patience {slow}

 {sweet pea shoots}

 {new strawberry plants - 

they now have straw on them, to keep them warm during these cold nights}

 {one garden bed at a time}

 {the blueberry leaves turning their glorious red hues}

 {our little home, viewed through the treeferns, blueberry plant, and tree waratah}

Some days around here we all wonder if we are actually living in the 21st Century. Of course, it's a silly thing, but currently we are having to learn to live within a slow time scale of life.

With :: no electricity (which means no television, limited phone charging options, short computer time) :: an outside shower (it's Winter and windy here) :: candles & torches to cook dinner (on a gas camping stove), to eat dinner and to read :: a bucket for a toilet (that needs a big hole dug every few weeks or so to empty). We do have a radio, which seems to only tune into either the country channel or mostly Triple J (which has a bit too much drum beat and such for me, but on some occasions has some good songs to listen to and also regular news updates and most importantly no adverts).

Surprisingly both children have easily fitting into having no tv. They do on rare occasions play games on our phones (if we have enough power charged up).

We are mostly happy to sit and read (endless trips to the town library, and great reads from Ari's school library). There's been lots of chapter book reading around here with the whole family involved, sitting around our fireplace - currently Milly Molly Mandy. And a big favourite with us all (Sam included) was Where the Mountain meets the Moon - highly recommended by us all!

Watching kookaburras visit our now bare persimmon trees, listening to the little fairy wrens, finches and other small birds, waiting for the call of the black cockatoos overhead, or gazing at the native pigeons circling around. Being intrigued by the call of a fox in the forest, or excited by the sighting of a powerful owl in the yard.

Slowly I am tending patches of soil, and planting seeds and seedlings. Strawberry plants were put in last week - I am dreaming of eating luscious warm fruits plucked straight from the garden in Summer. Raspberries will go in soon, and the blueberry is doing it's thing well enough on it's own (as it has been for the past few years). The sweet peas are growing steadily - I can't wait for the flowers, though I know it will be some time off yet.

Being slow, and learning to have patience for things is a good thing. Learning to settle in to where we are and enjoy the day-to-day pleasures and joys. To be excited about the seedlings springing forth, and watch their growth slowly - to imagine them in the warmer months, to think about the 60 days until harvest of the cauliflowers or broccoli, but to also just stop and watch and patiently wait for the slow passing of time. To enjoy the slow passing of time.

I know I've been talking about SLOW a lot lately, but it's where I'm at.
:: Slow stitching - by hand with a needle and crochet hook at different times
:: Slow cooking
:: Slow nights - quiet and dark by the fireside
:: Slow days in town looking through op-shops
:: Slow breathing (at times... still working on that one)
:: Slow growing

....... slow being........

clothing.making.challenges

It's much much overdue. Writing this here, and making it official and all. But, I'm finally doing it. Here's my challenge. To myself. Inspired by many more things that I can recall or say.

This, of course, all leads on from my Slow Project. Is part of it. In a way, a big part. 

Consumerism. Fast fashion. Throw-away fashion. Made-in-China cheap stuff.

I grew up in a fairly not-consumerist family and lifestyle. We wore hand-me-downs (I'm the third of four kids), and lots of second-hand, market finds. And also, lots of special handmade pieces. Some pieces my mum made for us, some pieces other people made for us. One year my parents came back from their India journey with some spectacular silk dresses that they'd had made especially for us  by a tailor (brilliant red, emerald green and brightest yellow). Oh, I do wish I still knew where those dress were. The fabric alone was just amazing; rich and sumptous.

Anyway, so to my challenge. Setting for myself. To make a real commitment. {In truth, I do not buy many clothes for myself or my children ever. I look after my clothes and keep them for many years. I buy quality clothes, that do last. But sometimes, just as often, I need a simple quick, cheap t-shirt or warm long sleeve top - and I head to the big box store, and come out with a few new shirts, and perhaps some new undies as well. But even these things I need to be more conscious of 'not doing', rather than 'occasionally doing'}.

I'm joining Dottie Angel's challenge ::

And also So Zo's Self-Stitched September ::

'I, Ellie, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear only handmade and refashioned items of clothing every day for the duration of September 2010'. {Excluding underwear, tights and jumpers until further notice...}

Other inspirations include ::

Cal Patch, who says "I am working toward wearing mostly clothing made by myself, or other handmakers". And who's book - Design It Yourself Clothes - is a fantastic starting point for anyone who wants to rewardrobe themselves by themselves. 

Amy Karol, of Angry Chicken, who makes so much of her (and her daughter's) clothing. And totally rocks at the styling. And the tutes. {I have her first book, but it's gone missing at one of my friend's places..... I'm trying to justify ordering her second one, as it seems super cute and cool. Talk me into it!}.

Natalie Chanin, of Alabama Chanin amazingness. Love all her handstitched goodness {on my list to hand stitch a piece of clothing for myself during this yearly challenge}. {Also have her first book, and need justification to be talked into the second one!}.

There'll be much more talk about this, I have lots to say and show. I'm really excited to officially declare my intentions to you all ::

During the next six - twelve months, I aim to wear + buy only handcrafted (by myself or other artisans), second-hand or ethical + organically made clothing and shoes.
{I will still continue to wear my current wardrobe of clothing}.
Please follow my adventure, perhaps you may like to join in.

simple tart

At the organic market on the weekend I got some lovely looking rainbow chard (or silverbeet, I'm not actually sure if they are the same or different, but ours had rainbow stems). We decided to make chard + feta pie, which of course is very yummy, but also quite simple to make. 

I made mine very simply - and both the kids ate it all. Ari didn't like the pastry, but I don't mind that, at least he ate the filling and the salad. 

Firstly pastry - you don't need any equipment at all. There are quite a few different recipes that I use, well actually I barely use a recipe at all. Just rememberings of things. But it's as simple as making bread, only you put it in the fridge to set for at least 1/2-1 hr, rather than letting it rise. If you don't want to make your own pastry (though really it is much cheaper and better for you + the environment) you can use puff or filo pastry.

My quick pastry:

flour (you can use wholemeal, plain, spelt or whatever you prefer, though I've never had much luck with rice flour)

butter - frozen is good, and you can grate it in (you could also use any vegan substitutes you have)

Mix it with your fingertips, until it resembles breadcrumbs. My kids love doing this (though if your kids are prone to this sort of thing -last photo - I'd possibly advise against!!). Slowly add a few bits of water until it forms into a dough mix, then knead it lightly. Put it in the fridge, in a plastic bag, for at least 20 minutes, though 1hour is better. {While I don't actually bring plastic bags into the house there is always something to use. That random bread bag, or the plastic bag a friend brought in, or the one you accidently got on the day you were feeling tired and stressed and hasseled by the kids and forgot to take your vege bags}.

Once you've left it to do it's thing in the fridge, roll it out and put into your tart/pie tin. I don't grease my pan, but I suppose you may need to depending on what you cook in. If it's not rolling too well, you can instead push it into the tin with your fingers forming it across the base and up the sides until it's sort of thinnish, but no holes please. Then back in the fridge for 20 mins - while this part is not absolutely necessary (and often doesn't happen at my house), it helps the pastry to not shrink while cooking.

I always put it in the oven for a little while before adding the filling, but I don't (currently) have a very good oven. Do remember that the filling it cooked, so the pastry will need extra time. But don't over cook it at this stage. Perhaps 180 for 15mins ? check it, and keep an eye on it.

{this pastry doesn't look really cooked, but believe me it was 

yummy and flaky and crumbly just the way it should be}

For the filling, what we did was:

Fry some red onion (you could use shallot, leaks, white onion, anything) in olive oil. Oh first, fry off your spices; I like cumin and coriander and whole black mustard seeds, and also whole fennel seeds (but my family are a bit fussy about the fennel..), and a bit of sea salt + pepper (do keep in mind, when adding the salt that feta can be quite salty itself, so taste your feta and season accordingly). Then add the onion + garlic and lightly fry. Don't let it burn. Then I added the silverbeet stalks, cut up into smallish rounds. And after that's cooked on the pan {I swear by my cast iron, cheaper version of Le Creuset}, I added the silverbeet leaves cut up sort of roughly, not too small, but not too big.

I sploshed in a bit of water, and put the lid on. With low heat I let it cook for a bit, to let the silverbeet break down.

I decided to make a quick white sauce to add to it. - just a blob of butter, a spoon of flour - mix on the heat, then add milk (I add cold and stir really quickly to get out any lumps). I added the sauce to the silverbeet mix. It's just as good without the white sauce.

Other things you could add are red or green lentils (cooked first, of course), potato, sweet potato, pumpkin (you could just lightly steam/boil that, until tender then cook into the silverbeet). 

Then put your filing into the pie case. We put the feta on top, and sort of pushed it in, but you could just as easily mix it properly through the filling (and add other cheeses too, if you want). No lid as the pastry didn't stretch that far (forgot to buy more flour at the healthfood shop). Into the oven until the feta is nicely melty and possibly has a good burnish-golden brown on it. 

I often make pies quite differently to this. I suppose this really would be called a tart, rather than a pie. But whatever - it was very yummy. Sam ate up at least 2 helpings of seconds (me as well, but that goes without saying - you may like to know I have my Winter coat on - on my tummy, bottom + thighs.....)

We served it with a very simple salad. Mini roma tomatoes, lebanese cucumber (if you use the other sort, and have never tried a lebanese one, please try one as they are must tastier, and less watery), fresh yummy market carrots (well, it was all market stuff, but organic carrots are often so much more sweeter than non-organic), red capsicum (both Sam + I prefer green, which we find sweeter, but the kids prefer red), and torn parsley leaves. Topped with a good glug of olive oil and generous squeezings of lemon or lime juice.

Gina - I think silverbeet + haloumi pie would be yummy as well. You could mix the haloumi in, or put it on top and it'd go all gooey and golden (unless you have a terrible oven like mine!).

Please let me know if you make this simple easy tart, or any alternatives.

*Ha, I bet you all thought that the title "simple tart" was about me, hey.... hmmmm - I know you!

growing up green

I love overhearing my children's chatter. The little things they say to each other in their play and their daily stories. 

This morning, while at the park playing in the sand I heard my children talking about a shop-bought dress-up costume another child was wearing. My two little ones said that while it was pretty it was made in a factory, and not as nice as homemade. 

And this afternoon, the kids set up their play shop with some pretty little playdough cupcakes. What a sweet bakery they have. Some funky beats playing in the background too. The little customer (Mishi) told the shopkeeper (Ari) "I don't need a bag".

Oh, heart sing. 

I myself grew up in what would best be described as a hippie household. My parents never took plastic bags at the shop, we wore hand-me-down or market bought clothes, we dyed our hair with henna (bought in bulk at the healthfood shop), we were vegetarians and ate organic food, we even went to a Steiner school!

Saying no to plastic bags is innate for me, and it brings me great pleasure to know that my children, young as they are, are learning and knowing and practicing such actions. 

Despite all this, I do feel, of late - living in the city and the current situation of our modern lives - that I have strayed from these ideals with which I was raised. We can only buy milk in a plastic carton; whereas when we were children at one stage of our lives we got milk fresh from a farm. 

I look around my home and see so many more objects and things and stuff than I want to be living with. It is easy in our society to buy things as we want, rather than need. And while I am conscious of what I buy, I also know that I have a far way to go to being the non-consumer I was raised to be.

This is an ever-evolving process, something that I am working on in my mind and consciousness, and trying to bring out into our daily lives. It's a venture, a slow thoughtful way of moving and changing and thinking and being. Each day by day by day. 

The Slow Project, as I'm calling it, will be my way of documenting and watching my personal changes as well as those of my family, and our continued business practices. I hope you will join me on this journey, either simply watching and encouraging, or perhaps finding some moments of inspiration to make small changes within your daily routines.

**images used with deep thanks to Little House on a Small Planet. (An amazing must-read book that I will talk about at a later stage, but let me just say that I am enjoying it immensely and am learning so much from it.)