Starting again and Motivation

How can I motivate you? You know it's Monday, right? All day! So did you open your eyes this morning and think

"Today's the day!"

So what's your plan?

Coffee for breakfast while you scan Instagram and look at exotic acai smoothie bowls? A quick fast food outlet wrap for lunch? Will you hit your desk at 9am and barely surface all day? But wait! You've prepped your gym bag for a class on the way home which you'll do, poorly fuelled and depleting your energy.

Life is busy! We're all swimming like crazy and sometimes just gasping for air!

We've all seen the memes about health starting in the kitchen and how our success with fitness depends upon prepping. It's the absolute truth.  Food prepping is also one of the hardest hurdles to get your head around unless you know the shortcuts!

Yesterday's post showed you a picture of all the fruit and veggies that I bought from the local veggie store. In plastic bags. Wait, what happened to that Food Forest that was growing at Wit's and (and what does this have to do with food prep?)

Here's what happened to my Food Forest; sad hey.

One of my immediate goals is to reclaim one garden bed and plant it up with some fast growing greens; Kale, silverbeet, spinach, lettuce and herbs. This will make my food prep faster and healthier, as well as getting me out into the garden doing what human bodies are designed to do; MOVE!

Ok, let's talk breakfast. What SHOULD I eat? The only thing I'm going to suggest (note: Suggest!) is that you start your day with real food.

There are lots of quotes bandied about like 

"Eat food that comes from a plant, not made in a Plant"

And you know what, that's really sensible. Add some eggs and a yummy sauce, some roasted veggies and you have an amazing nutrious breakfast that's literally going to take you right up until lunch. You want one of those smoothie bowls from the pretty pics? It's as simple as blending your favourite yoghourt with whatever the hell you like! 

I can show you how to make garlic aioli in 20 seconds if you want. You can view my video here

 https://www.facebook.com/thejunglebodywithlara/videos/1557980477854985/


I can step by step make a smoothie bowl in the same amount of time (well it might take a bit longer if you want me to go forage for a nasturtium for an Instagram worthy pic)

You need Real Food to fuel your day. It's not hard, it's not deprevation and yes, you can still enjoy the treats that you like. It really is about motivation, planning and moderation.

And now, I'm going to go pick one of these golden orbs to have a lovely warm cup of lemon tea

Food prep (AKA it's been a month fuelled by the three C's)

Yeah March, or rather Easter. I was so bloody glad to see the back of you!

I have no self control with regards to Chocolate and Easter is the time of year when I know that food wise I'm going to fall off the wagon in a spectacular way. I ate KILO'S of chocolate, raided my kid's stash, hid wrappers in my undies drawer and there's a mountain of empty toblerone cartons behind our headboard!

Chocolate
Carbs
Coffee.

The evil three for me.

The results of a month (yes, you read right) of binging on sugary shite is that I feel like shite!

All food prep went out of the window, I binged on take aways, my belly is protesting and I'm so bloated. I refuse to get onto the guilt bandwagon anymore (much healthier headspace these days) and instead made a concious effort to get back into meal prepping this week.


First stop was the Veggie store. Here's what I bought for $92.

I was quite please to find milk and bread for $1 each, so this haul will feed our family for the week with the addition of a few items from the freezer. Definitely achieved my budget goal of $150 or less per week.

So what meal prepping did I do this morning?

Menu:

Cauliflower and bacon soup
Roasted Indian style Sweet potato and cauliflower
Sweet potato, bacon and cauliflower Frittata .

 Yum! tumeric, coriander and lemons from my tree!

 Sauteed bacon and onions ready to add to the cauliflower and stock. No cream needed in this thick yummy soup at all!

Saute onions and bacon, add to thermomix with a head of chopped cauliflower and water or stock. Cook for 15 mins at 100 degrees at speed one.

You can blitz it to your own choice of smoothness.  Miss G hates any trace of onion in her meals so I make ours super smooth.

The finished meals. Took me just over an hour from start to finish! Three days worth of lunches that are nutritious, Didn't cost much and in line with the way I choose to eat.

Starting to pull it all together: Food, Frugality and Fitness

Oh God where to begin, or rather "How the feck do I crank it all up and pull it all together?

All of this technology stuff has moved so fast in the last few years. I'm now on Instagram as well as FB, have a FB page dedicated to all things Jungle Body with Lara as well. Getting my head back around Blogger has proved interesting; I keep looking for the 'Like' button as I read other people's long forgotten Blogs :)

I think that I might start with the basis of all Health for me; The food I eat/the food I choose to feed my family.

A quick squizz of my previous posts here would tell you that upmost in my mind is always frugality and being budget aware. I have no interest in plates or bowls of food that are aimed at the young twenty somethings with double incomes and plenty of time on their hands! Nothing wrong with that lifestyle but it's not mine and I have to talk about what I know!

....Instagram....a quick moving social media platform that is great for seeing all of the wonderful things that I can't afford. Smoothie bowls filled with Ah-mazing creations hand picked by the vestal virgins and infused with the aura's of Woodland Sprites. Ka-Ching, please part with $10!

So this morning I saw a delish looking rainbow smoothie and of course immediately craved one. Never heard of a Rainbow Smoothie? It's layers of different coloured/flavoured smoothies presented in a mason jar (hello wankery alert! Show me a drink in a mason jar and my eyes roll)

Ok, so me being me, I decided that I would recreate said Rainbow Smoothie. It was before I managed to get to the fruit and veg shop so beggars couldn't be choosers with the contents of my fridge.

I started with the base of all the smoothie layers;

2 bananas
a handful of cashews
2 medjool dates
a scoop of yoghourt

Blitzed it in the thermomix then poured a small amount into the bottom of the glass. The green layer came next;

Honeydew melon.

Blitzed that up into the left over banana mixture and layered a bit on top of the banana layer (yep, It's tricky! I used a spoon).  Ok, so now I was onto the orange layer;

Carrots
2 oranges
1 red apple

Blitzed and layered again.  The purple was the easiest, frozen Blueberries. Layered on top and the end result was kind of pretty. I can see where things need jiggling but on the whole it worked, tasted delicious and there was enough for the whole family and probably cost $5 (I haven't costed it out but seriously, it was the dredges of the fruit bowl)

Pretty hey!

Health and Frugality for the win!

Ageing crept up on me!

Well I guess that it had to happen someday, after all, I AM nearly 49.

An 'interesting' type yelled across Hungry Jacks

"Hey Nanna! Are you're grandkids always so well behaved?"

I heard the words but obviously thought that he was yelling at someone else. Some one older.


I may have responded with a very curt

"Yes!" 

And then decorously sunk my teeth (yes, still my own!) in to  my Whopper®.  Now honestly I do try to smile at people, really I do!  Call me *cough* old-fashioned if you want but  I do not respond well to strangers yelling at me across a room. 

This all begs several soul searching questions;

Why am I getting so upset about being called  "Nanna"? I mean it's true, I am one
Is getting older really such a bad thing?

I'm going to be very honest here a say yes, it does upset me that I'm not as young as I feel. I look in the mirror and the reflection I see there is not one that I recognise. When did my eyes start to get hooded? I used to have such very large eyes.

What's stuck on my cheek? How strange! Oh wait, that's a crease from sleeping! That never used to happen before.

Things that I never would have believed could bother me really are!

I was always "The young mum". That happens when you birth your first at 18. 

And now I'm not.

So I guess that I need to re-frame my beliefs about who I am as a Woman. How I age.

Do I keep trying to keep up with the younger women? That's just not possible.
TDo I learn to age 'Gracefully'? Again, that is so not possible.
Do I wallow in self pity and rail against missing out? Well maybe now and again! It truly sucks that the window of youth and firmness is so bloody short!

So what's left?

Making the most of the fabulously strong body that I do have!

I am absolutely stronger and more fit than at any other time of my life, and you know what, I bloody appreciate it because I know that it is going to keep me healthy, vital and mobile well into my twilight years.

And maybe a little therapy around why wrinkles, grey hair and menopause is proving so challenging to me!

"She went mad and composted her husband!"

Or whatever happened to The Crone?

The story of how Spring was reborn after a very long Winter.

You might remember how I birthed my wee Elf, Xavier in July 2009. He'd stopped moving and yes, I fell apart. I didn't handle his loss well, fell into depression and watched my garden, my passions and my friendships die.

But like everything in Nature you can't stop growth. Spring DOES return, the earth is rejuvenated after lying fallow, seeds erupt when the conditions are right.

It's taken six years and a lot of hard work and soul searching. And 1000's of Burpees.

What the Feck? 

Yeah, I know right! My journey back to me started with fitness!

I still need to reclaim my garden, the potential is there. I'm still madly frugal, I'm still passionately against all the wankery that's sold to us (have you seen the health and fitness industry? Wait until I get going on all of their shite!)

I'm still me. But I'm stronger now and I'm determined to help other women discover their strengths!

The Crone is back!

What do you do when you have been growing your hair to get dreadlocks?

You commit to shaving your head for the charity which is very close to your heart of course!

I'm sorry that it took the death of my friend's brave boy Harvey, the Cureageous Lion to spur me into action http://harveythecourageouslion.blogspot.com.au/

Please, if you can spare a few $$$'s to raise money for childhood cancers, please do so! None of the money will come to me at all but goes straight to this charity.

https://harveyscureageouspride.everydayhero.com/au/hedgewytch

Fed up with the wankery!

Rant ahead!

Good wholesome peasant foods; potatoes, beans, lentils, seeds (quinoa and buckwheat). Things that cost minimal amounts at your local ethnic store are now mixed, cooked, baked and served at huge prices at swanky alternative cafes (as if funky blackboards and tiny tables suddenly inflate prices with each swirl of the chalk).

Vegie patties and salad $10.95! Ok ok, so the vegies were roasted in oil, honey and sesame seeds before being chilled, mashed and mixed with lentils and other binders. Tiny plates with a couple of glistening gourmet leaves (have you seen my vegie beds lately? I'm over run with gourmet frilly lettuce) and a few decorative shards of beetroot and carrot.

It would have cost $66.00 for one meal for myself and the Chirpies last Friday! What's sad is that over the road was a Hungry Jacks where I could have fed the whole family for less than $20 :(

I'm sorry but good restaurant quality food does not have to cost this much! I decided on Monday that I was going to get back on track again with prepping a heap of good wholesome foods and having them ready to cook;

*Homemade falafel mix
Dosa mix
Pakora mix
Vegie curries such as potato aloo which can be used to stuff dosa
Salads and their fixings; dried berries and nuts, cooked rice and quinoa
Roasted vegies
Rice flour rolls

The good news as well is that Miss G has been eating heaps in the last few days on this food!

*All of these recipes can be found in Higher taste the Hare Krishna recipe book or River Cottage Veg.  If you're really broke and can't afford either of these, message me and I'll send you the recipe!

Homeschooling

I realised this morning that I've not updated here since Feb (apart from yesterday's wee post).  So much has happened in the past few months, all revolving around Homeschooling.

I've always wanted to Home educate my kids, even waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2004 when there were only two Chirpies I talked about it with my Canberra friends (waves to K, S, K, S and H). What stopped me from pursuing it? Well, I doubted myself. I thought that I would be isolated in the home with the Chirpies, no support and no social life. That I couldn't do it as I had no training. Sound familiar?

Well back in Dec 2012 we started our Australian summer holidays and I again mused wistfully on FB (did I mention that I spend way too much time on FB :/  ) that I wished that I could HS the kids. Several of my friends suggested that I test it out over the summer break and see how I felt at the end (I suspect that they thought that I'd be ready to bundle them up for school again come Feb).

What I did do was enjoy down time with my kids, spent time doing what we've always done, joined up with a couple of HS groups to test the waters and dragged DH to a Home Educators seminar to see what other support was out there for us.  The timing was incredible. There was a slight 'issue' with our youngest about school and DH (after he drilled the Seminar lecturer with soooo many questions) agreed for us to do this.

Well suddenly there I was applying for registration to start HS the THREE Chirpies (and their wee brother) all at once! Cue image of Atlas with the weight of the World on his shoulders! I think that for about 4 weeks I was dreaming curriculums, lesson plans, Charlotte Mason, Unschooling, Natural Learning and Waldorfy stuff!  We had our preliminary meeting with our Moderator (Lovely person who is very supportive and informative), who asked what style we were following and which resources we were accessing. At that point we were leaning very much towards Charlotte Mason due to the elder Chirpies having been in the 'Schooling system' for many years. We wanted to transition them gently to a more relaxed style. The Moderator was really happy with this and said that he'd see us again in two months to see how we were going.

So how has it all gone? Brilliantly! We're really into our stride now (somedays we do have things that fall in a heap) but on the whole we spend our mornings doing our lessons and at 12 we stop. Yep, we stop for lunch and then it's out into the World to discover Nature, be with friends, do activities and be kids!

The kids are THRIVING. They are confident, relaxed and loving H/S. They have music lessons, circus skills,  we socialise so much that I have to demand we have at home days so that I can catch up on stuff! Their latest project is to overhaul a part of the garden so that they can build a fairy village (in a weak moment I showed them a link posted on my FB wall by H)

This has been a blessing for my family. We are enjoying watching how the Chirpies learn, plan and grow. I should have listened to my heart and done this years ago!

In a World of so much chaos, loss and sadness

I'm feeling very blessed today;

~ The Chirpies had an awesome self directed day of homeschooling and finished up all their work by 12.
~ Eldest daughter brought home lunch for the family so that sick Mumma didn't have to think about it.
~ Chirpies have planted out a large pot of pea seeds, raked up the leaves from the Mulberry tree, weeded around the Mulberry tree and are after more chores to do in the garden
~I've preserved a years worth of tomato ketchup
~My lemon tree is heaving with golden juice ladened orbs
~The Sun is shining warmly and all of my family are alive and in relative good health (I have a cold but you know what, if that's the least of my worries then I'm one very lucky woman)

How blessed are you today?

Huge changes at Wit's End; We're Homeschooling!

After many years of dithering about, wanting to Homeschool, doubting myself, wondering if I could/should do it, DH and I decided to go for it.

We're a Homeschooling Family!

I'll be setting up a side blog about our journey but shall be making it invite only to view/read.  Please feel free to flick me a message and if I know you irl or have known you for years online I'm more than happy to give you access :)

http://thechirpiesatwitsend.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/the-decision-made.html

Menu plan for February 2013

Breakfast choices

Yoghourt and fruit

Toast with toppings

Boiled eggs, rice, pickled vegies

Oatmeal with honey

Rosti with poached eggs

Lunches

1. Scrolls
2. Sandwiches
3. savory muffins
4. Quiches
5. Salads
6. Cornish pasties
7. arranchini
8. Rice paper rolls with fillings
9. savoury mince tarts (puff pastry)
10. chicken empandas
11. homemade sausage rolls

Need to bake 3 cakes per week,

yoghourt,

fruit tubs-

fresh fruit

Llelo and I to have leftovers from the night before's dinners.

Dinners

1. Vegetarian curries - potato lemon and coriander, dhal, dhosa, lentils with lemon and mint
2. Steamed fish packets Chinese style with steamed rice
3. Butter chicken and rice
4. Chinese style beef pot roast
5. Portuguese style fresh sardines
6. Hugh's vegetarian chilli
7. Fritatta Empty the fridge
8. Smoked fish, leek and potato soup (HFW pg 82) Changing this to smoked fish, chorizo and potato soup
9. Nigella's roast chicken (on red peppers with lemon in cavity etc), rice, roast spuds and vegies
10. Chinese Chicken Rice
11. Falafels, hoummous, pita breads, tabbhouli made with quinoa
12. Roast chicken wings with roast spuds, fennel and onions (HFW pg 131
13. Thai fish curry and rice 
14. Ham, black eye beans, potato and carrot soup (boil ham bone, add 1 tb worcestershire sauce, 1 tbl apple cider vinegar, 2 teas black pepper)
15. Quiches
16. Fish pie, peas and corn
17. Crab cakes rice  and salad
18. Beans and tomato soup (HFW 97)
19. Homemade baked beans and rice
20. Mackeral, celery, orange salad (HFW 208
21. Lamb, spinach and chickpeas (HFW 256) Fried polenta chips and salad
22. leftover chicken rice chicken with noodle soup
23. Empty the fridge sushi
24. caldo verde
25. roast pumpkin, chickpea and quinoa salad
26. Sweet potato blackbean red pepper stew with cous cous
27. Sweet and sour prawns, rice, chinese vegies
28. Butternut pumpkin and chickpea patties http://foodblogandthedog.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/butternut-squash-and-chickpea-cakes-with-salsa-raita-and-red-onion-maramalade/
29. Spag bol for a treat for Giaan?

*Still in freezer

Ok, So I have to buy the following for this menu:

6 chorizos

2 chickens

1kg mince

2kg's chicken wings

Smoked fish

Dried chickpeas

quinoa

Eggs

Milk

Fruit and veg

Coconut milk

Flours etc.

January's total food expenditure worked out to $180 per week for our family of seven. Not too bad I guess. Will see how it goes for February and if I need to tweak it more to bring it down further.

One of the many things I miss about Canberra

A couple of days ago I was gifted about 4kg's of grapes from a friend.  The Chirpies ate and ate and ate until the bowl just sat there looking at me, still full but ignored.  Mangoes called, plums called, even apples seemed more appealing that the thought of more grapes.

At times like this I really miss my old mate, Nature witch. I'd pick up the phone and she'd immediately inspire me to do something/anything with those grapes. We never did get together so that I could learn her skills in winemaking :(  Anyway, I grabbed my copy of Preserving the harvest and decided to make some Grape Jelly (I'm guessing it's a clear grape jam by the method used). I had no idea that the boiled up liquid from grapes was a delicious shade of pink! 

Rummaging in the fridge I also came across a kg bag of plums that I picked up from the sad table on Wednesday for 99 cents.  They were sad on Wednesday so are definitely sauce today!  Chinese style plum dipping sauce from here the only changes I've made are subbing five spice for the dried mustard and upping the sugar a bit.

The other thing I miss about Canberra? That if you knew where to look you could eat for free!  Plum trees, apricots, lemons, berries all on verges, hanging over fences of walkways mostly all fallen fruits just there for picking up, making into jams, sauces and juices, After six years in Perth I've not managed to find such a range of free abundance :(

That is unless my readers (is there anyone left?) are willing to enlighten me?

Menu planning again

I really must stop using face book and get back into blogging. Having everything in one spot and not having to search through heaps of posts and updates makes so much more sense.

Anyway, I did up this menu plan up on FB and am now transferring it over to here. Originally I was going to make it for a fortnight but after some thought realised that adding in a heap of vegetarian meals that I could stretch it to a month (still adding in the meals as I get inspired)

Breakfast choices

Yoghourt and home bottle peaches

Toast with toppings

Boiled eggs, rice, pickled vegies

Oatmeal with honey

Lunches

1. Sandwiches -toasted, cheese, 
2. Portuguese mussels with bread and rice
3. lentils with lemon and mint
4. Crab cakes and salad
5. Beans and tomato soup (HFW 97)
6. Rosti with poached eggs
7. Homemade baked beans and rice
8. Mackeral, celery, orange salad (HFW 208
9. Lamb, spinach and chickpeas (HFW 256) trying lamb for the first time ever on the kids
10. Fried polenta chips and salad
11. leftover chicken rice chicken with noodle soup
12. Empty the fridge sushi
13. caldo verde
14. Poached eggs on homemade bread toasted
15. fried noodles with leftover char siew and choy sum

Dinners

1. Char siew with rice noodles, choy sum and sauces
2. Vegetarian curries - potato lemon and coriander, dhal, dhosa, 
3. Steamed fish packets Chinese style with steamed rice
4. Butter chicken and rice
5. Chinese style beef pot roast
6. Portuguese style fresh sardines
7. Hugh's vegetarian chilli
8. Fritatta Empty the fridge
9. Smoked fish, leek and potato soup (HFW pg 82)
10. Nigella's roast chicken (on red peppers with lemon in cavity etc), rice, roast spuds and vegies
11. Chinese Chicken Rice
12. Falafels, hoummous, pita breads, tabbhouli made with quinoa
13. Roast chicken wings with roast spuds, fennel and onions (HFW pg 131
14. Thai fish curry and rice 
15. Ham, black eye beans, potato and carrot soup (boil ham bone, add 1 tb worcestershire sauce, 1 tbl apple cider vinegar, 2 teas black pepper)
16. Quiches

Total expenditure for the month: 

 12th Jan 2013 $80 meat/fish

13th Jan 2013 $30 for a 5kg leg ham

15th Jan 2013 $56 fruit and vegies

Decluttering AGAIN!

Huge almost untouched stash of wool just sitting in plastic storage boxes.  Just sitting there, mocking me.  I can hear the needles in the other box whispering, sending secret coded messages to the patterns in yet another box.  They are all conspiring to escape from their imprisonment.  They have all somehow sent a coded message to Coffeee from the DTE forum, who has posted a link to a link to a link to a .....

Well, the upshot of it is that I'm going to challenge myself to the Granny a Day Challenge from Meet me at Mike's.  A Granny square a day is doable, yes?

You all know that I'll be posting in a years time "What the hell do I do with 365 Granny Squares?"

Sauce time!

Last week a box of tomatoes at the markets cost $45.  Yesterday they were reduced to $7.  There was no way that I was going to buy them last week but this week Im-a-making sauce.  Not sure if I'm going to bottle  them as I can only find plastic lined lids (only got three Vaccola bottles), so I will probably just portion this up and freeze it.

Musings, lemons and chaos

Did you miss it?  Miss what?  "Another" important event on the calendar? Something that may not be of importance to you but is of deadly importance to the  "One in seven people Worldwide" who go hungry every day.  Yes, in 2012, one in seven people are going hungry every single day.

October the 16th was World Food Day.

This has really touched a cord with me (again it seems like I am waking up from a three year fog).  The numbers are just staggering;  870 million people are going hungry right now!  When I blogged about this issue five years ago (as did a lot of you) I naively thought that it might get better but it's not :(

What is really mind blowing to me is that this comes at a time when local growers and farmers in Australia are being forced to cut prices by the two large Stupidmarkets (or shut up shop and go out of business!).  They are advertising how low their prices are, and yet there are people in our suburbs who are going hungry right now!  I'm guessing that there's absolutely no money or profit in ending poverty or hunger.

Around the World there's drought, floods, the rumblings of a Global food security crisis, and yet I bet you've got an eggplant or lettuce in your fridge slowly turning into compost. Or a blackening limp carrot stuck to the lump of ice at the back (knows from personal experience....) We're still all throwing out way too much of the food that we're buying!  This is one of the reasons (apart from the health benefits) that I'm starting to get into fermenting and preserving in such a big way,

"No Honey, I've not folded the washing/vacuumed the floors/picked up the toys today, I've been busy making jams, pickles and other things that go 'Hiss, pop, bubble'"

So what am I doing to try to walk the talk?

• Getting my garden back up and producing again
• Bartering for what I'm not growing myself
• Buying Local.  Living Local.
• Preserving as much as I can by bottling, fermenting or freezing (I'm seeing the limitations of freezing - power outages  lack of space, cost of buying and running another freezer)
• Starting up a group of local likeminded people to come over and share our lifeskills knowledge (this idea has been heavily inspired by Eat at Dixiebelle's blog and her Urban Homesteading Club

As I've said before, my floors are always crunchy, my table is always sticky but I am getting my passion back for what's important in my life;  making good lifestyle choices for my family, networking with my community and giving back something to the Universe.

Now speaking of giving something back....Teacher gifts for yep, Christmas.  This year they're going to get Preserved Lemons.  I bartered lemons for greens yesterday, I have jars and lovely salt, so that's what's on the agenda for today.  Hopefully by the end of term they will be deliciousness in a jar.

Hold on you say, you've written about 'Musings' and the 'lemons' where's the 'chaos' bit?  Ummm yeah, I need to sort out this mess today as well.  My system isn't working and it's making me stabby.  Very stabby!

Any suggestions? 

Speechless!

Me, after reading the Liberal Party's Climate Change page on their website.

The Liberal Party are obviously speechless as well!  Apart from the title which proves that they can't spell (or proof read)

http://www.liberal.org.au/issues/environment/climate-change

Bartering

Not much but a start!

I took this bag of chard, silverbeet, fennel and herbs to swap for some fresh lemons at Playgroup.  I love the whole idea of bartering and want to do more as my garden yields more.

I truly believe that all thought and deed are energy and that if you nurture the positive then you get that positive energy back.  Whether by bartering, volunteering, talking to your plants or just giving a stranger a smile.

Blessed Be!

There's a hippopotamus in my oven becoming cake (muffins)

Cake fail or cake win?  You decide :p

I overfilled the fancy muffin pans I bought and they all came out like this;  added ears and eyes (goji berries) and voila, Hippos!

3am insomnia

I've been getting up earlier and earlier for the last few weeks.  This morning it was 3am.  As soon as the Wee Lad wakes for his feed (yes I'm still breastfeeding him at 19 months and yes we're still cosleeping) it seems like my brain kicks in and I keep thinking of all the things I have to do.  Well, I suppose that I don't have to do them, I choose to do them. Things like what's pictured above;

Making my own pectin
The resultant apple mush from making my own pectin going to go into the Chirpies breakfast muffins
Chopped tub of vegies to make my own picalilli.
A loaf of bread proving on the benchtop

I could actually buy all of these products.  I'm sure that a jar of picalilli costs about $2, Apple sauce the same, a good loaf of bread (preservative free) around $2.50 or more and pectin, well I have no idea.  However I only paid $5 for a huge box of apple seconds and have so far made a heap of dried apples, apple  butter (2 litres!) and now the pectin and apple mush.  A far more cost effective use of my money, if only I didn't feel the need to wake up so early!

So I'm sipping on my first cup of tea, writing this and pondering how else to use up the second bag of free organic oranges I was given;  I'm thinking frozen orange juices for the Chirpies school lunches.  A few months ago I bought some refillable pouches from www.pouched.com.au which I've used to do frozen yoghourts very successfully.  Yep, I think I'll get the citrus juicer down and get stuck into filling up some pouches :)