Foodie Friday – Kids in the Kitchen

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Posted on April 12, 2014

I didn’t get back to post this last night. Miss O and Izz have been staying for a couple of days so the food focus has clearly been about them. They enjoyed shopping at Simply Good yesterday and discussing many of the different fruits, nuts and grains that we bought. Miss O was keen to practise her recently acquired spelling skills to read the names of the ingredients on the storage buckets and fill them up when we arrived home.

They picked pumpkins and tomatoes as well as collecting eggs. It is great to see them understanding where their food comes from. 4 year old Izz wanted an anatomy lesson on how the eggs get out of the chickens!!

Tomorrow we are going to a picnic with extended family so I made some choc fruit nut balls and Miss O helped by rolling the balls in the coconut.

Apologies for the brevity of this post but I have been working on our Ireland itinerary and looking at ferry timetables and rental car details.

Obsolete? No Way!

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Posted on March 16, 2014

We were working on building the fence for the vegetable gardens yesterday when The Duke needed some more of the long screws that he was using. This necessitated a trip to Bunnings which is about a 50km round trip. It is not a trip we make every week so we try to combine more than one reason to make it worthwhile. As well as buying the screws, we needed fuel for the ute, bought more salmon at the fish shop and took the 2 empty CO2 canisters from the Soda Stream to be replaced.

We do not use the Soda Stream every week so the canisters last quite a while. I took them to KMart and the attendant at the service desk stated that my canisters were 40 litre ones (enough to carbonate 40 litres of drink) but that they were no longer available and they had 60 litre replacements. She also assured me that they fitted all models except the first one. I accepted this and handed over my $38 in exchange for 2 new 60 litre canisters of CO2.

I arrived home and checked them, and of course, I discovered that they did not fit. I rang KMart and said I would be returning them since the 40 litre ones were not available. I then rang Coles and Harvey Norman to check the validity of the the story and it seemed that I was definitely out of luck. The girl at Harvey Norman flippantly said, “Well its obviously over 10 years old, you’ll just have to buy a new one”. I did not want to buy a new Soda Stream as the one I have is in perfect condition and works well.

So, I was up for the challenge to modify the device to accept the larger canister. The connections are identical as the staff in KMart had advised that the 2 sizes were interchangeable. The problem was the size of the opening that the base of the canister fits through. The Duke and I decided that we had nothing to lose by attempting the modification as we could no longer use our Soda Stream as it was.

The equipment: A jigsaw, wire cutters, Stanley knife and sandpaper.

The jigsaw was perfect to enlarge the opening, however, on one side there was not enough room to manouvre the saw. We use the wire cutters to cut small notches to weaken the edge of the plastic then expanded the diameter of the opening using the Stanley knife and finally smoothed the rough edges with the sandpaper.

We were too busy being creative to take any photos of the actual process but here is the end result with the canister in place.

It is impossible to see our handiwork with the back cover replaced. I even made a bottle of soda water to test it out and celebrate our success.

What have you refashioned or modified lately? Does the expectation that you will buy a new item irritate you?

The Rhythm of Life

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Posted on February 10, 2014

…….or just a Never-Ending Story?

The jobs that seem to fall together under that all-encompassing title of “Housework’. Do you embrace them as a steady part of your routine and rejoice in the satisfaction of a job well done? Or do you constantly rail against the monotony of having to do the same task over and over again?

During the past few weekends we have made substantial progress with what The Duke refers to as our bucket list. It is not a bucket list in the generally accepted sense but more like a ‘to do list’. We have bought and planted the shrubs outside the boundary fence, prepared the fence posts (cut to length, cleaned and painted), created and planted the rockery and started on building more raised garden beds.

However, the last couple of days have been a bit different. The combination of a very busy week at work and drizzling rain yesterday meant that I did very little outdoor work. In fact, I could say I did nothing much until I actually list what I did do.

Washing
Ironing
Prepared meals
Menu planned
Shopping
Picked beans, tomatoes, corn and mangoes
Sorted contents of freezer
Prepared and stored mango (pureed, frozen, dehydrated)
Prepared and froze corn
Swept floors
Dusted sideboard and bookcase
Refilled pantry containers from storage buckets

There were probably a dozen other little tasks that have not even made it onto the list.

The Duke also washed several loads of dishes and emptied the compost numerous times while I was making a mess in the kitchen.

Most of these tasks will need to be repeated the next day, week or month but that does not bother me particularly. I am constantly looking at ways to simplify my life and one of the reasons to reduce the amount of time and effort that is expended on routine tasks such as many of those that I have listed. A good example is shopping. This my shopping consisted of buying cheese and vinegar at Aldi (the vinegar was for the chutney), a small quantity of fruit and vegetables at the local fruit stall and The Duke bought some bacon at the butcher when he went in to town on another errand. The flow on effect was that putting everything away took about 2 minutes so that is a huge saving as well.

So, what do you think of repetitive homemaking tasks?

Project 333 – Christmas Shopping

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Posted on December 22, 2013

While the rest of Melbourne was creating shopping mayhem in the CBD (or so it seemed), I sauntered down to my favourite shop in Bridge Road, Richmond. I had planned to fit in some clothes shopping during this trip and here is what I found.

3 camisoles in my base colours of red, white and black.

Black spotted blouse with pintucked front in a fine 100% cotton fabric. I am looking forward to wearing this with a black skirt.

Black/white 100% cotton top. I also bought the same style in navy/white. These will be perfect with skirts and shorts.

Finally, a dress and jacket. The black dress is sleeveless and fitted. The cropped jacket has 3/4 sleeves and is lined.

As always, the pieces were bought to mix and match with my existing wardrobe. I can already see many possibilities for these new additions. I will be looking at culling a couple of my older fitted t-shirt tops and generally reviewing my wardrobe to make sure that I am getting the best use from the clothes that I love.

Buoyed by the success of my clothes shopping expedition, I then headed into the city ad braved the crowds to buy a new handbag but more about that another day.

Tomorrow it will be back to earth when I need to buy the food to make a simple Christmas lunch for 4 people. I have a rough idea but will be heading to the markets to see what is in season and catches my eye so that will be my guide. I will share more about my Christmas menu with you tomorrow.

Project 333 – Refining My Style

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Posted on December 19, 2013

The countdown is on to another 3 month season of Project 333. I originally participated in this project back in April 2012. You can read my first post about dipping my toe in the water. Since the initial 3 month period, I have not stuck rigidly to the ‘rules’ but simply set myself a goal of streamlining my wardrobe to a small selection of clothes that I love and wear.

One of the things that has really helped is learning to know and understand my style. It is unique to me and cannot be dictated by an outsider. Style is about you and it is much easier to define and refine as you peel away the layers of clothes that you consistently overlook when choosing an outfit.

If I had to choose one word to describe my style it would be ‘simple’. That is really apt as it fits in neatly with my philosphy of simple on so many levels. It is partly because of the climate I live in but I am definitely not a fan of layering such as top, tunic and trousers then a drapey cardigan over the top. It is simply not me.

I am lucky to have found a range of clothes in one boutique that mostly meets my needs. In fact I could almost go so far as to say that the clothes I have bought from Rivette & Blair make up the majority of my wardrobe. I have 2 dresses, 4 jackets, 6 shirts, 8 tops, 4 skirts and 2 pairs of trousers that I have purchased over the last 4 or 5 years. There have been others that have worn out out or been moved on after several years of wear. Regardless of the shop, I have made a couple of bad choices and bought items that have not stood the test of time. However, understanding my style helps me to shop smarter and hopefully the bad choices will be minimised, if not completely eliminated.

The 3 photos I have used in this post feature 9 different items. They are all from Rivette & Blair with the exception of the pink cardigan in the first photo and the skirt in the last one. They are generally basic pieces which can be mixed and matched with other items from the range or other sources.

I am currently reviewing (yet again) the contents of my wardrobe with a view to checking out my favourite shop when I go to Melbourne soon. Even though I can order from the website I am much happier going to the shop and actually trying the clothes on. I am not a convert to shopping onlne for my clothes yet. What about you?

STREAMLINE – If One Comes In, One Goes Out

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Posted on November 1, 2013

This is a fairly simple strategy – for every item that you welcome into your home another one needs to leave. Whilst this strategy will not turn you into a minimalist overnight, it will certainly maintain the status quo.

One of the most popular applications of the ‘one in, one out’ rule is clothes. Buy a new shirt and then choose one that you can move on. If you are having trouble letting one go, perhaps it is time to ask yourself why you bought the new shirt in the first place. Did you really need it? The last time I looked, we can only wear one shirt at a time so why do we need a wardrobe bulging with clothes?

Appliances are another area where we can tend to buy a new version yet retain the old one. It is usually consigned to the back of the cupboard or the garage ‘just in case’. Just in case the bright new shiny one breaks down? Do we really buy things expecting them to fail? If the previous one needed replacing it is time for it to go.

We recently purchased a new refrigerator. After a considerable time spent looking and debating the various options available this is the one we bought.

Of course, there was the question of what to do with the old one. The Duke briefly canvassed the option of keeping it downstairs as a ‘beer fridge’ but we realised that it was completely unnecessary and would use up space and electricity. I advertised it on Freecycle and am pleased to say that it has gone to a young couple who were trying to set up a home with very little in the way of resources.

Most of us live in relative affluence and virtually everything we buy is an upgrade/replacement/newer version of something we already own. Therefore, there will be something to move out of your home. If the previous item was broken it should be consigned to the rubbish/recycling. If it is still functional someone else may benefit from having it. No-one benefits from it being stashed away to deteriorate in your garage or basement.

As an aside, I find this principle of ‘one in, one out’ a fantastic disincentive to shop. “Why spend my hard-earned cash on something when I have a perfectly good one at home?” is the question I often ask myself.

How effective are you at ‘one in, one out’?

Project 333 – Holiday Shopping

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Posted on October 8, 2013

We have been on holidays for a week so I have actually had time to browse in a couple of shops. I found a couple of tops that will add a bit of interest to my wardrobe for the upcoming summer.

I bought this one at Penola in the south-east of South Australia. It is a lightweight cotton and will be perfect for our hot summer. It is a small black and white check with a touch of red stitching on the collar and the frilled front. I will be able to wear it with both shorts and 3/4 pants in black and white. A plain red skirt is on my wishlist which would match perfectly.

Today I bought another top – this time I was at Victor Harbor. The colour is badly distorted – it is actually mauve, not blue. Once again, I will be able to wear it with both the black and white 3/4 pants and shorts.

When I get home, I will take a closer look at my existing tops with a view to moving some along.

Do you refresh your wardrobe on a seasonal basis?

Wardrobe Workhorses & Wishlists

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Posted on August 13, 2013

This week the weather has turned warm, even hot by some standards and it is officially still winter.

Many of my clothes are suitable for most of the year depending on how I wear them. However, the warmer weather has made me stop and think about what new things I might consider buying this season. I have 3 good pairs of shorts and probably enough skirts but it might be time to get some new tops. Other than that the 2 main things on my wishlist for summer are sandals and a hat. My current sandals are well-worn and have been repaired. They will keep going for some time yet but it would be nice to have a new pair to wear to work during the summer months. The hat that I crave is a straw one in a dressy style. Since I am not tall, I find that I need a hat with a straight or slightly upturned brim or otherwise I end up looking like a mushroom. I have a fabric hat which is fine for travelling and beachwear but I would really like one that I can wear with a dress in the city.

That is enough about my wishlist, now for the workhorses.

These are some singlet tops that I bought at Uniqlo when we were visiting Japan in 2009. They are some of the most versatile items I have ever owned. I wear them as singlets in winter, pyjama tops with boxer shorts, tank tops in summer and even to work as a camisole with a skirt and cardigan. The lace edging and straps are actually elastic lace and they are really comfortable. When these wear out I will definitely buy more or possibly make some if I can find suitable elastic lace.

Having items of clothing that do double or even triple duty will be very useful when I come to pack when we travel overseas. I am hoping to travel as lightly as possible. Do you have any particular ideas that have worked for you?

What a Weekend!

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Posted on August 4, 2013

Our weekends are usually full of activity at home because we are at work all week. This one was no exception and I have to admit that it is great to get to Sunday evening and feel a real sense of achievement.

Of course there are all of the basics to be done so I had 2 loads of washing done and hung out on Friday evening. The weather has been fine and dry for the past few days so the washing almost dried overnight. This meant that I could do the ironing on Saturday morning.

Our first job was to split and stack some more firewood.

We will probably not use the fire much more this winter so there is now plenty of wood split and ready for next year.

There was a huge pile of logs that needed splitting and they are almost all gone now. Just lots of smaller pieces to be sorted and stacked into boxes. It was great to get this done as we will be keeping the woodshed but dismantling the adjacent chicken house before long. That is because we a building a new run for the chickens.

The new chicken run has been a considerable time in the planning and preparation but now you can actually see some progress. We have dug the holes and set the 4 corner posts in concrete. There are another 4 intermediate ones done, too.

There are still 6 more holes and posts to do so we are hoping that the fine weather continues so that we can do them next weekend.

The garden is looking really good at the moment as you can see.

The lemon tree is groaning with the crop.

Vegetables are growing well. We need to have bok choy with a few meals this week before it completely overwhelms everything else.

The azalea is looking particularly pretty.

In between the outdoor work, I managed to do the shopping at the local Co-op, fruit and vegetable stall and Aldi as well as host some guests through AirBnB last night.

Here is a final shot looking down from the verandah of the area which will be the chicken run. There will need to be some re-arranging of some of the plants that fall within the area, although I think the mango tree will probably stay. This was taken late in the afternoon but you can see the peach tree on the left of the photo which is already starting to blossom. In another couple of weeks it will be in full flower.

All in all, it has been a fun and productive weekend. How was yours?

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.