Simple Living by the Seasons

In the winter I tend to go to bed earlier and have more time resting.  I cook mainly on the woodburning stove that provides my heat and some of my light, or in a slow cooker or air fryer. I only wash on the days the stove is on so that I can get things dry. On sunny days in winter I sit in the conservatory where it is warm and light from the reflection of the sun. My fresh food will be less and mainly seasonal, or will have been previously preserved through freezing, dehydrating or bottling.  Food will be more stodgy like dumplings, stews, baked items, and milk puddings to keep me warm and filled, and then I will have more luxurious treats for Christmas.   Some of these treats and other treats bought in the January sales will be saved to have luxury food for Easter. Nature will come inside the home with the Christmas trimmings and wreaths. I spend most of my time inside decluttering, mending, decorating, cleaning and learning new skills and writing. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen where the stove is, sitting in my bed with the blankets on, or in the front room during the couple of hours a day the heating is on to stop the house getting damp.  I spend time planning rather than doing.  I collect water in the water butts and surplus in bowls and only have a few crops in the greenhouse.

In spring my day starts to lengthen with the hours of day light.  Preserved and stored food starts to run out.  I am able to eat a few early fresh crops like spinach, radishes and Pak Choi.  My meals often become more imaginative and using what I have.  My conservatory becomes an extra giant green house and is an ideal place to sow my food for the next year. My home is filled with nature as seedlings will fill all the window sills as well.  I spend more time outside getting the garden ready and foraging to supplement my diet, and for fuel to season for a following year. Wild garlic and pesto feature a lot in our meals. I spend a lot less time in the kitchen. I wash only on dry days and make more use of rain water.  We also travel more and have more days out as the crops can go a few days without watering.

In summer I will cook more outside and eat outside.  I have a pizza oven, a BBQ and often use a camping stove to make curries or seaside doughnuts and churros.  There is no nature in the house unless it is being eaten or preserved. Wash days are dictated by fine, dry days and I will take advantage of these by washing curtains and coats and larger items that only get washed a few times a year. My food will be mainly light, quick meals like filled wraps or grilled meat with lots of salad and stir fry vegetables picked from the garden. I rarely need to visit the shops.  We will also have lots of picnics. My days will be long and start when the sun rises and finish late in the evening.  I spend most of my time outside walking, gardening, harvesting, foraging and exploring.  My conservatory becomes a place to dry my herbs, cook from the heat of the sun and to sit in the warmth on an evening using the solar lights.  My front room is where I go when I need to be cool.  House hold chores are done early in the morning or on rainy days.

Autumn is all about collecting and preserving and storing as much food as possible through harvesting and foraging.  It is a time to reflect and appreciate all our hard work, We will make cordials, pasta sauce, lazy garlic and chilli, apple sauce, bottle pears and pesto.  It is a time to collect leaves and plants for the compost heap, last minute foraging of wood and cones for another year, conkers to make  detergent and to scare away the spiders, and rosehips for vitamin C during the winter. It is a time for saving seeds to sow for free food the following year. The fire pit is used for cooking some times or for keeping us warm on an evening. The conservatory becomes a place to ripen tomatoes, dry remaining herbs, dry the washing if there are no dry days. We spend more time in the front room on an evening as it is not really cold yet.  It is a time we are free to travel more, and a time of packing things away and preparing for a long winter.