Often I feel that with all the major events going on in the world, I am completely insignificant, my actions are futile and I might as well not bother. And then I realise that I’m not designed to live in this world of global news; that I can only assimilate information from a community that is meaningful to me and that I have to adjust my focus.
So, I have been trying to avoid The News, I’ve stopped following various people and organisations on social media and I’ve been concentrating on things I can do. I know that one of these things is to share ideas and so I’m feeling a little bad that I’ve hardly written for the past few weeks. I know that a stone thrown into the pond makes ripples that spread a long way. So, in that spirit, here are a few things I’ve been up to to save the planet in my own teeny-tiny way and make so ripples…
Katy the Night Owl gave me some eating apples from their neighbour’s tree, so I rolled my sleeves up and got baking, I used some of them to make an apple plait – a sweet, enriched dough filled with cinnamonny apple. It was delicious.
Then I put the remainder of the apples to work temporarily – encouraging some of the green tomatoes in the limery to ripen up:
Come on tomatoes – there is nothing I like to make with green ones!
There are still chillies to harvest and tomatoes ripening up every day, so I made yet more passata, converted some of it into sweet and hot sauce (recipe here) and bottled up the rest.
I do still go shopping and when I do I try very hard to remember to take my own bags and containers. I’ve recently started going to a little local butcher who is happy to tell me about the source of all the meat that I am buying and to put all my purchases into my storage boxes rather than plastic bags… I’m hoping that she’ll start encouraging other customers to do the same.
The haul included some suet for making dumplings. As with many local butchers, this was free, although a donation for their charity collection was requested. I love using something like this that’s otherwise considered a waste product. You may have noticed that my bag is emblazoned with the words ‘Community Clothing’. This fabulous project is…
a manufacturers cooperative with a simple mission; to make excellent quality affordable clothes for men and women, to create great jobs for skilled workers and by doing this help to restore real pride in Britain’s textile communities. (Community Clothing web siteCommunity Clothing web site)
I got the bag via a crowdfunding campaign which helped to get the project off the ground.
So, that’s it, that’s the sort of thing that I do – shop local, support small businesses, use and preserve seasonal produce, reduce consumption of single-use plastic, oh and make cake, because the world is a happier place with cake…
Lime cup cakes
The Snail of Happiness 
MrsCraft
/ October 3, 2016Just think what would happen if we all reused things? It’d be awesome. 😊
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 4, 2016True
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katechiconi
/ October 3, 2016If we all kept it local but did our bit, the impact would soon be felt globally. And the world is always better with cake…
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 4, 2016It’s just so hard to get everybody to do their bit!
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katechiconi
/ October 4, 2016You’re right there…
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w1nt3l
/ October 3, 2016I’ve purchased meat from local suppliers for years. Being a regular, I’m now on “the list” and get really good cuts of meat.
Global news is depressing, it’s hard to stay motivated with problems so huge.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 4, 2016I was delighted by this little local butchers – they keep their own pigs and were happy to tell me about their other sources.
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thecontentedcrafter
/ October 4, 2016I agree the world is better with cake – but only the homemade kind 🙂 I gave up watching the ‘news’ and reading tabloids years ago. I don’t miss out on anything i need to know – and sometimes know the things I don’t want to know too just because its in the wind. I focus on the good and right and just and look for the ‘good news’. Its out there – like you taking your storage containers to the butcher. Way to go!!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 4, 2016We do also have the most fantastic local bakers – the organic shop make wonderful Danish pastries and Nicola at the bakers/coffee shop on the square is a genius when it comes to cake… trouble is I would be the size of a house if I took advantage as often as I would like!!
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Wild Daffodil
/ October 4, 2016Taking containers to the butcher – brilliant. That’s one ripple that has reached Dorset! ❤
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 4, 2016I am getting better at doing this sort of thing – and less embarrassed about asking.
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nanacathy2
/ October 4, 2016I consider myself very lucky to live in a small market town which has three butchers, two bakers and two green grocers. So good to be able to shop local. Hurrah for all you are achieving. I like fried green tomatoes and green tomato chutney, so I will be busy in the kitchen this month.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 4, 2016In the limery the tomatoes are still growing, so I’m leaving them alone, but when the plants have to go, the green toms will be going in a box with apples to allow them to ripen up. I can’t believe that I still have summer things in the garden – two of my courgette plants are still producing!
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Born To Organize
/ October 5, 2016I love that you are taking your own containers along with your bags. I too believe that every little thing makes a difference, that our actions add up. Your baking looks yummy. And yes, cake is special when you make your own.
I’m doing a bit better limiting my news. It’s nearly impossible with one teenager eager to share the latest entertainment news and the other immersed in politics. I’ve stayed out of the feed in Facebook and I don’t watch the news on TV or the web. But I do listen to National Public Radio, which is the most fair and balanced news available in the US in my opinion.
Great post!
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crawcraftsbeasties
/ October 5, 2016These are great ideas! This winter I’ll be trying to get my fruit & veg from the local market or my parental homestead instead of the supermarket… The amount of packaging on the produce in there makes me wince! I’m continually impressed by your ongoing efforts to minimise your impact on the planet… Reading your blog always motivates me to do more myself. Oh, and your cinnamon and apple plait looks delicious!
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insearchofitall
/ October 5, 2016Came back for a second read. I know how insignificant you feel. But we keep doing every little bit possible like a drop in the ocean. You are doing what you can and the rest of us are doing the same. I like your idea of taking your own containers to the butcher. I usually buy my meat from the butcher section rather than the prepackaged stuff in plastic and Styrofoam. At least then there is only butcher paper which goes in the freezer going to waste. I watch the news on the DVR. I fast forward it with the sound off until it comes to something I actually want to hear. I’m informed but not saturated with it. If there is nothing I can do about it, I give it no energy. Your shops are so sweet. Have none of that here. The bread looks wonderful. I have never tried anything so complex. I may have to look for a recipe. 🙂
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