Kombucha experiments

I’m not a drinker.  I’ve had one alcoholic drink in the last four or five years (a post-defence party Tom Collins). I can’t stand the taste of beer or wine, and don’t much like spirits in general.  Given this aversion to alcohol, I’ve pretty much missed out on the ever-popular homebrew school of sustainability.  As interested as I am in artisanal crafts and sustainable practices, I don’t imagine that I’ll be doing any brewing of my own any time soon.  My interest in alcohol seems to be largely theoretical, at least for now, anyway.

But, it seems that I might have found myself something to try out instead.  It’s not homebrew, but over the weekend I took advantage of a special offer that a small local shop was having, and bought myself a kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Kombucha, in essence, is a naturally carbonated tea-based drink.  The SCOBY is placed in sweet tea and, as it eats the tea and sugar, it ferments. Kombucha is supposed to be rich in probiotics, and has all kinds of health claims around it (although I have no idea if they’re true or not).  I’ve never actually tried it, but given that it was priced at about what it would cost to buy two or three bottles of the stuff, I decided to go for it and give it a try.

As lovely as this sounds, I have to say that, in all honesty, never bought anything that looks that horrifying before in my life.  The SCOBY is really, truly not a lovely-looking beastie.

That said, I’m looking forward to giving it a go and seeing what I can do with it.  I have sweet black tea brewing right now.  Since kombucha can be made with black, green, or white tea (alone or in combination), and can be mixed with all manner of different beverages once it’s done fermenting, I imagine there’s a lot of experimental possibilities in that odd little bag.

Independence Days

This was the week where I finished revisions, completed a mess of paperwork, and then rid myself of the dissertation for good (it is, as of this morning, all final, and I’ve applied to graduate).  So that’s good for my sanity, my time, and my budget.  I have a rather large pile of grading to catch up, and a few other things here and there, but overall, it’s good to be done a big, time consuming, and rather costly thing (and early enough that I may well get a bit of a tuition refund from the university).

That said, I did manage a bit here and there for Independence Days.

Plant something

• Still too dark – a north-facing apartment is a real challenge, and I’m wondering if I should be looking into cold frames of similar for starting seeds

Harvest something

• More sprouts
• Wild yeast – needed to start a new sourdough starter this week (Is this harvesting?  I still don’t really know, but I’ll just leave it here for now.)

Preserve something

• Dried some carrot tops and extra mushrooms

Waste not

• More thrift store secondhand sale shopping – books, pyrex, measuring cups, two jugs, and a crock and shallow bowl (I have exciting plans to make lacto-fermented kimchi with these two items)
• Leftover rice went into soup, dried out bread became breadcrumbs
• Scraps went to the worms, as per usual

Want not

• Bought a (used) copy of the Audubon Field Guide to Wildflowers
• Added (used) copies of Best-Loved Folktales of the World, Favorite Folktales from Around the World, and The Story of King Arthur and His Knights to the post-peak library
• Stocked up on canning jar rings, lids, and some more rubber seals

Eat the food

• Eggs with local sausage from the happy pigs
• Started in on a jar of canned-by-me plum butter made from local plums (I have to admit that I promptly entered into a hot-and-heavy relationship with it)
• Made bread with flour from the local mill

Build community food systems

• Joined up with the local Food Not Lawns group

Skill up

• Various recipe experiments in order to build up my cooking skills and repertoire a bit more
• Reading through Nourishing Traditions for the health information

Get healthy

• Yet more walking, plus some weight lifting sessions
• More healthy eating (really trying to get back into the groove on this one – sometimes this is easier than others)
• Planning for more healthy breakfasts to start the day, and including some more green smoothies throughout

Miscellaneous

Looking at these last few weeks, it looks like that areas that could use some work for me are planting, preserving, and skilling up, although I could also probably be a bit better about eating the food, too.  I’m hope a return to the farmer’s market, which I’ve been missing out on because of time constraints, will help with the latter area.  In terms of planting and preserving, though, I’m realising that this could take some more effort, especially in terms of actually getting things growing this year.  It might also take some rethinking.  For instance, it looks like if I want to get in some more preserving, it might be wise to look for sale fruits and veggies and work with those, since otherwise there won’t be much going on until some time from now.

I suppose this is really part of the process.  I can’t do everything, and thinking through what’s possible and working on being more adaptable is rather key to keeping on top of things.  As much as I’d like a huge gardens and chickens, that’s probably not going to happen quite yet, so working on some different ways to make things happen is a wise idea.  I’d be interested in hearing how you’re adapting in similar ways.  What are you doing to be more independent in ways that suit your particular circumstances?

Independence Days

This week…well, not a lot happened in terms of working towards independence days, although a lot of work-related things happened, which do kind of sort of maybe tie in a bit here.  Given that I’m now done I can stop paying tuition (a good thing for the finances) and have a bit more time for projects like gardening, preserving, exercising, and cooking (good for me and also for the finances).

Plant something

• Somewhat embarrassingly, last week was so busy that I forgot about my sourdough starter, so I’ve now started a new one
• Started growing more sprouts

Harvest something

• Not so much this week, but hopefully better next week

Preserve something

• Also not so much here as well

Waste not

• More scraps to the worms
• Recycled old shirts into cleaning rags
• Sprouted some carrot tops as an experiment in reducing waste and growing something extra that’s nutritious to eat (I’ll try to report back on this one soon)

Want not

• Picked up more cookbooks (really, it’s never ending) – The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook which has great recipes but also a lot of general cooking information, and Jamie at Home, which I admit that I already have, but I adore this and couldn’t pass it up for $3 (it will become a kitchen copy that I don’t mid getting a bit messy, or will be gifted or something similar)
• Also picked up some more fiction for what I now seem to be referring to as the post-peak library (accessible and inexpensive low-energy entertainment), including a lovely full illustrated version of Who Has Seen the Wind, the graphic novel Shortcomings, and Ted Hughes’ farm story What is the Truth
• Stocked up on some treat-type foods, for guests and for when we’re having not-so-great days
• Picked up some extra loose-leaf tea and a few extra food items, but really need to see about getting these in larger quantities

Eat the food

• Delicious curried squash, sweet potato, and carrot soup from local veggies and homemade stock
• Eggs and locally-produced sausage from happy pigs

Build community food systems

• Nothing this week, but hopefully next week – fingers crossed

Skill up

• Also not so much here

Get healthy

• Lots and lots of walks
• Lots and lots of sleep
• Started a bit of at-home strength training
• Much healthier food (green smoothies!) and more home cooking
• Finishing the defence has actually made a big difference here – I feel loads better, and significantly less stressed, which I can’t imagine won’t help my health

Miscellaneous

Post-defence I’ve come into a bit of a gift money.  It’s sitting in savings right now, but I’m under strict order to buy myself something nice rather than leaving it in savings (really, I think land would be a lovely gift to myself, but that didn’t seem to hold much sway).  That said, I feel like this could be a good time to pick up one or two of the things that I’ve had on my long-term wishlist.  A pressure canner is sitting at the top of that list right now, but I’m also interested in some gardening tools, seeds (although these I just simply need to get anyway), and a grain mill.

Success!

Much of the radio silence around these parts has been because I’ve been gearing up to defend my doctoral dissertation.  I did so successfully on Valentine’s Day, with friends and family present, and all things considered, it was actually a really great day and things went very, very well.  After a few very minor revisions, I’ll submit the final version next week and be done.  Then I just have to get used to my new title.

It’s really like a weight’s been lifted.  I don’t have dissertation and defence stuff hanging over my head all of the time, and I feel a lot more relaxed.  I have a lot to do, but it all seems a great deal more manageable now.  And I’m hoping that this sudden degree of (relative) freedom will mean a bit more time for cooking, preserving, gardening, and other projects this year.

Oh, happy days.

Independence Days

Edited to add the intro I seem to have forgotten.

It’s been busy, and I’ve been taking a bit of a break from everything to redirect my focus for a little while.  That said, I’ve tried to keep Independence Days in the back of my mind, and to at least do a little bit here and there as I go through my week.  Happily, I think I’ve been somewhat successful.

Plant something

• Still no actual planting yet (not enough sunlight and still quite chilly, even inside), but I sprouted more mung beans in the kitchen – I’m considering trying chia seeds next

Harvest something

• Just the sprouts

Preserve something

• Froze extra chicken and leftovers stock

Waste not

• Continued feeding the worms kitchen scraps
• Turned leftover veggie tops and chicken bones into stock
• Took some donations – most notably the now unused bread machine – to Goodwill

Want not

• Bought a (used) copy of Nourishing Traditions (on the day I actually put it into my Amazon cart, which I kinda love)
• Stocked up on Viceroy rings for my older canning jars (used for food storage in the pantry)
• Bought (used) copies of Healing Wise and The New Holistic Herbal

Eat the food

• Made soup from homemade stock
• Ate some squash leftover from the farmer’s market and still going strong

Build community food systems

• I learned that there’s to be a Food not Lawns group forming in my neighbourhood.  Meetings conflict with when I teach, but I may just start showing up late, since I’d like to get involved

Skill up

• I’ve pulled out some of my natuarl healing and herbal books, with the intent to learn more about herbal medicine and natural healing

Get healthy

• So much walking – long walks to campus, to the grocery store, and just generally around the neighbourhood
• Massage therapy (a very good thing indeed)
• Lots of stretching, both physio-prescribed, but also when I’ve felt I’ve needed it

Miscellaneous

Things have been busy in life and slow around here, but hopefully things should soon even out a bit more.  In the meantime, I’m focusing on trying eat reasonably healthfully and keep up with a few basic projects.

Nourishing Traditions

(…or why I love thrift store serendipity.)

This morning, I was playing around on amazon.ca.  I am, as has probably become very clear, a consummate lover of books.  I love novels, cookbooks, non-fiction, biography, reference, and all kind of other stuff.  Normally, I buy my books used, but sometimes when there’s something that I really want or that I think will be really useful that I don’t think will show up used, I put it in my amazon cart.  Usually I wait on these books to make sure I really want or need them, but usually I’ve gotten it right and they wind up in an order a few months later.

For awhile now, I’ve kept running into references to the book Nourishing Traditions, usually involving praise.  While I tend to take most nutritional information with a grain of salt, this book has me rather interested.  Just this morning, I added the book to my currently empty amazon cart (honestly, it’s actually been awhile since I added anything).

This afternoon, J. and I decided to start reducing my decluttering pile by running a few things up to the donation drop off, which happens to be right next to the used bookstore.  On the way out, I asked if we could stop in quickly, since I’ve got my eye open for a copy of The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.  And there on the cart was Nourishing Traditions.  They didn’t even have it priced yet, but I grabbed it, looked for the other book that I wanted (they didn’t have it), and then bought it for a whole $4.

It’s coincidence, I know, but I really like those moments of serendipity when things just seem to work out in small but surprising ways.  And I’m delighted to have a chance to read through this book and to see if its information and ideas work for me (more on that later, I imagine).  Now…if only I can make some kind of cosmic arrangement for used copies of The Encyclopedia of Country Living, The Backyard Homestead, Wild Fermentation, Seed to Seed, The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It, and The Essential Urban Farmer to suddenly fall into my lap.

Independence Days

While I wasn’t initially thinking of Independence Days when this week started, looking back, there’s actually a number of things that I’ve done.  I still have a long to-do list on my desk – one that I’m honestly not sure will ever fully be done, especially since I keep adding to it, but it’s a good feeling to know that things are being accomplished, even if just a bit at a time.

Plant something

• No actual planting yet (not enough sunlight and still quite chilly, even inside), but I sprouted mung beans in the kitchen

Harvest something

• I suppose “harvesting” the sprouts might count here
• Since I’m not sure where to put it, I’m going to stick my new sourdough starter in here and count it as harvesting yeast

Preserve something

• Nothing this week

Waste not

• Fed leftover salad scraps and the ribs from collards to the worms
• Used up leftover and starting-to-go veggies in soup
• Replaced a few more light bulbs with CFLs
• Started growing carrot tops from discarded carrot ends

Want not

• Bought a few (used) cookbooks – KitchenAid Great Baking and Gordon Ramsey’s Fast Food – and resource books on gardening, greenhouses, and bike repair
• Also bought a few novels – The Wool-Pack, The Final Solution, and The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay
• Added to food storage: tinned fish, soba noodles, canned beans, dried beans
• Avoided a few unnecessary purchases in order to put extra money towards a pressure canner

Eat the food

• Made homemade bread and pizza dough
• Used lots of leftovers and extra bits and pieces in soups, rice dishes, and frittatas

Build community food systems

• Signed up for information about the local organic food delivery program
• Attended a campus sustainability meeting
• Ordered catalogues from West Coast Seeds and Richter’s

Skill up

• Started reading up on how to make miso and tofu

Get healthy

• Booked a massage therapy appointment
• Took two long and many shorter walks (and saved J’s bus fare)
• Increased water intake to at least 2 litres a day
• Managed to get a few nights of extra (and much needed) sleep

Miscellaneous

• Started purging/decluttering/organizing the apartment for better storage and access to the things that we need
• Reorganized the main living area to make it easier to have company

Consumption priorities

Despite my resistance to consumption, and especially the consumption of new things, I have a wish list that almost exclusively lists new and rather expensive purchases.  A pressure canner.  A grain mill.  A dehydrator.  Some food storage accessories.  A water filter.  A few more reference books on topics that I don’t have.  Seeds.  Tools.

Technically, I could buy what I want using some of my savings.  The money is there, and I don’t think of purchases like this as frivolous or “wants”, but more as fairly significant necessities that it would be wise to attend to, probably sooner rather than later.  However, I’m trying very hard not to dip into my savings if I can help it.  I really just hate doing it in general, but it becomes even more difficult when it feels like those savings might have to sustain us for awhile at some point in the future.

Instead, I’m trying to use this as an incentive to lay off some of the smaller purchases in favour of the bigger ones so I can save up a bit more money to get some of my wish list items.  I’ve realised that, when shopping, a really good deal is hugely tempting for me.  I don’t really regret many purchases, especially when they’re secondhand and very low cost, but if you added up the $3 books and the $1 dishes and various other thrift store “steals”, there’s still money being spent on stuff that I don’t think I need as much as some of these bigger purchases.  While I appreciate getting these things used and at a very low cost, they’ve become a lot easier for me to buy than the bigger-ticket items, sometimes without really thinking too much about it.  At the same time, they’re taking away from the money that I could be using to buy those bigger ticket items, even if it’s only $20 or so a month.

Now when I’m out at the thrift stores I try to talk myself out of things, especially if I don’t really and truly need them, but also when I think another purchase will be more important.  Today, for instance, when I saw a duvet cover that I really liked, I reminded myself that I didn’t need one, and that while it would be nice to have a back-up, putting that $8 towards something that could help to feed us down the line was far more important than an extra version of something that we already had.  I did the same with a wool blanket (I have lots) and a picture (hardly necessary).

The other thing that’s helped is that I’ve set up an extra savings account for whatever I’m currently saving for (right now it’s the pressure canner).  When I don’t spend money, or come into some extra or unexpected cash, it goes into that account.  That way, I have a motivating record of how much I didn’t spend (and, conversely, how much I’ve saved), and I’m also not tempted to spend any extra money that’s coming in since it gets put away right away.  The act of transferring the money also seems to help moderate the regret of not purchasing something, and also helps reduce the occasional surge of desire to go back and get it after the fact.

Even after all this, I imagine I’ll still have a bit of a hard time actually making the purchase when the time comes.  I’ve always struggled with expensive purchases (okay, honestly, I’ve pretty much always struggled with most purchases).  Apparently I like quantity and low prices a bit more than I’d like, so inexpensive secondhand purchases really appeal to me.   I also hate parting with money, and will likely see whatever I’ve saved as yet more money that I should be holding onto for that old hypothetical rainy day.  But I think this is worthwhile, important, and necessary, and I’m hoping that these adjustments – a bit more saving, a little less spending, and a conscious effort to set money aside for a particular purchase – will help make the process a bit easier as I start to work towards getting some of the bigger ticket items that I think are important.

Independence Days returns

Although I’ll probably be laying low for another two weeks – there is much to do that isn’t really sustainability related right now, and I’m just plain old swamped – I’m delighted by the return of Sharon Astyk’s Independence Days, and hope to be participating this year.

Independence Days is based on the premise that every little thing we can do to help ourselves be more independent – even if it’s just a little bit at a time – can be really valuable.  Rather than having one monumental task, it’s about planning, thinking ahead, and spreading out the work so that something’s always being done.

The goal of the project is to inspire and motivate, but also to recognize accomplishments by reporting in weekly.  Ideally, in any given week, participants will be trying to:

• Plant something
• Harvest something
• Preserve something
• Waste not
• Want not
• Eat the food
• Build community food systems
• Skill up

It’s certainly a bit of a list, but there’s a lot of flexibility in there.  That said, because I’m a glutton for punishment and biting off more than I can chew, I’d also like to add in one of my own: get healthy.  I’ve done a not-so-great job of taking care of myself recently, and need to spend more time not only eating better (which I’m imagining some of the food categories will help with), but also getting stretched out, limbered up, and generally strengthened.  I suspect that not only being healthy but also in good shape could be a very important thing in the not too distant future, and so I have my eye on working on that a bit more as well.

I’m not always so great at following through on blog projects, I know – work projects tend to take precedence, especially when trying to make a living.  But this one I’ve really loved following in the past, and have found to be very inspiring, so I’m hopeful.  And, if nothing else, even if I only do a fraction of what I’d like, that still something in the end.  Every little bit adds up.