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.
Monday, 31 August 2009
Contentment
I was reading a post on a blog the other day, dont ask me which one, I seem to pop in on so many lately, and the theme was life changing moments.
It set me to thinking, something we have time for now we live here. What is the most important thing I have since coming to Portugal... well I cant say one thing above many, but one thats way way up there on the list is contentment. When you consider we have, in material means , many times less than we ever had in our lives, less money, less stuff (I dislike stuff) as in belongings, no tv, radio or home computer, few really of modern day 'things'. We've downsized our complete lives, but in so many other ways our lives are richer and more fullfilled then I ever dreamed they would be.
We effectively ´'got off´ the whole bandwagon, well as much as possible anyway, we've tried to take our pleasure and enjoyment in different ways, we look back to a simpler lifestyle where work wasnt a dirty word that everyone hoped to avoid. So much time in the UK was and is spent trying to avoid work, disliking work, inventing and buying 'labour saving devices' , whats actually wrong with a bit of hard work.... nothing really. providing that work is something you enjoy, something you feel is productive and relevant. We are lucky now, ours is...
We work harder here than ever before, but I have come to enjoy it, I like to look at the wood pile we've created, I know we'll be warm this winter.
I hope this isnt to much of a ramble... Im trying to make my thoughts coherent..
I think what Im trying to say is ... we look at things differently now, before I tried to fit so much into one day, everything was rushed and stressfull, now I try to just do my best at whatever Im doing, I enjoy cooking, so all our food is homemade, homegrown, and fresh. I mend our clothes rather than buy new, we try to simplify everything we can, including our attitudes to life and people . We dont crave what we know we'll never have, we are content with what we have, our house is still a semi ruin, it wll effectively take us the rest of our lives to finish, but thats not a problem.
We can enjoy our time, feel the glow of satisfaction of a job well done, enjoy the simple things like the swallows flying above the house in such intricate patterns, the Eagles calling to each other across the valley, the smell of the forest early in the morning, picking and eating our food fresher than ever... so many things we have.... such richness of life... we are blessed...
It set me to thinking, something we have time for now we live here. What is the most important thing I have since coming to Portugal... well I cant say one thing above many, but one thats way way up there on the list is contentment. When you consider we have, in material means , many times less than we ever had in our lives, less money, less stuff (I dislike stuff) as in belongings, no tv, radio or home computer, few really of modern day 'things'. We've downsized our complete lives, but in so many other ways our lives are richer and more fullfilled then I ever dreamed they would be.
We effectively ´'got off´ the whole bandwagon, well as much as possible anyway, we've tried to take our pleasure and enjoyment in different ways, we look back to a simpler lifestyle where work wasnt a dirty word that everyone hoped to avoid. So much time in the UK was and is spent trying to avoid work, disliking work, inventing and buying 'labour saving devices' , whats actually wrong with a bit of hard work.... nothing really. providing that work is something you enjoy, something you feel is productive and relevant. We are lucky now, ours is...
We work harder here than ever before, but I have come to enjoy it, I like to look at the wood pile we've created, I know we'll be warm this winter.
I hope this isnt to much of a ramble... Im trying to make my thoughts coherent..
I think what Im trying to say is ... we look at things differently now, before I tried to fit so much into one day, everything was rushed and stressfull, now I try to just do my best at whatever Im doing, I enjoy cooking, so all our food is homemade, homegrown, and fresh. I mend our clothes rather than buy new, we try to simplify everything we can, including our attitudes to life and people . We dont crave what we know we'll never have, we are content with what we have, our house is still a semi ruin, it wll effectively take us the rest of our lives to finish, but thats not a problem.
We can enjoy our time, feel the glow of satisfaction of a job well done, enjoy the simple things like the swallows flying above the house in such intricate patterns, the Eagles calling to each other across the valley, the smell of the forest early in the morning, picking and eating our food fresher than ever... so many things we have.... such richness of life... we are blessed...
Friday, 28 August 2009
Olive oil....
Here we are, this was last years crop, we were lucky and had a huge crop, but its not so good this year but we are hoping for enough to see us through if im careful...
Hey hey..
It works, how good is that!! Yes I know, Ive been very dim about it but never mind, all done now, wow Im gonna be sticking pics in all over the place now.
Not much to say today really that I didnt say the other day, we are still sorting logs, still picking toms... I planted winter cabbage and the bloody rabbts ate half of them.... nothing new really. The little sods... Im going to let the hunters shoot them on our land this winter if they dont buck up their ideas... buck... hmmmm joke?
I think Im going to search back through our pics and try to find some of our olives being pressed traditionally last year.. I really wanted to show everyone how good it was but didnt know how. Maybe I'll go and try now...
Not much to say today really that I didnt say the other day, we are still sorting logs, still picking toms... I planted winter cabbage and the bloody rabbts ate half of them.... nothing new really. The little sods... Im going to let the hunters shoot them on our land this winter if they dont buck up their ideas... buck... hmmmm joke?
I think Im going to search back through our pics and try to find some of our olives being pressed traditionally last year.. I really wanted to show everyone how good it was but didnt know how. Maybe I'll go and try now...
Oooh pics.
Right, as Alice has kindly showed me how dim Ive been in doing the piccy thing all wrong, hopefully this should work and there will be two new pics level with this text, one is of the area outside Mara's Cottage and one a local Schisto village by night.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Pics
Ive added another couple of pics, I want them level with the text but it doesnt seem to want to do that... Im off for another fiddle about with this thing..
Pat
Pat
Working picking, working picking...
Thats all the days seem to be about this week, we've been madly working on the log pile for winter, we need an incredable amount of wood to keep me warm... well I didnt come all the way to Portugal to be bloody cold.. I can do that in Wales.
As we have guests arriving at the end of the week we needed to get at least the noisy bit done, the chainsawing and chop sawing bit... then rik splits it and I stack it... so far we've the barn almost half full... its a damn big barn!!! But we will have 2 if not 3 fires to keep stoked all winter. Plus the range to keep full up too... but its free...elbow grease costs nothing...
When Im not sawing and stacking or dragging it home as logs I'm picking veg and freeezing it... mind you the freezer is so jam packed Im not sure where much more will go...
At least all the squashes, pumpkins and spaggetti pumpkins will store well in the barn. We have loads!! Its the tomatoes Im having a problem with, Ive frozen tons, made passata, made pasta sauce (in jars) we've eaten them every day, plus had soup for lunch most days too... and still they come... Ive given tons away too. All in all we must have had around 40 kilos.... and the cherry toms are just starting now.... phew....Im not complaining though, and the aubergines are doing well , plus still loads of peppers coming, Im picking a few blackberries but again, having trouble finding space... we've done well with fruit this year, it seems everyone has a good year with plums as we've been given a lot...peaches are looking good too , just a bit more sunshine...
Its cooled down a little the last few days, its lovely, a good fresh breeze at night so we are getting some decent sleep... the forcast says we're in for 34degrees over the weekend though....
As we have guests arriving at the end of the week we needed to get at least the noisy bit done, the chainsawing and chop sawing bit... then rik splits it and I stack it... so far we've the barn almost half full... its a damn big barn!!! But we will have 2 if not 3 fires to keep stoked all winter. Plus the range to keep full up too... but its free...elbow grease costs nothing...
When Im not sawing and stacking or dragging it home as logs I'm picking veg and freeezing it... mind you the freezer is so jam packed Im not sure where much more will go...
At least all the squashes, pumpkins and spaggetti pumpkins will store well in the barn. We have loads!! Its the tomatoes Im having a problem with, Ive frozen tons, made passata, made pasta sauce (in jars) we've eaten them every day, plus had soup for lunch most days too... and still they come... Ive given tons away too. All in all we must have had around 40 kilos.... and the cherry toms are just starting now.... phew....Im not complaining though, and the aubergines are doing well , plus still loads of peppers coming, Im picking a few blackberries but again, having trouble finding space... we've done well with fruit this year, it seems everyone has a good year with plums as we've been given a lot...peaches are looking good too , just a bit more sunshine...
Its cooled down a little the last few days, its lovely, a good fresh breeze at night so we are getting some decent sleep... the forcast says we're in for 34degrees over the weekend though....
Friday, 21 August 2009
Photos!!!
Hehehehe Ive finally managed to put a couple of pics on here, its not quite where I wanted them, but hey... check out the bottom of the page for alook at the new sundeck Rik built and one of our local town...
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Frugal Living Recipe.
Bean Burgers.
I tend to make loads and freeze them , its the closes thing we have to fast food...
The amounts are basic... I also use a 2 litre jug as a measure,
Soak enough dried beans (I use a mix of borlotti and black eyes beans) to one third.... ish fill a 2 litre jug, when fully soaked this will almost fill the jug... I tend to soak over night at least!
Bring to the boil then simmer till soft.
Drain, (save the cooking water) put beans into large mixing bowl, using hand wizzer blend roughly, I leave about a third of the beans whole for texture.. add a beaten egg, a good couple of handfulls of oats, maybe more... depends how wet your mixture ends up... a couple of ounces of good strong grated cheese, a small tin of sweetcorn, a tablespoon or so of seseme seeds a medium onion finely chopped, a real big dollop of soya sauce, and chopped mixed herbs (whatever ones you like) I tend to use parsely, coriander and of course garlic... a good two or three heaped tablespoons of plain flour, at this stage if its dry add a little of cooking water, it will firm up when you leave it to cool anyway...
Leave to cool well, prepare large tray lined with greaseproof paper, put well seasoned flour into a dish, take a dollop, I use a table spoon , and roll in seasoned flour, shape with hands to desired size and put on baking tray , fill tray with as many as poss, and freeze.
These can then be put into bags when solid... fry with a little olive oil and onions when needed, they only take a few mins...
¨**** I put the leftover bean cooking water into a pan, add chopped onion, chopped carrot, a stock cube, any other leftover veggies I have, A hand full of small elbow pasta, simmer till soft, and season to taste...
Veggie soup for lunch...
I tend to make loads and freeze them , its the closes thing we have to fast food...
The amounts are basic... I also use a 2 litre jug as a measure,
Soak enough dried beans (I use a mix of borlotti and black eyes beans) to one third.... ish fill a 2 litre jug, when fully soaked this will almost fill the jug... I tend to soak over night at least!
Bring to the boil then simmer till soft.
Drain, (save the cooking water) put beans into large mixing bowl, using hand wizzer blend roughly, I leave about a third of the beans whole for texture.. add a beaten egg, a good couple of handfulls of oats, maybe more... depends how wet your mixture ends up... a couple of ounces of good strong grated cheese, a small tin of sweetcorn, a tablespoon or so of seseme seeds a medium onion finely chopped, a real big dollop of soya sauce, and chopped mixed herbs (whatever ones you like) I tend to use parsely, coriander and of course garlic... a good two or three heaped tablespoons of plain flour, at this stage if its dry add a little of cooking water, it will firm up when you leave it to cool anyway...
Leave to cool well, prepare large tray lined with greaseproof paper, put well seasoned flour into a dish, take a dollop, I use a table spoon , and roll in seasoned flour, shape with hands to desired size and put on baking tray , fill tray with as many as poss, and freeze.
These can then be put into bags when solid... fry with a little olive oil and onions when needed, they only take a few mins...
¨**** I put the leftover bean cooking water into a pan, add chopped onion, chopped carrot, a stock cube, any other leftover veggies I have, A hand full of small elbow pasta, simmer till soft, and season to taste...
Veggie soup for lunch...
Friday, 14 August 2009
Frugal Living Recipe.
Chickpea and Veggie .... sort of stew thingy...
Sorry but all the amounts are quite vague as Im not a very precise cook, a handful of this, a dollop of that...
I have a litre jug and use that to soak dried beans etc...for Rik n me I'd soak only a coffee mug of dried chickpeas, when soaked they'll swell to about half a jugfull, which is plenty.
So...
Chickpeas, as above.
3-4 big toms sliced
3-4 small green peppers (I pick mine about the size of an orange) chopped.
1 big onion, 2 if you like...chopped
A couple of small aubergines or 1 large.. diced.
a good big handfull of sliced green beans...
I used a chunk of cauliflower I had left over too,
A good half teaspoon thyme.
chopped parsley.... to taste.
A good dollop of homemade passata..
A good dollop of olive oil.
Hot pepper sauce to your taste... optional...
Veg stock cube.
Soak and cook chickpeas... (boil for a few mins then simmer till soft... add a bay leaf and herbs but not salt or they'll be tought)
Meanwhile, in a heavey bottomed pan , fry off in olive oil, onions, toms, aubergines... add thyme,and parsley... simmer till all soft and melded together... add a dash of water , crumble in stock cube... add rest of veggies and simmer till soft and fragrant... add passata and hot sauce to your taste... (some may want to add a sprinkle of sugar if toms were not very sweet) Add chickpeas and cook for a few mins to let them absorb the flavours...
Serve with boiled rice.
Sorry but all the amounts are quite vague as Im not a very precise cook, a handful of this, a dollop of that...
I have a litre jug and use that to soak dried beans etc...for Rik n me I'd soak only a coffee mug of dried chickpeas, when soaked they'll swell to about half a jugfull, which is plenty.
So...
Chickpeas, as above.
3-4 big toms sliced
3-4 small green peppers (I pick mine about the size of an orange) chopped.
1 big onion, 2 if you like...chopped
A couple of small aubergines or 1 large.. diced.
a good big handfull of sliced green beans...
I used a chunk of cauliflower I had left over too,
A good half teaspoon thyme.
chopped parsley.... to taste.
A good dollop of homemade passata..
A good dollop of olive oil.
Hot pepper sauce to your taste... optional...
Veg stock cube.
Soak and cook chickpeas... (boil for a few mins then simmer till soft... add a bay leaf and herbs but not salt or they'll be tought)
Meanwhile, in a heavey bottomed pan , fry off in olive oil, onions, toms, aubergines... add thyme,and parsley... simmer till all soft and melded together... add a dash of water , crumble in stock cube... add rest of veggies and simmer till soft and fragrant... add passata and hot sauce to your taste... (some may want to add a sprinkle of sugar if toms were not very sweet) Add chickpeas and cook for a few mins to let them absorb the flavours...
Serve with boiled rice.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Frugal Living Menus
Ive had a few people get in touch regarding food, a lot of people in the UK are trying the 'living on a fiver' or £1 pppday type of thing, the way we live all the time... Ive had enquiries for some menu plans so here is a weeks worth...
Please try to remember, we grow all our own veg, we cook on a log fired range (so its free) and I dont have to go out to work all day so meals can be labour intensive and it doesnt matter... your lifestyle may well be very different!
Day 1. B-fast -
Porridge made with half milk half water (dont tell Rik that) plus half a chopped apple and maybe cinnamon if I have some.
Lunch. Either homemade soda bread and marmite if we have it, or quite often homemade soup, (dried beans, left over veggies)
Dinner. Soya spaggetti Bol. (soya granules, aubergines, onions, toms, peppers, sliced green beans if I have them.. double portion made as used for tomorrow too)
Slice of white melon (portuguese melon 30 cents a kilo at the mo!)
Day 2. Toasted soda bread , or yogurt and an apple, (Ive found a local shop that sells 16 yoghurts for E1.75 !
lunch. leftover yesterdays soup, and fresh bread.
Dinner. Lasagne (made with soya and sauce from yesterday,) tomato & onion salad, and fruit parcels. (apple, blackberries, sultanas , dusted with cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey in foil sealed and put on the range for a few mins while we eat dinner) mmmmnn yum.
Day 3. B-fast. Boiled agg toast or yoghurt and apple.
Lunch Home made tomato and pepper soup, fresh soda bread. - slice of melon.
Dinner. Homemade beanburgers (I make 30-40 at a time and freeze them costs pennies) potatoes, cabbage, green beans and carrots. (cook extra veg for tommorrow)
Day 4. Toast and honey.
lunch. Bubble and squeak plus an egg ...
Dinner. Chickpea and veggie stew with rice. Melon, or blackberry crumble..
Day 5, Porridge.
lunch. Tomato sandwiches, with homemade soda bread, olives,
Dinner. Roasted veggies n eggs. (potatoes, courgette, aubergines, baby onions, butternut squash, toms, carrots)
Phew.... I think that'll do for now.... I'll try to post some recipes for these soon...
Please try to remember, we grow all our own veg, we cook on a log fired range (so its free) and I dont have to go out to work all day so meals can be labour intensive and it doesnt matter... your lifestyle may well be very different!
Day 1. B-fast -
Porridge made with half milk half water (dont tell Rik that) plus half a chopped apple and maybe cinnamon if I have some.
Lunch. Either homemade soda bread and marmite if we have it, or quite often homemade soup, (dried beans, left over veggies)
Dinner. Soya spaggetti Bol. (soya granules, aubergines, onions, toms, peppers, sliced green beans if I have them.. double portion made as used for tomorrow too)
Slice of white melon (portuguese melon 30 cents a kilo at the mo!)
Day 2. Toasted soda bread , or yogurt and an apple, (Ive found a local shop that sells 16 yoghurts for E1.75 !
lunch. leftover yesterdays soup, and fresh bread.
Dinner. Lasagne (made with soya and sauce from yesterday,) tomato & onion salad, and fruit parcels. (apple, blackberries, sultanas , dusted with cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey in foil sealed and put on the range for a few mins while we eat dinner) mmmmnn yum.
Day 3. B-fast. Boiled agg toast or yoghurt and apple.
Lunch Home made tomato and pepper soup, fresh soda bread. - slice of melon.
Dinner. Homemade beanburgers (I make 30-40 at a time and freeze them costs pennies) potatoes, cabbage, green beans and carrots. (cook extra veg for tommorrow)
Day 4. Toast and honey.
lunch. Bubble and squeak plus an egg ...
Dinner. Chickpea and veggie stew with rice. Melon, or blackberry crumble..
Day 5, Porridge.
lunch. Tomato sandwiches, with homemade soda bread, olives,
Dinner. Roasted veggies n eggs. (potatoes, courgette, aubergines, baby onions, butternut squash, toms, carrots)
Phew.... I think that'll do for now.... I'll try to post some recipes for these soon...
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
August update...
Wow has it been that long since I did this... I just dont know where the days go.. Well 2nd week in August and its hot....bloody hot.. when I say hot I mean over 100degrees at our place... thank God we have the pool, its only an above ground one and not a flash built in job but boy is it heaven in this weather... there's nothing like it..
The trouble with this weather is that its just too hot to get anything done... we do try to get up early and accomplish something in the cool of the early morning, but the last couple of days its just not been possible as we've been awake most of the night (too hot to sleep) so we tend to sleep late in the morning , well late for us is 8 o clock...Our problem is a uninsulated roof... half of our placew still is just tiles, you look straight up to the tiles and there is nothing to keep us cool. Even with a ceiling in the bedroom it still gets very hot... mind you I do think even with insulation it would still be too hot... thats just how it is, we know that and its something we cope with for the few weeks of the year its like this... part of 'Living the dream' . By the end of summer I actually long for winter and the cooler weather... but at least we know during winter that sometime the rain will stop and we'll get a fantastic summer... unlike the UK when it seem never to come...
Well the garden has gone to pot... the main area is more or less finished now, all done and in the freezer, there are still a few cabbages, brussels and a late crop of onions to come, meanwhile we work on the top area, with the toms peppers and aubergines and squashes... all are going great guns, Ive harvested 27 butternut squashes already and a 2nd flush of small ones are coming now... the toms have been fantastic, kilos and kilos... soon I'll have enough for the winter in the freezer so will be making passata and sauce etc.
we expect to be eating courgettes, peppers toms and aubergines well into oct when we get early frosts sometimes...
The freezer is jam packed with our produce as we expect winter to be tricky this year moneywise, we've had rentals in the cottage but Rik s had very little work so have next to no reserves now, Ive madly marketing our cottage and hopefully that will keep ticking over this year. We need so little money to keep going, so Im not too worried really... Ive stockpiled loads of stuff just in case though... shame you cant grow loo rolls..
We are trying to concentrate on sorting out our wood barn , we still dont have enough for the winter, its just trying to find time to fit it in...
Im making chutney and pickling tons, also set to start blackberrying, they are so late this year, trouble is not much room left in freezer now...
well thats it for now
Pat
The trouble with this weather is that its just too hot to get anything done... we do try to get up early and accomplish something in the cool of the early morning, but the last couple of days its just not been possible as we've been awake most of the night (too hot to sleep) so we tend to sleep late in the morning , well late for us is 8 o clock...Our problem is a uninsulated roof... half of our placew still is just tiles, you look straight up to the tiles and there is nothing to keep us cool. Even with a ceiling in the bedroom it still gets very hot... mind you I do think even with insulation it would still be too hot... thats just how it is, we know that and its something we cope with for the few weeks of the year its like this... part of 'Living the dream' . By the end of summer I actually long for winter and the cooler weather... but at least we know during winter that sometime the rain will stop and we'll get a fantastic summer... unlike the UK when it seem never to come...
Well the garden has gone to pot... the main area is more or less finished now, all done and in the freezer, there are still a few cabbages, brussels and a late crop of onions to come, meanwhile we work on the top area, with the toms peppers and aubergines and squashes... all are going great guns, Ive harvested 27 butternut squashes already and a 2nd flush of small ones are coming now... the toms have been fantastic, kilos and kilos... soon I'll have enough for the winter in the freezer so will be making passata and sauce etc.
we expect to be eating courgettes, peppers toms and aubergines well into oct when we get early frosts sometimes...
The freezer is jam packed with our produce as we expect winter to be tricky this year moneywise, we've had rentals in the cottage but Rik s had very little work so have next to no reserves now, Ive madly marketing our cottage and hopefully that will keep ticking over this year. We need so little money to keep going, so Im not too worried really... Ive stockpiled loads of stuff just in case though... shame you cant grow loo rolls..
We are trying to concentrate on sorting out our wood barn , we still dont have enough for the winter, its just trying to find time to fit it in...
Im making chutney and pickling tons, also set to start blackberrying, they are so late this year, trouble is not much room left in freezer now...
well thats it for now
Pat
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