Winter tactics

1. Finely chop one large clove of garlic, and the same amount of ginger. Then add a heaped teaspoon of raw honey and a tablespoon of plain yoghurt. Mix together then spoon into your mouth.

2. Warm house. After Fionn's scary asthma bout just before Christmas, I have lost the drive to minimise wood consumption. The fire is currently burning every evening and sometimes during the day as well. If you live in the UK, you would still think our house is cold during the day. if you are a traditional New Zealander with a hot lounge and cold bedrooms, you would think our bedroom is lovely and warm. Our insulation efforts each year keep paying off in terms of reduced heat loss. The kitchen (blocked off after dinner) is the only room without pink batts. In Spring, we will get pink batts for the kitchen and then start saving for underfloor insulation. I think there is more curtain work to be done yet also. The lounge and the bedrooms all have heavy duty blackout lining to add to their insulating properties. Not so the study, the dining room or the kitchen.

3. More on warm house. I was going to fill the boot with kiln dried pine offcuts tomorrow but after hearing of a fatality in our area due to unsecured heavy things in the station wagon boot flying through the air in a car crash and killing one, injuring three others... well after that I think I'll fork out for delivery and get a proper truckload's worth.

4. Chooks are still laying. For nameless birds which we will eat one day, I am very fond of them.

5. Lots of swiss chard and kale in the garden, plus potatoes, broccoli, radiccio, rocket, chillis, celery and yams. I think I have achieved a much better winter garden this year than previous attempts.

6. Lemon drink. Now for some more. I hate it that this latest round of coughs and colds has knocked me sideways.

7. Bone broths. I've gotten back into making them. Used one to make risotto last night and the leftovers, mixed with corn, swiss chard and four eggs, are baking in the oven for tonight's dinner as I type.

8. Two more yet to be achieved: time to give kefir and beet kvass another go...

Comments

applepip said…
You haven't named your chickens???? I'm sorry, that just stands out for a reader as ditzy as I am, which your blog really doesn't warrant. If you don't name them I'm going to have to. Yes, that is a threat. :)
Sandra said…
Weeeellll, Favourite Handyman did name them once on request: Slow Cooker, Roast and Soup.

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