Archive for the 'Society' Category

06
Jun

baked bean brunch for the vegetarian soul

It will probably come as a surprise to people out there who have noticed the heavy meat content on this blog, but once upon a time we were actually vegetarian. I was vegetarian for about 6+ years, while the other became vegetarian when he met me - for a couple of years or so. We even tried being vegan for a year. When I was vego I used to eat stuff like this all the time. It’s simple but very yummy, and quite healthy. Here’s what you’ll need to make it, and how. Serves one ravenous person, or two hungry people.

Ingredients

Bread, sliced
Cottage cheese
Lettuce leaves
1 regular can of baked beans
2 field mushrooms, sliced into medium-sized pieces
6 grape tomatoes, sliced in half (you could use cherry tomatoes instead, or even a normal sized tomato diced)
a little olive oil for frying

Method

  1. Put some olive oil in a pan, and fry the sliced mushrooms until nicely cooked. You want them heated through to the point they aren’t raw anymore, but not overcooked so they shrink and get really small & dark. You want some juicyness to burst out when you bite into them.
  2. Add the tin of beans to the pan and stir.
  3. When the beans have heated through, turn down the heat to low, and add the sliced tomatoes & stir through. Stir occasionally and allow tomatoes to heat through & soften a little.
  4. Meanwhile, toast some slices of bread. When done, put them on a plate and spread with cottage cheese.
  5. Rinse some lettuce leaves, drain, and place on top of the bread.
  6. Give the bean mixture a stir, then spoon onto the lettuce.
  7. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

02
Apr

love’s harvest

Tonight a series of short films, called ‘Loves Harvest‘, started on SBS. Tonight’s one was about a family who grow organic garlic. What a great series!!! Next week’s one is about two teachers who gave up their jobs to raise goats and produce cheese.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the series from the website:

“Love’s Harvest is a series of four beautiful and intimate stories about organic farmers. Each episode portrays the experiences of couples and families toiling hard for their belief in organic goodness and the love and life it provides.

The demand for organic produce is on the rise but the perils and uncertainties of farming remain steady for those on the land. The farms in Love’s Harvest yield rude awakenings, happy surprises, heartbreaking loss and small, overdue fortunes. The beauty and serenity of rural life is jolted regularly by the reality of hard work and uncertainty. Relationships are strained or reaffirmed by the challenges of losing crops or feeding stock, while carefree country kids learn to be savvy business entrepreneurs.”

The next three can be seen on SBS over the next few Wednesdays, at 8.00pm.

13
Feb

finally proud to be australian

24
Nov

wooooooooohoooo!!!!

Election 2007

 

 

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOORAY FOR THE A.L.P!!

Watch Rudd’s fantastic acceptance speech below:

18
Oct

poll: howard’s biggest lie?

13
Sep

unashamed political plugs

Come on Australia! You can do it! Oust Howard!!

A vote for the Greens is a vote for the Senate!

07
Sep

apec and howard’s proto-fascist state

 

hitward.jpg

We just thought we’d send our support for the APEC protesters out in to the world wide web. We ourselves can’t make it to any protests this weekend, so consider this our contribution and encouragement to those who can.

Continue reading ‘apec and howard’s proto-fascist state’

18
Aug

the always inspiring peter cundall

 

What would Peter do?

Over the past decade my level of patriotism has gradually dwindled to its current level of nonexistence. It’s hard to feel proud about your place of origin when your people keep voting in conservative governments who ignorantly commit us to unjust wars, continually ignore pressing social and environmental issues, and generally malign people like me who don’t think that the direction in which we’re heading is a good one.

Much of the time it feels like the whole nation/world is going crazy; like there is really no hope. Every Saturday, though, some of my faith in humanity is restored. Peter Cundall digs his hands into the soil, scatters some blood and bone and plants some veg and suddenly things seem a little brighter.

I think I’ve watched Gardening Australia since birth. Our family used to watch it religiously at dinnertime, and I’ve made sure to continue that tradition since I ‘fled the nest’. On a basic level, the show is just bloody entertaining to watch and contains a host of really practical advice about gardening. On a deeper level though, it’s reassuring to know that there are still people out there who think that the world is something worth nurturing; that self interest and the market aren’t the prime reasons for existence.

I love Cundall’s attitude to life and the fact that he’s still got that outlook at 80 years of age. He’s one of the most inspiring figures I can think of, and I can only hope that more Australians aspire to be like him.

Imagine how different Australia would be if someone like Peter Cundall was appointed PM a decade or two ago? I think we’d all be a lot happier and more excited about composting, that’s for sure. Aside from joking, though, I reckon we’d be a lot more excited about our lives and the future of the world. I know I would be, anyway.

05
Mar

welcome!

Welcome to space wildschwein. Here we hope to comment and converse on such topics as:

  • food;
  • computing;
  • linux;
  • open source software;
  • popular culture;
  • politics;
  • philosophy;
  • the arts.

We look forward to reading your comments and ideas!

Cheers,
Ash & Canaan