Time To Think

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Posted on July 30, 2013

Sometimes I have a precise menu plan for the week and other times I make it up as I go along. Today I had not even taken anything out of the freezer so spent a little time while I was on the train this evening planning what to eat for dinner. I decided on grilled sausages with vegetable patties and fried mushrooms. Of course we have home-made tomato sauce with the sausages. This was all prompted by knowing that there was some leftover sweet potato mash and some leftover cooked rice in the refrigerator.

I picked some bok choy from the garden.

I chopped and lightly stir-fried the bok choy before adding it to the mash/rice mixture.

I added some herb salt, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin to the mixture along with a small egg and some chickpea flour. The mixture was very soft so it was a matter of placing dollops of it into the pan and frying both sides. Finally, I fried some mushrooms and dinner was ready.

A filling dinner and the verdict from The Duke was, “Yum”. You can’t ask for much more than that.

How do you deal with leftovers?

Filling the Freezer

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Posted on July 22, 2013

I am putting the disaster of my photos behind me and moving on.

This week is going back to the basics of the things I do.

We have a refrigerator with a freezer section as well as a small upright freezer which is the size of a bar fridge. It has been turned off and not used for a couple of months as I simply did not need it and it seemed pointless to be wasting electricity when I could fit everything in the other freezer. However, I turned it back on last night as I opened a large, catering-size tin of crushed tomatoes and divided them into portions to freeze.

I also cooked a quantity of refried-beans in the slow-cooker.

Tonight I removed the frozen blocks of tomatoes from their containers and placed them in a double bag. These are old bread bags that have been washed and re-used many times.

The containers were then re-used to freeze the refried beans.

There was some leftover quiche which I portioned up for my lunches and 2 pieces are ready for the freezer.

The plastic sheet to separate the slices is from cereal packaging. I rarely buy prepacked cereal of any kind but these have been saved and rewashed many times. I store them in a bag in the kitchen drawer when they are not in use.

The freezer is not full yet but I will be working on that over the coming days.

Of course, there are many other things in the freezer such as meat, cooked rice, spreadable butter, grated cheese and sliced bread.

What is in your freezer?

Plastic Free July – Update & A Refresher

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Posted on July 13, 2013

Today I am reviving an older post that should help in our quest for Plastic Free July and also in the future.

Do you buy pure butter in a compostable, paper wrapper? Or are you like the majority of the population and buy margarine or some type of spread in a plastic container? Want to stop getting those plastic containers? Here is your answer.

I have been reasonably successful in sticking to plastic-free options so far this month. My list of items containing single-use has been updated with a couple more items. You can find it here.

Last night we ate out, at our local pizza restaurant. There was no plastic involved as they use proper crockery and cutlery, however, the soft drink always is served with a straw (plastic). I thought of this before I went so when we ordered our drinks I specifically asked for no straw. I should really have taken it a step further and explained why I chose not to have a straw.

I was discussing this with The Duke and said that for Plastic Free July to have any real value, I needed to push the boundaries and not just do plastic free things that are part of my normal routine.

Have you done anything different this month?

Time Is The Enemy

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Posted on July 7, 2013

We have had a busy few days and my plastic-free challenge has taken a bit of a beating. On Friday we went shopping and I had my share of successfully avoiding plastic packing. However, some items were not so easy.

First, we bought sausages at Aldi for a planned BBQ with visitors on Friday evening. I buy these because a) I like them and b) the sausages are gluten-free. The downside is that they come in a plastic tray and are covered in cling-film. I try to limit the damage (marginally) by buying the bulk pack of 24 sausages. Am I kidding myself?

The other purchase pictured below is some bells in a plastic packet. I wanted these to make some Christmas earrings as we were going to a Christmas in July celebration on Saturday evening. They were not an essential purchase but I did share them with a friend and I will store them in the original resealable packaging so that I can use them on other occasions.

On the other hand, I did do better with some of my other shopping. I went to the butcher to buy chicken breast fillets, chicken thigh fillets and minced beef. All of these were packed into my own containers (plastic) that I took with me to the shop.

The cabbage in the background was bought at the local fruit stall were I shop regularly. The usually have cabbages cut into quarters or halves and wrapped in cling-wrap. I asked if I could have a whole cabbage and the owner happily collected one for me from the cool-room. I did not really need a whole cabbage but I used this strategy to ensure that I did not get one wrapped in plastic. I will make sure that it is used and not wasted.

The cream cheese was another rare purchase for me. It was required for a recipe I was making to take to the Christmas in July party. I made a conscious decision to buy the pack in the cardboard box rather than the plastic tubs. Inside the box the cheese was wrapped in foil which I carefully washed and dried but then discarded in the rubbish as I was not certain whether it was coated with plastic film.

I do not have a photo but I also bought a 500g punnet of strawberries for the recipe as well. They came in a plastic punnet but it was marked with a recycle symbol so that is where it ended up. I also bought the larger punnet so that there is potentially less plastic per strawberry. Perhaps??

What I have learned from this is that the less time you have, the more likely you are to succumb to items with plastic packaging. If I had more time I would have sought more plastic-free options. For example, I know that if I drive about an extra 4km I can pick my own strawberries and bring them home in my own fabric bag. If I had remembered to source the bells last week I could have looked in some craft shops near my work and maybe found some being sold as loose items. That way I would have ended up with 2 bells (what I needed) instead of 12. I rarely buy cream cheese but this has reminded to me to look into alternatives which I may be able to buy without plastic packaging. I also need to look into buying sausages from the butcher. They will have to meet a couple of criteria – be suitable for my dietary requirements and also that we actually like them.

Any suggestions for avoiding the dreaded plastic would be appreciated.

Slow Living – June

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Posted on June 30, 2013

Another month has flown by and it is time to review it in the spirit of the monthly round-up at Slow Living Essentials . {nourish*prepare*reduce*green*grow*create*discover*enhance*enjoy}

Here are the Slow Living categories:

{Nourish} More gluten-free discoveries this month. I have successfully made gravy, stuffing for roast beef and cheese sauce. For the gravy I used the pan juices and potato flour to thicken it. The cheese sauce was made using equal parts of potato and chickpea flours. I had previously tried making stuffing using well-cooked rice instead of the soft breadcrumbs and although it tasted good enough it just crumbled as we carved the meat. This time I used chickpea flour, almond meal, flaxseed meal, finely diced onion, chopped parsley, mixed herbs, salt and butter. I was able to create a texture very similar to the stuffing I used to make using soft breadcrumbs, it cooked well and stayed in place as we carved the meat so I was very happy.

{Prepare} Citrus harvest is in full swing here so I have many the first of what will probably be several batches of lemon syrup cordial. I also diced up some chillies that we were given and stored them in oil.

{Reduce} Another blouse gone from my cupboard. I continue to be vigilant about reducing the ‘stuff’ that seems to insidiously creep in while we are not watching. The fabric stash reduced slightly when I made a cot quilt. It is not yet finished but you can see it under ‘Create’.

{Green} For many years I have worked on reducing our reliance on single-use plastic items. Many of these habits are simply second nature now but it never hurts to be challenged and reminded of what else you can do. I have signed up for Plastic Free July and will be tracking my success (or otherwise on my blog).

{Grow} The garden beds are filling with green. The seed potatoes are growing apace and need earthing up if this rain ever stops. We planted garlic in the top bed and I counted them yesterday – we have 99 garlic seedlings poking their heads skywards. Judging by a couple of gaps, I think there are 3 that have not yet come up.

{Create} I started making a cot quilt with some fabric from my stash. I have the binding to finish attaching and some hand quilting.

I am working on refashioning a skirt for myself. This is the before photo.

It is now too big and too long so I am making a simple, knee-length skirt. I love the fabric and did not want to part with it.

{Discover} I am spending time reading and researching about making liquid soap. My mother gave me this book for my birthday and I am finding that there is so much to learn. Perhaps next month I may be able to report on my first attempt??

{Enhance} This month most of the things that fall into ‘enhance’ have been in my head. I am mulling over ways to encourage closer ties and co-operation amongst our neighbours. It is most definitely a challenge as there are many ‘weekender’ properties that are only inhabited intermittently. The other complicating factors include distance between homes (most are are on small acreage) and a clear reticence by some folk to have any real rapport at all with their neighbours. But it is a matter of small, incremental steps.

{Enjoy} A couple of weeks ago my mother came to visit for the weekend and we enjoyed a day out at ‘Gardening on the Edge’ which was 6 local gardens oren to the public. I certainly enjoyed what they had to offer but it also made me realise that ours is pretty darned good in its own way.

The last day of the month and we took ourselves off to see ‘The Great Gatsby’ with some free tickets that The Duke had been given from work. We took our own snacks and drinks so were set. Our treat was fish and chips on the way home.

Now I am off to check out some of the slow living blogs.

Til next month………..

Tidy Up

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Posted on June 22, 2013

Just a short post tonight to let you know that I have had a bit of a tidy up on the blog.

Cookbook : Recipe book

One of the tabs at the top of the blog is labelled ‘Recipes’. This is supposed to contain links to all of the various recipes that I have posted in the blog so that they do not get lost in the mists of time. I have been somewhat slack in keeping this up to date but now they should all be there.

The list is divided into categories to make your search as simple as possible.

One of my next projects will be to make a similar index for all of the non-food recipes such as furniture polish, cream cleanser, chest rub etc.

Long Forgotten Original

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Posted on June 18, 2013

Once upon a time there was a recipe for Oven-Baked Sausages. I think the book has been moved along to the op shop in one of the culls of my recipe books, however, the general idea remains.

The original recipe consisted of a sweet/sour/spicy sauce made in a saucepan. Sausages were grilled, cooled, sliced and added to the sauce. Pasta spirals were cooked, drained and added to the mixture and combined. Finally, the entire contents of the saucepan were placed in a large casserole dish, topped with grated cheese and breadcrumbs and then baked in the oven.

This was a filling meal for a hungry family but being time-poor I quickly cut out what I regarded as unnecessary steps. It really did not need to be baked in the oven as all of the ingredients were already well-cooked. Once the mixture was combined in the saucepan it was ladled directly into serving bowls. If I was feeling particularly generous I would sprinkle a little grated cheese on top. The casserole was always received enthusiastically so the cheese was not really necessary.

The original recipe for the sauce is a little hazy but here is the general idea.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 can tomato soup
1/2 can water
1/3 cup fruit chutney
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

I remember that I was always checking that I had fruit chutney when I wanted to make this.

Like many recipes, this one seemed to run its course and then was forgotten once the girls left home.

I thought of it not long ago and have made it a couple of times recently with some amendments.

Some of these were necessary because I now eat a gluten-free diet. Canned tomato soup contains gluten so I substitute home-made tomato paste and some additional water. Naturally I no longer mix pasta into the dish. The sausages I buy are gluten-free but you would need to check that, too.

The jar of tomato paste looks over full as I store it upside-down in the refrigerator which inhibits the growth of any mould. This also applies to commercially produced tomato paste as well.

The recipe has evolved and varies depending on what is in the cupboard/refrigerator. I made it this morning using the following ‘recipe’.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Remainder of tomato paste (home-made) – about 1/4 cup
Water – enough to rinse the jars and create the right consistencey
Handful of sultanas
Vinegar – about 2 tablespoons
Rosella jam (home-made) – about 2 tablespoons – bottle rinsed out
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce (home-made)
Tomato sauce – home-made (remnant in the bottle) – rinsed out

Here are some of the jars – on the left is the worcestershire sauce. The middle jar is the rosella jam mixed with vinegar and the last of the tomato sauce (empty bottle on the right).

I had cooked the sausages on Sunday night and cut them up ready so they were added and the mixture simmered for about 10 minutes.

Like so many casserole-type meals this sauce will benefit from standing and the flavours will develop further by the time we have dinner tonight. There is some home-made pasta in the freezer which The Duke will have with the suasages in sauce and I will have stir-fried shredded sweet potato with mine.

World Environment Day

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Posted on June 6, 2013

Well, yesterday was World Environment Day. So, what did you do? Anything special to mark the occasion? Make a commitment to change something to make your life a little more sustainable? Even just stop and pause to reflect on your journey to lower your carbon footprint?

The theme for this year is Think. Eat. Save and the focus is around the enormous (20%) wastage of all food in 1st World countries. I am planning to encourage people in my workplace to take up the challenge and try not to waste so much food. There will be more details on that another day.

Slow Living – May

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Posted on June 3, 2013

Another month has flown by and it is time to review it in the spirit of the monthly round-up at Slow Living Essentials . {nourish*prepare*reduce*green*grow*create*discover*enhance*enjoy}

Here are the Slow Living categories:

{Nourish} Apart from the everyday cooking I discovered that I could make very acceptable gluten-free cupcakes by simply substituting gluten-free flour for regular wheat flour.

{Prepare} I retrieved several kilos of cherry tomatoes from the freezer and made some more tomato sauce. I gave some to Missy and restocked the supply in our pantry.

{Reduce} When I look around our home I can see how much ‘stuff’ we do not have. It feels so much lighter not to have excess in our lives.

{Green} Another raised bed made which brings the total to 3 so far. These have all been created entirely with salvaged or leftover materials.

{Grow} This is the time of the year when we harvest with seemingly almost no effort on our part. The citrus are all producing luscious fruit – oranges, grapefruit and lemons as well as so many avocadoes that we can almost eat them at every meal. We have planted more seeds and the bok choy seedlings are poking theirs through the soil. We planted seed potatoes in another bed.

The harvest…………….

{Create} I made a dressing gown for Miss O.

{Discover} I am discovering some more family history snippets as I keep working on my family tree.

{Enhance} We have applied to have our home included in the Sustainable House Day in September. It was interesting to write the application and really think about all of the things that make our home sustainable. Many of them are things we now simply take for granted.

I also made enquiries about joining the local Friends of the Library group.

{Enjoy} We enjoyed having visitors. Our daughter who lives in Melbourne was here for a weekend – she managed to tack it onto the end of a work trip so that was good. We enjoyed her company and dined at a local restaurant one night. Miss O came to stay for a few days before she went back to school after having had her tonsils removed. She and I had lots of fun and you can read about it here and here. Taking time to savour afternoon tea with friends is special.

Now I am off to check out some of the slow living blogs.

Til next month………..

More Fun

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Posted on May 25, 2013

The fun continued yesterday when we made the cupcakes. Once they were cool, I iced them and Miss O dipped them in sprinkles. Here is the result.

There was a purpose to our baking as my sister was coming for afternoon tea. Miss O set the table and we prepared quite a feast.

We all had a very enjoyable afternoon.

Today it was back to the garden. We moved enough composted mulch and soil from near the driveway to 2/3 fill one of the newly-created raised garden beds. Then we cut up the sprouting seed potatoes which I had bought from the Co-op last week. I ended up with about 60 pieces which are all planted. Next, we harvested the last of the cabbages and a few bits of broccoli before clearing out another bed. All of the old cabbage and broccoli plants went to the chickens who will enjoy them.

Meanwhile, the chickens were having a fine time ‘rotary hoeing’ the freshly cleared garden bed. Miss O was very unsure of the chickens a couple of days ago but all of her reticence was gone today as she delighted in running around the bed trying to get close enough to ‘pat’ them. It was great to hear the whoops of joy as she managed to touch their tails.