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January 2014
{nourish} - A shift in eating patterns which saw me eliminating gluten and dairy (and also greatly reducing sugar) saw some rather large changes in what I, and consequently the family consumes on a weekly basis (I have posted more about this situation here). Finding substitutes for commonly used foods was a huge focus for me this month and I confess to being a little overwhelmed at times by the choices available, weighing up what will be best for my health, food miles and friendliness to the environment. Completely overwhelming, right? To give you an idea of what's been happening in my kitchen I have been enjoying: smoothies, homemade almond milk, loads of salads, roasted root vegetables, green tea, coconut cream and oil in all sorts of dishes, beautiful fresh eggs from our chooks as well as a re-examination of the meat and fish we are consuming and options to improve on this.
{mango banana & coconut cream smoothie}
{prepare} - I had a go at making sauerkraut this month (or more accurately 'blaukraut' which translates as 'blue cabbage'). Who knew that fresh cabbage and a little salt after a couple of weeks could taste so good and be SO good for you? I'm loving having this in the fridge and have also started a white cabbage, carrot, apple and celery version which I'm hoping tastes just as good. If you are considering giving this a go, search for Sandor Katz on youtube and you'll be off and away in no time. Our lemon verbena is also growing like mad at the moment and I am enjoying cutting off long stems and allowing the leaves to dry in the sun to then use for tea - so refreshing! I have also been collecting the leftover almond meal from making almond milk and drying this either in the dehydrator or the sun, depending on the weather for use in other dishes and also as a substitute for breadcrumbs.
{'blaukraut'!}
{reduce} January always seems to be our clean up month, where we tidy up around the yard and de-clutter the home. Several bags of kids clothes were either passed on to friends or taken to the op-shop. To complete the cycle, I found a couple of really nice items that fit me perfectly are are exactly my style for just a few dollars - don't you just love it when you make such a find!
Making some cool summer clothing items for myself keeps me out of the mass produced, poor quality clothing shops and I am so much happier for it.
Elsewhere, I have been using some old net curtains in the veggie patch for protecting berries and fruit - which also has an extra bonus of filtering the harsh sun.
{green} - I recently stumbled across the healing benefits of drinking calendula in a tea as well as for topical applications. It really accomplished the job that I was hoping it would and I was glad to have a little supply of homegrown calendula on hand to use.
Each month I know I harp on and on about my skin but I was pleased to find that sea water also does remarkable things for mine and coconut oil works like magic on dry or sun-kissed skin.
While we were away at the beach, my daughter although she 'slip, slop, slapped' still ended up with a little sunburn on her legs and this was soothed by letting her soak in a bath with bicarb (baking) soda dissolved in it. About 3/4 of a cup in the tepid bath worked wonders..
{grow} - In the garden we patiently wait for the summer crops to grown and ripen. We have planted: tomatoes, corn, cucumber, beans, basil, beetroot, spring onions, lettuce, rocket, zucchini, pattypan squash, potatoes and one solitary pumpkin vine..I really don't know what happened there!
We have been enjoying eating blueberries (at last!), apricots, potatoes, lettuce, rocket, garlic, lemon verbena, and assorted herbs. The raspberry season this year was unbelievably light on with only just enough for pickings while watering. I can only hope next year will be an improvement! I have shnapps to make!!
Before heading down to the beach I did a big mulch over the entire garden with pea straw which has helped enormously with retaining moisture. The hugelkultur bed is cranking along and having dripper hoses and timers throughout the garden makes life so much easier in these hot summer months..
{create} - I was completely pleased with myself for finishing a pair of 'beach pants' before we went away. Now I have to say I'm not generally a leopard print kinda gal but this fabric was calling at me to make them into some light and cool pants! And they're really comfy too. And protect against the harsh, summer sun.
A dress was also made and in the odd moments when I'm feeling up for it cotton dishcloth knitting has been happening - I really want to have a years supply in the drawer. I have been using the waffle weave pattern that is freely available online and also in Rhonda's book.
{discover} I have been doing a bit of web surfing on paleo eating this month and while I agree with a lot of the principles I still think legumes and a small amount of grains have a place in my diet. Instagram helps enormously with this too as I can see real food that people are making in their homes and come up with ideas for my own situation. Lactofermentation has also been a wonderful new discovery and I am looking forward to learning more about this intriguing way of preserving. Lifting off a jar lid from my sauerkraut to see it bubbling away had me extremely excited!
{enhance} While we were away I supported the local farmers market near where we were staying and was pleased to bring home some veggie seedlings that I could grow as well as be a souvenir of our time away. Closer to home, just the other day I teamed up with a few like-minded women to do a little 'neighbourhood beautification'. Say no more.
{enjoy} This whole month has been such a lovely time for me. It was nice to have a break from study and take time to enjoy home life and the outdoors. I loved spending quality time with my mum. More plans to head back to the beach are on the cards as we feel so refreshed afterwards. I am watching my middle daughter commence high school and all the new and exciting things that lie ahead for her. My eldest daughter just turned 14 and I am watching her growing into a young woman before my very eyes. I am ready to start a new year, feeling invigorated and inspired to pursue my goals.
How was your month?
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