Over the years I’ve discovered, shared and lost many useful links.
Finally, here the best of them are, all in one place.
Find your tribe | As it turned out, following our dream of “living simply and creatively” puts us in the good company of likeminded others.
Permies | See also my blog post Permaculture . . . a selection of freely shared resources.
I’m a member of Permaculture Australia and Australian Institute of Horticulture.
I volunteer with OzGREEN and Carers NSW. Also noteworthy, Carer Gateway the national network of support services for both unpaid and paid carers in Australia.
Food inspo from friends
Almost Italian | Bread; Cakes, Biscuits and Slices; Camp Cooking; Desserts; Fish and Seafood; Indian; Indonesian; Italian; Sauces, Dips, Preserves and Dressings; Soup; Sides, Vegetarian and egg dishes… vegetarian, vegan or fish/seafood based recipe links.
Ardysez | Bread/Baked Goods and Food recipe links.
Around The Mulberry Tree | Yummy Stuff – Preserving and Recipe links.
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial | Bread, recipes and living well links.
Passion Fruit Garden | Living the dream and recipe links.
Tall Tales from Chiconia | Food and recipe links.
The Kitchen’s Garden and Janie’s Mill | Bread/baked goods recipes and links.
Freebies
Hoopla is a web and mobile library media streaming platform launched in 2010 for audio books, comics, e-books, movies, music, and TV. The service is free for users with library membership.
Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video platform for public and academic libraries that offers films, TV shows and documentaries. The service is free for users with library membership.
Libby is a library reading app. Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more. The service is free for users with library membership.
Tubi is a legal video streaming app that includes ads which monetize content provided to viewers for free.
Also keep an eye out… Most of the TV and movie streaming apps offer free trial periods, and for books Kindle Unlimited and Scribd offer free or discounted subscriptions from time-to-time.
Not free, not an endorsement but imo pretty good value
Amazon Prime for A$6.99 per month or A$59 annually… offers free delivery in as fast as two days on millions of local and international Prime eligible items shipped by Amazon Australia; Prime Video, which provides access to Prime Original series and other popular movies and TV shows; Amazon Music for Prime Members provides Prime members with access to 100 million songs ad-free in shuffle mode, the largest catalogue of ad-free top podcasts, and thousands of playlists and stations; Prime Reading provides access to a selection of over 1,000 e-books; video game benefits with Prime Gaming, and exclusive Prime member deals.
Good stuff: links to online sources
Aspirin and Arnica Analgesic Cream | Made by a local Nambucca Valley compounding pharmacist, we apply it topically for arthritis, joint & muscle aches & injuries.
Artisan Sourdough Made Simple | My go-to sourdough bread book, by Emilie Raffa aka The Clever Carrot.
Bendigo Woollen Mills | I’m happy with the 10 ply cottons (colours: 871 Denim, 852 Peacock, 854 Blue Ice, 891 Light Teal) I purchased to knit kitchen cloths… not so much the 4.5mm Pony plastic knitting needles.
Brayco Stainless Steel Australia | Stainless steel benches, stainless sinks, stainless shelves and stainless cabinets. This is where we sourced our kitchen prep bench, sink and storage shelves.
Chasseur |Cast iron cookware is my go-to for slow braises. I have a Round Casserole 30 cm/2.5 litre and a Round French Oven 26 cm/5 litre which I also use to bake sourdough bread. After years of constant use they show signs of wear but are still very serviceable. We also have a stovetop kettle that will probably last forever but as far I’m concerned takes too long to come to the boil. Available and affordable via various online retailers, or a good kitchenware/department store.
Chuckit! Fetch Balls | Are Diesel-dog’s favourite ball, and we like them too because they’re soft for him to catch but durable. Available via various online retailers, or in pet stores.
De’Longhi | In April 2023 we replaced the Jura Ena 5 we bought in 2009: it was a brilliant fully automatic coffee machine but not the best to maintain… needing to be sent off to be serviced and deep cleaned. Which is why we went with a De’Longhi Magnifica Start. Half the price, possibly less longevity but can be disassembled at home for manual cleaning and without using a chemical cleaning tablet.
Demeter Farm Mill Organic Wholewheat Bakers Flour | My favourite flour for sourdough bread baking. I buy a 5 kg bag from Organic Feast in East Maitland, NSW when I travel to visit my Dad. For soft white bread I use Demeter Farm Mill Organic Unbleached White Bakers Flour. Demeter flours come from Wholegrain Milling in Gunnedah, NSW. Demeter flour is is available from various retailers and online.
EasiYo | Is the yoghurt maker I use to make homemade Greek yoghurt. Available from supermarkets and online retailers.
Elektra Magnesium Cream | A family owned Australian company located on the Gold Coast. This is where I source topical elemental magnesium treatment for dry skin, muscle cramps and joint aches.
Farmer Pete’s a small family-owned business based nearby to us in Eungai Creek. They make dehydrated pet treats for large and small animals from locally sourced fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. We buy dog treats from them at our local Funkya@Unkya markets or online. They have a Paw Points loyalty program.
FlavourCrusader | Links to producers who support a healthy, fair and delicious food supply.
Ford Street Publishing | This is where I buy book gifts -especially Isobelle Carmody’s Legend of Little Fur series- for young & young-at-heart family and friends. A small independent Australian publisher of books for children and young adults, based in Melbourne Australia.
Grants | Is where I source toothpaste and oral care products containing Xylitol. An Australian all natural product from Melbourne.
Green Harvest | I source gardening seeds and plants from this family-owned business located in Maleny, Queensland via their website which also features excellent growing information.
Greenpatch Organic Seeds & Plants | Is where I source seeds and tubestock plants via their website but also from their smal but wonderful plant nursery selling organic seeds and edible, useful & beautiful plants, located less than 1 km on Old Bar Road from the exit at Taree on the M1 Pacific Motorway.
Health Delivery | A New Zealand based website which ships to Australia and worldwide and where I source health and personal care products such as Apicare and Hope’s Relief creams and Sanderson Magnesium supplements.
House of Knives | Tojiro knives and kiri wood (Paulownia) Japanese cutting boards, a family owned online retailer based in Sydney, NSW.
Kefirko | Kefir making supplies from Nourish Me Organics, a small business in Melbourne, Victoria.
Laguiole | Multi-hued cutlery brightens up our special meals. Available and affordable via various online retailers, or a good kitchenware/department store.
L’Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream with Arnica and lavender essential oil; soothes sore feet and hands. Available via various retailers and online.
McConnells This ‘n’ That | Is where I sourced my Sloggers garden shoes. A rural small business in Merriwa NSW.
Messermeister | Out of all the kitchen knives we’ve tried, we love these best. Available and affordable via various online retailers, or a good kitchenware/department store.
Nambucca Macnuts | Is where we source our favourite roasted-unsalted macadamia nuts and oil grown locally in the Nambucca Valley.
Nourishme Organics | Is where I sourced my water kefir grains and Kefirko kit; a small business based in the South East of Melbourne.
Nuggetty Creek Olive Oil | Is where I source our favourite olive oil, grown and pressed in the Victorian Goldfields region, in 20 litre drums.
Perry’s Lemon Myrtle | Is where I source our favourite Lemon Myrtle Goat’s Milk soap, produced locally in the Nambucca Valley.
Renovator Store | Bathroom & Kitchen Fixtures, Flooring, Storage & More. This is where we sourced our dual spray kitchen sink tap.
Rover Pet Products | A small business in the Hunter Valley, NSW near where my Dad lives. This is where I sourced Diesel’s dog collar customised with his name and our phone numbers.
Sanderson High Absorption Organic Magnesium FX Tablets | From Health Delivery, a NZ based website developed to service Australia and the rest of the world.
Scanpan | Roasters are my go-to for non-stick ovenware. I have a Classic 34cm x 22cm/3.25L Small Roaster and a Classic 39cm x 27cm/5L Medium Roaster. After years of constant use they show signs of wear but are still very serviceable. Available and affordable via various online retailers, or a good kitchenware/department store.
Sicilia Coffee | A South Australian family-owned business. This is where I source our favourite Organic Crema coffee beans in 1 kg bags.
SimplyClean | Australian family-owned company in Lismore, Northern Rivers NSW. This is where I source our eco-friendly washing up detergent, washing powder and any other household cleaning products I don’t make for myself.
Simply Sourdough | A small business in Trafalgar, Victoria. This is where I sourced my bread proving basket/banneton and liner.
Sukin | My favourite Super Greens facial moisturiser and Bergamot & Patchouli hydrating body lotion; natural ingredients, cruelty free, Australian made in Melbourne.
Treloar Roses | This is where we order bare root rose plants for our garden. Supplying quality bare root rose plants Australia-wide for over 55 years and the largest rose grower in Australia. Located in Victoria.
Troforte | My go-to liquid and slow release pellet fertiliser… not just NPK but minerals and microbes. Made in Western Australia. You can read about it here.
World of Books Australia | Their blurb… “If you’re looking for great value second hand books, then World of Books is the place for you. As you may already know, we aren’t like other online book stores. For starters, we don’t believe that books should only be read once, or have a single owner. Literature should endure and be continually recycled, which is why we help millions of used books find new homes every year. World of Books also buys directly from charities, taking the titles they don’t want or haven’t got space for. So as well as preventing the destruction of perfectly good books, our customers are helping to support good causes too.” They ship free in Australia. There is also a World of Books UK.
Recipes I don’t want to lose (again)
Meat
Old-Fashioned Lamb’s Fry and Bacon with Onion and Gravy
Make sure you end up with lots of gravy. We eat this with creamy mashed potato, blanched green veges or cooked frozen peas and on buttery toast. A little bit goes a long way.
Beirut Lamb Pizza with Preserved Lemon Kewpie Mayonnaise
(I simplify this by using pre-made wraps/Lebanese bread/pizza base, minced lamb/beef/pork which I premix with spices, breadcrumbs, eggs and milk in the food processor and store in tubs in the freezer, usually omitting the fries… really, the point of it is the Preserved Lemon Kewpie Mayo.)
Beef Bone Broth with apple cider vinegar
I absolutely cannot drink this for the health benefits many suggest it confers… but it is the best beef stock.
Vego, vegan/optional meat, sides, etc
Red Lentil Dhal
(I don’t love dahl made with tinned tomatoes, so I leave them out)
Mushroom and Barley Risotto
(I use parsley instead of leek and omit the prosciutto in step 1, and the omit the parsley in step 2)
Savoury Impossible Pie
(We call this “fridge pie” and use whatever leftovers/ingredients we have, e.g. cooked pasta/noodles, bread, veges, herbs, tinned fish, cold meat, veges. If we make it without flour it’s call “fridgettata”. There is also a sweet version, swapping out savoury ingredients for sugar, vanilla extract and shredded coconut, berries, cherries, figs, passionfruit, etc.)
Ricotta Gnocchi
My version of sauce is roma tomatoes, clove of elephant, handful of basil leaves all chopped and sautéed in olive oil adding a squeeze of Mutti tomato paste and seasoning to taste.
Potato Gnocchi with Burnt Sage Butter
Burnt sage butter is my alternative gnocchi dressing. Ingredients and method from Matt Moran’s potato gnocchi recipe.
Soup
Roasted Pumpkin + Pear + Tomato Soup (serve topped with crumbled blue cheese or diced sausage or cheese toasties)
Over the years I have cooked many pumpkin soups, my style ever-evolving. My current go-to method is to roast pumpkin halves or quarters with seeds removed then wrapped in foil. At the same time roast pears, tomatoes and garlic cloves drizzled in olive oil in a separate lidded casserole dish. Scoop cooked pumpkin flesh away from the skin and add along with the cooked pears, tomato, garlic and olive oil to a saucepan with 2 – 3 cups of white miso broth… enough to obtain a thick soup consistency using a stick blender. Sometimes I add a can of drained and well-rinsed cannellini beans or a couple of spoonfuls of tahini paste, ground ginger and cumin for more flavour and texture depending on the quality of the pumpkin.
Pea and Ham Soup
We save our Christmas and Easter ham bones so we can make 2 batches of this during winter. This soup is a family tradition that is an olfactory memory from my childhood… and we don’t puree or blend the soup.
Beef and Sweet Potato Soup
I swap out the lamb and pumpkin in the recipe for beef bones and sweet potato because we get free beef bones with our local grass fed beef order, and we always have sweet potatoes in the garden or pantry.
Sweet
All Recipes AU NZ YouTube Chocolate Beetroot Cake or Taste.com.au Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Coconut Flour, Cacao Nib/ Choc Chip Biscuits (gluten free)
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free)
Crisp Coconut Biscuits (or tart cases)
Fig and Almond Cake (or pear, apple, peach, cherry, etc)
Yoghurt cake with strawberries (or mango, cherries, berries, etc)
Salted Honey and Tahini Shortbread
I think the mix is too thick & sticky to easily follow the recipe instructions to use electric beaters, I use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.
Sourdough, bread, etc
Sourdough + Yeast Focaccia – Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
Römertopf sourdough loaf: Fig Jam and Lime Cordial or The Passion Fruit Garden
Yeast Focaccia – Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
Apple Cider Doughnuts/Donuts
Made with sourdough discard. I subbed the recipe’s apple cider for 130g mashed/puree apple. I suggest 2 donut pans to bake 24 small donuts simultaneously are needed as it’s not necessary to wait the advised 10 minute cool down time… they are best eaten hot… when the apple-butter-sugar-spice flavour combo is at its best.
Dumplings (savoury or sweet)
Condiments / D.I.Y., etc
20 amazing things you can do with aquafaba
10 Foods You Should Be Making Not Buying
(peanut butter, muesli bars, pesto, dips, breadcrumbs, croutons, sauces, stock, vegan chocolate, vegan cheese)
Worcestershire Sauce: made with plums – Sally Wise or made with plum jam – Passion Fruit Garden
You can make pesto with just about anything
Chinese Pickled Vegetables – Poh’s Kitchen
Homemade Mustard – David Lebovitz
Preserved Lemon Kewpie Mayonnaise
Green Goddess Dressing
I make this from whatever greens I can find in the garden. It works so long as it has a good proportion of mint. Other suggestions: mint, nasturtium, coriander; mint, nasturtium, garlic chives. Other ingredients can be subbed like-for-like or omitted, so if you don’t have all the listed ingredients don’t let it stop you. The aim is to end up with a zingy creamy sauce, or if you want a dip, add cream cheese.
Miso Tahini Butter
Delicious on roasted veges and sautéed greens or salad.
Dairy
Homemade Greek Yoghurt – Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
Labne (marinated yoghurt cheese balls)
Note: Some of these recipes get the frankenrecipe treatment when I make them… adapted to suit or combined with another similar, ingredients substituted with I have to hand or omitting those I don’t have or don’t care for. Other things, I have been cooking for so long the recipe has been lost, or there never was one.
Lifelong learning
I studied permaculture via Tafe NSW and National Environment Centre.
I studied horticulture via Tafe NSW.
I studied Drawing Nature, Science and Culture: Natural History Illustration 101 via University of Newcastle – edX MOOC.
Out and about
I review places we visit on Tripadvisor as EllaDee011 and WikiCamps Australia as “Con” Fusion.
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