Lemon balm tea

This photo will be my entry into the Jugalbandi  July click! photo event!

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So I finally sat down for another cup of Lemon Balm Tea, recommended by Nikki. 

I used a little brown sugar to help bring the flavour out of the leaves when chopping.  It was very refreshing and subtle, a beautiful thirst quencher on a balmy summers day.

I think next time I will try it iced...

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I'm doing well on the 'One Bag a Week' Rubbish Challenge!

This week we've hardly done any shopping, because most of our store cupboard has been stocked up with everything we need.  It takes so much time to replenish your basics, when you move in to a new home. (bearing in mind we lived with my parents after returning from India)

I felt sick when I returned from a grocery shop with my mum last Sunday.  A great time to go shopping to get the cheap, reduced, organic vegetables!  The amount of packaging I threw into the bin was horrible...I felt like bagging it up and taking it to the manager of Tesco's!

Once again my dilemma of buying locally grown veg has been looming over me.  I paid 10p for some reduced organic mushrooms (I actually bought 4 trays in the end).  Now remembering the first veg box I got with mushrooms in, well those cost me a pound, for about 7 mushrooms!!!

But the organic Tesco mushrooms are in a plastic tray, and then covered in clingfilm and I think they were produce of France.

We are living on pennies at the moment, so how can I be ethical?

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I have been collecting large jars from friends to store my rice, pulses etc in.  I just picked up 3 wonderful green hexagonal jars from a guy on Freecycle

If you haven't heard of it yet it's a Yahoo group, that connects you to your local community where people can give and take just about anything for free.  The aim is to keep as much 'rubbish' out of the landfill sites.  So far I've got some nice plants, plant pots and the jars.  I've managed to get rid of an old bike and some cups!

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I bought a brass thermometer from ebay, so my next challenge is Neufchâtel

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Yummy Crème fraîche is my favourite thing to have with Lemon Tart.  And it's so easy!

Take some double (whipping) cream, add a spoon of cultured buttermilk, leave it in a sealed jar in the kitchen overnight, chill and then spoon dollops of it onto your dessert!!! Voila!

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