A-Z Simple Living: N = Natural Remedies

As a natural extension of the path that I am following, I have become increasingly fascinated with the use of herbal remedies. Common herbs were always something that I had associated with flavour, but I am beginning to learn that you don't need the fancy ones like Ginseng and Gingko Biloba in your garden to be reaping the health benefits. Here is a list of ten herbs or plants that I think should be grown in most gardens, with a short summary of what they can be used for:

1. Calendula

The calendula petals are antifungal and antiseptic. The most common use is to make a cream from the petals to relieve dry skin and irritations.

2. Coriander

Coriander is a powerful digestive aid and cleansing agent capable of removing heavy metals and toxic agents from the body.

3. Peppermint

Peppermint relieves digestive discomfort such as indigestion and nausea when brewed as a tea, and when used in a liniment and applied to the skin it can relieve muscle soreness.

4. Rosemary

Rosemary stimulates energy and optimism, and sharpens memory and concentration by bringing more oxygen to your brain - a natural alternative to caffeine.

5. Thyme

This herb also has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, so it is often used to relieve cold symptoms. It also relieves diarrhea and upset stomachs.

6. Lavender

Lavender is commonly used as a relaxant. It can be added to your bath to relieve stress, anxiety or insomnia, and can also be used in creams to treat sunburn and acne. 

7. Chamomile

Chamomile is used as a tea for treating colic, nervous stress, infections and stomach disorders.

8. Aloe Vera

I find this to be the most versatile home remedy to grow. I use the gel in smoothies as it has digestive qualities and is a diuretic. I also use it to relieve burns, sunburn and skin irritations.

9. Basil

I use this all the time but only recently found out it is good for healing cuts if applied topically. It is also good for stomach gas and lack of appetite (I never have that problem).

10. Sage

Apparently sage is good for skin and gum infections, digestion and menopause.

If you are looking for more detailed explanations of how to prepare the herbal remedies then I can certainly recommend Isabel Shipard's book "How Can I Use Herb's In My daily Life?"

Image Source

It is a beautiful reference book and extremely detailed. The brief information above was sourced from the internet (sources below) but Isabel will show you how to make the herbal teas and lotions. I was fortunate enough to visit Isabel's herb farm a few months ago and came away with so much information as well as unusual herbs such as this beautiful Brahmi which I use in smoothies (it is very bitter) to boost memory and concentration. It is so much cheaper than buying a bottle of tablets.

Do you make any herbal remedies or do you stick with what you can buy at the pharmacy? I would love to hear of anything you may have tried with success :)

Internet Sources

http://theselfsufficientliving.com/list-of-medicinal-plants-to-grow-in-your-garden/

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/herbal-remedies-from-your-garden#promoSlide

A-Z Simple Living: M = Meal Planning

Meal Planning is something that I have let slip lately, right when I needed to be doing it the most. Life was very busy at work for me this past month, and I just did not have the mental capacity to do any more planning other than getting through each day in one piece. Now that I have a two-week break from the chaos, I am busy cooking and planning ahead, so that I can start back at work organised and on track...with healthy home made lunches frozen in advance, and dinners planned or prepared.

Early on in my blog I used to do a Monday Menu Planning Post and I have decided that when this series finishes I will go back to doing that. If I am accountable then I tend to follow through, and it was a great way to share a weekly recipe. Part of my recent motivation towards menu planning was a post I read at Flying Drunken Monkey about Cassie's top 5 reasons for meal planning...I thought I would share them with you here because they make perfect sense:

1. It Saves Time
Spending half an hour each week to complete your list, and check out the pantry, does save time because you don't have to waste time thinking each day what to cook, and rummaging around for ingredients you don't have.

2. It Saves Money
This is definitely true and the main reason for meal planning. Check your pantry first to see what ingredients you have, plan a menu, and make a shopping list...and stick to it.

3. It Makes Cooking Interesting
This is a great point. Planning ahead helps you avoid the 'same same' trap where you rely on the fallback meals...ours is spaghetti bolognese but I think the kids are finally a little tired of it. Yay!

4. It Improves Your Cooking Skills
This is a positive point I had not thought of before. By increasing the variety, and if you prep ahead of time (in my case, because I work full-time), you can stretch yourself to be a little more creative in the skills department. eg. pre-preparing a lasagne for the week.

5. It Helps You To Be Healthy
If you know what you are eating for the week you can ensure that it is healthy food...and the temptation to buy takeaway is reduced if you know you already have an easy meal planned for dinner.

I would also add another reason to this list. My kids like to see what they are having in advance. If it's one of their favourite meals they look forward to it...and I know that I am cooking things they all like each week....I had them make a list of everything they wanted me to cook. With fussy teenagers with ever changing eating habits, this is really important to me.

If you are thinking of meal planning, or even if you already do so, Cassie has the best Weekly Planning Schedule I have found - free to download! It is in excel format so you can input everything in your computer and print it out each week to put on the fridge. Makes the task of planning your week (including your meals) just a little bit easier :)

Do you meal plan? Or are you like me and do it for while, then lose track?

A-Z Simple Living: L = Living vs Existing

I decided today to write about the second word in my theme - Living. Simple Living is certainly a way of life, and a different way of looking at things...but what exactly is Living?

For a long time, even though I should have been happy about my life, I was just just existing, just here, not really in control of my happiness. The stress, and the 'maybe it's karma and my life is not meant to be perfect' thoughts compounded after every flood. Where was that perfect life we sought? Where was the beautiful home, and the happy blended family we dreamed of? Why is this happening to us? What can we possibly do about it?

When your thoughts take these kind of paths, it affects how you are living...and your enthusiasm for it. When you can't see the shining light at the end of the tunnel, your world becomes dim and dull, and you realise you are just going from day to day, without a future. In a nutshell, you are only existing rather than living. I was fortunate to have found my 'thing', and my enthusiasm for my property and my life has returned...and with it my happiness.

So, have a think about it...are you just existing or are you truly living? Do you focus on photos like the first one above, or do you choose to see the second one? I am seeing the second one more often now :)

I thought I would share these quotes with you. They express the notion of living versus existing...and offer great food for thought. I hope you find them as inspiring as I do:

“When you are just EXISTING, life happens to you… and you manage; when you are truly LIVING, you happen to life… and you lead.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

“All what is existing already existed. We are together for a while pondering in agile world.”
― Santosh Kalwar

“Existing is going through the motions of life with no zeal and feeling you have no control; living means embracing all that this large world has to offer and not being afraid to take chances. The beauty of living is knowing you can always start over and there's always a chance for something better.”
― J'son M. Lee

“There's a difference between living and just surviving. Do something you love, and find someone to love who loves that you love what you do.
It is really that simple.
And that hard.”
― John Connolly, The Infernals

“Living is more than just existing. When you are living you feel emotions that you may not be able to decipher. You commit mistakes and learn from them and you will be carved in people’s hearts and souls with love and happiness so when you are gone you may not be able to exist anymore but you will still be living inside people’s heart and souls and your memory will forever be cherished by them.”
― Perky Peppermint

“Are you happy? It doesn’t matter! Are you unhappy? It doesn’t matter! What matters is whether you exist or not! Are you laughing? It doesn’t matter! Are you crying? It doesn’t matter! What matters is whether you exist or not!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Basically, being alive means keeping yourself ready for the sky to fall in on you at any time. If you start from the assumption that existence is only an ordeal, a test we have to pass, then you’re equipped to deal with its sorrows and its surprises. If you persist in expecting it to give you something it can’t give, that just proves that you haven’t understood anything. Take things as they come; don’t turn them into a drama. You’re not piloting the ship, you’re following the course of your destiny.”
― Yasmina Khadra, Swallows of Kabul

A-Z Simple Living: K = Kitchen

When I am not out in the garden or at work, I find I spend a lot more time now in my kitchen. So many of the hobbies and interests I now have, centre around this vital hub of our home. Now, my kitchen is certainly not something to write home to Mum about. It is a kitchen we fashioned when we had to relocate it upstairs due to the flooding. It just was not practical to maintain our large kitchen and dining area downstairs...as much as I loved that open space. Fridges and the like are difficult to move upstairs in the rain, and when we all move up there in a flood, we need a kitchen anyway.

My downstairs kitchen

One day, I dream of having a chef's kitchen, equipped with modern appliances, massive benchtops, a kitchen island...and every surface gleaming. Oh, and one of those fancy hanging pot things on the ceiling. Now, who wouldn't want to cook in a kitchen like that?

In actuality, all you really need from your kitchen is a space you feel comfortable in. A space where you know where everything is, and where there is a little order in amongst the chaos. I find that I have to work to keep it organised and I set myself some boundaries of always going to bed with the kitchen tidy, and always trying to leave it the same way when I go to work the next morning. It does not always go that way, but most days I hit the mark, and it makes me feel so peaceful knowing it is done, and I love walking into it when it is tidy and clean.

So, want to see my kitchen? These are some random shots:

It is one long room, leading off from the glass doors to the upstairs verandah. We have a small living area at the other end.

This is the sink side, with our dining table against the wall, You will note I have two pantries, and could really do with some overhead cupboards one day.

I try and keep my shelves as organised as possible, by using smaller shelves, baskets and boxes.

I need to get more containers for loose items. Most of my dry stuff ends up in glass cannisters on the top of the pantry...to make more room inside.

The cupboards are steel fronted work benches suited for a man-cave toolshed, but they are waterproof and portable, which was a big consideration downstairs.

I have recently moved the clutter of ornaments out of the inlaid shelves, and replaced them with more useful items, such as my spices and glasses etc. And doesn't everyone have a few seedlings on their kitchen sink?

I would love to see these red pots hanging from the ceiling one day, but for now they live in a huge pull-out drawer.

The other side of my kitchen where all the work happens. I like to leave my breadmaker on the bench as it is used every couple of days (when I am in breadmaking mode). The 'window' opens right out and adds heaps of light to the room, but I pulled it down to take this photo.

And there is still plenty of space for food preparation. If I need to spread out I use the dining table also.

So. it's a little bit rustic, but it does the job and I have plans to add more cupboards...and a glass window :)

Do you like your kitchen? Or is it just a place to work...and then run away from?

A-Z Simple Living: J = Jars of Jam and Jugs of Juice

I thought "J" was going to be a tough letter to choose a Simple Living topic for, but I think I did a good job of stringing a few "J" words together :). Today I want to talk about preserving, and jams and juice are just one of the ways of prolonging the shelf life of our fresh produce. Until recently I only thought about using what I needed in the short term from my produce, and not about utilising the excess for long term use. I am ashamed to admit that lemons and limes used to go to waste under my trees....now that I have adopted a waste not/want not philosophy, those times are long gone and I am rather fascinated with how many different ways there are to preserve. Here is a selection of some methods I have tried...and aim to try.

1. Freezing

This is the most common way of storing fresh food for the long term. I have yet to collect enough vegetables like beans to blanch and freeze, but I do currently have ziplock bags of whole cherry tomatoes frozen - because I simply ended up with too many to use at once. I also have frozen stewed mulberries from our Spring harvest, which will soooo be made into a pie soon. Generally though, I tend to let my freezer get disorganised and I forget what's in there so I have dedicated some time (it's on my long list) to sort this out....and label.

2. Dehydrating

This is a method I am only experimenting with at the the moment. Drying reduces the water concentration in order to prevent bacterial growth. In my H = Homemade post I shared my first attempt at beef jerky in the Dehydrator, and will look at doing some fruits in the next couple of weeks....I love dried apples. I have also had success doing semi-dried cherry tomatoes in the oven.

3. Jams and Preserves

In the past six months I have made two jams - mango and fig. I am not a big jam lover but it is nice to have in the cupboard or fridge...and the mangoes were free from a friends tree, so it was a bonus. I am crazy about chutney and relish as I have demonstrated on this blog many times, and I must admit it is my favourite way to preserve excess produce.

4. Pickling

This is something new for me also. I am not a big fan of pickles but I did end up with some excess cucumbers which I made into bread and butter pickles. Most home pickling involves using a vinegar-based liquid to preserve the vegetables.

5. Bottling (Canning)

There is a certain addiction to bottling or canning rows and rows of multi-coloured produce. I absolutely love to get the Fowler's Vacola out and spend the afternoon preserving fresh fruit. You need a pressure canner to preserve vegetables in this fashion, which I do not have, but you can use the Vacola to vacuum seal your pickled vegetables...giving them a longer life in the cupboard.

6. Fermenting

This is a totally new area for me, and certainly one of the buzz words going around at the moment. Fermented foods have been through a process of lactofermentation (the biggest word I have ever used on this blog) in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. Sauerkraut and fruit wine are examples. This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3-fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics...in a nutshell they are great for your digestion. I have made probiotic lemonade using whey leftover from my cheese-making, and have made sourdough using a starter but that is it so far...however I do have a fermentation workshop coming up in May which I am looking forward to, and will share what I learn :)

7. Juicing

This is another one of my favourite pastimes. I juice excess lemons and limes and keep them in freezer trays for cooking or just as iceblocks to have in drinks. I also use the juice to make cordial such as the 'Bickfords' style lime cordial I made a few weeks ago. Any excess vegetables are juiced for green/vegetarian smoothies...the possibilities are limitless. I just read today about vinegar you can make from fruit scraps...told you I am an addict :)

Am I the only one who can relate to this obsession? Tell me, what's your kitchen 'fad' at the moment?

A-Z Simple Living: I = Inspiration

I started off my A-Z Challenge talking about awareness, and how I came to venture down this simple living path. Once I was aware that I needed to make some changes, I then found inspiration in so many people I met and resources I found online....people just like me, that started from scratch. Just this week I attended a Gympie Permaculture meeting and was inspired by the stories from so many different people. I learnt tips for growing tomatoes, I listened to devastating stories of drought and hail, and met clever people with some marvellous gardening innovations. Sometimes inspiration finds you, and other times you find it when you least expect to.

During this series I have mentioned a few online sources that have provided inspiration for me such as Debra Dane from Home Life Simplified, Natural New Age Mum, and The Organised Housewife. I realised that for this post I wanted to expand on this list and show you a few more of my favourite places to visit...places that provide constant sources of inspiration for me...ordinary people motivating me to pursue my dreams, by sharing theirs.

1. Down To Earth

It's no secret that I am fan of Rhonda Hetzel. She is, after all, the reason I started my blog, and the one who introduced me to simple living. She is an inspiration in that she turned her back on her corporate lifestyle and slowed down...with great success. Anything I think of trying, Rhonda has already shared it with us...and she has a great forum Simple Living Forums where you can connect with other like minds and share stories and advice.

2. The Greening of Gavin

I love Gavin's story and his no-nonsense approach to everything. In his own words, he basically had a green epiphany whilst watching a documentary and decided to change his life. He proceeded to replace his lawn with gardens...and everything snowballed from there. He now conducts workshops on soap and cheese making and is a regular on Melbourne radio and television. I also love his cheese blog Little Green Cheese. It is my cheese-making bible and will be referred to many times during the holidays.

3. Slow Your Home

I only found this site recently and have already gained so much from it. I was looking for inspiration for this A-Z challenge and googled A-Z Simple Living...and here I found Brooke who had already done an A-Z on this topic :) Better than that though is the simple living and decluttering advice she has. Sign up to her slow home bootcamp and get a daily email task.

4. My Simple Home

This is another site I discovered recently. Sarah Wilson is the author of "I Quit Sugar", a course of action she took to fight her autoimmune disease. Hers is a very inspiring story and you will also find some amazing recipes and advice on simplifying your home and making it more sustainable.

5. Sustainable Suburbia

I cannot go past mentioning Kirsten's site in this list. She has an amazing  FREE E-Book Less Toxic Living, which will absolutely open your eyes to the toxins we are exposed to in our everyday lives. Her blog is full of natural versus chemical based alternatives, reviews of everyday products and some very delicious clean-living recipes. A very inspiring lady.

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These are just a few of my online inspirations at the moment. There are so many more, and it's a constantly evolving list as I meet new people and find inspiration in many different walks of life. And...judging by the 10 points in the list above most of us are inspirations to others also.

Who inspires you at the moment? I'd love to know :)

A-Z Simple Living: H = Homemade

It is not a secret that I like to experiment with making things myself. It is something I let go for so many years whilst I was raising small children, but now that they have grown up, I am finding that it is a wonderful and fascinating hobby. I have only ventured as far as foods and cleaning products because my sewing and craft skills leave a lot to be desired...and I have to get my kids to thread the needle these days :) However, you never know where this road will take me and I may just start sewing and knitting one day.

Image Source

Sewing and knitting remind me of when I was a young girl and my mother used to make some of our clothes, whilst my grandma knitted us cardigans and jumpers. Back then it was the sign of a not-so-prosperous household, because it was cheaper than buying them. Now the opposite is true - to have handcrafted clothes or hand knitted jumpers is something to be treasured as the cost ( in time and money), far outweighs the ready-made stuff you can buy. Funny how times change :)

Here are just some of the things I have made at home (some successful and some not), and a glimpse into what I have planned to make during my holidays. There is nothing like that feeling when something turns out better than the original, and saves you money in the process:

I picked up a dehydrator last week for $5 from a garage sale. When the guy I bought it from said that it makes the best beef jerky I couldn't resist trying it out....and he was right. Not only does it taste better, but it is relatively inexpensive to make compared to what you buy in the stores. My boys go on Army camps and jerky is a great staple for them to take as it is nutritious and does not need refrigeration. We still have to tweak a little to perfect the recipe but our first batch was a great start!

I have already told you the story of my soap-making. Not a huge success...but something to cross off my list of things to try.

This was my last experiment with bread rolls. I have yet to perfect them and have added them to my holiday experimentation list. My kids love them, and with living out of town, it would be really handy to whip up a couple of batches every week.

Homemade bircher muesli. This is an amazing breakfast cereal and just takes a little bit of preparation. I put all of my ingredients into a coffee jar, add skim milk or juice and let it soak overnight in the fridge. Easy.

This was my first batch of cream cheese made with full cream milk. I have just finished another batch using skim milk and am very pleased with the results...I'm sure my waist will be too :)

My kids love homemade sausage rolls in their lunchboxes. I do tend to rely on the frozen sheets of pastry so there is another thing to add to my (ever growing) homemade list.

I made my first Christmas cake last year...and will now make one every year. I have hot-cross buns planned for Easter, which is another first.

This is the homemade hamper I made for Xmas last year for each family. It was really well received and the preserves were all made with ingredients from the garden.

I cannot wait to get stuck into some cheese making these holidays. I have all the stuff, I just needed the time and the temperature (my cheese fridge ran too warm in summer). I have never made hard cheeses like cheddar before, and if they turn out I plan to make camembert (my favourite) also :)

I can also see the Vacola getting a bit of use during my holidays as well. Although I don't have a lot of my own produce to preserve, I have planned a few trips to the markets. Nothing like getting everything stored before winter :)

I also really enjoy making jams and chutneys (which we use all the time now) so I can see I will have to research some new recipes...maybe some pumpkin preserves :)

Other things I have planned are....homemade chicken stock, homemade mayonnaise, homemade soups, and some traditional baking. Phew, its a long list but these are the things I love to do. The moral of the story is....homemade is the way to go...for me anyway.

Do you make many things yourself? This list only scratches the surface, I would love to hear any other suggestions :)