keeping warm in winter

Last winter my electricity bill went up more than it ever has (hanging my head in shame) I used the oil heaters that can be kept at a constant temperature with a thermostat and we had them on most of the time keeping the chill out of the house, but when we got the bill in the mail at the end of the quarter I discovered that the cost of running these was more than I expected. This year we have replaced the oil heaters with a gas heater that we run only if using the living room and temperatures are too cold to be comfortable just with jumpers and a leg quilt.

Gradually I have been putting up curtains as well as the blinds that were already installed when I moved in in some of the rooms. The most recent addition has been the lounge room. Out at huskisson last week my friend spotted these gorgeous curtains that fit just right in the windows (ideally I will get around to letting the hems down soon of course) They are opened up in the morning for the sun to come through and whoever is home first shuts them up to keep the heat in.

What are you doing to keep warm and save energy this winter....?

another use for milk - cheese

My work has started getting milk delivered.

Problem is not everyone looks at the dates before they open the next bottle of milk...

Problem?

There were three unopened 2L bottles of milk at work today that were out of date...

So I thought I'd make cheese - Ricotta cheese is one of the most easy things to make in the world.

1. Put milk in a clean saucepan

2. Heat up to lukewarm

3. Put some lemon juice/vinegar - or as I tried tonight some junket or vegetarian rennet in the milk, stir then let the curds form (the white lumpy stuff in the photo below)

My experience is that with acids - like juice and vinegar - the curds are lumpy

With the rennet it formed a huge curd, which I then cut with a long knife into inch sized cubes and stirred while warm

4. use a slotted spoon to scoop the curds out into a colander (mine is one that was one that a large round of ricotta came in - so gets the perfect lines as seen in the next photo that is on the ricotta you purchase at the supermarket.)

5. Let it drain

6. If you want to you can use the whey for breadmaking, the yeast loves the protein in it.

 

I think Ricotta and spinach something is in order for dinner tomorrow night.

Have a Happy Day xo

Upcycling - recycling but better.

Rhonda over at Down to Earth posted this week on recycling and asked others to talk about their efforts. My house, and the majority of it's contents are recycled in some way, in fact it's only in the last year or so that I have ever bought new furniture (although I did buy new whitegoods when I moved into my house as I had given my old ones away a year before when I moved from Sydney to the south coast to board with friends.

My garden beds are recycled from old fences, rabbit cage from an old chook cage that was chucked out on the side of the road, Some of my plants are recycled (cuttings, saplings from other gardeners, even a mature pear tree that someone gave us in return for digging it out of her garden.) About half of my kitchen equipment is recycled, handed down by an aunt when she replaces things, collected at op shops and garage sales etc. Clothes the same. The list could go on....

Probably my favourite example of recycling/upcycling is my wedding. (click on hyperlink to go to photographer's blog) I got married in June and a lot of things were recycled. Candle holders from op shops and markets, vases from a friend at church, ring holder made from an antique prayer book by inserting a secret hole by cutting out with a punch. We also had a friend drive me to the wedding in a recycled boat (he bought it worse for wear and did it up) some friends were taking bets that I would fall in as there wasn't a proper jetty and we had to walk off the front of the boat

The most important upcycled item was my wedding dress. I purchased it over ten years ago (about 9 or so years before I met my husband but anyhow, it was a steal) in a second hand shop as it was beautiful and fit me like it was made for me... It was a bit old in style though - think lace sleeves with frills over your hands, high frilly neck. I unpicked the sleeves and worked out that I could modernise the dress by pulling it to the sides. Lucky for me I have an amazing friend who studied fashion design and together we recreated the dress....
And it was an amazing wedding!

This last photo is a photo of us recycling a shed - It was originally recycled with old corrugated iron roofing, built around an old cottage fireplace with chimney - to use as kitchen for a camp, and storage when camp not on.

It was blown down in storms last year in September (on father's day - Aussies will remember the weather on the south coast) and we rerecycled it.

Kitchen Renovations are Go

Change.

I am slightly distracted from other things I should be doing by my kitchen renovations....

I have ripped out all the cupboards and a wall, plumber has removed taps and disconnected the oven - now for sale on Ebay. Wednesday was new window. Old one was broken sash window - sash and glass broken. Didn't let much light through. In this photo builder is cutting the window space larger to let more light in!!!! It looks so good now.

Spent yesterday jackhammering removing the tiles from the floor. So much easier than by hand! Thanks to a builder friend who lent me the (massive) tool. Luckily I got it all done in the morning and went to body balance class after lunch.... stretched all those muscles out before they could get too painful. The guns are massive today...lol.

So now only need to do the electrical work and paint the ceiling before the new kitchen goes in...

Have a happy day.

Hannah

I 'm famous - sort of

Think you've seen this photo before?

Well, maybe you have, but most recently it's featured on Angela's blog My year without spending. Angela is from that great continent of North America and blogs about her life, and is part of the compact, a committment to live a non-consumer lifestyle. As part of that she has a regular segment called "thrifty threads" and the other week she featured me!!!

Here is an excerpt of what she wrote.

Today's model is Hannah, who blogs at Caminho da Vida.
She's a regular reader and commenter on this blog, and some of you might
recognize her as the commenter "han_ysic." Hannah is from Nowra, a small town
about 2 hours outside Sydney, and the tagline on her blog is "An Aussie girl on the journey of living generously, living simply and living out my faith." She
posts about the things she's grateful for, her outdoor
adventures, and some
really good photographs, among other things. It's
winter in Australia right now, and some of
the snow images
in this recent post about being grateful for snow are
gorgeous.

Thanks to Angela for featuring me and for sharing about your journey of living simply!

It was great getting to know you a bit more as you prepared this post.

Homemade Ricotta - simply

Cheesemaking has always been on my list of things to do, and yet seemed scary with thermometers, tools, special things to add that you had to buy from victoria.....

When I saw this simple recipe for making ricotta on a blog that I follow (and forgive me because I can't even remember which one) I knew I had no more excuses. It looked too easy to stuff up.

1. Get milk. put it in a clean pot and heat. As soon as it starts to froth (but before it boils) cut off the heat if using gas, or take off the heat if electric.

2. Add one tablespoon of acid (either lemon juice or vinegar) per one litre of milk. Stir.

Within seconds this was what I saw in the pot. The curds (clumps of cheese) and whey (liquid) had separated and it looked a bit like off milk. funny that.

3. Get a strainer and line with cheesecloth, or if you're doing this after a meeting at 10pm at night and only the supermarket is open - a couple of chux type cloths.

This is what mine looked like before I poured the stuff in.

4. use a pot or bowl to collect the liquid that pours off. It's still very good for you. I used some that night to make up some bread and froze the rest for another batch in place of water.

5. Tie up the cloth around a wooden spoon so the mixture drains. Allegedly the more whey that is drained off, the longer it will last.

And this is the end result - Ricotta Cheese! I did it, and it was delicious. I put it in the yummy ricotta pancakes from Stephanie Alexander's kitchen garden book. Went down a treat.

If you've got some milk that's nearing the use by date. You know what to do!

Stop

My life gets really busy, Work, family, church and social commitments can really take over to the point where there is no time left.

My training is in the area of social work, and so is my employment, and one thing that we really focus on is reflective practice. It's all well and good doing the job, but if we can take the time to reflect on what we are doing and ask some questions - why do I do that? How does that make me feel? what am I trying to achieve by doing that? - If I can do this I have more control and start to work in a proactive rather than reactive way. I have a great manager who supports us working in a critical, reflective way and encourages us to take time to do our work well, not just do our work.

But, isn't life the same. Shouldn't we value our life enough to stop and look at how it's going, what we are using our time and energy for, and where we are going?

A friend of mine has set days each year when he reviews different aspects of his life. At the beginning of each calendar year he looks at his life, his life goals and how he is going with achieving them. Around Valentines Day each year he revealuates his relationships (including but not limited to his marriage) and resets his goals for that area of his life. Around the end of the financial year he takes time to look at his financial situation and his goals in that area. He also tells me that every now and then he sets aside time to be creative. To imagine.

I like that idea, and also work well with goals, but am not as disciplined as my friend about reviewing them.

Life: This year I have been to new zealand, gone campervanning, and hiked and camped in the snow. I have begun a weaving course to learn how to weave the wool I am spinning with my weaving loom. I took on the role of camp director for a camp I have been involved with, a role I have never done before. I bought a house and am working on converting the garden to a productive and attractive space.

Life Goals:

Go Hanggliding

Climb Cradle mountain - overland track (planned for October this year)

Write a book - need to work on that one

....

Relationships: I'd like to say I met the man of my dreams etc but it hasn't happened yet. Too bad it takes someone else to realise that goal. I did however do my foster care training and now provide regular respite for an adolescent girl who is in a long term foster care placement. I have developed new friendships and deepened existing ones and especially value my back fence neighbours who are like family.

Relationship Goals:

Be bolder in relationships with the opposite gender (and eventually meet a godly man who I love and spend the rest of my life with)

Be a better sister/daughter/friend

Build relationship with the girl I foster

Build closer relationships with my neighbours and those who live in my street.

Financial:

This year I bought a house, and have (with a little help from falling interest rates) been able to pay off a significant amount above the required repayments, saving up a reasonable emergency fund I am able to redraw and reducing my interest.

I have begun to sell my produce through a local cafe

I have joined the local community exchange (similar to LETS) which allows me to exchange goods and services with members of my community without using cash!

Financial Goals:

To pay off my HECS debt this financial year.

By the end of next financial year to have saved $20,000 and purchase an investment property.

To continue to reduce waste

To be generous in my life, continuing to support my sponsor children and financially contribute to my church and other ministries.

However, more than setting goals, I think it's important to set aside time that is to be still. To stop. It's easy to fill space with activity, with tv, with music, with books, with phone calls. It's almost as though we are afraid to spend time with ourselves. Are we afraid that we won't like the people we are?

I think it's important to take some time by yourself. Journal, paint, pray, meditate, just be. Be aware of yourself, of the world around you and of who you are. It might be hard at first, but generally you'll find that you aren't so bad and it's fun to hang out with you.

If there's anyone out there who this speaks to please leave a comment, share a goal or a success.

God Bless

Time flies when you're having fun.

I was recently out at Huskisson on a weekday with work and they were haveing a paper bag sale. Basically fill the paper bag they provide with clothes and soft items and the lot is $5. I got brand name jeans, black dress pants, lovely warm track pants, shorts, a skirt, a number of shirts and jumpers, a pot holder with chickens on it and this lovely apron. The skirt I have on underneath is the skirt I got in the bag. It's handmade, and fits like it was made for me.

This is the detail of the embroidery up close. I think it may have been machine embroidered, but not sure.

Some of my friends say they don't go op-shopping, because they can't find things that fit. Maybe I have an op shop figure (whatever that is) because I find it easier to find clothes that fit at the op shop than at the stores. You have to have an idea of what you are looking for and stick to things you actually need, but I love them.

Just thought I share some of my flanellette quilt. My mum made this for me, it's a kit she bought at one of the craft fairs, and it's divinely warm, and most beautiful autumny prints and colours. Thanks Mum

I had my neighbours around for dinner last week, and on thusday Alison gave me this painting she did of the night. The red flowers are Arctotis "Hannah" Which I had on the table, which is in the middle of the painting. The blue kitchen cupboards, which are growing on me, and the shelves where my plates are stacked.

And this weekend I made Tomato Sauce. This is an old recipe passed down from my grandma and it's divine. I got the tomatoes at $12 for the box (10kg) which is very reasonable. In the shops they are on special at $1.50 per kilo so I went to the local fruit and veg, and they gave em a discount for buying the whole box.

I did buy the bottles, but they were only $2 each and I can re-use them many times. The jam jar just fitted what didn't fit into the bottles and I'll give that to my old housemates who i'm having dinner with tonight, and they love the sauce too.

There's still half a box of tomatoes, I have a pasta sauce recipe I am nearly out of so I might make some of that up, but I'd have to buy the fresh herbs for it, as I don't have enough growing yet. Hmm.

In other exciting news, My harvest total reached 11kg today!!! (That's 24 Pounds) My goal is 50kg by the end of the year, and I think it is not such a crazy goal.