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SEPTEMBER 21st - SPRING EQUINOX oh how embarassing to see how long since we updated this page. what can we say other than we have been too busy both in store and in our lives to get back here - in that time we have said goodbye to two more loved ones and welcomed in gayle's second grandchild jonas harper buck. we have emptied houses, filled new ones, celebrated birthdays, cried and cried and laughed and laughed. and still the greenhouse carries on day by day - new products coming all the time and now of course comes that time we face all the last minute (retail speaking) planning for christmas. it really becomes a bit of a runaway train from here until late on december 24th - and heres a reminder: dont leave things too late as we always run out of pretty much everything and if you have a list share it with us - we can tell you what you need to either order early or layby. calendars, diaires and really great books are especially subject to beconing unavailable.
JUNE 29th: STOCKTAKE TIME AGAIN! the store and website will be open as per usual despite THAT TIME of the year being here again. after 17 years we can almost do it in our sleep - in fact we are pretty sure we do. the shop is looking great and is a real pleasure to be in after our big clean up (see below). we are well stocked on most things and have our eyes set on some new goodies to order once we hit the new financial year on JULY 1ST. we are still working on our newsletter but somehow each month we find other things drag us away - but it will come if we just BELIEVE! saturday june 13th: CAUTION:
may day update: may day occurs on may 1st and refers to any of several public holidays. in many countries,it is synonymous with international workers' day, or labour day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labour movement. as a day of celebration the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. many of these customs are due to may day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that in the northern hemisphere it falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. " buy bread for your body and flowers for your soul" old Persian saying thank you for being "wildly" generous! today ann was able to drop off a donation of $160.00 to fnq wildlife rescue (who care for injured and orphaned native animals) thanks to all those who say "keep the change" (it goes in our donation jar - amazing all those 5c pieces add up) plus those kind souls who slip a bit more in. thank you all so much! saturday april 25th: congratulations to brianna dempster! our FARM GATE quiz winner. on saturday 18th april the inaugural FARM GATE markets were opened in cairns and the green house was happy to offer a chance to win a $50 gift voucher to all who completed the FARM GATE quiz and returned their lucky number bookmarks to us by 4pm on friday 24th. the lucky winner was brianna dempster and we are really pleased to be able to congratulate such a young and discerning shopper so well done brianna! and her younger brother jake who also completed the quiz. we look forward to seeing you soon. we were pleased to support the opening of the FARM GATE market which concentrates on locally grown and developed produce because: * we believe growers of all kinds are vital components of the health and prosperity of a nation and that each of us needs to keep our intrinsic link to the soil, air and water alive. *we believe organic and sustainable agriculture on all scales is vital for the health of both the environment and the economy. * we believe that locals need to support locals in good times and bad. so make sure you support your local growers, your stockists of organic foods and try having a go at being a grower yourself - its not that hard, really rewarding and keeps things a bit more real in the kitchen! " show me what you eat and i will show you who you are" APRIL UPDATE growers' resources at the green house environment shop: we have just received - in time for Anzac Day, which is the traditional sowing time to catch the winter veggies here in the tropics - a large stockup of our wonderful EDEN SEEDS- non-hybrid, traditional open-pollinated ( so plants run true to their parents and seed can be collected for replanting) . we have a great range - carefully selected so as to be suitable for cairns and the tablelands - of vege, herb, asian greens and garden- helpful ( and some edible) flowers. just $3.30 a packet in store. the lip smacking EDEN SEEDS catalogs are just 50cents ( to cover our freight) and guaranteed to provide hours of green scheming and pleasant dreaming. we also have the fantastic (and personally endorsed) dr vogel bio-snacky seed sprouting jars - just $16.95 with a mung bean starter pack and complete instructions and helpful info about sprouts. so grow a farm on your own windowsill - and reliable organic fresh greens in just 3 days (actually sometimes just 2 days). this is so easy and can be a great introduction to growing for children and other novice gardeners. during the recent green food shortage during the big wet - we had plenty of yummy, nutricious greens sprouts for salads, sandwiches, snacks, stir fries and steaming - plus enough for gayle's scrumptious "sproutburgers" (vegan, gluten free, delicious) done "japanese kinpira-style" (see RECIPE below)if you want more in-depth information about the benefits of sprouts and herbs we also have both of isabel shipherds invaluable books as well as "tropical food gardens", "permaculture home garden" and a great collection of healthy eating cookbooks including "raw food gourmet", "macrobiotic brown rice book" and a personal favourite "wholefood - coming home to eat" - brilliant! "bless the flowers, bless the roots, bless the seeds and bless the shoots"
gayle’s vegan and gluten free SPROUT BURGERS:
" my family often call me the “bean-queen” and having been vegetarian for nearly 40 years and vegan for 10 – I could not do, and do well and long and hard – without these little magic parcels! sprouts are really the most nutritious and easy way to access the life giving properties not just of beans and peas but also grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables – in fact anything that will “sprout”. i also only buy organic where possible and this influences how I cook in that because i only buy premium I DO NOT WASTE – all my peelings go into a bag in the freezer and about once a week (usually weekends) I put them all in a big pot, add a thick bit of kombu seaweed (optional), cover with water, bring to the boil and let simmer until you can smell the goodness. strain, leaving the last little bit in the pot as it will have sand, soil particles etc in it as you don’t need to “wash” organic produce - just rinse. and i also have become “the vegieburger queen” as this along with soups and spring rolls is the best way to use up leftovers (but keep it fresh – there’s “leftovers” and then there’s “compost” ! my daughter and her family lived in japan for 6 years and when i visited i was so impressed by a fast food chain over there who did “kinpira burgers” – these are shredded vegies ( most notably the mountain burdock or “gobo” ) sandwiched between two compressed rice burger “ buns”. delicious! the word “kinpira” which is no longer in general use was synonymous with “strong” or “tough” during the Edo period of puppetry describing a certain character. named after this word, it is said that the menu with sauted tough gobo (burdock root) came to be called “kinpira-gobo”. these days, “kinpira” means the cooking method to saute not only shredded gobo but lotus root and other vegetable. to enjoy a more rustic texture, cut vegetables a little thicker. root vegetables such as lotus root, carrot and burdock root are rich source of fiber. fiber supports a good gastrointestinal health through its laxative effect. organic root veges – unpeeled if possible and just rinsed or lightly scrubbed – support and protect the all important “bio-flora” in our intestines – the place where “B vitamin “ are absorbed and assimilated. here in cairns you can, when in season, often obtain gobo from the yamagishi egg people at rusty’s markets. however you can use any root vege plus any other veges, herbs etc you like for - SPROUT BURGERS - KINPIRA STYLE.
METHOD: in a large bowl place all your diced, shredded, “julienned” (cut into “matchsticks- thick or thin) or grated veges, herbs etc. add as much sprouts as you like. add your preferred seasoning – seasalt, pepper, chilli, curry powder or paste, grated ginger, miso paste – use your imagination and whatever is in the pantry or fridge! stir it all to mix thoroughly – now sprinkle in some organic flour (certified organic flour is especially important to make your choice as its not only grown organically but stored organically – non-organic grain is subject to spraying with insecticide ! ) you can choose from a wide range of flours – wheat I find too gooey and raw tasting plus we can all do with reducing the amount of gluten we ingest – and using this recipe means everyone can enjoy ! my favourite choice of flour is organic brown rice flour but organic white rice or some of the other gluten free alternatives are fine as well. You need to achieve a slightly crumbly texture which when pressed in your hands to form patties doesn’t fall apart. If you let the mixture “sit” for a little while that helps but I also find if I just wet my hands that about does it. don’t make the patties too thick or they’ll be a bit raw tasting inside – I like them quite thin with bits sticking out as they cook quickly and go crunchy – yum! shallow fry your burgers - my favourite oils are organic mustard, sesame or olive oil –but any organic oil will do - heat it up but not to smoking point and turn the burgers once golden brown, drain and enjoy hot or cold later. i often arrange my hot burgers on a large platter and drizzle just a little bit of tamari or shoyu soy sauce over them. you’ll find endess variations for this recipe. itadakimasu !
(said “ it-i-dak-i-mas” its the Japanese equivilent of “bon appetit”, means “I receive” – said before meals)
that's it jack - take the magic beans!
  13th february 2009 nature is all powerful .......... with the awesome weather events of the past couple of weeks- so much water up here and so much burning down south, the following poem has much resonence. let all we who are fortunate to only been mildy affected dig deep in our hearts and find ways to help those who lives have been touched much harder than our own. from the shop point of view we have just had our first delivery yesterday - bamboo socks and the recycled glass bottle jewellery are now restocked and we are expecting quite a few other parcels including the recycled magazine wares - photo frames, bowls and mirrors. we will keep you posted on these. Love is Not A Seasonal Crop
Love is not a seasonal crop The weather we can't control Tend it well and well it'll grow The weather will and unknown how or why itself impose Weather it with all your will, those it always wins For of itself in time weather must be spent Sometimes its only slight damage done That we must amend If it's a total ravish, bend down and plant again For earth and hearts are glad to give An equal yield of what's putted in David E. Patton
the wild things are coming .......... at last!!!!! we have stocked maurice sendak's classic childrens picture book " where the wild things are" for years - first published in 1963 it remains a fabulous read and the illustrations unique and wonderful. now comes the long awaited release date for the film of the same name (live action and set design done in melbourne) under the direction of the fabulous american director spike jonze. it promises to be a totally unique film experience. the release date is december 2009 BUT we highly recommend you read the book first. for more info go to the SHOP ONLINE > GIFTS FOR CHILDREN > books and stationary section. "where the wild things are" book ($19.95) also birthday cards available from $5.00 each - see featured greeting cards in cards & stationary listing at SHOP ONLINEgoodbye january! updating on the last friday of the first month - we are restocking as quickly as suppliers allow. really happy to have the wonderful eco bamboo compostable picnicware back in - our little homewares corner is now revamped. you'll find the eco bamboo range in the environment and great outdoors category - bamboo goods section. fantastic product! 30 cents a spoon - $1.00 for a plate back in the saddle! we are well and truly back into another year of busyness - after our best ever year of trading - and are already searching and sourcing new products as well as re-stocking after our busiest christmas ever. if you go to SHOP ONLINE all the product categories will pop up and right near the bottom is NEW PRODUCTS - its a good way to keep up with changes. speaking of new products - one of our best finds over the holidays (no rest in retail) are lovely digitally printed tiles courtesy of a wonderfully witty woman called jane (from newcastle in nsw) - find them now in the homes with heart - happy homes section section. adventureous mind tile by jane $18.95 ( plus ten more wonderful designs) and speaking of adventureous minds- next month (february) ann and gayle will also be off to the sydney gift and homewares trade fairs ( 3 in 5 days) - sounds like shopping heaven but its actually very very hard work. with things a little more challenging financially for most people, their focus will be on value for money as well as more well designed recycled and renewable sourced products as well as quality toys and cards plus some extra goodies for big girls and boys. trade fairs, magazines and the internet are some of the tools we use to discover new products and information but there is one more valuable source and that is our wonderful customers! so if you find something you think we should stock please send us an email or a link and we will follow it up. may the rain only fall where you needs it! and bye for now - the green house girls happy new year - blessings to all! after our longest break ever - 10 days - we are open again. and after our best ever christmas trading its time to get to re-ordering and restocking. we are also busy tracking down new products - we will be focusing on more artists and craftspeople in our search for the most creative and smart design. and we will be back at work online too - bringing you more content and information about our existing lines and new discoveries. as we write, january 12th, cyclone charlotte has made landfall on the other side of the cape and the monsoon is pounding us with torrential rain. today we looked out the front window to see the hatstand not blowing away (that happens all the time) but rather floating away! we had a lovely visitor, taking refuge, a very large male orchard butterfly (papilio aegeus aegus) who just happened (we guess) to land on the laser metal butterfly mobile hanging in the window. made for a great photo! another year of trading is coming to an end: please click on ABOUT US - THE CAIRNS STORE - for trading hours, our holiday "break" and details of processing times for online orders. we wish all a safe and joyous holiday season - spent with those you love and who love you - cherish them. and best wishes for a wonderful new year.
another sad farewell: julian ( jacatapati das ) our dear friend and neighbour Julian from the Gaura Nitai Hari Krishna restaurant finally moved on into peace after a difficult period of illness. we will miss his impish grin and loving eyes which never lost sight of heaven even through some very tough recent times. our hearts go out to his wife Taruni who has been the staunchest of friends throughout it all. such suffering brings sorrow - such love brings awe and admiration. HARI KRISHNA rest in peace: steve ann's husband, our friend and the green house's resident mr fixit, steve mansfield passed away on sunday november 30th while working on their house on the clohesy river at koah. steve lived life on a genuine natural high - no drink, no drugs, not even coffee or tea. his idea of a "break" was a long strenuous bike ride! he admired action over talk and truth above all. he was hard to keep up with, impossible to slow down but if you ever needed a hand - or two- it was never too hard. steve made so many people's dreams come true through his application of strength, endurance and knowledge but he was his own greatest creation - a unique, unreplaceable being moulded by years spent in hard work and the pursuit of his own unshakeable ideals. never was it more truthfully said that a man had earned his right to "rest in peace". " For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides ... Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."
thank you to everyone who has made contact - in whatever way - to send your love and support and to share your memories and feelings about steve. december update: " life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" john lennon said and - wherever he is now - he knows just how prophetic those words were. for us at the green house, life for those left behind does go on and we are fortunate enough to have done so much planning that we can embrace the hard and very sad task of farewelling steve properly, with love and dignity, on his next journey as well as bringing this year of serving to a close. he would expect no less. wishing you all a safe and joyous christmas. may you spend it with those you love in whatever way brings you peace and happiness. peace on earth and good tidings to all. full moon november update: our online store is now truly established but , as with the "earth" store on spence street, we are daily loading new items and expanding our offerings. ok its back to stocking the shelves - both earthly and virtual - keep cool and remember if money can cure any problems you have - you dont have a problem. rise above negativity - being positive is a very useful habit to cultivate. cheers from the greenhousegirlz all hallows eve update: ta da! we are opening the ONLINE green house today!
"every day is a new beginning!" |