marie-helene kutek

Hello and Salut

The sun is shining. We had monsoon rain the other day, hip hip hooray, whilst the village down the road had a shower.
There you go.

WALNUT oil, I’m writing from walnut country and I confess to having taken a step back when I read that the oil is used for
treating wood. And why not? (I have used olive oil.)
It’s jolly expensive even here, and even if you have your own walnuts.
I didn’t make oil from the last crop. Some visiting friends asked if I could source some oil for them this last week.
Difficult as supplies have been sold in readiness for this year’s harvest.
Managed to find some: 2l of unknown quality in recycled clear glass bottles, @ 10€ each.
That’s a giveaway price and found another 1/2l for 12€, which is more like the bottom end of the going rate.

The oil should not be heated for culinary use; it has some sort of nasty chemical effect. Not good.
And, a question for a quizz night: which oil can be emulsified with water?
Answer, yes, walnut oil. The one and only I have been led to believe.
I haven’t tried this myself.
An ancient, experienced walnut person advised me of this and the information could be useful for our wood treatments.

Interesting also if you want to ‘lengthen’ your oil to achieve higher profits. The things people do.
Something I would come across in my line of work at some stage of my professional meanderings.

Thank you for all the wood advice.
Let’s have a lovely week with thoughts of autumnal planting blessings
M-H

Hello again,

Welcome to the other first posters missed.
Welcome welcome and thank you for info
M-H

It’s the heat

Helloooo,

Welcome Johanna

Super advice from everyone and everywhere. Thank you

With dog issues, Diameticious earth(DE) both topically and with raw food.
Dealt with some worming and post flea bite skin inflammation.
Massage with, is it tansy leaves and whatever oil is to hand.

For skin issues someone suggested sulphur in drinking water.
I’d drop a modest slab in the bowl.
I found some skin beauty sulphur soap.

All of these provided relief to the beasts, me inc.

Cats also with skin issues.
One I suspect of neuroses and I’m not investing in therapy.
She has massively improved with DE, MMS in her drinking water; she seeks it out, and also applied topically.
I use the stuff so why not share the benefits.

A homeopathic vet suggested arsenic, can’t remember the dilution.
Moggy wasn’t having it.

They all seem to enjoy the loving application of salves and oil, in moderation of course, with relief that it provides.
Thanks for the heads up on plastic dishes.  

It’s seriously baking hot here, no really, and draught again, and believe it or not, slug guest appearances?
Whatever.

May our furry companions fare well, and us too

Well watered blessings if only in my dreams at the moment
M-H

Me, again, it must be the weather

Use percarbonate as a whitening agent for textiles.
Had some mixture left over so iffy jars and glasses went in. Good result, cleaned the scale off.
Not bad with getting certain labels off too.
I have also used the liquid on outside plastic and wood furniture, sorry! but it do a nice job.

Blessings from nearly hygienic M-H

My 10cents  worth,

Thumb, the bit with the nail is one inch, c.2.5cm, pretty much universal I believe.
When smoking, I used lighters, cigar boxes also useful for carrying harvested seeds.
Feet not so good as sizes vary a lot, eventhough one foot is 12 inches.

Sometimes, size is not shared: omg you should have seen it! like the fish that got away - I don’t fish

As mentioned, it’s what is immediately available to give others an idea of dimensions.

Blessings
M-H

Hello there,
We’ve had rain!!! July 2025, hooray, some not as much as ……

Sweetness,  and light,

I used to make loads of chutneys with muscovado sugar which is delicious, with a slight liqurice flavour, as does stevia.
What do you think?

My recipes, which are all improvisation, now include
date sugar( rarely, (availability and cost)
Date chopped or minced (cheaper than the above and get it with our coop bulk buy)
Raisins
Liquorice, in moderation
honey sometimes as it is precious and doesn’t appreciate heat
Variety of different sugars, date or  coconut, syrups like date, agave, maple when on special offer

Apple paste, a balkan recipe??, is something I have sort of played with.
One chops up whole apples and then reduces them on a low heat, for ages, stirring frequently.
It makes a wonderful paste, spreadable on bread, acts as a light sweetenner.
I have seen it mentioned on ingredient lists as apple paste or syrup.
It’s with the frequent stirring where I am probably somewhat short.
I forget as I pop outside, just to …… and then some time later …..
I confess, I have been known to burn boiled, sorry, burnt potatoes.
Big efforts are being made to curb this wreckless tendency.

The rubus chingii sounds interesting, thank you all, as do all suggestions.

Another confession, I am a sucker for ice cream - I make the frozen banana treat to avoid stuff.
I haven’t found an ice cream thread with ‘healthy’ ingredients or is that an egg free oxymoron?
Yes, sorbets, I know.

SUGGESTION, maybe, why not, a thread??
Ice cream and sorbets, with or without sugar or eggs and what wonderful flavours???
I’ve tasted beetroot and  garlic sorbets

Fly swat is on overtime,
Blessings, M-H

This is fantastic, I really enjoyed reading the posts and the commitment and experience that is transmitted.
Perhaps I am the danger to water?
When I worked for a local council in the UK, a long time ago, I heard of a pollution peak affecting air and water quality.
After much research, the source of the pollution was narrowed down to a crematorium, I kid you not.
Special filters had to be introduced to crematoria chimneys.

I Smoked all sorts of crap for many many years; stopped suddenly on a Wednesday,
Rode m/cycles with occasional stunt work - major accidents as a passenger in cars, oh the irony,
Drunk questionable water in developing countries with no ill effects …..
And so much more and still here to tell an occasional tale.

Fairly recently read somewhere that chickens were suffering from ddt poisoning, still to be found in some places,
I understand that Water analysis will find particularly what you ask for.
Is that right? Do you have to specify the chemicals? If you don’t specify, can elements be missed?

When needs must, I have used charcoal, clay and sunlight for drinking water.
Currently, I let the distant municipality deal with the cleanliness of my water, sometimes using clay pots like those used in N.Africa for example, for short term water storage.
Thank you all
Blessings
M-H

Hello Kim and everyone else.
The editing of your photograph with the blue squiggles is right up my street!!! Love it.
I avoid photos as much as poss.
Thank you forthe link from the pollinators post to here.

Enjoy your wonderful land even if at a distance.
You know that it is there, you can imagine and dream, take your time.
It may avoid repenting at leisure, is it more speed less haste?
Goldenrod can be useful in some circumstances.
It’s not local so don’t know much about its herbal uses
I’m pleased that there were challenges when I arrived here some time ago, which prevented me from charging in.
I do occasionally charge.

The idea of introducing some trees is attractive; just lob in some pips and stones and let them get on with it.

As always, looking forward to interesting and mind broadening reads from all over the place. It’s glorious.

Blessings and more blessings and thanks to all
M-H

Food glorious food ……..

Thank you for comments and suggestions.

Neighbours have pigs and chickens and rabbits, to me friends not meal ingredients, the quadrapeds I mean.
They are my last port of call if there is food beyond salvation, well rotted.
I frequently come home from events and social gatherings  with piggy/chicky/ rabbit bags.
Otherwise stuff is just binned.
I do compost, not meat and dairy.

My dental situation is somewhat challenging.
A solution to dealing with not even a glut of veggies and green leaves which I like to consume raw, is to get the plunge mixer out, mix everything, then add salt for lacto- fermentation, if it’s not for immediate consumption.

There are loads of jars readily available with cocktails of
parsley,
leek,
celery,
roquette(aragula),
apple,
Kiwi,
coriander(cilantro),
orange zest,
Beetroot,
Carrot……..
I’m sure to have missed some and it’s not everything!! at the same time. It depends on season and availability and my mood.
These concoctions are a welcome accompaniment to cooked items like rice or pasta or spuds.
They keep for ages can’t be more precise as my labelling leaves a lot to be desired.

I am thinking of acquiring a mechanical meat mincer as an alternative to the plunge mixer.
Don’t know if the end result will be satisfactory.
There is a thread somewhere about hand cranked mixers and bicycle powered mixers.
Not quite there yet and the quoted prices are somewhat forbidding.

We had rain yesterday, flying furniture and I’m a happy bunny; the sun has come out without it being very hot.

Blessings,
M-H

Hooray to all of us - all our efforts however modest they might seem, even just being aware, deserve a thumbs up!!!

Here:
The new pond water is evaporating very quickly. Surrounding plantings are tiny
Shade material has been disturbed; thirsty critters I expect. Even the parasol in a solid base has been moved.

There is a well which has been dry all the while that I have known it.
The previous incumbents actually covered it up with a man-hole cover, gravel and grass. I found it by fortunate accident.
Spoke to a well person who told me that one should never ever add water to a well.
It will cause the well water to change its course. Who knew?
The run off used to go to a soak-away.

As it’s completely dry and beautifully stone clad, don’t know how else to describe it, I am diverting big roof rain water into it via a 1000l tank. The tank will sit high enough to allow for easy watering can access.
The well/cistern is quite deep. Optimism is encouraging me to install a pulley with bucket, like at my grandparents’ place, long ago.
The bucket can also be used to store food that needs to be kept cool.

A large bin collects water from the washing machine.
Pots under taps collect hand washing water.
Washing up is done in large bowls.
All the collected water is lovingly carried outside, with occasional grunts and swearing when spills occur.
Some people pay good money to exercise with kettlebells

Dowsing hasn’t revealed any sources of water.
Surprising as the place is an old building, c.1750, and surely building was done close to water??ponds??
But then again, water moves in mysterious ways.

The other 1000l tanks are all but empty.
Lots of mulch and fingers crossed: there is a wind, dark clouds, I’m going to dance to encourge the rain.

Thank you for the advice in these watery posts and snakey protocols, much appreciated.
Aahhh big wind, flying objects.

Blessings
M-H