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Sustainable Living Festival

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Sustainable Living Festival (SLF) was first organised
10 years ago in Daylesford Victoria; a leading alternative
town located an hour away from central Melbourne.

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It is now held at the Federation Square, in the middle of the city,
yet, people seemed to have never forgotten the community spirit
and the importance of a big hug!

We visited there on Sunday and stayed mostly in the Feast Tent.
Here is a list of theTalks and Demonstrations that we enjoyed.
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1.Bushfoods
The best foods to grow are the ones which belong to the land of OZ.
Aboriginal bush tucker is winning back a spot in the food industry.

2.Conscious Cook
Let's be conscious of what we choose and how we cook our foods.
Where do they come from? How are they grown? What's in them?
How much traveling is needed to get to our table?
How efficiently can we cook in terms of energy and water?

3.Grow it where you live
If we get tired of wondering all these questions above,
we may be better off growing our own foods..
Food Swaps, Community Gardens, Permablitz,
all the exciting hands-on ways of growing foods locally.

4.Don't trade lives
Fair trade.. fair trade.. fair trade.. FAIR TRADE!!
Why do millions and millions of children still have to be slaved?
It is simply for the cheap chocolate we (affluent people) demand,
and also for the non-fair trade coffee we cannot resist everyday,
as well as the collection of the five-dollar T-shirts we buy.

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Our delicious lunch was made from Organic and local produce.
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Instead of cheap disposable plates, we had real plates and
the wonderful volunteers to wash them afterwards. Thank you.
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Left-over foods and biodegradable rubbish were no longer a waste.
They were all collected and will be turned into food for the soil.

After eating all the yummy things, it was our time to return something
back to Nature... Here comes... the Waterless Compost Toilets!!

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A cup of sawdust was used instead of 8 liters of water,
and no tree from Tasmanian forests was cut down
thanks to the recycled paper provided.

It will take about 6 months before everything will turn into compost.
It was one of the most sustainable event we've ever experiensed!
Congratulations to all the volunteers and organisers.

by maki & tomo

# by millet_sisters | 2009-02-26 17:21 | Special Events  

Spaghetti & Millet Bolognese

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The White Indian Millet needs to be soaked overnight in water.
Don't forget to wash and drain well before cooking in a pot
with plenty of water and natural salt to bring out the best.
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Once it is cooked, it can be kept in a fridge for a few days...

Leftover millet in the fridge makes your life easy!
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Here is one example...

Just like making Spaghetti Bolognese using Tomato Sauce,
you can add Onions, Carrots and whatever you find in your fridge
to make this Millet Sauce. How easy~ and yummy~.

by Maki

# by millet_sisters | 2008-12-09 15:51 | Recipes  

Cooking from Permaculture Garden

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On the last day of October, I was invited to a house of
Permaculturists for a cooking demonstration.

In light drizzle, the creator of the Permaculture garden
and I started wandering around to find some ingredients
for tonight's dinner.

...uhmmm...something yummy to go with grains.

"Lemon tree is over there, Here is our Asparagus,
oh! sorry I forgot about you (to her melon seeding^^)"

It was as if she was introducing me to her close friends,
it's just that ... they can be nibbled^^.

As she was gently guiding her fluffy chooks to bed,
she explained how to build a fox-proof cage using
some recycled materials, which may seem rubbish
for some, but they're very useful toys for others.
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By the time a basket was full of fresh vegetables
and fruits, People from the Eastern Suburban
Permaculture Group started arriving.

Together we cooked; (veggies from the garden)

* Minestrone-Style Soup with Millet and Oats (Red Onion, Parsley)

* Marinated Seaweed with Buckwheat (Lettuce, Rocket, Lemon)

* Japanese-Style Pasta with Buckwheat
(Asparagus, Beans, Peas, Spinach, Mitsuba, Shiso)

* Garlic flavoured Quinoa Nuggets (Garlic Chive, Red Onions)

* Millet Burger with Grated Carrots (Thyme and Red Onions)

* Cooked Vine Leaves and Kale

* Oat and Carob Truffles

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A small kitchen gave us no choice
but to be cooking close to each other^^.
It was such a warm night.

posted by Maki

# by millet_sisters | 2008-11-07 20:05 | Workshops  

Sustainable BBQ & Picnic

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Thank you for those who turned up for
the 'Sustainable Sausage Sizzle' yesterday!

Thank you also for your amazing dishes;

Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and walnuts
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Special Bento Box with Japanese Style Pickles
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Buckwheat Sausages with Beetroot as colouring
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Pies filled with several Grains (top) and Chickpea Felafels
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Garden Veggie in Thai Sauce (top) and Millet Sausages
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also...Home made bread, Spring Rolles with Cheese
and Sun-dried Tomatos, Quinoa and Oats Cookies,
Carrot and Beetroot Dips, Baked Potatos and etc.

There is no word to describe how delicious each dish was...

On the Cup day, while some people were betting on horses
and dressing up to impress others (^^), I hope everyone
who came for the SSS was happy to celebrate the day
with soulful dishes.

*Special Sustinable Prizes go to...Mr. J for riding his bicycle to
Williamstown and also...Ms. H for using her own garden veggies!


by Maki

# by millet_sisters | 2008-11-05 16:59 | Special Events  

the Sustainable Sausage Sizzle!

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The SSS will be held:

At Williamstown on November 4th (Tue) from 1pm.

Please bring a plate, drinks and your own picnic sets.

Please email zakkokuaus@hotmail.com to confirm your spot.

* If possible, please bring your own style of Vege Sausages, Buckwheat Sausages, or Millet Burgers, but Salads and Breads are also delighted!
* No experience in Grain cooking needed.
* If it rains, it will be postponed.

# by millet_sisters | 2008-10-22 17:11 | Special Events