Slow Living Month 2

Life has been full of all sorts so my post for February is a little late, but here it is . Thank you Christine of Slow Living Essentials, it is good to look back on the month once  again.                         .

NOURISH: 

We enjoyed ratatouille made from scratch with aubergines from one friend, tomatoes from another and peppers and courgettes from our own garden.

A delicious granadilla cheesecake, using granadillas from our vine, was shared with friends at our Valentine's dinner.

My daughter and I made butternut fritters for lunch on a couple of occasions. 

PREPARE: 

Where possible, double batches of mince with added vegetables were made, some for eating right away and some for a quick and easy freezer meal on a busier day.

My son enjoyed the usual batch of chili jam.

I harvested all my basil and made basil pesto as well as a large batch of basil and olive oil paste which I froze in ice trays for later use in winter soups or stews.

My pepperdew bush finally gave me enough to make one jar of pickled pepperdews. 

My daughter tried her hand at granadilla butter which went down very well, served on pancakes with ice cream....

 decadently delicious!

REDUCE: 

The usual recycling of paper and glass took place.

GREEN: 

I enjoyed sipping on borage tea. It is known to alleviate melancholy and fatigue. I rather enjoyed the fresh taste of it.

In the garden, I cut back my lemon balm and sprinkled it around new seedlings. Apparently this offers protection against many bugs that would otherwise enjoy munching on the new seedlings.

Grass cuttings were used to mulch newly planted beds.

GROW: 

My neighbour introduced me to a new nursery. What a treat!  I planted:

 red basil, soup celery, spring onions, lettuce, different varieties of chillies, broccoli, spinach, leeks, onions and marigolds. 

We enjoyed the months harvest:
 pepperdews, red cabbage, red onions, granadillas, tomatoes, beans, corn, marrows, chillies, first gooseberries, a tiny butternut, green peppers, spinach, lettuce and herbs.

CREATE: 

I finally began knitting a scarf after having bought the yarn some time ago.

After last months craft class where the girls made felt elephants, my daughter was asked to make 10 miniature felt items on order. They needed to fit into a match box, so they were considerably smaller than her usual felt creations..... 



They turned out beautifully and the recipient was thrilled.

 Her craft club girls made hanging chalkboard hearts this month.
It was lovely to see how individual each creation was. 

DISCOVER: 

Food, garden and crafty blogs and sites have been enjoyed. 

ENHANCE: 

I joined another "Hello Mornings Challenge". The aim is to be up before the children, spend time in personal Bible study, exercise and planning for the day. There is a daily on-line check in and a great Bible study on hope. Some days were better than others...

My little nephew has been spending more time with us again and it has been a pleasure to have the little man around the house. 

ENJOY:

 Life was embraced and many moments enjoyed!

Moroccan evening with fire dancers.

Valentine's dinner with the neighbourhood.

An art exhibition of some of my Dad's work.

Celebratory birthday tea for my God daughter.

Jambo...our gorgeous rescue pup came into our home and has fitted right in.

A picnic and evening under the stars enjoying an open air Shakespeare play.

Food from around the world at the annual Community Chest Carnival.... 

especially the Dutch food!

And of course snatches of time under the big blue sky....