This week I have been experimenting with making soya milk and how to use its by product - Okara.  The milk is fine - quite beany!  Good for cooking with and cups of tea.  It is not good on cereal.  Even sweetened the girls find it too beany.  So I am looking at oat milk for cereal - there are so many recipes out there but I will have a go and see what it is like.  The recipe I have picked involves soaking the oats for 1-2 days so it will be a while before I know how it goes!
We have been buying Pure margarine for a few years now as it claimed it was trans fat free.  It turns out that that means it can still have small amounts of trans fats in it - enough to add up to a substantial amount if you use it for baking and spreading (which we do).  This stuff is so nasty even rats won't register it as food.  So we had a discussion and the girls want to go for not using marg and limiting butter (as saturated fat and we are a slack bunch).  This means perhaps using bananas as a fat replacer in baking and maybe not having it as a spread - just jam or peanut butter on their own, or perhaps a little butter.  Jamie can have butter all he wants as he is skinny and active! 

Meanwhile we have been enjoying the hot weather and welcoming 2 more baby guinea pigs.  We have been able to separate the boys now that the weather is warm enough for the girls and babes to be ok in the run at night.  They have a little house on the end of the run that is cosy at night and we cover them with old dressing gowns too!

The bigger baby has been named Splodge.  The little one is River Song for the time being, but doesn't look well so we are unsure if it will survive.
We have been on a few outings, had a sports day....

Jamie won the egg and spoon race!

Ellie made a yummy cake with a new recipe from a friend.  We have got ourselves some nice clothes for the weddings we are attending this year and the local outdoor pool has opened to universal joy from all except Sarah (didn't go in).  Jamie has had some swimming lessons from Ellie and did his first doggy paddle swim (in armbands) on Monday!  Tuesday he is going for his first tea at a friends on his own....
Ellie has been at the allotment with Karen, guinea pig cuddling with Robyn and watching films - The Philadelphia Story and Holiday (both Cary Grant) with Mum and Dad...
Sarah has been on skype to Nina, who is teaching her to play piano via video link and is reading The Hunger Games.
Mad is learning to embroider and is making a sunbonnet as in Little House on the Prairie, and is reading Little House on the Prairie.  She and Sarah went to the Carnival disco and Mad put her name in for carnival queen, but didn't get it.  She finds out on Friday if her poems are published in the local church magazine.
Jamie has had an argument with the neighbours boys and they said they didn't want to play with him anymore.  I wait to see how long this lasts!  This prompted discussion on socialising as home educators.  I do feel that as he has no problems with anyone else he plays with that it is a personality clash not a socialisation issue.  But I may be being defensive? I do that...

Well, we have turned our fridge back on - for the time being!  We need to rethink our use of food before we try again.  We tend to cook lots and use the leftovers for other meals and we often buy big pots of things that will last for longer in a fridge.  Both of these habits lend themselves to shopping less often (we both hate shopping) and bulk buying.  We are considering some ideas to combat this as a challenge to being fridgeless. 
The products we had problems with were; soya milk (lasts about 24hours at room temp), yoghurt and beer (everyone likes them cold) and cheese (we bought a cheese container but the mozzarella went mouldy in 3 days!).
The ideas we have had so far include a home made cool box (in the porch or shed), home making smaller quantities of soya milk (for which I have a shiny new blender and a bulk buy of soya beans on its way!), planning our shopping differently.  Thanks to parents and in-laws for ideas!
Meanwhile we have visited Southampton Eye Clinc and been told that we need another sppointment for Jamie to see two different specialists to plan possible treatment.  This hopefully will be on the same day and on a day that Steve is not at work!
Maddie has been submitting her poems to the local monthly magazine for their new children's page.  She is hopeful to be a published poet soon!  The girls have continued their new and enjoyable friendship with the Bournemouth girls.  Lots of new ideas coming from that direction too! The wig is borrowed!

I have been enjoying the challenge of learning about treasuring for the country market and a friend even suggested I look into bookkeeping as a job I can do from home!  I have done some research and a decent course would set us back a substantial sum but could be a real earner!  I may have to brush up on my maths and work hard but it could mean a home based job that actually pays enough!
Ellie is reconsidering doing an IGCSE now that Steve will be available to help her.  I am working hard designing posters and leaflets for the local sustainable community group ready for a launch within the next couple of months.  We are also needing some decent togs for the three weddings and 70th birthday bash we are invited to this year!

 May day visitors to the garden included a lovely slow worm catching some sun...

A rainy start but the day blossomed....

 The apple tree is doing well and we hope for a good crop this year.

Daisys are up and dandelions are rampant...Ellie decided to make a fruit pie for our Beltane Dinner.  We had spaghetti with veggie sauce and vegetables, followed by the pie and custard...yummm.

Ellie went to the allotment with her friend and sunbathed and chatted about recipes, saving money and being 14...
Roll on summer!

This week we did the unthinkable (after lots of research) and turned off the fridge!  This has brought out some surprising reactions.  The girls and their friends all thought we were mad whilst the older generation (my parents) hardly blinked.  O yes, my Dad said, my family didn't have a fridge til I was 15, make sure you ventilate your cool cupboard.  O yes, my Mum said, my Mum got our first fridge when I was in my teens, use your fresh food more quickly.  Our yoghurt isn't cold enough said Ellie, how much electricity are we saving asks Maddie, is there anything to eat? 
So we would, if we do continue without the fridge, save at least £50 a year.  This is a substantial saving when you do not have much money!  We have been 4 days without it so far and other than discussions about what beer Steve can't drink unrefrigerated and whether the cool box with an ice pack from the freezer (which we do not intend to get rid of - yet) is keeping the yoghurt cool enough, it is all good.  We bought slightly less fresh veg from the farm shop and intend topping up mid week from the new grocer which opens in Tisbury today. 
Meanwhile,  we had a lovely visit from our new friends from Bournemouth on Friday.  The girls all chatted and looked up music on youtube while Jamie took the men for a long walk.  This involved him being carried on their shoulders for large portions of the walk and managing a nap while he was up there!  We have arranged a sleepover for the girls next weekend.  We are all too busy for weekday meet ups for the next month.
I am doing my first stint on the local composting site next week.  This involves directing people to the correct compost bin and taking names and selling compost in bags.  I get some too...
I am starting to get the hang of my new role as treasurer of the market. with lots of help from the old treasurer.  There is more to it than I realised, but I do hope to make things easier for myself by computerising the spreadsheets eventually.
Also we have been dressing up,

to look cool....

watching the rain start everything growing madly!  It has rained and rained and we are still in drought!  Everything is sooooo lush now though...

Jamie likes to help make the beds!

Jamie and I made this spider together.  It is based on a character from children's TV.  He loves it!
We took it to Granny Anny and Grandad Jim's house and the dogs wanted to play with it too!
We took Grandad a cake for his birthday too.  He loved it!!
Jamie and I are in the process of trying to make him a costume from another TV show.  He thinks I can make anything!!!
Steve has ordered me a new electric blender so I can make our own soya milk and tofu (this will save us a fortune).  We like to keep our dairy intake low as we have allergies and asthma in the family.  I like the idea of going vegan but this is not very practical with three vegetarians, two meat eaters and all cheese lovers in the house!  I must admit I am moderately happy with eating eggs but I feel that the milk industry sucks big time. (notice the bad pun!)
He has also blown out a portion of our savings on a tool for sharpening stuff. This means he can start using his lathe and get making too....
With cutting costs on the one hand and making a bit of money here and there on the other we should be ok!

 We have had a rainy week all full of cold. Ellie is very deaf and everyone else is coughing and snuffling. Therefore lots of indoor stuff going on.  I have done some decorating, Steve has done some jobs about the house.  Steve took Sarah, Maddie and Jamie to the car boot and got a groovy mirror.  No pics yet!
We did some baking, play dough, reading, chatting, film watching (The King's Speech, Notting Hill, Love Actually.....)

 Dressing up - my beautiful Ellie....

Lovely Maddie...

Sarah isn't so interested in dressing up and having her photo taken! 

We have had a busy Easter fortnight.  Steve booked the whole holiday off work so we could relax a bit.  We got a lot of DIY jobs done with some help from various children.  We met up with some new home eduacating friends in Bournemouth and went to the beach. Also we had some visitors ourselves.  An old friend of mine who I hadn't seen in 13 years came bearing gifts from Thailand and Singapore, where he now lives.  It was wonderful to see him - just the same after all this time!
We had some lovely days....

in the sun.....

Steve hands his notice in today having finally decided that his mental health is more important than anything else!  He is the only person in his office not to have had a nervous breakdown!  Looking forward to some serious job hunting this summer....

The latter half of the holidays we have a head cold so things are slower.  Catching up with schooled friends, watching some films, writing stories, knitting and sewing and cooking!  The joys of daily life and simple pleasures.  Steve made sag paneer, moong dahl and pilau rice from scratch while I made the naan bread.  Plans are being laid for the future for making ends meet and the plumber came and put in our new water tank (expensive but necessary).  Jamie chatted to him and he told us he had twin boys Jamie's age! No wonder he was so patient with Jamie!

Roll on summer!

We have had an active week this week with a trip to Winn Green to fly Jamie's new kite,

a meet up at Ansty Farm Shop with other home educators which then proceeded back to Tisbury for a long walk in the fields.  Then yesterday we walked around Stourhead gardens discovering new areas and getting very hot finding the source of the river Stour.

 I must remember to wear long sleeves next time as even though it is still only March it was hot enough for my skin to react and today I have itchy blisters all up my arms.  I am applying magic paw paw cream and trying not to scratch!
So with new friends made we are making plans to explore Blandford Forum soon and look at the fashion museum.  We are also looking forward to a year of 3 weddings and several big birthdays.  My mum is 70 this year so there will be a family gathering.  It will be lovely to see some family members that we have not seen for over 10years!
Ellie's birthday went well.  She was very pleased with all her presents (we have been watching lots of Jane Austen films) and she had a lovely day at her Granny annys house too.  The Stourhead trip was in honour of her birthday too.  She is a great big 14 already!

I am investigating alternative methods of earning for when Steve leaves the college in the summer.  Both of us are interested in home working of different sorts, so lots of research to be done!
Meanwhile the weather continues unseasonably hot, I have planted my potatoes and must now be vigilant watering everything as we wait for rain!  The general consensus is that with the weather this nice now, will it rain through the summer?