Kefir Soda

Left water kefir, right milk kefir.
A friend of mine loaned me "A change of heart" by Kay Baxter. Having always been a meat eater and raised on a farm to harvest from the land and waste nothing, I really enjoyed the book and it's recipes. I've experimented a wee bit with milk Kefir for digestive health and was encouraged by the easy instructions in the book to convert some of my milk Kefir Grains to make kefir soda. This is essentially the process I used. The results were yummy and really encouraging. The kids even added their approval but don't like it as much as ginger beer. It tastes a tad alcoholic but so does my ginger beer at times. My online research found this good article leaving me feeling reassured that it's Ok for kids at least once in awhile and surely better than bought, sweet, fizzy drinks (which incidentally I refuse to buy, making me a freaky hippy according to some of my children). The success of the experiment led me to wonder if I could get real water Kefir Granules in New Zealand. It didn't take long for me to find this site and I received my grains with excellent instructions. I very soon had the water kefir going alongside my milk kefir. I had to move all my brews to the warming cupboard when the winter cold snap hit and now the cultures are all expanding so well that I can share some with friends and experiment with extra fruits and honey for sweetness.
The lemon tree is having trouble keeping up with lemons for the jar, but the new crop are close to being ripe. Elsewhere in the garden, young citrus are being covered to protect from frost. The ground is far to wet to cultivate for the garlic but weeds and grass of course are thriving.

Desperately seeking Patons Smoothie DK White 1020

A friend of mine is tantalisingly close to finishing a shawl for her first Grandchild. The local yarn shops have run out of the yarn she needs to finish the last peak around the edge of the shawl. If anyone had half a ball or even 20 metres of the white Patons Smoothie DK 1020 that she needs she'd happily cover costs and postage. Please if you can help send me an email or leave a comment.

Think, Today.

Do you? Like me, need a reminder every so often. Please look and do something thought full today.
Thanks Johanna for the reminder.

Tummy Time Mat

I spent yesterday making a "tummy time" mat for a friend who is expecting a baby soon. I used vintage flannelette fabrics from my Grandmas era and combined more recent Kiwiana themed prints to suit the special baby. My friend has been great support to me during the past year so I focused on sewing blessings in for her and the new babe as I worked.

I loathe walkers, bouncers and activity centres for babies. I think colourful textured tummy time mats are perfect for growth and development in the early stages. I'm going to make a few more of them so I can gift them to the other expectant mothers I know. Perfect use of all those lovely fabrics I've been collecting for so long too.

Not an Epiphany

The teen is back, safe and sound.
Yay.
It seems neither of us has had an "Epiphany" in his absence.
I'm still public enemy no.1
Otherwise though I had great fun dancing at the primary school disco tongiht.
Happy kids and community.
Pig hunting and netball tomorrow.
Got some cool fabric on the washing line.
Hope I can squeeze in some creativity this weekend.

Busy days

Neither gardening or crafting are being done. Pictures? Nope.
I miss them a bit, but equally important activities are taking place.
The youngest child in the family is being supported at school with weekly visits to his classroom. 5 years is feeling like a complete blur and I'm starting to think how much I'm going to miss the faces I see at Montessori and Playcentre on a regular basis. A smile and "Hello" at pre-school is often the only adult contact I get in a day.
Soooo..................
I'm making a little effort for me too, with a little support from some very loyal friends I might add. Now don't laugh, when I say I've been going to ZUMBA!! (I would link, but come on, you've all heared of Zumba right?) Exercise dancing!! I'm still as "unco" as my bro told me I was about 25 years ago, but it's good to get the heart pumping and the face smiling as well.
With that and other things, there doesn't seem to be alot of time left over each day at the moment.

PJ and the Red do dancing in town 2 nights a week and Pj is doing netball on Saturday morning. Skatey needs to be driven over the hill at 5.30am for weekend pig hunting and freaky evening "weigh ins " where I stand uncomfortably supporting him marveling at dead pigs, deer and rabbits lined up and shown off by the local hunting "tribe".
Then the teen also needed a bit of extra attention this week to prepare for some tramping with his outdoor Ed class. They're in the bush at the moment with maps and compasses on a trip they planned themselves. I wouldn't be a good mother if I wasn't freaking out about the swollen rivers after the recent rain and the cold while sleeping under a tarp. Has he taken enough food and warm clothes? I bought him some merino socks from Potters Patch to make sure his feet are warm and tried my best to walk past his room to see what gear was going in the pack. New tramping boots too. Did he wear them in? No. Did I nag him to do so? Yes!! Am I having nightmares? Yep quite a few.
I squeezed in a little preserving. Sweet chilli sauce: 6 bottles. Swapped one for wild duck breasts and took one as a gift for the hosts who had us to dinner on Saturday night.
Tomato puree: done.
Figs and Fejoias: waiting for me to do something with them.
Garlic: a little bit planted.
Weeds: quite tasty in salad.
Chooks: one laying.
Dog: ear might be getting better, touch wood.
Knitting socks: The second sock curse has taken effect.
Kindness: Feeling good about considering other peoples situations and feelings.
Reading: a selection of knitting books and mags + Jean. M. Auel, in hope that there'll be a new one soon. All my favorite blogs too, with the teen away the computer is MINE.
Listening: Still to the "Black Eyed Peas" and "Marianne Faithfull" probably because that "Lucy Jordan" birthday is looming fast.
Windows, lawns, housework, washing and wood: Waiting for a WOOFER or a visit from Granny.

Arrivals by post

Finally I've finished the "sweet pea" silk fibre from my friend Jessicah's shop . I spun the wool as thin as I possibly could, then I washed a black lambs fleece from my Dad. I thought it might be perfect to ply with the silk, but it wasn't as luxurious as I wanted it to be with the silk. Then I tried a bit of the grey fleece that Mum was spinning when she visited but that wasn't right either. I've since plied them together though and they work well.

I thought I needed to save up for some smokey grey alpaca fibre which would have worked perfectly, but my impatience got the better of me. I dyed some merino from my Aunt, using this method, with raw fleece instead. The resulting yarn is destined to become a lovely scarf for me.
After I finish a few other projects I have lined up.
The letterbox continued to be quite busy all week, it's lovely to go out and find a surprise waiting there. A cook book and garden book from my sister in law. I burnt my favorite cookbook on an element (did I mention that already??) So M sent me a shiny new copy full of all the best recipes for thrifty cooks. Thanks M.
A little treat for the soil too, seeds and a membership to Koanga.

Career choices

PJ loves monkeys.

She wants to work in a zoo, with monkeys.

We"re all very sad to hear that Ricky the Natureland zoo monkey has died.

I talk alot about how important it is for monkeys and other animals, to grow up in their own environment. Hoping I guess that one of the kids might grow up to be a radical environmental campaigner (because I didn't.)

Whoops we shouldn't live vicariously through our kids should we?

But my goodness it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to be a vet either. So far I have spent at least one weeks food bill, at the vet, on the dog who has earache, for goodness sake!!

RIP Ricky.

And Willow, the drops I'm putting in your ear will help you get better soon ( the least you could do is co-operate)

Jester House

A couple of folks enquired about the whereabouts of all those eels I showed recently. It's a favourite cafe of ours called Jester House . It has a special significance to me because when I was about 11 years old, long before it was a lovely cafe setting we lived there with our Mum. My brothers and I would walk across the bridge to catch the school bus each morning and in the weekends we climbed the hill with our wet weather farm gear on to slide down the waterway as if it were a hydro slide. Though a great spot we all longed for the freedom of the farm where we had left our Dad and a thousand unfinished adventures.
If you visit there now you'll be able to feed the eels for a couple of dollars, they even accept old 1 and 2 cent coins! While the kids feed the eels there is plenty of local produce to sample off the lunch menu in a garden full of fruit trees and herbs.
It is one of my must see stops in Motueka.

Old letterbox

Something lovely arrived in my letterbox this week. I'll be busy for a couple of days.