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Understanding the true cost of cheap food
It's easy to not appreciate the true cost of our food when it’s so cheap. The full ethical and environmental costs aren’t included in the "Cheap, cheap. Down, down" prices you’ll find at the...
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How you can help Shepherds Ground grow
I’ve been watching with interest the progress of a proposed rural land sharing community here in the Hunter Valley. The Shepherds Ground Village and Farm is forging ahead and provides an inspiring...
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Foraging wild food - prickles, patience and practice
Foraging is more than simply gathering free food. It can fulfil an innate urge to collect and is surprisingly rewarding. But it can take a while to get used to the unusual and variable flavours. I've...
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DIY frugal and natural foaming hand wash
Commercial liquid hand soap was the first product I ditched when I started simplifying our household’s personal care products. I now make a simple foaming handwash using only two ingredients: water...
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How to have healthy and happy indoor plants
Indoor plants can improve our mood, purify the air and even nurture our creativity. But to enjoy the benefits of indoor plants, it’s important to keep them healthy. A wilting, brown plant is not going...
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Bunya nut bounty: How to process and cook Australian native bunya nuts
Bunya nuts would have to be one of the most under-appreciated Australian bush foods. I’ve been enjoying an abundance of bunya nuts and have been surprised by how delicious and versatile they are. I’ve...
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Disconnect for a day of happiness
This Friday, March 20, is International Day of Happiness. The day recognises the importance of happiness and wellbeing for all humans across the globe. In their resolution for the day, the United...
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Simple living inspiration - A Plain Buddhist Manifesto
It's easy to be overwhelmed when contemplating how we can get ourselves out of the environmental mess we've created. I've found clarity and comfort in focusing my efforts on material simplicity and on...
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Have you thought about growing your own garlic?
Autumn is garlic planting time. An old gardener once told me that garlic needs to be in the ground before St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick's Day usually falls around the Autumn equinox (in the southern...
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How to help a timber chopping board last a lifetime
I like the idea of useful everyday items being beautiful. We don’t need to decorate our homes with ornaments or nick-nacks when the bowls, spoons, or chopping boards we use hold meaning and make us...
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Time to simply play
My daughter recently reminded me of the importance of setting aside free time. I told her of all the fun holiday activities I planned to book her into. I thought she would be excited. Instead she sat...
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Perfect porridge: Four easy steps to nutritious and frugal oat porridge
A hint of cool weather has me enjoying a bowl of porridge most mornings. Porridge may seem a time consuming everyday breakfast choice. But with a little preparation (and fermentation if you are game)...
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Riches without dollars: embracing the gift economy
Somewhere along the line, money took over our lives. The dollar became almighty. And now we’re paying for it. With our happiness, our health, and the environment. But it doesn't have to be this way. We...
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How to make simple sauerkraut
Fermented foods are gaining popularity - and rightly so. Laden with probiotics, beneficial enzymes and vitamins - they are great for our digestion and health. They are also easy to make and extremely...
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Skills for sustainable living - workshops in the Hunter Valley May 2015
One of the aspects of sustainable living that excites me the most is that there's so much to learn. There's seemingly endless knowledge to acquire and more than a life-time of skills to gain....
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Dirt glorious dirt - and why you should be playing in it more often
I've long recognised that digging in the garden makes me feel good. No matter how tired or stressed I am, a few minutes with my hands in the earth and my mood improves. I had assumed the boost was due...
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Building a sustainable house of hemp
I've fallen in love with the idea of building a home from hemp. I recently visited Shepherds Ground Farm and Village here in the Hunter Valley while some of the members were learning how to build a...
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Do what’s important (not urgent)
I've banned myself from using the word "busy". I no longer respond to the question "How are you?" with an automatic "busy". My to-do list is still long, but the sense of busyness is almost gone. The...
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How to make natural citrus and beeswax firelighters
Searching for creative alternatives to toxic and non-renewable products is something I enjoy. The research and experimentation is part of the fun. I recently explored alternatives to commercial...
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Do more with less - function stacking
Time is precious. It’s a limited resource and I'm guessing most of us feel like we don’t have enough of it. One of the techniques I use to save time is function stacking – a permaculture concept that...
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