Slow Living Month by Month

NOURISH: I’ve done more home cooking than normal this month, which is always difficult, as I cook almost every night and generally make from scratch already but often I’m tempted to be slack when I’m busy or get intimidated by the idea of going the extra step with things like making stock/bone broth.  Well this month I made my very first home cooked stock/bone broth.  It isn’t as gelatinous as I’d like and the flavour isn’t as intense as I’d like, but for my first go I’m pretty happy.  I’ve been reading lots lately on how good bone broth is a staple to a healthy diet, so this first stock is sitting in jars in my fridge being used for lunches,

I’m throwing in whatever vegetables and leftover

meat I have and heating the whole lot, and I’m loving the fact that I can eat “stew” for lunch so easily and knowing its doing me the world of good. I have also baked a couple of cakes this month, which again isn’t new, but both times I was sorely tempted to just buy something for convenience sake and overcame the urge, so I’m proud of myself.  I also pulled all the bits of bread I’ve been collecting over the last few months from the back of the freezer and turned it into 3 ice cream tubs worth of bread crumbs!

PREPARE:  My freezers are full…. See the above comment about the bread crumbs, I’m not stockpiling much right now as I am feeling a little overwhelmed with clutter at the moment and my small kitchen doesn’t give much space for a stockpile, but in saying that there is still lots of pasta, flour bits and pieces tucked away.

REDUCE: I’ve been trying to get some mending done this month… I say trying because I keep getting interrupted and not getting to finish or get my sewing machine out!

GREEN: Nothing new here sorry.  Although I still love the smell of Tea Tree in the humidifier, such a clean, comforting smell.

GROW:  Well, its been more pulling out than growing, all the herbs that were let run through the summer to discourage the mozzies had started to die off, and other area’s of the garden that hand just been neglected are slowly being cleaned up and mulched to sit and compost for the winter ready for spring plantings.  The veggie gardens have gone a little nuts with all the rain we’ve had lately, I’m sharing my Kale with a friend as I have far too much, there is heaps of  Silverbeet, which I absolutely love and I don’t think I can ever grow too much of  and the turnips have the biggest leaves on them I’ve ever seen ( just quietly I think there might be too much nitrogen in the soil… lots of greenery not much fruiting!)

CREATE:  Lots of craft with Miss Cheeky this month, and I was on craft at playgroup one week too, I dyed raw pasta and we made rainbows, which was kind of appropriate as

 it was the first day in4 or 5 that it hadn’t rained!

DISCOVER:  Lots of things have been popping up on other blogs that I read about the wonders of home made stock/bone broth, so I’ve been avidly reading those.  I’m also trying to research foods that are helpful with combating anxiety, seeing as how I don’t want to be medicated, but have recognised that I have to do something, I’m more than happy to add particular foods to my diet if they will help, though I am finding that most of the things suggested are already in my diet…. I’d hate to see how nuts I’d be without them in my diet!!

ENHANCE: I can’t think of anything specific right now, although I’ve been made the secretary of my husbands Army association (not sure how that happened…) I’m trying to focus on my family right now, Church and Playgroup are still happening, but time doesn’t seem to be encouraging many other specific activity’s right now.

ENJOY:  I’m enjoying the last month before my Miss Cheeky turns 3, and we are enjoying the warmth of the sun when we can get it.  I’m enjoying being able to pick fresh veggies when I want them (even if it is only Silverbeet and Kale right now).  And I’m enjoying the late night silence, I’m staying up after everyone else has gone to bed to try and get some things done, and instead of resenting the lack of sleep, I’m trying to enjoy it, and the thing I enjoy the most, and the most surprising is the SILENCE, I never thought the day would come when I could say that, but I am really really enjoying silence when it happens.

Not too  many pictures this time, I'll have to remember to do more next time, though the pictures here tend to show my passions don't they..... food, food and food.....

Slow Living March-May 2013

Nourish:  I finally have an oven that has temperature control.  Unfortunately I have been far too busy to make the best use of it.  I have been backing breakfast frittata’s/tarts for my Hubby to try to help him with his Gluten Free diet, and I have made lot’s of roast potatoes…. I am slowly working towards being mostly additive free, which is a big desire for me, it is easier than I thought in some aspects, and I am finding that it also goes hand in hand with the Gluten Free thing, a lot of the “instant” and pre made sauces and recipe bases that I would normally buy are of cause Gluten based, so finding the alternatives (I can cook most of it, its just not always as convenient) has also meant cutting the additives.

Prepare:  I haven’t done a lot of this, though there has been lots of thinking and dreaming about it.  I have purchased a dehydrator but am yet to use it and I have been looking for recipes for sauces and meal base substitutes.  I am trying not to stockpile at the moment.  I love the idea, but don’t have the space, which means when I buy extras they get shoved to the back of the linen closet and I usually forget they are there… which leads me to go shopping and buy more stuff that I don’t have room for!

Reduce: This one always seems hard for me to put into words.  I live in an area where there are 3 separate bin collections: General waste, General Recycling (glass, metal, paper etc) and Green Waste (which includes all organic material including all kitchen waste!)  When they bought the scheme in there were lots of complaints about it being messy and the general waste sitting for too long (Fortnightly pick ups) etc, but I love it.  It means that If I am vigilant and watch where hubby throws rubbish (a lazy recycler!) I can reduce my general waste to 2 grocery bags a fortnight and that includes the night nappies from my toddler!  It also means that I am in a rut when it comes to reducing further…. Will have to think about that!

Green:  I am still using cleaning products already in the cupboard as well as bicarb and vinegar.  I realised the other night that because I have bought concentrates in the past (which I am still using) and I use the bicarb and vinegar, I have not had to buy a new bottle of ‘general purpose’/’spray and wipe’ type cleaner in at least 2 years!  I have been using the bicarb and vinegar to clean my new oven (which I think has been cleaned more in 3 months than my last oven was in 3 years!) and its great, not only because it is safe and environmentally friendly, but Miss Cheeky who likes to help whenever there is a spray bottle involved can help without me worrying about the dangers…. The biggest danger is usually me worrying about being sprayed in the face with vinegar!

Grow:  I had a bit of a disaster with my wonderful seedlings that I posted in February… not a one survived transplanting.  I was more than a little cranky to say the least.  I have pulled out all my old seeds, and my new ones that I got for winter from my garden club and been to the nursery to buy some seedlings and now have most of my winter vegies in the ground.  I am battling with the White Cabbage Moth in my Brassica bed at the moment, so I have netted it and sprinkled it with Derris dust but I found one of the rotten things inside the net the other day, so I need to get out when the rain stops, re sprinkle the Derris dust and pull off  the caterpillars I can see.

Create:  We have been very creative here lately.  I finally finished the Laundry Bags for Aussie Hero Quilts that I mentioned in February and I am now onto planning 2 quilts for a little later in the year when 2 of my friends deploy.  Hubby has been very creative (with lots of encouragement and enticement) and has built me 2 raised veggie gardens on the Southern side of the yard, so they might actually get some sun.  Previously my vegies were in bed that were already here around the fence line but facing south, so got very little direct sun.  We are the low property in the run of houses so a lot of the yard is shaded by the fence on the high side property.  He and the neighbour have also rebuilt a rotting retaining wall, which looks great, though they have yet to resurrect the fence….

Discover:  hmmm…. I am trying to find my contented place, searching for the light switch you could say, but I am not quite there.  I recently purchased an eBook bundle off the Time Warp Wife blog Not all the books are relevant right now if ever, but it was still a great deal I think, I am slowly working my way through the books and bonus online courses that I feel are relevant right now and am hoping that I might be able to find some equilibrium.

Enhance:  Well, in the building of the new retaining wall, we spent a fair bit of time getting to really know our neighbours, which has been lovely.  I have started going to a new playgroup with Miss Cheeky, which is good for my mental space even if she isn’t fussed on playing with other kids.  A group of church friends and I are about to start running a toddler music program in our community and I have recently joined a new online support group for partners of veterans.  I enjoy being involved in my community, but have struggled to find the right places in the last couple of years, so hopefully these new adventures will prove positive.

Enjoy:  We have been extremely busy the last few months planning and running a reunion and ball for my husbands Army unit ( he is the association President, so when he volunteers for something we all do…) and it was very stressful, but well worth it in the end, it was a great fun weekend.  I have also been cherishing the times I have a chance to have play dates with Miss Cheeky’s friends and their mum’s.  We are off for a long weekend break shortly, so I am hoping to have some calm, peaceful, relaxing time with hubby and Miss Cheeky.

This Monthly catch up and Slow living post is part of a network of Slow Living posts and Blogs created by Slow Living Essentials, please come and have a look at everyone elses blogs and feel fre to join us on this journey.

Hoepfully I will be around a little more often now that my husbands reunion is over and we can get back down to the business of this Journey to Contentment.

Thanks for joining me here.

Wendy

Slow Living February

This month doesn't feel very much like slow living, but at least it has been productive!

Nourish:  My February venture into Nourish coincides with my discover.  As I mentioned last month, my husband and I were preparing to begin a detox program to address some health issues he has.  Well, we started this month.  My naturopath has been kind to us and has only started very slowly by removing the gluten from our diet.  I have tried for a few years to minimise it and we have been eating gluten free spaghetti for about 6 months, I found a really good one at the Sydney Gluten Free Expo last year and bought a case of it.  This month I have attempted to make gluten free Banana muffins/cupcakes, and although I have had initial success (hubby said they were good when he first tried them), I have found when I freeze them for hubby to take to work they do not taste good reheated….. back to the drawing board on that one!

I have also tried a couple of new recipes for dinner this month, which has been lovely.  Before we had Miss Cheeky I used to attempt a new recipe or two every week, but have found with a baby and now toddler that this just doesn’t happen.  Our favourite this month was a ‘skinny’ lasagne from the Hairy Bikers using leeks instead of pasta, I was unsure at first but it was really, really good and all 3 of us enjoyed it.  You can find the recipe here - Hairy Dieters Skinny Lasagne 

Prepare: My preparation this month hasn’t been in the form of stockpiling or really kitchen related.  I have been planning my new vegetable garden.  We have to rebuild a sagging retaining wall in the back yard and the current gardens back onto it, they also face south so don’t have the best growing aspect, so my hubby is going to build me a couple of raised beds with a better aspect, so I have been planning my layout and what I am going to plant.  The seeds are being raised and now I just need to hope for a dry weekend this weekend (yeah right) and I will have new beds to play with.

Green: I’m skipping this one again, forgive me!

Grow: Early Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Kale and cucumbers seeds have been planted and have well and truly sprouted with the amount of humidity we have had lately. 

The Basil, Mint, Tansy and Catnip that I have planted under out carport to help try to minimise the mozzies and flies have gone more than a little crazy

Create: I have spent most of the month cutting out, matching contrasting fabric and starting to sew the laundry bags I mentioned last month.  A much bigger job than I realised when I agreed.  I have had my mother in law helping with the sewing and have a lovely lady appliquéing the soldiers initials on the front of the bags for me.  We are still only half way there and I have discovered a problem with getting the logo on to fabric….. its expensive! I had intended to do them using print at home fabric but the colours don’t seem want to hold and keep running, to have them printed professionally appears to be exhorbitantly expensive, so I need to find a new idea to accomplish this.  The laundry bags are being made as part of a project called Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) here is the link to their blog - http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com.au/

Discover: I have been learning lots about eating Gluten Free this month, reading lots as well as discovering more affordable ways to buy GF flours etc.  I have also spent a fair bit of time reading my garden books and seed catalogues in preparation for my new garden beds mentioned earlier.  I am hoping to be able to companion plant most of the vegetable garden to minimize the bad bugs and weeds as well as increase the harvest.

Enhance:  Still working my way through a project I volunteered to do for Aussie Hero Quilts, again a much larger task than I thought when I took it on.  I have also been assisting my husbands old Army Unit with the planning for a celebration ball they will be giving for some of their veterans who served in Namibia in the late 80’s early 90’s.

Enjoy: I feel like this month has been far too busy and more than a little stressful  rather than enjoyable.  I really need to learn to say NO.  That was my plan for this year but I have trouble saying no to mu hubby when he asks me to help with his projects, which usually means I end up over committed.  I have enjoyed the quite times I have spent with my Miss Cheeky, she is growing up way too quickly and I have to remember to take time away from all the other stuff to enjoy the little girl she is becoming.

Slow Living Month by Month

One of the blogs I have been following for a few months is Slow Living Essentials.  One of the things I love about this blog is the Slow Living Month By Month posts, it becomes a diary of sorts that allows you to see the progress you are making, the small steps that you are taking to make the big differences in your life, so here goes... my first month of recording these small steps....

Bread.....

Nourish:  This month I haven’t baked a lot, its been far too hot to have the oven going.  I have pulled out the bread maker and baked a few loaves, at first it was out of pure laziness, I just couldn’t be bothered to go to the shops to buy bread and I knew I had a couple of packs of breadmaker mix in the back of the cupboard that I have been wanting to clear out, but I hate throwing food away, so it had sat there waiting.  The few loaves I have baked have been much enjoyed by hubby and Miss Cheeky.  We have also been using up the Banana’s that are going soft (very quickly in the extreme heat) and baking banana cake cupcakes, I find if I make them cupcake size rather than in the traditional loaf pan it is easy to freeze them which means hubby eventually remembers to take them to work with his lunches and I don’t end up throwing half a loaf away.



 Prepare: I haven’t done much stockpiling this month, in fact I am in the process of using up what is in the cupboard to try to clear out the old stock and the things I tend to buy and then never use before hubby and I go on a major detox and make some big changes to our diets.

Green: Umm… well I’m still using the vinegar and bi-carb for lots of things, but maybe I need to focus on this one a little more J

Grow: Well I haven’t grown much as its been too hot to plant anything new.  I had expected everything to be dead when we came home from Christmas holidays but to my surprise we had a reasonable haul of Capsicums and a half a dozen or so cobs of corn that the insects hadn’t destroyed (any advise on how to keep the 28 spot lady beetles’ away would be much appreciated!)

Create:  I haven’t exactly created but I’m preparing to…. Yesterday was spent fabric shopping to purchase fabric to make into laundry bags for the wonderful Aussie Hero Quilts

Discover: As I mentioned above we are preparing to do a major detox and change of diet soon, this is happening because hubby has a range of gastrointestinal issues, including a mild tendency to Coeliacs Disease, so I have been browsing lots of books looking for useful recipes and looking around the internet lots to try and find the cheapest and best way to purchase GF flours etc.



Enhance:  I stared my blog this month, and am grateful for the encouragement I have received so far.  I have also slowly been working my way through a project I volunteered to do for Aussie Hero Quilts.

Enjoy: While its been hard trying to catch up with many people this month with people on holidays, or returning to work and preparing for school, we have managed to catch up with a special family who are very dear to us, but due to work commitments we only see during the school holidays and we cherish the times we get to spend together.  Also this month we have caught up with one of Miss Cheeky’s friend who we haven’t seen since early December and it was lovely to have some adult time and catch up with a lovely lady who has become a steadfast friend.

If you want to see the original descriptions for these you will find them here slow-living-month-by-month.

Sitting here thinking about and documenting these things has actually been really theraputic, I was a little scared when I sat down to write, because I didn't feel as though I had achieved much this month and was a little down about that, but actually looking back I have had a few successes and a more productive month than I thought.....

Thanks for joining me tonight,

God Bless you and yours.

Restlessness

I have had a couple of nice quiet days at home, by choice but also enforced because Miss Cheeky has had a head cold.  It's a change from the end of last year, where I was out almost everyday.

It has been nice, Miss Cheeky is all but we'll again, I've gotten a lot of housework done, though I wish I had more motivation when it came to doing the ironing. But there is a few big BUT's that go along with the peace and solitude of staying home.

*I feel duty bound when I am home to do as much housework as I can, but then I feel guilty for doing the housework instead of playing with Miss Cheeky so I give up on the housework and play, then I feel guilty because she has worn me out and I can't be bothered with the rest of the housework.  I believe it's called Mother Guilt, if anyone has found the cure please share it!

*I worry about Miss Cheeky's socialisation.  I don't really need to, she plays very well with her friends and the other kids at Church and is always making new friends with kids at the shops or anywhere else we go for that matter.  More Mother Guilt.....

But the biggest BUT I have noticed is that being at home with all the housework and tradesmen coming to give quotes and food preparation etc is that I have time to think.  Don't get me wrong. I don't necessarily think that thinking is a bad thing, but I have always found that when its too hot and humid to do much (and our house retains the heat, in fact since the cool change over the weekend the house has often been hotter than outside) I begin to get restless.  I lose my motivation, I can't focus on anything that has to be done, though I can focus on wasting time on the computer and I start to notice every little thing that I don't like or need to change or fix about the house, the garden, what I feed my family and there begins the spiral of fault finding, worry and anxiety.

I have decided that the spiral isn't going to take me down with it today.  I am going to keep going and even though if I look at the list of jobs to be done around the house, the list of projects to be started and the list of activities that I want to do with Miss Cheeky I am very quickly overwhelmed, today, I am not going to let restlessness, worry and anxiety win.

Discovering Discontentment

We watched a movie called "Courageous" a few months ago, it was aimed at encouraging fathers to become better Dad's and be fathers the way God intended.  Hubby really like the movie and found it challenging, so I bought him the book that goes along with the movie (The Resolution for Men) and at the same time discovered that there was a "The Resolution for Women" book, which I had really been hoping for.  After all, why should the guys be the only ones getting some guidance on what exactly God wants from us as parents!

Well, I finally started reading my book, and in the very first section of the first chapter I was challenged.... no confronted might be a better word, with a look at my own life.  The author, Priscilla Shirer talks about her inclination to rush through stages of her life to try to get to the next happier, better stage and I it felt like she was talking about me, not to me, but ABOUT me.  I have always, since i was a teenager, tried to move past where I was to a better place, to a happier time to anything that was better than where I was, no matter how good where I was was.  And I made a decision at that moment.... I was going to change that attitude, I was going to learn to be content with where I was, what I had and who I was, right now today.

I am stubborn, and impatient and I like to make resolutions like this, then within a few days or weeks it gets hard, so I give myself a hard time about failing yet again and move onto something new.  Not this time, I want to be content, I want to be happy and more than anything I want to enjoy my daughter, just as she is today, without realising that I missed out because I was worrying about being better, making the house better or just the next stage of our lives.  So here I am, sharing this with you, because maybe, just maybe I can find some like minded people out there who want to share my journey and we can keep each other accountable and encouraged.

This is where you can find info about the movie "Courageous" and the books I've mentioned:
Courageous and The Resolution