Well it’s definitely getting easier to waste less food. It’s becoming more habitual to think about any leftovers quickly. This week there have only been a few potato peelings and half a cup of cooked cous-cous wasted. They got fed to the animals so really a very good attempt at wasting no food. Well I think anyway. I’m getting into the swing of creative thinking too. For example last night MrDB made far too much garlic bread so today I used it in a romesco sauce recipe. It worked a treat, tasted great, saved us cash and reduced our food […]
Chicken Nesting Boxes Made Simple
Anyone who follows this Self Sufficient site knows that we like to keep things as simple as possible. If we can do something cheaply or for free then that is what we will do. A big part of a Self Sufficient Life is getting the best quality food at the cheapest prices. This is where keeping Chickens is so invaluable. Chicken nesting boxes or Chicken Laying boxes can be a simple affair if we wish. Hopefully you have read How To Build Chicken Houses For Free and are now on your way to the freshest Eggs imaginable. Here is a […]
Low Energy Marmalade
After the windfall of free fruit, this week has seen Casa Dirty Boots become a hive of citrus preserving activity. We’ve juiced, pickled, preserved and marmaladed. Soon cordial and limoncello (and maybe even orange-cello) are on the menu. The house smells divine – lots of bubbling citrus and I have to say I’ve learnt a lot about marmalade. We’ve made marmalade many times over the years but this time I’ve gone research crazy and tried a few different techniques to see how different the taste can be depending on the method. Most methods require two or more hours cooking before […]
How To Build A Compost Bin
As you know, I am all for making things for free if I can. It is not for everyone but I thought I would give everyone the quick and easy way to learn how to build a Compost Bin at home. Searching the Web I am surprised that the Garden Composting Bin Plans that I could find all seemed so complicated to follow. Well, I will be keeping it as simple as possible. Compost Bin Plans should be so easy to follow that people will be inclined to build one themselves, not be put off by technicalities. We have built […]
Pickled Beetroot (Beetroot Preserve with Vinegar)
Nothing beats a bit of beetroot – if you get me. This is such a bright and cheery summer veggie I always want to preserve some for those dull wintry days. If you’re experiencing beetroot overload at the moment why not pickle your own? It is a million times better than the bought stuff and very simple to prepare. Homemade Pickled Beetroot For every 1 kilo of raw, fresh beets you’ll need 600ml of brine (made with 50g salt and 600 ml of water) plus 600ml of malt or red wine vinegar. Wash but do not peel the beets. Place […]
Get Fruit For Free And Go Preserve Crazy!
This Sunday we were on a mission to get as much Fruit as we could for free. After our very successful day it got me to thinking. How can everyone, whatever the country they live in, get free Fruit? I will tell you about our day and it should answer that question in part. I will then give you some more ideas. Becoming more self sufficient is all about spending as little as you can and making the most of what you can get for little or no cost. The Fruit For Free Mission Our friends have a small Orange […]
Reduce Food Waste – Week 2
We’ve now finished two weeks of trying to reduce our household food waste. This might not be the most exciting reading, BUT it is getting us motivated and inspired to keep on reducing the amount of edible food the Dirty Boots household wastes. I think we’re slowly improving too. Even Mr Dirty Boots has been keeping an eye on things and boiling all his potato peelings for the animals. This has saved us some dog food too! I’ve been monitoring portion size much more closely which is making a big difference. The main way I’m finding that we can waste […]