Brain overload

So much has been happening lately I feel like my head might explode, so until I can take some time to slowly sort through the tangled thoughts I will simply post some lovely images of this wonderful, wonderful country which has welcomed us with open arms (veggies, sorry these may not all be for you).  I will save the tantrums and tears for another day... they might even have melted away by then. x

The goodstuff:  just about to light the fire, Tuscan bean soup warming in the kitchen, the girl will be home from gymnastics soon, our amazing landlord has bought home pallets for us to make a compost bin, my glass of chianti is truly yummy, our log pile is healthy again and the spring warmth is slowly bringing the garden to life.

Carnevale part two

Well here in Italy we have just seen the last of Carnevale and the Italians are now well and truly into Lent.  I read on the Green Parent forum a question about what people are giving up, well we have given up our gas - tee hee.  The gas company is standing its ground whilst we dispute the bill but we are very happy without the gas, the only bugger being nohot water, so we have been having showers every few days at my Mums and we are going to also add a family swimming evening to our already mad routine so the kids get extra practice in before the summer and we all get lovely hot showers.  OK this might seem rather slummy but actually the stress of paying a 1300 Euro bill in one go is more frightening than going without hot water.  We have really pulled together under what could have been really stressy days.

This weekend we went to San Gimignano for the last Carnevale party, the floats did not venture out as were soaked in a downpour but the children still had a ball.

A small girl collecting rosemary for our roast potatoes - how good is life!

Saturday - sunshine and time in the garden.  I sorted out the cantina (shed/cellar) and planted a tray of peppers, onions and tomatos, some gladioli, and herbs.  Pruned the roses spotted daffodils and crocus all in full bloom - so full of promise, just can't wait for spring, warm days and bare feet.

Fending of a knight with my brolly

Sunday - A hearty roast lunch, followed by choc brownies, then off to Carnevale.  Still hungry the kids shared a panino and we enjoyed coffee in a little bar and watched the rain before heading into the piazza to play with the other kids - something so restful about the medieval towns in Tuscany I feel really at peace and chilled out here.

Feeling anxious today as off to the hospital tomorrow and Thursday for more tests to find out exactly what immune problems I have.  nb.  Since I started taking large quantities of vitimin B group supplements and Echinecia I have been really well!!!!  Also my diet and lifestyle has changed so this must all be doing something, fingers crossed.

Goodies:  Logs arriving on Thursday, We have stocked up the kitchen with lots of goodstuff, Things are growing, Archie's big teeth are finally pushing through (he's 9), Found some wonderful winter boots for TT at a bargain price, Beans soaking for Italian soup, hot lemon and honey in my favourite mug is steaming on my desk (thank you to the man), Today is full of promise.

Testing Times

Humbug........  We have been trying so hard to stay within our budgets, reduce our debts and become more self sufficient and I think we are doing pretty darn well, much room for improvement though.

Yesterday was just plain horrible. We have been contesting a gas bill for over a year now, our gas co. filled our tank without our consent then sent us a bill for £1,300, of course we said that we would only pay for what we were using not a bulk order that arrived unsolicited.  We have been paying bits off but yesterday they closed off the pipe!  So no hot water, heating or hob to cook on.  Well do you know what, we lit the open fire curled up with our hot water bottles and felt really fine about it, yes I was worried about it, yes it scared me, it really upset DH but in reality it hit home once again how we relie on outside organisations for our everyday needs.  In truth the gas will be back on next week as we will have to just pay the darn thing but it has made me realise things have to change.

So we are thinking how to adapt the following as ultimately we would prefer to go off-grid.

Feed the cooker from a gas bottle - we can regulate this better
Solar panel to heat the radiators upstairs and hot water -we rent our home so might prove tricky
Create an outside shower for the summer months - using black hose or painted radiator to warm the water
Run our computors off a small solar panel
Solar lamps for the kids room
Collect and store wood all year - this year we have been hopeless and cold

So for the next few days I am going to list everything we buy in including resources and utilities and try and find ways to change the way we do this.

To kick start my home self suffiency audit I thought I would try going from room to room, I know the kitchen will be one of the most challenging rooms.

But to cheer myself on I thought I would remind myself of what we are already doing:

Make our own bread
Make our own Jams
Chutneys and Passatas in jars
Sundried tomatos
Freeze our cherries and courgettes
Make cakes cereal bars etc
Made our own solar oven for the summer
Grow 50% of our own veg and store
Make soups for the freezer

G is busy drafting proofing doors and I will make more excluders this evening.  We will also prune all the fruit trees and hedges to store for kindling.

Any inspiring ideas for homesteading or becoming more self reliant welcome x

Small Pleasures

Photos of the boy and Grandad at Rome on Sunday - Had to post the image of the roadside picnic, the Italians know how to travel, they unload a trestle table and a roasted hog, cakes and wine and feed everyone many times on route.... Might consider the trestle table idea..myabe on the roofrack of Peter the fiat Panda?

A five year old plods downstairs with the hotwater bottles balanced out in front of her, then says I just have to make the beds! Such a wonderful sight until the tears roll as she finds our huge bed to difficult to manage. Wanting to be useful and needed is something we all feel of that I am sure, and today TT wanted to be one of the grownups - yes she had a tantrum, yes we were all annoyed by our lateness but at the same time she is learning everyday how to do things better - both good and bad.  I am going to take some note of this and try and keep learning how to do things better, and keep trying until things are have a more natural flow.  I hope one day my Italian will flow at will just like getting on bicycle and knowing what to do intuitively - when do things start happening on instict? maybe when we stop worrying and just keep doing.

Here and There

Busy busy weekend full of nice things.  Saturday we visited a farm saw the cows and the bull, a donkey and horses, a few calves and lots of hens etc.  We bought organic apple juice and our friends treated us to fresh mozzarella, ricotta, warm bread and salad.  The girls played in the mud and enjoyed the sunshine, smashing ice and getting dirty.  Made a Thai meal for our family valentines evening on Saturday - very lovely but too tired to enjoy the evening, think my energy levels are flagging. 

 

Sunday lovely too - the menfolk went to Rome to see the rugby England v Italy and TT, Nona and I went for a walk around a lovely old town 'Casole' then had some lunch.  We really must slow down more and relax as I noticed that all the other tables were full of families who arrived before us and were only on their first course when we were ready to go.  Normal here to have 4-5 courses, will have to build up my stamina and appetite.  TT had Salmon then risotto even she was too tired for panacotta!!!  

 

Hooray the loft is sorted - Christmas stuff is away and Easter lovelies unearthed as are ribbons and birthday wrappings.

 

More cereal bars made and banana bread cooked in the bread maker, went very dark and weird looking but am told it is delicious.   I am planning to schedule in more time for hearth and home every week now as recently all my time, energy and thoughts have been on work and money, this only means that other things get neglected , then that upsets me too!!!

 

Plans for the week:

 

• Water pots and plant more seeds for the Horto - veg plot
• Make a large pot of Tuscan bean soup
• Polenta bake and homemade baked beans
• Cherry Muffins - last of Cherries in freezer
• Soup - Carrot and Orange
• Marmalade
• An hour a day on my book
• Some inner work on all of our worries - money, stability, fear, being more supportive of each other
• Photos - print for albums
• Read, read, read - 2 books a day to the children  
• Chickens - research which ones and how
• More salads - when warm enough! 

Cereal Bars - yum

OK so not strictly healthy but very, very yummy and eaten by all in the house ! which is amazing.  I completely bodged this recipe together and urge everyone to do the same but roughly speaking here is how it went.


150g rolled oats
50g rice crispies
100g apricots chopped, raisins, gogi berries or any dried fruit
10g butter / marg
100g syrup / jam / something sticky (I used homemade cherry jam)
75g broken chocolate white or dark (wholenut maight be good)
(I added some dried coconut too)

Melt the butter, jam and chocolate in a small pan and melt gently.  Stir into the dried cereal and fruit mixture, coat well in the sticky stuff then press into a roasting dish so about 1/2 inch thick, pat down with spoon and chill in fridge.

Cut into slices - great for after school snacks or picnics.  Thought you could also make round cereal bars in muffin tins too.

Small Changes - Big improvements

Decided to put a little more routine into my working days to try and shift the guilt thing and improve my time management / domestic chaos.

Get up at 6am rather than 7am
1 hour a day on my books - reseach and writing
When I prepare our lunch I will also prepare dinner
Spend at least an hour outside everyday (lunchtime or walking)
Sat/Sun, bake muffins and cereal bars - enough for a week
2 or 3 times a week make double quantities of supper and freeze
1 jolly a week for the family (day out, picnic, museum, festa or friends)
Switch of PC as soon as the kids are home and focus on hometime
No wine in the week as this makes me knackered and fat (sad but true)
earlier beds for the kids with extra stories / music as they seem so much chirpier

Its a start - anyhow.

Home and Hearth

Home again - thank goodness that last week is behind me. Running around Devon, Somerset and London seeing clients old and new, pitching for new business and trying to stay sane and healthy all at once - the ultimate multitasking challenge.

Big fat dollops of guilt. I can't beat it, it just keeps coming, when I have to travel for work I feel like the world's worst Mummy, yet when I am home and abandon my desk to spend time with the kids I feel guilty too!!!! I have to work to pay the bills and mostly work from home (PR and writing) but do also have to travel to the UK abandoning the kids, animals, home and hearth!!!! The man is more than capable and a darn good cook, housekeeper, business manager and primary carer when I am not there but I still feel crap about my double life. Any miraculous ideas most welcome. Too many balls in the air and rubbish hand eye co-ordination I fear!

Anyhow, I am in love with being home, the house is freezing , dusty and a tad shabby but the views are breathtaking, the feeling of safety wonderful and the fresh air re-vitalising - no more black bogeys (thanks London).



Kittens sleeping in the sun - flattening my chives

Old Leo dog snoring in the kitchen

A clean and tidy office after hours of re-jigging today

Chocolate and Gogi berry cereals bars made last night a big hit

Mango muffins - not so well received

Carnevale time - magical parties in San Giminagno
The sun is warming the spring bulbs
I feel some time in the veggi plot looming
Bags of pressies from friends afar (very spoilt kids)
Promise of more income - hooray
We ate our lunch in the garden today - wonderful.
Photos to follow.......