Recent Comments

1. Give Something Away - and declutter your life - 24 Aug 2005

   I’ve been moderating the East Berkshire Freecycle list since setting it up over a year ago. We have around 750 members now and all kind of things have changed hands. From cardboard boxes, computer parts and most memorably a Rooster (who found a new and loving home)!

   If you don’t have a Freecycle Group in your town or area you can set one up – if you need help doing so I’d be happy to help.

2. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 31 Aug 2005

   We have started to do this one this week – spurred on by all the lovely vegetarian food we ate at Greenbelt!

   We are also aiming to generally reduce our meat consumption in dishes where we do have meat in order that when we do buy meat it is the more expensive organic/free range etc. rather than the dubious looking 2 packs for 5.99 offers in the supermarket.

   Unfortunately Drew won’t eat fish so that’s not an option!

3. Give A Gift That Keeps On Giving - 31 Aug 2005

   I want to do something along these lines as a business this year – I wondered if there were any of these gift giving projects that specifically support people setting up businesses either in poorer countries – or in deprived areas of the UK? The other option would be to make a donation to a project. I’d like to support a lesser known project if possible as I feel the big charities get a lot of coverage, and by mentioning who we are supporting this year when I send out cards gives the project a bit more publicity.

4. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 31 Aug 2005

   Perhaps the vegetarians or those who already do this could share recipes here? I love to cook but on a weekday evening I really need things I can do in around 30-45 minutes.

   I have the Cranks Fast Food book – http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841881589/ – which has lots of North African style recipes, but would love to know other people’s favourites as trying to think of things to cook I realise how much I rely on meat as the centre of every meal.

5. Get Rid Of Some Of Your Books - 31 Aug 2005

   I sold my first book on greenmetropolis today! I’d had a few books listed there for a few weeks and had almost forgotton about it when I got the email. It’s all packaged up and ready to go. It’s a really good system they have – the email that comes when you have sold a book has a bit at the bottom you print out and use as a packing slip – or you could write out the information if you don’t have a printer.

6. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 22 Sep 2005

   Definitely interested in recipes, so far we have had a chickpea and vegetable casserole; my attempt at recreating the veg chilli I had at Greenbelt; paneer tikka and dahl which was a recipe from the Cranks book; and last night I cheated and bought some falafel from Waitrose which we had with salad and wholemeal pitta bread.

   We’ve also done quite well at generally reducing the amount of meat we eat by having more veg and less meat in other dishes.

7. Get Rid Of Some Of Your Books - 30 Sep 2005

   I just bought a Vegetarian cookery book (to help with the meat free day action) from GreenMetropolis with some of the money I’ve got selling old computer books there :) I also managed to get a second hand copy of one of the books I need for my next Open University course.

8. Shop locally - 14 Oct 2005

   We just purchased a meat box from Sheepdrove Organic Farm – http://www.sheepdroveshop.com – they deliver country-wide and the meat arrived well packed and cool and is absolutely delicious. They seem to do all of the different cuts as well which is briliant as it is often difficult to get specific things for a recipe.

9. Buy Ethical Palestinian olive oil - 16 Oct 2005

   I have bought some of the Zaytoun oil before but the only place I had found it locally was in Oxford (a reasonable drive from here so only really feasible if I have to go anyway). However while in our local farm shop today I discovered that they have started to stock it – so I bought some and told them how pleased I was to see it there!

10. DIY vegetables! - 02 May 2006

    At the weekend we bought some tomato plants and a grow bag for our first attempt at growing something edible. I’m not very green fingered so we’ll see! The tomato plants are currently in the lounge as the instructions said not to plant them out until they had a flower. How do you stop birds eating any tomatoes that might appear?

11. Don't just recycle, Freecycle - 23 May 2006

    I’m a Freecycle moderator and it is amazing the things that I have seen change hands on the group that I run – everything from bubble wrap and craft materials to cars, computers and large items of furniture. If you find that there isn’t a group in your area then you can apply to start one yourself – the details are on the Freecycle site.

12. DIY vegetables! - 24 Sep 2006

    Our tomato growing experiment worked out well here is the proof

    My daughter has really enjoyed going and picking the tomatoes, we might try something more adventurous next year.

13. Don't just recycle, Freecycle - 24 Sep 2006

    Hi Herne

    you can set up a filter in your email client to filter the Freecycle emails to a different mailbox.

    Alternatively you can choose to receive the emails in digest form – you’ll then get one long email per day with all of the emails for that day in it. You choose this by logging into the group at Yahoo.

    You can also choose to read the messages online, by setting your account to special notices only. Then you won’t get any email but will be able to post to the group, and can go to the group on Yahoo to read the posts. The special notices setting means you will get messages that the moderator sends out which might be important but should be only very occasional.

    I hope this helps!

    Rachel

14. Become a Fair Trader - in your community or workplace - 24 Sep 2006

    I have been a fair trader for almost a year now – running a stall at church. It has been more successful than I ever imagined and people have really taken to it – I get into trouble if I miss a Sunday as the congregation doesn’t get a yoghurt raisin fix!

    A benefit I hadn’t expected is that I’m normally the person who sits alone at church and doesn’t talk to people much after the service. Standing at the stall I find that I have conversations with people I hadn’t spoken to in 2 years at the church, and have started to find it a lot easier to chat to people. Also, newcomers often gravitate to the Traidcraft stall as it’s an easy ‘in’ to conversation with someone you don’t know.

    We’re hoping to have a cheese and wine evening and get a bunch of the craft products from a local Fair Trader who does sale or return (we tend to just stock the food) so that should be fun in the run up to Christmas.

15. Get someone to join the Generous Community - 03 Oct 2006

    Karaokeloverjen:if you go to the ‘Edit my profile’ page there is a nice shiny button that you can use as a link from your site :)

16. Compost Your Leftovers - 18 Oct 2006

    We have lots of lovely worms in our compost now. Don’t need to dig to find them!