What's been happening in my garden...and my life

I was prompted today, by someone who saw my blog and sent me an email, to give everyone a little update. I was amazed when I logged on to see that it has been two years since I have updated my blog! My how time flies! In that time I had another child, so have been too busy chasing my 1 1/2 year old and almost 5 year old around to have time to sit on the computer. My old computer was pretty slow, which also made updating my blog hard. Never mind that, some amazing things have been happening in my garden. In 2012 my garden reaped 104kg, and I was impressed! I figured that at an average of fresh produce costing $3.99/kg, my garden had made about $400, and only cost about half of that to set up (compost, manure, reticulation, seedlings to plant, mulch). So I was pretty excited to get 120kg in 2013. And am jumping out of my skin with 2014 total to date being a staggering 180kg! And there's still 4 months of the year to go! I estimate that I still only spend about $150 to $200 on manure, mulch and seedlings each year, so the profit margin is getting better. Some of the things I planted in 2012 have grown bigger and producing more, while other annuals self seed and pop up all over the garden the following year...just like my lettuce plants. The pumpkin season has just finished, and this year I reaped about 60kg of pumpkins. The last 3 pumpkins are sitting on my kitchen bench waiting to be made into pumpkin soup and go into the freezer for those quick meals on busy nights. Also doing well in my garden at the moment are my lemon tree and cos lettuce. Last spring I planted rockmelons and we did really well out of them. So this spring I will be planting rockies again. I also plant zucchini's every spring as we always do well out of them. I have used the peel from my oranges to make candied peel and am planning to do the same with lemon peel so I can be ready to make the Christmas cake in a few months. I tried making preserved lemons but don't really see myself using them much so probably won't be doing them again. Unfortunately the big winds we had a few months ago knocked all our olives off the tree, so I only got one jar of olives off the tree this year! I am running out of preserved olives from previous seasons, so may have to resort to buying olives until the tree bears fruit again! I hope to update this blog soon with more recipes, tips for making clothes, preserving fruits, etc over the coming months. I have a great Christmas Advent calendar that I made last year to put on here to show everyone. Your kids will love it as the pockets for each day are big enough to put a small toy or activity in. Much better than the shop bought ones that only have a small chocolate in.

Anti Caking agents

Have you ever watched a cooking show and heard the chef say not to use prepackaged grated cheese, as you are getting more than just cheese? I have, and it got me thinking about the term "Anti Caking Agent" that you see on the ingredients list on packaged foods. I had also recently heard, from another chef during a cooking demonstration, that often Talc or sawdust is added to grated cheese to stop it from sticking together in the packet. I did some research and I found that silicone dioxide, calcium silicate, sodium aluminosilicate, dicalcium phospate, magnesium carbonate, talc, kaolin, potato starch and microcrystalline cellulose are just some of the anti caking agents that are used in common packaged foods. The website, mbm.net.au, gives a detailed list of food additives and the effects they have on the body, some of which are not very good. Even more alarming were the words BANNED IN AUSTRALIA. So if you want to avoid anti caking agents, but like the convenience of grated cheese, here is my suggestion. Buy a block of cheese, it won't contain anti caking agents and is much cheaper than the packed grated cheese anyway. Grate the cheese and store either in the fridge or put into containers in the fridge in individual serves. If you are putting it in the freezer, pull it out shortly before using it so it has some time to defrost but not enough time to start sticking together. Fattier cheeses will stick together more than low fat cheeses, so there will be some variation anyway. The next time you buy grated cheese, cake mix, 2 minute noodles, etc, check out the ingredients list on the packet. Remember, the body is a temple, so worship it and be careful what you put into it.

Best marinated olive recipe ever

We have an olive tree in our back yard and over the years I have been trying different curing recipes to see which ones delivers the tastiest olives. This one is sensational, so good in fact, that when I am bottling them it is one in the jar and two in the mouth! Ingredients: 5kg green (raw) olives, althought I have also done this with ripe (black) olives. 4 lemons, sliced, rock salt, white vinegar, olive oil, 8 cloves garlic, oregano to taste, dried fennel seeds to taste, bay leaves (chopped or whole to taste), dried chilli flakes to taste. I admit I haven't tried it with the fennel seeds as I haven't got any and at times have substituted the oregano for thyme. The instructions say to crush the olives with the bottom of a jar or bottle (stubbie bottle works well apparently). I did this for the first lot but have also used an olive pipper instead. Don't crush too hard, just enough to split the olive to remove the pip but not enough to lose the shape of the olive. As you crush the olives (or pip them) put them into cold water with 2 of the sliced lemons. Rinse the olives in the water and change water juice. Leave the olives to soak for 24hrs in fresh water to which the remaining lemons have been added. Drain the olives adn put into a shallow bowl, sprinkle with rock salt, allow to stand for 24hrs. By now the olives will be sitting in some liquid. Stir, then drain. Sprinkle with enough vinegar to cover, leave 24hrs. Drain olives, put into a bowl, add a little olive oil and the herbs. Mix well, put into jars. Top with olive oil and seal. Taste test when ready to eat. This recipe is quite forgiving, so don't stress if the olives are left for more than 24hrs at any stage. In the photo there is 4kg of both black and green olives. I went back outside and picked another 3kg, and there is still plenty on the tree.

Children's lunches

My little boy is too young for school yet, but I am already asking myself what do other parents to do stop kids lunches spoiling. During my schooling years I attended 3 different primary schools and 1 high school. Some had indoor or undercover storage for school bags, others only had hooks by the classroom door where bags were exposed to the weather. The weather here is cooling down, but what happens to food in the hot weather when it isn't being refrigerated? I ate vegemite sandwiches all through my school years, so they were probably reasonably safe, but I would hate to think of what ham and cheese sandwiches would look like after a few hours unrefrigerated, exposed to the weather! Here is my tip for avoiding your kids lunches spoiling in their school bags...insulated lunch packs. Placing their sandwich keeper inside an insulated lunch bag or pack, along with a reusable freezer block, will keep their lunches cool for quite a few hours. My mum used to freeze my drink bottle overnight and use this to keep my lunch cool. Wrapping your kids lunch in plastic cling wrap only results in a soggy sandwich, especially if there is some condensation from the freezer pack. It is better to place their lunch is a plastic sandwich keeper (it's reusable after all and the sandwiches won't end up squashed in the bottom of the bag!).

Plastic Food Wrap - wrapping your kids lunch at $250 per year

CHOICE magazine always makes for good reading. My husband and I have consulted their website before buying fridges, children's car seats and digital cameras. However I was quite surprised to see that they have also reviewed plastic food wrap. My particular interest in researching this topic was the cling wrap many of us use to wrap our kids sandwiches in or cover bowls of food to be placed in the fridge. On their website they state that they want to phase out risky plastics and mention that cling wrap is made from PVC. PVC is usually hard, so plasticisers are added to make it soft and flexible. "Plasticisers can make up as much as 40% of the plastic material. Phthalates and DEHA (di-(2-ethyhexyl)adipate) are often added as plasticisers to the PVC that’s used for food packaging; again, recent research raises doubts about the safety of these compounds." "BPA and phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic the body’s natural hormones and thereby cause a raft of health problems. Infants and the very young are most vulnerable to exposure because of their lower body weight and because their growth and development are strongly influenced by hormones; the effects on health can be lifelong. These effects have been seen clearly and consistently in experiments with animals and when people or wildlife have been accidentally exposed to high levels of endocrine disruptors. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement calling for more research into the possible harmful effects of BPA, reinforcing growing concerns about its safety. While these compounds are undoubtedly hazardous at high levels of exposure, scientific opinion is divided over the risk from the much lower levels that we’re exposed to every day in our food. There is, however, growing scientific evidence that even at these lower levels of exposure, phthalates and BPA may be causing problems such as infertility, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes." This was taken directly from their website under the heading 'Plastics and Food' by David Oakenfull. This prompted me to investigate further on the internet. There are so many websites talking about the dangers of plastic food wrap, it was hard to know where to start, without spending hours and hours reading. I had a brief read of them, and scrolled down the the Cancer Council website. They mention the following: Some studies have found low levels of di-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) when certain types of fatty foods wrapped in plastics, such as meat and cheese, have been ingested. T he amount of chemical absorbed by the food is dependent on the temperature of the plastic wrap and food, the duration of any heating, the type of plastic wrap used, storage time and initial plasticiser content, as well as the type of food. The results of most studies show that the levels of plasticiser that might be consumed as a result of the use of plastic wrap are well below the levels showing toxic effect in animal studies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer states DEHA is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. Meaning there is currently inadequate evidence to suggest that this compound causes cancer. They go on to mention that to avoid unnecessary exposure avoid using cling wrap in the microwave unless it is labelled as microwave safe. I must admit I have never looked for this warning on my cling wrap. I have noticed that when I use cling wrap in the microwave it often goes soft and 'melts', creating holes. They also mention using inert containers for cooking or re-heating food instead of cling wrap. So if you are concerned about using cling wrap to store food, or wrap your kids sandwiches for school in, here are my tips: Many schools and day care centres are moving to "Nude Food" policies to eliminate cling wrap. Use air tight or virtually air tight containers to store sandwiches and snacks in. My favourites are the Sandwich Keepers from Tupperware. A student who takes one sandwich and two snacks wrapped in cling wrap equals 100 metres of cling wrap to landfill in one year. This adds up to about $250 per year for the average family. The Sandwich Keepers are $29 for two or $58 for 5, have a life time guarantee, are reusable and think of the money you'll save on cling wrap? There are other lunchboxes available as well. Visit www.tupperware.com.au then email your order through to paulinestips@gmail.com. Interstate and international orders accepted, postage charges may apply.

My Favourite Things

You don't have to be as famous as Oprah to publish your list of Favourite Things. So here's mine. Feel free to add your own in the comments section. 1.Nutri-rich Oil by Nutrimetics. There is 101 uses for this stuff, but my favourite is that I find it is the best leave-in hair conditioner/anti-frizz serum/curl cream there is for my type of hair. I have dry, frizzy, curly hair and the Nutri-rich oil leaves it feeling soft without feeling like there is product in it. Unlike other products that claim to tame the frizz, I find this one really does. I have recently had people comment that my hair seems to be getting curlier as I get older. It is still the same amount of curl, it is just that now I have found a way to tame the frizz, allowing the curls to stand out on their own. Price varies depending on size of container (20ml, 40ml or 60ml) 2.'Taking Charge of Your Fertility' by Toni Weschler. Have you ever wondered why your period is never the 28 days like it is in the text books? This book explains all the tell-tale signs that your body puts out on a daily basis as to where it is in the menstrual cycle. My husband read this book and said it was like reading a manual on women's bodies. At least I now understand mine! Go to tcoyf.com to get your hands on this book. 3.Kugelhopf silicon form by Tupperware. OMG! How did I ever live without this one? I can now make cakes in the microwave that turn out perfect everytime, in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven. And I don't have to worry about my toddler going near a hot oven! $74.95 from Tupperware, and worth every cent! 4.Lego. I loved it as a child and now I love it as a parent. It may be expensive, but it lasts a lifetime. My husband still has his Lego from when he was a child. The educational benefits of Lego are only limited by your imagination. My son loves his Duplo and builds the most magnificent structures from it. My husband and I can't wait until he moves onto the normal Lego so we can play with it too! 5.Play School on ABC TV. There is no better quality television program than this. Educational and entertaining, occasionally contraversial. I love the fact that they still use cardboard boxes and masking tape to make props and toys. There are plenty of great ideas for parents watching this program. 6. Turbo Chef by Tupperware. I always wanted one, now I have one. No more tears while cutting up onions! Unlike other food processors, this one won't leave big chunks of onion in amongst finely chopped bits. Everything gets chopped finely. I love the pull cord action, so easy to use. Also easy to clean. $57.20. 7. 'Sweet Poison' by David Gillespie. Now I also understand my sweet tooth, and can stand up and say "I am a sugarholic." How to lose weight without going on a diet. I lost 4kgs in 4 weeks without dieting. Click on the link on this website for more information. 8. Breville Slow Cooker. I got one for my birthday and LOVE it. Great for making soups, casseroles, roasts, desserts, the list just goes on. Apparently you can even make jam in them, but I haven't tried that yet. RRP around the $60 dollar mark for the large one. 9. Janome Overlocker. Having one of these has helped to give my sewing a more professional touch, and I don't have to worry about material fraying. I can't remember the price, but check it out with your local Janome stockist. 10. Bambooty Easy Night nappies. I have written about these before in my blog. We have had a few nights when these have leaked, but it has always been when Brendon has had a huge drink before bedtime. Otherwise these have saved us money on not having to use disposables at nighttime. We got some at the Pregnancy, Babies and Children's expo and they were about $70 for a pack of three. A box of 72 disposable nappies costs $33, so within about 4 or 5 months the Bambooty's would have paid for themselves. I got these in March, so am half way there. They will do Brendon up until he is toilet trained at night, so I should get quite a while out of these yet. I sell both Tupperware and Nutrimetics, so if you would like more information or to make an order, you can email me on paulinestips.blogspot.com. Yes, I do take international and interstate orders (postage charges do apply).

Handy tips for quick meals for the time poor

How fast is 'fast food'? You go out of your way on the way home, wait in a queue to be served, hand over your hard-earned money, wait for your meal, wait at the traffic lights while your dinner gets cold on the front seat of the car and go home to eat a luke warm, bland tasting meal in a box with soggy chips? The only thing fast about fast food is how quick you eat it when you get home. Here are my tips for preparing truly fast meals at home. 1. Plan ahead. Last night I made butter chicken and rice. Tonight I am planning to make Fried Rice out of Poh's Kitchen cookbook, so when I made the rice for last night, I cooked double the amount I needed and put half of it in the fridge for tonight's dinner. I'm already half prepared for tonight's meal, which is handy as I am going out tonight and need something quick to make and eat before I go. 2. Have a cooking day. Chose a day when you aren't too busy and set aside some time to cook up meals for the week. If you want to use your ingredients while they are still fresh, have your cooking day after you have done your grocery shopping. Yesterday I did my food shopping, came home and put soup in the slow cooker for meals later this week. I have a busy week ahead, so it's nice to know that some meals are already made and just need to be pulled out of the freezer. 3. Freeze your leftovers. When cooking meals, make a bit extra than what is needed and pop them in the freezer for those nights when you don't feel like cooking or are running short on time. When freezing meals or left overs, use containers that seal properly to avoid any leaking of the contents but also to stop any airborne bugs getting in (such as listeria if putting the containers in the fridge). Label the container with what is in it. There is nothing worse than pulling something out of the freezer and not knowing what it is, as often frozen meals are hard to identify what they are. When labelling the meal, also write the date, as a general rule, meals shouldn't be left in the freezer any longer than 3 months. Writing the number of serves on it can be handy if you need to feed more than one person. In the photo at the top of this article, I have used a container that can go straight from the freezer to the microwave, has a vent to let the steam out, and have written on it with a whiteboard marker 'mince and veg, 5/3/12, x 2'. When reheating meals, only ever use your microwave on 50% or medium. The food is already dead, so no need to kill it again. Avoid just hitting the start button, as this will give you 100% power. Do you know if your container can go straight from the freezer to the microwave? Check the bottom of the container for the icons that show it is freezer and microwave safe. Also check the instructions on the packaging when you buy it from the shop or with the demonstrator if you buy it from a party plan demonstration. Microwave containers may warp if used on high instead of medium. This will affect how well the seals work on it, and may make the plastic porous, allowing it to absorb stains and odours from the food. You may find you void any guarantee on the product if it shows signs of having been used on high. To top it off, it tastes much better than the stuff from the fast food outlet. Still not convinced? Here is a story of what happened to my husband and I... One day we were out much later than we expected. On the way home we realised we didn't have anything organised for dinner. Although we live in a city, the particular roads we were travelling along didn't have any fast food outlets along them (and my husband and I are not big fans of fast food anyway, but I would settle for Indian or Chinese). We worked out that to get Chinese for dinner, we would have to go out of our way. Being tired, we just wanted to go home. We had a think about what was in the fridge and realised we could make Fried Rice ourselves. When we got home, I chucked the rice in a bowl of water, into the microwave (takes about 14 minutes). I chopped vegies and quickly fried them in the wok with a bit of soy sauce, mixed the cooked rice in and we had a delicious meal. My husband commented how much cheaper it was to make it ourselves than go to the Chinese restaurant. I pointed out that it took about 15 minutes to prepare and cook this meal...if we had have gone out of our way to the Chinese restaurant on the way home, we wouldn't even be in the door yet. While I was cooking he was getting our son bathed and into his pj's for the evening. It tasted great, was cheap to make and we got to eat it while it was still hot!