Rosehip Syrup

It's cold season in my household, which means it's time to make rosehip syrup.  Rosehips are known to be high in vitamin C. This afternoon my husband and I and our 2 year old boy went out to get some.  We came back with plenty.

Here's how I do it.

I top and tail the rosehips then boil them in lots of water and the same amount of sugar as rosehips.  I keep boiling til they're soft then blend the mixture.  I tend to let it sit a while at this point and add some water so it's not so thick, let it cool then strain it through muslin into a sterilised container.  It should keep about a month in the fridge or you can freeze in an ice cube try and take one out whenever you need it. 

Rosehips can also be ground up to make itching power.

Zero Waste week

This week is zero waste week.  I have pledged to stop using plastic bags and use reusable ones instead.  I have changed a lot of my wasteful habits over the past few years.  I cloth nappy my toddler and use CSP rather than disposables.  These reduce what I put in landfill and reduce the chemicals that are next to our skin.  I also make my own soaps and reuse the packaging as much as possible. 

There are loads of things you can do to reduce the amount you put into landfill.  I personally use freecycle a lot.  Recently I got a loft bed for free and I'll be passing the old bed onto someone else to use.  My husband is a skip rat.  He comes home with various finds that others have thrown out.  Big wire reels make the most amazing tables!  I have two boxes of clothes that were going to be thrown out that I'm going to mend/ up cycle into something different.  I've seen some really funky earrings and necklaces made of ring pulls and I just love how inventive people can be with 'waste'

Subversive Constructs

Subversive Constructs sells high quality, hand made pewter jewellery, pins and other things. The look of the jewelery speaks for itself really, I chose the heart and anchor necklace which I've been wearing virtually non-stop since I got it. 

 

The pewter is hand cast and of amazing quality, all of the items sold are limited edition runs.  The chain is just the right length for a necklace such as this it rests very nicely on my chest and there is lovely detail in the claspy bit.  (I'm not really sure what this type of attachment is called)

 

 

There are some really cool things on the etsy shop and facebook.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SubversiveConstructs

It's well worth a look.

In the garden

Sorry I haven't posted recently, there's been a lot of "stuff" happening.  Meanwhile in the garden I've been picking courgettes and watching the caterpillars munch. Some of my tomatoes have been attacked by the dreaded blight which was a pain.

 I've been in the kitchen quite a lot baking crumbles, apple cake and bread.  (I've given up on gluten free) I love the feel of kneading dough by hand and the results are very yummy too.

Responsibility for the Environment

I'm kind of shocked to see that a new product being sold by a major brand name is harmful to aquatic animals and wildlife.  I am appalled by the lack of responsibility shown by the company that sells it and am really concerned  about the impact it will have on the environment.  I only hope that consumers have some sense and see the warning on the back and throw the stuff away.

Mermaid Mama Moon Pads

I found Mermaid Mama Moon Pads on facebook a while ago and loved the look of them so decided to treat myself to some pantyliners.  I love the fact that although they are all the same shape they are all uniquely made with different fabrics on the top and bottom.

These are cotton topped and backed and have a swirly 'S' pattern stitched into them.  They are secured with a button and loop which can be a faff but you get used to it.  They are lightly padded and are suitable for light days as well as cup backup and when you just want a bit of comfort and reassurance. 

They are 8.5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide and I wear them with the long part at the front as that's more comfortable for me.  They are held together with zig-zag stitching and are very comfortable and suitable for wearing with pants that have smaller gussets.  I like to wear mine with my boy shorts.

You can find Mermaid Mama Moon pads here: https://www.facebook.com/mermaidmamapads

Courgettes

I'm really glad to have friends around me who grow their own veg.  I always end up with lots of yummy homegrown food which is way better tasting than supermarket bought.  At the moment I have loads of courgettes which led me into thinking "what can I do with all these?"

No 1: Salad with raw courgettes in is great.  I love Jamie Oliver's recipe which uses chilli, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, mozzarella and courgettes.

No 2: Grate them and stir fry with butter and garlic, add some cheese and you have a pasta sauce.

No 3: Cut into rounds and sauté in olive oil.  If you add garlic it's even better.

Enjoy!