MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Its been a wee while since i have posted.  Christmas time seems to have crept up on me very quickly this year.    JA is now on holidays and the kids have finished school and its now time to enjoy each others company and have a little rest as well.. if its as all possible to do so while the kids are off LOL...

Today is baking day!!  were making a lovely christmas butter cake, try a new scone receipe that we seen on River Cottage and getting the ham all cut and ready to take with us tomorrow for Christmas lunch.  Then is off to Christmas mass this evening followed by getting ready for Santa and his Reindeers. 

I just wanted to quickly pop on and wish every one a very Merry Christmas and great safe New Year.  Hope Santa is good to you all and that you enjoy this speciall time of year no matter what you are doing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND SEE YOU AGAIN IN 2010!

KIND REGARDS

DONNA AND FAMILY....

Read More......

A POTATO BOUNTY!!!!!

LOOK AT THESE BEAUTIES!!!

Today with the help of dad i went down to harvest my potoates that were ready to harvest!!   and there was a bounty to be had!     I reckon we would have harvested at least 30kg of potatoes today.  Each plant had heaps of potatoes under it.  There were a couple of varites including Kifler and Desiree.    This time around my Kiflers were fantastic.  I have planted them previously and had not had a great sucess. 

The garden is over flowing with growing vegies.    Pumpkins that should be ready just after xmas, corn, beans, tomoatoes, capsicums and lots more.  I have another lot of potatoes that will be ready to harvest in about 4 to 5 weeks time.   Im trying really hard to make sure i have a continual supply of veggies all year round.    I have almost been down at the community gardens for 12mths and i have been really happy with what has grown down there.  As i have commented on before i try to plant the bigger crops down there, things that dont need constant attention and that need a lot of room to grow.

Tomorrow i will be heading down to Nowra for the Sustainable Forum with my fellow Assessor Brian for the day.  We are there to promote the Green Loans Program.     Then Sunday i was lucky enough to get a seat on the free bus tour for the sourthern highlands community gardens.   JA is even coming long with me so it will be a nice day out together.  Im also going to ask lots of questions about how you go about setting up a community garden.    I have just met up with a group North of me who would like to start a community garden up that way.     I was hoping it was as easy as asking for land and then getting started, however these days there are legal obligations ect that need to be looked at.    It will be interesting to see how it all works and im going to take lots of pictures.

I had better go i have a roast chicken in the oven and of course i have my potatoes in for roast potaotes and some carrots that were pulled from the garden cleaned and then straight into the oven...   How's that for fresh!!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.   Will you all be putting up your Xmas Trees..  I hope to do mine next weekend.  

Cheers Donna.

Read More......

RISE AND SHINE AWARDS!!!

What a fantasic day today!!  I got a call from the Sustainable Illawarra Team to tell me that i have been one of 3 people chosen to be awarded a Special Environmental Encouragement Award for recognition of contribution to improve the City's environment.     I was so trilled that i was one of the chosen 3 to recieve this award.

What a fantastic honour to have.  I have been invited to the "Rise and Shine awards diner where i will be given the award.   How very exciting.

Today is the final closing ceremony for the Sustainable Illawarra Superchallengers.  I can't belive it.  The last 12 months have gone so fast.   So today we are off to attend the closing ceremony.    Its been a hectic year this year, the start of the year not so good and now we are in december again.

JA has finally finshed uni.  He has been hard working and studying for the last 6 years and this week saw the end of the long 6 year strech.    Im so very proud of him he has worked so very hard with lots of challenges along the way.

Well i was thinking what did i achieve on my Sustainable Journey this year. 

I have a fantastic garden at home that is looking lush.   Its been planted out with lots of fruit trees some which have been baring fruit already.  

I have gotten my allotment down at Dapto Community Farm.  At the moment with the few bits of rain and sun we have had is thriving.  I have at least 10kg of Pototoes that will be ready to harvest for Xmas diner and pumpkins already that will be ready to harvest by christmas.    Lots of tomato plants that will be ready to make home made passta and use in yummy salads and lettuce coming out of my ears.    Its been  very rewarding and satisfying.

We have managed to reduce our waste.  We compost everything including letters that we get in the mail all the envelopes, dog hair, toilet rolls everything we can.    We have our worm farm and hens that eat the kitchen scraps and weeds..  The hens even eat the lawn clippings and in return we get yumy eggss and worm wee for fertilizer.

We have not managed to reduce our energy costs however we are working on it.  Its very hard with young children who seem not to turn off lights and appliances even thought they have been reminded many times to do so..   Also we have a big home.  We hope down the line to be able to get Photo Voltaic Solar Power at some stage to reduce the energy costs.  It all takes time and in the 12mths we have been trying to be more sustainable we have made many changes but there are still many more to do.  It all takes time.

And im very lucky to now have a job in the Sustainalbity sector where i can help others do the same.  Weather they own there own home or are tennants.  All changes help even small ones. 

So this year has been pretty full on.     Well thats about all for now.    There may not be as many posts between now and christmas as we are heading into a super busy time of the year with many end of year functions to attend and this year the school term is finishing early.  But i will pop on a few times before xmas to let you know how its all going.

Cheers for now.

Donna.



Sustainalbity Tip:- Grow your own food.  Even if you just grow a few herbs in pots.  Not only do the vegies taste good and are better for you, you know how they were grown and its great exercise to get out in the sun and get some fresh air.  Its the perfect time to plant lots of yummy veggies at the moment.  Involve the kids its school holidays coming up and they will be home to see the process of how fast things grow.

Read More......

SUSTAINABLITY FORUM DEC 5, 2009

Hi There,

I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a Sustainability Forum on the 5th December, 2009 to be held at Bomoderry Anglican College.

http://www.sustainablehousingforums.com/

Here is the link with all the information.

It looks like its going to be a great event with lots of displays and discussions on Sustainable Living.

Its Free Entry so come and check it out if you can..

Cheers
Donna

Read More......

YUMMY PEACH JAM

Hi All,

Have not posted in a wee while.  But i have been super busy down at my allotment, in my garden at home and the usual home stuff and my Home Sustainblity Assessments.

Take a look at my peach tree which this year was absolutley loaded with fruit.   I have lost a lot less to fruit fly this year and a few to the lovely lorikeets in the garden.

What to do with all this yummy fruit that is ripening all at once.   I gave a few bags away but then decided that i would try my hand at making some yummy jam.

I searched all my cook books high and low nothing on jams...  So i searched the net and found this recipe that looked pretty simple and i gave it a go.  This is from an American site so the measurements were in pounds

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/preserving-harvest-peach-jam.html

Here is the link.  I then followed Rhonda Jeans blog at Down to earth

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2007/10/water-bath-preserving.html

So here are my 5 pounds of peaches peeled de-stonned with the lemon juice and sugar added.  I might add though next time i won't add as much sugar.  Althought the final product does taste super yummy it was a little to sweet for my taste buds.

 Here is the jam cooking.   You will notice after a while the mixture does start to thicken.  I did try to mash the peaches up a little with a pototo masher.  My first try... But next time i will cut the peaches a little smaller.

Ok Here is my final product.... My first batch of Peach Jam.    I have another load of these yummy peaches ready to go and i would like to try it again.  

Has anyone given jam ago before.  I would love to hear from you so you can tell me how it went and give my any pointers.   My jam did not set like i would have hoped, however it was very yummy and i have been having it on toast, on my ceral, and even on icecream.  

My garden is looking green and lush with all the rain we have been having.   I have also most gotten my green loan thru to put in water tanks which im going to connect to my washing machine.  We have been getting alot of rain the last 2 months.  Once i get my tanks in it probably won't rain the LOL!!!

Well thats all for this post.  I would love to hear from anyone who has had experience with jam or chutney making!!  Even swap some recipes.

Happy Gardening Everyone..

Donna.

PS.... Sustainble tip no2.     So you don't loose heat in winter and cool in summer try to make your home draught proof....  By using door snakes to block off doors, mats to block off draughts from floor boards, insutate under your floor, walls if possible and ceiling.  Take up the Goverments free ceiling insulation offer...  

NOTE:_    The ceiling insulation rebate is one rebate that is available for ceiling insulation or solar hot water.  You can use the rebate for one item only.  The solar rebate is only available for the replacement of electric systems only.  The only expemtion is those who were in the unfortunate situation of being involved in the Victorian Bush fires then you can claim the rebate if you had gas or electric system. 

Read More......

COMPUTER BANK ILLAWARRA

I have heard the advertisment a few times on the radio about the Computer Bank Illawarra while driving around and thought what a good idea.   Today when i was doing one of my Home Assessments a lovely lady named Maria asked me if i knew of anyone who recycled computers.  This advertsiment came to mind and when driving home from the assessment i heard it again and thought i should look it up and find out some more information about it.

Computer Bank Ilawarra is a non profit orginisation who provide second hand computers that have been revamped to people who cannot afford to buy one.  They take donations of older computers from the community and recycle them.  What a great way to help people in our community and also help the enviorment via recycling.

Check them out at there web site at.
http://www.cbi.org.au/

Would you like to volunteer at ComputerBank Illawarra?   (The following I have taken from the computer bank)   If you are into computers and would like to vounteer the requirements are below.



We are looking for people who satisfy the following requirements:
able to work in a team environment,


have a working knowledge of modern desktop computer hardware,


have some knowledge of Linux and/or Mandriva,


prepared to volunteer to assist those less fortunate that youself.

We cannot guarantee that you will be working on the latest whiz-bang hardware, but you can be assured of some challenges, and you are sure to learn something useful.

Its always great to be involved in a community project.


I also thought that each time i write my blog i should give a tip on how we can help the enviorment just by doing small things that don't cost money.  So the first of my tips is:!

1.     Take a shorter shower!

Just by taking a shorter every day you could be saving many litres of water.  Add that up over a month and then a year that is a lot of water!

Well thats all for today.

Donna.

Read More......

GREAT TIME TO GET HENS!!

I thought i would write a quick post about chickens as now is a great time to get hens as there are plenty young hens available now at this time of year. 

One great place to look for hens is a website called Back Yard Poultry.  It has a noitce board on the site were breeders can advertise for sale.  http://www.backyardpoultry.com/index.php?page=board.php

I also came accross a fantasic bargin for a Chicken coup in which you could easily fit at least 4 hens which would be enough to feed a family and would be suitable for a small back yard.  Check this out at.
http://alwaysdirect.com.au/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&zenid=d5f53184467f9497ca90580a1972342b&keyword=chicken&gclid=CLeZ5PbZ2Z0CFR4HagodMSHUsA

Chickens are fantasic pets and don't cost alot to feed.  I buy a bulk bag of feed for $25 and that lasts me at least 2 months for 6 birds.   You can also feed them all your kitchen scraps and alot of your garden waste.

Then not only do you have a fun pet, you get fresh eggs, compost for your garden and they are great little recyclers. 

So if you have been thinking about it this time of year is great time to buy your birds....
Cheers
Donna.

Read More......