Everyday Rainbow - Day 119 of 365

Unexpected Delights - Day 118 of 365

Yes, it's a tomato getting ready to flower in one of the colder parts of Melbourne in July.

In an unusual set of circumstances this plant got potted up as a seedling in either April or May.  It was intended to help out a permie friend of mine was planning to do a "tomatoes all year" experiment with one of her inner city clients.  

As these things go for one reason or another it stayed here, in the hot house.  When I remembered I watered it, once it proved that it had a hope of surviving I even threw some organic fertiliser it's way.   

Thankfully, the worst thing I could have done to this tomato growing over Autumn and Winter was try and "force growth" with rich nutrients and heaps of water.  Even in the hot house it still gets cold enough, overnight, to burn the weak sappy foliage that those regimes create.  This tough little cherry tomato has so far had a couple of mature leaves brown after a couple of pretty severe overnight frosts but otherwise it's plodding along like a trooper.  

We'll see if it survives until September and has the opportunity to set fruit in October but either way.. 

Seeing it in there gives me hope that the circle is turning and brings to mind yet again that plants have a monumental will to survive.

Cruizin' - Day 117 of 365

NSW South Coast - May 2011

Wholegrain Choc & Nut Biscuits (Spelt) - Day 116 of 365

Spelt Choc & Nut Biscuits
(approx 15 biscuits)

2 C Wholegrain Spelt Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1 C Rolled oats 

1 C smashed chocolate bar bits

1/2 C raw nuts (cashews, macadamia and almonds have all tested well here)

1/2 C Coconut Oil

1/3 C Raw Sugar
2 Lg Eggs
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla essence
**may need to add a Tbsp of water to bring it together end depending on egg size.




Preheat oven to 180C.

To a medium bowl add Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon and rolled oats.  Add chocolate and nut pieces mix to distribute everything through then let sit.

Cream together the coconut oil and sugar in a large bowl.  Add eggs to the creamed mixture one at a time.  Mix through salt, vanilla essence.  When everything is thoroughly combined add the contents of the flour bowl and mix well.  The mix at this point should hold together when squished into a ball, if not just add water 1 Tsp at a time.

Make balls of dough around about 1 Tbsp in size and slightly flatten as you put it on the oven tray.

Cook at 180C for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden.  Once cooled enough to move continue cooling on a rack.

Transition Knox - Clothes Swap

Saturday, 16 July 2011

10am till 12 noon

Ferntree Gully-Rowville Community Arts Centre

(same building as Ferntree Gully Library)

1010 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully.

Entry by gold coin donation

How does it work?

•  Participants bring along unwanted clothing and get a token for each item.
•  Use your tokens to “shop” for items that others have brought along.
•  Out of respect for fellow swappers and your community, please bring clean items nice enough to lend to a friend.
•  Nothing to swap? - Use gold coins to “shop” for items.
•  Please bring your own bag

Contact TransitionKnox@gmail.com if you can help out in any way or visit our website for more information about the event. http://transitionknox.wordpress.com

About Transition Knox

Transition Knox is a not for profit group committed to assisting people within Knox live more sustainable lives.  The motivation behind the formation of Transition Knox is a well supported belief that petroleum supply is decreasing, leading to an increased cost in consumer goods and potentially limited supply of things we all now take for granted like imported foods, petrol and everyday consumables. Transition Knox also believes that climate change is an important issue and that the planet will benefit if we all try to live a less disposable lifestyle. 

Like many of you, we don’t want to wait for our politicians and community leaders to come up with the answers.  Community action is so often the best solution and can create quite a powerful message. 

We think that the Knox community would benefit from building local resilience to future price hikes by learning new skills such as growing your own vegetables or keeping chooks as well as adopting  more sustainable practices such as recycling clothes, purchasing local produce or installing energy saving devices at home. 

Transition Knox hopes to build a local sustainability advice hub, providing training, support and resources to a range of local initiatives. Now it is over to you, we need your help to develop a more sustainable Knox and welcome your feedback, ideas and participation in a wide range of activities starting in 2011.  

Email: transitionknox@gmail.com

Web: http://transitionknox.wordpress.com/

Visions of Foxglove Spires - Day 115 of 365

May 2011

Foxglove Spires is mature but evolving 4 acre garden at Tilba Tilba on the NSW South coast.  Each of the five times I have visited this inspirational garden over the last 10 years the site has reflected a passionately active gardening vision.

Morning Bake - Day 114 of 365

Let's just go with, a whole lotta change and the blog gave.

We'll see if I am now mentally on top of it all enough to chew gum and walk

:-)

I am sorry about ignoring comments for the last couple of months but know your inquiries were appreciated even if I couldn't get up enough gumption to respond.

I wish you all warm cuppa's, snugly tucked blankets and loving hugs to help you enjoy these short winter days.

Last Day of Holiday

Hi Andrew here, I just had a week off. Just to relax getting ready for a busy time for work and also at home. As Belinda is quite justifiably busy right now I thought I'd blog about what I did.

• Made a pretty new herb garden with rock edging. It surrounds a wicking bed and is right alongside one of the main house walking paths. I expect that wicking bed and herb garden to be pretty important in the future.
• Planted some berries
• I rebuilt the chicken coop and fencing so the chooks have wider area including one of the nectarines to scratch under. I copiced a tree and used the whippy branches to raise the netting so we can now walk standing up straight inside the chook estate . Also hopefully it means the chooks won't be visiting the neighbours so much.
• Talked to the neighbours a bit. Fixed a computer. One kindly gave me a reinfo grid for a berry arch.
• I rescued my corp from the pirates in Galaxy Online 2
• I cuddled Belinda
• Did a few bush walks in new places
• I realized (again) that the answer to my biggest problems was the same answer to so many things. Relax.

I'm pretty happy I got a bit of stuff done but still relaxed.