Zucchini, Chocolate + Olive Oil Cake

We’ve been knee-deep in zucchinis for a while now. The glut began before the tomatoes ripened, and it continues to surprise us with over-sized veggies most days. It’s a nice problem to have. Only about half of us actually like eating zucchini on it’s own, so to stay on top of the glut, we’ve been experimenting with zucchini kasundi recipes - we’ve not found a total favourite yet, but have a couple that will clear your sinuses if you’re brave! And we’ve returned to old favourites like pickled zucchinis, spiced zucchini soup (fabulous with fresh bread on autumn evenings, and a great glut-buster), and our favourite, zucchini chocolate cake. 

This is our go-to zucchini chocolate cake recipe. It’s a quick mix recipe that makes a large amount of cake to share for a group, or to supply hungry kids with snacks for up to a week (it may depend on how hungry!). The cake keeps moist in an air-tight container on the bench for a few days, or can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen if longer storage is needed.

The olive oil adds depth of flavour that prevents the cake from being overly sweet. If you prefer a milder flavour, another vegetable or seed oil like sunflower oil might be a good replacement. The cake is dairy free and can be made gluten free with the alternative mentioned below. We haven’t tried an egg replacement so it’s not vegan, but let us know if you find a method that works for you! You can also add your favourite nuts or seeds to the cake, and ice it if you like.

Like all our recipes, we recommend you experiment and have fun finding what works best for you! 

2 cups (250g) plain flour

1.5 cups organic raw sugar (coconut sugar or rapadura also work, but can change the texture slightly).
3/4 cup cocoa powder (or raw cacao) 
3 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon bicarb
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup olive oil

2 cups grated zucchini, firmly packed

1. Preheat oven to 180°C

2. Grease and flour a lamington tin.
3. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl, then stir.
4. Add the eggs and oil to the bowl, and mix well.
5. Add the zucchini and mix together evenly.
6. Pour into the prepared lamington tin.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour. 

8. Cool the cake and slice it into squares. 

Gluten free version: Use a gluten-free flour mix and add one extra egg. 

Our Garden Re-design :: Spiral vs Line

A few weeks ago, I looked out the kitchen window and said to Huz "I think we need to remove the spiral. We need straight beds if we're going to increase our yield". He shrugged and wasn't particularly fussed either way, a little sceptical about how much food we could actually get from our garden anyway. He'd never had much interest in growing veggies, despite his enthusiasm for everything else permaculture. Then a week later he spent the day diving into skills for growing food with Good Life Permaculture. He learnt everything from composting to market gardening, realised he already knew a bunch of stuff with his ecological background and years of gardening, and it all just clicked.  He decided it was all about two things: tools and straight lines.

Initially we chose a spiral shape for our vegetable garden in an attempt to slow the flow of nutrients, water and ourselves through the garden. We actively sought something whimsical that would take us out there and slow our own energy flow a bit, inviting us to linger. Knowing spirals to be pretty whimsical and therapeutic, it seemed perfect. An experiment in energy and growth and playfulness within a permaculture system.

The spiral worked really well for a while. We'd converted a large expanse of lawn to something productive. We'd managed to find a system of rotating guilds that flowed though the spiral with the seasons. It was pretty hippy-dippy ace. But it wasn't as productive as it could have been and the difficulty of integrating animals, particularly chooks, into the veggie garden bothered me. Plus a curved line can be harder to cultivate and a crop-rotation system in spiral format seriously messes with your head! Plus we'd managed to find that slowing of energy we craved, that space to daydream, around the edges of the veggie garden, in the food forest.

So right now, along with everything else in our lives it seems, we're going for a complete overhaul. Hundreds of convict bricks have been pulled up again and paths are being re-defined. We've begun the back (and arm!) breaking process of double-digging the soil as we create long, straight beds, slightly reminiscent of a French market garden.

It's the first time we've really dug a garden bed, always opting for raised beds in the past. But we're hoping to give ourselves just a little extra topsoil in our mega-heavy-clay-soil garden. We're observing and chatting about the history of certain patches of soil, what grew where and how and why the soil is the way it is. It's surprising the difference chooks can make to a small patch of heavy clay soil in just one month and how, even months later, you can tell that they've been there by the way the solid crumbles in your hands. We're thrilled that every little bit of effort we've put in so far has paid off. There are some seriously lush areas of topsoil there! We're so glad that our years as custodians of this particular patch of soil haven't been wasted, as slow as the progress seems to have been. It's also surprising how when you've lived somewhere for many years, you can still find remnants of those who've lived there before - old pipes, rusty pliers, broken teacups hidden beneath the soil. We're taking note and learning more as we go.

We're spending long days in the garden, working around the clock to make sure we get it going as soon as humanly possible. Each of us getting involved and taking a role into the construction of something we hope will help feed us and help the budget stretch a little further. We're buying way too many tomato plants at the RTBG fundraiser tomato sale. Huz is nerding out, planning crop rotations and putting his love of spreadsheets to good use. We're making sure we harvest the little bits we can from what's left from the winter garden, and feeling super excited to watch our spring garden evolve through future seasons.


How does your garden grow this spring? 
Have you ever created a garden you loved and dug it up to begin again?

Don't forget our next Seedlings Permaculture for Families e-course begins on October 1st - that's two days from now! A perfect time to dig deep and find your permie mojo. 

It's really important to us that Seedlings is accessible to as many people as possible. So before we begin, we're offering two full scholarships for this  round. If you, or someone you know, would like to join in but isn't in a position to afford it right now, please email us at hello@spiralgarden.com.au. We'd love to hear from you! 

Happy gardening! 

~ Lauren. xx

Unschool Monday :: What Happened Next

So we left you hanging there a bit, hey? Winter was long and difficult and rather awful. In the garden, we were unprepared for the repeated frosts that kept our plants from growing and providing much yield - it seemed to mirror everything else. Things got worse. It was ugly and heavy and heart breaking. The school forms were filled out with lumps in our throats and we very nearly did go ahead with Plan B. But we didn't.

It turns out we love what we do and the way we do it so much that the Owlets decided that school isn't the answer, for now. So we're putting some extra effort into keeping things bubbling along. Which is so much easier now that Spring is here. I don't think I've looked forward to a change of seasons so much in all my life! We've re-connected with some super lovely people who've brought so much positivity. Our connection with the Owlets has strengthened as they've appreciated our complete honesty and open arms. We've all learnt a whole lot.

Choosing to see a world full of opportunities, we've begun learning new skills, trying new things and redefining ourselves a bit. As good permies do, we're backing up our major functions. It's all a bit exciting and new again. We're working extra hard to hone the budget to accommodate a choir, and cello lessons - a long-time wish of Big Owlet's and just at the perfect time for Little Owlet, who has always adored music. We're trying our hands at making baskets and mosaics. We're visiting the Marine Discovery Centre, planning trips, hanging out at the beach…

We've been super lucky to have friends come to visit from the mainland, at just the right time, with children for Owlets to connect with. We've reached out to new friends. We've celebrated 10 years since we first arrived to build a life here. And our much-missed mainland family have booked in a couple of weeks down here for Christmas, which just feels like a huge hug.

We shook things up in our nest too, by moving ALL the furniture around and throwing out what we no longer need. And right now the garden is in a state of flux while we dig up our beautiful spiral to make way for some serious veggie production - part budgetary measure and part personal challenge. The Owlets are on board with that more than ever and we're reconnecting with the earth, the soil we're taking care of, and each other, as we move into our 11th year on this beautiful island. It's just about the biggest spring clean of our lives! The energy is good and positive and we continue on as unschoolers and life learners, as we always were.

Hugest thanks to the kind words and supportive shoulders that have been around these past few weeks. They've been so very needed and treasured. 

How's your spring shaping up? 
Have you been doing some spring cleaning?

Have a beautiful week!

~ Lauren. xx

Rhythm, Surprises and Tiny.

It takes extra special effort to keep active, see friends and be present in the real world in the depths of winter. It's so easy to be swept along by the cocooning, short and fire-filled days. The desire to draw inward and snuggle by the fire and read a book can see days roll into weeks. The need to see friends can in some ways be met through social media, while owlets can choose spend hours with their friends on Minecraft, on days where venturing out seems all too hard. It's like having little portals to view the outside world, from the comfort of our couch. Regular jobs drag us along in a rhythm of bare essentials before we retreat. Before long, 4.30pm rolls around and the sun sinks as we stoke the fire and proclaim the day done. By midwinter, it takes extra motivation to break out of that cosy rut. Something special to get us rolling along again. Our three motivations each day are rhythm, surprises, and Tiny.



By 6am most mornings, Tiny is usually nudging me out of bed. "I'm hungry", she whispers, and we slip down the hallway to switch on the lights, feed the meowing cats and turn the heater on. Then we fold the clothes on the rack and chat about things while we decide what to have for breakfast. Tiny is like a tiger and when she's hungry or not engaged in an activity, she roars. Breakfast and lots of things to do are a priority. She's at that magical age where the world is opening up to her and she's full of awe and wonder. But on these winter days, it's so easy for me to get swept along with what needs doing, so the balance can shift and we forget to pause and play.



Owlets love surprises, so we like to mix things up with last minute day trips and thoughtful things. This week, I made Tiny a seasonal table, in a space we created a couple of weeks ago during a furniture re-shuffle. It's been such a long time since I paused to create something to draw her attention and she adored it. The magic of soft candle light, gentle colours and delicate things to admire and play with. It was like pressing the reset button on our winter, while giving her my full attention for a moment. Sometimes that connection with one owlet is enough to have all of us working together more harmoniously again.




Tiny and I have been sparkly snowflake making, reading Snowflake Bentley, face painting, having scones for lunch, building with clay, playing sleeping queens and chess, watching the sun rise on the beach… The two bigger owlets have been inspired to join in too, so our days have had a revived hum to them. I've been more present, which has been fun and tiring and so wonderful, as we all restore a little bit of balance and unfurl a bit. Sorry shop, sorry blog, sorry house, sorry knitting, sorry garden! There's fun to be had!

How are you coping with winter? Is it super cold where you are right now? 
Do you have a way to reset and get your week back on track? 
Do you have a seasonal table set up? 
What works for you? 

~ Lauren xx

For the love of bees...

 

It's rather glum in our garden right now. Everything's quiet. It's a little grey and damp. The cabbages, kale and cauliflower are bursting with colour and life and the kookaburras drop in and visit from time to time, but there's a stillness. We're missing the flowers and possibly, most of all, we're missing the bees.

Things are looking up though! We have a corner of our garden picked and a gorgeous new wooden hive on it's way to us within a matter of weeks. In the spring we'll be hoping to welcome a colony of new friends to our garden and the regular visitors will be here too. There will be life and sunshine and the garden will be humming again.




But right now, while we wait, we're revisiting an old favourite project and making some bees of our own, to remind us of the good things to come. They're quite simple to make. We used some hakea cones we found walking along a local track. For wings we found some old packaging foam that had a light, gossamer appearance, but paper, tule, felt or anything lightweight and rigid would do. Then we found some yarn and wrapped it around the cone, tying the wings in place and creating a stripy bee body. Instant bee to decorate the windows or play bee games while we dream of warmer days again.

We're also cheering the place up by making beeswax candles, lip balm, furniture polish and using beeswax wraps and feeling grateful for the warm honey aroma filling our home. Thankful for our buzzy friends and looking forward to their return.

"One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter." - Henry David Thoreau

~ Owletmama. xx

A cup of tea with me...

I've been up a couple of hours already today, starting my day in the dark with Tiny Owlet, before sneaking back to bed with Huz, and a cuppa, to watch the sun rise. I start most days like this now that Winter days are so short and it's dark for much of the time Huz is at work. We make the most of beautiful, quiet moments like this…

Other things I'm loving right now…

Mild, sunny winter days. I know they won't last, but they make things easier when you're spending so much time stumbling around in the dark… Sitting in warm, sunny windows or spontaneous walks to the beach to look for stones and beach glass are up there with my favourite things about winter in Tasmania.

Spending time with a little community of friends who feel like family… They make long days easier. We've begun organising kids swaps during the week so us home-educating mamas can get all the things done. And have a little creative headspace. It's magical. We're absolutely blessed.

Wearing primary colours. I was born in Melbourne and worked in fashion. We wore lots of black. This is big. I'm wearing lots of green, always, but brighter blues and red too. It feels cheery.

My garden is growing beautifully and as I'd imagined it would, despite winter's chill and the extreme neglect. I love that we're still eating from our garden everyday. Even if it's just a handful of herbs for a salad. Cooking with food you've just picked seconds earlier is the best.

Earlier this month I finished the wonderful Pip Lincolne's e-course, Blog with Pip. It was after reading Pip's blog, Meet Me at Mikes, all the way back in 2006, that I began blogging. She's always been supportive and generous with her knowledge and time, so I had a hunch it'd be helpful. I wanted to re-invigorate this space and find a little bit of flow again. It's been marvellous for that. I've tidied up a little and updated my About page so it tells a little more about this blog and who we are. Pip also held my hand while I finally figured out how to fix up my blog address - look at it! That took me years and one hour with Pip to figure out. Huzzah! Also wonderful are the bunch of bloggers I've connected with. One of the loveliest things about blogging is finding out how others view the world and that everyone has a completely different perspective and voice that we can learn so much from. It's been a great reminder of that.

Sensing my need to get creating again, Pip was super generous and gave me a scholarship to her current e-course, Inspiration Information*. I'm loving that and the space it's giving me to re-inspire and find my way back to doing the creative stuff I LOVE. If you find some time and cans spare a little bit of cash, I'd highly recommend Pip's courses, whether you're new to creative pursuits and blogging, or a bit of an old hand, like me, you're never too experienced to learn, listen and find out how others do what they do. Learning and sharing are great like that. I'm on a bit of a journey with all this learning, creating and sharing of ideas. I still have NO IDEA where it will lead yet (although I have some ideas), but I'm so glad I've made time to do it.

This post is part of a linkup Pip's running with other Blog with Pip graduates. You can read all about them, who they are and what they are up to over here. 

*Disclaimer: there was no condition that I rave about the excellence of either course in order to participate. Pip's just genuinely generous and the courses really are great. You should totally look into them. 

Celebrating the Seasons :: Yule

Creating new traditions is something we love to do. A little ritual and seasonal nourishment help mark what's going on around us and put a little rhythm in our days… We tend to celebrate the biggest festivals at all the wrong times in the Southern Hemisphere and the meaning and tradition of them can be lost. Halloween and pumpkins when all around us are blossoms and berries… Or Easter eggs and spring chicks as we're harvesting pumpkins and apples. It just doesn't make sense and it feels so totally disconnected from nature. So, alongside the regular festivals, we take a leaf out of our pagan ancestors books and celebrate seasonally too. We figure you can never celebrate too much.

We've celebrated Beltane and Samhain before with great enthusiasm, but this year is the first time we've  properly celebrated Yule. 

So Yule totally makes sense in the middle of Winter! Who knew?!

Warming food, egg nog, fire, gifts and celebration when daylight hours have dwindled and it's cold outside and you need something to brighten the days… Totally logical. Yule in summer - not so much. But this weekend we had THE BEST Yule celebration. And it was so simple and fun and lovely. Here's how we do Yule - rather spontaneously I might add… we almost never plan ahead. I'll be referring back to this next year so we can do it all over again.

How to have a fabulous Southern Hemisphere Yule weekend:



1. Go to the Winter Feast at Dark Mofo. Get there early so as to avoid huge crowds. Eat all the food while bumping into everyone you know, warming by the fire and listening to music. Get home and snuggle into bed with hotties and cups of tea.




2. The next morning, spend a little time tidying your nest and then go for a walk and look for fungi and art in the bush.




3. Have a picnic in the sunshine and a smooch with someone you love, as the sun goes down.




4. Back at home, make a little Winter alter. Bring in a tree branch or two and hang some simple decorations from them and little wintry reminders nearby.
5. Hand roll some beeswax candles together





6. Light candles around a spiral in the garden (lucky we have one already!) Tea light candles in jars will do, with a special candle at the centre - we used the candle we light at our dinner table each night.
7. Walk to the centre of the spiral with hand-rolled candles and light them ceremoniously. Have a little chat about mid-winter and weathering winter's coldest days. Being a light in the darkness and that sort of thing.
8. Start a discussion about the stars and lights from Dark MOFO, then madly dash inside while the family carries on chatting and stargazing.




9. Sneak some handmade and simple gifts into everyone's Christmas stockings. Note that stockings  suddenly make so much sense, hanging by the fire place!
10. Invite everyone inside to open stockings and eat a hearty meal by the fire. We had a curried root vegetable pie and a pear and walnut salad with pomegranate juice, followed by fruit cake with vanilla bean ice cream and spiced, poached pears. And gingerbread and spicy apple cider before bed. Retire to bed with warm tummies and happy hearts.




11.Wake the next morning and welcome the morning sun with a family yoga session. Sun salutations are totally appropriate. Then set the table for a breakfast feast of sunshiny things -  We had oranges, bananas and yoghurt with lemon flavoured water.
12. Send the family off for adventures while sneaking a quiet afternoon at home - phew!
13. Welcome everyone home, light the fire, have sunshiny eggs for an early dinner and pineapple upside down cake for dessert.
14. Tuck happy and exhausted owlets into bed early and snuggle by the fire with a loved one and a cat or two… Look forward to bed and festivals to come.

Yuletide blessings, friends. I hope your weekend has been gorgeous too. xx

30 Ways to Enjoy Winter :: Beating the Winter Blues

Once upon a time I was a winter person. Always preferring to rug up rather than strip off, I liked winter's crisp air and stark light. Then I moved to Tasmania. Winter is very beautiful here, but it always takes some bolstering to be ready for the cold and the shortened daylight hours. Along with some vitamin D, we need to have a bunch of things up our sleeves to make it fun and keep us happy. Here are 30 ideas for keeping us (and hopefully you) active, warm and happy this winter.




Wake up with yoga or some other movement that stretches your body and calms your mind.

Eat something nurturing, fresh and rainbow-coloured.

Try some different teas or warm drinks. Find one you like. Make a ritual of it.

Go for a walk in nature.
Spend time in a landscape that's bigger than you.

Find inspiration in beautiful things that are much smaller than you.

Find a pub with a fire and cosy up over food and drinks, while recounting a long outdoor adventure.

Make something by hand for someone you love.

Send a letter in the post.

Go to a concert or a film. Come to Hobart for Dark MOFO.

Visit a farmers' market. Make it part of your week.

Spend some time in a book shop or oppy and find a book you like. Devour it. 

Do something that challenges you - like my brave and wonderful Dad, on the first day of Winter.

Learn something new or how to refine something you do. I've been doing this.

Take a course -  Maybe an e-course or something local… This looks good.

Plan a little getaway - visit a shack, go somewhere beachy, have a sleepover at a friend's place.

Light a campfire in the backyard.

Cook something in the coals.

Spend time gardening - plan, explore seed or tree catalogues, plant green manure, make compost.

Look for edible winter greens in your neighbourhood. Get to know your weeds. 

Spend time with people who make you feel happy.

Wear something colourful everyday.
Wear what makes you feel good (even if it's texta all over your face, like Tiny).

Buy or knit some warm woollen socks.

Layer up. “There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” ~ Ranulph Feinnes

Sort through your things. Think about what you need. Make space. 

Decorate a little corner of your home. 

Buy or make some art, then find a spot for it in your home.
Celebrate the dark. Turn the lights out and light candles and enjoy the quiet.

Take a long bath with oils, colours, candles… and someone you love, who makes you giggle. 

What are your winter survival tips?
Happy wintering! xx