8:32 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Nothing too much exciting today apart from getting my hair cut so I look respectable for my first day of my new job on Monday.
Most of the rest of the day was taken up with more domestic chores such as defrosting the small freezer as well as washing and ironing. It was while I was doing the ironing that I looked closely at a favourite skirt. I realised that it will be pretty easy to create a pattern from it to make others. I may try to draft the pattern tomorrow.
I have still yet to source more chilis - maybe tomorrow. I also need to sort the frozen goods and relocate some of them from the frig/freezer back to their rightful home in the newly-defrosted bar size freezer.
9:03 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Today didn't turn out quite as I planned in yesterday's entry.
I had a gentle start to the day - the last official day of my holiday and then decided to do the ironing. It is almost all done (including the washing from today) and I will finish it tomorrow.
My mother and sister came for lunch so it was Tuna Pie and Salad again for lunch followed by a fresh fruit platter. I was able to include peaches and mulberries from the garden alongside bought nectarines and plums.
After the visitors had gone I donned my old clothes and spent a bit of time in the garden pulling out the old cucumber vine. Then the chickens got into the soil and staring digging it over. I think I will get G to help me remove the trellises and then I will plant beetroot as my next crop in that bed. I hope to grow a large quantity of beetroot this year so that I can preserve enough to last us right through next summer as well as eating some in risotto and roasting some. I have never roasted beetroot before but I believe it is yummy.
Rather than modifying the recipe for the Sweet Chili sauce I have decided to wait until tomorrow and go and see if the neighbour has any ripe chilis and see if I can make up the shortfall that way and then give her a bottle of the sauce once it is made.
6:38 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Today I had a break from sewing. I decided that I was going to have at least one day this week that really felt like I was on holidays. A friend came for lunch and it was lovely to just be able to sit and chat. We had Tuna Pie & salad followed by a piece of
Scottish Fruit Loaf. I had actually made this one using a combination of dried apricots, dates and almonds. I felt quite refreshed and relaxed - which is what holidays are all about.
This afternoon I ventured down to the overgrown garden and picked the last 6 cucumbers from the vines. The vines will get pulled out on the weekend. I also picked Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes as well as 3 different types of chilis. I want to make Sweet Chili Sauce but only have 190g of chilis and the recipe is for 250g so I think I will reduce the quantity and make it tomorrow. I will also make some more cucumber pickles. The larder is filling up again. I made plum jam today with 1kg plum I bought earlier in the week. That made 3 medium jars of jam. G loves plum jam.
9:51 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I have spent most of the day in my sewing room today. I managed to finish the 2 shirts that I started the other day.
The project was not without its challenges. All was going smoothly until I found a bottle of Fray Stop in my newly tidied sewing room. I haven't used it for ages but decided to put it on the buttonholes before I cut them. I always did this previously but had forgotten recently. A drop got on the front of the pink line shirt so it was a bit of a panic to remove it. I managed to get it out successfully but isn't it always the way that it happens when you are sewing for someone else :(
I also made a pair of satin boxer PJ bottoms for my daughter as well in a fuschia colour. The fabric was leftover from the trim on her dressing gown that I made her for Christmas. I then went back to finish the second shirt (white linen) and was very careful when using the Fray Stop. I covered all of the garment apart from the buttonholes and set to work. However, I did not realise that that colour from the satin had stained my finger slightly and that combined with the Fray Stop left a small pink stain over the first buttonhole - I did say I had challenges!!
I soaked the shirt and got it clean but I must say today's creating was a bit traumatic! Luckily, not every day is like that and I will learn from my mistakes.
On a completely different design/creative theme I am starting to consider all the design aspects of my new kitchen. The builder came on yesterday with the final quote for some major building work. A lot of it is outside - concreting as well as re-cladding and insulating the outside walls but there is some internal projects. These include replacing 2 wardrobes and removing a wall between the kitchen and dining-room. Then we will be redoing the kitchen with a completely new configuration so it is time to put my thinking cap on and consider types of finishes, colour schemes, layout etc. This is a really exciting project because it although it is our 6th house it will be the first time I have had a real opportunity to set up the kitchen the way I want it rather than making do with what was already there. The kitchens I have worked with ranged from really good to downright terrible so I have some pretty clear ideas about what I do and do not want. The building work won't start until well into April so I have plenty of time. There will be more discussion and photos as the process unfolds.
9:48 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Here are the totals for this week.
Week 4 - 113 grams
2009 total - 899 grams
It is almost the end of January and we are still well under 1kg of rubbish for the year. I am really pleased with our achievement so far. I am definitely going to continue recording for the year to see how things change.
10:22 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
.........with apologies to Charles Dickens.
Today I have been making 2 linen shirts for my elder daughter as she prepares to return to the workforce after 16 months leave. They are the same style as others I have made recently.
I have finished the hot pink one apart from the buttons and buttonholes. I have to buy more thread tomorrow so that I can finish it.
The white shirt is partly made and should be finished tomorrow as well.
While trying to conserve the pink thread I realised how wasteful we are in so many ways, simply because it is easier. In an attempt (in vain it turned out) to have enough thread to complete the buttonholes I started just pulling the fabric a couple of inches away from the foot at the end of a row of stitching before cutting the threads close to the end of the seam. Normally I would pull the fabric up to 8 - 10 inches away before cutting the threads. Today's method took a little extra time but made me think of how many metres of cotton I have wasted over time.
Saving thread reminds me of a story book I had as a child -
"Five Little Peppers and How They Grew". In one part Polly and her mother are sitting on the verandah unpicking garments for refashioning. Polly's eyesight is failing and she cannot see the thread properly and breaks it. Her mother hears the snapping sound and reprimands her. I realised that not only were they planning on re-using the fabric but also the thread which they were rewinding onto spools. That is seriously frugal!
Back to the 21st century - I will take photos of the shirts when they are finished and post them here.
6:27 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Anyone who has been following this blog closely will notice that I have slipped up and not posted yesterday. I think the title of my last entry is a giveaway as to the cause, "The Littlest Guest".
I arrived home at about 4.30pm on Friday with Baby O and I must say that in the 44hours (was I counting?) that she was here our world was turned upside down. Even though I have brought up 2 children of my own nothing prepared my for the challenges of having a demanding 13 month old person here without her parents. From the first sleep-deprived night it was all I could do to bathe, feed, entertain, settle and generally care for Baby O as well as do some semblance of housework quite apart from any blog entries.
Her parents arrived today to rapturous applause from Baby O and they stayed for lunch. Then we collected up ALL of the clothes, toys etc for their trip home.
Since today is Sunday it is another No Spend Day as will tomorrow because it is a public holiday.
I am not sure what we will be doing tomorrow - just a quiet day at home, I think.
I do wish it would rain - it is just so hot and humid here these past few days. I have just looked at the
weather radar and there does seem to be some rain coming our way.
Now I am off to help G make dinner - mini pizzas on Turkish bread, mmmm!!
8:51 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Tonight we have Baby O sleeping over for the first time by herself. I picked her up after I finished work and she will be here until Sunday lunchtime when her parents arrive.
I had an emotional day at work today - saying goodbye to my co-workers of the past 6.5 years. Even though I am ready to move on it is a wrench to leave your comfort zone. After a meeting this morning we had lunch and they gave me a lovely pair of earrings and a pendant. The farewell card with lots of good wishes is also very special.
I am planning an early night so that I can cope with any unexpected awakenings during the night - I hope not though.
5:35 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Yes, tomorrow is my last day in my current employment.
I start my new job on February 2nd after holiday for a week. I am looking forward to the new challenge. It will be very different from what I have been used to. I will be working regular hours in an office environment (never done that before) and no travel. I must say it fits much better ethically with my environmental concerns than constantly driving and/or flying all over the place. I will catching the train to work and probably will go to the station with G in one vehicle.
We are not going anywhere during my time off between jobs so I will just be at home getting things organised. G also has 2 days off next week after the long weekend so it will be a great opportunity to get stuck into some jobs around the house. Maybe we could build the fence around the vegie gardens and orchard??
Firstly, I will be picking up our darling 13 month old granddaughter (Baby O) tomorrow afternoon and she will be staying with us until Sunday when her parents collect her. It is Baby O's first sleepover here so quite exciting for all concerned.
Last night I started some knitting. I have not knitted anything much for a number of years and this is for a gift. The recipient may be reading this so can't divulge any more detail just yet. After I had started I remembered that I had a drawstring calico bag which had contained one of my Christmas gifts. I had carefully put it away so retrieved the bag and found that it is just the perfect thing in which to store my knitting. This will be great for taking it on the train so I will be able knit while commuting.
10:59 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I am constantly amazed at how our garden continues to provide even with minimal input from me. This evening I picked 3kg of produce including cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cucmbers, zucchini and white peaches. I also noticed good crops on the lemon, grapefruit and orange trees not to mention the avocado tree which is laden with fruit yet again.
It is good to know that we can go at least some way towards providing for ourselves from our land.
5:31 AM -
Posted by Fairy -
Very short entry today. The rubbish for this week is in a Parcel Post bag in which I received a parcel last week. Another decrease - how long can I keep this up?
Week 3 - 173 grams
2009 total - 786 grams
As the challenge continues my new short-term goal is to get under 1kg for the month. Watch this blog to see if I can achieve it.
9:38 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
The bunya nuts have been boiled and about 2/3 dehusked, roasted and ground. I now have a 2 litre ice-cream container almost full of bunya nuts ground to a similar consistency to almond meal. This will be stored in the freezer until I use it.
The other 1/3 of the nuts did not get dehusked as it was a very tough assignment for my hands and I actually ended up with a huge blood blister on one thumb. So for the time being the rest are in a bag in the freezer.
It was really satisfying to see the container of finely crushed nuts that I had created completely from picking up the pine cones.
8:10 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Yesterday I collected about 8 cones from our Bunya Pine. The tree is high on the slope at the back of our block but fortunately when the cones drop they roll down to near the chook house so we can easily collect them. I have
removed all of the nuts and
weighed them
- 4.4kg with the husks on. They are currently boiling and then the next step will be to remove the husks. I will then spread them out to dry and after that they will be roasted in a warm oven. I plan to grind the nuts and freeze them once they are ground. That way I will be able to use them at my leisure in a variety of recipes. This the first year I have actually planned on using the nuts so it is a new adventure. Watch upcoming posts for more bush tucker news.
From the slightly more cultivated garden area I am still picking zucchini and cherry tomatoes. The highlight of today was the white flesh peach that G found on the dwarf peach tree. We shared it and the taste is simply like nothing you buy in the shops. It is not hard to remember why we grow our own produce. I plan for 2009 to be the year when I have all of my fruit fly controls in place so that hopefully we will be able to get a decent harvest of nectarines and peaches. I finally made the cucumber pickles today that I talked about at least a week ago. The delay has been getting some yellow mustard seeds without making a special 80km round trip.
Tonight I also made some more fruit loaves using a combination of dried apricots, dates and chopped almonds. This combination seems to be a winner with everyone.
I mended some of G's socks using the zigzag stitch on the machine. There were not true holes but rather some very thin patches which I have reinforced before they become holes. Remember, "a stitch in time saves nine". This certainly holds true for the socks and they are so much easier to do before there is an actual hole.
I also must not forget that today is Sunday and therefore, "No Spend Sunday". Not only did I not spend but I actually made money today - $50 for a tall wall unit which I finally managed to get rid of. We inherited it with a previous house purchase but it is now excess to our requirements. The recipients are very happy with it and we are pleased to have the space.
7:23 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
As the title says my creation is complete. My new shirt which I have made entirely from materials I had on hand is now finished. Here is a photo. The fabric I used is white linen with the collar and pocket flaps from a light blue cotton with small white pattern on it. The pattern is one that I cut from a worn out shirt that I bought about 6 years ago. The fit is perfect and I love the style which is nice and cool for our climate. I have now made 4 shirts from the pattern.
8:44 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
It has been hot here today with not a breath of breeze. We have not had a fan for about 18 months since the last one gave up but I may be forced to get another. Generally it is a little milder up here on the range but we have had a couple of quite hot days.
This afternoon I did some more work on my shirt. I now just have the buttons and buttonholes left to do. Buttonholes are so much easier to do with my new machine which I bought about 4 years ago since it does them automatically and the button dictates the length of the buttonhole so no more guesswork.
Apart from that I managed to go into town and get some meat, fruit and vegetables and a tin of Milo for G from the IGA. When I got to the checkouts it seemed busier than usual - chaos would have been an apt description. A few minutes later one of the senior staff at the express checkout announced that their eftpos system was 'down' and that people would have to pay cash but there was a functioning ATM in the front of the store. I had cash for my 1 item but was reminded of all the times that I only use a card and don't have cash in my wallet. I think that is about to change. I know it was hot and tempers probably a littled frayed but what astounded me was the reaction of several people to the fact that the system was not flowing as normal. One man was quite rude to a lady who had gone to get her cash and came back to pay. He made a snide comment about 'queue-jumpers'. It really does show the ugly side of human nature and gives a little insight into how ugly things could get if there really was a major systems failure such as with Hurricane Katrina.
The garden has been neglected in the heat but I have still managed to continue picking cucumbers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and the occasional strawberry. It is now 5 months since I started picking strawberries so they have done really well. Once we get the fencing done I will be moving the strawberries. The plan is to have them surrounding the blueberry bushes along the fence and be able to securely cover all of them from the marauding birds.
9:00 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Also known as my menu plan has gone awry. I have not stuck to the menu plan religiously this week so tonight was going to be omelettes and salad which was originally scheduled for Tuesday. I got sidetracked this afternoon and did not go to the shops to get any fruit and vegetables and the final straw was the discovery that the last of the lettuce was beyond redemption.
So it is 6pm and nothing prepared. I had a scramble in the freezer and found some cooked arborio rice (about 3/4 cup), bolognaise sauce (single serve), soft breadcrumbs and a 500ml container of
Mimi's Refried Beans. So I set about creating a meal.
Mexican Slice (newly named)
Thaw and heat pre-cooked rice. Add 1 beaten egg to rice, season with pepper and a little celery salt. Press rice mixture into the bottom of ovenproof dish. Thaw bolognaise sauce and refried beans, combine and spread over rice base. Combine 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup grated cheese and sprinkle over bean mixture. Bake in moderate oven for 20 minutes unitl heated through and topping is crispy.
Served with zucchini, peas and carrots.
This quantity would serve 4 adults, however, since there are only 2 of us we will have leftovers for lunches.
It is amazing what you can create with a little bit of thought.
I have to confess that the reason I did not go to the shops is that I was busy sewing. I am making good progress on the shirt which I mentioned yesterday. I should finish it tomorrow as long as I can find some suitable buttons in my collection. I originally thought that I would have to buy some white bias binding to finish the neckline and armholes but have decided to make my own binding using the contrasting fabric that I have used for the collar and pocket flaps. So this will use up some more fabric scraps and save me buying anything more for the moment.
5:13 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
When I went to let the chickens out at lunchtime I was shocked to find one of them had died. Although I do not know a lot about keeping poultry I do know that they don't live forever and this was one of the older ones which we have had for close to 3 years. I have buried her - on the vacant land next to our block so that the dog cannot dig it up. I guess you have figured from this that we only keep chickens for the eggs - not to kill for meat. Although I am not a vegetarian I have always said that I would be if it was up to me to be involved in raising and killing livestock for us to eat.
On a brighter note - I have been tidying up and sorting out my sewing stuff in an attempt to get the spare room into some sort of order. It is all part of my 'big picture' decluttering plan. While I was refolding some offcuts of material I found a piece of white linen with which I am going to make a shirt. It took quite a bit of fiddling with the pattern placement to be able to fit the pattern on but I did it by having contrasting pocket flaps and collar and cutting the front facings separately out of some other white poly cotton fabric I have. It is amazing what you can achieve by being a bit creative. I have got it all cut out so once it is made I will post a photo of the finished article.
8:03 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Here is the rubbish for this week bagged up in a used corn chip bag and ready to go in the bin.
Week 2 - 246g
2009 total - 613g
I am pretty pleased with our results so far so hoping to keep it up for the year. Now that I have figures for 2 weeks I have some sort of baseline to aim for as the year progresses. Even at this rate we will still generate about 16kg of rubbish for the year. I have have been doing some research and found that the 'average' person in Australia throws out around 600kg of rubbish per year. I know that the rubbish I am measuring is only generated from within the house and does not include things like the empty cement bag which G used when putting in the new post for the gate. Despite all of that I am sure we will come in way below average so I am really pleased.
The other exciting news is that I have successfully purchased my chosen mobile phone as planned. Over the coming week I will have to acquaint myself with the features and also load all of my contacts into it from my existing phone.
6:30 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I spent the morning at home doing a bit more housework. When I am complaining in a day or so that my knees are hurting this post will remind me that I spent a considerable amount of time on my hands and knees - scrubbed the kitchen and laundry floors as well as cleaning the internal timber staircase.
Before I went out at lunchtime I collected the mail which included a parcel - my 150 new pegs that I ordered from
Maid of Shade. They look great and I am sure will work a treat. I am not planning on using them straightaway but rather to put them in my stockpile to add as required when the others break.
I carefully opened the plastic postpak that the pegs arrived in by splitting it along the top edge. This will be the rubbish bag for next week. The rubbish bag this week is the bag from the corn chips that I bought last week to make Bean Nachos.
Before I started work I went to the local Telstra Shop to see about buying a new mobile phone. I have had a mobile phone supplied by work but now that I am changing jobs I need to get a new one. I had done my research via Telstra catalogue, the internet and
Simple Savings forum and was fairly convinced that I knew what I needed. Once again, the staff proved how easily people can be led by the sales pitch. The Nokia phone I wanted was $79 to puchase outright as a pre-paid so it was not going to do wonders for their sales so the salesman's final spiel was to point out that because of where I live it might be better to have access to the 3G network which covers 98% of people in Australia (his words, not mine) and that is not available on the phone I had chosen. I wasn't going to fall for this so said I would think about the information he had given me and walked out of the shop. 2 minutes later I realised that G has an old-style Nokia which cetainly is not compatible with 3G and it works perfectly well for our requirements. By this time I had lost my place in the queue and needed to get to work so tomorrow I am off to BUY my phone. No-one is going to distract me from my chosen path!
Tonight we are having sausages and vegetables for dinner and after that I hope to do a bit more sorting of my sewing and craft things.
7:54 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I have maintained my perfect record of No Spend Sundays for 2009. In fact neither G nor I went out today.
G spent the day in the yard - mowing and then planting lots of white agapanthus. We already had plenty of blue ones but no white ones. Our neighbour knew I was looking for white ones so when she divided hers she kindly brought a large clump of them down on Friday. Some are planted near an old tree stump and others between the chook house and the cedar tree along with the king orchids, heliconias and blue agapanthus that are already there. The area is starting to get quite established. The next step will be to put some mulch down. It will most probably be leaf litter which is easily raked up from other parts of the garden. G also concreted a new post in down near the bottom gate as there was a gap which a determined canine could use as an escape route. The next project we need to tackle in the yard is fencing the vegie garden/orchard area. There is considerable debate as to the location of the the fencing and whether or not we need to remove the NSW Christmas bush. It is a lovely shaped tree and the foliage and flowers are stunning. If we end up removing it we will definitely plant another one.
I have been working on my UFO's (unfinished objects) of which there are a few. I have darned the numerous holes (about 8) in G's woollen pullover (thanks moths!). My darning is effective but definitely not up to the standard of some of my ancestors. I did get better at it as I progressed and now am even thinking that a darning mushroom could be a useful addition to my sewing basket. Here is a video on
'How to Darn a Sock'.
The other project which I finished today was a doorstop. My mother made a Gumnut Babies design tapestry which is to cover a brick and to be used for a doorstop. She gave this to me about 12 years ago when we were living in a different state from her so naturally the tapestry and instructions were posted to me - but not the brick. At the time I found a brick, covered it with some newspaper then polyester wadding but never got around to lacing the edges of the tapestry fabic together on the underside of the brick. I have used the doorstop for all of that time in 3 different houses and most people were probably unaware that it was not complete but it irked me that
I had not finished it. The other day when I was vacuuming the lounge I noticed how grubby the tapestry had got so I washed it and today I added fabric extensions to the tapestry fabric edges and have sewn it all together using heavy-duty thread. The doorstop now has pride of place in the front entry.
I also cleaned my sewing machine including dismantling the bobbin case. It is scary just how much fluff gets into everything.
In the study I did a bit more sorting out including re-arranging the filing system for the bank statemetnts and clearing out some of the many emails in our Inbox.
I also did all of the washing and ironing so am ready to start the week with a clean slate.
9:34 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
We spent the most of the day looking at houses with our daughter and family so didn't get home till after 3pm.
Luckily I did a load of washing and hung it out before we went.
So, washing is in and folded, ironing to be done tomorrow, dinner cooked and eaten plus the dishes all done.
I have also been looking at what sort of mobile phone and plan I want to get once I give up my work phone in 2 weeks. I just want one to make and receive calls and texts in emergencies - nice and simple so a bit more research is required.
Possum, here is the recipe for the
Chickpea Loaf. You will need to scroll down to Robyn's post on Nov 1st. I make the loaf and when it is cool I slice it and flash freeze. Then you can simply thaw and heat in the microwave and serve with vegetables and gravy.
8:52 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I have just realised that I have come to the end of the week of meals I had planned so now it is time to put my thinking cap on and come up with some more ideas so that the title of this post does not come true.
Pay day is not until next Thursday so I don't want to have to buy much until next weekend.
Saturday - Vegetable casserole with dumplings
Sunday - Zucchini Slice with salad
Monday - Sausages with vegetables & gravy
Tuesday - Omelettes & salad
Wednesday - Tuna patties & salad
Thursday - Chickpea loaf with & vegetables & gravy
Friday - Pita bread pizza
8:28 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
"Live simply so that others may simply live"
I read this again today and am reminded of what a powerful message it is.
By living simply we can reduce our ecological footprint, share the resources of the planet more equitably, leave a better world for our children and grandchildren as well as saving money.
6:36 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I have had a day at home today catching up on all sorts of chores that just never seem to get done.
One thing I have been meaning to get is some more clothes pegs. The ones I have are gradually deteriorating and it would be nice to have some spares in my stockpile. Stockpiles are not only about food but also household goods. I
found this
website today which stocks fabulous clothes pegs so I have ordered 5 packs.
This afternoon I made 2 quantities of Zucchini Slice and also 2
Scottish Fruit Loaves using dried apricots, dates and almonds. They smelled delicious when I took them out of the oven. Tonight I will prepare the cucmbers ready to make Cucumber Pickles tomorrow.
Speaking of cooking - last night we did not have Chicken Burritos -I did not feel like making the burritos. I made Honey Mustard Chicken which we had with pasta and vegetables. A well-stocked pantry and refrigerator makes it easy to revise a meal at short notice for whatever reason. Tonight the beef stir-fry will have capsicum and onion with chilli, ginger, soy sauce.
8:37 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Like a jungle! I finally made time this afternoon to do something in the vegie garden. I pulled out all of the old climbing beans from the trellis and cleared heaps of weeds out of that bed.
The chickens then got into the bare earth and had fun catching all sorts of goodies.
Today's harvest was worthwhile - 3 cherry tomatoes, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 large zucchini and 15 cucumbers. Now, what to do with the cucmbers? I will be making some pickled cucmbers and may look for a recipe for chilled cucumber soup. I guess they will be some of tomorrow's chores.
5:46 AM -
Posted by Fairy -
I slipped up yesterday and did not post anything but I worked and then went shopping - proper grocery shopping for the first time in about 3 weeks.
I went to
Aldi and stocked up on basic items such as cracker biscuits, pasta, cheese, butter, toothpaste and lots of canned goods - fruit, pineapple, tuna, corn and tomatoes. Then it was off to
Simply Good where I can buy dry goods from bulk bins. I re-use my own paper bags so this means NO packaging. I bought chickpeas, kidney beans, almonds, sultanas, red lentils, arborio rice, bran flakes, wheat flakes and mixed herbs.
The evening was spent packing everything away. I put the month/year date on all packaged goods using a texta and the bulk goods are all rotated so that the new product goes in the bottom of the container.
I am not 100% sure but I think that we could eat well for at least 6 months on the supplies we currently have. There are so many reasons for having a supply of food and miscellaneous items and I did test my supply a little towards the end of 2008. I was so busy at work I simply did not have time to shop and went for 7 weeks and only bought a couple of lots of fruit and veg. Everything else came from the pantry, freezer and garden.
6:54 AM -
Posted by Fairy -
2009 is the year I am going to quantify the amount of rubbish our household generates so I am going to weigh it each week before putting in the bin.
Out household consists of 2 adults.
Week 1 - 367 grams
This was made up of:
a plastic bowl (about 35 years old) which has finally got a crack in it and is no longer functional
scraps of fat that I trim off the bacon and store in the freezer (for the last 12 months)
expired debit card (chopped up)
6 cotton buds (from cleaning the computer keyboard)
plastic wrapper from a block of cheese
seal from a purchased tub of dip (Christmas fare)
plastic label from a mini bottle of body lotion (bottle kept for travel cosmetics)
foil sheet from tablets
plastic bag (with holes) from fruit and veg purchase (apples)
All contained in the bag in which we receive a subscription magazine and sealed with a recycled rubber band.
The majority of the weight is the meat scraps and bowl which are one-off items.
This has really made me stop and think before I put every item in the rubbish. It will be interesting to see how the pattern evolves over several weeks.
9:05 AM -
Posted by Fairy -
As promised here (on left) is a photo of the finished bathrobe. I am really pleased with how it has turned out.
Sewing patterns are expensive but this is one from which I have definitely had value for money. I bought the pattern about 10 years ago and have now made 6 robes from it for both male and female. Here is another (on right) that I made in satin for my daughter for Christmas.
10:09 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
As mentioned in one of my earlier posts my plan is not to spend any money on Sundays or Public holidays apart from recreation spending. The reason for setting myself this challenge is as a statement against extended hours of opening for retailers. I dislike the fact that it takes away family recreation time for all those who work in the retail sector as well as the encouragement for people to spend as a recreational activity.
Today was a success with no spending on groceries, petrol, whitegoods etc. What did I do?? I met another Simple Saver and family for morning tea at a local cafe. We also made friends with the resident Eastern Water Dragon. Afterwards I came home and washed, ironed, sewed and cooked. Sound boring? - perhaps, but the cooking and sewing are hobbies as well as necessities and the washing and ironing are all up to date so I don't need to worry about them during the week while I am working.
I am making a bathrobe for G which I have nearly finished so tomorrow I will post a photo of the finished article.
2:59 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
As promised I am reporting back on our trip to the movies last night to see Vicki Cristina Barcelona. G and I both enjoyed it. The scenery and architecture was stunning - maybe we should add Spain to our list of possible overseas holiday destinations. The story was fun and I thought Penelope Cruz's character was a standout. I would thoroughly recommed this film.
Today we have had another trip to Brisbane to look at a house for sale with our daughter and her partner. It was not suitable but gave us all an opportunity to think further about what they are really looking for - buying a house is such a big step that you really need to know that you are happy with it.
We went to our local fruit and veg shop to stock up for the week ($16.35). Even though we sometimes think food prices are expensive it does not cost a lot to eat well, especially when you cook as much as possible from scratch.
I have done a menu plan for the week:
Sat - Chickpea loaf (from the freezer)with onion gravy and baby potatoes, carrots, zucchini
Sun - Celery soup with fresh baked bread
Mon - Beetroot and bacon risotto
Tues - Spaghetti bolognaise and side salad
Wed - Bean nachos
Thur - Chicken burritos and salad
Fri - Stir-fry beef and asparagus with ginger, soy & chili sauce
Now I'm off to do some washing (just as well the line is undercover as it is raining here today) and tidy some more of the study.
Thanks to those who have left comments/are following this blog. I will endeavour to keep it valid and interesting.
10:45 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
I left home at 5.35am - dropped G at the station, drove to Brisbane and dropped off about 50 plant pots for a friend to pot plants for a garage sale. It was a great feeling to deliver recycled pots in a recycled bag that layers pellets came in which was tied up with some baling twine from some bales of lucerne which we had bought previously. I then headed off to pick up my mother and we wnt to the Gold Coast and spent the day with a dear friend of my mother's from 40 years ago. There was much chat and recalling of places, people and events and it was a lovely shared time. I am so glad that I made the time to go as these chances can easily slip away. This afternoon I picked up G from the office and we had a meal at an Irish pub then went to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona at the cinema. The review will be tomorrow as I am too tired now.
I could have easily disregarded my blog and just gone to bed but after posting that I would update my blog every day I would feel like a real failure if I did not post on only the second day of the New Year.
7:35 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
This post is for one of my other challenges I have set myself:
Buy nothing on Sundays or public holidays
No groceries, petrol, whitegoods, electronic equipment either in person or online.
The exceptions are outings and recreation activities such as movie tickets, restaurant meals, admission to galleries or other venues.
The reason for this is linked to my aim to simplify my life. What did we do when the shops were open 5 1/2 days a week. We organised ourselves and made sure that we had what we needed and if we didn't we went without. It is not that long ago and I want to prove that I can do it again. If nobody shopped on a Sunday then it would not be viable for the shops to open and we would be giving back 1 day/week family time to everyone who works in retail. A bit optimistic perhaps, but I am going to give it a go. Thanks
Cinderella Complex for making me think about this.
7:21 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
Late this afternoon I noticed that there was water flowing from an open pipe under the house. HELP - what is going on?? G and I figure that it has something to do with the solar hot water system. The water was hot but the main problem was that the constant outflow of water meant that the pump kept running to top up the hot water tank. Note: we ONLY have rainwater tanks and no access to town water. Eventually I decided to read the manual for the solar hot water system. Under the heading "Maintenance" it talks about releasing the pressure valve on the tank every 6 months. It was installed 16 months ago and we have never done it :( So, in the fading light and with rumbling thunder approaching G was up on the roof and released the valve. It seems to have solved the problem but we will check again on the weekend.
Guess who has pencilled that little maintenance job in the diary for 1st July and 1st January each year - nice timing for ease of remembering.
5:13 PM -
Posted by Fairy -
It is one thing to have New Year's resolutions which I always sort of do but this year is different.
Since last year threw up more than its fair share of challenges I have really taken the time to think seriously about where I am in my life and where I want to be. I want to have some control rather than just being dragged (sometimes kicking and screaming) towards another year over and feeling like I have not achieved anything.
The new job will go a long way to helping live my life on a more even keel.
Lots of little things keep coming to mind so I intend to write them all down here so that I can check up regularly and see how I am going with the challenges I set myself.
A few other things:
Deal with the mail as soon as it arrives - not to gather dust in a pile on the desk
Menu plan our evening meals and try to incorporate a least 1 new recipe each fortnight
Find a new dentist in our area and go regularly
Have my hair cut every 6 weeks
Minimise the rubbish we generate - I was inspired by
SachaOver the years I feel that I have done a reasonably good job of reducing our waste, particularly plastic packaging though a variety of means so now it is time to quantify it. I am going to weigh all of our rubbish so that I know exactly how much we contribute to landfill.
Update on the movies - we got to the cinemas and the foyer was packed with people. Note to self (and G) - do not go to the movies in a holiday area on New Year's Day when it is 37 degrees!
We plan to go tomorrow evening in Brisbane after G finishes work. I am going to the Gold Coast with my mother tomorrow to see a friend of hers from 40 years ago. She has not seen me since I was at primary school.
9:04 AM -
Posted by Fairy -
Time to start on my blog with renewed enthusiasm.
Rather than just being about the garden I have decided to make this a true record of life at The Castle for 2009 (and perhaps beyond).
Looking back (just briefly) on 2008 it certainly had its ups and downs. I am hoping for a more even 2009.
I have been inspired by all of my friends at
Simple Savings and all the talk on the forum of goals and challenges for the New Year so today is the day to re-start my blog. Please join me and see how I go with some of my new ideas.
I have lots of goals for 2009 and will expand on my ideas in coming posts:
Write something in my blog EVERY day.
Each month I will meet and socialise with at least one friend with whom I have not kept in contact regularly.
I will read the AG magazines we have (20 years worth).
I will read at least 1 book each month - hope to manage more than this.
Do some sewing/mending at least once a week.
Tend the garden regularly and make the most of what we grow.
Do the ironing on the same day as the clothes are washed.
I will be changing jobs at the end of this month with a 1 week break between jobs. My new job is in the city and I will be able to catch the train. It is about 75 mins commute on the train each way but better than driving 500 - 1200km week as I do in my current job. This will allow me lots of time for doing things while I travel.
This morning I am cooking up a storm - so far I have made 2 x Chickpea loaves and a tuna pie. I am waiting for the chicken mince to thaw so that I can make
Mimi's Chicken Roll then I will cook them all in the oven in one go.
This afternoon we are going to the movies (a rare occurrence) as we have 2 free tickets which we have had for nearly 12 months and will expire at the end of next week - that would be a waste! We are going to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona so will report back on that next time.
In the meantime I am going to do some more cleaning up in the study.
Look forward to hearing your comments.
