Thrifty ways which help the planet (and our bank balance) ...

A while ago we decided that, in addition to not using our electric stove / oven, we would also ditch our electric kettle, and switch off our geyser.  

I used the solar oven extensively last summer, and changed all our light globes to CFL's.  We also sold off / gave away all our power hungry gadgets.  Who needs power hungry gadgets when you have manual implements which work as well, if not better, and all it takes is a little bit of human power to achieve the same result!?

The geyser has been set at 50oC (100oF) for the past 16 - 20 months - switching off the geyser, in summer, was a breeze LOL as the water in the geyser heated up in the roof of our house to the point that we didn't have to switch it on at all!  In winter, we switch it on for one hour just prior to showering.  As we don't have a handy isolation switch, this involves climbing on a chair to reach the main distribution board - a hassle!

For cooking purposes in winter we pulled out an old (about 25 years old!) two-plate gas cooker, and RSon invested in his own LP gas barbecue, which, until he moves into his own place, we are using as an oven.

Two plate gas stove with bbq
"oven" in the background

We boil our water in a whistling kettle on that gas "stove" - and ensure that we only boil as much as we need.  And the whistle tells us exactly when it is ready.


I also got rid of our two electric heaters, and now, if we are cold of an evening, we either light a fire in our fireplace, or heat up a bean bag in the microwave (it takes 3 minutes on high to heat two bags simultaneously - in place of having a heater on all evening!). Snuggling under a blanket with the warm bean bag, we are toasty as can be whilst we watch TV / chat of an evening.

Bean Bags filled with Pearl Barley

But, with all the steps we have taken, I have had no way of establishing how much power we have saved, as we have only received estimate accounts since January this year.  Today, finally, I received the account.


In comparison to the same period last year, we have saved 1755 kWh of electricity!  A whole bunch of coal fired pollution has been saved from contaminating and drifting up into the atmosphere!  And, financially - it equates to a saving of ZAR2843.45 (approximately US$271.79 or €191.68) in six months!


Bearing in mind that we run a business from our home, so we are here 24 / 7, and the kettle gets switched on a zillion times a day, I am well pleased with our efforts.

Owl electricity monitor

Thinking out of the box has paid off, and, we don't feel like we have impaired our lifestyle in any way whatsoever.  I can honestly say though, this would not have been that easy without our Owl electricity monitor. Whenever we notice that the readings are suddenly higher or increasing we immediately walk round the house to see what unnecessary power we are using can happily be switched off.


Be aware - that's all it takes :)

Lemon harvest

I wrote about harvesting Eureka lemons from my garden earlier this week.  Eureka lemons are known for their year round production, and, providing they get enough water, and a dose of epsom salts / bicarbonate of soda now and then, they are a very rewarding fruit to grow.

I have previously put lemons in salt, but wasn't enthralled with the result - so I've scrapped that idea.  But, I read what I think is a jolly good idea on NellyMary's blog, and I thought I would share it with you.


Amongst many others, 10 lovely yellow, swollen orbs of fruit hung on my tree just waiting to be picked.  I couldn't resist the burst of sunshine from my garden, after the weeks of overcast and wet weather we've had.

I peeled the lemons with my vegetable peeler and shoved the peels in a bottle.  I topped up the bottle with cheap white vinegar and put the cork in.  That bottle is going to sit in my pantry for a few weeks - to "mature" - allowing the oil / scent of the lemon peels to pervade the vinegar.  Then I will take 50% of the lemon vinegar and add it to 50% water in a spray bottle and use that to wipe down my kitchen counters / bathrooms, etc.  It will surely allow a more pleasant smell to linger than just plain vinegar and water...?

But that's not all - I also harvested roughly 250mls (8 oz) of lemon juice which I have frozen in ice trays.  Now, when a recipe calls for lemon juice, it's quick and easy just to grab what I need out of the freezer.

And, my final confession - I think I am becoming OCD - I cannot let a seed or pip land in my compost pot - I am compelled to save them, which, in the case of the 10 lemons, means I am left with roughly 100 pips.  If I have an 80% success rate, I should have roughly 80 trees peeking their heads above ground in approximately 6- 8 weeks...

All I need now is to find some (100!) seed pots...


Whoever thought that 10 lemons could yield so much.  Almost as good as the 7 fishes and 7 loaves of bread :)

Next time I think I will add the lemon peels to some vodka, tequila or even some cheap brandy - and make us a lemon scented tipple for a cold winters night in front of the fireplace...


Maybe not tequila - we don't drink that.

Time out (side)

It's been a difficult couple of weeks recently - my camera decided to go on the fritz, even my cell phone felt lonely and did likewise, so with both out of commission I have been unable to take any photo's - talk about feeling marooned...  Add to that the fact that just I've developed another bout of bronchitis (it's only three months since my last bout - and twice in one winter - what is gong on - too much international air travel spreading new infections to all in sundry?)


I think you get the picture...


However, I remedied the photo problem this last weekend, buying myself a cheapish Kodak - it'll do until I can get my Canon fixed, and that entails a trip across to the other side of town.

We are currently experiencing a "berg wind" (a hot, off-land wind) in our area - a welcome break from the cold, wet and miserable weather we've been having recently, and I figured it was the perfect time to wash all those towels and jerseys LOL  And the perfect opportunity to get out into the garden...


The garden has patches of colour - the lemon tree is full of fruit, the hibiscus trees are displaying their exotic flowers, the Camellia bush is about to burst into bloom, and the lavender bushes are in full swing.

Broad beans in flower

Even my broad beans are full of flowers... but I've only found 6 pods! Very disappointing.  But I think I have discovered the reason why:

The bees are all on the lavender bushes...


Wrong, wrong, wrong side of the garden, guys!  I need you to do your thing on the broad beans!


I have managed to harvest a few things from the garden though:

Lavender flowers, lemons and clivia pods

The lavender flowers are in the spare room - acting as a room freshener...

The red Clivia pods are free plants waiting to happen.  And all it takes is a bit of preparation.

Firstly, remove the hard outer shell of the pod.  Inside that you'll find another, softer sheath around the seed - remove that as well:

Place the seeds between a couple of pieces of damp kitchen paper towel:

...and tie them up in a plastic bag...

 ... leave the bag in a dark-ish spot for about a month, until you see the seeds starting to produce shoots - and then plant the seeds in a seed tray, until they are big enough to transplant into the garden.

Then all it takes is patience - about three years worth LOL  The reward?


A magnificent show once a year!

Clivias love to be positioned in dappled shade, so providing you can provide that, they will reward you with colour in a darker part of your garden.  They are not terribly fussy about requiring lots of water - a sprinkling once a week is all that they need.


If anyone has any seed pods from pale apricot, or yellow clivia plants they don't want, I'd love them - please :)


What did I do with the lemons?


You'll have to wait until next time to find out...! :)

Do animals have (human) feelings...?

I am a big fan of Cesar Millan - the dog whisperer.


And I understand when he says don't try and make a human out of a dog.  Rather give it structure, balance and guidance - the same treatment it would receive in a pack.


But I wonder - do dogs (and other animals) have feelings - human feelings?  Do they love, hate, cry, mourn, delight, sulk and possibly hold a grudge?


And can they understand (human) language?

Perhaps we should be careful what we say around animals... just in case they can understand us :-)


Dogs are, after all, man's best friend - I know I've had at least 3 canine best friends in my life.  And I am richer for having known them.  I hope they felt the same.

Solar irradiation map

Definition of solar irradiation : rays which are emitted by the Sun. (www.science-dictionary.com/definition/solar-irradiation.html)


If you've ever wondered how effective a solar oven would be in your area, there is now global map available on-line.


This is the map for Southern Africa:

For other Global maps please go to: http://solargis.info/doc/71

The maps of Global horizontal irradiation (average sum 2004-2010) for Africa and Europe are available to download here. SolarGIS database is the source of solar data represented on the maps.

The maps are free for public use, their reproduction and adaptation is authorised provided the following source is acknowledged:  SolarGIS © 2011 GeoModel Solar s.r.o.


At the moment SolarGIS don't seem to have maps for the US of A, Asia or Australia/ New Zealand - perhaps you could contact them to query?  (They are based in Slovakia.)


Alternatively, from this site I found this map:

World Daily Solar Insolation Map.

This map shows the amount of solar energy

in hours, received each day on an optimally

tilted surface during the worst month of the year.

But, to give you an idea of what the first map means - we are in a 1700 - 1900 kWh/m2 area (on the second map we are in the 4.0 - 4.9 or Zone 2 range) and I have no problem reaching temperatures of 200°C (400°F) in my solar oven in summer.  Unfortunately, I am unable to give you temperatures in winter as our (town) garden only receives approximately 1½ - 2 hours of sun - right at the bottom of our garden.


On the farm - I don't know at the moment, but I should be able to tell you by the 20th July - RMan shares his birthday with Mr Mandela, and he (RMan, that is) has decided that he'd like to spend it on the farm :-)  Although Mr Mandela is very welcome too...


So, if all goes according to plan, I will be schlepping the solar oven along.  Reckon it will be a very interesting experiment.  Discovering just how much I can use the solar oven in winter will be a b-i-g plus for our off grid life...

Just a bit of fun...

Take a visit to this site and see what the effects of a 2 - 60.0 mtr sea level rise would mean for you.

http://www.quickprofiler.com/Sea_Level_Rise_Map/default.aspx

At 20.0 mtrs Table Mountain and most of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town would become an island.


At the maximum of a 60.0 mtr rise the only place we'd be O.K. would be on the farm.


Makes you think, doesn't it...?!

Moving further towards self-sufficiency

I don't drink anything with caffeine, so I drink loads and loads of Rooibos (redbush) (scientific name Aspalathus linearis) tea, as well as a glass or two of wine in an evening (and the grapes for that are already planted...)


I have decided to see if I can grow my own brew...  One of the few places rooibos is grown is in the Cedarberg Mountains in the Western Cape.  There they grow in very indifferent soil, in an area which has long, hot and dry summer periods, and the plants receive no irrigation.  The winters - well, the Cedarberg is one of the places in South Africa where snow is generally a given in winter, so I know they can take the cold.


So I have been searching for rooibos plants for the farm, to no avail.


Thankfully though, I have managed to find some Rooibos seeds. Plants - forget!  But seeds - there are loads of them available, even though each legume only produces one rooibos seed.  They were pretty steeply priced at ZAR1.50 each (US$0.22) - I bought 20 - plus postage and packaging of ZAR70.00 (US$10.41) - thus that equates to ZAR5.00 / seed!  Hope they are all viable...

Rooibos plant
Image source:
http://www.bigtreehealth.com

Only problem is they were supposed to be planted in March - reckon July is a tad too late.  But, being impatient, I am going to try and plant a few and see what happens.  What's the worst that can happen - they don't germinate?  Having purchase 20 seeds I can (possibly) sacrifice 4 to the experiment.

Rooibos farm
Image source:
http://www.kapstadt.org

They require sandy soil - and will happily grow in nutrient poor conditions.  So I will have to get a load of sand in (for my clay ground), dig some deep holes, fill them with the sand, adding just a bit of compost, and then plant my (hopefully) soon-to-be sprouting seedlings.  Ah, that means another visit from the digger / loader - we've got lots we need him to do, so that will be good :-)


Rooibos is very beneficial for the body.


"It contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and sodium, as well as trace elements - copper and manganese - as well as fluoride.


Rooibos is particularly rich in flavonoids, and laboratory studies have shown that the antioxidant activity of Rooibos is similar to that of black and green tea.

Rooibos has also been shown to slow down skin cancer, inhibit the development of liver cancer and combat cancer of the oesophagus.  It is also recommended as a treatment for respiratory disease and helps protect against liver disease."(The above information is taken from: http://www.rooibosltd.co.za/research/index.html and http://www.rooibossa.co.za/fact-file.html)


It has quite a distinct flavour - a sort of slightly aromatic, sweetish sensation in the mouth and it produces a reddy-brown cup of tea, as opposed to the greyish colour of a ceylon brew.  It is an acquired taste.


It can be enjoyed hot or cold, with milk and sugar, black with or without sugar, or black with a slice of lemon and honey to taste.


If this experiment should fail, then I will try and get hold of a few Honeybush plants (scientific name cyclopia genistoides, cyclopia subternata or cyclopia intermedia) which are grown in, and along, the coastal district near us.  Guess it's always wiser to go with what is indigenous to your specific area...

Cyclopia genistoides

is found on sandy soils of the coastal areas from

Yzerfontein near Darling on the West Coast,

southwards to the Cape Peninsula and

from there eastwards to Gouriqua close to the 

mouth of the Gouritz river.  In the Cape Peninsula,

however, this species is sometimes also

found in mountainous areas

Image source:
http://www.arc.agric.za

Honeybush is also used to make tea - not quite as aromatic as Rooibos, but a healthy tea, none the less.

Cyclopia subternata

is found in milder micro-climatic conditions

when compared to C. intermedia.  It is found

in relatively large numbers in the Tsitsikamma

and in the Langkloof and in various localities

on the southern slopes in the Outeniqua

and Langeberg mountains.

Image source:http://www.arc.agric.za

Cyclopia intermedia
is found over a wide area from near
Thornhill in the Eastern Cape westwards in
mountainous areas to at least near
Robertson in the Western Cape
Image source:
http://www.arc.agric.za

Both the visual and the colours of these pea-like flowers on this honeybush plant strengthen my resolve to grow only useful plants in my garden.


Why waste precious resources (soil nutrients, water, etc) on purely ornamental plants?  If one can also benefit nutritionally, then bring them on...!

For more information on the Honeybush please go to:


http://www.arc.agric.za/ or
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cyclopiagenistoides.htm and http://www.capehoneybushtea.co.za/processing.htm 


Now, all I have to sort out is RMan's coffee...

Preparation...?

How do you feel about even contemplating the possibility of a worst case scenario? Be that a natural disaster, a cataclysmic event or an unforseen family / personal calamity. 


How do you feel about preparing for worst case scenario's?


We are all aware of the state of the worlds' economy.  And, I think by now, we are all aware than this situation is going to linger - longer.


So - I'm wondering how you are all fairing?  Do you have stock of dry goods?  Do you have stock of tinned goods?  Are they helping you to get through the current tough times?


Are you, in the Northern hemisphere, preparing to preserve your surplus from your vegetable gardens in the weeks / months ahead?


Have you ever preserved before?  I know I hadn't - until last season. But, LOL, Lynda Brown was all the impetus I needed.

I loved the experience - and the stock in my pantry at the end of the season.


Each container of goods, be they dry, tinned or bottled, that you have in your home / pantry, will help you through your tough times.


I am a firm believer in stocking up, whenever possible and /or affordable.  So I am always on the lookout for reduced prices in those "long life" items.  But I also ensure that the "sell-by-date" on those items is sufficient for me to happily make use of them in the future. Not that dry goods can "turn" - guess the worst that can happen is the infestation of weevils.  (For that, try adding a sprig of bay leaves to your container - and refresh the sprig every few months.)

Re-using empty plastic jars to store some
of my bulk dry goods

I should have been a Brownie, or a Girl Guide - isn't their motto: "Be Prepared"?  Or is that the motto of Cubs / Boy Scouts?  Whatever.  My parents couldn't afford for me to belong to either club when I was a child - little did they know that I would absorb important information from those who did.


Or is it my Scottish / English heritage which has reared it's head as I grew older?  I don't know.  All I do know is that I am forever squirreling away whatever I can, for a "just in case" scenario.


It's the same with a bar of chocolate.  If I have a bar of chocolate I will eat a few pieces, and put the rest away for another day, when I can enjoy it all over again.  I "stretch out" my enjoyment, as opposed to fulfilling a "gotta have it all now" lifestyle.


Guess that could be the key to "having" when the times get tough.  Leaving some of what you have for another day.  Don't just live for today - spare tomorrow a thought too.


I fear for the youngsters of today, for they seem, in general, to be, a "gotta have it - now!" generation.  Especially when it comes to the latest technology / gadget / designer label item.  I wonder, in fact, how many of them even contemplate tomorrow?  And I wonder if they ever give any thought what their basic requirements may be tomorrow...?


If they have grown up in a household where bulk storage / home preserving takes place, then they will be better equipped / prepared that their peers.  Purely through example.  Nobody is too old to learn.  Look at me - I'm a prime example. LOL 

My first attempt at home preserving -
pears, jam and pickled vegetables :-)

If like me, you get to preserving a little later in life, the lesson will still be taken on board by your younger generation - especially if they can eat / taste the benefit of your hard work.


So, if you're not buying dry goods in bulk when they are on special - try it.  It's very comforting to have that back-up when times are tough.


It is also encouraging when you realize that, through generating your own stores, you are:


1 invariably re-using your glass jars - or only having to replace their lids;
2 saving on using unnecessary fuel / reducing the amount of CO2 being expelled into the atmosphere, because you're not rushing to the local store whenever you run out;
3 reducing what goes to endless (or are they??) landfill sites;
4 enjoying the fruits of your labours :-)
5 And, finally, if you have a solar oven, you can preserve your produce without using any power from the grid...


You gotta love it... :-)