Welcome to my World

I love good food with wholesome ingredients and in recent years have moved further into self sufficiency. I am no earth mother, I work full time and have no pretensions to horticultural expertise. But for the last 35 years I have grown for the pot with varying degrees of seriousness. Generally if I like the taste of it and can’t afford it or worry about how it’s produced I will find a way to grow it. Lots of error but eventual success. 

I grow herbs and spices  for drinks, home remedies and seasoning

Unusual fruits

And tender perennials  in insulated environments. Everything has to earn its place. That include Yacon which is our main source of sugar since I gave up highly processed sugars.


On the eating side

I love cheese but cheese don't love me, so I make substitutes using nuts and seeds. Ok I can't grow cashews, almonds or coconuts but I do find space for Sunflowers a mini orchard of several apple varieties for the raw cider vinager and most of the other flavours. My daughter now prefers it to the real deal. I make my own bread and no I don't grow wheat but I have a sourdough starter of many years and my various ferments supply other yeasts

This blog came from the realisation that most of my friends and acquaintances have been diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol, have become pre-diabetic or actually type 2 diabetic or the menopause and middle age brought new battles with weight gain and many have been asking questions as they look for alternatives to medication and diet sheets.