Almost good enough to eat...

Rebatched wheat germ & sunflower oil soap: pure soap, grated, mixed with wheat germ & sunflower oil and enough boiling water to just combine, rolled into balls and dried for 48 hours before use.

Noice.



Cheers,

Garden snippets

The Russian garlic is ready to harvest (all five surviving plants ;-) The Melbourne Market and Australian White won't be far behind.

Baby figs are forming on my baby fig tree...

I finally managed to find some French Tarragon seedlings (as opposed to the less-flavourful and infinitely more common Russian Tarragon)...

The Youngberries are coming along nicely. They should go a dark purple when ripe (I tried one this colour and it was very tart LOL...

Peanuts! The packet advised slow germination & about 50% germination - around 50% have germinated but they did so within 5 days so I must be doing something right. They'll go out the front in the hottest garden bed as they like long hot summers I'm told.

The Chinese Water Chestnuts are poking their heads up above ground...

And the Passionfruit vine is flowering, although no fruit has been set yet as far as I can see.

Happy gardening everyone :-)

What a little beauty!

**OK, so I warned you that an image-heavy post was coming LOL. Forgive the quality of the images though, it's been overcast here the last few days and the light is pretty awful.**


Anyway, as I mentioned the other day, I finally managed to snag Miss Seven's birthday present on eBay. Hubby picked it up for me on Wednesday night and I'm so thrilled with it! See, I've been looking to buy her a very simple second-hand sewing machine to learn on, so that she doesn't accidentally break mine - not that mine is anything expensive or complicated.

I was originally going to let her learn on my grandmother's old Singer, but a friend pointed out that her feet may not reach the treadle, which they don't when we tried (thanks for the tip Nicola :-).

Although I wasn't specifically looking for vintage machines, in my searching then I came across another old Singer, operated with a knee lever which I thought may be suitable but a quick eBay search brought up an even better option:

I present to you the fully-operational, hand-operated vintage Singer 20 'toy' sewing machine!



How cute is it?! It's about 25-30 cm high I suppose and about the same width. It's in perfect condition, considering it's age and came with the original G-clamp to attach it to the table to stop it from moving around.

I didn't even know such a machine existed until I did a search for sewing machines within 50km of my place on eBay - not only did I find this one in near-pristine condition, it came with copies of the manuals AND it was being sold just one suburb away from hubby's work. Serendipity in action.




As you can see from the back, it's pretty simple and it only does one straight chain stitch & like my (grandmother's) Singer 201k, has no reverse, so you need to tie off the thread at the ends, or manually turn the fabric around and sew back a little way to finish off.

This particular model was manufactured in New Jersey in the U.S, although they were made all over the place over the years. They were first manufactured after World War I, then on until the 1950's, and were briefly resurrected in the late 1970's for a couple of years.

From my brief research, the rounded base and the seven spokes on the hand crank on my model suggest that it dates from the mid 1920's or early 1930's - it is commonly called the '1922' model. The 'toy' models don't have serial numbers on them, unlike their big sisters, for more accurate dating.

Check out the bright chrome finish on the base plate. Not a speck of rust! Note also the big fat guard around the needle on the foot - it makes it slightly more difficult to thread, but it also means no little fingers can be inadvertently sewn to the fabric! The doohickey with the screw on the right of the base plate is an adjustable seam width guide.

The seller obtained copies of the instructions & adjuster's manual, and two packets of spare needles are included with the machine as well. Although the machines were originally sold as 'toys' for little girls to sew doll's clothes (early Brand Awareness marketing at work - get them young!), it was later marketed to women as a handy portable machine for mending and small sewing jobs.

It produces lovely even stitches (the wobbles are all my own). The stitch length is adjustable with a simple lever underneath the base plate. Because it is operated with a hand crank, Miss Seven will be able to go as fast or as slow as she pleases, with more accurate control than an electric machine's foot pedal, meaning that there should - theoretically - be less chance of a broken needle.

The back, showing the single-thread chain stitch detail. The machine does not have bobbin, something I often wish my machine didn't have!

Now, don't ask me what I paid for it as it was about 3 times what I was prepared to pay for an old electric machine (ahem) - plus you have to factor in a bit of collectability - but I LOVE that it is so solid and simple that it should be still around for her to gift to her grandchildren.

I think she's going to be just as stoked with it as I am :-) Now I just have to find the perfect sewing basket at the oppies to go with it!



Cheers,

Chilli Sauce

I've run out of this yummy sauce, and I can't for the life of me find an old photo of my last batch, so I'll have to update this post when I make my next one!

Like all chilli products, adjust the heat level to your own liking by upping or lowering the amount - or type - of chillies you use in it. I used Birds Eye chillies and it was lovely - but way too hot for the kids ;-) I'm waiting for my Jalapeno chillies to grow and fruit this year before I make my next batch - yum.



Ingredients

6 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)
3 cups sugar
375ml (about 12 ounces) vinegar
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp tomato paste
250g or ½ pound sultanas or raisins


Method

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil then simmer 30-40 minutes until the sultanas are very soft.

2. Cool, and process in a blender or use a stick blender.

3. Bring the mixture back to boiling for 5 minutes and pour into hot, sterilised bottles and seal, or process in a waterbath according to the manufacturers instructions.

Store in a cool, dry place. Makes around 3 cups.



Cheers,

Mate, it's a Spangled Drongo.

We managed to get around 5 kilos of mulberries off our little tree before the birds discovered it.

At first, the birds landed on the top branches - which I can't reach anyway - so I didn't mind sharing a few, since most of the birds are new to me, and generally very pretty (or unusual-looking anyway).

Stop that mulberry thief!

We took to leaving the camera and the Bird Book out by the window so that we could quickly try and identify new birds as we saw (or heard) them. I'm usually not quick enough to catch them with the camera unfortunately, but we have managed to sight - so far and to the best of our knowledge - a large number of honeyeaters and berry eaters, including the Spangled Drongo! I wish I had a photo of it, but isn't that the coolest bird name ever?

We've also spotted Noisy Friarbirds, Brush Wattlebirds, Red Wattlebirds, Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Figbirds and King Parrots, in addition to some smaller honeyeaters I haven't been able to identify and the garden variety Common Mynahs and Noisy Miner birds, which are also mulberry thieves as it turns out.

A Noisy Friarbird, with it's characteristically bumpy beak.
Looks a bit like a miniature vulture, doesn't it?

All this bird activity has (almost) compensated for the loss of mulberries from the tree - although next year I will definitely be netting it - and has inspired the girls to put together their own bird identification book, using photos thieved borrowed for personal use only from Flickr - with a specially designed cover drawn by the girls ;-)

Living on the edge of a swamp Ramsar listed Wetland of International Importance, we are also lucky enough to see heaps of birds when we go for a walk or ride, such as herons, egrets, ibis and swans, so we've included those birds as well.

We're now also planning a Breakfast with Birds encounter at our local Wetlands Centre and season passes for the kids for Christmas.

Who knew a mulberry tree could be so much fun?


Cheers,

You can't call me Pong Whiffy

I've been making my own tea tree oil deodorant for myself and hubby for a few years now. I am allergic to the aluminium salts in conventional anti-perspirants, so have been buying aluminium-free ever since I was a teenager. I've tried numerous permutations of 'natural' deodorants and they've either not worked or they've given me a nasty rash (including rock crystals and straight bicarb soda).

So when I first read Amy Karol's (Angry Chicken) deodorant recipe last year, I didn't pay too much attention to it: It seemed counter-intuitive to me that smearing wax in your armpit could stop it from stinking!

However! Given Kelly's recent rave about it, I thought I might revisit it. I duly bought the organic ingredients and made it up a couple of weeks ago, but the weather hasn't been warm enough to really give it a good test... until yesterday.

It was officially 38'C (that's 100'F) but my gauge still read 38'C at 5pm so I reckon it got hotter than that, particularly at 3pm when we walked to and from school in the blazing sun. That sure gave me - and the deodorant - a work out!





The verdict? Nice! It didn't stop me sweating profusely, but then that goes with the territory when you are an amply-endowed woman shall we say, and sweaty bras have their own pong that competes pretty stiffly with any underarm whiffiness... but I asked Miss Six how I smelt when we got home (you can't go past the honesty of kids), she said I smelt like clean nappies? I'm guessing that could be interpreted as Shea Butter smell (which is pretty strong and smells a little like lanolin), and she assured me it wasn't offensive, so yay! No B.O.


My thoughts:

* Amy mentioned in her recipe that she'd add a little glycerine to her recipe next time, and I will too I think; it's chalky and a little hard, and along with a poor choice of container from my perspective (I used the jar with the widest mouth I had but it's still hard to get it out), I have to use the tip of a teaspoon to scrape some out to use, though it does melt nicely in the heat of my fingers so that it can be smeared around easily. Or maybe I'd just use more wax/butter and less bicarb & cornflour.

* It does need a lot of essential oil to overcome the Shea butter smell. I didn't add nearly enough - about 30 drops, which I will at least double in future.

* It does leave your fingers greasy afterwards which is not easily removed with soap, but hey, if it works...!


I know Veggie is using it too and loves it, anyone else using this recipe? What's your favourite essential oils to add, and how much do you use in your mix?


Cheers,

To market, to market

Our local Trash and Treasure market was on this past Sunday; we haven't been for ages but there are a number of things I am looking for, so I decided to pack everyone up and head off early for a scrounge around.

Despite getting there before 8.30am, it was much hotter much earlier than I'd anticipated and the girls had spent their pocket money within 10m of getting in the gate I think, so I didn't get nearly as long as I would have liked to go through all the stalls, but I did still come home with a few things I was after :-)

Actually, one of the main reasons I wanted to go was to check out the local Chicken Motel man and his chookies, to check out his coops. My girls were not terribly enthused by his Hyline Brown chickens, but once they spotted his Silkies - well! Besotted, I think you might say. Looks like I may have to make our future coop bigger than I thought because I was well and truly taken with the Silver Sussex at a stall further up the lane.

This man also had ducks (Ducks! I want ducks!) who assured me - without prompting - that they were easily able to be trained to poo in the one spot in the yard. Cool! Sadly, my two dogs are a gun dog breed (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers) and I fear the ducks will come off second best to their instincts... Sigh.


Anyway, Miss Six had the 'big' birthday party this year, but Miss Seven is allowed to invite a couple of her friends over to the family get together at the end of this month, and she has requested that we do a "High Tea" this year!

(Just as an aside - how is that a huge Tom Boy such as myself, known for wearing a dress on perhaps 5 or 6 occasions in my life, bears not one, but three girly-girls?)





Hence, I was looking for some cheap bone china cups for the girls and their party and the market didn't disappoint :-) Most sets seemed to be Royal Doultan or some such and priced accordingly (who buys a $50 tea cup at a market I wonder?), but I did find some little cuties for a few dollars each. A shame I didn't have longer to look around, but there's always next time.

I did also find a few other treasures for myself, like a stainless steel mouli (Hooray! I've been looking for one since last tomato sauce season) and some preserving jars. I did much drooling over the enamelware but evidently it is very 'trendy' at the moment; even chipped and worn plates were selling for $4 each! I guess that makes my grandmother's large basin I'm using for my compost bucket worth about $40 LOL.


I've got another enormously exciting find to share with you soon too - I've found Miss Seven's birthday present on eBay and hubby is picking it up for me tomorrow night! It's SO cool and I'm just thrilled to bits, so prepare for a photo-heavy post ;-)


Anyway, best go and batten down the hatches now - it's forecast for 36'C (97'F) today. Salad for dinner! I'm thinking an icy cold salade niçoise? Hmm, better go pick the lettuce before it wilts.


Cheers,

Love :: Hate

Hello!

Sorry for the absence but I am having a love/hate relationship with my 'puter at the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the access to other people in the world with similar goals in life it gives me via the internet.

I hate that it is so physically dominant in our house: I don't have a lap top, nor can I justify spending money on one until this desk top blows up, and it currently occupies it's own entire cupboard (just like the TV I swear I'm going to permanently unplug every day).

I love not having to search through cookbooks any more.

I hate that it is only four years old but is considered a dinosaur: I can barely manage to upload several of my favourite sites any more even after I abandoned IE for Firefox a year ago.

I love that Skype (when our webcam works!) allows my kids to talk to - & interact with - their grandparents and cousins who don't live nearby.

I hate that it, in many ways, it represents all that I consider is bad about the world at the moment: The pinnacle of planned obsolescence + the exploitation of developing countries for their rare metals used in construction + the control of the vast majority of the software market by just one company (and the majority of the rest by one other) ...

I love that I can find sustainable, ethical products when I choose to buy something new, or thousands of second hand products via eBay and Freecycle without having to drive all over the countryside any more.

I hate that my two school-aged children are set homework tasks to be completed online every weekday, such that I am not only obliged to turn it on, I have to let my six and seven year olds use it instead of playing outside.

I love the enormous enjoyment I get from seeing my photos of our kids and our garden on the big screen, up close and personal, and that I can (in theory!) instantly share them with friends and relatives.

I hate that I can't get wireless broadband and that my phone line is only capable of dial-up speed (450 kbps at best, despite my neighbour getting 1.5 Mbps), meaning that even uploading one photo to my blog seems intolerably long when I'd rather be in the garden or kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Argh. Computers: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.