Slow Living April 2012

Linking up with Christine again this month although I am running a little behind but hey that happens sometimes.

Nourish -Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over packaged, over processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead.
 There has been a lot of bread making this month as well as pesto and big batches of muffins divided into small portions and frozen.  We have been eating the last of the cucumbers from the garden as well as lots and lots of eggs.

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.
I have been blanching the last of the beans and freezing them for over winter. Plus there are the extra muffins mentioned above

Reduce - Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing.
We have been finding old pavers all over our property since we moved in and in the last month we have been collecting them all up and storing them for future use.  We have a plan for them but I will share that once it is under way.

Green - Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.
April saw me invest in a new bicycle and I have been getting out and about on it taking our dog for a run which is great for my health and hers.  I also made up another batch of liquid soap and had my first go at making soap from scratch.

Chewed Cabbages

Untouched kohlrabi

Grow - plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? 

It has all been about winter veg this month.  We have such a short winter that you have to get things going while it is still warm.  This unfortunately meant the caterpillars make a feast of some of the first round.  It is interesting though that they are very interested in my cabbages but not so much the kohlrabi and they are planted right next to each other.

There have been a few summer veg fruiting here and there, the odd cucumber, capsicum and eggplant.  And I have been eating the odd raspberry and fig too.

And we have just harvest our first bunch of bananas ever.

 Create - To fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others.
 I participated in the Apron Swap this month and I have also been learning how to knit again.  I am making a dish cloth first of all since it will not matter too much if I drop a stitch here and there, so far only 2.
Discover - Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests.
I have been reading "The hand made loaf" by Dan Lepard and it has been such a joy.  I think I will need to get a copy of my own.

Enhance - Community
I had another go at entering the local show this year and I also helped out as a steward which was very informative and will help me with my future entries to know what it is the judges are looking for.

Enjoy - Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment.
This was all about people this month.  We caught up with people we had not seen in ages, far far too long in fact, so it was nice to be able to establish that great connection again.  We also had family stay at Easter which was loads of fun, a bunch of 30 some thing's having a few drinks listening to music, playing board games and doing some gardening.  Quality time without a doubt.