottle with water with a couple of drops of bleach in it. Plan for next year’s edible landscaping. Make back-road directions to your place and send it to family in case they ever need to come to you - or make ‘em for yourself for where you might have to go. Clean, mend, declutter, learn a new skill. Independence is being ready for whatever comes.

5. Cook something. Try and new recipe, or an old one with a new ingredient. Sometimes it is hard to know what to do with all that stuff you are growing or making. So experiment now. Can you make a whole meal in your solar oven? How are stir-fried pea shoots? Stuffed squash blossoms? Wild morels in pasta? Independence is being able to eat and enjoy what is given to us.

6. Manage your reserves. Check those apples and take out the ones starting to go bad and make sauce with it. Label those cans. Clean out the freezer. Ration the pickles, so you’ll have enough to last to next season. Use up those lentils before you take the next ones out of the bag. Find some use for that can of whatever it is that’s been in the pantry forever. Sort out what you can donate, and give it to the food pantry. Make sure the squash are holding out. Independence means not wasting the bounty we have.

7. Work on local food systems. This could be as simple as buying something you don’t grow or make from a local grower, or finding a new local source. It could be as complex as starting a coop or a farmer’s market, creating a CSA or a bulk store. You might give seeds or plants or divisions to a neighbor, or solicit donations for your food pantry. Maybe you’ll start a guerilla garden or help a homeschool coop incubate some chicks. Maybe you’ll invite people over to your garden, or your neighbors in for a homegrown meal, or sing the praises of your local CSA. Maybe you can get your town to plant fruit or nut producing street trees or get a manual water pump or a garden put in at your local school. Whatever it is, our Independence days come when our neighbors and the people we love are food secure too.

I’m not suggesting you should do all these things on any day (heck that’ s impossible) - but every day try and do one of them - or every week, or every weekend, if that’s what your schedule allows. It takes practice to live and grow and eat this way - so let’s do it now while we’ve got the time and energy and each other for support. “

So. My update on this is

1. Plant - This week I planted quinoa which I felt was particularly appropriate as it is a grain and grains are constantly going up in price so it makes sense to try and provide some for yourself. I also planted tomatoes and onions and started sprouting sunflower and alfalfa.
2. Harvest - nothing so far. But I have found a good source of nettles and blackberry leaves and am planning on harvesting those tomorrow and Saturday.
3. Preserve - I dried some tomatoes and put some in oil. I dried others further and kept them in a tub. I also dried some marjoram.
4. Prepare for the future - I put some books on Green Metropolis to free up some space. I dyed my white shoes black so I can use them for work now that my black shoes have almost fallen apart. I will take my split wellies to the recycling place tomorrow morning and free up more space. I ordered a whole heap of oats, pasta and flour for the store cupboard.
5. Cook something new or use up old produce - I made home made crisps in the dehydrator. My husband tried red cabbage this week and loved it. I have ordered haricot beans and cannellini beans to experiment with Boston baked bean recipes. I am also planning on making vegan pizzas with a pesto base and vegetable toppings.
6. Manage your reserves - I juiced the old pears and carrots to clear out the fridge.There is a bag of prawns there which neither of us will eat so I will donate this to my parents on Friday.
7. Work on local food systems - this is a tough one. I can’t think of anything I’ve done this week for that. Any suggestions?

But you get the picture. I think it’s a great challenge and something we should really be thinking about and trying to implement.

Raw Food Saves Gas May 13, 2008

It has been absolutely beautiful weather here for the last week, the only downside being that there hasn’t been a single drop of rain so the plants have had a tendency to get rather frazzled. Also the weeds love the sunshine and have choked half my poor peas to death and seemed determined to take over the allotment. On a brighter note, our container gardening at home is going well. We have several large squash plants as well as beetroot, quinoa (a Peruvian grain), peppers, aubergines, peas, various herbs, sunflowers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers and melons. I’m sure I’ve missed a few things out there but everything is well underway.

We also had our first gas bill for our new house. This was a bit of a novelty for us as for the most part we have either lived in accommodation where our bills were paid for by our employers or we have house shared so never really paid attention to the bill. It wasn’t too bad approx £25 per month, from February to end of April but it did make us question how much we used the oven (we know full well how much we used the central heating and that we have the hot water on for one hour every other day for washing up, cleaning etc.) So we decided to try and stop using the oven so much. Step one was to stop having toast and have sandwiches instead. That then led us onto having salad sandwiches which is quite refreshing in this weather. So coupled with the fact that our vegetable box is due in a couple of days and we need to finish up the current produce, we’ve been eating a lot more raw and feeling a lot better for it. Now I have been interested in the raw food movement for quite some time (for those who don’t have a clue WHAT I’m talking about have a look on this wikipedia link) for health reasons (and some spiritual reasons to be honest) but have always felt that as it seems to advocate a lot of exotic foods (which I love but aren’t very Earth-friendly if they have to be flown over), and expensive supplements, so I had shied away from the idea somewhat. However, I have started to realise that with the food we are growing coupled with the food we get from our veg box, a rawer lifestyle may be achievable. And with the added bonus of not cooking our food, we will save gas and therefore pennies. I’ve previously had experience with enzyme rich ‘live’ foods as I used to sprout alfalfa and other greens on my windowsill and can honestly say that when I incorporated those into my diet I never felt better, and best of all it was very cheap! Now I’m not going to go and jump in and be raw 100% from the outset as that is just madness! But I do feel it would be better for health and for the gas bill to up the ratio of foods eaten raw to at least 50% gradually increasing with time. Plus with eating more fresh fruit and veg, even less landfill waste will come out of our home and more waste for the compost heap, which can’t be bad! So I have started sprouting alfalfa and sunflower seeds on the windowsill for fresh greens packed with nutrients and had a delicious carrot and pear juice for breakfast yesterday. For more information on sprouting seeds have a look at Sprouting Seeds. Or I thoroughly recommend Steve ‘Sproutman’ Meyerowitz’s book Sprouts, the Miracle Food: The Complete Guide to Sprouting. FYI - the water rinsed from your sprouts is very good for watering the rest of your plants.

I found some pretty interesting stuff online last night, including this website ‘The Right Brain vs Left Brain’ which is very interesting. It tells you which side of the brain is dominant then the characteristics you should have. But you should be able to flip between the different sides of the brain. I turned out to be in the minority as when relaxed I am right brain dominated (I guessed this would be true as I am left handed), but I looked through the list for the characteristics of the left brain and tried to think about past events and mathematics and found that after a while I could control how I saw the dancer (I found the easiest way was doing the 2 times table in my head!).  Very interesting indeed.

I also started having a bit of a clear out! Well, I’m always trying but the stuff does seem to pile up. But I got rid of a few books on Green Metropolis. I was recommended this site quite some time ago but never got around to using it. If you have good quality books you can advertise them on there and if you sell them you will get £3 credited to your account (you can either use this onsite to buy books, cash it into your bank account or donate it to the Woodland Trust), but you do have to pay for postage (if it is a large book the customer will pay extra to cover postage). I had tried Read It Swap It on previous occasions but people never had the books I wanted to swap so it was a bit of a non starter but Green Metropolis suits me down to the ground. I sold my first book this morning so hopefully am well on the way to freeing up some much needed shelf space!

The carrier bag greenhouse May 2, 2008

This week has been very productive, my husband and I used all our inventive skills and created a small but very effective greenhouse for the plants that need heat (in our case thats chillies, peppers, aubergines and melons). We had a spare black recycling box from the council (ours was stolen, then found days later, but in the meantime the council had thrown a new one at our front down - literally thrown), so we filled this with bits of rounded off glass that we’ve been collecting from the beach for some time, then put the seed trays on top. We had a couple of A frames (not sure of their original use possibly for a paste table), so we used one of those and rested it on top. Over this we put a polythene bag - we used one of those bags that you put clothes in then suck out the air with a vacuum because we had one that had ripped when we moved house. We covered up the gaps with bubble wrap and made sure we could remove it all to deal with the plants as necessary and voila! A minature greenhouse. I like it so much I’ve decided I need at least another two. But there is the question of finding a similar sized black box as the recycling boxes. In the meantime for the rest of the plants that need a bit of heat, we’ve just been wrapping them in bubblewrap (including right over the top of the plant pot until they germinate) which works a treat. Still haven’t managed to get any chillies to germinate though.

Making stuff out of old junk is great fun, I really enjoy it and really enjoy using my ingenuity to prevent things being thrown away. I certainly think everyone should do it. There is a great site called Recycle This! which gives some great ideas on how to reuse items you might normally put in the bin.

Went for a forage today but forgot to take my gardening gloves so whilst I found a great source of nettles far away from traffic pollution and dog pee I couldn’t pick any. Got attacked by plenty of brambles though. Also found some Ground Ivy but only took a little bit to press in my book for future reference, have no recipes for it yet.