Belinda Moore

Well, another month and new financial year already…

In June I was unwell with a virus and the month ended with a week of gastro for the family. Ewww. Let’s hope July brings good health and high energy. I need to boost my iron levels, so please email me your favourite legume recipes and other ideas. (No, not a steak, thanks!)

AT HOME: Three family birthdays in June, so more celebrations. Overall it was a too-busy month when I was hoping for a quiet time! I think the dry season is often busy for us, because when it’s hot, rainy and flooding our travel and journeys are limited and/or uncomfortable.

We’re planning a mid-winter journey up to the Tablelands to check out Watsonville. Must get those coats and boots dusted off!
AT WORK: I’m just tidying up my section for the next issue of Education Choices. The magazine is available through the website and there are specials on eBay too. It is a fantastic publication for all home educators.
The seed sales are still quieter because of the season. They trickle in, though, and we’re steadily saving more seeds, adding new lines and planning the next big project (to be released in Spring).
A handful of my homeschooling articles have been published online by the Aussies Living Simply site, who are in turn advertising our seed project.
IN THE GARDEN: The third ‘chook garden’ is flourishing with its wide variety of grains, greens and more. We’ve fenced off an area for another one and I gathered the seeds together today. The chickens seem hungry almost all the time, even though they’re very well fed. I guess that’s what chickens do when they’re hand-fed so frequently. We still have 14 hens with about 7 eggs a day.

There are lots of chokos coming on, so it’s time to try some of those recipes from my Choko Cook Book created a couple of years back to convince others to (please) share our glut… The pumpkins are going strong again, and we’ll have a continual harvest so long as no one mows over any more little baby ones! We’re getting lots of leafy greens and herbs and a good supply of lovely black eggplant. The yellow paw paws are doing well, but we are having more trouble with the red ones. I think I will plant new trees. The red paw paws are so yummy but much more difficult for us to grow. We have two bunches of mini-bananas on (like gold @ $11/kg here this week) the kids check on them all the time in anticipation! I’ve been keeping an eye on some of the younger fruit trees, thinking they may bear their first crop soon. We can’t wait!
We’ve eaten the whole mandarin crop but the oranges are ripe now and the lemons still going strong. I will try a different marmalade soon. I made three batches of Cumquat Marmalade using fruit from a kind neighbour during June. We also have a good crop of rosellas and I’ve made jam twice already and will make some cordial soon. And maybe more jam. It never lasts long, it’s very popular and so tasty! Here is my prize-winning recipe from 2005:

Rosella Jam

1kg rosella husks, 1 litre water, 2kg sugar or any 1:1:2 ratio of these three ingredients

Remove husks from rosellas and discard seeds etc. This is time-consuming and can be a little prickly, but worth the effort! Weigh the husks. Boil these with an equal amount of water for about 10 minutes. They should be very soft. Add the sugar slowly over a medium heat and stir well. Boil for around 20 minutes. Test the jam on a cold saucer – can place into freezer to cool. When it is cool, it shouldn’t run off the saucer when tipped up. Pour into sterilised jars, seal and label. Enjoy!
I’ve had no luck with the zucchini and tomatoes, with strange mildew on leaves and problems with wilt. It has been wet and cloudy, not dry and sunny as June usually is… I’m getting loads of leafy greens though, which is lovely. I need to plant out another two or more punnets over the weekend. I am short of mulch, but now that they’re cutting the cane I might be able to buy some.

HOME ED.: Before we were ill, we did lots of socialising in June - picnic lunches, ice-skating, movies and more. The children had a gymnastics ‘test’ which they did really well with. It is a lovely club and they encourage the younger two to try things as well. It has been great weather for reading and dvds. And playdough! Brit has been working on altering photos and other computer art and loves it. She is contributing to an ezine for young homeschoolers. More on that to come…