Slow Living April Update

Slow Living April Update - here's what I've been doing to move toward a slower, simpler more wonder life!

NOURISH

My most useful find this month was a really useful new cook booked aimed at using your organic veg box - it's called Boxing Clever and I really can't recommend it enough! The receipe for kale pesto was really lovely and even got the seal of approval from my wonderful  but green phobic husband and the kale and potato soup has been a lunchtime staple over the last few weeks.

Beetroot and carrot curry, love the colours

PREPARE

Years ago an older friend told me that a slow cooker was a must have kitchen item - a wedding list must, at the time I just thought it was old fashioned and of limited use. I wish I'd listened!  Instead it's taken me another ten years to discover that it is a really simple way to cook that saves me lots and lots of time. I've been trying out different cuts of meat in the slow cooker and have big batches of beef shoulder, pot roasted with porcini mushrooms, a fabulous thai chicken and a chilli verde with chillis from our own window sill!  With a bit of time at the weekend I can stock up the freezer so we have quick but healthy meals during the week.

REDUCE

I've always wanted a metal cafe style table for the back garden. We are lucky enough to have a great salvage yard near us where I could happily spend hours much to the WH's horror. I spotted just what I had been looking for in a corner of the yard. One of this month's projects has been giving it a little tlc..................... see more here

GREEN

I use diluted vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to clean the kitchen and bathroom already but also found it really effective on mould removal when mixed with tea tree oil. The pop up top in our camper van suffered over the winter from trapped condensation and when we opened it up it had a fair bit of mould spotting. I followed the receipe here. My only warning is that the smell of vinegar and tea tree oil in a confined space like a camper van can be quite over powering so best spray and air in possible.

I've just ordered soda crystals and borax to try making my own washing powder and dishwashing detergent. WH suffers from excema so we have to be careful what we use on our clothes and I thought this mght be worht a try to see if it reduces the redness.  I've tried washing balls  but found they don't work well when the machine is full as they need space to move around which makes them a bit uneconomic.

I'd love to make a laundry tin like this one at Make it do.  Hard to believe it started out as an ugly black tub!

Picture from Make it do.

 GROW

We've been industrious this month.  The herbs took a battering in the winter so I've cut back and removed any that were damaged or dead and added some strong new plants inside and out. The potatoes, carrots, salad leaves and onions are in and I'm trying sweetcorn, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries as well this year. The first sprouts are coming through despite the cold weather.

CREATE

The little cake plate on top of the table was another quick project.  It was a bit rusty and squint - but with a clean, a light sanding, screws tighted and vintage plates added - it was looking like this

 A little bit of chic for our neighbour's vintage jubilee tea party! Although I might work on replacing the plactic knobs, they don't look quite right do they? I also found this great video on making vintage cake stands by Julie Edwards at About.com. Next month's project I think! 

 DISCOVER
 

I've just finished reading So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor, it's a beautifully written account of imperfect relationships and family ties that gently challenges assumptions. 

ENHANCE

Credit for this really goes to my neighbour but a group of us have been working on organising a street party for the jubilee.  I really have no interest in the jubilee celebrations themselves but getting people together to meet and talk seemed like a great idea.  I've already met four neighbours that I wouldn't otherwise have spoken to including one that said she's gone for nearly thirty years without speaking to anyone in the street - now she's on the organising committee.  That's got to be a good thing!


I've also made a point of buying local from small and independent shops like the wonderful Highland Soaps. The Aloe handwash is lovely, a little pricy but a tiny amount is all you need and the smell fills the bathroom and makes me smile. 


ENJOY

Rain?  What rain?! This is the attitude you must adopt if travelling around Scotland in a camper van. Five minutes before this photo was taken it was beautifully sunny and quite warm.  This was taken in Skye where the scenery is stunning and watching it change with the weather is breathtaking.........as long as you have your waterproofs!

Hope you enjoy the update and good luck on your own challenges! Lx

A bit of French chic

I've always wanted a metal cafe style table for the back garden. When I was younger I travelled a bit in France and I love the laid back French garden style, white tables, lavender, sunshine.  On one of our camper van trips last year I spotted these, but I haven't been able to find anything like them in the shops that wasn't unjustifiably expensive.
 

 


Last month I spotted just what I had been looking for lurking in a corner of our local salvage yard. I might have let out a little yelp of delight.  Fortunately my friends already think I am a little crazy............

But it was a little sad and in need of some TLC ................It looks quite flimsy but try lifting it and you'll find different!

I donned the WH's boiler suit and stripped off all the rust, gave it a good sand and two coats of metal paint and ..............

It's not perfect - I think I must have made the second coat a bit too thick on the table top as it has wrinkled a bit and the surface isn't even. Still, I'm quite please with it -  it looks much better  without the rusty bits and it now protected from the elements.  I might have a go at sanding it down again and trying to get a better finish. I found the metal paint quite difficult to use - any tips gratefully received.

Lx

Towards a better life

Picture reproduced from http://www.brass.cf.ac.uk/projects/Rethinking_the_Future_for_Sustainability/rethinking-the-future-for-sustainability.html

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to stumble on a couple of great blogs Little Eco Footprints, Becoming a Local and Slow Living Essentials. They are packed full of inspiration on living a simple, sustainable life without any hint of being preachy or condescending.  I felt totally inspired by Slow Living Essentials goals for 2012 - a simple clear manifesto for better living - read on!

SLOW LIVING - Month by Month 2012
NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, overprocessed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.


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. Aim to reduce dependancy on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.


REDUCE: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.


GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.


GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!


CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.


DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.


ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers & producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.


ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

Inspired yet?! I love these goals as they summarise nicely all the things I think are important but often feel I don't have time to acheive. I've often said that I never want how I live to be dicated by what I do but I often find myself there anyway! What's nice is that Little Eco Footprints covers just this issue - is it possible to live a sustainable life while working full time.  The answer seems to be a resounding yes - with some planning.

I'm a terribly sporadic blogger but I really want to join this challenge and update you here on my progress.  Why? For all the reasons above, because I often work more than 12 hour days, come homw and flop infront of the TV, because I work in an industry where people often forget the importance of community in favour of status and stuff, because these things make this a real challenge adn if that inspires one person to make small changes I'll be delighted. I've learned that I'm much more likely to stick to a goal where it is shared and I feel a sense of obligation to deliver. Will you hold me accountable?  Better still will you join me in Slow Living Essentials 2012 manifesto?

Lx

Another day down

Another little baby step towards giving up my beloved coffee! I normally can’t start the day without a thick tarry cup of coffee. Some people need a brisk shower, or a walk. My day always starts with a mug. Or half a mug today. Woo! I even made it through a two hour meeting without topping up my cup. This is unheard off. I’m really hoping I can keep it up.


It’s great to have support, so a huge thank you to Starlight and Lakota. Hop over to Lakota at Faith Hope and Charity for a wonderful 1st blog anniversary giveaway!

Another huge thank you to my friend at work who bought me a lovely bunch of flowers to cheer me up. It worked and it shamed me out of being moany! Every time I’ve felt cross and crotchety I’ve looked at my flowers, smiled, taken a deep breath and remembered to get a little bit of perspective. That has to be a win win for everyone involved.

Here is my pretty little corner of the office world. I’m taking no pictures of the other side of the desk, it’s not so neat or pretty!

Happy Friday, hope you all have a wonderful weekend x

Giving up and improving

From ilovecoffeebook.com

OK so I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly religious these days but I did grow up with the discipline of giving things up for lent. Chocolate, sweets, swearing…. The usual stuff! With the new year been and gone and resolutions already broken this year I’m hoping to use the good practices of childhood to start again with my resolutions.


So it’s coffee that’s on the ‘give up for lent’ list. Wish me luck!

I drink gallons of coffee at work. It’s become like a comfort blanket. The smell of a new packet of coffee beans, the taste of the first cup, it’s like a little sigh of relief, a daydream, a smile, a pause and I can start working again. On days where I have meetings the cup barely leaves my hand. On just a couple of occasions I have found myself literally shaking at the end of the day when I lay down in bed and tried to sleep. Rare as that is, I really want to cut down.

I have visions of me being super healthy, glowing, full of energy………..and that’s not the slightly bedraggled tired looking slightly manic thing that looks back in the mirror! Watch this space.  My friend is on a mission to look super hot for her 40th birthday, I'm never going to be super hot but super fit and healthy for my 35th birhtday, maybe that's acheivable!  I have a weird relationship with my upcoming 35th birthday. My 30th birthday was a disaster.  Arriving in the last year of my first marriage, the relationship limped apologetically to the end of the year and the birthday was little more than another obstactle that the weary relationship had to navigate. I promised myself that 35 was the new 30 and that birthday would be fabulous. Five years on an my life has changed immeasurably for the better but I still ahve high expectations for the birthday, how I'll feel, and a little superficially how I'll look (!).
I have this as a resolution at the start of most years. Drink less coffee, drink more water. Maybe with the lure of the big birthday I can make it work this time?!

It’s day 2 and it’s going ok so far. One day one I had no coffee at all and ended the day with a monster headache. Boo. Day two and I’ve had one cup and no headache. Hooray!

Wish me luck and good luck to everyone giving up and improving x

What to do with all this cabbage and kale?!

What do you do when the Mr keeps asking what all the green sh*t is in response to your attempts to buy local in season produce and have a healthier diet?! To be fair he does eat it but I'm having to be sneaky.

Kale - picture from onlyfoods.net

I signed up for an organic veg box scheme at the start of the year and it's testing my creative cooking skills to the max. I've have always cooked with veg but I've never intentionally bought cabbage or kale in my life and strangely, although my mum is big on veg, traditional Scottish veg just isn't something that ever graced her kitchen.  I'm not sure if it is a backlash against the war time dig for victory campaign - maybe she just had enough of cabbage, cauliflower and all things native?! Come to think of it maybe she was put off by five kids making - mum that looks yucky faces. Sigh. Maybe I should try hypnosis?

So what can I do with all this green stuff? Seriously I think I need some creative help! The Mr was reading this over my shoulder and helpfully suggested compost........you get what I'm up against here!

Here's what I've tried:


Pad Thai Noodles
A 10-minute recipe recommended by Sue Waddicor, from "New Vegetarian" by Celia Brooks Brown.
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
150 g dried thick rice noodles, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, then drained
100 g kale or other leafy green, tough central core removed and leaves coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons tamarind paste or 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 large carrot, about 200 g, grated
100 g bean sprouts
Heat a wok until very hot, then add the oil. Add the eggs and noodles and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the eggs are lightly scrambled. Add the remaining ingredients and stir-fry for a further 3-5 minutes, until the noodles are cooked. Divide between 4 warmed bowls and serve sprinkled with the peanuts, spring onions and coriander.
The verdict: I added some chicken to this and liked the result although  it was spicier than I intended. The Mr made a wrinkly face picked out all the kale and ate it first so he could enjoy the rest in peace.......ok at least he ate it!

I also added the kale to a beef brisket slow cooked casserole from Beyond the Peel.
Verdict: the beef was nice but needed more cooking. The kale was passable. Mr A tried not to comment on the chewy beef and avoided the green stuff. Hmm



Kale chips - baked and smothered in olive oil and sea salt. See here for more instructions!
Verdict:  the really crispy ones were good but I'm not sure that I'd agree with the recipe blurb that they are as moreish as crisps :( Surely cooking a vegetable to death and drowning it in salt isn't a great long term plan?

The cabbage got added to a recipe as a substitute for Chinese greens - lightly fried with chicken in soy sauce and chicken stock.
Verdict: pretty successful.  I really liked in and the Mr didn't make pucking faces ;)

It got chopped into tiny bits, stir fried with bacon and added to pasta with tomato sauce.
Verdict: inspired, the Mr didn't even notice it :)


I tried the cabbage blanched and tosses with butter and caraway seeds.

Verdict: this was pretty tasty but probably not very healthy.  The Mr tolerated it but wasn't jumping for seconds.

Tonight I'm going to coax the cabbage into a Chinese winter green salad from the Self Sufficientish Bible - hard boiled egg, noodles, stir fried greens, dressed with olive oil, nutmeg and black pepper.

I've just about exhausted my recipe books and haven't yet found anything on the Internet that looks sufficiently yummy to make the Mr positively want to eat it - short of dipping it all in chocolate I'm not convinced this is a realistic goal though! If any of you lovely creative bloggers have any really tasty recipes for green stuff particularly kale and cabbage I would be so grateful if you would let me know! I'll be here or at beautifulorpractical@gmail.com!

Anyway - something to make you smile on a Saturday when it's snowing (yup snowing in Aberdeen!) - the muppets mnamna makes me laugh every single time, watch and love :)

Lx

An act of kindness

I stumbled across this quote on Patrick Dykie's Blog.  It made me laugh, it made me smile and it made me feel a whole lot better. No one likes to get hurt but if you never felt hurt of angry or upset you wouldn't be alive inside. I love the mental image of backhanding life in the head ...........

To give credit where it is due I did get a much more human letter from the Catholic Church today acknowledging my response to the annulment application and more importantly acknowledging how distressing the process is. I'm doing the author a disservice - actually it was a beautifully written letter.  Frankly I don't even care if they meant it, that fact that someone took the time to put those words down on paper and send them to me is enough. Thank you - at least I now feel like someone knows I exist as a person and not just a name on an application.

So what's the lesson? Do I regret my first marriage?  Absolutely not. I was young, in love and probably a bit stupid at times but it made me who I am.

I learned..........

• not to take life for granted. 
• never to take people for granted. 
• to remember what is important every single day.
• to be kind to those around me, oh and to myself 
• compromise is essential but compromise doesn't mean giving up your hopes, dreams and identity in order to exist. 
• sometimes you need to be brutally honest with yourself.
• sometimes the right decisions are the hardest ones, be strong and take the leap even if you are terrified.
• trust in something and have hope.
• friends are amazing - value them. 
• never be afraid to love and be loved

 This isn't a perfect list - I'm still learning but I'm a much better person for having learning all of those things the hard way. So thank you to my ex for making me the kick ass strong, stubborn and sometimes unreasonable woman I am today.  I hope you've also learned something that made it all worth your while.




I'd love to hear your lessons in life, fundamental life rules and words of wisdom.

Lx