As we are having some wonderful warm weather at the moment, and the herbs are growing like mad and its forecast to stay that way for a while… around 25 degrees or more… lucky us. I’m going to crack on and get our summer supply of skin salves made and into jars.
Now Rick always gets bitten badly during summer, I’m not always sympathetic as it doesn’t seem to happen to me much, but he does suffer badly at times… anything within a mile seems to make a beeline for him and have a chew…
We’ve always struggled with anti bug stuff… its extremely toxic stuff, which may be okay if you are only wearing it on the odd occasion on holiday … but for people like Rick who has to wear it every day for about 7-8 months of the year while he works on the land… its just too harsh, it burns the skin and you get very sore in all kinds of places…
So this year I’ve made him some homemade salve and he loves it… I’m lucky enough to have found a good source of beeswax at last (our local honey man gives me the odd sheet for free when we buy his honey…) and some kind guests brought a bottle of Citronella essential oil and I warm up some olive oil, and a few small pieces of the wax, drop in some essential oil and stir, take it off the heat, pour into sterile warm jars and leave to set… I’ve also made some with Rosemary oil in, just olive oil I put plenty of Rosemary springs in and left in a warm place for a month to steep… he thinks the Rosemary and citronella is best…
He’s been wearing it for a couple of weeks now during all our planting… and yes he has the odd bite, they will always find a way or a place you missed … but generally its working very well and the olive oil is great for the skin… it doesn’t wash of so quickly when you sweat either…
So I am getting ready to make the skin lotion we use too, spending so much time out in the sun and wind we get here, our skins get very dry, so again we don’t want to use shop bought stuff when Mother Nature gives us the perfect cure for free…
My Calendula salve works very well and feels lovely on the skin. I pick tons of Marigold heads, put in a large jar, cover with olive oil, or veggie oil if that’s what you like, and leave it to steep in a warm place for a month… mines in the seed house at the moment… then strain, and warm gently, add a few small pieces of beeswax and put into warm jars and leave to set… that’s all there is too it… we put it on every night after we come indoors from working it soothes, and moisturises, and nourishes the skin. I also make a similar one with plantain leaves, not the banana type stuff… weeds from the garden… look it up…
I make a really effective skin salve for cuts, scrapes, sores etc from a mixture of plantain leaves, comfrey and lemon balm … all steeped together in oil and made as above… it makes a great lip balm too. Lemon Balm is a’ must have’ if you suffer from cold sores, as it has a compound in that combats them very quickly…
During the high summer when we have the fridge on, I also make plantain liquid mulch stuff, and put in a jar in the fridge, as it’s excellent soothing mulch for sunburn. We often get guests who over do the sun and need a quick ready soother… this is perfect.
Just pick tons of plantain, it’s a garden weed and grows everywhere freely, mulch it up in the blender or if like me you don’t like to use one, I mash it with the pestle and mortar… put in a jar and keep cool, it only keeps a couple of days but its free so making more isn’t a problem…
Frugal living in the Portuguese countryside,Eco-tourism, Agri tourism, recipes,family life, self sufficency, eco living, vegetable growing, tips and self help ideas for country living.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Washing Powder…. It stinks!
I don’t know quite what’s going on with the washing powder manufacturers lately, but I’m having real serious problems with their products. Not that I actually use them much, ages ago, I decided I didn’t really like the chemically smell of most perfumed washing powders. I’ve tried all the home made remedies, soda, vinegar etc. and while they don’t do a bad job and if I ran out I’d use them, I have settled on a washing liquid I can buy locally, it’s a very, very cheapy brand, so yes probably full of chemicals, but it has a very low level smell, and I only use about a third of what they tell you to put in, and I get a good result… for a fraction of the cost. And once it’s been out on the line to dry, all the smell you get from the washing is a nice clean air smell…
The trouble I’m having is other people’s laundry….
When I’m in the Internet space, or a café. The smell from other peoples washing powder is so strong I find my nose burning, and I often get a headache… It’s so overpowering. I find this sometimes with our guests too. I just have to stand next to people in the street and its terrible…
It only seems to have got this bad over the last year or maybe a little less…
What the hell are they putting in this stuff? Are people over doing it? Using too much?
It’s no wonder that more and more children are growing up struggling with asthma and all kinds of skin allergies and problems…
Its not air pollution outside the home we should be looking at… it’s the toxicity of the home environment…
Just think… the normal average housewife with kids… uses… washing powder, softener, maybe air freshner… all those toxic plug in things they keep pushing on the TV, … tons of cleaning products, bleach, surface cleaners, window cleaners… polish, etc etc. the list goes on and on… the air in some homes must be so full of chemicals its lethal.
Couple that with, double glazing, central heating, insulation… so no fresh air gets in … wow… what are we doing to those children and ourselves… I think the stronger the smell the more toxic it must be… why do women think that washing has to smell strongly of the washing powder to be clean…
I read an article the other week about the recommended dosage labels on powders…
Companies advertise on the box that that size box does ‘X’ amount of washes, on the back or the side they give you the recommended amounts to use for a wash… and it rarely adds up… if you actually use as much as they tell you to… you’ll never get your ‘X’ amount of washes…
I have a friend who uses the strong washing powders, but puts two tablespoons in per wash load… yep, that all… and she gets a perfectly good clean wash…
Are they conning housewives… does anyone really care… or is it just my nose that suffers….
The trouble I’m having is other people’s laundry….
When I’m in the Internet space, or a café. The smell from other peoples washing powder is so strong I find my nose burning, and I often get a headache… It’s so overpowering. I find this sometimes with our guests too. I just have to stand next to people in the street and its terrible…
It only seems to have got this bad over the last year or maybe a little less…
What the hell are they putting in this stuff? Are people over doing it? Using too much?
It’s no wonder that more and more children are growing up struggling with asthma and all kinds of skin allergies and problems…
Its not air pollution outside the home we should be looking at… it’s the toxicity of the home environment…
Just think… the normal average housewife with kids… uses… washing powder, softener, maybe air freshner… all those toxic plug in things they keep pushing on the TV, … tons of cleaning products, bleach, surface cleaners, window cleaners… polish, etc etc. the list goes on and on… the air in some homes must be so full of chemicals its lethal.
Couple that with, double glazing, central heating, insulation… so no fresh air gets in … wow… what are we doing to those children and ourselves… I think the stronger the smell the more toxic it must be… why do women think that washing has to smell strongly of the washing powder to be clean…
I read an article the other week about the recommended dosage labels on powders…
Companies advertise on the box that that size box does ‘X’ amount of washes, on the back or the side they give you the recommended amounts to use for a wash… and it rarely adds up… if you actually use as much as they tell you to… you’ll never get your ‘X’ amount of washes…
I have a friend who uses the strong washing powders, but puts two tablespoons in per wash load… yep, that all… and she gets a perfectly good clean wash…
Are they conning housewives… does anyone really care… or is it just my nose that suffers….
Monday, 4 April 2011
Planting.... nearly done ..
Well we've really worked at it and managed to get the bulk of it done... I still need a few more beetroot, another packet of Basil and Im hoping a friend will arrive from Uk in a week or so, bearing gifts of Parsnip seeds.
We've now got in, all the beans, four different kinds, we eat them in so many ways, as green pods, normal french beans, the portuguese green beans and those we also leave to swell and pod them, and freeze them , I then leave them longer and dry them, I do this with the runner types too... I have Borlotti beans for freezing and drying, and I have Broad beans podding up nicely too... and now the climbing yellow waxy pods that are a heritage variety, which I have high hopes of a big crop...
Peas... a quarter of the main area is now down to peas... and I know it wont be enough... Carrots... two different kinds, Nantes and a bigger tougher one Im hoping will store better... a huge area of those too...
Red cabbage, green cabbage, caulis, broccs, spinach, three large areas of sweetcorn now, Two rows of basil right across the whole width of the garden, two rows of coriander and a large patch of Parsley, lettuce seedlings coming up all over...
In the little seed house, yesterday popped up a Kuchi chiri.. Im sure thats spelt completely wrong.. it joins my Okra as being an early bird coming up... hopefully now as we are forcast a couple of weeks of 24/5º weather , they'll all be up and growing well. Im really hoping on the melons this season... we had a handful last year but only small Galia and this time Im trying the more prolific white Portuguese type...
And about 5 different types of winter squash...
Add all that to the aubergines, courgettes, peppers and three kinds of tomatoes... plus all those damn spuds... and I dont think we'll starve this winter...
Im so looking forward to the whole growing, picking, preserving , drying time this year, last year was so overshadowed by Dad's illness and death that it seemed that I missed it all out... it just didnt register...
This year is a whole new ballgame though...
We've now got in, all the beans, four different kinds, we eat them in so many ways, as green pods, normal french beans, the portuguese green beans and those we also leave to swell and pod them, and freeze them , I then leave them longer and dry them, I do this with the runner types too... I have Borlotti beans for freezing and drying, and I have Broad beans podding up nicely too... and now the climbing yellow waxy pods that are a heritage variety, which I have high hopes of a big crop...
Peas... a quarter of the main area is now down to peas... and I know it wont be enough... Carrots... two different kinds, Nantes and a bigger tougher one Im hoping will store better... a huge area of those too...
Red cabbage, green cabbage, caulis, broccs, spinach, three large areas of sweetcorn now, Two rows of basil right across the whole width of the garden, two rows of coriander and a large patch of Parsley, lettuce seedlings coming up all over...
In the little seed house, yesterday popped up a Kuchi chiri.. Im sure thats spelt completely wrong.. it joins my Okra as being an early bird coming up... hopefully now as we are forcast a couple of weeks of 24/5º weather , they'll all be up and growing well. Im really hoping on the melons this season... we had a handful last year but only small Galia and this time Im trying the more prolific white Portuguese type...
And about 5 different types of winter squash...
Add all that to the aubergines, courgettes, peppers and three kinds of tomatoes... plus all those damn spuds... and I dont think we'll starve this winter...
Im so looking forward to the whole growing, picking, preserving , drying time this year, last year was so overshadowed by Dad's illness and death that it seemed that I missed it all out... it just didnt register...
This year is a whole new ballgame though...
Friday, 1 April 2011
Potato Potato Potato
Potato Potato Potato…
Well we are now calling the back garden, which is a terrace roughly 90ft by 15 ish… the Harley Davidson Garden… cos its full of potatoes… I keep wandering round it going Potato Potato Potato…, which is a joke only people who are into motorcycles may understand…
It’s taken us three days to plant the huge boxes our lovely neighbour arrived with, completely free the other day. Poor Rick, his back and arms are really suffering from digging all those trenches. But it will be worth it come summer when they feed us for months…
And just when Rick thought there was light at the end of the tunnel…when it came to planting, there was our neighbour again today… with another box of seed potatoes…
Last year he gave us two large boxes, we are not sure where they come from as he is quite elderly, disabled and doesn’t grow any veggies at all nowadays, he says he’s too old. He used to breed pigs, so has contacts within that area and I suspect they are actually pig food potatoes…
We really don’t care, they grew and were delicious last year and this year we have tons more…
Obviously we gave him a couple of sacks, and also kept him supplied with fresh veggies all summer and autumn and he is more than happy with the arrangement, and keeps leaving a bottle of Port or the odd cheese on our step… He called in tonight, again with wine and cheese, stayed for a drink and some soup and left. Lovely man. Nearly always part drunk, but lovely.
Today we spent the morning planting again, Rick bless him was up and rototilling at the crack of dawn, before even I was up, so we could get all the bean poles up and all my beans planted before lunchtime. So we have now, tons of broad beans podding up nicely down the orchard, and today we put in, a long double row of runner beans and climbing waxy pods, that the lovely Minxy sent mew when I said on here that my beans had been munched by bugs,
Also planted this morning, were French beans, Portuguese green beans, a bit like a dwarf runner, and some Borlotti beans again a present from Minxy… (Thanks again mate)
This afternoon we spent a couple of hours planting peas… lots of peas, although we always plant tons, there is never enough, Rick loves peas…. I also managed to find a spare corner for some corn, as we have three lots this year, but one lot has to be kept separate, in case of cross pollination. The rest will go in the Harley Davidson Garden along with the tomatoes…. just about…
Tomorrow, after market, I plan to clean the cottage ready for new guests, while Rick puts up more beanpoles, then we’ll plant the final beans. A huge block of carrots, a block of beets, a block of Spinach, three rows of Basil, two of Parsley, two of Coriander, and we have some more cabbage, caulis and broccs ready for planting out too…
Then I have to cook a three-course meal for our new guests… I think I will sleep well tomorrow night…
The rest which is tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, squashes, melons, chillis etc wont go in for at least a couple of weeks yet. I have some Okra just starting to pop up in pots in my new little seed house but again they wont be ready for outside for a couple of weeks yet…
Our strawberry bed looks good, I don’t really expect much this season, but as long as they thrive and establish themselves, I’ll be happy, my blackcurrant cuttings (all 60) of them seem to be going well.. What I’ll do with them all Im not sure yet….
Well we are now calling the back garden, which is a terrace roughly 90ft by 15 ish… the Harley Davidson Garden… cos its full of potatoes… I keep wandering round it going Potato Potato Potato…, which is a joke only people who are into motorcycles may understand…
It’s taken us three days to plant the huge boxes our lovely neighbour arrived with, completely free the other day. Poor Rick, his back and arms are really suffering from digging all those trenches. But it will be worth it come summer when they feed us for months…
And just when Rick thought there was light at the end of the tunnel…when it came to planting, there was our neighbour again today… with another box of seed potatoes…
Last year he gave us two large boxes, we are not sure where they come from as he is quite elderly, disabled and doesn’t grow any veggies at all nowadays, he says he’s too old. He used to breed pigs, so has contacts within that area and I suspect they are actually pig food potatoes…
We really don’t care, they grew and were delicious last year and this year we have tons more…
Obviously we gave him a couple of sacks, and also kept him supplied with fresh veggies all summer and autumn and he is more than happy with the arrangement, and keeps leaving a bottle of Port or the odd cheese on our step… He called in tonight, again with wine and cheese, stayed for a drink and some soup and left. Lovely man. Nearly always part drunk, but lovely.
Today we spent the morning planting again, Rick bless him was up and rototilling at the crack of dawn, before even I was up, so we could get all the bean poles up and all my beans planted before lunchtime. So we have now, tons of broad beans podding up nicely down the orchard, and today we put in, a long double row of runner beans and climbing waxy pods, that the lovely Minxy sent mew when I said on here that my beans had been munched by bugs,
Also planted this morning, were French beans, Portuguese green beans, a bit like a dwarf runner, and some Borlotti beans again a present from Minxy… (Thanks again mate)
This afternoon we spent a couple of hours planting peas… lots of peas, although we always plant tons, there is never enough, Rick loves peas…. I also managed to find a spare corner for some corn, as we have three lots this year, but one lot has to be kept separate, in case of cross pollination. The rest will go in the Harley Davidson Garden along with the tomatoes…. just about…
Tomorrow, after market, I plan to clean the cottage ready for new guests, while Rick puts up more beanpoles, then we’ll plant the final beans. A huge block of carrots, a block of beets, a block of Spinach, three rows of Basil, two of Parsley, two of Coriander, and we have some more cabbage, caulis and broccs ready for planting out too…
Then I have to cook a three-course meal for our new guests… I think I will sleep well tomorrow night…
The rest which is tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, squashes, melons, chillis etc wont go in for at least a couple of weeks yet. I have some Okra just starting to pop up in pots in my new little seed house but again they wont be ready for outside for a couple of weeks yet…
Our strawberry bed looks good, I don’t really expect much this season, but as long as they thrive and establish themselves, I’ll be happy, my blackcurrant cuttings (all 60) of them seem to be going well.. What I’ll do with them all Im not sure yet….
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