Independance days challenge

Planted: Lemon grass (from local markets) Comfrey, from my friend Sue and Frilly Endive (seeds from friend Roberta)

Harvest something: Nothing this week

Preserve something: Ditto

Store Something: Coles have weekly bulk buy specials here lately. I bought 5 tins of tomatoes ten individual serves of tuna and 12 tins of coconut cream, all of which I use quite a bit through this and got them all for more or less half price.

Manage Reserves: Have made one of the cupboards in my laundy my stockpile and am going through the kitchen cupboards to keep only 1-2 of each item there and any multiples will go in the stock pile so I can manage my food better.

Prepped: I had some friends come stay on the weekend, we spent sunday morning pruning and then I spent the afternoon mulching after they left. I think in future I will keep all the long branches to use as stakes and pea trellises, but only thought of that after I had had fun turning them into woodchips.

Worked on Local Food Systems: Volunteered at our local organic food co-op at the markets. We were out of most of our bulk produce as the co-op had a stall at world environment day and obviously did a brisk trade. There were the usual free range eggs and fruit and veges from local growers but the local sourdough bakery messed up our order and lots of shoppers were disappointed.

Reduced Waste: Mulching prunings (I think I won't do the rose prunings though as I have too many thorn incidents as it is. They will have to go off property. I want to try and do a compost tea with the weeds I pulled out. I won't put grass runners into the compost, but if they decompose in water first and create liquid fertilizer I think they may actually die.

Cooked something new: Trying to think. I don't think I really cooked much this week at all. Oh, I made rissoles, and I don't think I've ever done that without my mother standing beside me telling me what to put in.

Learned a new skill: Pruning roses!! Never had them growing up, so that was definately a new skill. Somewhat painful as they were severly overgrown and I couldn't find my gloves.