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Centralised Composting Toilets

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Looking into the world of composting toilets and the choices I could make to upgrade my humble sawdust toilet is a real eye-opener.  It is nice to know there are so many toilet composting systems to choose from.  That means there must be more and more people opting to use them. There is still an awful lot of stigma around the whole subject of compost loos, primarily I suppose because people are scared of what they will be confronted with when it comes to emptying them.  Using a manufactured composting toilet means only dry matter is stored and you only […]

Manufactured Self Contained Compost Toilets

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We’ve looked at cheap and cheerful home-made DIY compost toilets;  waterless, sawdust toilets which are basically a bucket you need to empty yourself every few days.  These systems work, speeding up the action and fertility of a conventional compost heap and providing an extremely environmentally friendly way of dealing with human waste.  But, being of a ‘back to basics’ nature they really are not for everyone. If you prefer a less hands on approach to the waterless toilet you can buy self contained compost toilets instead.  These self contained systems are a very glamorous version of the bucket compost loo.  […]

Compost Toilet – The Sawdust Toilet

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The compost toilet can be as complicated, expensive, cheap or basic as you like. As far as indoor compost toilets are concerned none are more simple to create, use and understand than the sawdust toilet. We have a sawdust toilet and I really cannot recommend it enough.  Even if you have no intention of ever foregoing your luxurious plumbed in conventional toilet, you should at least know about sawdust toilets.  Then, the next time the water supply is disrupted or you are remodelling the bathroom you can use this simple composting toilet system until your preferred poo receptacle is functioning […]

Compost Toilet Month

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Mr DirtyBoots is still AWOL at the moment.  He will be back  soon with lots of ideas to earn a living without ‘Working for the Man’.  In the meantime I’m butching up to bring you a serious on the humble (and not so humble compost toilet). We have a fairly basic model constructed by himself years ago.  Initially our sawdust toilet was created through necessity rather than choice.  We had no running water so it seemed the sensible option for dealing with the DirtyBoots poo.  Now though, we are complete converts to the waterless toilet.  It is great not to […]

Tasty Apricot Jam Recipe

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We just love free stuff here at A Self Sufficient Life.  Last week it was a carrier bag full of tiny sweet apricots. The wonderful lady who gifted them to us suggested I make some Apricot Jam, to which I responded I had too much Cherry Jam to do at the moment.  But as the apricots sat, wafting their wonderful scent about the kitchen I gave in.  I am very glad I did.  I do believe this may now be my favorite homemade jam recipe!  Well until I try another I suppose. Tasty Apricot Jam Recipe Apricot Jam Ingredients 1.3 […]

What to do With a Tree-full of Cherries?

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I have shared the delights of Cherry Clafoutis and passed on a Cherry Jam Recipe.  I am planning on making some Cherry Vodka/Schnapps (always  a wonderful treat) and bottling some cherries.  None of this will make a significant dent in the volume of ripe cherries burdening one particularly good old cherry tree at the bottom of our land. Last year storms ruined the cherry harvest, all the fruits split and rotted on the trees which was very distressing.  I do not want to waste this years bounty.  Cherries are big business in these parts, our village is famous for them […]

Easy Cherry Clafoutis Recipe

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Yes, it is cherry harvest time at a Self Sufficient Life.  Here’s something else we knocked up last night.  I have to admit this is not my recipe, it is from The Silver Spoon which is one of the best cookery books I have ever owned.  There is just so much in it!  For those who do not own the book – here’s the recipe for Cherry Clafoutis. Oh, and if you have never eaten a Clafoutis before, think of it as a thick baked pancakey/custardy delightful desert you will make again and again!  Also good with apriocots or gooseberries, […]