Resolutions

Nearly New year.

2011.

This year my kids will be 11, 8 and 7.
I will have been married 11 years, with Kim for 13 years .
We will have been in Scotland for 9 years, the longest I have ever stayed anywhere.

Looking back at last January's entries I realised I hadn't made any resolutions!

I can't help feeling that this willful omission meant that 2010 was somewhat aimless, disjointed.

So This year I won't let that be an excuse!
Here are my resolutions for 2011, and if I don't get on the way to completing  them by 2012...... well..... I hope I will at least have tried!

2011

Number 1. Get Fit! 

The idea is to get fitter NOT to diet. Its so tempting to focus on one aspect of your body, but what I really want to do is eat well, exercise and feel better about myself. If I do all that right then weight loss should be a handy side effect. Toying with the idea of doing one of those "photo every day" diaries with a mind to putting it on youtube when I'm fitter/healthier/slimmer....





Number 2: Grow Grow Grow!

Our self sufficient ideals are great in theory but always seem to get stalled by commitments (real or imaginary) elsewhere. Kim and I have been planning a new, low maintenance garden using a combination of square foot growing and permaculture. As in the last few years we want more trees to add to the 9 apple trees we already have. We're also toying with the idea of rescuing more hens, our space is capable of taking more and we plan to get movable fencing so we can move them around the veggie garden to help deal with slugs n snails without snacking on the crops!

Number 3. Make time for me.

I am terrible at not grabbing time for me. A few times this year I have felt dispirited, upset and hopeless as I felt like I worked for everyone else and ignored my needs (although this was MOSTLY in my head). Especially with the horses, I found myself feeling like the family groom, doing all the shit and not getting any pleasure from it. My own horse has had a couple of years of health problems that are now **knock wood** better ad he is good to go as soon as I am. This year I plan to get back in the saddle on a regular basis and start competing again for fun and for the joy of letting my competitive streak rear its uncompromising head again. *heehee*

Number 4. FINISH THE BOOK!

What was I saying about not making time for me?

Well those of you who know me from other places know I am a book nerd, writer of features (an interesting mix of equestrian and paganism, although not together....at the moment!), short stories, some of which can be seen HERE and HERE (posted by Kelly). I've been writing since school, I've been told I don't suck, its the ONE thing I want to do, but crippling insecurity has stopped me pursuing all but the most fragile of careers in literature. We could blame an army of English teachers who ignored my fiction and only berated my spelling (dyslexia). So I have a complex, I didn't go to University and it SHOULDN'T matter but some days I feel it might. This  year I want to concentrate on the book I've been writing for a few months. Although short stories and novellas are my favourite medium publishers won't touch them. So this year I'm going  to do it..... maybe..... Aww crap.....

Soooo..... What are YOU going  do for the better this year?

Have a Very Vegan Xmas!

Although some of us are old hands at cooking Veggie or vegan for Xmas many people are facing their first major hurdle ……………

                                   The first meat free XMAS!!

Its such a big deal, it’s a monumental shift in the way we see Xmas, which as a holiday is really more about the food than the gifts.

Like lots of traditions (Putting up your tree, carolling, watching specific Xmas movies) food is one of those things that really sets the mood.

So here is a quick guide to animal free eating this year!



Mince pies

Most store bought pies have butter in them, but lets face it, its much nicer to eat homemade pies!! You don’t have to be a pastry chef either! My homemade pastry leaves a lot to be desired so I cheat. A jar of mince (check the ingredients but MOST are OK) and some pre-made short crust pasty are all you need to make delectable mince pies. Use as glass to cut round if you don’t have pastry cutters, grease a pie tin, put it all together and bake at @ 180oC for @ 15-20 mins or until golden. Sprinkle icing sugar over the top when they come out the oven, allow to cool slightly and then remove from the pie tin!



Nibbles

What can you make a bee line for at a party buffet??? Not much if “Mums gone to Iceland”. Stick to breadsticks and veggies then pig out on mince pies when you get home!!! Even better have your OWN party. You can make seasonal favourites vegan in a flash.

Use veggie sausages and pre-rolled puff pasty (Not butter pastry!) to make sausage rolls.

Make cheese straws with pastry and nutritional yeast.

Mini quiche with tofu.

Cheese boards with fake cheese and crackers.

Pates are easy to make with mushrooms and nuts (and taste heaps better!)

Some crisps are vegan friendly (although for their association with Procter and gamble I have to say no to Pringles!)

And of course don’t forget veggies and dips!!!



The BIG day!

What about Xmas lunch?????

Can you eat it without the ghost of Turkeys past??

The traditional nut roast is a bit of a joke in many circles but whatever… I love them! Try the Magical loaf studio for basic ideas and then make them festive by using chestnuts, cranberries etc.

The trick is (like cooking meat!) to make sure the loaf doesn’t dry out, you want a firm but moist loaf, not a crumbly heap! Veggie loaf is much tastier the next day so make one on xmas eve then heat the next day, wrapping it in foil to prevent burning and drying.

Remember as well, everything tastes good in puff pastry, so go wild!

Loved pigs in blankets??

No problem.

This year I am wrapping Vegi Deli sausages in Vegi Deli slices and cooking with the potatoes…. Should work, but we’ll see!

The rest of it is generally easy…..

Potatoes roasted in veg oil, carrots, sprouts and chestnuts, sage and onion stuffing, mashed swede, homemade gravy….. Nope, no animals here!

Even store bought xmas pudding often has no egg, dairy or other animal products in it, enjoy with a dollop of vegan cream like Grano vita.

This year I made my own xmas cake from an adapted recipe from the Down-to-earth blog. Just replace the eggs with a cup of milk that’s sat for a few mins with a tbsp of cider vinegar in it. It rose well and was light and smells very xmasy!!!



Booze!!

Lots consumed over the festive period!

Although its hard to check your alcohol when your out and about you can at least make sure the stuff you buy in is veggie or vegan. The Co-op labels all its wine (all its products in fact) clearly as veggie, vegan or not and their own brand vegan wine is cheap and very cheerful!



Xmas away?

If your staying with a none vegan family over xmas it can be hard….. Remember to pack your deflector shield!!!!

Make sure your host knows exactly what you won’t eat BUT make sure you say it nicely! The most sensible thing to do is to offer to bring your own main meal and help with the cooking. If they like to cook veg and then slather it in butter ask then to set a little aside for you before they do. If they cook potatoes in goose fat ask if you can cook your own, or if maybe they could pop a few potatoes in with the stuffing (in a tin!) and cook those with veg oil.

Be aware that a kitchen at xmas is stressful.

It may be easier for you to take a whole meal with you (one that is quick and easy to heat up) than to stand over your stressed hosts shoulder pointing out their mistakes.

Be sure to bring plenty though, amazing how often other diners will want to try a fork full!



Lastly, remember this is a time to get together with the ones you love.

Your family, your friends, its NOT a time to pick fights about what’s on every ones plates.



Remember how you used to eat what they are eating now?

Show them how much you enjoy the food you are eating, answer sensible questions and ignore anyone who tries to bait you.



Make 2011 the year of learning how to be a great cook and invite them all over for xmas dinner next year!



And remember…. If all else fails….. There’s always Bingo!!!!

Merry Xmas!

Xmas money savers Part 4.

Every year Green minded people hum and hah over the greenest way to decorate the house for Xmas. Now on the surface it would appear that a real tree is the greenest way to go, after all fake trees are made from petro chemicals, will sit forever in a landfill once dicarded..... so its a no brainer right?

Only its not always.

After all, the journy of a real tree is not all magic and fairy dust.

For a start the the trees are planted as a commerical crop, often sprayed with pesticides and weedkillers. The fossil fules used to plant them, spary them, tend them and then finally cut and transport them also have to be taken into account. 

Its worth remembering that few trees are grown locally to the majority of people, so if you live in London your tree may have come from as far away as Scotland or even abroad. When these trees are cut early in the season and the season is a mild one there is also a need to refrigerate these trees to keep them fresh!

And after?

     

Of course a real tree can be composted, but how many households have the space to compost a whoel tree, even if they used a chipper? 

So instead the councils send out fuel drinking lorries to pick up the discarded trees.

As evergreens the trees don't even pump out that much Oxygen to compensate.

So, what to do for the best???

A nice compromise could be to plant a tree outside a cionveniant window, decorating it with lights suitable for outside. 

A tree in a pot can work well for a few years so long as its acclimatized slowley and not put in a very warm room.

What about alternatives?

Can a fake tree ever be green?

I think ours is.

We got our "new" tree from a friend via Freegle and as it is over 30 years old I think it can now safely be considered carbon nuteral! Of course there is still the disposale to consider but its strong and sturdy and likely to give us many many years of use.  

   

Athe end of the day its all a compromise.

I'm glad we stopped a tree ending up in a landfill and got a tree for free :)

                                    

Mantle piece display with home dried orange. 

Home made (by my Mum!) knitted xmas decorations!

The whole tree

Fairy lights adorn our Glastonbury prints by Norman Parker. 

Xmas money savers part 3.

MUM AND LEESA!!! TURN BACK NOW!!! DO NOT READ THIS POST!!!!!

Presents often make up the bulk of what we spend over the Xmas season,and while I wouldn't suggest that the kids should make do with a bit of string, a stick and a satsuma on the big day, there ARE a lot of ways you can cut down the cost.

*When you HAVE to buy new.
Lets face it, that Buzz lightyear or must have Barbie is unlikely to turn up for free. Be prepared and shop for special items early in the season and shop around to find the best deals. If shopping online, go for a site that has all the items you want. Its worth paying a little extra for your item if you can save on not shelling out postage costs to three or four separate sites!

*Charity shops.
Don't be alarmed! Charity shops are full of hidden gems! Books, DVD's and CD's are often found in as new condition in charity shops. Snap up bags full of toy staples like Lego or train track to re-package yourself.
Charity shops often also have unwanted Xmas decorations as well!

One of my boys is going to be pleased with this charity shop haul!!!

*Organise a swapping party. (Great tip Sandie!)
Get together with friends and swap your kids unwanted or outgrown toys/ books/movies for new-to-them ones!

*Make your own!
Nothing says love like homemade <3
Chocolates, toys, jars of preserves, toiletries, clothes, the list is as long as your talents!

Here are some things we have made ....

Kim made this farm set for Owen a coupld of years ago. Super sturdy and much played with for only a few pounds and some time!

Oliver went through a real knights phase for a coupld of years and Kim made the big castle first and then the smaller "baddie" castle the following year. Much of the wood was from scrap we had in the shed, as was the paint. Again, very sturdy, surviving being stood on, dropped and left outside. Compare that with an expensive plastic one he had that was broken with a couple of months.   

This year I turned this......

......Into THIS!!

Home made cosmetics for my mum and sister!

Inspired by my sisters bathbombs last year, I wanted to make some nice pampering treats for Xmas day. So much nicer than an expensive set from superdrug or tesco... Vegan, cruelty free and (mosty) organic! And for PENCE each!

  

Left to right I made, Lip scrub, lip balm, body scrub and moustiriser.

Want to know how?

Lip scrub- For kissable lips *Mwah*. Simply mix sugar and olive oil for a mild and sweet exfoliant!

Lip Balm- Melt shea butter, add a little plantine oil (or olive oil) and a dash of peppermint essence. Tip into contaner and it cools hard.

Bodyscrub- FINE sea salt ( I learnt the painful way that coarse is no good for this!) and olive oil, mix to sedired consistancy and pot.

Moustireser- Melt shea butter, soild coconut oil, olive oil and lavender essential oil, mix and pot. Adding more oil gives a runnier consitancy, or you can add less and have a harder cream (it softens readily in yo hands).     

I used plastic pots for these, although glass would look nicer I had to take the weight into account because of postage issues!!

So there you go.

Feel free to share your own frugle gift tips!   

Xmas money savers part 2

Sandie, a regular commenter here and a good facebook buddy, has shared some delightful photos of her boys home made Xmas decorations!

Turn these old bits of card into.....

THIS!!!!!

Sandie says "They are really simple. Just four circles of card, with an equilateral triangle drawn and scored in the middle, then stick the flaps together!"

And heres what a homemade decorated tree looks like! Courtesy of Sandies Homeschool Group!

I LOVE homemade decorations, it must be inherited!! My mum still has a stick with pine cones on it that I painted and stuck glitter on when I was about 4!! That stick has come out every year at Xmas for the last 29 years!!!

She even  brings out two toilet roll tubes my sister decorated one year.

It just wouldn't be Xmas without them!

A quick search online throws up lots of amazing crafty ideas to make decorations, prefect for those "I'm booooooored!" moments between now and the big day.

Some to get you started....... 

Xmas card balls from ehow

Christmas choir from Familyfun

How to Make Angels out of Recycled Christmas Cards


Hopefully there's enough here to wet your appetite for a recycled homemade Xmas :D
Share your pics!!!

Xmas money savers part 1

So .... Time for the countdown!!!!

And what better way to mark the days off till Xmas than with an advent calender!

The last couple of years we haven't had one..... The plain one's with just pictures seemed to have disappeared, the chocolate ones in the supermarkets for obvious reasons are no good to us, and the vegan ones too expensive (including postage!).

I often thought I would like one of those lovely fabric calenders with pockets you could pop treats into but again money gets in the way of buying frivolities like that.

So this year I made my own!!!!!

First I cut out xmasy pictures from magazines. I have to admit to being a sucker for home magazines at Xmas so this is a perfect way to justify my consumerism ;)

I stuck the pictures onto thick paper and then cut them out again.

On the back I wrote little notes, Sing a specific Xmas song, draw a picture, give everyone a hug and some even have the word SWEET on the back so that the receiver gets a little treat that time.  

I drew a tree on our black board wall (although obviously a large bit of paper would do as well) and using blu-tac I stuck the numbered pictures on.

So now the boys are taking turns to pick their number off the tree and do what the card says! Healthier than 24 chocolates, cost nothing and the cards can be recycled after the big day!!!