Kids Making Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread Cookies Recipe

340g butter (room temperature or warm it up in microwave)
1 cup sugar
3.5 cups flour
1 capful vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
100g chopped dark chocolate

1 interesting silicon cookie mould - we were lucky to find this fabulous Butterflies and Bugs silicon mold at the Warehouse for $10.

Step 1 - Premeasure ingredients, or measure on the fly, but have the kids take turns dumping them in.

Step 2 - Once all the ingredients are mixed except the chocolate, it will be difficult for the kids to stir.  First, get them to wash their hands!  Then they can all stick their hands in to help combine the butter with the other ingredients.

Step 3 - Squish the dough into the silicon mould, getting it into all the corners so that the cookies come out well.  Leave a little space at the top for the chocolate bits.  Sprinkle the chocolate all over the cookies randomly and press in.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on size of cookie) at 180 degrees C (160 degrees C fanbake).

Shane's amazingly simple greywater invention

We were lucky to move into a house where the previous owners had modified our laundry water to divert into a pipe into a bathtub outside.  But our bathwater and shower water were wasted.

In Stillwater, everyone is on "tank water", which means that all our water is from the rain, caught and collected from the rooftops into storage tanks.  We have a sink filter for our drinking water.  So our home is essentially a "rainwater house".  I think that's very cool and independent - except during the dry summer when there isn't enough water to water the garden.  The rain doesn't fall to water the garden, and we aren't collecting more to just have alot to spray around.  So if you reuse the water you've used to wash your laundry, and now - bathwater -  you are using the same water twice.  The plants definitely don't mind a little soap in the water - although we do use mild eco-brand soaps and laundry detergent.  And I "hold the vinegar" (that definitely kills plants) in the laundry at this time. During the winter, it rains so much that the plants don't need watering.

Anyways, Shane rigged up a neat system which was just a lid which closed off the shower/bath pipe in which he'd drilled a hole, and glued an attachment for the hose into it.  He also added silicon to aid in waterproofing.  He cut some garden hose, attached it to the lid, which diverts the bathwater into a tub which I bucket to give life to my garden plants.  But unless I want the water, the hose connects to a "holey" hose which has been placed along one of our gardens - so it waters the garden automatically after we pull out the plug from the bath.  Of course, it is important that the outlet is lower than the bath to use gravity.

How to compost the contents of your vacuum cleaner easily

Awhile ago I posted about digging all the insides of my vacuum cleaner bag out with gloved fingers into the compost.  Man is it easier with a bagless vacuum!  Our vacuum cleaner died, so I insisted on a bagless one for this reason (wanting to compost all the dust to cut down on waste going to landfill).

How do you compost the contents of your vacuum cleaner easily?  Buy a bagless vacuum.  Now this is realistic for anyone to do easily. 

Just try not to vacuum up anything plastic!

Photo courtesy of Lucan Dale, 5 (bribed with chocolate).

Pumpkin patch

When we bought our house, Shane and I had been longing for land to use as we wished.  We basically fought for territory - Shane got the front yard, and I got the back - so we could both experiment at our will.

But somehow, I couldn't figure out where to put my pumpkin plants - as they tend to get tangled with everything else.  I cleared them some space in an area that used to be choked with weedy, ugly groundcover - in the front yard....  Now look at  them go!  Creeping into the non-veggie garden space - with lots of space for them to grow unhindered.  (Shane said he doesn't mind though.)

I am guiding the growing branches to the concrete area above, and to the space along the bushes below.

Aren't the baby butternut pumpkins cute!

I planted butternut pumpkin plants sown from seeds saved from one I had bought to eat from the grocery store.  I could also have squashes and crown pumpkins as I transplanted random seedlings from the compost as well.
 Earlier Stage - the same 5 pumpkin seedlings a few months ago (in December):

When to plant tomatoes

This year I planted my tomatoes pretty late, and was feeling glum about that - worried that my crop wouldn't be bountiful. But I was insistent on using all my great heritage (Koanga Gardens) seeds, so I planted seeds around Labour Day (Oct 22).  (Usually people are planting big seedling plants into the garden then).  Just a note for myself for next time - August would be the earliest sowing time for the sub-tropical region of Auckland.  Apparently you just need 3 warm, frost free months for a good harvest. (I just looked it up on this great NZ website - www.gardengrow.co.nz. Has every plant you could want. Wow.  Will use this site when I make a beautiful growing calendar.) The summer has been so hot though, so I think my crop may be fine all the same, which is making me very happy.

I am planning to try to make pasta sauce, and even tomato sauce (that's ketchup to you, North Amerikeens).

I have heirloom jam tomatoes planted that are apparently supposed to be good for saucing this year, some regular jam tomatoes (using saved seeds from a tomato from my friend Bridget's plants), and some random interesting heirloom ones given to me by by friend Debbie (Chocolate Stripes).  For the full biodiversity of tomatoes you could grow here, look on Koanga Gardens' website seed list here.  I am going to save the seeds from the tomatoes I grow this year that I like best, not worries about if they mix and mingle.  I can culture my own favourite variety, right?

One of my seed-sown (end of October) babies, actually getting big.

A stick I picked up on a walk is a useful (and free) support for this plant.  The natural character of a forest stick provides a useful notch to support the tomato plant's weight.

 

I rip up old t-shirts to use as stretchy staking ties.  You can also buy stretchy cotton cord at the garden store, but this is free, and also gets rid of old horrible t-shirts for me - a great cycle.  

I also bought some curved bamboo sticks to stake the tomato plants on.  Since I want alot of tomatoes - although most gardeners do prune the laterals off tomato plants as I did last year (so that the fruit it produces will be bigger and the plant will be tall and straight), I just read in a book by Australian author and gardener Jackie French The Best of Jackie French: A practical Guide to Everything from Aphids to Chocolate Cake  (Harper Collins September 2000), ISBN 0-7322-6551-7) that she doesn't prune her tomatoes.  She feels that if you do, you get less fruit.  She also says to feed them well, that it's impossible to overfeed a tomato plant (as in over-fertilize).  I figured that all those branches of the vine that appear to grow in various directions might be just like having more than one plant coming off the same vine.  Meaning: if I feed the plant well enough, perhaps then it's fine to have unpruned tomatoes that are also good quality fruit.  Hopefully can just guide all the crazy directions of branches of the vines onto these curved hoop stakes and have heaps of tomatoes this year?  So unlike last year, I am allowing them to be like vines.  Besides, Jackie French is obviously a creative woman, so is probably a great and tuned in gardener.  (She has also written children's books, historical novels, etc etc.  All her books are listed here at www.jackiefrench.com).

I can't wait to try all her recipes for what to do with the tomatoes after: tomato paste (which I  love), tomato sauce, dried tomatoes, tomato jam (like fruit jam).  (She places recipes for that fruit or vegetable after the gardening advice - great eh.) 

Apparently the first tomatoes brought back from South America were yellow.  Yellow tomatoes today are lower in acid.  

Loved this also from the Jackie French book: apparently the time to plant tomatoes traditionally is when you can sit on the ground comfortably for 10 minutes, "bare-bummed, but it isn't essential" - which is August to December.

Bu I am used to Canadian weather,so I had better not try that.  I would probably find it comfortable year round.

Favourite top performing eco-products that have stood the test of time

Some ideas I have tried for the sole purpose of having less impact on the environment have not been enjoyable or practical.  However, these products have stood the test of time as being used all the time and loved by my family, as well as a good idea in terms of the environment.

Stainless Steel Drinking Straws

When I visited home last year, my sister-in-law Iris had these.  I loved them, and bought ordered some before I returned home.  They prevent the waste of buying disposable straws, and they don't ever wear out.  Over the past several months, although I also have some plastic coloured twisty straws available, my kids actually prefer the metal straws now.  They are lovely to use, try them!  They look really cool in adult cocktails as well.  They don't really require the cleaner thing that comes with them - just hold them under the tap and the pressure of the water will swoosh them out.  They are of course dishwasher safe. 

The set that I bought were called "Handy House Stainless Steel Drinking Straws", but a few companies make them.  You can order them from Amazon.com, search for "steel straw". 



RethinkNZ Reusable Fresh Product Bags

I still get compliments from fellow shoppers and cashiers whenever they see me using these.  They reduce plastic waste every time I buy veggies and fruit from the grocery store as I don't use the plastic film bags, but they are also preferable in function.  They are strong, breathable, you can weigh your fresh produce in them, and just keep your fruit or veggies in them in the fridge or cupboard if you like.  If they eventually get bits of veggie matter caught in them you can throw them in the wash.

You can get these organic cotton net bags at this NZ website, RethinkNZ.com.

Ginger Pye Reusable Sandwich Wraps

Since we started using them over a year ago, we haven't needed to use any plastic cling wrap (Glad wrap, Saran wrap).  My kids love having their own print to identify their wrap.  I clean them by spraying with a vinegar/water solution and wiping.  Or if I want to get serious, I immerse in water and wash with dish soap and hang to dry.  Happy, fun, responsible.  Unlike the "Glad Wrap" commercials that I hate, I can truly mean it when I say, "Better living, everyone."

You can order these ones in NZ, made by two sisters, at www.gingerpye.co.nz.




Ecostore Lemongrass Soap

I have tried all the varieties of Ecostore Soaps, but I love his one.  It smells  great, doesn't cost that much, contains true and genuine lemongrass extract.  Ecostore was started in 1993 by a couple (Malcom and Melanie Rands) who were living in a permaculture eco-village (growing their own food amongst the forest) and didn't want to pollute their water supply.  They did some research and were horrified by the chemicals that were in the products they were using.  They developed their own products (consulting with medical and chemistry people).  Since then it was grown tremendously, recently expanding into the USA (which will fill a sorely absent niche there).  (I recently saw a short piece on them, which led me to become more loyal to them - rather than just seeing the products on the shelves.)

You can find their products in every supermarket in New Zealand.  If you're farther away just wait a little bit (if you're my family I plan on sending you a sample of all of these great eco-products!)  Their website with all of their products is here: www.ecostore.co.nz

How to clean with vinegar and baking soda

Simplify your life by removing all those cancer causing cleaners and replacing them with baking soda and vinegar.  

Basically, I use vinegar and baking soda for everything now, and it's great.  It's not quite as quick and easy as the chemical bottled cleaners, but my house is healthier without all the toxic cleaners - it's a healthy clean.  I have read that vinegar kills 99% of germs, so it's a great disinfectant, and baking soda actually neutralizes and restores PH balance which helps it in deodorizing and cleaning applications.

However, coming directly from my personal uses and experience...



Using vinegar and baking soda for cleaning:

Baking soda provides the friction for cleaning.  You can use it for cleaning stovetops, bathtub rings, and toilets. You deposit a small amount of the powder directly onto the surface you are cleaning and use a damp cloth to scrub it around.   It does leave a powdery residue - unless you then spray some vinegar onto it. It will then foam up as the two react together, which is pretty cool. (Or you can just wash it away with your cloth).  For this reason I don't use baking soda on mirrors - just use some soap and water, or vinegar and water.  Baking soda works wonders for ceramic stovetops (the stoves with one seamless glass surface).

I always use vinegar to clean spills on the carpet - it's very safe to use. If that's not enough, I use baking soda, then add the vinegar.

I actually clean my toilet now by dumping some baking soda into the bowl and a bit all over everywhere else. After using the brush to clean the bowl and a rag to clean the seat and other parts I spray and pour vinegar all over. It froths up as it reacts with the baking soda. Spilled baking soda and vinegar help to clean the surrounding floor.  Around the bathtub, you might need some sugar soap as well - or some dish soap - but the baking soda will help remove bathtub rings. 



Laundry:

Pour a cup of vinegar into the wash to kill germs, and neutralize urine when kids have wet the bed (or when washing cloth nappies/diapers).  Vinegar is an acid, and urine is ammonia.  Baking soda is good for the odours too. 



Personal uses:

If you have insect bites or eczema, baking soda in the bath takes away the itchiness.   I use a spray of vinegar and water (half and half) for disinfecting in the kitchen.  (I bought a good garden spray bottle which is works very well).


You can brush your teeth with baking soda to remove plaque and also whiten them.


Zero waste:  I refill large baking soda and vinegar containers at a whole foods store (Binn Inn, in NZ) so that I also eliminate all the million cleaning bottles that would have been necessitated from buying cleaning products.  

Of course another really safe great tool for sterilizing and cleaning is a kettle of boiled hot water.



For cleaning recipes and ideas, check out Bea Johnson's zero waste recipes .  She has a zero waste home in California, and makes all her own cleaning products.  She lives in California, but is from France originally - she has that flair.