Wherever you live try to get to know the free food you can forage locally. In the modern world we tend to forget that food occurs naturally pretty much everywhere. Nature supplies lots of edible goodies if you only get out their and look for them. Perhaps the best place to start is to track down a book on plants native to wherever you live. Or even better a book on local wild foods. Then get talking to people. Vegetable Gardeners are often great scavengers too, and the older they are the more they may know what your locality has […]
Make a Garden Cold Frame for Free
Do You Need a Cold Frame in the Garden? It all depends on the weather, how much you raise from seed and how much you garden. Oh and whether you already have a greenhouse or poly-tunnel! In dry or windy climates it can be very difficult to get seed trays to remain moist enough for the seeds to germinate. In cold climates a cold frame can give you a head-start at germinating plants which the soil outside is too cold or frost prone for. In very wet climates a cold frame can provide somewhere tranquil where seeds won’t be disturbed […]
Homemade Yogurt – Creamy or a Bit Runny?
Following on from my post about making yogurt at home I have a discovery for you. For blogging purposes, I’ve been studying the varying qualities of my homemade yogurt rather more closely than usual. Homemade natural yogurt can vary quite a lot. Sometimes it is a bit runny and sometimes insanely creamy. Both textures taste good but the ultra creamy homemade yogurt is definitely more attractive (and more impressive when boasting about a new skill to friends or serving as a dessert). How to Create Creamy Homemade Yogurt Use a Less than Fresh Yogurt ‘Starter’ In my experience yogurt made […]
Homemade Lye From Wood Ash
What is Lye? Lye is a key ingredient in soap making. It is a strong alkali or base substance which reacts with fat to form soap. You can buy lye in the form of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or you can make your own homemade lye in the form of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide). Firstly lets get the health and safety stuff out of the way. All lye is extremely corrosive. Keep your skin covered, wear goggles to avoid splashes to eyes and definitely keep all lye out of the reach of children and pets. It can be fatal if […]
Everyone Can Plant A Few Potatoes
Whether you say Potato or Potatoe one thing is certain, everyone can have a few fresh Potatoes wherever they live. From a Field full of this most delicious of crops to a single Potato planted in a Container, we can all do it. You may have been Chitting your Seed Potatoes for Weeks, getting ready to Plant them out when the little Shoots have grown a few centimetres, or you may have not thought about Planting any Potatoes at all. Trust me, however much space you have, planting even a mini crop is worth it. Can I Plant A Single […]
How to Make Yogurt at Home
Or as we would say: How to Make Yoghurt at Home. This is a really simple Homemade Yoghurt Recipe. To make yoghurt or yogurt at home you need no fancy equipment or machines. To make great yoghurt you certainly do not need an expensive yoghurt maker. You can make your own healthy natural yoghurt just as it has always been made – cheaply and naturally. Making Yoghurt at Home – Simply The ‘Starter’ The starter is simply a small batch of yoghurt which will supply your milk with all the right yeasts and bacterias to get it to turn itself […]
How do You Clean Your Toilet?
I know, its a bit personal isn’t it? But if you’re trying to live a self sufficient life you don’t want to waste lots of money on commercial cleaners. And, if you’re trying to live a ‘greener’ more sustainable life you certainly do not want to use harsh chemicals if possible. Similarly, anyone with a bio-digester water treatment system knows that the addition of bleaches and similar products will stop the bacteria doing their magic on your waste. You can go out and buy commercial ‘green’ cleaning products but you don’t need to. We find them overpriced and never that […]