Monthly 9 - June

Well here we are again and we are looking back and focusing on the 9 areas of simple living that Christine started back in 2012.  Linda our wonderful host has been really busy so pop over and check out what she has been up to and join in and share what has been going on in your world over the past month.

Here is what we have been up to over the month of May.

Nourish -Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over packaged, over processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead.
June was a busy month and I made a big pot of vegie soup flavoured with a ham hock.  I have packed it into portions and frozen some so we have easy meals on hand.
I made a couple of date loaves for sweet treats and I made hubby a chocolate self-saucing pudding last week as it is his favourite.

In May I made my first batch of Camembert Cheese and we ate it during June. It was very ripe and the center ran out when cut.  It quite tasty but it needed more salt.  I am looking forward to having another go as it was no more difficult than any of the other cheeses I have made.

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.
As mentioned I made a big batch of soup and I have also been cooking in bulk a couple of times a week so that we have ready meals like chilli beef and beans and dahl set aside in the freezer.

Reduce - Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing.

Not much happening on this front this month.

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.
Not much to report in this area although I have been reading a great book on making your own herbal remedies.

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

Just like last month there are spring onions, mini capsicum, as well as lettuce and silverbeet too. There are a couple of eggplants on the bush that is now more than 2 years old and a few coming on on the other plant. The egg production has picked up a little which is great as we love eggs.
We have heaps of herbs going and I have both thyme and sage going well and ready to use as a cold remedy should one hit. 

Create - To fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others.

I have been working on a crochet blanket and it is coming along nicely.  It is currently the size of a small lap blanket and I am aiming for a double bed blanket.  It has become a bit wavy around the edges and I have tried blocking and stretching the middle a bit already and ironing with steam  Now I am trying to tighten it up by doing 3 x 3 trebles per stitch followed by 1 x 2 trebles so that the edge is tighter.  I have no idea if it will work but only time will tell or perhaps a blogger out there who is a crochet master.

Discover - Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests.

I have been reading lots over the past month both fiction and non fiction and a few of the books have been really great so will be getting a post of their own.

Enhance - Community

Not much to report here

Enjoy - Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment.

One of our camping trips allowed us to catch up with friends who have not seen since new year so it was great to catch up.  We have also had some friends who used to live nearby come back for a visit and we have made the most of their company.

What have you been up to?