Vegetable Garden Lessons from 2022
If I had to pick a word to describe this year's vegetable garden experience, I think it would be along the lines of "underwhelming" - but that's on average. There were still some highs to balance out the lows, and many lessons learned as always
Basketweaving and Willow Trees in the Serra da Estrela
A lifetime ago, pre-pandemic, Francois and I came across a lovely stall at a market: not only did it sell gorgeous baskets perfect for picnics or future vegetable garden harvests, but the man responsible was sitting there, weaving a basket to add to his for-sale collection. The thing is, Francois has been enamored with the idea of weaving for almost as long as I have known him. When we were in Argentina, he got his mother to teach him to crochet so he could make a shoulder strap water bottle
Off-grid hot showers: Seven solutions to get you started
A few months ago, a colleague commented in passing that he “wouldn’t be able to live without a hot shower every day, and would go feral within a week”. It made me laugh, but it also made me think. First, I think it’s crazy that we are all so used to hot water just coming out of the tap that we don’t give a second thought about taking a shower every day, sometimes even twice a day for those with a daily habit that also go to the gym.
Gratitude in unlikely places: COVID-19 silver linings
The past few months have been a period unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. While recognizing how difficult things have been for many people, I also wanted to pause and take stock of some silver linings. Spending a lockdown on a farm is a silver lining in and of itself. We still got to spend time outdoors with animals who needed the same care and attention (and provided as much entertainment) as pre-COVID-19. The biggest impact on our everyday life was that we reduced our trips to town to once
Lessons from Year II of our Vegetable Garden
It’s April 2020, and this blog is about what we learned in the growing season 2019 – so yes, I should have done this recap earlier. Better late than never? Our first year was incredible, fun, and a massive learning curve. Last year, we made a few changes up-front: We expanded the size of the garden and the number of beds Three of the beds were turned into raised beds by lining them with old ceramic roof tiles What used to be the tomato bed got converted into an asparagus
DIY Project – Building a Solar Shower
Original article written by Francois Cramer and posted on the Pure Portugal blog, July 2018. I am re-sharing a slightly edited version of this blog here because it is a part of our journey, and the outdoor shower is still one of our favorite summer features - so it deserves some extra visibility / love (plus some fixing up as the goats decided to snack on the bamboo screen, oops). Of course, this is a technical post in case you want to build your own such shower. A more
Homemade Lip balm
Making things from scratch is something I would like to do, but have never really done before – food notwithstanding. So, when the organic lip balm I bought in Lisbon finally ran out, I decided I needed to stop depending on shops 4h away. After looking around (thank you Google!) I found a great recipe for do-it-yourself (DIY) lip balm on Wellness Mama that I adjusted to what was available here and in my tiny house kitchen. Ingredients 2 tablespoons beeswax pastilles 2 tablespoons shea butter 2 tablespoons coconut oil