Posts tagged “self sufficiency

filling the larder

Posted on February 16th, 2012

The summer bounty is coming in thick and fast. Our lovely friends recently gave us a few buckets of their organic plums so we went to work making a batches of cinnamon infused jam for easy morning breaky’s for the next year (or how ever long they last!). They have a great taste, with the sweetness of the natural sugar, added sugar and the tartness from the skins. It’s a bit of an explosion in the mouth to be honest. This time of the year, heading into Autumn is true harvest time for us. Soon we’ll be in glut of some veg and I’ll be busy making the next years supply of zucchini relish, spicy seasons end green chutney and pickling a few beasties…(this…

the backyard is as local as it gets

Posted on February 14th, 2012

Why EVERYONE with access to soil doesn’t grow their own veg is beyond me. Actually I have a good idea why. It’s all those shitty distractions of modern life. Work, TV, Sports, social expectations, giving a shit about the Grammys and wasting time getting valentines day gifts. All unnecessary distractions. Not sounding like too much of a wanker, although I often find that a difficult task…. Life for us is simple at the same time it’s fucking brilliant. We chose this life and are so much the happier for it. We’re happy, our kids are happy. We live in a little country cottage (that we painted green and not for ironic reasons although come to think of it…..the green house hhhmm might be something…

for the love of simplicity

Posted on January 28th, 2012

One thing I’d like to achieve this year is to finally digest the classic thought bender that is Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I’ve been trying to finish it for a few years now. It’s not an easy read like a fictional novel, it’s the kind of literature you pick up every so often and read for some inspiration on how to improve yourself. I find that I don’t agree with everything that Thoreau wrote, but there are so many amazing bits that get to me and inevitably receive the highlighter treatment so I can find them easily when I next pick up the book. One thing we (Thoreau) can both agree on is the approach to a particular lifestyle. I love being independent,…