A Sneak Peek Into Our Home!

A little peek inside some changes around our home ... some of my favourite spots!

My second-hand hutch I brought for a steal, and now it homes my natural health ingredients and is the perfect display for my collection of jugs, and other tid-bits!

I recently brought this table second-hand for only $30! My husband helped to replace the top with fresh new pieces of Cyprus for only $3! It now holds all of our 'nature treasures' ...

... beautiful natural objects we've found through the years.

I love bringing nature into the home for my children to explore (& me too!)

I'll be posting more sneak peeks into our home soon! 

See you all then!

Herb Stand

As I've shared with you all in my post about My Personal Goals, I am wanting to learn more about natural living, healthy eating, gardening etc. Over this past weekend, I was able to set up a herb stand that I am very excited about. My son and I did it together on Saturday night, which made it even nicer! 

At our local produce there were herb seeds for sale that were $4.30 a packet, I thought that was way over-priced so I held off, and I'm glad I did. I searched in the dollar store and found herb seeds there for only $1.69 a packet! ... much better! So I grabbed all the ones that I knew I'd use in our kitchen (and hopefully teas and medicines etc), and brought them home pretty excited to get it started! Such simple things in life!

While in Toowoomba a couple of weeks ago, I planned ahead by purchasing some small terracotta pot plants from Bunnings for only $1 each! The cost of the same pot-plants where we live are over triple the price! So, naturally, I stocked up! (my husband plans on using some for making more of his amazing projects too!) A couple of $3.00 bags of potting mix later and I have some herbs planted, waiting to sprout! I'm so thankful that I was able to do this little project cheaply! I was going to wait to purchase some already established single herb plants from the next local markets, but I'm impatient. Sigh. Even though I have to wait for the seeds to germinate anyway! Oh well! 

My parents gave this gardening stand to us a couple of Christmases ago, I'm happy to have it set up with herbs!

I remembered I had two vintage drawers that I thought would add some nice character to the shelf! 

The stand is set up underneath our outdoor patio area, so that it's nice and close to the kitchen! I find that if I have herbs close I see them regularly which reminds me to not only use them, but water and fertilize them as well! I love sending my kids out to pick the herbs I need to add to cooking, it is a really good experience for them! 

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.

May Sarton

When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited.

I'm very excited to be growing Peppermint and Lemon Balm, I've not grown either of these before. I think they would both be nice in a tea? 

I'm looking forward to seeing all the little sprouts popping up out of the soil in time! 

Next, I hope to plant up more flowering plants; maybe lavender, some bulbs, some roses ... and anything else that's pretty really! I was watching Sarah, Plain and Tall the other day with my girls, and Sarah was hanging lavender up in their home to dry it ... I hope to do the same! 

Pinterest has been overloading my mind with all these gardening ideas that I am really keen to begin! As we are renting, I'm trying to set up things in pots so that we can take them all with us when we leave. I've been smitten with the 'hidden gardens'  that I put into the search bar on pinterest. Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to create a little hidden spot, bursting with beautiful flowers, sweet smells and lots of birds, butterflies and bumble bees! 

Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air. 

Georges Bernanos

Well, I hope you're all having a wonderful week! I'll be sure to show you photos of the herbs as they sprout and then recipes using them! 

Potato In A Pan - Cooking With Coconut Oil

Lately I have been looking into the benefits and uses for pure coconut oil. It is amazing the amount of health benefits that it has for our bodies, both internally and externally. I am really enjoying what I am learning. It's been my desire for a while now to begin using pure and natural ingredients in my home for cleaning, cooking and medical purposes. 

I borrowed out a stack of books from our local library about coconut oil, herbs, essential oils, organic gardening etc, and I'm very eager to see these changes starting in my home. I would like to think it would be a quick transition, but I think I'll be a little limited at first due to budget. That's fine though, better late than never, as they say!

I've been using more coconut oil in my cooking and the other day, I made 'potato in a pan' as my kids call it! It was delicious!

My Potato in a Pan! ... 

Grate enough peeled potatoes to fill the bottom of your pan.
I use an oven proof pan as later, I put the whole dish in the oven.

Flatten the potato in the pan with two tablespoons of pure coconut
oil in the bottom of the pan, and add salt and pepper.
I also added herb and garlic seasoning.
Cook the dish like this with the lid on for about 12-15 mins
so that the potato is soft.

After the 12-15 mins add grated cheese to taste, then put lid on to melt it.

Put the whole pan in the oven at 200degC just long

enough for the cheese to brown.

The potato forms a delicious crunchy golden crust on the bottom of the pan from the coconut oil and it has a delicious cheesy crust on top and the potato is soft and fluffy! It's so good! I've cooked it as a side dish to scrambled eggs, and just for a lunch dish sometimes. It's a really yummy way to use the humble potato, it's cheap and is a great way to add coconut oil to your diet. My family devours this dish and have asked me to cook it again for them! 

I'd love to here from you all with any recipes that you have using coconut oil so that I can build up my stash of yummy dishes! There's probably many of you who've been using coconut oil for years and are next to masters in using it! I'd love to glean from your experience! 

I hope you're all having a lovely week!


(Linking up with A Bountiful Love)