Slow Living Month 5: May 2012

May has been jam packed and as Christine said in her post, 

I too feel like I have been chasing my tail! 

Exams for our eldest son dominated the month alongside a fair amount of busyness. 

I feel the need for more slowing down!

NOURISH: 

Some of what we have enjoyed in the month of May-

* Butternut soup with lentils and apples to lower the GI and a hint of curry, shared with old family friends and then made again:
 some to enjoy and some to freeze for one of those busy days.

* Sausage stew, a family favourite from my childhood, loaded with fresh veg and some frozen marrow from the farm, in a sticky tomato and herb sauce.
*Spicy chicken curry slow cooked at lunch time and ready for dinner.
* Cooler mornings call for something warm at breakfast- 
I have been putting a breakfast bake in the oven at night alongside dinner:
apple & oats with cinnamon, enjoyed warmed up at breakfast time.
* Tried out some new muffin recipes: carrot and ginger & then savoury muffins with spinach, feta and sun dried tomato...delicious!

My daughter baked up a storm one Monday morning when there was no bread in the house..

*Challah- a plaited yeast bread with finely chopped spinach from the garden, mixed herbs and sun dried tomato.

*Apricot muffins - a double batch for those in between times when snacks are needed.

*Crunchies- plain for us and a batch of choc chip for the neighbour

and then she treated the boys to pancakes for lunch.

* An orange cake baked for her Opa's 75th birthday.
* Dinner kindly made by her on one of the days of crazy revision with my son - a delicious vegetarian North African spicy butternut and chickpea tagine with fresh peppers from the garden.
* She has been making pots of home made hot chocolate with vanilla and cinnamon and sometimes a dash of chili for me!

PREPARE:
Not much done in this department...

* More of that tomato and sweet chili jam for my boy...here is the recipe I use and adapt here and there if I don't have everything on hand:

about 500g tomatoes (red, green , frozen or fresh...whatever I have)

4 cloves of garlic

2 or more teaspoons freshly grated ginger

4 or more red or green chillies

30ml fish sauce

300g of sugar (though I usually use a bit less)

100ml red wine vinegar (I use what ever I have or a mix of what I have on hand)

1 or more onions diced (more is good)

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar ( if I have it)

I let it simmer in the pot until it has reduced and thickened well, then bottle it. 
It doesn't last long as he eats it with everything!

 Really good on a cheese sandwich.

GROW: 

*I have planted peas and beetroot seedlings and then there are tomatoes shooting up everywhere that I didn't plant!

*I have harvested green peppers, spring onions, mustard greens, spinach, kale, basil, coriander, rocket, first peas and believe it or not a few more beans!

CREATE:
I have had little time to be still and be creative besides starting a new scarf for my daughter but she has had fun being creative...
* Her monthly Krafty Kow workshop was yesterday, scrap-booking with the girls. Each girl received a pack with pretty embellishments & templates she had made up for them. I loved the tags she re-purposed from old paint swatches.

*Below is a fun card she was "commissioned" to make for a 13th birthday and a pretty rose and ribbon bookmark she created from fabric scraps as a gift for a friend.

* She made this blue beaded handbag charm/ key ring to add to 
the bookmark to complete the  gift.

DISCOVER: 
Most of what has been read by me this month has been to help my son prepare for his exams. I think I could have written too and passed the geography and English papers!
 The younger two kids and I have been enjoying numerous books on Ancient Egypt as they decided they wanted to re visit that. 
And then of course there are the blogs I follow on home educating, mothering, gardening, green living and home making.

ENHANCE: 

* My daughter volunteered her time manning a table at the Teddy Bear Fair.

*She has been babysitting in exchange for sewing lessons.

* Our little nephew had a sleepover so his mum and dad could enjoy a night out and a late lie in. He has also been coming more often to us during the day 
as his mum is working mornings.
* Shared lifts to exams and other outings have been a blessing.
* We joined up with Free Rice, a free fun place to learn and earn grains of rice to feed others. Thousands are earning grains of rice daily, while having a great time learning! 

ENJOY:
* My family really spoiled me on Mother's Day with a lovely breakfast in bed, handmade cards and gifts and flowers picked from the garden.....

I love the fabric painted tray cloth with bright red poppies that my daughter made for me!

*There were many birthdays celebrated with family & friends this month and one of my dearest friends celebrated her 40th with a most enjoyable breakfast.
*It seems it was the month for numerous school outings too,
 creating enjoyable moments of fun learning times together.
*More weekends spent at home instead of galavanting all over the place.
* We enjoyed keeping warm next to a cosy wood fire on chilly nights too.

Thank you Christine for the opportunity to share again by linking up at
Slow Living Essentials.

Slow Living Month 4: April 2012

April is over...

 Time to reflect on little accomplishments again, even if they are just baby steps

 toward a slower, greener and simpler life.

 Thank you Christine for the opportunity to share and link up at Slow Living Essentials. 

NOURISH:

(Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over-packaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.)

As the days are cooler, I am finding we are wanting to eat "comfort food", steering away from cold meals and salads, so here are some of the dishes we have enjoyed over the month of April:

*Vegetarian lasagna loaded with veg from farm that my sister brought on her last visit.

*Lamb that my older sister blessed us with on her last visit, made into a tasty curry with spinach and kale from the garden.

*Tasty home made chicken soup with frozen corn from the farm and herbs from the garden. I also like to add some fresh ginger and some frozen cubes of chili- great tasting soup!

*Nutritious cottage pie loaded with veg and a potato with added butternut for the topping as there were not enough potatoes at the time.
* Meatballs and spaghetti in home made tomato sauce with added herbs from the garden.
* Fish stir fried in pesto from the freezer with onions and beautiful green peppers from the garden.

 *Apricot squares baked by my daughter as well as apricot muffins (treats that are wholesome and suitable for hubby's low Gi diet, rather than convenient treats)

PREPARE:

 ( Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.)

*I bought a kilo of dried apricots from a wholesale dried fruit shop at a good price and we have been enjoying them in our baking:

*I found mushrooms at a reduced price per kg and made some mushroom sauce for the freezer. This is delicious when added to a pasta dish or used in an omelet.

*For my eldest, I made chili and tomato chutney, using chili from the garden and tomatoes given to me by my neighbour. He loves to eat this with everything!

*A double batch of tomato sauce made for a veg lasagna...there was enough to freeze and later add to two other meals.

*Blanching and freezing beans from the garden, just small amounts at a time as there are few left, but when added up, enough to add to a couple of meals.

REDUCE/ RECYCLE:

(Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.)

*My clever hubby has used old wooden palettes to make a sturdy new garden gate as the old one was falling apart. 

*We continue to bake healthy treats to be enjoyed by the family if the oven is on for dinner, saving electricity.

* On that note, I am trying to get my family to be more aware of electricity consumption, reminding them to switch of unnecessary lights in the evenings.
* My daughter and I have been re-purposing old books ( that she rescued from the dump) and scraps of paper to  create cards for the up coming teddy bear fair.

GREEN:

(Up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.)

*My neighbour has a new coffee machine and she regularly brings me the used coffee pods. Coffee grounds are placed around the plants to control aphids, rather than harmful pesticides.

GROW:

( plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!)

Growing :

* Cabbage and broccoli seedlings are doing well.

* Leeks  and garlic are coming along and gooseberry bushes are shooting up all over the place! 

*Peas are getting their first fruits and I am hoping it is not too late to plant some more. 

*Aubergines are putting out flowers but I think I may have planted them too late as the flowers seem to be dropping off.

Our harvest: 

* beans, chillies, spinach, kale,lettuce, basil, spring onions, celery, mustard greens, green peppers

CREATE:

( to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.) 

Lots of knitting:

*Completed the fingerless mittens on order, as well as a black pair.

 They are great for keeping hands warm but freeing the fingers so one can still work well.

*A cowl for my daughter- the colours are just lovely on her with her blond hair and blue eyes

*At last I finished off the jersey I started making for my one year old nephew before he was born!

*My daughter made cute felt elephants for a cultural exchange and she is busy with teddy bears for the upcoming teddy bear festival.

* She has also made a beautiful Alice band with a fabric flower and done some fabric painting.

DISCOVER:

( Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month. )

*Too many new websites: gardening, schooling and parenting and Christianity..love them but need to be disciplined!

ENHANCE:

( community: Possibilities include supporting local growers & producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or food swap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.)

* Our monthly nature club outing, taking in autumn's offerings.

*Car pooling continues, giving ourselves and other parents a break from all making the same trips when we can share the load.
*I have loved babysitting my busy nephew a few times over the month so his mum could get a few things done.

*My daughter has enjoyed her weekly craft group, learning new skills.
* She also held another Krafty Kow workshop, teaching the  younger girls how to make sand shaker cards, embellished with beads and flowers, and some pretty mothers day gifts - rose hearts.

We have done some bartering too: 
*My daughter has been babysitting three little ones in exchange for sewing lessons from their mum. 
*Black fingerless mitts that I made were bartered with a young girl in exchange for fun nail painting as gift to my sons girlfriend. 

ENJOY:

(Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.)

Some highlights in April:

*The Passover Meal we celebrated was timed perfectly with my mums visit.

* Easter weekend shared with family and friends was just wonderful.

*The changing season, causing us to take note of the trees in their glorious array of colours

* Enjoyable read aloud times with the children, that are now more frequent that the holidays are over.
* Celebrating our sweet cousin/nephew's first birthday!

Krafty Kow workshops

Last year our teen daughter was part of a craft group that met monthly. The girls enjoyed learning new craft skills and producing something hand made. Arts and crafts are part of her life....she enjoys them immensely and is always working on some project or other.

 She has been privileged to be asked to run the classes for the first term this year. 

She has successfully run two workshops and made herself some pocket money on the side.

 It is wonderful to see her be able to pass on her love for anything crafty to younger girls and to see her sense of satisfaction at being able to generate some income for herself. 

She has learned so much from these experiences......

teaching requires patience with younger ones who need extra help,

working out costs and profits and budgeting,

planning and organizing each workshop,

understanding that work is required to earn money

and

reaping much more than financial rewards!

In her first workshop, she taught the girls how to make pretty necklaces.....long necklaces with hearts and pearl beads as well as sparkly key rings with crystal and pearl beads.

 One of the mums told me her daughter loves to wear her necklace daily. Another mum enjoys the fact that it is easier to find her keys in her handbag now days!

The second workshop was a great success too. 

The girls made ribbon charm bracelets, the charms being the armour of God. 

Each girl got a little card with the relevant verses and a pretty pink bag to keep their bracelets in. 

They can literally put on the armour of God daily.

 One mum loved it so much, she ordered one right then and there for herself!

As the workshops have been successful, she has been given the opportunity to run more in the new school term. For the first one, she will show the girls how to make beautiful beaded cards for mothers day and then there is a surprise item they will be making for their mothers day gifts too! 

The second workshop will be a scrap booking workshop where the girls will make mini scrapbooks...these have already been sourced by my entrepreneurial daughter as well as some gorgeous embellishments.

She has dreamed of her own little business for some time and came up with the name "Krafty Kow" a little while back...spelled with K as her name begins with K and she loves crafts and cows! 

So if you would like her to run a Krafty Kow craft workshop for a group of 6 to 8 kids, please let us know!

Unfortunately she can only offer classes in the Cape.