Something a little different - Lotus Belle

I have spotted these little (or not so little) gems on TradeMe a local auction website, they are a cross between a bell and yurt and I am in love!

credit for this image goes to www.lotusbelle.co.nz

I can imagine a craft studio/guest bedroom set up in one of these!

Life's twists and turns

Isn't life a funny wee beast?

2013 finds us taking stock, tightening our belts even further and dreaming big. I have been perusing Tiny Houses, caravans, house trucks and motor homes   I've fallen in love with Tiny Homes but think that a Caravan or Motor home may be the road we take.

I have been reading a blog today written by a wonderfully adventurous (well she seems so to me at least) woman who is doing what I would dearly love to do... her blog can be found here. My DH has consented to picking up sticks in about 3 years time and touring our beautiful country with me so we now have a goal to work towards.

The idea of downsizing and in the process de-cluttering appeals alot, so much so that I have begun divesting our home of bits and pieces. Each item I get rid of by donating, listing for auction or just simply throwing away leaves me feeling just a little bit freer. 

Solar cooking progress

Unfortunately we've not had a great deal of sunshine since I last blogged about solar cooking, or if there has been sunshine it has disappeared fairly early in the day so I have been reluctant to experiment too much foodwise with my home-made solar cooker.

The news isn't all bad however, I have managed to buy a thermometer and do a few trials to find out what temperature the cooker is producing, so far the highest it has reached is 70 celsius (not quite hot enough for cooking I don't think), I am hoping that in February when summer really kicks in and our temperatures reach 30+ degree celsius the cooker will produce hotter temperatures meaning that I will manage to successfully cook and blog about it!

Solar Fountain

Late last year I posted a picture of a glass birdbath that I made just incase you missed it here it is again

I've since added to that birdbath a solar fountain which my lovely husband gave to me for Christmas in a glass bowl

Solar Cooking Potatoes

Today is another day and the weather is gorgeous, blue skies and plenty of sun!

At 8 this morning I realised that we get no sun in the backyard, not for a few hours ergo I couldn't set up my solar cooker, then inspiration hit as I was opening the lounge curtains at 8.35, there's plenty of sun streaming in the front conservatory so that's where I've set up the solar cooker - well at least for as long as the suns shining in there!

Potatoes all roughly the same size have been scrubbed, a stainless steel bowl the same shape but larger than yesterdays experiment has been utilised and an oven bag has been used to cover the bowl.

Around about 10 am I moved the solar cooker around to the back where the sun was starting to shine, it's around about 1 pm now and the potatoes look as though they might just cook through - will update again once they're done (or not lol).

4.15 and the sun has lost it's warmth. The water was hot but sadly not hot enough this time so I have to conclude that this experiment was a failure, but that's ok, I now know that this way isn't going to work so next time I will try a black dish inside a tin foil lined box perhaps? 

Current project - Solar Cooker

Having an interest in alternative ways to do things can sometimes lead to alot of fun, at the moment I am very interested in experimenting with solar cooking. Anyone from the Hawkes Bay will tell you that during summer it gets hot enough to fry an egg - and that's what I'm banking on :)

Now I have taken look at the cost of buying a solar cooker and the only price I've found them for is $500 NZ - gulp, so necessity being the mother of invention I have decided I am going to (over the next few weeks) get together the ingredients to put my own home made solar cooker together using the following as inspiration

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Windshield_Shade_Solar_Cooker.

I imagine my first attempt will be very makeshift but I do hope to create a decent cooker in the end so that it can be used when we finally get into our yurt!

I have a dream

During the weekend I discovered the exciting world of  'Yurts'. I now have a dream which is slowly resolving itself into a goal. You see I would love to live in a yurt and I think I may well have convinced my husband that it's a good idea as well :) Of course this goal isn't achievable in the next year or two but certainly something I can continue to research, plan and save for!

Image sourced from http://www.hear.org/starr/ 

I envisage a small holding of land with native bush and running water, well off the beaten track. I imagine being off the grid, roughing it to some extent, and am thrilled at the thought!