Vegan November

Okay so it's 2 1/2 years since I posted here but let's gloss over that for now ...

I'm back. Why, you ask? Well I'm taking on Animal Aid's vegan November one month challenge, and I thought I'd document the challenges, the fun and the unexpected issues that crop up as a result of this. 

I'm a long term dedicated vegetarian and the hubby's even been veggie for half a decade now, so why choose now to try vegan? Well lots of reasons, really. Veganism is certainly more ethically consistent than vegetarianism.  For hubby, well he keeps reading about vegan ultra runners on the internet (not that he's an ultra runner yet, he's doing his first marathon in April) and I think 1) he thinks it will improve his performance; and 2) he fancies wearing one those vegan runner vests! For me, well I've lost about 4 stone this year so far but recently that's stalled big time. It's mostly about having gone back to work and in trying to balance the competing demands of my son, a home and working full time, I seem to have decided that eating vast quantities of galaxy is the way to go. It's not, of course it's not but I'm hoping a diet that puts milk chocolate, cheese and cream cakes firmly off the menu will help me get back into eating something approaching healthily. Of course minimising cruelty and slaughter is the real reason (if you aren't aware of the level of slaughter involved in dairy & egg production, do a bit of research, just be prepared for it to be distressing). 

Save Our Allotments!

I was horrified today to find a link on twitter to this article in today's Indy. The government (in the delightful form of Eric Pickles) wants to "free councils from the bureaucracy" of providing this statutory right. This right has already been eroded, by councils giving out smaller and smaller plots. The size 10 rods (253 Sq m) is not arbitrary but was chosen as it is the size needed to sustainably feed a family of four. Most councils now only give out half (such as my local council) or even quarter plots, making self sufficiency less and less likely. Worse is that this hits the news after the consultation has closed. I am a plot holder and I had no clue about this, and I'm guessing many others, and the 1000s on the waiting list didn't either. Both Landshare and the NSALG are campaging against this but why have we only found out when its too late? Why are these consultations not publicised more widely?

I guess I'll put in some late comments, but as the consultation is closed I'll write to my MP a) to object to this and b) to object to the way it seems to have been kept quiet. I hope some of you will do the same, after all they work for you.

As I read about this I was listening to the latest BMJ Podcast (easy to listen to for non-medics, honest!) all about the problems with the rising cost of food. The rising cost of food is hitting us in the UK too and I think the recent growth in the grow your own movement is partly a reaction to this - its a hobby that saves you money!

I feel odd talking about this, not least because we have decided to get rid of our allotment in the autumn. This was a tough decision, but when we got the allotment we were in a flat, now we have a garden, perhaps a quarter of the size of the allotment, but its handy location makes maintenance easier and through polyplanting I hope to be reasonably productive. I am worried about how I will grow my beloved curcubits, onions and potatoes which all take up a lot of space. I think allotments are one of the ways we will survive into the future, we need to keep fruit & veg gardening available to all in our society, and while I'll miss the allotment, I know I'll make two waiting list dwellers happy.

 I was intrigued by the time stealing device that is twitter into a debate about feminism. I was struck by the views outlined on half the world is watching and on It's Mothers work. I'm guessing i fall mid-way in age range between these two women and it gives me a different perspective. For a start I don't think I've ever met a man who openly self-defines as feminist, even if on discussion that's how their views pan out. If challenged about feminism most men I know might mumble "yeah I belive in equality and stuff like that " and then wander off. So i was struck by Soph's experience of men calling (or indeed believing) themselves to be feminists, as essentially, a pulling tactic. My experience is of calling oneself a feminist a great way to get rid of unwanted admirers (they still assume feminist means man hater, sigh).

 I can honestly say, if any of my friends of any gender call themselves a feminist I don't know about it. Too many people I know believe the fight for equality is over and done and that there is no point in being a feminist in the 21st century. I bloody wish. Facts are the pay gap is going nowhere fast,  the Cabinet has more men who went to Magdalen college, Oxford than women, and basically its still a patriarchy, yeah.

 Soph's blog post also talks about feminism being used to sell sexism back to us as empowerment. This is such a thorny issue. Basically I think it stinks, but I know plenty of people who reckon pole-fit classes are 'fun and empowering' rather than glamorising and sanitising an often repressive sex industry. I certainly haven't made my mind up on these (or indeed many other issues), but I'm glad to see people (of all genders) talking about these issues. 

Hmm I thought I'd blogged before about detergents but seems I've just talked about various laundry balls i wanted to talk about the boring topic of laundry, mostly because my long held traditions have changed. In the post about balls i talked about the magnoball and laundry balls as well as dryer balls. Well dryer balls are the only ones I'm still using.

I didn't get on with laundry balls because I'm a bit dyspraxic so my clothes do get mucky and need real detergent. I'd been using ecover laundry products and washing up liquid for years, bought on-line, in bulk from wiggly wigglers. I've also tried faith in nature and BioD and found them all much of a muchness. I also tried the Method laundry detergent which is fab but prohibitively expensive. Towards the end of last year I'd ran out of laundry liquid and in the shop noticed that the ecover product was nearly 3x the cost of the supermarket own brand. I bought own brand and have ever since, I'm not sure I'd say it was better, but it sure as hell is cheaper, and I can't see me switching back anytime soon.

Then between Christmas and new years we had a crisis of washing up liquid (No dishwasher here :( ). I sent husband round the shop and he returned with a bottle a fairy liquid. Well it was a 650ml bottle and we are only just over halfway through it, we would have used a litre of my usual brands by now. Is it better to use a smaller amount of less biodegradable detergent, or more of a more biodegradable detergent? There is a stream near where I live with hideously foamy water and I'd hate be contributing to that. But I need clean, clothes and plates and so on without breaking the bank. What's a girl to do?

On a cheerier note, I would still heartily recommend dryer balls. Noisy buggers but they make things softer and dry in less time, and believe me I have done a lot of tumble drying this winter.

Does anyone have stong feelings about laundry they want to share?

An Invite from Ed Milliband?!

Was very surprised this week to get a letter from Ed Milliband (s press machine). I've been invited to meet Andy Burnham at a top secret location on Friday as part of the fresh-ideas.org.uk campaign. Not really sure what to think about this, I mean how do they know who I am? Why pick me? Exactly what have I been invited to? I'm guessing this sort of 'engagement event' is about mining for ideas to reshape Labour policy.

As fortune has it I'm off on Friday, so I'm gonna schelpp along and see what its really about. I'm a little concerned my head might explode. The ConDems are making great haste in wrecking this country, and the opposition Labour are providing is pathetic. There are so many things that make me crazy (in no particular order):
The Health Bill
Changes to disability living allowance
Library Closures
Threats to bookstart
Replacing nurse - led NHS direct with NHS111 with 1 nurse per call-centre
Forest Sell-Off
The 'Universal Credit'
Cuts to all areas of local authorities particularly, children's (and adults) social services
Decimation of Sure Start
Removal of public transport subsidies

There are probably a ton more, that's just off the top of my head. It upsets me when people's main response to this is "well what would you cut?". These cuts are not an economic necessity, they are an ideological assault on all of us. This brilliant video from the blog at False Economy, explains it well. Its said you should judge a society by the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Many of these cuts target the most vulnerable whether that's children, people with disabilities, older people, the long term unemployed etc etc.

So what do I say? Where do I start? Do I bring my list of vitriol with me? The opposition Labour provide has to step up a gear, or we are all lost. Sadly I just don't see it happening. Many of the ConDems ideas are building on the 'work' of New Labour.

I will report back on what happens, I hope I will come home happy and convinced Labour speak for people like me. But I seriously doubt it.

My Vegetarian Preganancy (no not mine!)

I am feeling just a little smug as last night I found out my letter was published in latest edition of Vegetarian Living magazine. I wrote in about an article in the January edition called "My Vegetarian Pregnancy". I was one woman's experience, and, undoubtedly she did have a bad experience with her health visitor, who told her she had to eat meat. Because it was one woman's story there was no explanation of why we weigh babies and worry if their not gaining as much we would expect (clue: it's because there's something wrong!).
Reading the article, it struck me that if I wasn't a student Health Visitor, this article would totally have put me off seeking advice from my HV (er, if I had a baby, which I don't); hence the writing in. Very happy to see my letter published in an issue which also gives some very sensible vegetarian and vegan weaning advice; a teensy bit disappointed to have lost out on letter of the month to a finalist of Miss Teen GB (really? they want to endorse beauty pageants?).

Its been nearly a year since I posted here. The reasons are many, some will become clear. I think this blog is goin to have a change of direction though

Robin Hood Tax

Ok, not really a proper post here. Just a shout out about this Robin Hood Tax

Early sowings

Hmmm forgot the camera again.

Planted up the bed I talked about preparing last time - 'Solent Wight' garlic and 'Yellow Moon' and 'Jermor' shallots. I was keen to get them in (esp. the garlic) while it was still cold. We also prepared a bed for parsnip sowing, and started compost trenches in the bean bed.
I'm looking forward to seeing what results this produces, as it was mostly filled with used rabbit bedding, which I have an almost unending source of (my beloved mischief). I'm also being given a cat this week which i'm very excited about but I can't compost it's poo or feed it things from the allotment (mischief is currently existing off sprouts (stalks n'all) and kale (as well as hay, water, and bunny nuggets of course).

As I was (ahem) studying hard today I came across the transition Southampton website and found out about a seed swap this very weekend. Very exciting indeed!

Talking of seeds we sowed outdoor cucumbers and Brussels sprouts last week. I now think it may have been a bit early (note to self read books before sowing) but I guess i'll just have to pot them up indoors until they're ready for the great outdoors. Mind you i'm counting my seedling before they've germinated there.

Oh sorry, I forgot the camera :(

On the upside no longer horribly waterlogged (woo); on the downside too much to do (boo).
We focused on preparing a bed for us to plant shallots in which will go in next time (don't know when that will be though). We used the raised bed but without edging reccomended by Bob Flowerdew and used by our neighbours on the allotment (who inspire a lot of plot envy!) we'll let you know how it goes, it looks quite good now though! The best thing though was finally having some of our own home made compost to dig in (after 2 1/2 years). It looked good and felt nice to be using it instead of relying on bought in stuff. I am hotly anticipating the spring with so many ideas I'll never fit them all in, I think it was ever thus.

The impossible hamster

Point well made methinks

Also go here and watch this

I'm Back

Okay so I've had an extended leave of absence prompted by my wedding and laziness.

But I am back!

This weekend I went to allotment for the first time since xmas - snow stopped play :( to find it, well, deluged. Really I nearly lost a welly in the mud (thats clay soil for you I guess). I'm off down there on Saturday, and i'll take my camera I promise

Sorry about the extendend absence. Here ars some photo of what I been up to:

Potatoes growing well without me

My Beautiful Fig tree

My herb bed I am a luch girl not onlt was this built for me but so was ...

... My cold Frame! (shown here with the lid (actualy an old cloche) off)

I am lucky :)

How To Get Started With Raw Foods

Has spring yet sprung?

Whoo hooo! I finally found the battery charger for my camera. How cool. So heres a pic of my allotment:

Its not much to look at but I do love it. As you can see we are cultivating a great crop of black plastic ;)

The garlic is growing well, and I can't wait until the time finally comes to eat it. We are growing the garlic lovers collection from the garlic farm. I've planted out broad and runner beans and have courgettes and sweet corn coming along apace at home, reay for May.

I've also been thinking about yoga. I think I need some. It's the only thing that streches me out and stops me seizing up after a day at work, and it think does that same thing for me after a day's digging.

It's really beginning to feel like spring now, I'm off to search the net for climate info, and see if there's anything that can tell me when the last frosts are likey to be.

How To Get Started With Raw Foods

A farm for the future?

Wow. I've just watched a farm for the future, which I was alerted to by the excellent the gardeners world blog. This a great film about farming and peak oil (i.e. it's running out), and looks at both the problems and the possible solutions. Radio 4's Food Programme recently had a great show looking at Cuba and how they coped with their 'special period', and London and whether it can be made more self sufficient. It does strike me that we have massive areas in our cities that could be used productively, although as the owner of a spoilt pet rabbit I do not think we should keep them to eat! A newspaper article recently alerted me to incredible edible Todmorden, the town is basically attempting to make itself self sufficient in vegetables by 2018. this seems like a great idea. I wish councils would plant more fruit and nut trees for example instead of those that are, well not edible.

How To Get Started With Raw Foods

Who gives a fig?

Well. Last year I ordered a fig tree (why, Brunswick, as you ask) and 3 random trees. My 3 random fruit trees (2 vines and a kiwi tree) turned up and the fig never did and eventually I forgot about it. So when my mum rang to see if I had sent a 'big plant' to her house I denied all knowledge. Two days later she rings me and tells me that it's a fig tree. Suddenly everything clicks into place. I'm guessing i must have ordered it at the wrong time of year last year and they've just sent it out (it looks a bit healthy for having been in the post for a year). Now deciding where to site it. I'm thinking of pot growing it as apparently they are very vigorous, and also that makes it easier to move it somewhere safe in the winter. I've recently picked up Carol Klein's Grow your own Fruit, which is a lovely book. I've not read her grow your own veg but I like this and hopefully can use it help make Mr FatGirl build the fruit cage he's promised me.

I think I've killed my worms. again. I think is over feeding and over sogginess. But before i clean out the can-o-worms and start again I'll leave it a month as I've thought I'd killed them all before and I hadn't.

Yesterday's Independent on Sunday had a good article on water scarcity (sadly on-line lacking the insane graphics that print in the paper. It seems that while everyone talks about CO2 no-one wants to talk about water. I know it rains a lot but be waste massive amounts. I live on the south coast where hosepipe bans are a yearly occurrence, yet still we think we can just, well, er, chuck it down the toilet. I've briefly chatted about this issue before. I'm like anyone but why aren't new houses built with say grey water diverters or rainwater harvesting as a matter of course. They should be. It should be obvious.

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All gone wrong again

Well the whole faux green house thing didn't go well. After blowing over three times in the winds this week it ended up at the bottom of the garden in bits this morning. So I have abandoned the seedlings and sown some simple stuff by a sunny windowsill.

I have also ordered a selection of vegetable plug plants. I think this will hopefully take some of the leg work out and give me a good chance. I also think with that that I can hopefully plant up the whole plot (dun, dun, dun!). Last year we only cultivated half of it (black plasticking the rest), and was expecting to do the same this year. The selection of plugs I have ordered is brassica heavy so I've stared some sweetcorn, and courgettes inside and sown in situ some broad and runner beans. I'll get some winter squashes and more roots too.

The bokashi is amazing. Dug my first pickled batch in under a good spit of soil this weekend. Lets see how it rots down. I think (again) I've killed the worms. There is a fluffy mold growing in bin, I'm sure that's not a good sign, and i can only see dead worms. Oh dear.

How To Get Started With Raw Foods

Sowing Season, yeah

Today I are been mostly sowing sweetcorn, tomatoes, celeriac, Brussels sprouts and walking stick kale. Excitingly Mr Fatveg bought a bought a little faux green house thing for us to bring on our seedlings in, which we have propped against a south facing wall at home. Sadly there has been too much vandalism at our site to make it an idea to put anything there. Not just the normal break ins to sheds and thefts and but now arson to sheds and green houses, on two separate nights in one week. Weirdly nothing actually appears to have been nicked, just burned.

I'm using biodegradable seed pots this year, it just seems like a much better idea. Exciting times. At home Mr Fatveg had started a beautiful herb bed with hitherto unknown skills. Our first harvest of worm compost went into filling the new raised bed. After thinking I'd killed them all this was a delight, the worms are alive and the wormery is working. I used a ton of worm tea as fertilizer down on the allotment (diluted 1in 10ish). I didn't transport it in a properly air tight container and had an in - car spill! (if you have ever smelt worm tea you will know why this is so bad). The first bucket of bokashi has been filled and sealed, lets see how that goes. Will let you know how it all goes.

How To Get Started With Raw Foods

yummy Brighton

So I went to fair Brighton for a day out yesterday. I love Brighton it's fun, has the funkiest shops, and has so many veggie places to eat it is a total delight. Much to my disappointment The amazing Terre á terre is closed on Mondays, If you go to Brighton and it's not a Monday you simply must go to this place it's great. So seeing as it was closed I lunched at the Infinity foods cafe which is great. I shared the mezze platter with my beloved and it was really delicious, it is just a lovely little laid back cafe. While I was lunching I overheard some well travelled vegans saying how easy it is to be vegan in the UK compared to other countries, I think if they are living in Brighton they are definitley having a head start :)
Afternoon tea was in the choccy woccy doo dah's bar du chocolat. this was amazing. i has a white chocolate hot chocolate, with all the trimmings and a lemon cup cake. I'm guessing this combo probably had wayyyy more calories than my lovely mezze and was so rich I just couldn't finish. I love choccy woccy doo dah and they are making my bespoke wedding cake. Their creations are just stunning and taste amazing.
Dinner before the drive home was in food for friends. Yum yum yum. I love this place. I had the stuffed portobello with sweet potato, fine beans and pesto which was delicious, and my fiancee had the stuffed butternut squash filo parcel, I'm guessing it was good ... when i asked for a taste it had all gone. We shared the stuffed peppers with goats cheese (yes please).

I wish I lived somewhere with so many great veggie places to eat out.


How To Get Started With Raw Foods

Back to the land

After a good (weather induced) rest i got back down on the allotment today. The garlic I planted back in November looks to be doing well. I've planted the Garlic Lovers collection from The Garlic Farm and am quite excited. Last year being a newbie I planted my garlic in the spring instead of in the autumn, If you do this, you end up with just an eye wateringley enormous clove rather than a head. I've since learned its frost that make the garlic head up and we sure have had enough of that I think.

Today (a little later than planned) onion and shallot sets went in. Shallot sets are a ton of fun, you plant one and you just get loads and its definitely low maintenance. I hope it's as good this year. Also going on the ground were potatoes Maris Peer (second earlies) and Maris Piper (Main crop). Actual proper seed potatoes, not like last year when my beloved planted a bunch of Desiree that had chitted in our cupboard, although that did work much to my surprise.

Sprouts (Brussels), sweet corn and tomatoes I plan to all sow indoors this week, wish me luck :)



How To Get Started With Raw Foods