Denby, it’s my coffee thing

Posted on December 8, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

It started with my nana really. If she hadn’t have given me those two matching brown coffee cups and plates 10 years ago, well, I would never have gone looking.

They were good cups. Solid cups and I liked having my one cup of coffee a day to drink out of it. The amount was perfect, the handle comfortable and the lip was great. Call me Polly Pedantic but I like a good lip on a cup- it makes the drink, I’m sure of it.

So there I was, happy with my two brown cups from Nana. Happy drinking my daily coffee from it, just as my Nana had done before me. When my mum would visit, all she could think of was seeing my Nana drinking her one coffee a day in there, but 50 years beforehand.

Fast forward to the land and time of Instagram, and I had taken a photo of my one cup a day and posted it. Not particularly exciting stuff but there it was non the less.

“Looks like Denby”

“Denby”

“Oooh Denby!”

Say what?? What are you all talking about? My cup has a name? I looked on the bottom *gasp* it does have a name. I confer with my friend google *double gasp,* it is! It was. There stamped before me was Denby, and it seemed it’s rather a collectors thing. Looks like I could find more in the set if I was willing to sell a small child as well.

Two instagramer friends showed me the insides of their own parents Denby-ed kitchen cupboards. My knees felt a little weak…it looked so good. My cupboards too could look just as good, if I had a sack full of money and was ready to scour the earth for single pieces of Denby to create a collection.

Was I willing to do that?

Yes. Yes, it seems I was. Months later I found myself clicking pay now on ebay where I had found three exact matches to go with my other two cups. I quietly justified it by having sold a whole lot of unneeded/unloved items on gumtree the week before. About 20 things of mine had moved out to other peoples households and three sleek brown sixty year old coffee cups moved in to mine.

Decluttering the household AND some lovely bonus kitchen additions. I think my daily cup of coffee tasted particularly good that day.

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Tell me… do you use gumtree or ebay to sell things you no longer want or have a need for?

Do you buy second hand where possible, sometimes or never ever ever in all your days?

And lastly, do you all know Denby and I was really, really slow on the uptake with this one?

finding the spirit

Posted on December 5, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

Nothing says it’s nearly Christmas time, quite like belting out Wham’s Last Christmas at the top of your lungs. While big hair, eighties clothing and a snowy white landscape aren’t really necessary this year; an enthusiasm for all things just a teeny bit cheesy are. With three little people grinning from ear to ear for encouragement, I plan to quietly soak all that Christmassy spirit well and truly up.

I wasn’t going to though, well not yet anyway. It all seemed a little too early still.

However, last years advent calendar was hung, and the boys were keen for the Christmas sticks to be draped and decorated. Pre-school carols were seeping in and had a funny way of sticking in my head all day. I also couldn’t avoid the fact that everyone else was well and truly already on the Christmas wagon.

What pushed Last Christmas on to replay was the very real thought of my little people becoming big people. No longer finding it quite as exciting to decorate some fallen sticks with some brightly coloured baubles and their bunk beds with draped silvery tinsel. The excitement of seeing what might be in the advent calander in the early morning, and the planning of all the things they would do, once the Christmas holidays began. I know that contagious excitement will someday fade, as their limbs get longer and their childhood thoughts and ideas change.

So while their little dancing legs are eager, their air guitars await and theres a willingness to sing all songs Christmassy, then so will I.

And I’ll love every second of it.*

* In the spirit of Christmas, so will all my neighbours. It’s a well known fact that Last Christmas should never be played quietly; and living in a small city apartment, well playing something with Christmas enthusiasm means everyone gets to enjoy it as well. Now THAT’S the spirit of Christmas.

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For added Christmassy goodness, I’ve been making speculaas again. It’s been two years since the intermittent light swearing incident over the little wooden windmill and, this year I thought I’d try my luck again. Alas, still not to a standard I like, so no windmills again this year. However, the dough I’ve tweaked a little and it’s still a happy biscuit to eat.

Perfect for a little dunking, munching or sending of small parcels off to the neighbours.

Speculaas #2

150g cubed cold butter

150g brown sugar

300g plain flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamon

2 tbls cold water

Pulse all ingredients except the cold water, until resembles bread crumbs. Turn out to a board, add the water and give a quick knead to bring it all together. You are a after a smooth dough consistency. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper and pop into the fridge to firm up (or roll into a log and freeze for a later date.) Cut out shapes and bake at 180 for 15-20 minutes.

a little love into the seams

Posted on December 3, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

busy days and busy nights

good busy and chaotic busy all intertwined

a pause for a moment to do some measuring and cutting

it was sitting there for far too long, waiting to be cut, wanting to be cut

waiting for the right moment, that never seemed to arise

a project that I didn’t want to be rushed, didn’t want to be hurried

I wanted to do it mindfully

and sew a little love into the seams

finally the moment was right, the scissors were uncompromised and my thoughts were here, now

firmly embedding a little love into those seams.

when the hunger sets in

Posted on December 1, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

This is what happens when you try to take pictures just before dinner time and unbeknownst to me, the hunger had already set in.

I quietly took pictures, she quietly nibbled.

Both doing what we needed to do.

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Sunflower and Linseed Bread

top ten eco friendly gift wrap ideas

Posted on November 27, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

I watched an ad recently where the recipient ripped open their carefully wrapped present to get to the item underneath. I winced, I really did. It seems crazy in todays day, that so many people are still doing this at gift giving time. Sigh… what an incredible waste of paper.

I’ve written about this once or twice before, but here are some wrapping ideas for the festive time of year, (or any old time of year.)

Top 10 eco friendly gift wrap ideas

old maps– I would imagine with technology jumping ahead maps might be a thing of the past in times to come. (I’m still using my old atlas that I saved from the rain on the side of the road.)

newspaper– be selective on your pages used, you can make it look good!

children’s art– if you have a little one at pre-school or just a pint sized Picasso, you may be swimming in craft and paintings- share the love, the grandparents will adore it.

fabric– retro fabrics, tea towels, scarves… the choices are endless. The art of wrapping with fabric goes by the lovely name of furoshiki and you can learn how to do it with these step by step instructions here.

old movie or music posters

how about crocheting a gift bag

chocolate wrappers– yep chocolate wrappers.

maybe a recycled box

or ditch the wrapping altogether and just go with a lovely reusable ribbon and handmade card.

There is no need for sticky tape for any of these options. Wool makes a great pull-it-together-and-make-it-look-pretty gift giving addition if you need to hold things in.

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* for more furoshiki instructions, see here.

How about you? Any green tinged wrapping ideas to share?

postcards from the everyday

Posted on November 24, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

a little gift was given

peddling to the farmers market,

where after, the cherries were gobbled up

water burst

in a whoosh of sunshiney droplets

collective love was passed onto a baby,

not yet born

and I wondered how this little imp of mine

had got so very big…

sitting in her basket boat sailing ship

Creamy Mint and Broad Beans- Frugal Friday

Posted on November 22, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

I had broad beans and zucchini. Outside, a pot full of mint that was threatening to take over the entire courtyard if I was to let it. Cream that had been sitting on it’s lonesome for far too long and a little fetta that really, really needed sorting out.

What to make, what to make?

Creamy Mint and Broad Beans

A couple of good slugs of olive oil

pop some some new season diced garlic in

some grated zucchini

as many double peeled broad beans as you could be bothered

cook it down until soft

add a few good slurps of cream

salt and pepper to taste

then add some roughly chopped mint

crumbled fetta

and serve with brown rice or spaghetti

Eat with gusto

top 12 eco friendly christmas gift ideas

Posted on November 20, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

Nearly the end of the year again, which means there could be a little gift giving to be had. I love this time of year, but I don’t like the ridiculous amount of spending that usually goes along with it. You don’t have to spend oodles of money, you really don’t. Here are a few ideas to help with a greener tinged Christmas at your place this year.

1/ Tiny presents of tiny succulents in tiny tea cups, (or espresso cups as this little fella is.) You can easily do this with a little cup that may have a chip or a crack in it- stalk op shops, church fetes, roadside discards for succulent holding inspiration. The options are limitless, (have a peek at google images.) Think green, think succulents.

2/ Something for the inspired reader in your life- Changing Gears: by Greg Foyster

3/ Assistent Original– now this is a pricey gift for Christmas, but if you are serious about a kitchen investment that is going to cater for every kitchen whim you have- it’s a worthy investment, as cooking from scratch is a commitment and you want to make it as easy as possible. For bread baking nerds, look no further.

4/ Digital Subscription to a ‘green’ magazine- inspire someone with some idea thumping pages- There are oodles to pick from, and then even more.

5/ Subscription to your locally based farmer friendly fruit and veg box. Foodconnect– Whole Larder Love– Local Harvest etc.

6/ Sign a bloggy friend up to do Blog with Pip– they will love you to the moon and back, (and probably back some more; this course is AWESOME.)

7/ If you don’t have a crafty hand yourself, have wander over to etsy– Buy direct from someone who does and support a small time crafter with a passion for handmade goodness.

8/ Sign a loved one up for a Milkwood Permaculture course, (or a locally grown Permaculture course in your area.) They will be brimming with inspiration afterwards, and that…is always a good thing.

9/ For the tea drinker- love chai, love tea, enamel cup and a little ginger bread bites for dunking in. A simple present that is 542 times better than buying something bland in a generic department store.

10/ Or using the same gingerbread recipe, kid version style.

11/ Put together a little handmade food hamper. Jam’s, biscuits, brownie, cake, pesto, bread- the options are endless. If you team that up with a little second hand store basket (50c church sale thank you very much!) and you’re in Christmassy business, (always nicer than a gifted pair of synthetic, made in China, novelty boxer shorts…promise.)

12/ And if you still aren’t sure of what Uncle Roo and Aunt Bilby would like, make a donation on their part. There are so many charities to choose from in our collective corners of the world- choose one and your recipients will be so very thankful.

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For previous years eco Christmas gift ideas and wrapping see

eight eco friendly Christmas gift ideas

twelve eco friendly Christmas gift ideas

ready to start again

Posted on November 17, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

this is a weekend with

rain

waiting

and wheels

a weekend

that rejoices in a hot cup of chai

…or three

a weekend where arguments are refereed,

and ensuing hugs compulsory

a weekend where plans were made

and then rained upon

but the oven runs hot

and bellies are filled

and finally

there is a snatched moment to think,

plan and ignite a few creative brain cells

…ready to start the week again

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what did you get up to this weekend?

(and a big thank you for everyone’s lovely birthday wishes from my last post)

little soft sweet white peaks of cloud

Posted on November 13, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

My grandmother once told me she used to make a sponge cake each year for her own birthday cake when her kids were young. That’s what they all loved to eat, so that’s what she would make, she said over a pot of tea one day. Kind and generous yes, and certainly in keeping with a birthday spirit. But… my 83 year old grandmother doesn’t like sponge cake. She never has.

It was probably never going to be a problem that I would have. Committed to my kids taste buds, of course. I frequently catered to their often under ripe taste buds. But committed enough to make them (me) a sponge cake? Oh hell no, (I don’t like them either.)

Several people offered to make me a birthday cake this year. I said that was so very kind, and then politely declined though. You see, I love making my own cake (or tart as the case may be.) It’s the one time of the year, I can make something exactly to my own taste buds. No chocolate, no lollies, no cream… no sponge cake.

For this years birthday I had lemon meringue pie on my mind, and I’d been planning it ever since the last time I had made it, (with added blueberries for good measure.)

“…but it’s not a proper birthday if there isn’t cake,” declared an unsure little voice.

“Piffle,” I said confidently, “How exciting will the little soft sweet white peaks of cloud like meringue look in amongst a few candles.” Birthday’s can be anything you want it to be, that’s the wonderful thing about birthdays.”

I kept that close in mind when I decided I would like wholemeal spelt pancakes, blueberries, mangoes, crackers and cheese for dinner as well…anything I want it to be, right?

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And as my still fairly recent tradition of making something meringue-y for my birthday continues, so does my recipe list.

Lemon Meringue Pie 2013

Blue Cherry Meringue Tart 2012

Berry Meringue Tart 2011

A Rather Tall Birthday Cake 2010

Changing Gears

Posted on November 10, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

Before Changing Gears landed on my kitchen table, I knew I was going to love it. I knew I would. How could I not? It was about the travel tales of Greg Foyster and Sophie Chishkovsky travelling 6586km on two bicycles, from Tasmania to Cairns.

While cycling a really long way and sleeping in an Aldi tent, they were exploring simpler ways of living or ‘voluntary simplicity’. Either way, they were speaking my language and I couldn’t get enough. I was turning pages at a pace like a tour de france rider and anticipation to match.

Reading through the book, it seemed like a funny combination but I kept thinking of Bill Bryson’s snort out loud travel books he’d written years before. Combining that with “An Inconvenient Truth” and Changing Gears was sitting before me. It was honest, it was engaging, funny, made me think, and ultimately… damn inspiring.

Just occasionally I need someone, or something to remind why I should keep doing things the way I do. This book did. Like my Milkwood Permaculture course had propelled me forward for next few months, I think this book had just done the same thing…in a pretty amazing way.

Changing Gears– a Pedal Powered Detour from the Rat Race- by Greg Foyster

Changing Gears is a high-spirited adventure charting Greg Foyster’s remarkable, life-transforming cycling challenge from Hobart to Cairns. Resisting the pressure to conform to an ‘Australian average’, Greg and his girlfriend Sophie set off with the question: can we be happy with less?

Before the trip, Greg was an inner-city advertising yuppie who spent his days coming up with clever ways to get people to consume more. Unhappy with the contradictions in his life he finally quit his job – but when a panic attack landed him in hospital, Greg realised that something had to change.

And so unfolds a riveting yarn – engaging, self-effacing and with many laugh-out-loud moments. The 6586km bike expedition was a million miles from Greg’s comfortable lifestyle – the furthest he’d travelled on bike was 50km and the longest he’d been in a tent was at a 3 day music festival. And along the way he must confront his own character flaws, contend with bum blisters, taste road kill, survive on only 2 changes of clothing, live with his partner 24/7 in a tent for 9 months, and cycle the final 1700-kilometre stretch up North Queensland on a diet of raw food.

An enthralling personal narrative, Changing Gears is also a compelling insight into the different ways of living being embraced by lone visionaries and engaged communities alike, all seeking a more sustainable life. On the road, Greg and Sophie meet a host of unique characters – including a barefoot monk who travels with nothing but a blanket and an alms bowl, a forest activist who lives up a tree, a man that survives on 18th century hunting techniques, a family who have lived without electricity for 20 years, and many more DIY downshifters with fascinating stories to tell.

Twenty per cent of Australians want to downshift to fewer hours and the trend towards simpler lifestyles is gaining momentum. Changing Gears is for anyone who’s considered escaping the rat race, living more simply or taking a breather from the nine-to-five grind. It is a timely, life-affirming and inspiring book that tackles the most important issue facing humanity, but in the most personal and delightful way.

And if you would like to meet them in person, the last of the pedal powered book tour…

DeanSwift Books, Nowra
Tuesday 12 November, 12noon
Talk & signing
120 Junction Street, Nowra
Phone: (02) 4421 5568

Gleebooks, Sydney
Tuesday 19 November, 6pm
Greg Foyster in conversation with Craig Reucassel & book signing
49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Phone: (02) 9660 2333
Book online

Where to buy the book, Changing Gears.

Or have a read of Greg and Sophie’s blog, Simple Lives.

any day can be Cinnamon Bun Day

Posted on November 6, 2013 by cityhippyfarmgirl

It seems I’d missed the boat again.

Last year after seeing multiple blogs and Instagram pictures from Scandinavian bakers, I was determined to give those twisted cinnamon buns a crack. A whole year zipped by and before I knew it, my Instagram feed was filled with the twisty kind of buns that I had so longed to make.

My Nordic ship had sailed again.

Damn it.

Despite being Australian and without any strong Scandinavian heritage to speak of, I still like to imagine that I perhaps could be, (if I screw my eyes up nice and tight.) I’m happy to mutter words like reindeer, knekkebrod, Marimekko, snow, Moomin’s, northern lights and Figgjo. If I added making cinnamon buns on Cinnamon Bun Day (October 4th) than that pretty much made me half Scandinavian didn’t it?

Well it would have if I had remembered to bake that particular day, (I blame the Aussie heritage for this forgetfulness.) With a pouty lip and crossed arms I mentioned similar words to my favourite pregnant Norweigen goddess. She helpfully reminded me that any day could be Cinnamon Bun Day…and that was good enough for me.

Cinnamon Buns

(adapted from Morten Schakenda)

250g sourdough starter

1 tsp commercial yeast

600g strong bread flour

250mls milk

200mls water

100g sugar

100g softened butter

1 tsp cardamon

1 tsp salt

Cinnamon mixture

100g softened butter

100g sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Add starter, yeast and water together in a bowl. Whisk and leave for an hour or so. Mix remaining ingredients together and then knead until dough is elastic (I use my mixer) on a lightly floured surface or until well incorporated and dough is smooth. Leave to prove for a couple of hours, with a couple of knock backs in between, or pop dough in a bowl, cover and leave overnight in the fridge. Roll the dough out to a rough rectangle, add cinnamon mixture and then divide rectangle in half. Gently give it a quick roll and then divide the dough into long strips. Have a look at this video on how to roll them.

Bake at 180-190 for 15-20 minutes.

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For my regular cardamon buns see here

For my knekkebrod recipe see here