James Prigioni; video diary of an amazing permaculture garden

Eli discovered this channel yesterday, via permaculturenews.org.
It's a video diary of the progress of a beautiful permaculture garden, which incorporates the techniques of Masanobu Fukuoka, Sepp Holzer, Bill Mollison, and more.
These videos are informative, enjoyable to watch, & there is so much to learn from them. James Prigioni explores companion planting, seeds balls, hugelkultur, edging, and water management, to name a few.
Check out the progress of this garden starting from the very beginning (approx 5 months ago) & see the amazing changes that can be made to any plot of land to make it diverse, & productive :)
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One of my favorites so far; edging:
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Check out James Prigioni on Youtube.
Like, favorite, & comment on his videos to show your appreciation for his work.

The Permaculture Ukulele Project

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This is an absolutely outstanding project, aimed at delivering some of the key messages of permaculture to you via music & song :D

We bought 'PERMACULTRE: A rhymers manual' shortly after it's release date, & we're both in love with it. The music is charming, & the lyrics inspiring & entertaining, & each song is filled with thoughtful information :) We listen through the album every other day, & I can't recommend it highly enough! If you're into gardening, ukulele, permaculture, the environment  living green, or just clever, inspiring music then give this album a listen, you'll surely love it ;)

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Definitely a 10/10 from us.

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For more information check out Permaculturesongs.com.
Purchase the album from formidablevegetable.com.au.

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The album is gorgeous, & contains both original, & acoustic CD's, as well as

a handy booklet with lyrics. 12 tracks in total <3

Complete eco dental care; bamboo 'enviro toothbrush' + herbal toothpaste

Until recently I had never given much thought towards my toothbrush, I was already buying herbal toothpaste, having been disturbed to discover how nasty some of the ingredients in many toothpastes are, & that many companies use animal testing!
Whilst browsing one of my favourite online vegan stores I chanced upon these enviro toothbrushes, which are made from bamboo (a sustainable material) & they are completely biodegradable. We were due for new toothbrushes anyway, so I grabbed a pair, & they're great! They do a perfect job, just as good as any other toothbrush I have ever owned, & they're cheaper too :)
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These toothbrushes are available at veganonline.com.au, they are affordable, eco friendly, & work perfectly, they are available with soft, medium, or hard bristles, & also come in packs of 12 for convenience.
Grab one for yourself, or maybe a pack & share them around :P
While you're at it, why not grab some lovely herbal toothpaste, & some vegan dental floss! Complete dental care that's gentle on the environment, & animal friendly too :D
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I've got the complete set :P

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Keep those vegan chompers healthy, & don't forget to floss!

Walks; all of the nature! (lots of photos this month)

Yesterday I made the most of the good weather & went on 2 walks, one shorter one around our property for my old dog, & then a much longer one in a big park with a good friend, & her papillon :)
The sun was out, it was warm, & nature was pretty much yelling at me to take photos.
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Mini walk -
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Some kind of pretty clover.

The bloom is interesting, it looks like a flower inside a flower :0

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Big walk -
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 'Little Bit' the papillon, doing her thing : P

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 We found this funny structure off the path, in the bushes.

It seemed to be naturally formed, it was completely hollow with

a little opening at the back.

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 Moss 0_0 <3

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 Orange fungi.

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Beautiful rocky cliff face.

It reminds me of some fancy setting in a game : P

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That was my adventure for the day. A storm rolled in later, I should have taken photos of that too! Maybe next time ^(- v -)^

Bare foot & fancy free ヽ( °◇°)ノ

My favorite grass... Get bare foot as much as you can! It's awesome~

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Being outside makes me so happy, it's an instant mood improver.
The weather has been so mild recently that it almost feels like spring will come early, so I've been spending more time outside in the garden, bare foot & fancy free!
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The garden is coming along well, & I got a pic this morning to compare with the first one I took :) Take a look  v v v
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(April 15, 2013)

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 (July 18, 2013)

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Sorry for the different angles, but you get the idea!

So far we've had a good amount of salad greens, potatoes, daikon radish, & some chard & kale too. I'm really looking forward to starting seeds in the greenhouse in preparation for spring :D

Special Vegetable Satay Recipe \(^ ^)/

Here it is!

Special Vegetable Satay Recipe

Ingredients:

- 1 tsp Coconut oil (optional) *Alternatively peanut oil can be used 

- 1 medium Onion (red or brown is fine) - Diced

- 1/2 a Red capsicum - Cut into short strips

- 3 medium sized Carrots - Cut lengthways, & sliced

- 1/4 of a small Jap Pumpkin - Peeled, & cut into bite-size chunks

- 1 cup of Green Peas (Fresh or frozen) * Alternatively green beans could be used

- 1 can Coconut Cream

- 1/2 can of water (use coconut cream can)

- 3 tbs Peanut Butter

- 1/4 cup Sweet Chilli Sauce (I use Trident)

- A splash of Tamari Soy Sauce (I use Spiral)

- Fresh steamed rice to serve (Basmati is awesome)

- Spring Onion to serve - Finely sliced (optional)

- Fresh Coriander to serve - Finely sliced (optional)

Method:

1. Prepare the onion, & put it into a medium sized skillet, along with the oil. Then prep the rest of the vegetables & set aside.

2. Saute the onion over a low-medium heat, if you do not want to use oil, a little splash of water will stop the onion from becoming dry.

3. Once the onion has softened, add the carrots, coconut cream, peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce, a splash of soy sauce, & half a can of water. Then stir until well combined.

4. Simmer covered over a low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the carrots soften. At this point check the sauce & adjust seasonings to taste, ie. more sweet chilli for sweetness/spice, more soy sauce for saltiness, etc.

5. Add the pumpkin, replace the lid, & simmer covered for another 5-10 minutes until pumpkin is cooked. Finally, add the peas, if you think the sauce needs thickening simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, otherwise cover & simmer for 5.

6. Serve with fresh steamed rice, along with toppings of choice, a pinch of coriander &/or spring onions adds extra flavour :)

Hope you all enjoy this lovely quick recipe!

As always, please please please be sure to read ingredients lists carefully to be sure the ingredients are suitable for you.

Photo tribute to my cavoodle, Addi.

She is the most amazing friend :)
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If you're considering getting a dog, especially a cavoodle (aka cavapoo) feel free to comment & ask me any questions, I will tell you everything I know!

Winter feeling...

Afternoon sun through the trees.

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Morning frost.

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 'Nabe' Japanese hot pot.