watervole | Allotment milestone

Sounds like the sort of meals I used to have as a child, when my father kept two allotments. Without the courgettes, which he didn't like and therefore didn't grow.

That sounds lovely! You have a very productive allotment!

I hope this doesn't come across in the wrong way, but I'm a little surprised to hear that you use a microwave, I must admit. Have you ever considered that issue, because if you have I would like to hear what your thoughts were...

Microwaves are more energy efficient than cooking in an oven - less CO2 emissions overall.

When I started looking at the energy implications of my household, that was one of the many changes I made.

If you're interested, I'm willing to try and help other people reduce their energy usage - I got a refund on my last gas bill as I was using so much less.

(I don't see any danger from microwave leakage - modern ovens are safe)

Oh, okay. I suspected you would possibly be taking the environmental issue route. It was just with the organic food preferences I thought the personal health consequences would outweigh it.

You are right, there is no danger from microwave leakage. However there have now been extensive studies done on the effects that consuming microwaved food has on the blood. Leukocytosis, which is a sign of cell damage and poisoning, is now known amongst haemotologists to be triggered after consuming microwaved food. LDL cholesterol is known to hike up rapidly (which it usually does slowly over time), and both haemoglobin and lymphocytes decrease. As with so many things, all of these effects are slight initially, but had a cumulative effect with repeated consumption.

I'll not go into the contentious issue of their effect on water molecules... :)

Most of these studies seem remarkably anecdotal with no links to the actual research.

I don't notice a single result on Google from a source that I'd consider reputable. They're all quoting each other in circles. I'd be a lot more worried if I saw it in New Scientist or Scientific American or Nature (and none of those three are likely to be worried about upsetting the microwave oven industry).

That's fair enough... I hadn't intended to come on here and preach, honest.

I'm used to weeding through claims that haven't yet been accepted by those who have a reputable status. :)

Oh, and I forgot to say thank you! For offering to try and help with the energy consumption.

Unfortunately, my energy level in my house is probably like that of a hotel kitchen! My children have an immune problem that is based around their food... er, I think I told you all when we were out at dinner at Contemplation, so I won't go into it again.

I don't have a heated house, and other than my pc, a shower/bath a day, one cup of tea a day, and occasionally my stereo or television on, I just cook. I've always invested the extra money for energy-efficient appliances, too - wash at 40 or below, etc. I even have a block of metal in my toilet cystern so I use less water :)

So, anything else you can suggest, I'd like to hear :)

When you say the house isn't heated, does that mean you use a fire, portable heaters in winter?

If so, then insulation in the loft (thicker than whatever you have now) and curtains with a thermal liner are your most effective moves.

A bath/shower a day is actually a lot more than you need. Every other day would be fine.

Switching the TV and stereo off at the mains will make quite a difference over leaving them on standby.

Most people wash clothes more often than they need to. Wash them when they're dirty or you can smell that they need washing. In winter, especially, when people sweat less, you can often get several days wear out of a shirt and skirts/trousers are good for a couple of weeks.

Switch the PC monitor off when you leave the computer - it saves a lot more than screensaver mode. Switch the computer off totally if you're leaving it for more than an hour.

Never use a tumble dryer unless you've had three days continuous rain.

If you can buy UK produced food within the children's diet limits, then you should do so. Food miles make a very big impact.

Never fly, and take holidays in Britain or Europe (preferably Britain).

They weren't aimed at me, but thanks for the tips, anyway. However, I won't be able to use all of them. But here's what I do.

The part of the loft I can reach is insulated. I'll have the rest done when the roof tiles get replaced. I also have double glazing downstairs, and I'm saving up so I can have it installed upstairs as well. The floor and walls have been insulated as well. A new extra energy efficient heater will be installed next year. I also have solar panels on my roof.

I do intend to buy an extension cord with a button that lets me switch off the current to the TV, DVD-player and amplifier when they're turned off. Unfortunately I can't do the same for my satellite tuner, as the code for the encrypted channels gets updated at irregular intervals, and it needs to be at least on standby to receive that code.

I get really dizzy when I shower, so I stopped doing that altogether. Instead I wash the smelly parts each morning with a wash cloth. This saves water and time, and since this way cold water is quite comfortable enough, it also saves gas. I wash the other parts of me when they seem dirty (also with a wash cloth and cold water) and soak my feet in a warm foot bath once a week. I do wash my hair every day (with warm water and soap) because otherwise it gets oily and ugly (after just a day. Really!). But that only takes two or three minutes of warm running water.

I do throw my shirts and bras in the hamper every day, because I sweat too much to wear them longer than that even in winter and I am allergic to deodorant. Since that means a full hamper once a week, I wash my pants every week, along with the shirts.

I do use a dryer. It's a luxury I haven't been able to talk myself out of yet. It makes my clothes so soft, and I don't need to iron them afterwards. Which does mean I save on the electricity I'd otherwise use for ironing. Which is also the one chore I hate more than any other chore in the world. The dryer only gets used twice a week, though. That's not very much, is it?

I use the PC twice a day and always switch it and the monitor off when I'm done. I never go away on my holidays (I like it better at home and hate to leave my cats) and I don't own a car. That last one alone is a big moneysaver. Cars cost an arm and a leg even when you don't drive an inch.

As for buying local food: I'd love to, but it would make for very limited choices. Maybe I should try harder, but those cherries from Spain tasted so good!

Before you install double glazing upstairs, make sure you have thick, lined curtains. They're much cheaper than double glazing, and can be surprisingly effective. When you have installed the double glazing, make sure you continue to use the curtains.

I know what you mean about the satellite tuner. It's a pain; I haven't found a solution to that myself yet.

I like your trick with the washcloth every morning. My usual solution is to use either a piece of clothing that I'm going to wash, or a towel, to wipe under the arms. I find a dry wipe tends to work as well as a wet wipe.

Life is too short to do ironing. Virtually the only things I iron are silk shirts and scarves. Most things don't actually need ironing. If you peg them on the line correctly, then most of the creases will hang out. Most of the remaining creases will hang out in the wardrobe, and the few that are left nobody will notice in any case.

Here is a trick to try with your hair. Find an occasion when you're away from your friends for at least a week, then stop using any soap on your hair at all. Once you stop stripping the oils out of your hair, the body dramatically reduces its production of oil. It takes around a month for the system to get completely in balance. Simply wash your hair once a week in pure water.

I started doing this one year while I was at a folk festival. I've been suffering from an itchy scalp in spite of using a hypoallergenic shampoo. As an experiment, I stopped using anything at all apart from water. That was about five years ago. My hair looks great. I also managed to cure a long-standing problem with my ears as a bonus. It turned out that the "wax" buildup in my ears was actually peeling skin that was a reaction to the shampoo. I haven't had to have my ears syringed in about five years...

You have to be willing to take a chance, because for the first couple of weeks, you will get a build up of oil. Then, as the scalp realises that it doesn't actually need to produce that much oil, it will all stabilise.

Remember -- washing creates oily hair!

You get mega Brownie points for holidaying at home and not owning a car. Our biggest problem is that my husband's job is almost impossible to do without a car. He's looking for new job at present, and I will be extremely happy if he manages to find one that allows us to do without a car.

We had our first cucumber from our garden yesterday. I totaly agree with you vegetables and fruit tastes delicious when gown yourself.

Sounds fantastic. My strawberries are throwing their all into producing at the minute, I'm not expecting any of the other fruits to do much until they've been established for a few years.

I have dwarf beans growing on the kitchen windowsill which is rather nice, though the leaves are all sticky and attracting a great many tiny flies for some reason.

My tomatoes are just happy taking over the conservatory at the minute. I'm not entirely convinced there isn't something wrong with them (all feed regularly).

Chilli plant, lemon twig, and pear shoot are all sitting around but I think they're growing.

Oh! And my old lodgers rubber tree has knocked out a few tiny shoots! :) Thank you!!

Allotment milestone

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