December 2010

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Parting with Our Things: what to keep, what to sell

12/05/2010 in How To, Reflections & Discoveries, Thoughts, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

The attachment we have to our things is an interesting one. Sometimes I wonder where they are derived from; is it good marketing or our own thinking that we need these things. Whatever the origin the fact remains that we all have way too much stuff in our homes and in our lives.

We’re getting ready to move to an eco-village that’s off-the-grid and sorting through our things, what to keep and what to sell, has taken on a new meaning. Some things it’s easy to make a decision on; get rid of it or keep it. Other things aren’t so easy. Like keeping the flat screen TV, is it practical? On the one hand no, because we won’t have cable TV again. On the other hand, yes, because we can watch DVD’s… is it worth it to keep for occasionally watching a movie???

The kitchen appliances, KitchenAid standing mixer with all the attachments, Bosch washer and dryer (which is amazing in terms of energy efficiency, I’ve never seen anything clean so well with so little water and electricity), electric waffle iron, Dyson vacuum, and so forth. Discussing which to keep and which to sell. We ended up deciding to get rid of almost everything because even though many of these things were energy efficient there are equivalents that don’t require any electricity.

We made up our minds that we would keep things super simple, bare-bones. We need our computer because I have a Young Living Essential Oil business and build my business mostly through having an internet presence. Curt on the other hand, maintains my website and makes websites for others. OK, so three of our computers get sold (a Mac G3 and G5, and a Sony Vaio), the money we get from them goes towards a more energy efficient Mac Mini that we will share… that alone will be interesting since we’ve never shared a computer before, we’ll just find a fair way to deal with it though. Continue reading “Parting with Our Things: what to keep, what to sell” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Curried Hemp Cream of Cauliflower Soup

12/03/2010 in Cooking, Food, Health, Recipe by Evelyn | No comments

This is an easy and delicious recipe…

Curried Hemp Cream of Cauliflower Soup

You will need:

3/4 cup Hemp Seed Nut
3 cups water
4 cups cauliflower(chopped)
2 large avocados
1/2 cup onion(chopped)
1 Tbsp tamari
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp yellow curry
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
5 medjool dates(pitted & chopped)

Directions:

Combine water and Hemp Seed Nut in a blender. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. Add all other ingredients. Blend again until smooth.

You may need to help stir it if you do not have a strong blender (a Vitamix blender is best). If you have a vitamix, you can warm the soup by blending on high for 5 minutes. If you do not have a vitamix, pour the soup into a pot and warm it on the stove on low. (Stirring frequently). This soup does not need to be cooked, just warmed to taste.

This is a wonderful soup for a cold day. It will warm you inside and out. This recipe is Vegan, meaning that it contains no animal products.

Recipe compliments of Chef Mikey – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

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Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

Follow Me on Pinterest

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Maintaining Your Garden Tools

12/02/2010 in Gardening, How To, Maintenance, Selecting, Tools by Curt Siters | No comments

It is very important to maintain your tools by keeping them clean and free of rust, properly adjusted and sharp. You also need to do some repair if the metal is deformed like the point on a pick (it tends to get blunt when striking rock) or the tip of your spade.Garden Tools

Supplies and tools needed:

  • Files – several different sizes and shapes
  • Screwdrivers
  • Hammers
  • Saw sets
  • A bench vise
  • Steel wool (several grades from rough to fine)
  • Medium to Light oil – such as 3-in-1 oil
  • Sharpening stones and slip stones – I recommend water stones as they don’t clog easily
  • Grinder – I recommend a bench grinder and not one you use with a drill
  • Soapy and fresh water
  • Shop towels
  • Metal Polish
  • Linseed Oil

General Procedure

  1. Clean the tool with soap and water and towel dry. Let air dry in the sun a little longer to be sure it is dry
  2. Make note of any and all damage
  3. Disassemble if possible – keep track of bushing, nut and bolt locations for re-assembly
  4. Use steel wool and 3-in-1 oil to remove any rust
  5. Use files and grinders to remove any damage and restore the tool to its original shape or restore the edge
  6. Some edges only need filing but others will need sharpening so proceed with the stones to make the edge razor sharp
  7. If the tool initially had a polished finish polish the surface now
  8. Apply a light coat of 3-in-1 oil to the metal parts to keep moisture at bay
  9. Apply varnish or linseed oil to wood parts to keep the wood in good condition
  10. Re-assemble if you had to dis-assemble

Shop Plow & Hearth’s Selection of Garden Tools & Supplies – Click Here!

Other posts you may enjoy:

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Curt SitersCurt Siters

Webmaster

Shoals Creek Village - a new build intentional community.

My Eco Oasis - the hub for what will be a network of many ecovillages.

Big fan of living simply

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.  ~Standing Bear

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The end of gardening… time to tend your nets

12/01/2010 in Fun Stuff, Gardening, Landscaping by Curt Siters | No comments

The end of gardening is here, at least for this year. It is time to clean up, let the earth rest and plan for next year. For us it was a pretty bountiful year and we had a little bit to clean up.

With winter approaching it is time for us to tend our nets. Years ago there was a saying that when the fisherman couldn’t fish they would tend their nets. The same applies here. We won’t be able to garden any more so it is time to look to your tools, garden supplies, garden structures and other things.

The reason you want to look after these things is that if not taken care of their life may be drastically shortened. So…

  • Clean, sharpen and oil your tools – repair if needed
  • Be sure to store your tools in a way that will not damage the business end
  • Look to see what garden supplies you may be short on and replenish your supply
  • Look to your garden structures – take the down if they come apart, clean them and put them away out of the weather
  • Look to your garden structures – if they don’t come apart take note of any repairs needed and fix them or make a list for Spring when the weather is better
  • Plan next years garden and order your seeds and starts early to make sure you get what you want – if you wait too long they may be sold out

A lot of these things can be done indoor by the fire while you watch the snow fall with a nice hot tea or toddy close by and your favorite music playing. It doesn’t have to be a chore!

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Curt SitersCurt Siters

Webmaster

Shoals Creek Village - a new build intentional community.

My Eco Oasis - the hub for what will be a network of many ecovillages.

Big fan of living simply

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.  ~Standing Bear

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