SCHOOL HOLIDAY PLANNER

"Save, print and use this planner for organising family outings these school holidays. I like to sit down with my children and ask them what they wish to do these holidays, including important things to-do i.e. buy school supplies, and who they would like to visit (both their friends, my friends and family). Usually one day is spent at home, then the following day we go out visiting or ticking something off the wish list or to-do list if all their chores have been finished the previous day, and they have behaved" -Megan
   

PRODUCT REVIEW: WHO GIVES A CRAP

Toilet paper: everyone uses it, everyone buys it, so it's time to talk about this Aussie company!
    
Who Gives a Crap
    
Not all companies donate 50% of their profits. Who Gives a Crap do! 
   
In July 2012, Simon, Jehan and Danny launched Who Gives A Crap with a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo. Simon sat on a toilet in their warehouse, refusing to move until there were enough pre-orders to begin production. Within 50 hours, they had raised over AU$50,000 and began delivering their first products by March 2013.
     
From production of their recycled toilet paper to now including forest-friendly tissues and paper towels, Who Gives a Crap continue to make all of their products with environmentally friendly materials.Almost 31,000 trees and 74 million litres of water have been saved,  plus the company has avoided almost 6,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in their production process. Toilet paper rolls are wrapped individually in paper and packed in cardboard cartons, avoiding plastic packaging, and the colourful paper wrappings can be reused (or recycled) and feature cute, quirky messages. Empty toilet roll tubes make great seedling tubes for the garden! 
   

   
Why does our household buy Who Gives a Crap products? 
Did you know that approximately 40% of the worldwide population (around 2.3 billion people) do not have access to a toilet? Poor sanitation and diarrhoea-related diseases fill half of the hospital beds in sub-Sahara/Africa AND kill around 900 children under 5 years old each day. Who Gives a Crap donate 50% of their profits (over $400,000 so far) to non-profit organisations such as WaterAid, who help build toilets in developing countries. For example, buying 1 roll of toilet paper = giving someone access to a toilet for 1 week. Plus, Who Gives a Crap deliver to your door, offer free shipping (minimum orders apply) and also give discounts for larger orders. Each carton includes several red emergency toilet rolls, which are a great reminder to place our next order. The company offers regular deliveries (i.e. every 6 weeks) but we have found for our family of four, a carton of 24 double-length lasts just over 5 months, making it great value and supporting a great cause at the same time!
   
Who Gives a Crap Products: 

• Recycled Toilet Paper - 3-ply, 100% recycled paper. No inks, dyes or chlorine. 24 x double-length rolls RRP AU$30
• Premium Toilet Paper - 3-ply, 100% forest friendly bamboo. No inks, dyes or chlorine. 48 x double-length rolls RRP AU$56
• Forest Friendly Tissues - 3-ply, made from bamboo. 12 x boxes RRP AU$24
• Forest Friendly Paper Towels - 2-ply, made from bamboo/sugarcane. No inks, dyes or chlorine. 6 x double-length rolls RRP AU$18

   
www.whogivesacrap.org
      

That's what you call great customer service - delivery within 2 days to Western Australia!
#whogivesacrap #whogivesacraptp #toiletpaper #plasticfree #noinks #nodyes #nochlorine #nobleaches #noperfumes #donation #wateraid #australiansmallbusiness #homemade #reeddiffuser #paintingsbygretsky
   
Note: this review is 100% my own thoughts and experiences, I have enjoyed using this company's products myself for several years and continue to share it with my family and friends!
   
   

NEW KITCHEN AT FPHQ: OCTOBER 2016

Ever wondered how much work goes into building a new kitchen, or what is involved in beginning a food business from home? I'm going to be sharing the step-by-step stages of planning, approving, buying and assembling/installing our new commercial kitchen at Food Preserving HQ (Western Australia). We're removing the old (small) kitchen and building the new kitchen ourselves, including the tiling and painting - everything except for the plumbing and electrical work - and getting it approved through our local council to make and sell homemade jam (and begin teaching small food preserving classes here once everything is completed by early 2017).
   

New kitchen update: after submitting the building application to our local council, we were notified that one of the previous homeowners removed the wall between the family room and kitchen without council approval. This is a requirement for us to build a new commercial kitchen, so I am now organising a structural engineering company to check over the current kitchen ceiling to ensure it is structurally sound before we continue with the other measurements needed in our building application with the council (they emailed a list of measurements for us to send back, the building officer was so helpful!)
Photocopying: $1.50
Structural Engineering Inspection Fee: TBC
Kitchen cost so far: $310.15 (plus structural engineering inspection fee)

FORAGING IN THE PATCH BEFORE SCHOOL

Mornings are usually a quick wander with my children in our garden (aka preserving patch) after I get home from the gym (but before school). I feed our quails and chickens whilst the kids forage for blueberries, mulberries and strawberries. Happy days! Blueberry plants were bought in a group buy on Facebook Group Jetto's Patch, the mulberry tree was a gift from my lovely friend Janet, and the strawberry plants were bought from Bunnings.
 

 

JAMMY LEFTOVERS

Use for jammy leftovers: mix into homemade yoghurt! Fills hungry tummies after swimming lessons while I prepare dinner :) 

[Strawberry Jam Recipe]

[Greek-Style Yoghurt Recipe]

   

IT'S WORLD PASTA DAY TODAY!

Did you know today is World Pasta Day? Our children LOVE eating (and helping to make) fresh egg pasta - here's a great recipe - and having a stash of homemade sauces in the freezer, such as this family favourite: Creamy Mushroom & Bacon Pasta. Nothing beats a vegetable-packed spaghetti bolognaise, either, and this one can also be pressure canned!
        
Fresh pasta made from fresh eggs is usually best made and cooked that day, but you can also buy dried pasta in bulk to reduce plastic packaging (and save money) and store in airtight containers. Another use for all those Tupperware containers floating around at FPHQ.
   
PASTA RECIPES
    
What is your favourite pasta dish? 
      

Pressure Canned Bolognaise

MONDAYS WITH MEGAN: 24-30 OCTOBER, 2016

It's a new week Food Preservers! What cooking and crafting projects are you planning this week? #mondayswithmegan
   
After teaching a class on Saturday, I like to spend Mondays planning my week: menu planning, craft projects, housework, activities with my children, etc. Each Monday morning I begin my day with a visit to my local gym, then run the kids to school and do my grocery shopping. I have begun thinking about buying my fruits and vegetables online - do you? I don't buy many "processed foods" because we enjoy homemade alternatives the best and buy my dry ingredients in bulk to reduce plastic packaging and save money. The rest of the week I then go to sport or have my youngest home, so housework, gardening or website work beckons!
   

Menu Planner Printable for Personal Use:
Print and laminate to use each week - we stuck it to our fridge!
http://www.foodpreserving.org/p/printables.html

This Week's Menu:
Menu @ FPHQ this week is pretty basic: lots of fruit and vegetables, good quality protein, homemade bread, yoghurt and cheese. Quick dinners due to swimming lessons on Monday and Tuesday utilising leftovers and bits I've prepared ahead in the freezer. Breakfasts are usually fruit smoothies, toast with beans or egg, yoghurt or fruit salad (pikelets on Sunday morning)
Monday: chicken caesar salad (with homemade mayo and yesterday's rye bread made into croutons)
Tuesday: hot dogs (homemade fat pork sausages with salad, pickles, mustard and cheese)
Wednesday: chicken & vegetable stir-fry
Thursday: barbecue steak (with cold-smoked garlic salt) with mashed potato/carrot/sweet potato and steamed vegetables
Friday: Oven baked fish (seasoned with dukkah), rainbow salad and fries
Saturday: kids' choice
Sunday: beef burgers with last season's tomato relish and dehydrated (rehydrated) caramelised onions and pickled beetroot plus cupcakes to celebrate my youngest daughter turning 5 years old (and a few dozen to bake for Kindy Monday morning!)
   
New Recipes & Articles:
(will be added to www.foodpreserving.org during the week and will come back to link here too)

• Cheese-Making Articles
• Cold-Smoking Intro Article
• Cold-Smoked Garlic Salt Recipe (another great use for cheese salt!)
• Instant Oats in Jars - my oldest daughter loves making her own porridge while I'm at the gym in the morning. It's quick to measure into a microwave bowl, cook and eat and gives her lots of energy all day long at school. Today I thought of writing up a recipe for various flavours of quick porridge mixes to make and store in jars (or in bulk), utilising dehydrated fruits and other flavours and buying instant or rolled oats in bulk (and mostly plastic free too hooray). Maybe even jars with single portions and dried fruits in them, ready to pour into a bowl, add milk or water, cook and eat.
• Chia Pudding (refrigerator)
• Tomato Relish (water bath / bottling)
• Dehydrated Caramelised Onions (dehydrating)
• Dehydrated Potatoes
• Dehydrated Freezer Vegetables
• Dukkah (won a few first prizes at the Perth Royal Show with this recipe)
• Coffee Soap for #saturdayscent - using melt and pour soap, mica for a shimmer, used coffee grounds as an exfoliant and decorated with coffee beans as part of my prep for the Christmas Gift Guide (homemade food and non-food projects that are made in under 30 minutes and/or under $20), which will be given away at my Christmas Preserving Class
• Pikelets

    

Have a lovely week! - Megan

PERTH GROWING GUIDE: OCTOBER

Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus)
Planting: sow seeds direct into garden
Location: warm, sunny position, soil not too heavy
Space plants: 50cm apart
Harvest: 7-8 weeks
Companion planting: corn, eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes
   
  
  
Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
Planting: sow seeds direct into garden
Location: semi-shade, moist, rich, slightly acidic soil
Space plants: 45cm apart
Harvest: 18 months
Companion planting: mint, lemon balm 
   
  
  
  
Artichokes, Globe (Cynara scolymus)
Planting: direct into garden
Location: sandy soil
Space plants: 160-200cm apart
Harvest: 42-57 weeks
Companion planting: none (needs lots of space)
   
  
  
  
Asparagus (Aspargus officianalis)
Planting: crowns
Location: cool, not too much moisture
Space plants: 20-40cm apart
Harvest: 2-3 years
Companion planting: basil, lettuce, nasturtiums, parsley (avoid garlic, onions, root vegetables)
   

  
    
Asparagus Pea (Lotus tetragonobolus)
Planting: sow seeds direct into garden
Location: moisture, full sun, normal soil
Space plants: 20-25cm apart
Companion planting: none
Maintenance: support with twigs to keep stems off the ground, protect from pests
Harvest: 8-11 weeks (pick early and often when pods are small)

     

Source: Planting in Australia - temperate regions

NEW KITCHEN AT FPHQ: JULY 2016

Ever wondered how much work goes into building a new kitchen, or what is involved in beginning a food business from home? I'm going to be sharing the step-by-step stages of planning, approving, buying and assembling/installing our new commercial kitchen at Food Preserving HQ (Western Australia). We're removing the old (small) kitchen and building the new kitchen ourselves, including the tiling and painting - everything except for the plumbing and electrical work - and getting it approved through our local council to make and sell homemade jam (and begin teaching small food preserving classes here once everything is completed by early 2017).

      

Another angle of our new commercial kitchen plans.To free up bench space, we designed a little spot for the microwave so that you can cook food on the stove, warm in the microwave and serve on the bench without wandering about the kitchen - which is important when we have kids that they can do the re-heating themselves safely.
   

Another angle of our new commercial kitchen plansI wanted lots of storage space, so there is lots of cupboards without removing floor space - the bench also suits as a large table (it's going to be 2.4m long), but we will get a small table to go in front of the kitchen window, which overlooks our veggie patch/front garden.
p.s. behind the two right pantries is where the existing sliding door is that is getting bricked in, since we have access from the laundry and otherwise would be squishing the kitchen if they were elsewhere. My husband and I agreed for as much floor space as possible, as open living/cooking will be a selling feature in the future.
   

Front view of the cupboards in the new kitchen plans.
   

Picked up the house plans I ordered a week or so ago and the next lot of paperwork was lodged today. Since we want to brick in one of the doors in the kitchen, copies of the house plans (floor and site) and the new kitchen plan needed to accompany our building permit application to our local council. This should take around 10 days then we're onto the next form. Building permit fee $157.65
Kitchen cost so far: $308.65

NEW KITCHEN AT FPHQ: JUNE 2016

Ever wondered how much work goes into building a new kitchen, or what is involved in beginning a food business from home? I'm going to be sharing the step-by-step stages of planning, approving, buying and assembling/installing our new commercial kitchen at Food Preserving HQ (Western Australia). We're removing the old (small) kitchen and building the new kitchen ourselves, including the tiling and painting - everything except for the plumbing and electrical work - and getting it approved through our local council to make and sell homemade jam (and begin teaching small food preserving classes here once everything is completed by early 2017).

   

Black granite colour swatch for the benchtops. we've gone for wraparound laminate to keep costs down. You cannot have a wood benchtop for commercial kitchens.

   

Sample kitchen colour scheme - we're having the black granite benchtops, white cupboards, stainless steel fittings, a white subway tile splash back and light grey ceramic square tiles on the floor.    
Today I ordered our house plans from the council, as they are required to be included in the application process - basically I just circle the kitchen area on the plans and show our driveway (to make sure there is room for parking that doesn't interfere with the neighbourhood). A printed copy of our house plans should arrive within 5 business days then I can submit the first group of forms.House plans fee $52
Kitchen cost so far: $151

NEW KITCHEN AT FPHQ: APRIL 2016

Ever wondered how much work goes into building a new kitchen, or what is involved in beginning a food business from home? I'm going to be sharing the step-by-step stages of planning, approving, buying and assembling/installing our new commercial kitchen at Food Preserving HQ (Western Australia). We're removing the old (small) kitchen and building the new kitchen ourselves, including the tiling and painting - everything except for the plumbing and electrical work - and getting it approved through our local council to make and sell homemade jam (and begin teaching small food preserving classes here once everything is completed by early 2017).
   

New commercial kitchen plans for Food Preserving HQ designed today

3.5hr kitchen consultant fee $99
Kitchen fees so far: $99

New commercial kitchen plans for Food Preserving HQ designed today by Kaboodle (Bunnings)