Slow Living Month 9

September seems to have been super slow with not a lot happening compared to more productive months, but as usual it is good to look back and see what was was achieved.

NOURISH:

We enjoyed a  fragrant chicken curry using Indian Tomatoes  from last months  freezer supply and the butternut and orange chutney that has been standing in my fridge for a while.It truly was tasty! 

I have wanted to use some Lavender from the garden in my cooking for a while so  my daughter and I tried our hand at some lavender shortbread. 

We also made shortbread with lemon balm. The lavender shortbread was the winner!
If dinner is cooked in the oven, I continue to make the apple and oat bake for hubby's breakfast. My daughter made a double batch of jam squares one evening too when she needed eats for a function. Her brothers were happy to have the extra delicious snacks too!
 As we had sufficient gooseberries, I made another gooseberry pie.

We have been enjoying guacamole at lunch time as avocados are in season. We add tomato, finely chopped onion, coriander and chilli from the garden, garlic and lemon juice...delicious!

PREPARE: 
This month I made a batch of sweet chilli and tomato sauce with tomatoes and chili from the freezer.

My home made pickled onions were great and I made a second batch which are just as good!

Lemon curd has been made again and again, enjoyed with pancakes and fresh fruit.

REDUCE:
We continue to recycle paper and glass and I reuse card board boxes when I need to package any orders.

GREEN:

I have been neglecting my worm farm for some time and am always amazed that the worms are still alive when I do peek in there! This month I have been paying better attention to it and have reaped the benefits with some worm tea to use in the garden.
 The compost heap has given us an amazing amount of beautiful rich and dark compost which has gone into the garden.

GROW: 

My friends and I have been sharing seeds this month and we are enjoying swapping and trading seeds.

I have harvested tomatoes, lettuce, mustard greens, gooseberries, herbs and lettuce.
 I look forward to summer and more bountiful harvests!

We have planted a butter spoon tree and it seems to be doing really well. It was given to me by our local nursery in exchange for a bag of old newspapers on arbour day.

 Petunias were planted between the cabbages. Gem squash, strawberry,  cucumber and basil seedlings were planted . Sunflower, water melon,  spanspek, bean, radish and squash seeds went into the beds and pots.

I had fun creating this little feature which reminds me of my far away farm sister....
The wire heart was a gift from her, the base bought on a visit to the farm in 2009, and the stones were collected by her when she was living in a coastal town a number of years ago. 
The petunias are producing beautiful lilac blooms now, reminding me of her daily.

CREATE:
I knitted up a pair of chocolate brown fingerless mittens for my Mum and will be posting them to her shortly. Besides that, not much on the creative side for me. However, my daughter has been creating all sorts and I have lent a hand here and there when she asks for help. 
She made "tea pot" invitations for her 15th birthday tea party.

With the help of a friend she sewed her own "Infinity Dress" for her party in just two short afternoons. It is a simple dress with two long pieces that are attached to the sides. These can be wrapped in many different ways to create different styles for this beautiful dress. 

She also made tea pot, tea cup and shoe shaped cookies for her party. They were decorated by hand, each one unique and delicious!

DISCOVER: 
A friend gave me a very early birthday present which I have been enjoying...
"My 100 Favourite Herbs"  by Margaret Roberts. 
It contains a wealth of  information about growing herbs, using them in the kitchen and to produce health and beauty products. 

ENHANCE: 
I enjoyed a visit to a local market with my sister in law. It was wonderful to sample all the different wares and I came home with some fresh vegetables for the week ahead. 

Our youngest has continued to sell bath sprudels to raise funds for the Chaeli Campaign as well as Peace pops. 

ENJOY: 
This month we enjoyed watching our two younger children perform at the Artscape Theatre as part of the 

Shakespeare Schools festival 2012. 

It was a wonderfully entertaining evening. 

Beach walks and talks were enjoyed as well as a number of  friends birthdays.

Lastly we enjoyed celebrating our daughter's 15th birthday over this past weekend.

Once again I am thankful to Christine for hosting this great link up at Slow Living Essentials.