Spine: 25mm CMYK: 230mm x 170mm with 100mm flaps

Wendyl Nissen shares

her approach to living a

The Natural Home

balanced and sustainable
life based on an old-
fashioned model of
growing and cooking your
own food, using natural
products and doing your
best to avoid letting
unnecessary chemical
cocktails into your life.

In The Natural Home

Wendyl shows how
easy it is to lead a much
healthier life just by making
some small changes and

The
remembering the simple
way that people used to live.

Natural
Combining the best
information from Wendyl’s
previous books, including

Wendyl Nissen
recipes for everything
from cleaning your toilet

Home
Wendyl Nissen is a journalist, to making your own bread,
broadcaster and former this book contains excellent
magazine editor who is the advice on how to garden,
author of seven books, mostly create healthy food, make
about living a chemical-free, natural cleaning and

Wendyl
old-fashioned life. She gave up beauty products and raise
her corporate life 15 years ago your baby chemical-free.
and now lives in the Hokianga

Nissen
with her husband, 10 chickens,
two dogs and a three-legged cat.

Cover design: Kate Barraclough

Front cover and flap photographs: Emily Hlaváč Green

TIPS, IDEAS & RECIPES FOR A SUSTAINABLE LIFE

Back cover photograph: Sally Greer for the New Zealand
Woman’s Weekly www.allenandunwin.co.nz

NaturalHome_CVR_FINAL.indd 1 5/06/18 1:17 PM

 The
Natural
Home
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E

The
Natural
Home
Wendyl
Nissen
Photography by
Emily Hlaváč Green

TIPS, IDEAS & RECIPES

FOR A SUSTAINABLE LIFE

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T H E N AT U R A L H O M E

Contents
Introduction
6

In the
Garden
10

In the
Kitchen
68

Cleaning
144

Health and
Beauty
198

Taking Care
of Baby
250

Appendices
325
Glossary
331
Recipe Index
334

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T H E N AT U R A L H O M E

Introduction

I was obviously quite mad. I came to this realisation as I read through

the final manuscript of this book which updates and adds a lot of
material to my 2010 book A Home Companion: My Year of Living Like My
Grandmother. There I was one minute cooking a casserole in a box of hay,
then I was roasting green coffee beans in a frying pan, oh and then I was
making soap in the backyard and helping one of my hens expel an egg by
rubbing her bottom with K-Y Jelly.
I can only describe that period of my life as one of immense joy and
discovery, and deep down I was very strongly motivated to live a different
life. One without chemicals cluttering up my cupboards and polluting
my home. One without additives in my food which meant growing and
cooking a lot of it myself and eating like my nana did. And probably most
importantly one where for the first time in my life I felt in control. When
you have five kids, several dogs, cats and chickens in a villa in the middle
of Auckland city, you need an element of control.
Since I wrote that book I have been on many more voyages of
discovery. I went back to editing magazines, spending some time at the
helm of the Australian Women’s Weekly. I’ve written four more books—
one a novel (scary time that was); I’ve set up and run an online business
selling the mad natural cleaners I had invented (that business is now
sold, as it turned out I’m no entrepreneur). And more recently I’ve leapt
into the role of broadcaster, hosting my own daily show on RadioLive
appropriately called The Long Lunch.
But more importantly my husband Paul and I bought the country

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E Introduction

property I was longing for when I wrote A Home Companion. The caravan
in the Bay of Plenty where I spent so much time writing and experiment-
ing with recipes now sits at the top of a paddock with a splendid view
of the Hokianga Harbour. We now have five acres with an orchard,
productive vege gardens and 10 chickens who were all rescued and are
a bit odd.
We started off living here part time but are now almost full time with
an old cottage in Auckland where some of our children live and where we
return when we need to for work or, most often, family celebrations. And
my parents, Cedric and Elis, live with us in the cottage at the end of our
house in the Hokianga. They are in their mid-80s and just need a bit of
extra care so I’m learning a lot about that.
I’ve changed a lot in the eight years since A Home Companion.
The other day I walked into our Auckland kitchen and my 20-year-
old daughter, Pearl, who has known nothing but chemical-free cleaners
made to her mother’s recipes was cleaning with a bottle of supermarket-
bought spray cleaner. I could smell the chemicals before I saw the bottle.
The old me would have had a blind fit, grabbed the bottle and chucked
it out. Instead I watched her clean and was grateful that she’s grown up to
be such a good little cleaner. And then I asked her why.
‘I like it,’ she replied, grinning.
I took a breath.
‘Well I know you know what is in that bottle and what it is doing to
you. So I guess that’s your decision,’ I said.
I’m not interested in evangelising a new way of living anymore. But I
am interested in sharing everything I know about how easy it is to lead a
much healthier life just by making some small changes and remembering
how we used to live, when my grandmother was 20 years old.
I hope you enjoy this book which includes all my favourite recipes—
discovered and tested over the past 10 years of my life—and, like any
book I write, I hope that it finds a special place in your heart and gets to
live on your bookshelf for many years to come.

8 9
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

In the
Garden

10 11
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

I find it difficult to get a park

at my local garden centre,
even on a weekday, which is
testament to the increasing
trend to grow your own veges.
It makes sense for several
reasons. You save money after
an initial investment in soil
conditioners and seed, but
once you get into the swing
of keeping seed and making
compost you can keep growing
veges for free. You can also
ensure that the veges you grow
are pesticide- and chemical-
free by growing organic. And if
you do need to spray, at least
you know what is on them. And
home-grown just tastes better.

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
My family rarely sits down to a meal at our table without me proudly
pointing out which veges have been ‘sacrificed’ for their pleasure. I’ll
never forget my daughter’s boyfriend helping himself repeatedly to the
salad bowl, exclaiming that he’d never tasted lettuce as good. Personally
I’ve never tasted cauliflower or broccoli as good as the ones we’ve grown,
and tomatoes are always better home-grown. But, to be honest, it took
me several seasons to work out how to be a good gardener. My parents
never had a vege patch, but an early boyfriend’s mother would send us
home from visits with huge pots of vege soup made from her garden and
it was an inspiration.
This chapter is designed to get anyone growing anything. I’ve waded
through too many gardening books and magazines unable to grasp even
the basic terminology, and I know what it is like to be a novice.
Get started, any way you can
I tell people who are interested in gardening to simply go to the garden
centre, buy a bag of potting soil and lay it on the ground flat, like a pillow.
Poke some holes in the bottom for drainage, cut a hole in the top and
sprinkle a packet of mesclun seeds over it. Keep it watered and within
weeks you will have wonderful salad greens sprouting up, which you can
pick each week for dinner. If you want to pick every night then get a few
more bags to keep you supplied. I suggest this because it’s a quick and
easy way to get the gardening bug. For something a little more appealing
to the eye, you can fill a large pot or make a small raised garden. The
secret is to get started.
14
In the Garden
Find the gardener in you
When I started gardening, I was very much a once-a-monther. I’d get out
there for a weekend every month and weed furiously, plant fanatically,
water it all, stand back with a glass of wine on the Sunday night and feel
very proud of myself. Then I’d forget about the garden for a month and do
it all over again. I knew I’d become a real gardener when I found myself out
there most days just checking, pulling weeds, tying up plants, keeping a
close eye and constantly maintaining my patch. Jeanette Fitzsimons, the
former co-leader of the Green Party, told me in an interview for the New
Zealand Woman’s Weekly that spending time in her garden is a solace:
‘Once you’ve got a garden set up, it’s not a lot of work to keep it going. I
do it in small bursts. When I’m stuck at the computer for a while, I’ll take
a break and wander down into the garden and do 20 minutes of weeding,
which is as long as it might take to have a cup of coffee with a friend
working in an office.’
You don’t have to look far to find a study telling you that gardening is
not only good exercise but also good for the head. I have some of my best
ideas for my writing while pulling weeds.
Keep a notebook
This may sound a little precious but when you start a garden, write
everything down in a notebook. I do sketches of what is where in my
garden, simply because after a mad day’s planting I tend to forget which
plants went where—which is fine until you are harvesting and realise
that one sort of bean did so much better than the other and you really like
the tomatoes off the plant in the middle. That is when you consult your
notebook so you can grow that variety again the next year. It also helps
to keep track of solutions that might have worked to control pests, how
often you’ve fertilised and other tips and tricks you learn along the way.
15
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

Soil
For years I would simply dig a shallow hole, throw a plant in, put the soil
back and expect it to grow, regardless of the fact that the soil was mostly
clay and the hole not nearly deep enough for the roots to develop. So
here’s a lesson on soil:

`` Most living things need the right mix of nutrients to grow

strong and resistant to disease. Plants are no exception. Pests
and disease tend to attack weak plants; if a healthy plant is
attacked, the negative effects are most often minimal. So if you
want to grow organically or use as few sprays and chemicals
in the garden as you can, then you need to give your plants a
good start. For plants to thrive they need to develop a good
root system in friable soil. Sometimes a plant’s root system can
be bigger than the plant itself.

`` Preparing the soil for a small garden will take you half an hour.
Firstly, choose the site for your garden. Make sure it gets sun
all day if you want good results.

`` Dig a trench along one length of it, one spade deep, shovelling
the dirt into a pile or a wheelbarrow. Dig the same trench
another spade depth again, shovelling all the dirt onto the pile.

`` Now do another trench, putting all that soil into the hole you
have left from the first trench.

`` Work your way row by row along your garden site until you
get to the last trench, then fill that with the soil from your first
trench which is in your wheelbarrow or in a pile.

`` Your soil should be all fluffed up and friable and just in need
of a going over with the garden fork, but first invest in some
organic blood and bone, lime, compost and sulphate of potash.
Tip it all over the garden (read the instructions on the bags for

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
the amounts). Fork it all through and leave it to sit for two to
three weeks.
`` Your garden is now ready for planting because it has good
nutrients and plenty of room for the roots to grow.
`` Try not to walk all over it and compact the soil again. I use a
few carefully placed bricks or old planks of wood to make a
path through my garden.
`` You can also plant on the site a winter crop of lupins, which set
nitrogen in the soil and also aerate it, or you can plant mustard
as an easy nitrogen-fixing winter crop.
Warmth
Gardening is seasonal. If you are a beginner you’re best to start planting
in spring, around late October, so that you get fulsome and fast results.
Unbelievably, I used to plant out in August and wonder why everything
took so long to do anything—or died. Labour Weekend is traditionally the
time to start planting, although I prefer to put in tomatoes a few weeks
later and certainly never plant basil until, to quote Simon Farrell, my
former colleague at Newstalk ZB who taught me much about gardening,
‘you are in shirt sleeves’. If you are a beginner don’t worry about trying to
sow seeds—it’s actually a lot harder than it looks. Invest in a few strong-
looking plants at a local market or garden centre. Some of the best beans
I ever grew were from seedlings I bought at the local dairy in Rawene
one weekend for 50 cents each. The garden will be absolutely rewarding
between now and the long dry heat of February, so it’s a good time to
have a go.
18
In the Garden
Planning
You can just throw everything in if you like and, believe me, I’ve done that
in the past with good results. But there are a few advantages to planning
where you put things. Companion gardening is another old-fashioned
device that makes a lot of sense. The idea is that certain plants like to
grow together, and protect each other from diseases and pests while
providing good nutrients. It’s not hard to find a companion gardening
chart, but my favourite companions are tomatoes and basil; marigolds
and anything, because they disinfect the soil and look gorgeous; lettuce
and radish; peas and beans; and carrots and radishes, because you can
plant a row of them both and by the time the carrots need the room to
grow you’ve harvested the fast-growing radishes.
It is also a good idea to plant in rows from east to west to get the most
out of the sun and give everything plenty of space. I do tend to cram my
plants in a bit closer than advised, because if your soil is good they will
have plenty of food and their leaves form a covering that prevents weeds
from growing.
Also think about successional planting. It’s great having all 10 lettuces
doing well but you won’t want them all maturing at once. Leave room
for sowing younger plants to give you a continuous supply. I don’t have
much room, so instead I grow lettuces that you can pick from, such as cos
lettuce. That way you go along the row picking a few outside leaves off
each and have salad every night until finally they have had enough and
decide to bolt. You’ll get about four months’ supply.
Choose your plants
It might be fun to grow radishes that are white on the outside and red
inside, or purple carrots, but if you’re a beginner it’s best to go with tried
and true. When choosing seedlings, look for varieties that say ‘disease
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
resistant’ or ‘hardy’ and have common names you are familiar with, like
scarlet runner beans, Sweet 100 cherry or Beefsteak tomatoes, sugar snap
peas and iceberg lettuce. These plants have been bred to survive, and
even the most novice gardener will get results. Specialist plants can be
tackled later, when you are an expert. Also don’t buy tiny seedlings from
the garden centre. Chances are they have only just been planted out that
day and are unlikely to survive your beginner’s handling. Make sure they
are at least 10 cm tall and looking robust.
Also think about what you are growing and how to get the maximum
nutrition from it. When I planned my garden I found a list of the top 10
vegetables delivering maximum vitamins and minerals:
`` broccoli ` spinach
`` Brussels sprouts ` butter beans
`` peas ` asparagus
`` artichokes ` cauliflowers
`` kumara ` carrots
When times are tough it makes sense to put your effort into growing the
vegetables that give you the most benefit.
Plant carefully
It’s tempting to dig a little hole and shove your seedling in, but be aware
that they are babies and need careful handling. Water thoroughly so
they are easy to remove from the punnet, and then dig a nice deep and
wide hole—about three times the diameter of the punnet. Hold the plant
gently by the base, place it into the hole and carefully push the soil in
around it. Always water gently once your seedlings are in. Sometimes I
will make seedlings a little greenhouse by cutting the bottom off a soft-
20
In the Garden
drink bottle, removing the lid and placing it over the plant. It gives them
a kick-start and protects them from snails and birds.
Organic, non-organic, or just a little bit
I have little time for an all-or-nothing approach to organic gardening. If
I come out one morning and some bug or fungus is annihilating a plant
I have lovingly cared for every day for four months, I’m the first to hit it
and hit it hard. However, these days I’m less likely to reach for a pesticide
and more likely to employ alternative methods, like shaking the plant to
dislodge the green vegetable bugs that raid my tomatoes every year and
pick them all up, mixing them up in an old blender and spraying the plant
to deter other bugs (see recipe page 66). I’ll also get out the secateurs and
clip away foliage to create more air for my tomato plants before spraying
with copper oxychloride for blight. And I’ll harvest a cabbage with a few
slugs in it. So what? There’s plenty left for me and just a few holes here
and there. But I do have one rule: if it goes in our mouths, then nothing
chemical goes on it. Every time you spray a pesticide you kill off the
good bugs like ladybirds and praying mantises, which do us a favour by
feeding on aphids and other pests, and there are now very strong studies
proving that pesticides are killing off our bee population as well as many
other beneficial insects.
To be truly organic you must make sure every piece of compost or
fertiliser you add to your garden is certified, and every seed and plant you
grow is certified; for many of us, that’s not possible and more expensive.
I believe that if you make your own compost, raise your own seeds and
don’t spray then that’s organic enough.
I also believe that no one should use pesticides; instead, accept that
sometimes a plant will die and sometimes you might have to spend time
picking off bugs or brushing them off with a toothbrush but, eventually,
the good bugs will take over and your garden should be fairly pest-free.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
If you do have to spray, then opt for one of the nature-friendly varieties
that are widely available—but do remember that pyrethrum, while it is a
natural product, is still toxic to other insects, like bees.
Pest control
I prefer to stick to a few basic rules when it comes to pest control. I don’t
use chemical pesticides or insecticides on my plants and I fertilise with
organic liquid seaweed fertiliser and blood and bone. This means that by
the time we eat our garden produce I can be sure that, for the most part,
no chemicals have been added to it or used to kill off beneficial insects
like bees, ladybirds and praying mantises.
But when my lemon tree was attacked by lemon-tree borer I went out
and bought a can full of poison and injected it into the tree. I had tried
natural methods like poking the holes the borer had formed in the trunk
with a bit of wire and pouring some turps down it, but they returned. So I
did use the poison—and six months later the tree died. I planted another
one in a different spot and it took off and is still giving me heaps of lemons.
I also work hard to encourage birds into my garden by putting food
out on feeders and providing large trees at the front of my house for
them to nest in. At last count we have a pair of blackbirds who nest every
year in a tree around the side of the house, and a pair of wax-eyes who
produce a loud bunch of chicks right outside my bedroom window where
I can check on them every morning in the spring and watch their babies.
There’s also another pair of wax-eyes in the puriri tree. In the evenings
they make a circuit of my property and pick insects off my vege patch as
part of their nightly routine.
Crop rotation is also important as a way to eliminate disease and
insects, because during the cold months fungal spores and insect larvae
overwinter in the soil and plant litter, ready to emerge and attack the
same plant in the spring. But if the same plant isn’t there because you’ve
22
In the Garden
planted corn instead of cabbage, they will not thrive. At the first sign
of blight on my tomatoes I whip out the copper oxychloride and spray
them every few weeks—some organic growers frown on using this. As a
guide for spraying plants, if the container you’re holding has a label that
advises a withholding period before harvesting, don’t use it. There are
chemicals in it that can be harmful, which is why they don’t want you to
eat the vegetable until the chemicals have dispersed.
I have many recipes for various sprays, some of which you will find
at the end of the chapter, but my favourite find is neem oil. It is used in
India in soaps, toothpaste and cosmetics, is non-toxic to mammals and
beneficial insects, and is also biodegradable. You can buy neem oil at some
garden centres and it is fantastic in the garden because it has so many uses.
It makes plants unpalatable to insects, but if they still attack then it has a
growth regulator that inhibits their ability to moult and lay eggs. It is great
on your roses for aphids and elsewhere in the garden for leafminers, mealy
bugs, thrips and whitefly. I recently sprinkled neem oil granules around
the base of all my fruit trees to kill any harmful insects that might be
overwintering. You do need to apply quite a lot of it, though. I recommend
spraying with it in the morning and the evening every few weeks.
Diatomaceous earth works well as a dust to control crawling pests like
slugs and snails, and on plants it will kill aphids and caterpillars. It is a
naturally occurring silicon powder that you can apply around the base of
seedlings and lightly dust on foliage. Do avoid inhaling the particles, as
the silica can aggravate lungs—wear a dust mask. It can also be used to
control mites and fleas on our animals.
And for slugs and snails, no natural garden is complete without a slug
trap. You can buy these at garden centres, or you can simply use a saucer
submerged in the soil. I fill the trap with stale beer and am rewarded
with dead, previously drunk, snails and slugs, which I then feed to my
appreciative hens.
Another way to keep your garden healthy is to view it as a living,
breathing community. If one of my plants just isn’t keeping up or is
23
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
obviously in poor health, I dig it up and burn it. It may sound harsh, but
spending money on fertilisers and sprays probably isn’t going to help.
By eliminating weak plants and their weak genes from my garden I am
encouraging a stronger strain of plants.
There are some common-sense things you can do in your garden to
discourage pests and disease:
`` Keep an eye on it. If you check your garden daily (like I do with
a glass of wine in the evening), you can stop pests before they
get a hold on your plant.
`` Plant a big range rather than just one kind, so that you don’t
get a build-up of pests on one type of plant.
`` Be a tidy Kiwi. Just as you shouldn’t leave pools of water
around the place to encourage mosquito larvae, it is a good
idea to remove old leaves and rotting wood that slugs and
snails can hide under.
`` Every time you spray to get rid of one insect, you are also
endangering ladybirds and praying mantises, which in good
quantities can be very effective bug-eaters. See if you can
physically remove the unwanted insect first.
You can also use the power of plants to discourage bugs with some careful
planting:
`` Plant garlic around your roses to deter aphids.
`` Mint will keep white butterfly away from your cabbages.
`` Yarrow, with its fern-like leaves and clusters of white flowers,
attracts good insects like ladybirds, hoverflies and parasitic
wasps, which prey on aphids.
`` Tansy, which looks similar to yarrow but with clusters of
yellow flower heads, is also an insect repellent.
24
In the Garden
`` Nasturtium grows like a weed at my place and I leave it
because it not only deters aphids, bugs and beetles but you can
also eat the flowers, make a great pesto out of the leaves (see
page 124), and it looks gorgeous.
`` Rosemary will also deter pests and is particularly good planted
near cabbages.
Sea power
I regularly spray with a product called Aquaticus Glow, which is organic
and made out of fish oil. It’s a really good maintenance spray to control
insects and fungal diseases.
Weed killers
Instead of buying a toxic spray, boil the jug and pour it straight on to the
weeds, or spray neat vinegar on to them.
Compost
There’s a reason they hold classes on how to make compost at my local
city council. It’s damn hard. I naively thought you just threw anything you
didn’t eat into one of those black bins and you ended up with compost.
Not so. It is a fine balance to get it right, so I suggest if you are just starting
your garden, stick with the bought stuff until you’ve mastered the basics.
But when you’re ready to try your hand at it, the benefits of composting
are huge, because you get to recycle your kitchen waste.
Here are my tips gleaned from reading far too many books on the topic.
`` Position the compost bin in a warm place. Heat speeds up the
decaying process, so putting it in the shade won’t work.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
`` Think of a lasagne. This was taught to me by Judy Horton from
Yates and it is simple. You layer your bin with green matter
which is technically still alive and kicking, such as kitchen
scraps, garden prunings, cut grass and coffee grounds, and
then brown matter, which is dead stuff like hay, paper, wood
chips, sawdust and dead clippings or grass. Keep layering
brown and green matter to get the best results.
`` Do not use meat, pet manure, weeds with seeds or herbicide-
treated matter.
`` Think aeration. Turn it often. This is easy if you have one of
those old-fashioned compost bins made of slats of wood that
are quite big. But with a small black plastic bin it can be quite a
mission to get a garden fork in and turn it. So make some holes
by hammering in cardboard or plastic tubes.
`` Keep it moist, but not soaking.
`` Make it easy on yourself and buy a box of compost starter
from your garden centre to get all the right micro-organisms
in there, and also think of your bin as a giant yoghurt-making
machine. Throwing in the odd bit of compost or dirt from
elsewhere can help keep the culture alive. And if you know
someone who keeps chickens (like me), ask them for some
chicken poo, which is heaven to compost bins because it is
nitrogen-rich and speeds up the decaying process.
26
In the Garden
Worm farms
The perfect solution for someone with limited space, but who wants to
recycle kitchen scraps and have something to fertilise the garden, is a
worm farm. It’s worth spending a bit of money on a really good one like
a Hungry Bin. Ours has been running successfully for years now, but do
make sure you keep it in a cool place and don’t forget to feed it. If you go
away it’s a good idea to get a neighbour to pop their scraps in.
If you want to make your own, here’s how to get started:
`` You should have three layers in your worm bin. The bottom
will collect the liquid, which you drain off and dilute 1:20 with
water before applying it to the garden.
`` The other two levels are where the worms live and gradually
move up the farm, allowing you to scrape the worm castings
from the other bin and use these as you would compost,
spreading it around your favourite plants or as a general top-
dressing for the garden.
`` You start the worm farm by wetting 7 cm of bedding (such as
torn-up newspaper or cardboard). Throw the worms on—about
250 g—and feed them about 250 g food a day.
`` They will eat leftover vegetable and fruit scraps, tea and coffee,
vacuum cleaner dust, hair, torn-up newspapers, egg, milk and
pizza cartons (soaked) and crushed eggshells.
`` They don’t like citrus peel, onions, fat or oils.
`` Keep the worm farm warm, but not in direct sun.
27
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

Another way
to keep your
garden healthy
is to view it as a
living, breathing
community.

28 29
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
Bokashi
Another small-scale method of composting is bokashi. I started with
this method and found it a good way to get myself into the habit, as you
keep the bin under your sink and layer your scraps with a helping of
bokashi mix, which looks like sawdust and contains all sorts of beneficial
microbes. Once the bucket is full you drain the juice at the bottom and
dilute it with water to fertilise your garden, burying the rest in a hole in
the garden.
Other fertiliser
You don’t have to buy fertiliser, you can gather it.
`` Seaweed. After a big storm, get to the beach and gather up kelp
to make seaweed tea. We do this regularly up in the Hokianga
and have a 40-litre black rubbish bin with a tight-fitting lid
filled with tea. To get started, fill it with water and throw a
few big bits of seaweed in (I often throw some comfrey leaves
in, too, as I have it growing wild). Leave in a warm place for
about a month, then use the tea diluted 1:4 with water (to the
colour of weak tea) on your plants. Just get a watering can and
pour it on. Top the rubbish bin up with more water and some
more seaweed. It’s also great to throw seaweed in the compost
bin. Or follow my old friend Tau Henare’s advice—he swears
by planting it under potatoes. I just dig a hole and throw it in
anywhere I feel like.
`` Horse manure. Look on the roadside outside your local pony club
and you’ll often see it bagged up for free or a small donation.
`` Vinegar. Acid-loving plants like azaleas, daphne and gardenias
will benefit if you pour on 1 cup vinegar diluted with 4 litres water.
30
In the Garden
Keeping seed
Once you have mastered the basics, a rewarding part of gardening is
keeping your own seed. There are two very good reasons for doing this.
The plant you grew adjusted to your soil conditions and its position in
the garden, and finished its life passing on that knowledge into the seed.
So when you plant the seed next season it has a head-start, because it is
acclimatised to your garden. Amazing. And it makes for an easy garden
season. The other reason is, of course, savings. Why pay for lettuce when
you can grow your own, over and over again, even in the winter if you
live in the right area of New Zealand? All you have to do is let one plant
go to seed. Rocket looks amazing and has beautiful little scented flowers.
When it has fully formed seed pods, pull it out of the ground, put the
head of it into a paper bag and hang it upside down somewhere dry. After
a few weeks have a look, and if it all looks nice and dry, shake out all the
seeds or pick them out of the pods and store until next year, making sure
to label them. I store mine in old envelopes.
This method works for most plants, but tomatoes need a bit of extra
treatment because their seeds are encased in a special film that you have
to rot off. Scrape the seeds into a small bowl and add water. Let the whole
lot sit on the windowsill for a while, and a film of mould should form.
This is the sign to tip it out into a fine sieve, wash away the mouldy gunge
and then spread the seeds out on some paper to dry off.
I’m always amazed the next season that my seeds grow for me. It just
seems too good to be true.
Space
Many people complain to me that they don’t have the space for a garden.
I used to be one of them before we bought our 5 acres in the Hokianga.
My old house, where I taught myself to garden, was situated towards the
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back of the section, so the back garden was actually quite small and the
much bigger front garden was planted out in trees and palms. But you’d
be amazed at how much you can grow in a small space and in containers,
providing your soil is good and you water often.
Watering
I’m not a big fan of watering systems in gardens, because their timers
go off every day and they merrily water away when the garden doesn’t
need it. Also, they discourage plants from sending their roots deep into
the soil where there is more moisture. The plants then develop weak
root systems. In Auckland there are hectares of watering systems in the
ground for a climate that only gets dry and hot for one month of the year,
in February, so all that water is being wasted.
Here are my ideas for successful watering in your garden.
`` On your daily check of your garden, see if it needs a water.
Often there will be one plant that really packs a sad if it
doesn’t get enough water, like a Busy Lizzy, also known as
an impatiens. If that’s falling over, then you need to water.
Otherwise, stick your finger in the ground to about 5 cm depth
and feel the soil. Is it damp, or dry and crumbly?
`` If you need to water (and you won’t every day), buy a cheap
timer that attaches to your hose, and set it for no longer than
15 minutes, which is more than enough time to get your garden
damp. You are better to give your plants a good soak every few
days than a light watering every day. And how many of us have
set the sprinkler going intending to come back and turn it off
only to forget and discover, full of guilt, that it is still going the
next morning? Which is a major bummer when you live in the
country and are dependent on tank water! A timer will ensure
this doesn’t happen.
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In the Garden
`` Get a sprinkler that aims water at the roots, not at the foliage—
that way you are sending the water where it is needed most.
`` If you hand-water, which I do a lot, invest in a water wand so
you can point the water down at the base of the plant. And
make sure it has a water-breaker head so that water is spread
evenly for maximum impact.
Get hard
When I first started gardening I spent inordinate amounts of time and
money on plants that weren’t thriving and never would, but I couldn’t
bear to give up on them. Pull the buggers out and start again, is now
my motto. Some plants just aren’t going to do well, so let them go. I also
began to look at which plants in my garden weren’t doing anything. I
had a huge fig tree which gave me some figs, but really no one eats them
in my house except me, and the tree took up a big chunk of my garden
and provided too much shade for anything to grow successfully under
it. I chopped it down, and the lemon tree, which I saved from a stick in
the ground five years ago, is now going great guns with the extra light
available to it.
Similarly, my lime tree would produce hundreds of little limes then
drop them all before they got anywhere, every season. In the end it was
Simon and a couple of radio listeners who told me to chop it down after
I’d been moaning about it for three years. I don’t even miss it and in its
place is a whole new vege patch, which gives us food.
Increasingly I think it’s important to make garden space work for you
by providing pleasure with food, or gorgeous smells (daphne, gardenia,
queen of the night), or physical beauty such as a dazzling rose, although
I think we should all be planting old varieties which smell gorgeous too.
Or plant something that feeds native birds, like flax and kōwhai for tūī.
Do a garden inventory. Think about getting rid of anything hanging
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

around and wasting space and replacing it with a feijoa tree or two, a
lemon tree or a flax.
Along the ‘get hard’ lines is also the need to prune. I hate pruning
because I feel sorry for the plant, which has done so well to grow such
nice things for me. But I’ve since realised that grapevines and roses love
a good prune, even if you do insist on saying ‘sorry’ every time you make
a cut.

Growing a picking garden

There are so many advantages to picking vegetables just before you are
about to eat them. There is the flavour that is so fresh and crisp—nothing
like the limp offerings you buy pre-washed and prepared in bags at the
supermarket. There is also the fact that you know what has been sprayed
on them, used to fertilise them and what they have been rinsed in, which
in our case is absolutely nothing. The salad you buy in those bags will
often have been fertilised with chemicals or sprayed with chemical
pesticides, and some are even soaked in chemicals before they are bagged
in gas to make them last longer.
Then there is the fact that the minute a vegetable is harvested it
starts losing some of its nutrients and vitality. Fruit and vegetables that
are transported to supermarkets around the country are usually picked
before they are ripe, which gives them less time to develop vitamins
and minerals. They may look ripe, but they will never have the same
nutritional value as they would have had if they been allowed to ripen
naturally. They are also exposed to heat and light, which degrades some
nutrients.
I recently saw boxes of ‘fresh’ veges sitting outside my local
supermarket in the sun, waiting to be taken inside. You can only wonder
what condition they were in by the time they reached the cooling sprays
in the vegetable aisle. Picking a fully mature vegetable or fruit as close

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as you can to eating it has to be the best use of your garden. Sometimes
I grow iceberg because it is my favourite lettuce and my daughter Pearl
loves it too. There is nothing better than a crisp fresh iceberg leaf thrown
in the mouth and crunched to your heart’s content. Occasionally Pearl
and I sit with an iceberg chopped up and dip the leaves in our favourite
feta and spinach dip. But when you grow them you do have to leave them
be until they are fully formed, and I lack the patience.
The closer I get to nature and self-sufficiency, the more I realise that
being patient is not a waste of time where you hang around and nothing
gets achieved, which is how I used to view it in my former high-stress life.
Now when something doesn’t happen when I think it should, I see it as an
opportunity to do something else while I wait.
Gardening by the seasons
SUMMER
The combination of warmer weather, plenty of spring rain and longer
days means that by summer, plants are thriving.
At this time of year, the tomato plants are laden with ripening fruit
and need regular watering, my corn is easily the same height as me
and growing fast, and the cucumbers are nearly ready for picking. The
strawberries are producing full tilt, as are the salad greens.
Unfortunately, these conditions also help bugs and fungus to thrive. I
am always on the alert for early blight on my tomatoes and work hard to
keep lower growth trimmed to allow plenty of air circulating around the
plants. (See pages 65–7 for pest control recipes.)
I spend most evenings in summer in the garden harvesting. It is best to
harvest your produce at the end of the day when the nutrients are at their
strongest, so I do the rounds of tomatoes, corn, salad greens, cucumber,
beetroot, beans, capsicums, chillies and herbs for dinner.
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In the Garden
AUTUMN
By the time March rolls around I am usually fairly grumpy with my
garden. It is the one month of the year when I look at it and just can’t
be bothered anymore. It’s like the end of a love affair that started in the
spring full of hope and expectation, wore itself out over summer and is
now just hanging around making a nuisance of itself. Usually the plants
are exhausted from their crop, the soil is drying up and the bugs have
taken over. I don’t see any point in wasting water on plants and we have
a standoff for about a week where tomatoes rot on the ground, corn gets
massacred by bugs and the only thing standing tall and strong are the
chillies, which seem to thrive on neglect.
After a week of ignoring the garden, I get out there with my husband
Paul and some buckets and we harvest everything off the plants. We take
our harvest inside and spend a weekend bottling up the tomatoes and
freezing anything else.
Once all that is done, I let the hens out on to the now-depleted garden
for a week. They are my clean-up crew and it takes them the whole week
to go over all the garden beds, digging and scratching and leaving the
soil nicely turned over and aerated. Then I fertilise the garden with my
compost taken from one of the huge bins I have. The hens go wild looking
for any grubs or larvae in there, and once again spread it all out and dig
it into my garden.
Then it’s time to get the brassicas in before the weather gets too cold.
My friend Lynda Hallinan says get them in by the end of March so they
have a good few weeks of warm weather to get started. I’ll also refresh the
salad-picking bed, which I do every month or so. We’re lucky that in the
far north salad veges like rocket and cos lettuce will grow all year round.
WINTER
During the winter, I always grow some broccoli, cabbage and silverbeet,
because veges can be expensive and good ones are hard to come by
during the winter. There are also two particularly hardy edible weeds
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that not only thrive during the cold weather but are also much better for
you because they normally grow wild. Purslane (known here as miner’s
lettuce) and lamb’s lettuce are both wild greens or weeds, which means
they are more bitter than their sweeter cousins, the iceberg and cos,
which have been bred and cultivated by humans to eat for hundreds of
years. When I was in Spain recently I noticed you could buy bags of lamb’s
lettuce that was harvested quite young, and it tasted delicious. Because
these two have had to defend themselves against predators and disease
with no help from human hands, they have more omega-3 content and
higher levels of phytochemicals. Nutritionally you get more bang for your
buck growing them than the pretty, domesticated frilly lettuces you find
in garden centres or buy at the supermarket—and they are incredibly easy
to grow. You will need to buy seeds—try www.kingsseeds.co.nz—as you
are unlikely to find them at your local garden centre, but I recommend
you give them a go during winter to get the best nutrition you can.
During the winter, food becomes scarce for visiting birds, so if you are
fond of avian visitors (and, like me, have cats that make simply throwing
bread out on your lawn unwise), you may like to put up a bird feeder. Your
local garden centre should stock kitset feeders that stand off the ground,
safely out of harm’s way from cats. Experiment with different foods—you
might try bread for the sparrows, apple halves for the blackbirds and lard
for the wax-eyes. Tūī love sugar water—and if you put it in a red bowl or
cup, this apparently makes it even more attractive. I set up a tūī feeder
a few years ago and absolutely nothing happened for two weeks. Then
one day I was sitting outside in the sun eating my lunch, and watched
absolutely spellbound as two tūī popped by for their lunch. It was so
rewarding and they visited every day for a week or so. (See bird-feeding
recipes on page 64.)
SPRING
If you haven’t grown your own tomato seedlings, get down to the garden
centre and buy some. Tomatoes traditionally go into the ground on
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In the Garden
Labour Weekend and you’ll want to get some basil to plant around them
as they make perfect companions in the soil as well as on your plate.
My best tip for planting tomatoes—which I got from Bill Ward’s Edible
Garden—is to put 1 tablespoon of milk powder and a little potash under
each tomato plant when planting—they will taste amazing. It seems to
improve the flavour and the plants get off to a good start. I also like to get
ones that have been grafted onto disease-resistant stock—they are not
that much more expensive. And it might be an old wives’ tale, but I always
stick a copper nail through their stems to help ward off fungal diseases.
Ever since I started doing this I’ve never had blight hit my tomatoes.
If you really want a wonderful-flavoured tomato, go for the Black
Krim heirloom plants. Every year they give me by far the best-flavoured
tomatoes, which are wonderful on Vogel’s toast for breakfast. And such
a lovely colour.
Try to use the seeds from last year’s crop (see page 31 for how to do
this) as your plants will already have the genetic code to survive in your
garden, passed down from the parent plants. I notice that plants I buy
from garden centres often come down with early blight, whereas plants
grown from my seeds seem to withstand it.
A great tip for transplanting any seedlings or cuttings is to add one
drop of Rescue Remedy per litre of water in their first watering. Rescue
Remedy is a homeopathic formula made out of certain flowers, which
many people use after an operation, a shock, a bump on the head or just
to calm themselves during a stressful time.
The wonderful thing about warmer weather is that salad greens
start growing so quickly that if you have a good bed-full you can take
a leaf or two from each plant for a fresh, nutritious salad at lunchtime
and dinnertime and the next day they seem to have miraculously been
replaced. The plants can go on like this for months before they bolt to
seed in the hot weeks of January.
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T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

40 41
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

Keeping chickens
Picking up our first three hens Marigold, Yoko and Hillary was an event
that changed my life. I had wanted chickens for a couple of years, but
after researching poultry-keeping I was put off by disturbing stories of
eggs getting stuck in hen’s bottoms, prolapsed uteruses, and other nasty
diseases. Then, one day we were at our caravan and I’d been talking to
the camp owners about their hens, which roam freely around the place
and represent just about every poultry breed I’ve ever seen. They had just
produced a batch of chicks, which got me thinking, and I said to Paul,
‘Imagine making our own food and knowing what went into it from the
beginning and eating something entirely created on our own property?’
‘We already do that,’ he replied. ‘We have an organic garden.’
‘Yes, but what if we could create our own protein, keep our own hens?
Everyone used to do it in the old days. They all had a couple of hens out
the back.’
‘No,’ was all he said.
Half an hour later I used my latest weapon for getting what I want.
‘Lila would love them.’
‘She would, wouldn’t she?’ he smiled, thinking about his grand-
daughter growing up and chasing hens around our Auckland backyard,
like something out of The Darling Buds of May.
‘I’ll just look into it,’ I nudged.
‘Mmm, okay, just look into it.’
Two weeks later the hen house arrived, beautifully made by a man I
found on Trade Me.
Two weeks after that we picked up our pullets from a lovely woman in
South Auckland who had hand-reared them. They were very tame, which
was great—as a first-time hen keeper I wanted to make sure I could catch
them easily.
We named them in the car on the way home, each getting to name
one hen. Pearl immediately chose Yoko, enjoying her wit and humour all

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the way home. I chose Marigold because it seemed like an old-fashioned
name my nana might have used for her hen. Paul chose Hillary, after
Hillary Clinton, enjoying his wit and humour all the way home.
‘They’re all yours,’ announced Paul when I released them from their
cages. ‘I’m having nothing to do with them.’
I proceeded to fall in love with them from the moment I got them
home. It wasn’t long before I was suffering from hentionitis, as it became
known in our household. It’s related to ‘mentionitis’, the disease that
inflicts a woman who finds a man so fascinating that she insists on
mentioning him in every sentence, much to the irritation of her husband.
I found myself wandering out to the garden to watch them; a habit I
still find more soothing than the deepest meditation. It also helps you
realise the true meaning of the commonly used phrases ‘hen-pecked’,
‘pecking order’ and ‘hen party’. As I watch them scratch the ground, peck
about and generally have a very busy day raiding the garden for snails,
slugs and green edibles, I marvel at their natural instinct and how that is
denied them in battery farms.
Initially my self-sufficiency plans didn’t quite come to fruition because
of my insistence on feeding them only organic feed, creating a unique
blend that cost the equivalent of Angus steak all round for a week. Then
there were the frequent hand-fed treats of grapes, sultanas and corn.
Once they were 20 weeks old, which was time to start laying, they
seemed to show no indication of producing protein, preferring to chase
each other around the garden and feast on the range of herbs and greens
I had grown especially for them.
‘When these eggs finally arrive they’ll work out at $17 each,’ grumped
my husband as he gently stroked Hillary’s neck.
For a man determined to have nothing to do with the chickens he was
showing a lot of affection towards them, and I’d often find him out the
back chatting with Marigold, Yoko and Hillary.
‘No I wasn’t,’ he’d say. ‘I thought there was a lost child stuck in the
tree.’
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In the Garden
He’s still the first out in the morning to let the cackling gaggle of
hens—who at that time are pressed against the henhouse door, doing a
very good impression of ladies waiting for the Smith and Caughey sale to
open—out of their coop.
And he’s the last one out to have a chat and close them up safely for
the night in their coop.
By the end of that October we knew that eventually, of course, they
would have to start laying. But what we didn’t know was that within
months I would be thinking dark thoughts about wringing their necks.
`
Amidst the deadlines and the planting, I almost forgot to worry about our
time-wasting, non-laying hens. Then one morning I poked my head in
the hen house and there it was. Our first egg. I let out a whoop of joy and
cradled it in my hands, immediately christening it ‘Our First Egg’.
Paul came rushing out to the garden and we stood there gazing at it.
A miracle to behold. When Pearl got home from school she picked it up
gently, marvelling at its brown colour, its elliptical shape, its perfection.
‘Who’s going to eat it?’ she asked.
‘Oh, you can,’ I volunteered generously.
‘No, you have it,’ she said.
‘Paul, you have it,’ I responded.
Having finally received our much-awaited first egg, it turned out we
were all a bit squeamish about eating it. The delivery mechanism was just
a little too close to home. Actually, it was staring at us from just outside
the kitchen door.
‘It came out of her bum,’ Pearl reminded us, casting a wary look at
Hillary in the backyard.
We were having our first lesson in the realities of self-sufficiency.
Here were three people accustomed to buying their food hygienically
packaged in sterile bags with pretty and informative labels. We put these
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I proceeded to fall
in love with the hens
from the moment
I got them home.
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packages in our car, drove them home and stored them in our fridge. We
had nothing to do with the slaughter of the animal that provided our
steak, or the milking of the cow that provided our milk, or the shelling
of the oysters I had secretly stashed at the bottom of the trolley. Just the
smells involved in all three of those processes would probably send this
suburban family running for the hills, and we certainly weren’t used to
getting our food out of a bird’s bum. I could see that someone had to lead
the way.
‘Right, I’ll have it,’ I said and charged out to the garden to gather the
ingredients for what would become a frequent lunch dish from there on
in, using a recipe I remember my dad cooking for me when I was a child.
I sliced off a few leaves of silverbeet from the garden and brought them
inside. I lightly steamed them while I poached the egg, which turned
out to have a yolk the colour of saffron. I toasted some freshly baked
wholegrain bread, threw the drained spinach on top and sat the lightly
poached egg on top of that.
My husband and daughter watched eagerly as I broke into the yolk
and let it run all over the silverbeet.
‘Well?’ they asked in unison as, with only a little rumble of nausea in
my stomach, I raised a forkful to my mouth.
‘I’ve never tasted anything so gorgeous in my life,’ I grinned, yolky
silverbeet poking out from behind my teeth.
I wasn’t telling fibs. That egg—and all those that followed—consistently
tasted better than any egg I have bought, even from a farmer’s market.
Each egg contains some of the purest protein you can find, along with
a range of vitamins and important fatty acids, which contribute to the
health of the brain and nervous system and help prevent heart disease.
It is nature’s perfect food. And we know exactly what goes into ours,
because it is us who feeds our hens grains, lots of leftovers, alfalfa
sprouts, slugs and bugs, weeds and their favourite green, silverbeet.
They are created by hens that spend all day in the sunshine, scratching
and digging, dust-bathing, chasing each other and the cats, planning yet
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In the Garden
another escape mission and drinking clean water. I regard them as our
little powerhouses of clean, unadulterated nutrition and we eat every
egg our chickens provide, which is usually three a day. In the months to
come, however, there would be a week when I was unable to look at an
egg. It was after a near-disastrous encounter with the thing that had put
Pearl off trying Our First Egg: Hillary’s bum.
`
While we were getting back into the routine of school and deadlines after
a summer at the caravan, we welcomed a new addition to the family,
called Matilda.
She was found hiding under a trailer at the campground. Newly
hatched, a black fluffy chick, she was held up to me in a little box and the
next thing I knew she was mine. I gave no thought to the two years it had
taken for me to persuade Paul to agree to us getting three chickens; I just
knew instinctively that he wouldn’t mind a fourth. And I was right.
Initially she was named Chanel by fashion-conscious Pearl, then
Blanche after our favourite character on Coronation Street; finally, Paul
named her Matilda because she hatched on Australia Day. What I didn’t
realise was that adopting a day-old chick meant more than just keeping
her in a box and throwing some food in. She screeched constantly, she
had to be taught how to eat, how to drink, hot-water bottles were needed
night and day and the only place she was truly happy was snuggled into
my neck where she liked to poo . . . frequently.
By day three I resorted to putting her in the car so that we could have
a little peace in our caravan for an afternoon nap.
‘Sick of her already?’ asked the woman in the next caravan.
‘Not sick of her, just need a break,’ I replied, full of guilt but tripping
over myself with exhaustion. ‘It’s as bad as having a new baby.’
‘Did you put them in the car as well?’ she inquired, before giving a bit
of advice: ‘You don’t want her to cook in there.’
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‘It’s a Prius,’ I said rather smugly. ‘It has a solar panel in the roof that
operates a fan which keeps the temperature in the car at just the right
heat for a tiny chick!’
I stomped off safe in the knowledge that the temperature was
automatically controlled.
Then we had to bring her home to Auckland. Pearl sat grim-faced as
Matilda—in a cardboard box at her feet—screeched all the way home.
‘How does one introduce a baby chick to three established hens?’
I googled, I emailed, I posted on Twitter and Facebook, expecting the
usual straightforward replies such queries have always received.
Turns out one doesn’t. Horror stories came flooding in of baby chicks
being pecked to death. Apparently, they start at their bottom and the sight
of blood sparks a frenzy of pecking. The worst story came from someone
who thought she had successfully integrated her new chick: all went well
for three days and then the chick was found dead. The storyteller advised
getting another chick for safety in numbers.
‘We don’t even know if Matilda is a Matilda,’ said Paul, quite correctly
pointing out that she might be a rooster. ‘The last thing we need is another
chick who might turn out to be a rooster as well.’
Back to the computer. ‘How do you tell if your chick is male or female?’
I googled.
Turns out you can’t.
‘We’ll hire a chicken sexer,’ said Paul, who thought they might be listed
in the Yellow Pages.
‘Oh great, so you’re going to drive out to Tegel or wherever they work
and thrust Matilda at them in their tea break?’
I then pointed out that the sexer can only tell the difference if the
chick is a day old.
‘We’ll just have to wait and see if she starts crowing,’ I said.
‘How long will that take?’ he asked, reasonably.
‘About five months. But apparently some roosters never crow,’ I said.
‘And some people in cities bring them inside at night and put them in the
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In the Garden
bathroom covered up to keep the light out so they don’t know to crow.’
‘Not us,’ is all he said.
Meanwhile, Matilda made my office her home. And in an effort to get
the other hens used to her being around I put her in the coop when the
others came out in the morning, safely locked up but able to run around
and have frequent dust baths (more proof in my eyes that she was indeed
a hen). Then, at the end of the day, she came back inside for the night
when they went to bed.
‘I think I’ll do supervised visits with Marigold, Hillary and Yoko,’ I
proposed. ‘Surely that will work.’
I fell in love all over again with Matilda as her feathers grew in. I
marvelled at her black-and-white plumage and was secretly chuffed
that whenever I sat anywhere near her she would run over to me, and
she was never happier than when she was perched on some part of my
body, grooming herself and me. As she grew she began to resemble a bald
eagle, prompting a momentary panic from myself, wondering if perhaps
that little chick found under the trailer was actually a hawk, and then
comforting myself by going online and seeing similar pictures of geeky,
weird-looking eight-week-old chicks.
I did pause to wonder why I had taken on yet another animal needing
my attention when I was already fairly busy with the other seven (at this
point we had two cats and two dogs as well as the first three hens). Then,
one fine Saturday afternoon all hell broke loose.
‘Do we have any K-Y Jelly?’
It’s a question I don’t usually ask Paul on a Saturday afternoon, but he
was in an awkward position.
He was holding our hen Hillary backwards and I was peering at her
back end. She was in a bit of trouble. Actually, I’ll re-phrase that. Her
insides were coming out of her bottom. I think, in midwife terms, that is
what you call a prolapsed uterus. She was also eggbound, which I think,
in midwife terms, is what you would call ‘can’t push the bloody thing out’.
We were officially having an animal emergency and my usual source
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of poultry-keeping wisdom, the internet, advised a delicate rubbing of
K-Y Jelly.
When we first got our hens we made the decision, rather wisely, that
if one of them got into a bit of trouble we would not call a vet. They only
cost us $20 each, so why would we pay $1000—our last vet bill for an
animal emergency—to get them fixed up? Better to do like the farmers do
and have a cull.
I gloved up and tentatively rubbed Hillary’s bottom, technically called
a vent, with sex lubricant, thinking rather ridiculously that olive oil might
have been a greener option.
‘Oh God, this is so disgusting,’ I managed to screech before Paul yelled:
‘We’re losing her,’ in his serious voice. The one Dr McDreamy uses on
Grey’s Anatomy.
Hillary’s head was hanging low, her eyes were closed. She looked just
like the dead chickens you see hanging in Asian markets overseas.
I rang the vet. He wasn’t in. I scribbled down the emergency number.
I dialled.
‘Phlopp,’ said Hillary’s bottom.
An egg sped past my leg and landed triumphantly on the kitchen floor,
smashing and spreading in all its yolky glory.
The K-Y had done the trick. Or Paul had squeezed her in his panic.
We’ll never know.
We put her back outside and played TV doctors and nurses with high-
fives and a modest ‘it was nothing really’, letting the adrenalin wash over
us in a post-emergency high.
I looked out the back. Hillary’s eyes were closing again, she was
straining, she was not looking good.
‘We’re losing her! Again!’ I shouted in my television nurse voice.
‘Look what’s hanging out of her now,’ said Paul as he reluctantly picked
her up and pointed her bottom in my direction for round two.
I gloved up, I gathered what was hanging and attempted to shove it all
back in, closing one eye and squinting through the other, as if somehow
52
In the Garden
that would make the whole nauseating experience more palatable to
my retina.
‘Phlopp.’
Out popped another egg, narrowly missing my ear before landing on
the deck.
I gathered and poked what was hanging out back where I presumed it
belonged, then doused it all down with warm salt water.
‘I think I’m going to throw up,’ I muttered as I collapsed into the
deck chair, wrung out like a television surgeon after an all-night brain
operation.
‘It wasn’t really that bad,’ ventured Paul, who to this day claims it was
his gentle squeezing that snatched Hillary back from the jaws of death.
‘You’ve obviously never been in labour,’ I snapped back. ‘My uterus is
in turmoil.’
Meanwhile, Hillary had returned to the garden where she sat down for
a second, had a think and then popped up to resume her normal activities
of terrorising the cats and ripping the soil to shreds.
‘Isn’t she marvellous,’ Paul chuckled, like a new father freshly emerged
from the delivery room.
I made a cup of tea with a teaspoon of sugar for the shock and kept a
close eye on Hillary. I guess I hoped she might give me a thank-you peck,
or I might catch a soft, grateful look in her beady eyes rather like the lion
who had the thorn removed from his paw by Androcles.
Neither was forthcoming.
Paul bustled around cleaning up the eggs and the two pairs of discarded
gloves. He held up the K-Y Jelly cautiously between two fingers.
‘I told you that would come in useful one day.’
`
Our hen baby Matilda was half grown and had to be separated from
Hillary, Marigold and Yoko because the moment they saw her they
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
attacked her. It seems that chickens, unlike most other animals, have no
maternal urges or the ability to accept strays and orphans.
I fashioned a sleeping box out of an old wooden cat cage we’d used
to transport one of our cats back to Auckland from Sydney. Then I gave
Matilda free rein of part of the garden, safely fenced off from the others.
This seemed to work well, so then I had supervised visits where the other
hens were allowed to come in and hang out with Matilda. I reasoned that
if there are any dramas she would make such a noise that I could come
running from my office to save her.
They spent a couple of days like this, happily digging and scratching
with Matilda, who was only occasionally chased away if she got too close
to the older hens’ food source.
‘I think she’s ready to join them,’ I announced to the family one
morning after a week of happy visitations. ‘It’s about time she became a
proper hen.’
I plonked Matilda over the fence and made sure there were two sources
of food and water, as I have read that older hens will deprive the younger
ones if forced to share.
All seemed to be going well with Matilda at one end and the hens at the
other, so I retired to the front deck with Paul for a coffee in the autumn
sunshine.
Ten minutes later Pearl appeared, pale-faced. ‘Something’s happening
and it doesn’t look good,’ she said in a low voice.
I ran down the hall and out into the garden to find poor little Matilda
cornered against a fence at the back of the garden with three huge hens
running at her and pecking her. It reminded me of those terrible cock
fights you see on old movies. Feathers and dust were flying everywhere.
I rushed in and grabbed all three rather ungraciously by the feet and
threw them into their coop, where I locked them up. I’ve never been so
rough with them, I usually pick them up gently, cooing and stroking,
but I was in no mood for pleasantries. I followed the trail of black-and-
white feathers until I found a clump of them, obviously pecked out in one
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In the Garden
go, and a petrified Matilda who was no longer my cute, tame pullet-in-
training. She was very hard to catch and would only come near me after
much coaxing with raisins.
Only then did I notice that no one else in the family had come out to
help. Paul and Pearl had shot off, far away from the drama.
‘Everything okay?’ asked Paul, peeking around the corner of the deck.
’Bloody hens, I hate them,’ I ranted. ‘What kind of animal doesn’t look
after their young? Madness.’
The awful thing was that Matilda hadn’t made a sound. The only
reason Pearl had been alerted was that Kitty, our matriarch cat, had run
in and meowed at her persistently until she looked out into the garden,
wondering if Kitty had caught a bird or a rat. Instead she had seen the
beginnings of certain death.
When the dust had settled, I noticed that Kitty never left Matilda’s
side. The two of them would spend all day together on their side of the
garden and seemed to have formed some kind of cross-species alliance.
Kitty had taken a close interest in Matilda ever since she’d arrived, but
I always thought that the hunter in her was simply casing out her next
prey. But three months later I had to admit that she could have killed
Matilda from the first day we let her out into the garden, and perhaps in
her old age she had just taken a liking to the black-and-white hen.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we came out here one afternoon and found
those two cuddling up in the sun,’ I said to Pearl.
‘Matilda even lies down in the sun like a cat,’ she said, pointing towards
the lemon tree where Kitty and Matilda were having a nap.
And there was Matilda lying on her side with her feet stuck out just
like a cat—something I’ve never seen the other hens do.
For a time our baby hen/cat lived a rather feline existence where she
shared food, groomed and dozed with the cats all day while the other
hens, who I still haven’t forgiven, gazed through the fence, no doubt
planning their next attack.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

`
I know there are at least three ways to kill a chicken. I just wasn’t sure
which one I’d use when the time came—which could have been just a
matter of days away. Before Hillary, Yoko and Marigold arrived, I lived
in a lovely old villa with lush, albeit a little overgrown and disordered,
gardens front and back.
Seemingly overnight my home felt like it had been transported to the
most war-torn and arid parts of Baghdad. Only the trees survived amidst
the desert-like dust that now pervaded the garden. Three birds, each the
size of a small bucket, were consuming 10 times their weight in plants
and bugs a day.
I had become a prisoner in my own home, surrounded by green
chicken wire and several makeshift gates, which involved hooking bits
of wire around nails in a haphazard manner. Our outside living space
was confined to a small deck and a veranda out the front. The rest had
officially become chicken land. It gave me a new appreciation of just how
the Palestinians feel.
When it comes to escaping, our hens are regular little Hogan’s Heroes,
compiling coded intelligence as they check out the perimeter of the fence
for gaps while masquerading as chickens merely carrying on as chickens
do. They’ve also trained the cats to squeeze under the fence thus creating
a convenient chicken-sized gap, the location of which they record in their
notebooks for later use.
‘You wanted them to be free-range,’ my husband quite rightly argued
as I wondered aloud how far you actually have to stretch a hen’s neck
before it would break.
‘I had no idea of the sheer force of their destructive abilities and quite
frankly I want my garden back.’
This would be the garden that now lived permanently under siege,
protected only by some chicken wire and a series of mini-greenhouse
tunnels. Tomato plants bravely produced fruit under fire, basil plants

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
cautiously put out leaves, lettuces wilted gratefully in the heat of the
tunnel. What used to be my lush garden now resembled a seed-trial
laboratory.
‘Wow, the flies are bad this year,’ was a statement made by everyone
lucky enough to get through the makeshift gate and out on to our deck.
‘It’s the chickens,’ I would respond, reaching for my homemade fly
repellent and spraying it forcefully over their food, their drinks and
their babies.
‘Don’t worry, it’s natural,’ I assured them. ‘Nothing but black tea and
citronella.’
They would exchange looks that I now believe to mean ‘they’ve totally
lost the plot over those chickens’, then politely leave clutching the fresh
eggs that they didn’t really want.
Eventually Matilda went broody—which means a hen sits on eggs in
the hen house all day, which is a natural thing to do. She just wanted to
raise babies. So I bought her some fertilised eggs off Trade Me and we
soon had seven adorable chicks running around. They too grew and laid
eggs until one tragic day a Jack Russell walking past the house off its lead
found them.
We were overseas at the time, and by the time our daughter Hannah,
who was house-minding, got outside he had murdered most of them. I
didn’t blame the Jack Russell—it is in their DNA to chase and kill small
animals—but I did blame the owner, who never returned to our street or
stuck around long enough to help the injured and dying chickens. It was a
lesson for us about the type of people who were moving into our Auckland
suburb of Grey Lynn. They were paying big money for their houses and
obviously felt there was no need to restrain their dog in the city.
The chickens that were left were so jittery they stopped laying and were
basically too terrified to do anything. So I had a long, hard think about
trying to keep chickens in a suburb that had fast changed during our time
there from a relaxed hippy-type place to what was now very upmarket and
one of the top-selling real estate areas in Auckland. I decided it wasn’t
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In the Garden
going to work with the ‘new Grey Lynners’, as I called them.
So I rang my friend Lynda Hallinan, who has a lot of land in Hunua,
and begged her to take them—which she did, bless her. One day she
turned up with her car already filled to the brim with plants—a common
occurrence for Lynda—and somehow she squeezed the remaining
chickens in. They are still alive and enjoying a very happy existence on
her farm.
I took a break from poultry keeping until we moved north to the
Hokianga and my parents moved in with us after a few years. I could finally
get chickens again, and when I was in Auckland my dad would keep an
eye on them for me. So we now have four Barred Plymouth Rocks—just
like gorgeous Matilda—and six reds. All were rescue hens and so are past
their laying best, but they still manage to keep us well supplied in eggs
and, most importantly, when I look out my kitchen window I see them
mucking around on our property and it makes me very happy.
A quick guide to keeping hens
THE HEN HOUSE
In this country we don’t have to worry about foxes taking our chickens
at night, so for free-range hens a hen house is really just somewhere out
of the rain and wind where they can sleep and lay eggs. Even when they
have a hen house, they will usually end up making a nest somewhere in
the garden where they prefer to lay.
There are many hen house designs available on the internet. Whatever
you choose, you need to make sure it has perches up high as hens like to
sleep roosting on these. Some hen houses have a little door at the back
which opens into the nest boxes for easy egg collection. Ours just has two
boxes that are easily reached from the door.
Make sure it has adequate ventilation and no draughts as chickens
hate the damp.
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It is also important that the hen house is easy to clean out. I give my
hen house a good squirt with the hose once a week, then change the hay
in the nest boxes and pick up any droppings off the floor. Once you have
done all this, spray the whole place with neat white vinegar to kill any
lingering germs. Your hens will put themselves to bed at night because
they are really blind in the dark and need to know they will be safe. All
you need to remember is to shut the door to the hen house before you go
to bed in case some rabid tomcat decides to have a go at the hens in the
night.
CHOOSING YOUR HENS
If this is your first adventure with hens, I strongly advise that you
get them from someone who has hand-raised them so that they are
reasonably tame. Good breeds to choose for egg production are Red or
Brown Shavers. As pullets—hens aged around 20 weeks—they will still
be quite light on their feet, so expect them to fly quite high until they put
on weight and can only leap a bit. Your hens should start laying any time
after 20 weeks old.
OTHER PETS
Hens can hold their own against cats, and most dogs will leave them
alone, but if you’re worried you can fence the hens in. Our dog Rosie is
actually quite frightened of them. But there are some breeds of dog that
just can’t leave a hen alone, so check that out with your vet before you
bring hens home.
URBAN RESTRICTIONS
Most city councils will have a ruling on how many hens you can keep on
your property and most will not allow roosters. The council where I live
allows six hens. It is important to have more than one as they like to be
part of a social group—three is the best number to start with.
Some people are confused about the role of the rooster. You only need
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In the Garden
one if you want to breed your birds, otherwise hens will happily ovulate
(make an egg) every day without a rooster around to fertilise them.
FOOD
You can buy commercial chicken feed at most supermarkets, although
I prefer to buy mine from a supplier who opts out of using meat by-
products. The good thing about a commercial laying formula is that you
can be sure the hens are getting all the nutrition they need. However, if
you plan to free-range your birds and feed them kitchen scraps they will
get plenty of everything they need from your leftovers as well as slugs,
insects and garden weeds.
You can make your own feed using my recipe if you want to spoil them
(see page 65).
The hens will also need a supply of grit, to keep in their crop where they
grind up grains and grasses, and some calcium for egg shell production.
Fresh, clean water replaced daily is important, too. Hens drink a lot of
water in hot weather, so do keep an eye on it. I also give mine regular
feeds of milk products like the whey from my cheese making, or yoghurt
and cottage cheese to ensure they get enough calcium.
LEFTOVERS
Our hens will eat everything from leftover cereal and toast, to salads and
stale cake. The only thing they won’t eat is citrus fruit. Don’t feed green
potato peel, dried beans or avocado skins, as they contain toxins. Too
much sugar or salt is bad for them, too.
ADDITIVES
Feed your hens linseed as this supplies fibre and omega-3, which means
your eggs will be even more nutritious. Alfalfa sprouts and corn will both
give their eggs deep yellow yolks.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

TREATS
When you first get your hens, encourage them to eat treats from your
hand so that they get used to you. This way they will always come when
you call them and they can easily be led away from the vege patch they
have invaded.
Our hens’ top treats in order of preference are sultanas, grapes, corn,
silverbeet and bugs from the garden.

TONICS
Add a clove of garlic and a teaspoon of cider vinegar to their water bowl.
This will boost their immune systems and help their digestive systems.
Also add a teaspoon of colloidal silver, which is a liquid suspension of
microscopic silver particles and is well known in alternative medicine as
an antiseptic and disinfectant.

CUDDLES
Hens enjoy a cuddle and, as they get older, most will crouch down on the
ground to make it easier for you to pick them up. Hens are very reactive
to anything that drops a shadow on them for two reasons. The first is as
an instinctive reaction to a rooster that might loom over them to initiate
sex. The second is in case of attack by a predator such as a hawk. Because
we are dominant, when we cause a shadow over them they crouch down
obediently.
Pick them up so that you are holding their wings tightly against their
body on both sides or else they will squawk and flap all over the place.
Pull them into your side and hold them reasonably tightly. They love to
be stroked around their head and neck very gently. And if you need to
calm a hen, just tip it upside down. I’m not sure why this works, but they
go very quiet!

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E In the Garden

Recipes

` `
Wax-eye cake Tūī sugar water
1 cup fat (lard or dripping is best) 1 cup sugar
2 cups rolled oats 1 litre water
2 cups bran
Mix the sugar into the water. Place
1 cup sugar
in a red container on a bird table or
5 cups water
hanging from a tree, and wait for the
Melt the fat and stir in the rolled tūī to come.
oats, bran, sugar and water. Pour
into a roasting dish and place in
Seed cake
the freezer. As it freezes, cut it into
1 cup fat (lard or dripping is best)
pieces (it’s impossible to cut when
3 cups wild-bird seed (from the
completely frozen). Put pieces in an
supermarket, pet shop or bulk-bin
onion bag and hang it in a tree where
store)
you can see it.
Simply melt the fat and mix in the
bird seed. Follow the directions for
the wax-eye cake above for pouring
and cutting.
Incredibly expensive Chilli and garlic
hen food bug spray
1 kg jumbo oats 3–4 chilli peppers
1 kg rye 3–4 cloves garlic
1 kg bran ½ cup water
1 kg wheat ¼ cup liquid detergent (I use Dr
1 kg brown rice Bronner’s Castile soap)
1 kg sunflower seeds enough water to fill remainder of a
250 g linseed spray bottle
250 g sea kelp granules
Steep the chilli and garlic in the
500 g brewer’s yeast
½ cup of water over a low heat for
Mix together and serve three very 15 minutes. Cool and then pour
happy hens. into a spray bottle with the liquid
One hen will need about 100 g a detergent. Fill the rest of the bottle
day, but I just keep a feeder full and with water and use immediately.
let the hens feed when they need it,
which tends to be at both ends of the
Powdery mildew spray
day and a couple of times during the
1 litre water
day.
1 tbsp baking soda
To make it go further you can
combine this half-and-half with Mix together and spray on affected
commercial feed. You won’t get plants.
purely organic eggs, but you will
have very strong and healthy hens.
Note: Where possible, I buy organic
produce for this recipe.

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Buggy bug spray
Collect a good handful of the insect
pests that are causing damage. I use
an old Agee jar with a piece of paper
spread over the top, and stab a hole
in the paper just big enough to pop
the bugs through. Put the insects in
a kitchen blender with about 2 cups
water and blend at high speed until
the insects are reduced to a pulp.
Strain through a piece of cloth, then
dilute 1:4 with water. You may need
to spray a few times before you get
rid of them.
Alternatively, you can simply
crush a few insects to death and
leave them lying around as a
deterrent.
66
Rhubarb general
bug spray
500 g chopped rhubarb leaves
1 litre water
This is another excellent insect and
mildew treatment that uses rhubarb
leaves. I struggle to get enough
leaves because for some reason my
hens love them, even though the
leaves are highly toxic to humans. Do
be aware that this will kill bees and
has a minimum withholding period
of 2 days for anything you are going
to eat.
In a glass or enamel pan, simmer
the leaves in the water for 20–
30 minutes, then cool and strain.
Dilute at 1:100 with water, and spray.
In the Garden
Aphid spray Baking soda fungus spray
1 tbsp baking soda 1 tsp baking soda
1 cup hot water 1 litre warm water
1 tbsp dishwashing liquid 1 tsp dishwashing liquid
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Dissolve the baking soda in the warm
1 tbsp liquid plant food
water and add the dishwashing
5 litres water
liquid. Spray infected plants
Dissolve the baking soda in the hot thoroughly, making sure you cover
water and then add the dishwashing the underside of the leaves.
liquid, vegetable oil and liquid plant
food. Add this mixture to the water
and spray every 2 days for a week,
then every 2 weeks as a maintenance
dose.
Oxalis weed killer
1 litre white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp dishwashing liquid
Fill a 1-litre spray bottle with white
vinegar, then add the baking soda
and dishwashing liquid. Shake
gently to mix. Spray this mixture
on the weeds and let dry. Repeat if
necessary.
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T H E N AT U R A L H O M E I n t h e K i tc h e n

In the
Kitchen

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T H E N AT U R A L H O M E I n t h e K i tc h e n

To me the kitchen of a house

is more than the place where
you heat up convenience food,
make cups of tea and do dishes.
It is the centre of my family,
where we meet several times a
day, sit around the big old kauri
table and touch base. I like to
think of it as a sanctuary of
sorts: a place where everyone
is welcome, there’s always
something to eat, something
to discuss, and a good cup
of coffee or a chilled glass of
wine are always on offer.

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My view is in stark contrast to a previous generation’s attitude to kitchens,
which were always hidden away behind a breakfast bar so that people
‘couldn’t see the mess’. Cooking was something done away from guests and
brought out as some miracle of culinary sorcery. This was all part of the
abundance of modern conveniences of the 1960s and 1970s; the emphasis
more on glamorous hostess and cocktails than slaving over a hot stove.
I like the old way, when women sat by the fire holding babies and people
cooked and ate in the same room. But of course, in my kitchen men and
women cook and clean and chat. My kitchen is not of the spotless variety
some of my friends have—for what I’m not quite sure as they never seem
to cook in them. Mine is messy, has two cats and two dogs in it most of
the time, and sometimes a chicken. But it’s reasonably clean and, equally
importantly, it’s comfortable.
Here are some ideas to get you started on making the kitchen the
heart of your home, and make smart choices about the food that passes
through it.
De-cluttering your kitchen
The biggest problem with kitchens is that space is used badly and food
is wasted because you can’t see what you have. Kitchens also become
appliance junk-yards.
`` Set aside a large table or put a sheet on the floor and unload
everything into piles of similar items, such as breakfast
cereals, spices, beverages, boxed food, canned goods. Then
pots, cups, plates, bowls, glasses.
`` Have a box for things you will give away and bags for rubbish.
`` As you sort, look at each item. If it’s past its use-by date, throw
it out. If you’re never likely to use it, donate it. Ask yourself:
‘Have I used this item in the past six months?’
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I n t h e K i tc h e n
`` Then do the same with appliances—how many do you use
every week, and how many could be stored elsewhere or
donated?
`` Go through your plastic containers and throw out any that
don’t have lids, etc.
`` Go shopping. Group all your baking stuff in a big plastic box
which you take out only when you’re baking. This also helps
things stay fresher. (Put a couple of bay leaves in your flour to
stop weevils.) Invest in a can riser, which is a little shelf set that
helps raise up the row of cans at the back of the cupboard so
you can see them, a turntable to put sauce and oil bottles on
so you can easily see them and use them, cup hooks and extra
shelves. Take measurements before you go shopping so you
buy the right sizes.
Energy efficiency in the kitchen
I always remember my mother admonishing me for cooking with a pot on
the stove without using a lid to save energy. There are many ways we can
reduce the amount of power we need to cook our food in the kitchen, and
my latest joy is cooking in a ‘hay box’ (see below), which I discovered in
The Aunt Daisy Cookbook: with Household Hints. You won’t believe how
good it is.
Here are ways I cook more energy-efficiently.
`` Cook in big batches, because it takes less energy to reheat
meals than to cook a whole new one. When a good friend
broke her ankle, I spent a Sunday afternoon cooking up a week
of meals for her family and realised the economies of time
and energy achieved by devoting a few hours to what would
otherwise be seven nights of planning and preparation.
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`` Match the pan to the food. Why cook one egg in a huge frying-
pan when a smaller one will do, or a casserole in a huge pot
when it will fit snugly into a smaller one?
`` Match the pan to the burner. If it doesn’t completely cover
the burner or ring, then you are wasting energy. And use
flat-bottomed pans on electric elements to ensure maximum
conduction.
`` Raid the op shops for the pots our mothers used, which have
stacked steamers so you can cook on several levels—potatoes
in the bottom, and veges on top. Or buy steamers that fit over
your existing pots.
Hay box cooking
In Aunt Daisy’s day this was done using an old wooden box filled with
newspaper and straw. The principle is that the insulation keeps the heat
in and is the equivalent of a slow cooker. I’ve adapted it for modern-day
use and it works a treat. It’s great for cheaper cuts of meat, which need
slow cooking to become tender. If you are heading away on a long drive,
as we often do, it can cook in the back of the car on your journey, and
when you get there dinner is ready. If you’re camping, or using a gas
bottle to get through a power cut, this is a great way of conserving the
energy you use.

`` Don’t preheat the oven. There really is no need, unless you are `
making something twitchy like pastry, cakes, bread or soufflé. A recipe for Keeping the lid on, remove the

hay box cooking casserole from the heat. Wrap tightly

`` Don’t watch the pot or oven. Heat escapes every time you
lift the lid or open the door, which not only slows down the
process but wastes energy.
`` Turn off the heat and leave the food to continue cooking from
the residual heat for the last 10 minutes or so.
`` Invest in a nana oven. We have a huge six-burner gas oven,
which we need when we have the 12 people who make up our
family over for dinner. But during the week we use a small
electric oven that is quite capable of roasting a chicken (ours
even does rotisserie), baking a cake, or grilling bacon and
cheese on toast. It not only heats up quickly but uses much
less energy.
a small insulated chiller bag or chilly
bin
newspaper and some hay if you have
it, for old times’ sake
a big old woollen blanket or sleeping
bag
a good heavy casserole dish with a
tight-fitting lid (I use our Le Creuset)
your casserole ingredients
Line the bottom of your chiller bag or
bin with a stack of newspaper about
5 cm thick.
Cook your casserole as you
normally would on the stove for
20 minutes until it is well heated
through and bubbling.
in the woollen blanket and place
in the chiller bag or bin. It must
fit snugly—if not, you need to get
a smaller bag or bin. Pad all the
corners and air pockets with screwed
up newspaper and hay, lay another
5 cm of newspaper on top and zip
up the chiller bag. The idea is that
there are no gaps through which heat
can escape, so it should be a tightly
wrapped casserole bundle.
Set aside and leave for 6 hours.
You will open it up to discover the
most amazing casserole, which will
just need a few moments reheating to
serve. Enjoy.

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E I n t h e K i tc h e n

Smoking
I grew up with my dad smoking snapper in an old dryer on our holidays,
and smoked fish is still my favourite food. So I was delighted when my
husband bought me a stainless steel smoking box, which you can buy at
fish shops or on Trade Me. This is a great way to cook and eat fish on a
budget. Here’s why:

`` You can take a mullet, kahawai, mackerel or trevally, which

are easily caught or bought for as little as $5 a kilo, and smoke
them into gourmet fish in a matter of 15 minutes.

`` Kiwis need to eat more oily fish such as the ones above to
get essential fatty acids and omega-3 and -6. It is also great
for mental health, may help prevent cancer, lowers the risk
of heart disease and helps develop nerve and brain cells in
infants. And it’s low in saturated fats and carbohydrates yet
high in protein.

`` Nutritionists recommend we eat two or more servings of

seafood every week, and I’ve never met a child who doesn’t
like smoked fish.

`` There are some fish you should not buy because they are
caught by gill netting, trawling or dredging, which put
dolphins, sea lions and albatrosses at risk, but if you download
the Best Fish Guide from www.forestandbird.org.nz, which
I encourage everyone to do, mullet, kahawai, mackerel and
trevally are all high up in the list of best sustainable fish to buy.

`` You can make great fish cakes with any leftover smoked fish.
`` Salmon, though pricey, is also great done this way.

On page 141 you’ll find instructions on how to make gorgeous smoked

fish.

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Foraging, harvesting and preserving
A lot of time and energy used to be spent gathering food from our
surroundings, preparing it and then putting it away to eat later. With
the advent of supermarkets, we no longer eat seasonally or preserve
harvests because we can buy what we want, whenever we want, even
if it means eating snow peas from Zimbabwe. I watch with envy as TV
cooks like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall roam among
paddocks selecting wild greens and mushrooms for dinner. I once hauled
home a bag full of mushrooms from my local park, but after a morning
on the internet trying to work out if they were edible or not, I decided
not to take the risk, which is a shame because I liked the idea of eating
from nature. But I do gather watercress from a stream nearby, make a
mean nasturtium pesto, and I’m learning to preserve things in the vast
collection of Agee jars I add to every time I visit an op shop. You’ll find
recipes for arrabiata sauce, nasturtium pesto, dried herbs and basil ice at
the end of the chapter to get you started on the foraging, harvesting and
preserving habit.
As you wander around most neighbourhoods, you can see citrus trees
groaning with fruit in the backyard of an old lady who can’t possibly eat
them all by herself. After five years of staring hungrily over the fence
I plucked up the courage to ask my neighbour if I could pillage his
grapefruit, and encourage you to try knocking on your neighbours’ doors
to ask, too. Most people are more than happy to let you grab a bag. It can
also be a nice way to get to know some people in your community, you
can perhaps offer to do something in return for them, and it stops waste.
Just think: a bag of lemons squeezed can make a very good cleaning
bleach. And if you are one of those people with plums falling all over the
ground, then why not bag them all up and put them out the front with
a card saying FREE. Think of the children you are providing valuable
nutrients to.
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Preserving tips
Preserving food is such a lovely old-fashioned way to make sure we get
the best out of produce while it is in season.
Before the days of freezers, our nanas would bottle and preserve all
their garden produce while it was in season and bursting with goodness.
Then for months on end their families would be nourished and nurtured
by it. These days it’s a wonderful alternative to freezing fruit and
vegetables because I think the flavours are nicer. If you don’t have a
garden you can buy produce at good prices in season and save a lot of
money for just a little input of time.
Here are some hints and tips for getting the best out of preserving.
`` The principle of preserving is to heat the food up to a high heat
which then destroys any bacteria that might be present. You
then need to get it into a sterilised jar, which then seals under a
vacuum, meaning no bacteria can grow.
`` Everything has to be clean, clean, clean, so wash your hands
often and make sure your boards and utensils are washed
and ready.
`` Don’t include any rotten parts of the fruit or vegetable—cut
them out to avoid bacteria getting in the mix.
`` Adding lemon is a great idea as it makes the mix slightly acidic
and therefore less likely to harbour germs.
`` It is best to sterilise your jars at the same time as you are
cooking up your recipe so that they are both hot at the same
time. To sterilise your jars, wash in hot soapy water and rinse
clean with hot water. Place the jars in an oven heated to 110°C
and leave for five minutes. You can also place the metal rings
in the oven but leave the seals out as the plastic will melt. Wash
them thoroughly and pop them in some boiling water for a
few minutes.
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`` For sauces and jams the easiest method to use is the hot
method where you cook the food, pour it into hot sterilised
jars, place the lids on and seal. As the food cools, a vacuum
will be created causing the metal seal to pull inwards to form
a concave shape. This is how you know your preserving has
been successful.

`` Another more old-fashioned method is called the overflow

method. You place the food in sterilised jars and fill to the top
so that it slightly overflows the jar. You then wipe the rim clean
and seal the jar.

`` If you are just wanting to pack fruit into a jar without cooking it
first, you can do this using the water bath method. Simply pack
the sterilised jars with raw fruit such as tomatoes or plums and
cover each layer with a sugar-syrup solution, wine or juice.
Seal the jar with vacuum seals, loosely screw on the metal
bands and then place in a large saucepan or roasting dish filled
with water so that it comes three-quarters of the way up the
jars. Bring the water to the boil and cook for about 30 minutes.
Once the syrup is bubbling and the fruit looks cooked, remove
from the bath and screw the lids on as tightly as you can. When
they cool a vacuum should form.

`` You can also seal with paraffin wax, but you have to make extra
sure there are no gaps left for air to enter and that the wax
comes right to the top of the jar so that it is easy to get the wax
off when you need to.

`` When you have poured your food into the jars get a skewer
and run it down inside the jars to release any air bubbles that
might be in there, or alternatively thump the jar on the bench
a few times.

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`` You can find second-hand jars and preserving equipment
like pans in second-hand stores and op shops, but do buy the
rings and lids new as they are most likely a bit rusty and could
contaminate the food.
`` If you are making a pickle or chutney, some people like to pour
vinegar over the jars before filling to prevent fermentation.
`` Be aware that you are preserving, not mummifying! Your jars
will have a shelf life. Most jams and pickles will last for a year;
chutneys and relishes for about 18 months. So make sure you
date all your preserves, and if you are at all unsure about a jar
discard the contents rather than take the risk.
`` Try to use stainless-steel cookware as other metals can affect
the flavour.
`` Most recipes call for sugar in vast amounts and there’s a reason
for this—it is a preservative. Don’t be tempted to replace it
with another substance to save on calories.
`` Keep all preserves in a cool, dark place. It’s tempting to have
them all on display but you will only shorten their shelf life if
you do.
`` Make sure you are in a good mood. If you are rushing or don’t
really feel like cooking your preserves, you will miss out on the
joy of a few hours spent in the kitchen.
Reducing your grocery spend
One of the biggest expenses in our budget is the stuff that comes into our
kitchen every day. And then we throw a lot of it out at the end of the week,
after it has sat at the back of the fridge, forgotten. The first step to saving
money in the kitchen is to reduce waste.
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Here are some ideas.
`` Don’t buy or cook more than you will eat. Do you always throw
away salad, cooked vegetables, bread? Only buy what you
need, even if that means stopping off at the supermarket on
the way home from work a few nights a week.
`` Use it up. When planning dinner, first look in your fridge to see
what you can use up. Bubble and squeak is an old favourite, in
which you fry up everything together; Asian chicken soup can
be made out of leftover noodles, chicken stock and vegetables;
stew fruit; bake banana cake and bread and butter pudding.
And always serve your salad dressing in a separate jug so that
any leftover salad won’t get soaked and can be returned to the
fridge for a later meal.
`` Store things well. Fruit lasts longer in the fridge, so every
morning bring out enough fruit for the day and put it in a fruit
bowl. Wrap celery in aluminium foil so no air can get in, and
it will last for ages. Keep mushrooms in a paper bag, cheese in
air-tight containers, and fresh herbs, such as parsley, in a glass
of water in the fridge.
`` Understand the labels. The ‘use by’ date means to use it by that
date, but ‘best before’ means you can use it after the date—it
just won’t be as good. My first mother-in-law taught me always
to pick your products from the back of the supermarket shelf
because they put the oldest at the front.
`` Keep basics that team well with leftovers on hand so you can
easily create a meal. Pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, stocks,
onions, garlic, oil and eggs will always match up with other
ingredients in the fridge.
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`` Cooked leftover veges may not be very appetising, but when

you throw them in a soup or make them into a quiche or
frittata you can give them new life.

`` If you do have to throw food out, make sure you keep it out of
the rubbish. Start a compost bin or worm farm, or feed it to the
birds, or, better still, get a couple of hens in your backyard to
squabble over it.

Roasting your own coffee

Paul used to be the coffee roaster in our house. We must have saved
hundreds of dollars over the two years he bought green beans online and
roasted them on the stove in a frying pan. The only time I have tasted
better coffee was when we were in Mexico, where I became so addicted to
the local coffee that I filled a suitcase with the stuff to bring home.
Coffee so often gets a bad rap, with conflicting studies coming out
every month. If you type ‘coffee health facts’ into Google you will get
7.5 million responses.
But coffee has been used for hundreds of years by people wanting a
stimulant. In folk medicine it was used to treat snakebites, asthma and
headaches. The reason it is offered at the end of a meal is to stimulate
digestion and it also purges the bowels for people prone to constipation.
You can also use the wet grounds as a poultice for bruises and insect stings.
I drink one cup a day to get me kick-started as I sit down at my
computer, so I make sure it’s the best cup it can be both in terms of how
it was grown (sustainably and fairly traded, free of chemicals such as
herbicide and pesticide sprays) and in terms of taste. By the way, if you
drink decaffeinated or instant coffee, do be aware that petroleum-based
solvents and other chemicals are often used in their manufacture.
We make our coffee using a moka pot, which Italians use to make
espresso coffee at home. I find it makes a perfect cup compared with the

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expensive espresso machines some people have in their homes.
When I came back from visiting Morocco, I began to make the Turkish-
style coffee that is commonly served there (see the recipe on page 131). It
is a delightfully spicy, sweet, short kick of coffee. You can get it made
beautifully in some restaurants, but I love making it myself. The hard
part is finding the very finely ground, almost powdery coffee, which
most home grinders, including mine, won’t be able to grind fine enough.
Thankfully, you can usually buy it at Middle Eastern food shops or online.
The combination of cardamom with the sugar and coffee is divine and
I often make this at the end of a dinner party for my guests. I serve it in
tiny demitasse cups and remind them not to drink the grounds!
Roasting your own coffee is a great way to save money on one of life’s
must-haves: a decent cup of coffee. Buy green coffee beans online for
about $15 a kilo and you have already saved the $25 you were paying for
the equivalent amount of roasted coffee beans from the supermarket.
And I can guarantee that the coffee is much, much better. There are
directions on page 131.
Making your own bread
I once read an article by Julia Child in which she asked, ‘Why is French
cooking so good?’ Her answer: ‘It is love that makes it so.’
I think the same can be said of making bread. The mechanics of making
a loaf of bread are not difficult, if you have the time to leave the dough to
rise and a warm place to put it. But if you try to make a loaf when you are
in a stinking bad mood, in a hurry, or feeling put upon, it always turns
out to be a failure. You have to love making bread, or at least know you’re
making it for those you love. It’s one of the most ancient rituals you can
perform in your own kitchen, knowing that for hundreds of years women
have been doing the same thing all over the world most days.
My ritual starts with the kitchen. I usually make bread in the morning
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so I’ll wait until I have the kitchen to myself and the dishes have been
done, leaving me a nice clear work bench. I take off my rings and place
them in my little blue bowl on the windowsill, put on my apron and then
on goes the music. Van Morrison is the most successful bread musician
so far, closely followed by Joni Mitchell—although she’s better for when
I’m making preserves. You will find your favourites, but remember it
needs to be someone who calms your pulse and sends you into a more
relaxed state than you were in when you entered the kitchen.
Preferably, for me, there will be a ray of winter sun gleaming through
my kitchen window and there’ll be the hungry blackbird who lives in the
tree around the side of our house on the fence waiting to dive down and
finish up any scraps the hens have left over from their morning feed.
I then do the yeast. I use dried yeast and always buy it in sachets, which
are just enough for a couple of loaves of bread. Yeast is a living organism,
so you don’t want it sitting around in a jar for months going off. In sachets
it remains fresh and ready for you to open. I run the tap until the water
is the right temperature, which is just warmer than blood temperature—
you should just feel the heat when you dip your finger in it.
Then I add the sugar and the yeast and set it up on the windowsill in
the sun so that the sugar can wake up the yeast and the warmth can do
the rest to get it fizzing.
I then reach for my bread-making bowl, which is a big old earthenware
darling called ‘The Easimix Bowl’ made by T.G. Green and Co. Ltd, who
make the popular blue-and-white striped Cornishware. My bowl looks a
lot like a traditional Mason Cash earthenware bowl, but inside it has a
wonderful bright green stripe around its perimeter and a big green polka
dot. It immediately appealed to me in the antique shop where I found it
as it has pockmarks and stains from years of use by other women mixing
cakes and bread. It also has a splash of white paint on its side—perhaps
put there by someone’s errant husband using her best bowl to mix up
paint. Into this lovely old thing goes my flour and any other ingredients,
then it too gets placed in the winter sunlight to warm.
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The mechanics of
making a loaf of bread
are not difficult. It’s
one of the most ancient
rituals you can perform
in your own kitchen.

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When the yeast is frothy and smells like a strong beer I add it to the
flour mixture and gently, always gently, knead the dough in my bowl
before turning it out on to my board for further kneading. The art of
kneading is something you learn with experience, but to me the most
important thing is that you get lost in the repetitive pushing and rolling.
I push the dough away from me, then roll it, then push on the other side,
and then roll. I never hit or punch the dough, just knead and enjoy the
10 or so minutes I spend with my hands in the mix, pushing it around
the board until it suddenly goes all elastic and shiny. I then wash out
my Easimix with hot water to warm the bowl, dry it out, rub a bit of oil
around its surface and put the dough back in it to rise.
Winter is not a great season in which to encourage bread to rise, as the
dough really likes to be warm and cosy. If I have the wood burner on I will
pop it in front of that, or perhaps in a strong ray of sunshine out the front
on our deck, which is the only suntrap we have during the cold months. If
I’m feeling especially loving towards my dough I’ll fill a hot-water bottle
with warm water and sit the Easymix on that.
I wash up and go back to work in my office, patiently waiting the hour
it will take my bread to rise. Then we usually have another kneading
session and then another rise.
And then it’s the oven. Back in the day if I could, I used to time the
cooking of the bread to coincide with Pearl returning home from school.
‘Bread!’ she would announce as she walked down the hall inhaling the
most comforting, cosy smell of home that she knew.
‘How long?’ she would ask, peering into the oven.
‘Just a few more minutes and then you can take it out.’
Pearl knew that if your bread is cooked you can tap it on its top and it
will sound hollow.
Half an hour later we would sit at the kitchen table and devour hot
fresh bread with butter. The rest of that loaf got finished at dinner, leaving
one more loaf for breakfast the next day and for Pearl’s school lunch.
I have several favourite recipes I use, which range from highly
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complicated and time-consuming to really very easy. I usually make a
basic white, which is steam baked, and a wholegrain at the same time, so
I end up with four loaves, two of which go in the freezer. It is economical
to do both at the same time, as the white goes into a cold oven which heats
up and then the wholegrain goes straight in afterwards. You will find that
natural, homemade bread without additives or preservatives is really
only good on the day it is baked, then for toast the next day and after that
it’s as hard as rock, so freezing is a great idea to keep extra loaves fresh.
Pumpernickel is so damn easy and such a wonderful, healthy, filling loaf,
great served with salmon and cream cheese or salami and pickles. I find
that on any given day I’m happy to make one or all of the loaves you’ll
find recipes for at the end of this chapter, depending on how much work
I have on. And I find that at the end of making bread, I feel like I’ve had a
little sleep and a foot massage and loved a little.
I can make bread easily because I work from home and can keep an eye
on the rising. But there’s nothing to stop you doing it in the weekends,
and your family will love you for it. There are numerous recipes around,
and the key is trial and error until you understand the process of the yeast
rising then the release of kneading. The most successful loaves of bread
I bake are when I’m feeling relaxed. For some reason yeast and stress
don’t mix.
Breakfast—the most important meal
Breakfast is the meal I look forward to most. I’ll often go to bed
thinking about what I will make for breakfast. Will it be my cereal mix
of unsweetened wholegrain muesli topped off with goji berries, a Brazil
nut, a tablespoon of flax-seed fibre and a swirl of homemade yoghurt?
If I’m feeling virtuous and feel I need a meal with so many nutritious
super-foods, which is most days, I’ll go for this so that I can at least know
I started the day right.
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Or it might be fruit toast with homemade ricotta and the lemon

curd I whip up from our eggs and lemons off the tree. Or maybe a few
freshly poached eggs on some wholegrain toast with Marmite. It usually
comes down to how much time I have, so if I’m in a hurry it has to be
cereals. There are a few things we need from our cereals, in my opinion,
for optimum nutrition. We need them to have wholegrains to provide
the most nutrition and high fibre, some fruit and nuts perhaps, a bit
of yoghurt or milk for a morning protein boost, and we need no added
sugar. Good luck finding that.
We should aim for at least 4 grams of fibre per serving, but I’ve seen
cereals labelled as ‘wholegrain’ and ‘source of fibre’ with only 1.6 grams
per serve. Distressingly, our cereal manufacturers are also following the
Americans in loading their product with sugar. You would think that
a cereal that has on its packaging the words ‘nutritious energy cereal’,
‘wholegrain’, and ‘fibre’ would not be made up of nearly a third sugar.
Some manufacturers have also become very clever at hiding the sugar
content of their foods with words like corn syrup, cane sugar, dextrin/
dextrose, lactose, maltose, honey, fruit juice concentrates, molasses,
maple syrup, corn sweeteners, evaporated cane juice, malt, fructose and
high fructose corn syrup.
One muesli that’s been around for a while and isn’t loaded with sugar
is Nicola’s Organic Muesli (unsweetened). It has 2.3 grams per serving
and that sugar comes from the dried apricots, raisins and dried apple in
it. But by far the best cereal, with only 0.8 grams of sugar per serve and
nearly enough fibre at 3.3 grams, is good old WeetBix. It seems that it
really is best for Kiwi kids and adults. And then there’s good old nana
porridge. If you have the time there is nothing more nutritious, low in
fat, with great fibre and no added sugar. My first choice, if I have the time
in winter, is a big bowl of porridge cooked with raisins or goji berries in it
and served with a sprinkling of chopped up nuts and yoghurt.
At one stage during my search for a decent cereal, I tried boiling up
brown rice with sultanas and some spices, to which I added yoghurt. It

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tasted quite nice and I figured I could just keep it in the fridge and scoop
some into the bowl with yoghurt every morning. I lasted about three days,
because despite the fact that millions of people in India and Asia start
their morning with rice, personally I just couldn’t do it. In my opinion,
rice is for lunch or dinner, not for breakfast. I have included the recipe
on page 138, though, if you’re interested in trying it yourself. These days
I’ve reverted to toast (often gluten-free if my guts are feeling a bit dodgy)
and a cup of tea.
Hosting a dinner
Part of my old-style way of living—as if growing my own veges, having
chooks and cleaning with nothing but baking soda and vinegar isn’t
enough—is having people to eat in my home. I grew up in a house where
dinner parties were frequent, and I learned early on the wonderful energy
and togetherness that can be created when people eat and drink together.
Unfortunately, these days too many people are too concerned with how
their home will look to others or worry that they don’t cook well enough.
When I am asked to someone’s house I never care about anything except
the good company. And you can also have four people at your house for
next to nothing. Here’s how.
BUDGET DINNER PARTY OPTIONS
`` Go vegetarian and dairy-free—a potato and onion frittata with
fresh herbs, for instance, works out at about $1.14 a serve.
`` Choose tuna—a tuna fish bake will cost about $1.99 a serve.
`` Make an Asian slaw—grab a bag of herb coleslaw, throw it in
a bowl and add ½ red onion, finely chopped, a sprinkling of
sesame oil and the juice of 1 lemon. This works out at about
$1 a serve.
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`` Fresh fruit in season, poached, in fruit salad or in an apple
crumble.
`` Suggest a progressive dinner where you go to a different house
for each course or, if you are planning to entertain a large
crowd, a potluck, where everyone brings some food. Just make
sure you give everyone a specific course or you will end up
with a table groaning with desserts.
`` Shop around for wine and beer and buy in bulk or on special.
Serve a jug of water at the table to help your guests pace
themselves and consider serving a spritzer.
`` Nibbles need not cost a fortune. Grill poppadoms and
serve with store-bought dips diluted half and half with
natural yoghurt. (A yoghurt maker is a great money-saving
investment.) This is very low in fat, too.
`` Soups are a great filler and can be made with veges in season,
meat bones and pulses like chickpeas, barley or lentils.
`` Cheap cuts of meat make nice stews if you have the time to
cook them slowly. See my hay box method of cooking (page 75)
for something different.
`` Buy plain white candles from the supermarket to decorate the
table. Bunched together they look very dramatic.
`` Drag out Grandma’s old cloth serviettes and iron them; they’re
much nicer than paper.
`` Go on a flower-gathering mission around the neighbourhood
for the centrepiece or make little posies out of lavender and
rosemary and tie them around napkins.
`` Relax and enjoy yourself and your friends’ company.
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Eating ‘nose to tail’
When I’m up north on my own for a while, I always pack nice food just for
me because I don’t have to cook for an army and can indulge myself in
the meals I really love, which are often the healthiest ones for me.
You’ll be thinking I eat fresh salads accompanied by poached white
fish and cleansing mineral water. But what I really crave to eat when I’m
on my own is liver. I’ll say it again . . . liver. In my opinion it is a highly
under-rated health food, low in saturated fats and cholesterol and high
in vitamins A, B6, B12 and D, as well as being a great source of protein.
There’s also iron, zinc, copper, manganese, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin,
folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus and selenium.
Research shows that—possibly as a result of our determination to beat
skin cancer by keeping out of the sun—around half of New Zealand adults
don’t get enough vitamin D and 4 per cent of women and 2 per cent of
men are vitamin D-deficient. Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight,
but you can also get it from foods like liver. There is growing evidence
that having an adequate level of vitamin D can prevent or improve the
outcome of many diseases, including breast, prostate and bowel cancer,
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. There is even a
possible association between low levels and obesity. So liver is more than
a health food—it’s a bloody tonic!
After a long winter I often feel a bit run-down, so a course of liver once
a week—yes, just like Nana used to eat—is a great pick-me-up. In May
when tamarillos are in season, I throw them in with the liver, fried onions
and some of my homemade Worcestershire sauce and am immediately
transported to my happy place.
Eating liver also honours the killing of animals by eating every part of
its body and not wasting anything. There’s a reason that wild beasts like
lions go straight for the liver when they’ve killed an antelope—it’s the
most nutritious part of the animal. My house up north and I have shared
many happy liver nights together far away from the ‘yucks’ and ‘ew, how
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can you?’ reactions I get at home. If you too are a liver lover, or are willing
to give it a go, there’s a recipe on page 140.
Diets
A few years ago, Paul and I discovered quinoa after we both decided to go
on the Sonoma Diet, an eating plan that concentrates on ten power foods:
whole grains, almonds, capsicums, tomatoes, broccoli, grapes, spinach,
blueberries, strawberries and olive oil. It uses many ancient grains and
lets you drink wine after week one, which is why we chose it.
We learned a lot about the power of grains, but also a sage lesson on
why Paul should never diet. After the first week he came into my office.
‘I can’t see,’ he announced as he stumbled in doing a very good
impression of a blind man.
‘Nonsense,’ I replied, engrossed in a piece I was writing. Ten minutes
later he returned.
‘Seriously, I can’t see,’ he tried again.
‘Why is it that whenever I need to write, you crash in here with some
tale of woe?’ I grumbled, refusing to look away from my computer screen
as my story approached the finish line.
Five minutes later he returned.
‘Can you at least have a look at my glasses?’ he pleaded. ‘Maybe they’re
broken and that’s why I can’t see.’
It wasn’t the glasses. It was the diet. A week into our new diet and Paul
was a blind man.
Fortunately I am the daughter of a diabetic and was able to diagnose
a symptom of low blood-sugar on the spot and administer high doses of
bananas, barley sugars and fruit juice.
Paul meanwhile wandered around the house alternating between
banging into walls and looking dazed and confused.
‘How could this have happened?’ he wondered out loud.
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‘A few words spring to mind, such as “dogged”, “determined” and
“bloody stupid”,’ I responded.
Paul had launched into his first ever diet with evangelical enthusiasm
which, combined with his annoying habit of following the letter to the
law and exercising for two hours a day, meant that by my calculation he
was living on about 800 calories a day. And all this for a big man who
should probably take in about 3000 calories just to function correctly.
‘You need to lighten up on yourself,’ I had commented the day before
he lost his sight. He had run into an old friend who was setting up a
baking stall and had made him a gift of a very plump ginger kiss.
‘I palmed it,’ he told me. ‘I can’t be eating that stuff, it’s pure sugar.’
‘Everyone on a diet cheats, it’s just a ginger kiss,’ I reasoned.
‘Nonsense. Why would you go on a diet and not follow it exactly?’ he
replied, puffed up with rectitude.
It took about five hours for his sight to return to normal. I watched him
like a hawk, only too aware that at any moment he could keel over in a
coma. But the drama of losing his eyesight wasn’t enough to say goodbye
to the diet.
‘I’ll just add a fruit serving,’ announced the manorexic-in-training.
The next day he lost an entire story he had been working on for two
days, forgetting to save to his hard drive as he was writing. I thought he
was going to cry, then he went to bed at 11 o’clock in the morning. I kept
nudging him awake and asking him what day of the week it was and who
our prime minister was. Then I went to the wine shop.
‘Get this down you and then you’re having a proper meal,’ I instructed.
‘Are you drinking again?’ Pearl asked, eyeing up the wine glasses.
‘Yeah, Daddy needs the sugar,’ I reasoned.
‘Oh thank goodness for that,’ she said. ‘You guys have been so weird
all week.’
One bottle became two.
Later that evening our daughter entered the lounge to find her parents
behaving entirely normally for the first time that week. Her father was
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blissfully asleep sitting upright on the couch, and her mother was sobbing
her eyes out because Juno had just given her baby away in the movie.
‘Bedtime!’ she informed us before switching off the TV and putting
the dog out. ‘I’m so glad you two are back.’
THE WORLD’S BEST DIET
I really hate the word ‘diet’ and when I edited women’s magazines I
actually banned it, making all my writers replace it with ‘healthy eating
plan’. Here, however, is one ‘diet’ I approve of.
`` Eat local and organic foods. Don’t buy fresh food sourced
from overseas, and do shop at your farmers’ market and
freeze produce when it is in season and cheap. Food with
pesticides and chemical fertilisers takes energy to make and
contaminates the soil and groundwater. Food flown in uses
carbon miles.
`` Wean yourself off the bottle. Plastic water bottles are bad and
we use tonnes of them. Get a reusable stainless-steel bottle and
fill it from the tap. If you want something more pure, get a water
filter—then you’ll save money as well. And if, like me, you have
an addiction to sparkling water, ask for a SodaStream for your
birthday.
`` Drink organic—wine, coffee, beer, cocoa. Non-organic coffee
is often grown on land where rainforests once thrived, and
pesticides and chemical fertilisers pollute land and water.
`` Eat sustainable seafood. Go to www.forestandbird.org.nz to
download a wallet guide or app for good fish varieties to buy.
`` BYO bag. Get into the habit of carrying a sturdy bag
everywhere you go, to pop in your groceries and various bits
and pieces. Learn to say no to a plastic bag when asked at the
counter. I find the good old string bag takes up no space and
holds an awful lot.
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`` Grow your own. Start with mesclun and rocket in a tub or a

bag of potting mix. It’s really easy and you can have fresh salad
every day of the year in most parts of New Zealand.

`` Be takeaway savvy. Decline paper napkins, plastic utensils,

condiment packs and chopsticks. Some people take their own
container. Take your own mug for your daily coffee from your
local café.

`` Become whole. Avoid processed food. Shop on the outer

rims of the supermarket—that’s where all the fresh food is.
Replace processed breakfast cereal with porridge, make your
own muesli bars and eat nuts and dried fruit rather than salty
snacks. You might lose weight as well.

`` Eat less meat. The production of beef and pork pollutes water,
and don’t even think about the methane emitted by cow farts.
We eat too much meat in the West, so aim for one meat-free
meal a week and see how you like it. And source your meat
from local farmers whose farming practices aim not to pollute.

`` Just eat less. We have an obesity epidemic. Look at your

portion sizes and remember that all food takes a toll on the
environment through production, packaging and transport.

Eating like a nana

A few years ago, I set myself a ‘nana challenge’. For a month, I wouldn’t
eat anything with more than five ingredients on the label. I wouldn’t eat
anything my nana wouldn’t recognise. (These are not original ideas and
they are both open to some very logical disputes.)
Here are some tips for eating more like your nana did.

`` Swap white rice for brown rice.

`` Swap white bread for brown bread with grains in it.
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`` Swap anything made in a laboratory for a natural product, i.e.
margarine for butter.
`` Eat fish twice a week. Even mullet tastes great if smoked or
grilled, and tinned salmon and tuna make fabulous fish cakes.
`` Buy fruit fresh and often from a local greengrocer—not a
supermarket.
`` Shop every few days and buy just what you need. Not once a
week when food is bought but often thrown out.
`` Make the most of leftovers in pies, sandwiches and soups.
Don’t just feed them to the dog.
`` Talk to your neighbours and swap produce or start a
community garden. Don’t just nod politely every time you
see them.
`` Make the most of seasonal fruit and veges at good prices to
bottle or freeze, instead of buying tinned fruit or paying good
money for out-of-season fruit flown in from overseas.
Understanding what’s in your food
For a long time now, because of my rejection of chemicals arriving in my
house through the use of commercial cleaners, I have come to regard
food with the same suspicious eye. Just because it has a label listing its
ingredients or the words ‘natural’ or ‘healthy’ doesn’t mean it is good for
me. A while ago I read both The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of
Food, written by American journalist Michael Pollan, and his discoveries
about the over-processing of food made sense.
When it comes to advice, I am always very ready to take it from a
journalist like Pollan rather than a nutritionist, scientist, government
agency or doctor. Primarily I am biased towards journalists because I am
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one, but also because the good ones look into a topic from an objective
position and reveal all the information for you to consider, from both
sides of the argument.
In Pollan’s case he goes in, gets the information and then summarises
it. Good journalists also write in a style the average person can understand,
unlike scientists and government agencies. Pollan is of course not the
only person out there saying that when health experts and government
agencies tell us what to eat, they are not always right. Governments are
targeted by large industry lobby groups and major food producers, such
as farmers and growers. Imagine what would happen if tomorrow our
government put out a recommendation that as a nation we should vastly
reduce our red meat protein intake to half of what we eat? This is what is
advised by most nutritionists—eat less red meat, more fish, more plants.
But we are a nation of farmers—someone has to eat all that meat they are
producing when exports aren’t going so well.
I’m also not sure when it became okay to feed our children ingredients
we don’t understand because they are listed in code. Three numbers tell
us nothing about an additive unless we sit down at a computer and look
it up or carry around a long list with us when we shop so that we can
interpret the codes on the go.
Food additives are usually added to food to make it last longer on the
shelf, taste differently, look more appealing or to keep it crisp, dry and
crunchy. The main food in the package may be a natural product, such
as potato in potato chips, but surrounding it can be dozens of chemicals
simply to make it do things it wouldn’t be able to do naturally.
In my opinion, we have a right to know what they are without having to
learn a new language of coded numbers, so I am the one with my reading
glasses on holding up the aisle in the supermarket as I exhaustively
examine labels. Not many people know how to do this, so I am going to
tell you.
The order in which the ingredients are listed tells you how much of
each food is in the product you are about to buy. For some potato chips
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it will be potatoes, oil, salt, because most of the food you are about to
eat is potato, followed by the oils they are cooked in, followed by the salt
they are seasoned with. I will eat those potato chips. They have three
ingredients I understand and thankfully they are still available.
For ingredients you don’t understand, I urge you to get on your
computer and do an analysis of the most common processed foods you
and your children eat. Be careful with your research on the internet,
though. There are thousands of websites claiming that various ingredients
cause cancer, diabetes and allergies, which aren’t substantiated and
the sites are often pushing a particular cause or belief which means the
information you are reading is not always true. There are also hundreds
of websites claiming that all additives are safe. I encourage you to seek
good information and make your own mind up. I use Wikipedia, which
I regard as a well-monitored and reasonably non-biased information
source, but even then be aware of possible biases.
If you type in ‘list of food additives, codex alimentarius’ (Latin for ‘food
code’ or ‘food book’) you will find a list of every code number assigned
to food additives, and the name of the chemical it stands for. You can
look up the code number, e.g. 621, and find it stands for monosodium
glutamate or MSG. You can then click on that name and it will take you to
a full description of the substance.
Read through and look out for subject lines such as ‘Sensitivities and
Allergies’ and ‘Possible Health Effects’. This information is produced
by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which was established by
the World Health Organization and is recognised by the World Trade
Organization as an international reference point for the resolution of
disputes concerning food safety and consumer protection.
The irony is that you, as a consumer, have all the information at your
fingertips in the form of an ingredients label with lots of codes on it. You
then have to go home and look them up to find out what they represent. I
doubt many people have the time to do this.
But I did one afternoon when I brought home a pack of ‘Succulent
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Roast Lamb & Mint’ flavoured potato chips, with the rather ominous
statement on the front of the packaging ‘They said we couldn’t make
them taste like the real thing’. And on the back were the words, ‘These
kettles have the most sensational crunch and damn fine flavours I’ve ever
tasted! So tuck in . . .’
I have no idea who they are quoting with any of these statements and
feel sure that they have simply made them up and put them in quote
marks to make me feel like the package is talking to me.
I was about to find out how that roast lamb and mint—a dish about as
nana as they come and a traditional meal for decades on Kiwi tables—
could be turned into a flavour.
I opened the bag and peered inside. A strong smell of something
meaty came up to meet me and I turned the bag to face the wall as I read
the ingredients.
`` Potatoes. That’s good—the biggest ingredient in the bag is
potatoes.
`` Vegetable oil [antioxidants (319, 330)]. I’m not sure what the
oil is, which is a shame, but it does tell me that there are two
preservatives in that oil to stop it going rancid. Antioxidant
319 is tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a synthetic
preservative. In very high doses, it is thought to be acutely
toxic to lab animals. Antioxidant 330 is citric acid. It prevents
bacteria growth and gives the citric/sour flavour. If produced
naturally, citric acid is fine. If artificially produced, the
production process can involve sulphuric acid, which could
leave sulphites that some people are allergic to. I reach into the
bag to take out a chip for further investigation. It looks good,
and before I know it I have put it in my mouth where I crunch
down on the thin chip and taste something salty, yeasty and
meaty, but not really lamb and mint. I try another one and
there is the lamb and, yes, a sort of slightly acidic aftertaste
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you could compare to mint sauce. That’ll be the citric acid. I
take another one . . . these chips are very moreish.
`` Flavour [salt, milk solids, yeast extracts]. I can live with that,
all natural products I know. Another chip goes in and I really
begin to get a stronger flavour of that lamb and mint. I’m
not sure if it is just that I’ve convinced myself of the lamb/
mint combo or whether I really do taste it. My mouth is full of
meaty, salty, acid explosions as I crunch away happily.
`` Flavour enhancers (621, 635, 631, 627). Additive 621 is
monosodium glutamate or MSG. This substance has had
a troubled past and is used commonly in takeaway food.
There is anecdotal evidence that it can cause asthma in
some people and the New Zealand government requires it
to be labelled. Additive 635 is disodium 5'-ribonucleotides.
According to Wikipedia, this has been linked with skin rashes
(ranging from mild to severe) up to 30 hours after ingestion.
It is recommended that no food containing disodium
ribonucleotides be consumed by gout or asthma sufferers.
Neither of these statements on Wikipedia have citations,
so I take them with a grain of salt. Additive 631 is disodium
inosinate, which doesn’t appear to have any health concerns
listed. However, I read with interest that both 631 and 635 are
used in processed foods to give the taste of umami, which is a
Japanese word for flavour or taste, and is commonly referred
to as savouriness. It is a basic taste of broth or meaty flavour.
So the meaty flavour I am experiencing as I munch on the
succulent roast lamb and mint chips is probably just the
flavour receptors on my tongue responding to the reaction
caused by chemicals hitting my tongue. I begin to feel a little
ill, but I still reach for another crunchy chip from the bag.
Additive 627 is disodium guanylate, which is naturally derived
from fish. Great news. But it is recommended that it not be
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given to babies under the age of twelve weeks, and should also
generally be avoided by asthmatics and people with gout. I
munch away wondering why anyone would give a baby under
three months old a chip, but I guess it happens.
`` Hydrolysed vegetable protein. This is basically boiled-down
maize, soy or wheat.
`` Lactose. This is sugar derived from milk.
`` Sugar. This is most likely to have come from corn syrup.
`` Acidity regulator 262. This is sodium acetate, which is a
chemical often used in salt and vinegar chips to get the vinegar
taste—in this case the vinegar in mint sauce. It is also used in
heat pads.
`` Vegetable oil [antioxidant (306)]. This seems to be Vitamin E
and in there as a preservative. I’m not sure why vegetable oil is
listed again under flavourings.
`` Herbs.
`` Anticaking agent 551. This is silicon dioxide or silica, which
is not a food. It passes through the digestive system and I can
only presume it is in there to stop the ingredients clumping.
I pause for a moment and realise that during my investigation I have
managed to munch my way through half a packet of chips and I’m not
feeling so good. The initial buzz and crunch of flavour has given way to
a dead weight in my stomach and I am reminded of how I have felt at
parties when I’ve sat too close to the chip bowl and eaten more than I
needed. Is this a feeling of too much rich food? Too many potatoes? Or
too many chemicals? I don’t know the answer, but I know I don’t want to
eat any more. Those thin slivers of potato that were so delicious half an
hour ago now taste awful.
Perhaps it is just that I have found out too much about them. I continue
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researching, realising that I am now getting to the tiniest ingredients,
the last on the list, the ones that make up the least of the contents, and
finally we are finding a few things apart from potatoes that Nana might
recognise.
`` Malt extract. A sweetener usually derived from barley.
`` Maltodextrin. Sugar derived from corn starch.
`` Spice.
`` Starch [wheat tapioca].
`` Flavour. No numbers or explanation provided, so this could be
pretty much anything.
`` Spice extract. Again no numbers or explanation provided. And
that’s the last of the flavourings—quite a few of them.
I have just spent two hours eating and researching a packet of chips.
Had I just bought the packet of chips with three ingredients—potatoes,
oil, salt—I would have saved myself 25 additives and flavour enhancers
put in the bag to make them taste like roast lamb and mint. As well as
avoiding feeling uncomfortably full and not very well.
I am reminded of a chapter in Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser,
where he visits a facility where scientists referred to as ‘flavorists’ create
flavours out of chemicals for fast-food producers and food manufacturers.
What he found in that facility did not in any way resemble food, yet it’s
part of a US$1.4 billion a year food industry.
Later I conducted the same research on another packet of flavoured,
but supposedly more healthy, potato chips and find similar results—with
one addition that I mark in my notebook with the three letters OMG!
I find listed ‘mineral salt 508’, which is actually potassium chloride.
It is often used as a salt substitute in reduced-salt products. The irony
is that it tastes so awful they end up mixing it with regular salt for the
taste. What really catches my interest, though, is that it is also used as an
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ingredient in the lethal injections for executions. Hence the OMG! Oh.
My. God. Of course no one is going to die from eating a packet of potato
chips, but it does beg the question: ‘Why do you have to put it in there?
What is wrong with plain old salt?’
A few weeks later I find myself munching on a packet of Twisties.
This is the one processed food I haven’t been able to give up with my
nana diet. These crunchy cheesy morsels send me straight back to my
childhood and sometimes—about once a month—I just need a fix of
Twisties. I put on my glasses and prepare to do another investigation, as
I did with potato chips, expecting the worst.
By now I’m starting to recognise a few of the codes, such as 621 for
MSG and 330 for citric acid. I am delighted to find that despite having 19
ingredients, 18 of them are naturally derived with my only concern being
the aforementioned potassium chloride and the oil preserver TBHQ. It
would appear that the yellow tick on the front and the words ‘no artificial
flavours or colours’ is pretty accurate and I will continue to have my
Twisties treats occasionally, empowered by the knowledge that I have
checked them out.
I think I have just proven that anything with more than five ingredients
is over-processed and therefore it is probably better for you to pick the
one with three ingredients over the one with 28.
The yoghurt I buy is unsweetened and lists skim milk, milk solids
and cultures (including lactobacillus acidophilus). The cheese I buy lists
pasteurised milk, salt, cultures, rennet. The bread I buy lists water, wheat
flour, kibbled soy, linseed, wheat gluten, kibbled wheat, baker’s yeast,
vegetable oil, vinegar, salt, cultured whey, folic acid. Now that is more
than five ingredients, but I know what they all are and so would my nana,
so I’m going to eat it.
I get a lot of flak from my family and friends about my ‘nana diet’. They
point out that Nana wouldn’t know what an avocado is, or a pawpaw, or
sushi, or most ethnic foods. All healthy foods. To that I say, of course,
but I have a brain and the point is that by asking myself ‘Would Nana
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recognise this food?’ I am filtering out things like foods created in a
laboratory by some multinational cashing in on reducing fat or sugar for
‘healthy’ eating. The jury is out on artificial sweetener, but I won’t go near
it. For a start it tastes like poison and that’s enough for me.
SUGAR ALTERNATIVES
Studies have shown that people wanting to lose weight by swapping to
‘diet’ drinks loaded with artificial sweeteners don’t lose weight. No one is
sure why, but that is the sad fact. If you are watching calories, then a good
natural option is using stevia instead of sugar.
Stevia is a herb from South America that looks a bit like lemon balm or
mint. It can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, and has no calories.
You can buy it in some supermarkets and health shops as a white powder,
or as a dried leaf. It is becoming popular as an alternative to chemical
artificial sweeteners as it has fewer health risks associated with it. I
encourage anyone who is watching their weight or cannot tolerate sugar
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because of diabetes or other complaints to switch to stevia and stay away
from aspartame or similar chemicals. I have never forgotten my brother
using saccharin by the bucketload on his WeetBix when we were kids and
developing these weird skin growths, like warts. As soon as he stopped
using the sweetener, they went away.
Even though these sweeteners are approved by government agencies,
I don’t trust the fact that they are essentially a chemical that my body
wasn’t designed to digest. I have noticed that stevia is now appearing in
diet drinks, which is a good move forward. I also saw a study a few years
back from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio,
which looked at 1550 people over eight years and found that people only
drinking diet soft drinks had a higher risk of obesity. This might be due
to the fact that they rock up to McDonalds and order a Big Mac, fries and
a Diet Coke. Or it might be that artificial sweeteners create some other
reaction in the body. I don’t care, I just don’t use them.
One of my favourite drinks in summer is gin and tonic, and I used to
try to save calories by using diet tonic, which has artificial sweeteners 951
(aspartame) and 950 (acesulfame potassium). In order to avoid these, I
invented my own tonic mix to go with gin and it’s not bad—you can find
the recipe on page 136. Some people like to add a bit more stevia (I don’t
have a very sweet tooth), but it’s a nice, natural alternative.
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Recipes
` `
Growing sprouts
Buy some alfalfa sprouts from Kings
Seeds (www.kingsseeds.co.nz) or
from your health shop. You can
also buy radish or onion seeds for
something with a bit more bite, and
mung beans for bigger sprouts to use
in soups.
Place a few tablespoons of seeds in
the base of a large jar—an old Agee
preserving jar is ideal. Fill with warm
water and place a piece of muslin
across the top as you screw on the
metal ring lid. You could also use
a sprouting lid, available at health
stores. Soak the seeds overnight and
then drain all the water out. Rinse
and drain twice a day. Once they
start sprouting, put the jar on the
windowsill to get some light. When
they have sprouted completely, store
them in the fridge for up to a week.
112
Rose syrup
This is great in Turkish Gin (see
page 136).
400 g sugar
250 ml water
1 tbsp lemon juice
75 ml rose water
a few drops of grenadine for colour
Put the sugar and water in a pan and
heat gently, stirring occasionally,
until the sugar is dissolved. Add
the lemon juice and simmer for
10 minutes—do not stir. Add the
rose water and grenadine. Stir and
simmer until it thickens slightly—a
few minutes. Remove from the heat
and let cool before pouring into clean
bottles. Store in the fridge.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Strawberry rose jam
You can adjust this recipe to use
up a punnet of strawberries that
doesn’t get eaten. Instead of letting
it go to waste, whip up a jar full of
jam. I often make single jars of jam
using leftover strawberries or the
blackberries that grow wild there.
If you are new to jam making, you
can make life a lot easier by buying
a sugar that has added pectin in it
to ensure a good set. I put lemon
in this recipe as its natural pectin
helps it to set. But if your jam
doesn’t set, you can always call it a
conserve.
113
500 g fresh strawberries, hulled
350 g sugar
zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp rose water
Mash up the strawberries a little, not
too much, just so that there is a good
mix of pulp and lumps of fruit.
Stir in the remaining ingredients
and heat on the stove gently until the
sugar is dissolved. Turn up the heat
so that it bubbles, and keep it on the
boil for about 10–15 minutes until it
thickens. To test if it is ready, take a
teaspoonful and drop it onto a plate.
It should form a wrinkly skin and
when you pull your finger through
the middle of the blob it should
leave a channel in the liquid, not fill
up again. While hot, pour into your
sterilised jar and seal. (See page 79
for preserving tips.)
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E I n t h e K i tc h e n

Eat local and organic

foods. Shop at your
farmers’ market and
freeze produce when it
is in season and cheap.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Sesame-lemon dressing
This uses hardly any fat in return
for a great flavour. It works really
well on coleslaw—even the ones you
buy prepared in plastic bags at the
supermarket.
½ tsp sesame oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
Simply sprinkle sesame oil and
lemon juice over your salad. Flavour
with some salt and pepper, and toss.
116
Herb salt
12 garlic cloves, peeled
4 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh
rosemary
4 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh
thyme
2 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh
oregano or marjoram
500 g sea salt
Finely chop the garlic. Mix all the
ingredients in a large bowl and
let stand for 24 hours at room
temperature to dry out (the smell in
your kitchen is amazing!). Store in an
airtight container.
This salt is best sprinkled on steak
before cooking and patted all over a
chicken before roasting, with a bit
sprinkled inside. You can also use it to
season pasta sauces and it’s delicious
sprinkled on tomatoes on toast.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Chilli jam Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2½ cups malt vinegar
1 tbsp peeled and chopped ginger 500 g treacle
3 fresh chillies, chopped 1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds 1.5-cm piece green ginger, finely
1 tsp brown mustard seeds chopped
50 ml red wine vinegar 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500 g tomatoes, chopped (preferably 1 tbsp ground cloves
fresh but tinned will do) ½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce ½ tsp ground cardamom (optional)
75 g brown sugar or palm sugar ½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tbsp turmeric powder
Combine all the ingredients in a
handful of coriander, chopped
saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook
In a food processor or mortar and gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
pestle, grind the garlic, ginger, Cover and let stand overnight. Next
chillies, cumin, mustard seeds and day, strain and bottle. The sauce will
red wine vinegar to a paste. Transfer keep for 6 months.
to a heavy-based saucepan, then add
the tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar and
turmeric.
Simmer over a low heat for
40 minutes until it resembles a
sauce. Fold through the coriander
at the last minute and put into jars
while hot. The jam will keep for
6 months.
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` `
Green peppercorn
mustard
1 cup yellow mustard seeds
4 tbsp green peppercorns, rinsed (you
can buy big jars of these at Asian
supermarkets, bulk bin stores and
Indian grocers)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup oil
2 cups white wine vinegar (tarragon or
rosemary are good too)
2 tsp salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl
and leave to stand in a cool place for
two days. Don’t leave it any longer,
as I once did, or it goes off and tastes
dreadful!
Whizz the mustard in a blender
until you have a coarse paste. You
may need to do this in batches.
Mix the blended mustard well and
spoon into small, clean jars.
Melt over some sealing wax,
filling right to the top of the jar. The
mustard will keep for 6 months.
118
Homemade bacon
1 free-range pork loin (you will often
find it rolled and tied with string, so
cut it free and spread the loin out)
sea salt, we use our herb salt (see
page 116)
Take the pork and slit the fat on the
top with several deep gashes. Get the
salt and pat it all over the meat so all
sides are well covered.
Place it in a plastic container with
an upturned saucer in the bottom so
that the meat doesn’t sit in the juice
that will drain out of it. (We found a
great Tupperware container with a
grid in the bottom of the container.)
Put the lid on and place in the fridge.
Check each day, and drain off any
fluid that is sitting in the bottom. By
day four it should be quite dry and
ready to be sliced and fried. If you
want you can smoke it at this stage
for an even tastier bacon.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Butter
600 ml cream
salt, to taste
Simply pour the cream into a bowl,
get out your electric beaters and
whisk until lumps of butter appear
and eventually form a big lump.
It takes about five minutes on a
medium speed. Remove the lump of
butter and douse it in a bowl of cold
water, squeezing gently. Rinse under
a running tap. Add salt to taste,
kneading it in with your fingers.
Cottage cheese
The hardest thing about this recipe
is finding the rennet, called Renco,
at your supermarket. They usually
keep it by the custard powder but
you will probably have to ask for it.
This cheese will last in the fridge
for about a week and I keep mine
in a beetroot keeper—one of those
119
plastic storage jars with a basket
inside which you lift out.
600 ml full-fat milk
3 tbsp skim milk powder
1 tsp Renco rennet
Mix a little milk with the milk
powder to form a paste in the bottom
of a saucepan and then add the rest
of the milk. Heat to lukewarm, no
hotter. Add the rennet and stir.
Set aside in a warm place for
15 minutes to set.
Get a carving knife or similar and
cut the curds by slicing it in a grid
pattern to get lots of little centimetre-
wide squares (this releases the whey).
Line a sieve with a paper kitchen
towel or muslin and pour the mixture
into it. Leave over a bowl to drain for
about two hours, or longer if you like
it drier.
Mash up with a fork if it needs
it and store in the fridge. Feed the
drained liquid to your dog—mine
loves it!
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Homemade yoghurt
Eating yoghurt daily, either on
breakfast or made into dips or
sauces to have with curries, is a
really good boost for your health.
It contains high levels of calcium
and potassium. The live bacteria
in it not only aid digestion but
also protect you against harmful
bacteria. Unfortunately, many
commercial yoghurt manufacturers
heat the yoghurt to get rid of the tart
flavour and ensure a long shelf life,
which also kills the live cultures.
If you buy yoghurt, check it has
‘live’ cultures listed on it such as
acidophilus.
If you can find a yoghurt maker
in an op shop this makes it much
easier. Basically it is an insulated
container in which you place
your yoghurt to culture at an
even temperature for six or seven
hours. Otherwise you can wrap
it in blankets or towels and put it
in a warm place like a hot water
cupboard.
120
4 tbsp live-culture yoghurt (check it
has live cultures such as acidophilus
and is not sweetened; it should be
tart-tasting and might have lots of
lumps in it)
900 ml warm milk (I use low-fat milk)
2 tbsp whole milk powder (optional,
but it does make the yoghurt a bit
thicker)
Heat the milk to scalding (just under
boiling point) to kill off unwanted
bacteria and then allow to cool to
lukewarm. The heating is also to
break up the protein so you don’t get
slimy yoghurt—I hold mine at just
below boiling point for 5 minutes.
Mix in the yoghurt and the milk
powder. Place in your yoghurt maker
or wrap in blankets immediately.
In six hours, you should have
some lovely, healthy, live-culture
yoghurt.
When you begin to run out, save 4
tablespoons of the yoghurt to use as
the starter for your next batch.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Ricotta
You don’t need rennet for this, just
a few lemons off the tree. Make sure
you use really good full-fat milk.
This can be a bit tricky as you
don’t want to heat it so hot that the
curds don’t form, but you will need
to simmer on a gentle heat for a
while, so be patient. This cheese will
keep for a week and is absolutely
delicious with lemon curd on
sourdough toast!
2 litres full-fat milk
1 cup cream
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp salt
121
Put the milk and cream in a good,
heavy-based saucepan or preserving
pan and heat slowly until it is just
on the boil. Add the lemon juice and
salt and reduce the heat to allow it
to simmer. After about five minutes
you should see the curds separate
from the whey; if not, turn the heat
up a little but do not let it boil! Once
you see the separation take place,
take the saucepan off the heat and
gently pour the mixture into a sieve
which you have lined with muslin,
cheesecloth, a fine-weave tea-towel
or a clean lace curtain.
Gather up the cloth and tie at the
top, then hang from your tap or over
the bath to drain for 15 minutes. Let
cool and then keep in the fridge. I
use the beetroot keeper to hold the
ricotta and allow it to drain.
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Arrabiata sauce
When we are overflowing with
tomatoes from the garden we make
this quick pasta sauce. It is great
to put in preserving jars because
the lemon helps keep the pH of
the sauce acidic, which means you
don’t run any risk of it going off
and giving you botulism. We also
like that you don’t have to skin the
tomatoes, which is boring.
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely
chopped
5 tomatoes, chopped
zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp crushed dried chilli flakes, or
we use two fresh chillies from the
garden
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
122
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.
Stir in the garlic and chopped
tomatoes until warmed through.
Add the lemon zest, chilli, vinegar
and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes
and pour into the sterilised jars
(see below) right to the top while
hot. Shake them slightly and push
a skewer down to release any air
bubbles that have formed.
To sterilise your jars you can
simply run them through the
dishwasher on the hottest cycle
while you are cooking the sauce
and fill them fresh and hot from the
drying cycle. Or you can sterilise
them in the oven as described on
page 79.
When you have sealed the jars
with preserving rings and lids and
the sauce has cooled, the lids should
be concave, proving that they have
been well sealed. If not, you’ll need
to try again.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Quick tomato pasta sauce Basil ice
This sauce should be eaten freshly
A great way to preserve basil at the
cooked, not preserved!
end of the summer is to harvest the
1 kg tomatoes leaves, stick it in the food processor
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced with just enough oil to make a paste-
olive oil spray like consistency—not too much—
4 tbsp cream then pour into ice cube trays and
handful of basil leaves freeze. In the winter you can liven
salt and pepper, to taste up stews and pastas with a taste of
grated Parmesan, to sprinkle summer by popping a cube in.
Throw the tomatoes into a roasting
dish along with the garlic. Spray
some olive oil over them and put
under the grill until you are sure they
look burned to a crisp. You want the
skin to be really black so that the
sugars in the tomatoes caramelise
and sweeten up.
Put the roasted tomatoes
(unpeeled) and garlic in a bowl and
mash with a fork. Tear up the basil
leaves and add them in, then stir in
the cream and salt and pepper.
Pour onto freshly cooked pasta
and sprinkle some Parmesan on
the top.
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Nasturtium pesto
Nasturtiums grow everywhere in
this country, and some gardeners
even regard them as weeds. I always
let them have a section of my back
fence because they are great pest
deterrents and I recently discovered
they are great to eat. This is a
recipe of Lynda Hallinan’s that
I’ve adapted.
4 cups nasturtium leaves
6 cloves garlic
1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
2 fresh chillies, finely chopped, with
seeds
1 cup walnuts
salt, to taste
124
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Put all ingredients in a food
processor and blend until smooth.
Season with salt to taste. Store in the
fridge and serve with pasta as you
would basil pesto or as a great dip.
You can also use nasturtium pods
as a substitute for capers. I haven’t
tried this yet, but I found it in one
of my Aunt Daisy books, if you want
to give it a go. Spread ripe seeds on
newspaper in the sun to dry for two
days. Place in a clean jar, sprinkle
with a little salt, then fill the jar
with hot vinegar. Let cool before
sealing and leave for two months
before using. You could also flavour
the vinegar with pickling spice if
you like.
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Dried herbs
During the summer, my garden
erupts with oregano—it self-seeds
and pops up everywhere. It’s a great
herb that always features on my
husband’s world-beating cheese
on toast, as well as being vital on
pizzas and in pasta sauces. While
it’s fabulous used fresh, it’s just as
good dried, so I dry off the plants
at the end of summer and store
the leaves in jars to be crumbled
into our cooking. Because so many
herbs will simply not survive over
winter, it’s great to preserve them.
The following method can be
used for basil, peppermint, mint,
lemon balm, thyme, oregano and
marjoram.
126
Harvest the herbs just before they
flower. Experts say to cut them mid-
morning, but I usually just do it at
the end of the day.
Tie in bunches and put head first
into a big brown-paper bag.
Hang upside down in an airing
cupboard, if you have one. I just put
my bags on top of the fridge.
Leave for a month or so and you
should have lots of crisp leaves.
Sit down in front of the TV with
the kids and all pull the leaves off
and put into jars. Enjoy the gorgeous
smell while you do it.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Pizza bread
Here’s a great recipe Allyson Gofton
gave out years ago on one of our
Newstalk ZB holiday shows. I make
it for most of our barbecues and it
is my children’s favourite. When
we had our caravan, I used to trade
it around the camp for all sorts of
food. It’s best cooked on a barbecue
or grill, or you can fry it in a pan.
And it is also great as a pizza base
if you’re in the mood for delicious
homemade pizza.
2 tsp granulated yeast (not Surebake)
½ tsp sugar
1½ cups warm water
4 large cups high-grade flour, plus
extra if required
salt and pepper
1 cup chopped basil or parsley
(optional)
4 tbsp olive oil
127
Put the yeast and sugar in the warm
water and mix together. Set aside in a
warm place.
Sift the flour, salt and pepper into
a bowl and add basil or parsley if
you like. It is just as good without
the herbs. When the yeast mixture
starts to froth—and only when it
froths—mix in the olive oil. Add the
yeast mixture to the flour and mix to
a dough. Add more flour if it’s a little
sticky. Don’t knead.
Put in a bowl in warm place and
leave to rise for about an hour or
until double the size. (If you can’t
find a warm place for the dough to
rise, which can be hard in winter,
simply fill a hot-water bottle and sit
the bowl on that.)
Pat out into breads and barbecue
or fry.
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle
with lots of sea salt.
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Steam-baked white bread
This is a great economic bread to
make because you put it into a cold
oven. No wasting power while you
wait for the oven to heat up!
25 g butter
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
400 ml boiling water
1 tbsp active dried yeast granules (not
Surebake)
100 ml water (at blood temperature)
6 cups high-grade flour
a little olive oil
Put the butter, salt and sugar in a
large bowl and pour over the boiling
water. Stir until the butter has melted
and leave to cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle the yeast over the
lukewarm water and whisk with a
fork. Set aside for 10 minutes until
the yeast goes frothy.
Stir the yeast mixture into the
butter mixture and stir in nearly all
of the flour. You should have a dough
that you can knead easily and that
leaves the bowl clean.
Knead for 10 minutes by pushing it
away from you with the heel of your
hand and then rolling towards you.
Rinse your bowl out with hot
water so that it heats up, dry and coat
with oil, then put the dough in it in a
warm place for about an hour until it
has doubled in size.
Push the dough down gently
(don’t punch), then cut in half and
mould into two oval shapes. Place
side by side on a greased tray and
leave to rise for just five minutes,
no longer. Slash the tops with five
quite deep slits with a sharp knife
and place on the middle rung in a
cold oven. On the rung underneath,
place a large roasting pan which
you have filled with a jug of boiling
water. Close the oven door and set
the temperature to 200°C. Bake for
40–45 minutes.
The loaves will be crusty and
delicious.
Wholegrain bread
It is so difficult to get a wholegrain
bread that doesn’t come out looking
like a brick. With the extra weight of
the grains it takes a special mixture
to rise, and the addition of gluten
flour. This recipe never fails me and
I often make it at the same time as
I make the white bread opposite. If
you start preparing it once you have
set the white bread dough to rise for
an hour, you will be perfectly timed
to pop the brown bread into the
hot oven when the white bread is
finished baking. It freezes well.
1½ cups kibbled whole grain (I buy this
at Pak’nSave in their bulk food bins)
600 ml whole milk
2 tbsp olive oil
2 x 8-g sachets granulated yeast
4 tbsp honey
2 cups high-grade flour
3 cups wholemeal flour (use stone-
ground if you can find it)
1 cup gluten flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup linseed (flax seeds)
Wash the grain in hot water, then put
in a bowl and cover with 500 ml of
the hot milk, and the oil and honey.
Stir to combine and leave to cool.
Leave the remaining milk to cool
to lukewarm, then add the yeast
and 1 teaspoon of honey. Leave for
10 minutes until it is frothy.
Sift the flours and salt together.
Mix the yeast in with the grain and
stir. Then add enough flour to make
a very sticky dough with a similar
consistency to porridge.
Allow to rise for half an hour,
covered, in a warm place. Add
enough of the remaining flour to
make a good soft dough that you can
knead. You may need to add more
flour than allowed in the recipe.
Knead for 10 minutes using the
technique opposite and then shape
into two loaves which you put into
two greased loaf tins. Bake at 200°C
for 30 minutes, or until when you
tap the top gently it sounds hollow
inside.

128 129
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Pumpernickel
I’ve adapted this from a recipe
in The New Zealand Bread Book
by Mary Browne, Helen Leach
and Nancy Tichborne, which is a
fantastic resource for anyone who
wants to make their own bread. This
is the easiest of breads to make, but
takes a long time to bake. It is great
toasted, and the strong, malty taste
also goes well with fish and cheese
on a platter. Always slice thinly as it
is very rich.
3 cups stone-ground rye flour, plus
extra for shaping the dough
1 cup kibbled rye
1 cup kibbled wheat
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp treacle
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup bran
1 tsp caraway seeds, plus extra for
sprinkling
3 cups boiling water
130
Mix all the ingredients together in
a large bowl and leave overnight,
covered. In the morning add enough
extra flour to let you handle the
dough and shape it into a loaf.
Transfer the dough to a well-greased
loaf tin, pushing down firmly.
Sprinkle with extra caraway seeds
and cover with foil.
Bake at 120°C for 3½ hours or until
the loaf is firm. Take the foil off for
the last 15 minutes to brown the top.
Once cooled, wrap in greaseproof
paper then a layer of foil and keep in
the fridge. You will need to let it sit for
a day or two before you can slice it.
My favourite way of serving
this bread uses a recipe given to
me by my friend Niki Bezzant,
the former editor of Healthy Food
Guide. Take some finely chopped
smoked salmon and mix with half a
cucumber (peeled and diced), a little
fresh ginger (peeled and grated),
1 teaspoon of wasabi and 2 teaspoons
of soy sauce. Serve on sliced
pumpernickel.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Home-roasted
coffee beans
green coffee beans
Get a large, heavy-based frying-pan
and put it on a medium heat.
Pour in a layer of green coffee
beans and let it heat up as you stir or
shake the pan to get the heat evenly
distributed.
Adjust the heat if you need to,
but the beans should start turning
brown fairly quickly so keep turning
and shaking. They will start to shine,
which is a sign that the oil is being
released, and they will smoke and
you will hear a cracking sound.
When they are mostly dark brown
and the cracking sound gets a little
less frequent, tip them out onto some
newspaper. They will continue to
cook for a while and then cool.
Once cool, place in an airtight
container and leave for about four
days before you start using them.
131
Turkish coffee
250 ml water
4 heaped tsp Turkish coffee
2 tsp caster sugar
big pinch of ground cardamom
Put the water in a small saucepan
or, if you can find one, a traditional
Turkish coffee pot that has a narrow
neck and is sometimes called a
cezve. Add the coffee, sugar and
cardamom, and slowly bring it to the
boil. If you boil it too fast, you will
lose some flavour. Just as it starts
to boil and foam rises, take it off the
heat. Do not stir at any time during
the process. Wait for a few moments,
then put it back on the heat to get
nearly to the boil and then take off.
Do this once more (three times in
all). You should have some froth on it
(the more froth, the better the coffee)
­—pour it into the cups.
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Hot chocolate
2 cups whole milk (not low-fat if you
want a really creamy result)
30 g of the finest dark chocolate you
can find (at least 70% cocoa)
seeds from ½ vanilla bean pod
¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
In a small saucepan mix together
the milk, chocolate, vanilla seeds
scraped out from the pod, chilli,
cinnamon and salt and heat over a
low heat, stirring until the chocolate
has dissolved.
If you have a molinillo, froth
by rubbing the handle between
your hands as you would if you
were lighting a fire with a stick and
rubbing it on a piece of wood. Or
just use a whisk to froth it up. Serve
hot with a sprinkle of chilli and
cinnamon on top.
132
Sun tea
4 herbal tea bags (I use green tea and
berry, or you can go straight for a
berry mix)
1 litre water
ice and lemon slices, to serve
Find a glass jar (not plastic as it may
leach chemicals in the sun).
Place the tea bags in the jar. Pour
on the water and then sit it in the hot
sun. It will gradually take on a bright
pink colour and the tea will have
steeped.
Bring inside, store in the fridge
and serve over lots of ice and a slice
of lemon. If you have a sweet tooth,
add some sugar or stevia.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Apple cider
The apples used in this recipe must
be sour old-fashioned apples that
are only good for cooking, such
as Ballarat or Granny Smith. Look
around your neighbourhood for old
trees and windfalls.
1.5 kg cooking apples
7 litres cold water
1 kg sugar
grated rind and juice of 3 big lemons
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger,
squashed with a hammer
133
Freeze the apples for three days, then
take them out of the freezer and let
them defrost. Mush them up in your
food processor, including the skins
and cores. Put them in a large bucket
and pour on the cold water. Cover the
bucket and leave it for 7 days, giving
the contents a stir twice a day.
Strain the contents through a
piece of muslin, old tea towel or net
curtain, then mix the liquid with
the sugar, lemon rind, ginger and
strained lemon juice. Leave for a
further 24 hours.
Strain again and bottle the liquid.
We use old plastic bottles that have
a bit of give in them, as this mixture
does expand. Leave the bottles in a
cool, dark place for as long as you
can. The cider is drinkable after
a month or so, but much more
alcoholic after 6 months to 1 year.
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Spritzer
My neighbour introduced this to me
using white port, but it’s equally good
using sweet or red wine. It’s gorgeous,
refreshing and saves money as a great
way to start the night.
Turkish gin
If you don’t feel like making the rose
syrup for this, it is available in many
Asian and Indian food shops. And
if you’re not a gin fan, this works
equally well with vodka.

ice cubes
Fill a large jug with one-third wine
1 tbsp rose syrup (see page 112)
and two-thirds tonic water. Add ice
juice of ½ lemon
and chopped mint.
a shot of gin
soda water
G and T mix
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour over
juice of 2 lemons
the rose syrup. Add the lemon juice
¼ tsp stevia powder
and gin and top up with soda water.
1 tsp honey
Stir vigorously until all the rose
10 drops Angostura bitters
syrup is dissolved and the drink is
Mix all ingredients together and add an intoxicating pink colour. Sit back,
to a litre of soda water. Use as a mixer look at the view and enjoy.
for gin or vodka. Sometimes I even
use it with whisky and add more
lemon juice for a whisky sour.

136
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Breakfast brown rice
This makes brown rice really tasty,
and I often make this without the
raisins to go with a curry for dinner,
adding a chopped onion in when
I roast the rice at the beginning. I
have yet to meet a child who doesn’t
love it.
1 cup brown rice
1½ cups water
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup raisins
⅛ tsp each ground coriander,
cinnamon, ginger, cumin and
turmeric
Wash the rice and then toast it in a
frying pan until it is golden brown.
This gives the rice a nice nutty flavour.
Add the water and the rest of the
ingredients, cover with a lid and
bring to the boil. Simmer on a low
heat for 40 or 50 minutes. Serve
with yoghurt.
138
Paul’s oregano
cheese on toast
thick slices of bread
butter for spreading
grated tasty cheese
dried and crumbled oregano
freshly ground black pepper
Toast thick bread slices in the toaster.
Spread one side with butter, top with
cheese, sprinkle each slice with at
least a teaspoon of oregano and a
little pepper. Grill until the top is
crunchy.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Glazed ham
juice of 1 orange
1 cup liquid honey
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
whole cloves
1 ham
Blend or hand-whisk the orange
juice, honey and wholegrain mustard
together. Carefully trim the skin off
the ham, leaving as much thick fat as
possible. Use a sharp knife to make
a criss-cross pattern in the fat, being
careful not to cut right through to
the meat. Where the lines cross, stud
with whole cloves.
Put the ham in a large baking dish,
then pour over the orange juice
mixture. Put in a cool oven, around
120°C, and baste every 10 minutes
until the ham is a bright golden
brown, which should be in about
an hour.
139
Quinoa salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
4 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
1 capsicum, chopped
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small lemon
handful of parsley or basil, finely
chopped
Rinse the quinoa well to remove
the bitter outer coating, then put
in a saucepan with the stock,
bring to the boil and simmer for
15 minutes, or until all the liquid
is absorbed. Meanwhile poach the
chicken breasts and fry up the onion,
capsicum, corn and mushrooms in a
little of the oil.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon
into a big bowl and whisk in the
remaining olive oil. Throw in the
quinoa, vegetables and sliced
chicken. Sprinkle through the
parsley or basil and serve.
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Gorgeous liver
200 g liver
2 tamarillos
1 onion, finely sliced
olive oil, for frying
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Slice the liver into slivers of meat
about 10 mm thick, removing any
sinew or tissue. Roughly chop the
flesh of the tamarillos and mix with
the liver in a bowl. Leave to marinate
for 10 minutes.
Fry the onion gently in a little olive
oil over a medium heat. When the
onion is just starting to brown, turn
up the heat a little and add the liver
and tamarillos. Fry the liver quickly
on one side for a minute, then flip it
over to brown the other side.
Just as it has finished cooking,
swish in the Worcestershire sauce
and let it bubble and caramelise
down into the pan, which should
only take a second or so. Swish it all
around so that the meat is coated
with the tamarillo and the sauce
and serve.
140
Liver casserole
I was inspired to make this when
I tinkered with a very basic recipe
for Scottish Liver Pie I found in an
old Aunt Daisy cookbook, and it is
delicious!
approx. 200 g liver
seasoned flour, to dust
1 rasher of bacon, chopped
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 onion, chopped and fried
1–2 potatoes, raw, thinly sliced
duck fat
Slice the liver in thin pieces, roll
in seasoned flour and lay it in a
casserole dish.
Add the bacon to the liver. Pour
over the Worcestershire sauce. Cover
with a layer of tomatoes, then a
layer of onions and finally a layer of
potatoes. Add dabs of duck fat or the
fat saved from cooking the bacon.
Put on the lid and bake slowly at
150°C for an hour. When cooked, take
off the lid and allow the potatoes to
brown on the top, then serve.
I n t h e K i tc h e n
Smoked fish
Here’s how to make gorgeous
smoked fish at home. You will need
a smoker for this recipe—I use a
stainless-steel smoking box.
1 whole fish of your choice
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup salt
a splash of whisky if you like
141
Get your fisherman or your fish shop
to take the head off your fish (keep it
for making stock), open the fish out
and gut it. Leave the scales on.
Combine the rest of the
ingredients and cover the fish.
Place in the fridge for a few hours—
overnight or, preferably, 24 hours.
To prepare your smoker, fill the
fuel cup with methylated spirits and
sprinkle a thin layer of tea-tree or
manuka shavings on the base. You
can also use green tea leaves if you
are feeling adventurous.
Light the meths, place the smoker
on top with the fish lying skin side
down on the rack, close it up and
leave it.
The meths should burn out after
about 15–20 minutes. Leave for
another 5 minutes, then gently lift
the fish out and wrap it up in some
newspaper to let it finish steam-
cooking. This seems to give it a lovely
flavour.
Roll back the newspaper to form a
platter and serve.
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Pressure-cooker Cut the meat into small cubes. Add Paul’s chocolate mousse
beef curry oil to the cooker and brown the meat.
300 ml cream
Add the onion, apple and curry
This is a lovely old-fashioned recipe 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
powder and brown lightly. Add the
which came with the instruction ¼ cup brown sugar
chutney, lemon juice and salt with
manual for my old pressure cooker. 4 egg yolks
the water. Place the lid on the cooker.
Both Paul and I remember having it 1 tbsp Grand Marnier
Allow steam to flow vigorously
as kids; so might you. 2 tsp grated orange rind
from the vent pipe to release all air
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 kg chuck steak or gravy beef (any old from the cooker. Place the indicator
60 g unsalted butter
cut will do) weight in position and cook for
1 tbsp olive oil (the recipe said fat but 20 minutes. Thicken if necessary Heat the cream until bubbles form
oil is easier for us to get!) with cornflour. around the edges. Do not boil.
1 onion, sliced Place the chocolate, sugar, egg
1 apple, sliced yolks, Grand Marnier, orange rind
3 tsp curry powder (the original says and vanilla in a blender. Pour in the
2 tsp but I think we like it hotter hot cream while blending on high
these days) speed for about a minute.
1 tsp chutney Drop the butter in 1 teaspoon at a
2 tsp lemon juice time while you blend. Continue to
salt, to taste blend until smooth.
600 ml water Pour into eight serving glasses.
1 tbsp cornflour (optional) Refrigerate for 1–2 hours before
serving.

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People are always surprised

to hear that I clean my house
with not much more than
baking soda and vinegar.
There are three reasons I
do this. One is political, one
is environmental and one
is financial—it’s cheaper.

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I grew up watching TV commercials that not only told women that
their homes must sparkle and shine, but also that they must compete
with each other to win the prize for the most gleaming house. Who can
forget the woman racing around her house to get it clean in time for her
mother-in-law? And who cared? I know I didn’t. Commercials like this
still run today, and you have to wonder if feminism did us any favours.
The movement taught us that girls can do anything. So we did. We got
dual careers of work and families and then sat down exhausted at the
end of every day just in time to be told that our homes were not good
enough unless they were blinding us and everyone else with their clean
credentials. Many a time I’ve wondered if my energy levels at the end
of a modern working mother’s day were any different from the old-
fashioned mother, who tended the garden, sorted out the chooks, boiled
the washing in the copper and beat the rugs on the line.
I just don’t see that sparkle equals contentment. Or that running a
finger over a friend’s mantelpiece and finding dust is something women
really do. Nor do I think that bubbles equal clean. My natural cleaning
products don’t sparkle and most of them certainly don’t bubble, but they
do clean.
The bubble factor in any cleaning product is produced by phosphates,
which act as ‘builders’ to reduce the hardness of water. The problem with
phosphates in our wastewater is that they act as fertilisers and encourage
algae to grow, eating up the nutrients in the water and choking lakes and
streams. Many detergents are now labelled phosphate-free and have
replaced the builders with other substances such as aluminium, silicon
and oxygen. I think it would be easier if we just rid ourselves of our
addiction to bubbles.
I’m also concerned about the chemicals that are being introduced into
our homes through commercial cleaners. Our grandmothers didn’t go
to the supermarket to be dazzled with an aisle of chemicals in brightly
coloured bottles. Nor were they familiar with names like Easy-Off Bam,
NapiSan OxyAction Max and Toilet Duck. Nor did they think throwing
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some purple, lime-green or pink gunk on the floor was a great way to
clean. Or that they even needed ‘hospital grade’ products. They simply
made cleaners out of what they had in their pantry, from baking or
washing soda to vinegar. No chemicals were flushed down the drains to
pollute our oceans and no chemicals were left lingering in the air to set
off allergies and other reactions in our children. New Zealand has one
of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world, and we all know
children who suffer from eczema. It seems logical to reduce any possible
allergens in our homes, and one simple way is to get all the chemicals out.
Everyone also knows the headache caused by using an oven cleaner,
which contains some of the most toxic chemicals known to man. So why
use it? I am astonished that makers of commercial cleaners can still get
away without listing the ingredients contained in their bottles. Most (and
this includes the ‘eco-friendly’ products) simply list the ingredients as
‘surfactants’ or ‘alkalis’ or ‘cleansing agents’. People spray, splash and
even wash their children’s clothes in these formulations without giving it
another thought, yet all these products contain bright and vivid warnings
about what to do if swallowed—the same advice given for poisons. I’m
not saying there aren’t some good surfactants, but there are also some
pretty horrific ones. How do you know which is in your cleaner?
As for air-fresheners, you won’t find the chemicals in them listed on
the bottles—at least, I couldn’t when I examined five different brands
in my supermarket. So ask yourself why you are voluntarily spraying
unknown substances into the air your family breathes. One chemical
often used in air-fresheners is dichlorobenzene, which is banned in
California as a carcinogen. How would you know if it is in your brand?
As consumers we have a right to know what is in the products we buy,
use and disperse into our air and waterways. And if you are making the
effort to buy environmentally friendly products, you should do more
than simply purchase the dishwashing detergent that perches on your
sink for everyone to see.
One product I use that can be described as harmful is borax, but I use
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it in small amounts and keep it out of products that come in contact with
the skin (see page 153).
I also have to confess that I’m an occasional user of bleach, but I use an
oxygen bleach otherwise known as sodium percarbonate, which breaks
down to water and oxygen in our drainage system. You can buy it at
homebrew stores or online. And some supermarket oxygen bleaches will
use it—check the ingredients label.
The recipes in this section have been tried and tested by me and are
used regularly in my house. I have sourced them from books ranging
from Household Discoveries published in 1908 through to those of Aunt
Daisy and Radio 1ZB’s ‘Gran’ and more modern collections of cleaners
with a green focus.
You need to combine these with old-fashioned elbow grease. Dirt only
magically disappears in TV commercials and when industrial-strength
chemicals are in action. Buy yourself a good scrubbing brush and use it
well; you’ll also get a work-out.
Please do not write to me and say your floors don’t shine and your
dishes don’t sparkle. You know how I feel about sparkle. If it’s clean, it’s
clean, and you won’t die of the plague. Most of these products have great
green credentials, however Sunlight soap uses animal products so is not
as good as Castile soap. I give both options. Borax is toxic in high doses,
but it is enormously useful as an emollient and stain remover and adding
a little to recipes is far better than the high concentrations of other
chemicals found in commercial cleaners.
Do remember this is all about making your own choices—not having
them foisted on you by commercial manufacturers, me or Nigella bloody
Lawson, so try it and see if you like it.
The owner of one eco-friendly range of cleaning products called me
one night after I had been sharing my cleaning recipes on April in the
Afternoon on the Living Channel. Apparently, I didn’t know what I was
talking about, and he needed to take me out for a coffee and ‘fill me in’ on
what was good and bad in this area. I didn’t have to talk to him for long
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to realise that these simple recipes were causing him some angst. My
response was to tell him that I would leave it up to women to choose what
they think suits them best. I’ve never bought his products again, nor have I
recommended them. If he were truly eco-focused and determined to save
the world, then surely that phone call would have been to congratulate
me for spreading the word. Instead I felt bullied.
Do try the recipes at the end of this chapter. You might want to make
just one of these cleaners and see how you go. When I started making
them I made the spray cleaner first, then I got hooked and started
researching and testing old recipes until I had the whole house set up
with natural cleaners. Mixing up the recipes takes some time, but I have
deliberately chosen ones that don’t take too long; in fact, just as long as
it would take to get in your car and drive—or better still, catch the bus or
walk—to the supermarket and purchase a commercial product. And once
you have your store-cupboard set up you won’t need to go searching for
ingredients all over town. I hope the recipes will bring you many years of
satisfaction.
Why you should make your
own cleaning products
Recent years have seen the advent of ‘greenwashing’, with manufacturers
making unproven environmental claims in an attempt to make you
believe that their product is green and safe for the planet and your family,
when in fact it is anything but. Of most concern were items claiming to be
free of controversial chemicals like BPA and phthalates, especially baby
and toy products. Others gave no proof of environmental claims, using
vague or poorly defined marketing language such as ‘all natural’, and
fake labels designed to imply that a product had third-party certification
or endorsement of its claims.
The sad fact is that even if you think you have found a cleaning product
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which lists the ingredients and seems natural and harmless, you can’t
be sure.
So I want you to go to your cleaning cupboard and open the doors.
Look at the cleaning products you use and see if you can find a list of
ingredients on any of them. Unless you buy eco-friendly products (and
in some cases even if you do), you won’t find anything listed there. What
you will find is detailed information on what to do if someone ingests
the product, in which case you are usually advised to call an ambulance
because you are being poisoned.
Throw them all out.
Now.
Out with the furniture polish, the air-freshener, the purple toilet
cleaner, the spray cleaner, the cream cleanser, the bright green floor
cleaner and the disinfectant. Then go and take a look in your laundry.
If you are using a laundry powder or soap that has a fragrance, it will
contain chemicals. It may say ‘lavender’ on the front, but there is no proof
in the form of an ingredients label that there is any lavender in there.
Instead there is probably a cocktail of chemicals that imitate the smell
of lavender and are much cheaper to produce then sourcing lavender
essential oil. Many of these synthetic fragrances are engineered to stay in
your clothing even after its final rinse and can cause skin irritation.
Add that to the optical brighteners or whiteners in commercial
laundry powders that attach to fabric, are absorbed through your skin
and can affect your immune system. They are thought to cause allergic
skin reactions in babies and older children. All the more reason to try
making your own cleaners.
CLEANING STORE-CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS
`` Baking soda: This is a slightly alkaline mineral made from
soda ash. You can buy it in the supermarket, but for the
quantities you’ll be needing get to a bulk food store and
buy a kilo.
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`` Borax: This is an alkaline mineral that is a very effective
antibacterial, fungicidal cleaning and bleaching agent which
is widely regarded as being better for the environment than
bleach. But it can be toxic in high doses and needs to be kept
away from children and animals, so I restrict its use where I
can. It is valuable as an emulsifier in some recipes, as a stain
remover and deodoriser, and in the old days it was used to
keep pests away. I only use it in recipes that won’t touch
the skin, as I have read that when it is mined it can become
contaminated with arsenic. I’ve also taken it out of many
recipes without any problems.
`` Castile soap: If you can afford it, I recommend this for all
my recipes, however Sunlight (see below) works perfectly
well. I use Dr Bronner’s Castile soap, both liquid and cake,
because it is organic and fair-trade and contains only natural,
vegetable-derived ingredients. It also smells amazing. Yes it’s
on the pricier side, but it goes an awfully long way. Another
alternative is to buy soaps (from Trade Aid or similar) that are
100 per cent vegetable oil-based.
`` Essential oils: These are natural plant essences that have
been extracted into oil. Unlike the synthetic perfumes added
to commercial cleaners, natural essential oils not only add
an amazing smell but also have powerful aromatherapy
properties as well as being antibacterial and antifungal.
Never use them undiluted, and pregnant women should seek
advice before using them. When buying, check that they are
labelled 100 per cent pure and natural and that they haven’t
been mixed with a base oil. You will often find that rose oil is
blended simply because no one could afford 100 per cent pure.
If you want to get the full benefit of your oils, buy good-quality
ones from health food shops and pharmacies, not a discount
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store. For cleaning I mostly use tea-tree, eucalyptus and

lavender, which are all relatively inexpensive.

`` Glycerine (sometimes sold as glycerol): This is a sugar alcohol

and a great old-fashioned stain remover used on its own. It has
amazing moisturising properties as it is a humectant, which
means it attracts water to the skin. It is a by-product of soap
making and can be produced from animal or vegetable fats.

`` Lemon juice: This is a great alternative to bleach, so if you

have a lemon tree, juice a few lemons next time you need some
bleaching power. Also slice one in half and rub it on anything
that needs a major bacteria bust, like your chopping boards
and work surfaces.

`` Rags: Get into the habit of using rags to clean with, or

microfibre cloths that can be washed and reused. Not reaching
for a paper towel takes a bit of getting used to, but after a while
it becomes second-nature, and I think old towels do a better
job of cleaning.

`` Spray bottles: Stock up at a plastics store and while you’re at

it get some squeeze bottles. Get a permanent marker pen also,
because your cleaners are all going to look similar. Write the
recipe on the bottle so that you can quickly re-make as you go.
Also recycle any bottles that you have from your bad old days
using commercial cleaners.

`` Sunlight soap: I use this as a base for lots of my recipes. It is

strictly not a brilliant choice for the environment, despite its
old-fashioned values, as it is derived from animal fats and
contains a few chemicals such as tetrasodium EDTA and
etidronic acid, which don’t scrub up well environmentally.
These recipes use small amounts, however, and I reason that it
is a huge reduction on the high doses of chemicals you would
use if you used commercial cleaners. And it is cheap.

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`` White vinegar: This is very acidic and very historic, dating
back to Babylon in 5000 BC, when it was used to disinfect and
clean, as it is in this book. For cleaning purposes, don’t get
fussy and buy the good stuff. I get 5 litres from my bulk-food
store for $12 and it lasts six months.
`` Washing soda: I regard this as baking soda’s bigger, tougher,
gruntier brother, and it doesn’t contain phosphates, enzymes
or bleach. It is much more alkaline than its little brother and
can be quite caustic, so wear rubber gloves when using it.
You’ll find it in the laundry aisle of your supermarket. I’ve also
seen it in hardware stores.
How the costs stack up
Let’s talk price. For the basic outlay of about $15 on baking soda and
vinegar I can clean my house for about three months. I might also buy
some other products like borax ($10.90 for 1 kg, of which I use 50 g every
three months), 1 kg washing soda ($3.89), glycerine ($5.50), Sunlight soap
($3.99 for 500 g; I use 100 g), Sunlight liquid ($2.50) and various essential
oils ($12 for 50 ml on Trade Me, of which I would use a maximum of 25 ml
in three months). This comes to about $35.00, which works out at about
$12 a month.
The equivalent in commercial products, using eco-friendly ones
where available, is:
`` laundry powder $7.99
`` toilet cleaner $3.99
`` spray cleaner $5.99
`` oven cleaner $4.99 (but there is no eco oven cleaner)
`` furniture polish $5.99
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`` floor cleaner $4.99
`` liquid scourer $2.99
`` Sunlight liquid $2.50
That’s $39.43 for a month—a saving of $27, which over a year is $324. And
of course you’re saving the environment, too.
The kitchen
After one of my Green Goddess shows I came home and invented a
cleaning paste for kitchen (and bathroom) sinks. I used to just sprinkle
baking soda and mix it with a bit of water, but a woman who called up
said she liked to have a paste already made, like Jif. It got me thinking
and I mixed cream of tartar, baking soda, some liquid Castile soap and
peppermint oil to make my own cleaning paste. It smells amazing and
works well.
I love the recent TV commercial that depicts the act of cleaning a
surface with a dirty dishcloth as equivalent to wiping it down with a
chicken! Are we really that stupid? A very easy way to keep your kitchen
cloths clean is to boil them, or put them in the bottom of the sink, put the
jug on and pour the boiling water over them to soak for a few minutes.
Add a dash of vinegar and they’ll come up beautifully.
And to polish up your stainless-steel fridge or oven, simply wipe it
with some baby oil. It’s not eco-friendly because it is a petroleum-based
product, but, hey, it works really well.
CLEANING POTS AND PANS
`` Copper: If you have copper cookware, then you will have so
much fun cleaning it this way. Simply cut a lemon in half, dip
it in some salt and start scrubbing. You will be amazed how
quickly it comes up to a really nice shine. When you have
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finished, give it a rub with a cloth and some olive oil. Or use
tomato sauce.
`` Cast iron: To remove rust, rub with the cut side of half a potato
dipped in liquid detergent. Rinse, then wipe with oil to seal.
`` Burnt-on food: Sprinkle with baking soda, add a little water to
make a paste and leave overnight. If that doesn’t work, ramp it
up with washing soda, a little water to make a paste and leave
overnight. If that doesn’t work, throw it out.
ESSENTIAL OILS FOR THE KITCHEN—WHAT DOES WHAT
`` Rosemary: antiseptic
`` Lemon: antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal
`` Eucalyptus: antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal
`` Tea-tree: antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal
`` Lavender: antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal
`` Lime: antibiotic, antiseptic
`` Orange: antiseptic
The bathroom
The place in the house that attracts the most chemicals is the bathroom,
yet it is possible to get a really clean bathroom without a hint of bleach
and by opting instead for the potent germ-killing powers of tea-tree oil. I
think we get into the habit of buying a shower cleaner, a toilet cleaner, a
sink cleaner and a floor cleaner when in fact just baking soda and vinegar
will do. You will find some recipes for products to clean your bathroom at
the end of the chapter.
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PREVENTING MOULD AND MILDEW
We spend a lot of time wondering what to do about mould in our
bathrooms, when it can be really easy to prevent it from growing in the
first place. Next time you are in your bathroom, look at ways you can
ventilate it to stop a build-up of moisture and warmth, which mould
spores love.
Here are some tips to reduce mould growth in your bathroom.
`` Keep windows open as much as possible. Opening them while
having a shower or bath and leaving them open allows much of
the steam to escape.
`` Leave your bathroom door open so that the damp air can be
exchanged with the rest of the air in the house.
`` Sunlight dries and airs, so let as much of it in as you can by
opening windows and pulling back curtains and blinds.
`` After a shower, leave the shower door open to allow the shower
to air out.
`` By all means get a dehumidifier, but please run it on a timer,
not all day.
`` If you have heated towel rails, throwing your damp towel
straight onto them just creates even more damp air. Wait until
your bathroom has dried out before placing towels on a heated
towel rail. Better still, do what Nana did and take your towels
out into the sun to dry.
`` Wipe down showers and walls after your shower. It’s really easy
to remember to do if you leave a cloth hanging in the shower.
You also have to clean the shower less.
`` Every week after cleaning the bathroom, spray the walls,
ceilings and floors with Wendyl’s mould magic (see page 192).
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The laundry
I stopped using commercial laundry powder years ago when I visited
a naturopath about my daughter’s eczema, and she immediately
recommended choosing a perfume-free powder. So I switched to that but
then started wondering what was in these powders and liquids. Again I
couldn’t find out, so I started making my own.
My lavender laundry liquid is being made by lots of people all over
New Zealand—I know because they email me to say how much they love
it. You can make it with Castile soap, which is the green option, or it works
really well with good old Sunlight soap. The problem is that Sunlight
has beef tallow and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) which is a
known pollutant. That said, I was relieved to find out from the company
that makes the soap that their palm oil is derived from a sustainable
source. The recipe (see page 173) calls for half a bar of Sunlight soap and
makes about eight litres, which is enough for 128 machine loads. This
level of dilution means that the amount of nasties the recipe uses is a lot
less than used in commercial products.
Despite the popularity of my lavender laundry liquid, I was still keen
to make a laundry powder. I sourced some liquid Castile soap and fiddled
around for a day or two with my old favourites baking soda, washing soda
and lavender oil. The result was a laundry clay. It looks just like white
clay, so that is what I’ve called it (see page 315). My first test washes with
it astounded me. Paul’s dirty jeans came out as clean as a whistle. It has
continued to impress me as it passed the ‘no white powder marks on black
clothes’ test and the ‘no foaming, so it can be used in front loaders’ test.
One of the things I loved about Paul when I first met him was that he
was a crisp-white-sheet man. Paul had a 100 per cent cotton, gorgeous-
weave, beautifully made bed complete with hospital corners, unlike most
of the men I knew who still slept between the polycotton print sheets their
mums had given them when they went flatting and whose idea of clean
sheets meant you washed them once a month. My love affair with white

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sheets—and Paul—has meant a desire to keep the sheets crisp and white,
which gets difficult after a while. Constant washing with commercial
laundry detergents leaves white sheets clean but with a grey/yellow tinge
to them that no amount of soaking or bleaching can get rid of. There’s a
reason for this.
Commercial laundry powders and liquids have been developed to leave
a residue in your clothes and linen, which they call optical brighteners
or whiteners. These attach to fabric and when hit by ultraviolet light
they change the light’s wavelengths coming off the clothes. The optical
whiteners stay in your clothes, are absorbed through your skin and can
affect your immune system as well as potentially causing allergic skin
reactions in babies and children. What they also tend to do is leave our
white sheets grubby. And just in case you didn’t know, most commercial
laundry detergents consist largely of washing soda with variations in the
types of artificial fragrance, colour and additives mixed in.
I remember my nana used a product called Blue, made by Reckitt’s.
The label on it was a beautifully designed piece of Kiwiana with the
catchphrases ‘Clothes always snowy’ and ‘Clothes always fresh’. Blue
came in a little netting bag and you threw it in your washing during your
final rinse. It could also be used to treat bee stings and insect bites. You
could even clean windows with it.
The blue pigment corrects the yellow/grey pigment and returns the
material to ‘brighter than white!’
You can’t buy Blue here any longer, although you can still get it in
Australia, so I set about creating my own Blue equivalent. The blueing
powder is created out of Prussian blue pigment, which is the most
extraordinary thing. The deep blue colour is astonishing and has been
used for centuries by painters. It was even once used in some armies
during the Second World War to reduce sexual urges. Apparently they
would slip it into the soldiers’ coffee and all desire would be diminished,
which I’m sure made things a lot more peaceful in the barracks.
You can buy Prussian blue powder at art shops. We source ours directly
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from the US, though Paul is determined to get some from Germany so he
can say we get our Prussian blue from Prussia.
I mix the blueing powder with baking soda and then add it to the final
rinse. While I was trying to get the recipe right I ruined about three sets
of our beautiful, expensive white sheets, which to this day have blue
blotches on them. When I finally got the mix right, I then hung the sheets
out in blinding sunshine to dry and Paul, who hadn’t been aware I was
even making the blueing powder, came in from the line holding up a
sheet and saying: ‘Did you bleach these, I’ve never seen them so white!’
I sometimes hear from people who have made or bought my blueing
powder and have not waited until the washing machine bowl is completely
full for the rinse cycle before adding the powder. They also end up with
blotches on their sheets. I now know that you simply throw them back
in, washing them as normal with warm water and my laundry liquid, and
the blotches will wash out. Don’t let them dry as I did! By the way, if you
have a front loader, just put the blueing powder in the fabric softener
container—I’m told this works well.
I always wait for a bright sunny day before I wash my sheets, which is
why I love November when the heat of the sun returns. It’s a great time
to take the opportunity to go through the linen cupboard and freshen
everything up.
Sunlight is a fantastic bleaching agent; it’s free and it’s effective. I’ve
often hung a stained piece of clothing out, disappointed that I couldn’t
quite get the spot out, and then collected it at the end of the day only
to find the mark completely gone. If the stain is harder to shift, try the
lemon and sunshine stain remover recipe on page 172.
I’ve had hundreds of enthusiastic emails from people who tell me
stories of old sheets and articles of clothing they had given up on and
then managed to revitalise with a bit of blueing. And one story I wish I
hadn’t heard was from a woman who emailed me to say she used it on her
elderly husband’s undies. ‘He has the occasional accident so it’s nice to
be able to get them white again,’ she shared.
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I will stress that the blueing powder is not a soaker like NapiSan or
bleach. It won’t get stains out, it just corrects the overall pigment. I try
not to use bleach, even though Nana used heaps of it. If I need to give
something a good soak I tend to use an oxygen bleach such as sodium
percarbonate. It avoids many of the harmful chemicals associated with
other soakers and works really well.
To get your sheets, shirts and tablecloths nice and crisp, try adding the
cooking water from pasta or potatoes into your final rinse.
You can now buy soap nuts in New Zealand. They are dried berries from
the soap nut tree (Sapindus mukorossi), which grows wild in Northern
India. They contain saponin, which is released when wet, creating mild
soap suds. They also have antibacterial properties. You can use them
about six times and then throw them on the compost. I’ve used them and
have no complaints, so why not try them?
TREATING STAINS
Here are some stain removal ideas I recommend, but the key to stain
removal is to act fast. The longer you leave a stain, the harder it is to
treat it.
`` Blood: Cold water and soap if you get on to it straight away.
Otherwise, soak in a bucket of water with ½ cup washing soda
overnight. Or spray directly with soda water. Or try my borax
stain remover (see page 175).
`` Butter, grease, make-up: Dab on undiluted glycerine as a pre-
wash, then soak in a bucket of water with ½ cup washing soda
overnight. If that doesn’t work, try some eucalyptus oil or, if
you don’t have that, some turps and dab it on with a cotton ball
to try to dissolve the stain.
`` Chewing gum: Eucalyptus oil dabbed on neat. You can try
freezing the gum and pulling it off, but it’s never worked for
me.
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`` Chocolate: Washing soda soak (see page 175) or borax stain
remover (see page 175).
`` Coffee and tea: Washing soda soak (see page 175) or borax stain
remover (see page 175).
`` Crayons: Try a paste of baking soda and liquid soap. Glycerine
helps as a pre-wash.
`` Grass: Dab on white distilled vinegar or glycerine.
`` Ink: Dab on milk, white distilled vinegar or cut a lemon in half,
dip in salt and rub on. Also try soaking in vodka.
`` Mould and mildew: Borax stain remover (see page 175).
`` Perspiration: Washing soda soak (see page 175), or use borax
stain remover (see page 175). If it’s an old stain, try white
vinegar. I’ve had some success using methylated spirits. Or you
could try glycerine.
`` Wine: Washing soda soak (see page 175), douse with soda water
or make a paste of baking soda and water and rub onto the
stain. White wine poured directly on to red wine will also work
if you do it straight away.
Lounge and living areas
The main cleaning issue with these areas is the carpet. I got rid of carpets
long ago, simply because they attract dust, dust mites, dirt and pet hair,
and when I clean a floor I like to know that I’ve got everything. Also,
many modern carpets are treated with chemicals and pesticides. Instead,
I have floorboards with rugs that can be taken outside and given a good
beating, and washed or vacuumed thoroughly. At the end of the chapter
are some great ideas for those who do have carpets, though.
Remember Nana swooping under the table after Christmas dinner
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with the carpet sweeper? The idea behind the sweeper is genius. It doesn’t
use power, it’s an effective, quick cleaner and doesn’t blow a whole lot of
dust around. And you can drive your grandchildren nuts with them.
I can never quite decide whether you should dust before or after
vacuuming. I tend to go with after, once the dust has settled. When it
comes to natural products, there are some gorgeous things we can use
and there should be no excuse for rushing off to the supermarket for a
can of Pledge.
Beeswax is gorgeous just smeared on with a sponge or rough cloth
and then polished with a soft one. Also great for rubbing on drawers that
are sticking. For furniture scratches and heat marks, grab a Brazil nut
(which you should have handy, because one a day is a good for you) and
simply rub over the mark or scratch. Or try rubbing gently with a piece
of steel wool. You can’t beat the Merry Wives’ polish for floorboards,
but another really easy polish is jojoba oil, which is a wax that has some
sealing properties for floorboards and doesn’t go off. Unfortunately it’s
a bit pricey, but I get 50 ml for about $11 on Trade Me and it lasts well.
There’s a recipe for a very simple floor polish on page 184.
Most couches and armchairs will last years with the odd spot wash
with soap and water. Leather couches will benefit from a rub with lanolin,
which feeds the leather and brings it up to a nice shine.
Cleaning windows
Keeping windows clean is easy if you have white vinegar in the house. At
the end of the chapter are ideas I love to use. The vinegar one is particularly
good if you have a film on your windows left by an old window cleaner as
it breaks down. The trick is to wipe one side of the window up and down
and the other from side to side so that you can easily spot any streaks.
Also use a cut lemon for difficult spots.
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Cleaning
Dealing to bad smells
All kitchens and bathrooms suffer from lurking bad smells at some stage.
For most smells you can’t go past baking soda. Here are some great uses.
`` Cutting boards: Sprinkle on some baking soda, spray with
water and let sit for 10 minutes. Wash off.
`` Rubbish bins: Sprinkle a good coating of baking soda in the
bottom and any unknown leaks or spills will be absorbed.
`` Urine, sour milk, vomit: Make a mixture of 2 tablespoons
baking soda and 2 cups hot water and spray on generously.
`` Refrigerators: Use a paste of ½ cup baking soda mixed with
a little water to clean out your fridge. The paste not only gets
it clean but also takes away any odours that may be lurking
around.
AIR-FRESHENERS
If you can’t find the ingredients on that can of air-freshener or gel
deodoriser, why would you use it? These recipes use essential oils that
not only perfume your home but also carry mood-enhancing benefits
and can treat symptoms of fatigue, stress and depression. When I’m
making up a mixture, I sniff the bottles and use whichever ones appeal
to me at the time. Here are some alternatives to keep your kitchen and
bathroom smelling good and let the essential oils get rid of any bugs and
germs at the same time.
`` Vanilla essence: One of the simplest ways to make a room
smell lovely is to leave some bowls with vanilla essence around
the place. Great to give your house a welcoming smell if you
are expecting people over.
`` Light bulbs: Dab a bit of essential oil on your light bulb before
turning on your lights for a great fragrance, or you can buy
rings to hang on your bulb that warm up and disperse oil.
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`` Oil burner: An oil burner that holds water with a tealight
candle under it is a great way to disperse essential oils around
a room. Just add a few drops to the water and top up as
needed.
See pages 182 and 183 for some alternative air-fresheners.
Saying goodbye to unwelcome
household guests
It occurred to me that I had so successfully stopped bringing chemicals
into my home by making my own natural products that the only chemical
which still made it through my front door was flea treatment for the pets,
because you can’t be having fleas. That’s just unsanitary even by my
standards.
Yet paying $69 a month to de-flea four animals and bringing a slow-
acting poison that is highly toxic to bees, fish and birds (fipronil) and a
growth-retarding hormone (methoprene) into my home and then happily
squirting it onto our beloved pets and exposing the whole household to it
just didn’t make sense to me anymore.
For the animals I have found several natural methods that do work
against fleas, but the secret is to keep using them. If you’re not using
the power of chemicals, then you have to be vigilant. Just as I say with
my natural cleaners, if you’re not using chemicals that magically make
everything clean the minute you spray them on, you do have to combine
natural cleaners with some elbow grease. With fleas you have to combine
all natural remedies and repeated application to see any results.
Instead of dripping chemicals on the cats, I get busy with a flea comb.
Cats love being combed every day and if you get into the habit then you
are physically removing the fleas and their eggs.
I spray the dogs with neat cider vinegar and leave it on for 20 minutes.
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Cleaning
Then I rinse it off. I do this every three days, three times and then do a
maintenance dose every two weeks.
For the dogs (Rosie and Flo) and the two cats (Lucy and Sassy), I also
fight fleas from the inside. It is well known that fleas hate blood tainted
with the taste of garlic and yeast. These two products also happen to be
very good for animals, so I make up some flea biscuits for the dogs and
flea powder that goes in with the cats’ biscuits.
‘I’m not sure the flea biscuits were a huge hit this afternoon,’ Paul
suggested as I was enthusiastically packing them into a cake tin.
‘People who come around for a business meeting don’t normally expect
their employee to grab pongy yeast- and garlic-smelling dog biscuits out
of the oven and shove them under their noses,’ he continued the lecture.
‘I was testing them out,’ I offered weakly.
You also have to be aware that fleas actually spend more time off your
animal than on them and they make their homes in pet bedding or in
the cracks of your floors. So for that I sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous
earth, a naturally occurring chalk-like rock, which I also use on the hens.
It is safe to everyone except insects, which get coated in the powder. It
cuts their waxy coating and they dehydrate within 48 hours. You can also
sprinkle it on your pets.
When all these remedies are used together you will keep fleas at bay,
but—and this happens to me every year—if you stop combing, sprinkling,
spraying and baking biscuits for a week or two, you can expect the fleas
to make a comeback, especially in March, when it is hot and humid and
the breeding conditions are perfect. That is when I disappear up north
and Paul secretly flea-bombs the Auckland house without telling me. So
much for chemical-free living, but each year I try, fail and am determined
to try harder next summer.
We have another consideration, which is that Pearl and Paul both have
an allergy to flea and mosquito bites and for Pearl this means that her
skin has difficulty healing. By March she is covered in itchy, sore bites—
the culmination of a summer’s attacks. She has to go on antibiotics, the
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only time in the year she needs them, as she never comes down with
anything else. Each time I get more and more frustrated that this has to
happen. One year we are all hoping we will get through without the flea
bombs, without the antibiotics and without the fleas!
Flies drive me absolutely nuts and, unfortunately, with hens come
flies. Up north the flies are especially bad in the heat of March and I must
confess that after putting out bowls of lavender oil and slathering myself
in it, they still come back for more and I end up, shamefully, spraying the
little buggers with fly spray. But I only do it twice a day: once first thing in
the morning and then at night when they have all retired to the ceiling. I
know how not-nana that is. I also use a really cool chain fly curtain on my
front door, which really helps keep them out of the house.
I do know that certain essential oils repel flies—citronella is one, as
are lavender and eucalyptus. But you have to put a lot of it out and get
it into the air somehow. Oil burners are one way, spraying it around is
another or you could leave it in lots of little bowls around the house. You
can wipe it on surfaces, or light incense. In my experience it takes a hell
of a lot of essential oils to make a fly think twice. I know this because
one hot summer’s afternoon the kitchen was full of flies and Paul and I
were making a huge batch of my lavender laundry liquid. When we do
this the whole house takes on the odour of lavender oil and it’s actually
very soothing.
‘Look, no flies,’ I said to Paul after about 10 minutes.
They had all disappeared. But we had also gone through about 100 ml
of lavender oil while making our laundry liquid.
I’ve had marginal success with soaking ribbons in lavender or citronella
oil and then hanging them up from lampshades and in open doorways,
but they last for about half an hour and then the flies come back.
I do have a recipe for an outdoor fly trap (see page 194) that seems to
keep them away, and there’s good old fly-paper like Nana used to make.
When I tried it the flies got caught alright but I found myself just a little
bit too much of a modern miss to enjoy seeing bits of sticky paper stuck
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Cleaning
with dead flies hanging in my kitchen. You can buy rolls of fly paper at
the hardware store and they do work a treat, but it is up to you whether
you can bear the sight of dead flies hanging about in your kitchen.
My mother tells me that when she was a child they had a gecko that
lived in their kitchen on a string suspended across the ceiling. His job was
to catch flies and that’s what he did. A great old-fashioned idea for those
of you who are game. My house is mad enough already with chickens,
cats and dogs running about, I just don’t need a pet lizard—especially
one that might climb down and into my bed.
Nana also would have used a fly swat. I can remember as a child
watching adults who were rather adept with the old swat and then feeling
vaguely ill as they hung it back up on the wall, still smeared with the
remains of dead flies.
I’ve also bought one of those electric tennis racket fly swats that zaps
the fly when you hit it, but who has the time to run around swatting flies?
I had hoped the kids might like it, but after one day of fly killing it was
discarded into the cupboard.
In recent years, pyrethrum sprays have come on the market and these
do work. They are aerosol cans that you set and they spurt out a spray of
supposedly natural fly deterrent every few minutes. I used one for a while
until I realised that while pyrethrum is natural, it is still a toxin. It’s toxic
to flies but also bees, fish, pets and us. Then I looked at the chemicals
they add to the pyrethrum to get it to spray and suspend in the air. I came
home from that research trip, walked into the house, picked up the can
and threw it in the bin, much to Paul’s annoyance.
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Recipes
` `
Blueing powder
If you hang your sheets out in direct
sunlight, this will work even better.
This is great for white shirts and
underwear too.
3 cups baking soda
½ tsp Prussian blue powder (you can
get this pigment from art supply
stores)
Combine the baking soda and
Prussian blue powder and store in an
airtight container.
For one set of sheets, add a
teaspoon of the mixture to the final
rinse of your wash, making sure
that the bowl is full first. If you’re
washing more than a set of sheets,
increase the amount of blueing
powder accordingly. If you have
a front loader, you can put the
blueing powder in the fabric
softener container.
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Starch laundry spray
2 tsp cornflour
1 cup water
Combine cornflour and water in
a spray bottle. Use this as a starch
spray on your sheets while you are
ironing them.
Lemon and sunshine
stain remover
For spot stain removal.
lemon juice
salt
Squeeze lemon juice onto the stain
and then rub in some salt. Place the
item on some grass in direct sunlight
for as long as you can, then wash
as normal. Your stain should have
gone—if not, repeat until it does.
Cleaning
Laundry detergent
This mixture will keep you going
for ages, works just as well in cold
as in hot water, and is easy and fast
to make. For the budget version use
Sunlight soap—you’re still doing
less harm to the environment than
using commercial cleaners—but for
a really nice version use Dr Bronner’s
Castile soap. Add lavender for a nice
fragrance or eucalyptus oil, which is
great for washing woollens.
½ bar or 60 g Castile or vegetable-
based or Sunlight soap, grated
1.5 litres water
½ cup washing soda
¼ cup borax
6 litres hot water
20 drops lavender or eucalyptus
essential oil (optional)
173
Place the soap in a saucepan with the
first quantity of water and heat on
low until the soap is dissolved. Stir in
the washing soda and borax. Stir for
a few minutes until thickened, then
remove from heat. (If you’re using
Castile or vegetable-based soap it
won’t thicken straight away, but don’t
worry, it will thicken overnight in the
bottles).
Pour 1 litre of hot water into a
bucket. Add the soap mixture and
mix well. Add another 5 litres of hot
water and mix well. If using, stir
in the essential oil. Pour into old
milk bottles or other containers and
set aside for 24 hours or until the
mixture thickens.
Use half a cup of mixture per load
of washing. It is easy to squeeze from
the bottles as it is quite gluggy.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Fabric softener
I rarely bother with a fabric
softener, but both vinegar and
washing soda are great. Simply add
½ cup white vinegar to the rinse
cycle, or add ½ cup washing soda
to your wash to soften the water. Or
make this softener:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup white vinegar
10 drops essential oil of your choice
(e.g. lavender, lemon, eucalyptus)
Mix together and store in a bottle.
Use as you would a commercial
softener.
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Fabric fragrance
If you’re not so fussy about having
soft clothes but want a nice smell,
then put about 10 drops of any
essential oil into the fabric softener
receptacle in your washing machine
with enough white vinegar to fill it.
Or make up this rinse:
1 cup baking soda
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
1 tsp lemon oil
1 tsp eucalyptus oil
Mix together and store in a bottle.
Add 1 cup to the final rinse of your
wash cycle.
Cleaning
Washing soda soak Borax stain remover
For hard stains, try this stain
I never wear new clothes without
remover. I use this on my Irish linen
giving them a soak first to get rid
napkins when I’ve had people to
of any formaldehyde or chemicals
dinner and there’s red wine and
that may have been used in their
lipstick all over them. Always wear
preparation. This is also a handy
rubber gloves when using this.
stain remover.
50 g borax
water
600 ml cold water
½ cup washing soda
Mix together in a spray bottle. Spray
Simply soak the garments in water
on the stain, leave to dry and then
and washing soda overnight (the
wash.
soak setting on the washing machine
is good for this). This also works well
if clothing has a funny smell from Lavender water
pesticides or anything else that may
For fresh-smelling sheets.
have been added.
1 tsp lavender essential oil
60 ml vodka
750 ml water
Mix together in a spray bottle and
spray on sheets after drying (shake
well before use). Air the sheets before
storing.
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Spray cleaner
This is easy to mix up and not only
cleans well but also fills the air with
gorgeous smells. It takes a whole
minute to make. You can use other
essential oils: In the winter I like
to use warm oils, like cedarwood,
rosemary, clove or even some
natural vanilla essence, to give the
kitchen a cosy smell. In summer, go
for citrus smells like orange, lemon
or lime. If flies are a problem, use
citronella oil which will help deter
them.
176
water
1 tsp baking soda
a few drops liquid soap (preferably Dr
Bronner’s liquid Castile soap, or use
Sunlight)
10 drops lavender or tea-tree essential
oil
Pour water into a 1-litre spray bottle
until nearly full. Add baking soda,
liquid soap and essential oil and
shake together.
Note: If you have wooden bench
tops, add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
Shake the bottle every time you use it
to disperse the oil.
Cleaning
Natural antibacterial Pour water into a spray bottle.
spray Blend essential oils in a glass jar.
With an eyedropper add 8 drops of
Many disinfectants on the market
this base to the spray bottle.
are highly toxic and too strong for
Apply spray to surface and let set
the home. In the old days herbs
for at least 15 minutes. No need to
were used to disinfect the home
rinse.
environment. Lavender, mint, lemon
Keep the base oil mix in a dark-
balm and thyme were laid on floors,
coloured glass bottle in the cupboard
hung from rafters and potted up in
and use to mix up more spray as you
window boxes. This spray is great
need it.
for using on your chopping board
and any other areas you want to stay
bacteria-free, such as sick-rooms.
1 cup water
20 drops sweet orange essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
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` `
Oven cleaner
Cleaning ovens can be one of the
most toxic things we do in our
homes, yet a mix of baking soda
and washing soda can do the job.
You won’t get a headache from the
fumes, or be polluting your house.
Do wear rubber gloves as washing
soda can be quite tough on skin.
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
water
vinegar (optional)
Mix together washing soda and
baking soda. Sprinkle over the
bottom of the oven. Spray with water
until very damp, and keep moist by
spraying every few hours. Let set
overnight. In the morning scoop it all
up, along with the grime, and rinse.
If your oven has a lot of baked-on
grime and grease on it, pour some
vinegar over the washing soda. Let it
fizz for 10 minutes, then scrub with
steel wool. Keep applying both the
washing soda and the vinegar and
scrubbing until the grime has gone.
Microwave cleaner
For a long time I didn’t own a
microwave because I read that this
method of heating and cooking food
actually kills any goodness in it. Do
some research and see if you agree
with me. In the meantime, this is a
great and simple way to clean your
microwave out.
1 tsp baking soda
hot water
Dissolve the baking soda in a bowl
of hot water. Place the bowl in
microwave and run it on high for
five minutes. Wipe the walls clean.
Note: To clean the glass door, pour
some malt vinegar onto a rag and
rub. I’ve tried this with both malt
and white vinegar, and the malt
does a better job. Don’t ask me why.
Scrub any tough spots with a bit of
baking soda.
Silver cleaner
Cleaning silver has never been
easier than when you use washing
soda crystals. You will need a
container large enough to hold the
item to be cleaned, preferably made
of aluminium, such as a pot, pan
or jam pan, etc. Alternatively, use
enough aluminium foil to cover the
bottom of a glass bowl.
Warning: Do not immerse any
non-metal items or items with
painted surfaces, as damage could
be caused. And be cautious if
silver items have other non-silver
components.
3 tsp washing soda
1 litre hot water
Combine washing soda and hot
water in the aluminium container
(scale up the recipe if necessary
so that you have enough solution
to cover the item to be cleaned).
Immerse the item in the solution,
making sure that it is in contact with
the aluminium.
Lightly tarnished items should
come clean in seconds, while heavily
tarnished items may need repeat
treatment and even the help of a
soft-bristled paintbrush to help rub
off the tarnish.
If you are cleaning a mass of
cutlery in a stainless-steel sink or in
some other stainless-steel container
this will take longer, as the solution
will first clean the stainless steel. It is
the use of aluminium that sets off the
cleaning action.
Rinse in clear water and dry with a
soft cloth.

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Dishwasher mixes
I’ve got a few suggestions for
alternatives to commercial
dishwasher powders, which
can contain phosphates and, as
mentioned before, pollute our
waterways. Once again there is no
way of telling what is in them as
there is no detail on the packaging.
Some rinse aids may contain
nonylphenol and nonylphenol
ethoxylates, which have been
banned in the European Union. My
main concern with dishwashing
powder is what it does to children
when they ingest it, severely
burning their throats and mouths,
especially as the new tablets look a
lot like lollies.
I have to be very honest about
the suggestions that follow. I have
used them all and they all work
well, but only for a while. So I
alternate them, then I go out and
buy a box of the most eco-friendly
dishwasher powder I can find and
use that from time to time. All in
all, I figure it’s better than using
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the commercial stuff full-time.
The powder recipe opposite was
given to me by a reader, and when I
shared it with my subscribers I got
great feedback.
If you are going to try these
suggestions remember you do so at
your own—and your dishwasher’s—
risk. I have used these safely and my
dishwasher is still going well, but
your warranty will state that you
must use approved powders. The
decision is yours.
WASHING SODA MIX
washing soda
white vinegar
Simply fill the dispenser with
washing soda crystals and use white
vinegar in your rinse compartment.
Some people have reported that their
glassware doesn’t sparkle as much
as they like it to. There’s that word
‘sparkle’ again. The vinegar should fix
this. If you are still not satisfied, then
try buying an eco-friendly dishwasher
powder and mixing it half and half
with washing soda. Make sure you
Cleaning
add a silicone pouch to absorb DISHWASHER RINSE-AND-
moisture while you are storing the CLEAN MIX
mix, or it will turn into one big white ½ cup white vinegar
solid cake. (If this does happen, whizz
If you feel your dishwasher needs
it up in the food processor.)
a good clean, throw in vinegar and
DISHWASHER LIQUID MIX run a cycle on empty to give it a good
deodorising and to clear any lime-
½ cup water
scale build-up.
½ cup Dr Bronner’s liquid Castile soap
(don’t use normal liquid soap like DISHWASHER POWDER
Sunlight, as it will be too bubbly)
½ cup borax
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup washing soda (the powder
5 drops tea-tree essential oil
form, not the crystals)
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup citric acid
Combine the water and liquid ½ cup salt (not iodised; I used good
soap in a squeeze bottle, then add sea salt)
the lemon juice, essential oil and 2–3 drops orange essential oil
vinegar. The mixture should go white
Place all the ingredients in a plastic
and cloudy. Use 2 tablespoons per
container and shake.
load, or just fill the dispenser.
Use 1 tablespoon per load.
Use white vinegar in the rinse
compartment.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Hand dishwashing mix
Our grandmothers simply took a
wire basket with a handle, popped
a cake of Sunlight in it and shook
it under the tap. You can, too. The
result is a murky, slightly soapy
mixture with absolutely no bubbles,
but it washes the dishes just as well
and you don’t need to worry about
rinsing off harmful chemicals that
might still be on your dishes. I use
the liquid below, but I also have a
bottle of eco-friendly detergent on
hand for those more challenging
washing-up jobs. I figure I’m still
using more of the good than the
bad. This will not foam but it does
the job and smells amazing.
3 tbsp Dr Bronner’s liquid Castile soap
2 cups water
1 tsp glycerine
10 drops lavender essential oil
Combine the liquid soap and water
in a squeeze bottle, then add the
glycerine and lavender. Stir to blend.
Add a good squirt to the sink when
washing dishes.
182
Air-freshener powder
baking soda
10–15 drops of an essential oil of your
choice
Put the baking soda in a medium-
sized jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Sprinkle the essential oil into it and
give it a good shake. Keep tightly
sealed and fill little bowls of it when
you need to freshen the air. It’s
also good to shake on a carpet and
leave for about half an hour before
vacuuming to freshen.
Cleaning
Liquid air-freshener Linoleum cleaner
I made this for an April in the I know that very few people have
Afternoon show and after spraying linoleum anymore, but I happen
it around the studio the crew to have a 1968 caravan with some
immediately became relaxed and rather special retro lino that needs
asked me to leave it behind for them to know I love it. This brings up the
to use more often. The bergamot pattern really well and I also use it
gives a lovely citrus smell and the on the veneer cupboards.
clove oil, which is highly antiseptic
1 cup white vinegar
and antiviral, adds a warm, cosy
1 cup turpentine
smell. You can experiment with
½ cup raw linseed oil
your own blend of oils, depending
on your needs. Just remember Combine the ingredients in a bottle
to mix with the vodka or gin and and shake well.
water. Rub on to linoleum surface with a
cloth, then polish with a clean cloth.
10 drops lavender essential oil
Shake the bottle frequently.
5 drops bergamot essential oil
5 drops clove essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
½ cup vodka or gin
½ cup water
Combine all ingredients in a spray
bottle. Spray as frequently as you
like, avoiding the eyes.
For a guide to the properties of
some essential oils, see page 233.
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Natural floor cleaner
This won’t sparkle, and sometimes it
leaves a few streaks, but it is great for
all floors. The secret is to use a barely
damp mop, not a soaking one. I like
to use an old-fashioned rag mop—
you can still buy them at hardware
stores. I also carry around a shaker
full of baking soda to sprinkle on any
hard-to-shift spots as I go.
The addition of the essential oil
cuts through any slight vinegar
odour and gives the room a nice
smell.
4 litres hot water
a squirt of liquid soap (Sunlight or Dr
Bronner’s Castile)
1 cup white vinegar
10 drops lavender essential oil (or any
other essential oils that take your
fancy)
Combine all the ingredients in a
bucket and use to mop the floor.
184
Not-at-all-green-but-
cheap floor cleaner
If you’re really after ‘hospital grade’,
this is the one for you. But do be
aware that fumes from ammonia
can irritate the skin, eyes and
respiratory system, and I’m really
not happy about it going down the
drain. Having said that, if I need a
really strong clean I’ll use this once
in a blue moon.
4 litres warm water
1 cup cloudy ammonia
¼ cup liquid detergent
Combine all the ingredients in a
bucket and use to mop the floor.
Cleaning
General-purpose
carpet cleaner
We often regard carpet as needing
heavy-duty cleaning with lots of
chemicals. Actually, most carpet
will clean up well with this simple
mixture.
2 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp dishwashing liquid
Combine the water, white vinegar
and dishwashing liquid in a spray
bottle. Spray on stains, rub in and
leave for 10 minutes or so before
rinsing off.
For tough stains, simply pour on
neat white vinegar and follow the
same directions.
185
Carpet deodoriser
When it comes to choosing the
essential oil for this, I would go for
something antibacterial that also
smells nice, such as lavender. This
works well for rugs, too.
baking soda
20 drops of a good essential oil of your
choice
Get a jar of baking soda and drip
in the essential oil. Give it a good
shake, seal tightly and let it sit in a
dark place for about a week, shaking
occasionally when you remember.
Before you go to bed, sprinkle it
all over the carpet and let it sit for
the night. In the morning, vacuum as
usual and it will be nicely deodorised
and smell great.
If there is still some baking
soda residue left over, spray with a
mixture of ½ vinegar and ½ water
and rub lightly with an old towel.
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Floor polish Bathroom cleaning paste Toilet bowl cleaner Toilet bowl stain remover
2 tsp jojoba oil This is amazing stuff and works 1 cup baking soda borax (1 tbsp or 1 cup, depending on
1 cup cider vinegar like Jif does. I used to sell it on my 1 cup white vinegar the method used)
website as Peppermint Paste. 1 cup water water
Mix the ingredients together and
30 drops tea-tree oil
apply with a rag to polish the floor. 1 cup baking soda If you have a tough mineral stain that
1 tbsp cream of tartar Throw the baking soda and won’t budge, you have two choices:
10 ml liquid Castile soap white vinegar into the toilet bowl Drain the bowl and rub with a
Milk cleaner (for walls
3 ml water and watch it explode. Leave for paste of 1 tablespoon of borax and a
and vinyl)
1 ml peppermint essential oil 10 minutes, then scrub with a brush little water. Leave as long as you can,
5 litres hot water (optional) and flush. then wipe off.
1 cup milk
To finish, make a solution using Alternatively, put 1 cup of borax in
In a bowl, mix together the baking
1 cup kerosene
the water and tea-tree oil and spray the bowl and leave overnight. Finish
soda and cream of tartar. In a jug,
Pour hot water into a bucket and add all over the toilet, leaving it to sit off with the toilet brush and flush in
mix together the liquid Castile soap
the milk and kerosene. Rub on the there. Spray on the outside of the the morning.
and water.
walls, then wipe off. toilet as well and give it a wipe with a
Slowly pour the wet mix into the
damp cloth, as bacteria lurk around
powder, stirring with a fork until you
there.
have a paste. Add more water if you
need to. Add the essential oil (if you
are using it) and stir to combine.
Store in an airtight container and
use to clean kitchen and bathroom
sinks, baths and toilets.

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Shower cleaner
500 ml water
500 ml white vinegar
In a 1-litre spray bottle, mix together
the water and white vinegar. Spray
on shower doors or anywhere there
is soap scum and leave for 5 minutes,
then wipe off. If there is a lot of
build-up you can use straight vinegar
combined with plenty of scrubbing
with a steel wool pad.
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Liquid handwash
The texture of this takes a bit of
getting used to, as it’s more jelly
than smooth liquid. The glycerine
in it is a fantastic moisturiser
for your hands. I find using Dr
Bronner’s Castile soap makes for a
better blend, but Sunlight will make
it cheaper.
250 ml boiling water
2 tbsp Sunlight soap, grated
2 tsp glycerine
2 tsp rose water
10 drops rose essential oil (or another
of your choice)
Add the grated soap to the boiling
water, stir and then let it sit for about
10 minutes until it melts. Stir in the
glycerine, rose water and essential
oil.
When the mixture is smooth but
still warm, pour it into an empty
soap dispenser bottle (when cold it
will set to a jelly and be hard to pour).
Cleaning
Septic tank bacteria Drain unblocker
booster ⅔ cup baking soda
This recipe was sent to me by a 200 ml white vinegar
reader. I have an eco septic tank
Sprinkle the baking soda down the
that distributes treated water back
drain, followed by the white vinegar,
into my orchard, so I haven’t been
and leave for 10 minutes. It will form
able to test it. Feel free to have a go,
a gas that will clear the blockage.
at your own risk, and if you find
Flush with water.
it useful let me know. If loaves of
If there is still a blockage, repeat,
bread start growing out of your
but use washing soda instead of
toilet, then I guess you should let
baking soda. Keep repeating until the
me know about that as well!
blockage clears.
500 g brown sugar
2 x 8-g packets of Edmonds Instant
Dry Yeast
4 cups warm water
Mix the sugar and yeast in a bucket
and then pour on the warm water.
Stir and set aside until the yeast
activates and you can smell it. You
should also see lots of foam and
cloudy activity. This will take about
10 minutes, maybe longer in cooler
weather.
Flush it down the toilet—it might
take a few flushes to get it all down.
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Lemon dusters
I can guarantee that once you have
made and tried these you will never
use anything else. You can make
them in separate little jars—they
make great gifts—or fill a large Agee
jar and use them as you need them.
The longer you leave them brewing
in the jar, the better.
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
5 drops lemon essential oil
6–8 clean dusters (made from old
towels, nappies or sheets)
3–4 lemons
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Mix equal quantities of water and
white vinegar in a bowl and add the
lemon essential oil. Soak the dusters
in the bowl, then squeeze them out
so that they are just damp.
Peel the rind off the lemons and
lay a couple of pieces on each duster.
Roll each duster up lengthwise, then
roll the other way into a ball. Place
them in a jar, one on top of the other,
throw in the occasional extra piece of
lemon rind and screw on the lid.
Take the dusters out when you
need to use them, and if they aren’t
too soiled you can roll them back up
and use them again. The smell in the
room is divine.
Cleaning
Lemon furniture polish Place the turps and beeswax in a
double boiler (or in a bowl set over a
This is an old recipe I’ve come
saucepan of simmering water; make
across in dozens of books. My
sure the bottom of the bowl stays
favourite is called the ‘Merry Wives
above the water). Heat gently—do
of Windsor Balm’. I’m not sure what
not take your eye off the mixture
the addition of lemon balm does to
as turps is highly flammable. Once
this, as the smell of turps somewhat
combined, set aside to cool.
overpowers the lemon scent, but
Melt the grated soap in the lemon
it is such a good polish that I don’t
balm tea and set aside to cool.
mess with the recipe. I’ve also used
When both mixtures are cool, mix
this on my unpolished floorboards.
them together until creamy, then add
It will solidify over time, but you
the essential oil. Pour into a wide-
simply need to heat it by sitting the
mouthed jar.
jar of polish in the sun or next to
a heater for a while and then give
it a good shake to restore it to its
glorious unctuous self.
250 ml turps
80 g beeswax
20 g Sunlight soap, grated
250 ml tea made from infusing a
handful of lemon balm leaves in
boiling water
20 drops essential oil
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Mould and mildew
preventers
There is no need to rush off to the
supermarket and buy a bottle full
of bleach to spray all over your
bathroom if mould is a problem.
Simply make a thick paste of baking
soda and water and get scrubbing
with a toothbrush in the grouting,
or with a good cloth if the mould
is on the walls and ceilings. You
can also mix baking soda with
a small amount of liquid soap if
you prefer a soapier feel while you
are scrubbing. Wipe off with a rag
dipped in vinegar. Alternatively,
throw a cup of baking soda into a
bucket of warm water and use that.
When you are finished, let the
bathroom dry out and then apply
one of these mould preventers. I
use a spray on my bathroom twice
a year: once just before winter and
once in the middle of the humid
summers we get. It kills the mould
spores so efficiently I rarely have
any mould grow back.
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WENDYL’S MOULD MAGIC
2 cups water
20 drops lemon essential oil
20 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops tea-tree essential oil
Fill a spray bottle with water, add the
essential oils and shake. Spray where
mould and mildew are likely to grow
and leave it there. Don’t wipe or rinse
off, just let it dry and give it a helping
hand by opening windows and doors.
VINEGAR SPRAY
50 g borax
300 ml white vinegar
Combine the ingredients in a spray
bottle and apply to cleaned walls.
Leave for 30 minutes before wiping off.
CLOVE SPRAY
1 litre water
1 tsp clove oil
Combine the ingredients in a spray
bottle. Spray on surfaces and leave for
as long as possible. This is good for
removing mould from bathrooms and
wooden decks.
Cleaning
Mirror defogger Window cleaner
½ tsp glycerine 2 cups water
½ cup of water 1 cup white vinegar
few drops liquid detergent
Combine the glycerine and water in a
few drops lavender oil
spray bottle. Spray onto your mirror,
then wipe off. Fill a spray bottle with the water
and vinegar. Add the detergent and
lavender oil. Spray onto windows,
wipe with a rag and finish off with
scrunched-up newspaper.
Alternatively, fill a spray bottle
with soda water. This will work
whether the soda is fizzy or not, as
the minerals in the water act to clean
the window. Spray onto windows,
wipe with a rag and finish off with
scrunched-up newspaper.
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Wendyl’s safe fly spray
8 ml citronella oil
2 tsp washing-up liquid
1 tbsp methylated spirits
2 tbsp white vinegar
150 ml strong tea
850 ml water
Mix together the citronella oil,
washing-up liquid, methylated
spirits, vinegar and tea, then add the
water. Pour into a spray bottle and
set the nozzle to release a reasonably
concentrated spray. You can also
spray this on your skin as an insect
repellent.
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Fly paper
¼ cup golden syrup
½ cup sugar
Combine the ingredients in a bowl
and then paint or spread the mixture
on long strips of brown paper. Leave
to dry on a tray and then hang where
flies are a problem.
Outdoor fly trap
Mix some blood and bone with water
and put in the bottom of a plastic
bag. Seal the top and then poke a
few holes in it, just large enough for
a fly to get in. Hang from a tree and
wait for the blood and bone to go off.
Make sure it is hanging a long way
from the house!
Cleaning
De-flea powder for cats
100 g brewer’s yeast
30 g garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tbsp bran
1 tbsp wheatgerm
Whizz the ingredients together in
a food processor and store in an
airtight container. Feed 1 teaspoon
per day per cat. Alternatively, do
what I do: throw about half a cup in
with a box of biscuits and give it a
good shake-up. The powder attaches
itself to the sticky biscuits and the
cats don’t seem to mind a bit.
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Dog oil
Make up this oil and rub it into your
dog’s fur and collar. This should be
enough for two applications for a
large dog, more for smaller breeds.
Do not use on cats as they hate
orange oil.
50 ml olive oil
3 drops lemon essential oil
3 drops orange essential oil
3 drops citronella essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together.
Use it every two days—it will soothe
itchiness and deter fleas, and your
dog will love the massage.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E Cleaning

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Doggy flea treats Combine all the ingredients except Moth repellent
the eggs and water. Mix in the eggs,
3 tsp Maggi beef stock powder When storing sheets, clothes or
then slowly add the hot water,
3½ cups wholemeal flour blankets, try putting this moth
stirring all the time until you have
½ cup wheatgerm repellent in with them. If possible,
a workable dough—the stickier the
½ cup bran use herbs freshly dried from your
better. Roll out, cut into shapes and
½ cup linseed (flax seeds) garden!
place on a greased tray.
⅔ cup brewer’s yeast
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes, then 50 g dried rosemary
2 tbsp garlic granules (in the spice
turn off the oven, prop the door open 50 g dried mint
aisle of your local supermarket)
a little with a wooden spoon and 25 g dried thyme
2 eggs
leave to harden overnight or for a few 25 g dried ginseng
1½ cups hot water
hours at least. 200 g whole cloves
For large dogs—like my Rosie
Mix the ingredients together and put
and Flo—give 2–3 biscuits a day. For
into sachets. This should make about
smaller dogs, 1–2 biscuits each day
four good-sized sachets.
is fine.
Please note that some dogs are
allergic to garlic, so check with your
vet first.

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Health and
Beauty

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For many years now, I have

not put any commercial
cosmetics on my face or body.
Well, that’s not quite true.
I do wear a little make-up,
and I am sent products to
try, so I do, but I inevitably
feel a tingling sensation or a
reaction to the perfume and
return to my natural products
within days. I don’t think I
have particularly sensitive
skin; I used to use pricey big-
name products all the time.
I just think that my skin has
become so unaccustomed to
the chemicals in these products
that I notice them more.

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My mother was brought up in an age when women splashed their faces
with water in the morning and that was it. They might have put on a bit
of cold cream, or, in my mother’s case, Oil of Olay, but the whole drama
of cleansing, toning and moisturising that I grew up with was never a part
of their daily routine, and as my mother reasoned all that tugging and
rubbing at your face was bound to cause wrinkles. I am also waiting for
someone to tell me what toning does. To me it just adds another item to
the list of skincare products a woman has to buy. Today, my mother has
fantastic skin for an 85-year-old, and I follow her example.
It is interesting that beauty products in this country are self-regulated,
which means the manufacturers can put anything they like in them,
unlike food manufacturers who must submit to rigorous testing and
regulations.
The beauty-product manufacturers might list their ingredients on the
labels or they might not. But any locally made product that is exported
must comply with other countries’ much stricter regulations that require
full disclosure of all ingredients. If you do find ingredients listed they
might hide some under a chemical name you won’t understand. I have
become accustomed to cosmetic companies liberally throwing herbs and
nuts around on their packaging with words like ‘botanicals’ and ‘marine’
to give the impression they are a natural product despite listing in their
ingredients methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl paraben, toxic mineral and
petroleum oils, the controversial and potentially carcinogenic sodium
laurel sulphate and a bit of a synthetic fragrance and artificial colouring
to top it all off.
The single best thing you can do for your skin is free and couldn’t be
simpler: stay out of the sun from the moment you are born. I once asked
a top Auckland skin specialist what else he advised for anti-ageing and
he said nothing, except maybe to drink a lot of water. It would seem that
protecting our skin from the sun provides many anti-ageing benefits, but
apart from that, being well-hydrated seems to be the key. Nevertheless,
women spend thousands of dollars on little jars of miracle creams
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that promise to ‘reduce’ wrinkles in weeks.
It has only been in the past few decades that governments and
regulation officials have come to realise that our skin absorbs everything
we put on it. Prior to that, it was widely believed that our skin was
waterproof, like a raincoat, so there was no need to worry about what was
in beauty products.
But our skin is an organ; the largest in our body, in fact. It covers
our entire body and has a surface area of around 2 square metres. And
it is permeable, absorbing toxins that come into contact with it, and
transporting them into the bloodstream. So my rule is pretty much this:
If I wouldn’t eat it, then I won’t put it on my skin.
I don’t for one minute believe that because I use a certain shampoo or
moisturiser I’m going to end up looking like Scarlett Johansson ‘because
I’m worth it’. And I don’t think any of us truly believe that a celebrity
advertising a certain beauty cream actually looks that way because of the
cream. Suzanne Somers takes 60 pills and submits to several injections a
day to keep herself beautiful. Kate Moss zaps herself with micro-electric
currents, Jessica Simpson reportedly spends $25,000 a pop on beauty
preparations just to get camera-ready and apparently Nicolette Sheridan
is addicted to her La Prairie cream at $1000 a jar. Then there are the Botox
injections and the cosmetic surgery. I don’t want to look like any of these
women, do you?
I regard the body’s immune system as a big bucket. As your body fills
up with chemicals and toxins from the food you eat, the cleaners you
spray and the beauty products you put on your skin, the bucket fills up.
And then your body must go to work to clean it out bit by bit to get it back
down to empty again.
If your bucket is nearly full to the top because you just love that
processed food, those cleaning chemicals, those fullerenes in your face
cream and those dairy products to which you have a sensitivity, then
when a bug does come along, requiring the attention of your immune
system, it’s a bit busy and your bug might have to wait in line—a bit like
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turning up at Accident and Emergency at the hospital and waiting while
the urgent cases get seen first.
Since I started ensuring that my bucket was as empty as I could get it
by rejecting chemicals in my life, I’ve had many years (touch wood) of
a few sniffles which lasted a few days, one rather dramatic tummy bug
which lasted two days and a nagging breast infection, which disappeared
a year after my newfound chemical-free status. My family have been even
healthier. Instead of regarding winter with the dread that pharmaceutical
companies promote through television advertising, I regard it as a
perfectly normal season we experience every year. I prefer to just get my
body in order and know that my immune system will take care of things.
Let’s take a minute to focus on how we view ourselves in terms of
beauty. Do people really find us attractive simply because we have no
wrinkles, a tight body and a Brazilian? Of course not. Beauty is also about
personality, humour, intelligence and having that inner glow that comes
from a life well led and fed. I think those women who spend hours being
injected with Botox and collagen and submitting themselves to endless
treatments with each new form of chemical snake-oil should spend the
equivalent amount of time feeding their brain and making themselves
interesting to talk to, not just to look at. Which is why I’ve included a
guide to enhancing the looks you have naturally on page 226.
Harmful ingredients
I recently read a survey which found that the average British woman hosts
515 chemicals on her body every day once she has applied deodorant,
body and facial moisturiser, and make-up.
I love a good red lipstick, but a recent study found that two major
cosmetic companies had levels of lead in their red lipsticks that exposed
women to the harmful neurotoxin. The EU bans lead in all lipsticks. Yet
here in New Zealand they aren’t required to list it on the ingredients,
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H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
and the two manufacturers concerned claimed that there were only
trace amounts included and that they believed there was no health risk
to consumers. Most disturbingly the only action taken for New Zealand
women was advice from the National Poison Centre suggesting that as
lead poisoning occurs over time, the only way to know how much harm
regular small doses of lead causes is to get a blood test! Which hammers
home the message that when it comes to caring for our health, we need
to do it ourselves and not wait for a law change or even a ban by our
government to protect us. These cosmetic companies use lead oxide to get
the red colour in their lipsticks, but some natural cosmetic companies like
Living Nature use cochineal or carmine, which our nanas probably used,
although it is extracted from the insect of the same name. So we might not
be getting poisoned by lead but now we are squashing insects for beauty.
Parabens are a concern because some studies have found that they
may mimic the hormone oestrogen, which is known to play a role in breast
cancer. You will find all sorts of conflicting evidence on the internet, but I
prefer to opt out while there are multinational cosmetic companies keen
to create confusion.
Another cause for concern is the use of fullerenes or nanoparticles in
products that are on sale here but have been removed from shelves in
Europe and Australia.
Fullerenes are found mainly in anti-ageing creams, but also in hair
products and face masks, and are tiny ingredients there to make the
products stronger and more resistant to bacteria. They are also highly
toxic. Australian research has indicated that they could deeply penetrate
into the skin, possibly staying in the body for as long as 40 days, posing
a health risk. In New Zealand the cosmetics industry is required by law
to declare to our Environmental Risk Management Authority any use or
importing of these products. There have been no reports. New Zealand
now has legislation that requires make-up and sunscreen companies
to list the ingredient by placing the word nano in brackets next to it.
Distressingly, nanoparticles were recently found in baby formula.
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Natural skincare products
When it comes to beauty products, we are lucky in New Zealand that
we have independent companies such as Weleda, who manufactures
products out of Havelock North that are organic, synthetic and
petroleum-free, and other companies like Antipodes, Living Nature,
Comvita and many more boutique ranges that have popped up in recent
years. Admittedly, some of them are pricey but you are paying about the
same amount for high-quality natural products rather than something
created in a lab and then packaged and marketed to make you believe it
has miracle powers.
I’m more than happy to spend the same amount of money—but usually
a lot less—than I would on L’Oréal, Clarins, Lancôme or Chanel on a
Weleda, Living Nature or Dr Hauschka product because I can understand
what is on their labels, and I know that as exporters they have complied
with EU standards and have given full disclosure of their ingredients.
The biggest issue for ‘natural’ cosmetic manufacturers is preserving
their products so that they can be transported around the world and
then sit on shelves for up to two years—cosmetics that use synthetic
ingredients last for years. Finding a natural preservative is very hard
because something that is completely natural will always have a lifespan,
just like yoghurt or bread.
Living Nature, which operates out of Kerikeri, in Northland, has
managed to harness the preservative qualities of manuka oil blended
with other ingredients. That meant some of their early formulations
smelt strongly of manuka oil, which wasn’t great, but they have recently
reformulated their products to smell a lot more feminine. I use the Living
Nature nourishing night cream with a few drops of their radiance night
oil mixed in and go to bed smelling like a gorgeous red rose.
A few years ago, I spent a few days with Living Nature to try to
understand how you can make natural cosmetics without resorting to
synthetics and was really impressed with the effort that the company
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H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
puts into ensuring their products stand up to the highest scrutiny. They
use native plants from the bush for many of their formulations as well as
white clay from a nearby mine and honey from local hives. Their bottles
are made out of a special plastic to lessen environmental impact and all
of their packaging is recyclable.
You might be surprised how many supposedly natural products
are still using synthetic preservatives and you have a right to ring the
manufacturers up and ask them why.
The irony is that some ‘natural’ cosmetic producers have taken out
synthetic parabens, which is great, but they’ve simply replaced them
with another synthetic preservative, most commonly phenoxyethanol,
which is listed by the EU as harmful and an irritant. A good test to see if
your product contains natural ingredients is to take some of the product
you are using and expose it to light and air on a windowsill. See what
happens to it. If it is a natural product it will grow mould or start to
break down in some way. I did this with my favourite Weleda rose and
calendula moisturiser and within a few weeks it was growing a healthy
film of mould.
Making your own skincare products
It is very easy to make your own beauty products, especially moisturisers
and body oils, but do be aware that you need to keep them in the fridge
and out of the light so that they don’t go rancid. I regularly use my magic
night cream (see page 231) if my skin is especially dry, and it’s very cheap
to make.
I’m not a big fan of body creams, simply because oils are so much
more nourishing and leave your skin with more gleam and shine than
the most expensive body shimmer. They also hold a scent well all over
your body, so that you smell gorgeous all day—and night. They are also
very simple to make by adding some essential oils to a carrier oil, such
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as sweet almond or apricot kernel oil. And when you grow tired of one
scent, you can simply whip up another or have several: one for day, one
for night and one for weekends. The other advantage of essential oils is
their ability to alter your moods. Feeling down? Why not mix up an oil
using ylang-ylang, geranium and sandalwood. Never combine more than
five essential oils, as the scent will be lost—a bit like mixing too many
paint colours and ending up with that dull brown. You’ll find some of my
favourite combinations on page 233.
Although a little more expensive, a simple bottle of rosehip oil is all
you really need for a one-ingredient night-time treatment on your face.
Or perhaps just use a little around the eyes as an extra special anti-wrinkle
treatment.
For a little bit of indulgence, there is nothing quite like sinking into a
hot bath with your hair tied back and some gunk on your face. You will
find various homemade face masks on page 234.
I love a good nail polish, and all my daughters do, too. I’ve gone through
the black phase in my punk days, and the bright reds of the 1990s, and
now I still like a dark red if it stays on long enough. But I must kick the
habit. Commercial nail polishes use toluene and formaldehyde, both of
which are highly toxic and can cause headaches, nausea, asthma, rashes
and throat irritation. I hate the smell, as does everyone I know. There are
alternatives to nail polish, such as buffing your nails with a buffer you
can buy at the pharmacy.
Nail polish addicts will know that all those chemicals can take their
toll on your nails and cuticles, so it is important to give them polish-free
days. On those days apply the nail treatment on page 239 to make up for
the drying effect of the polish and remover.
For Paul’s birthday one year, I decided I was going to see if I could bring
him a little closer to nature with a gift pack of natural solutions for the
metrosexual. I made a very good hair gel, after-shave lotion, mouthwash
and foot deodoriser and he pronounced them all a great success (you can
find the recipes on pages 242, 244, 245 and 246). And last time I looked in
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the bathroom cupboard it was almost bare, apart from a few old samples
he was hanging on to and a deodorant.
There has been a lot reported about the dangers of commercial
deodorants and antiperspirants because they contain aluminium, which
has been linked with breast cancer. Also, antiperspirants operate by
preventing the pores from sweating, which is a natural process. You can
buy alternative deodorants made of mineral salt crystals at health shops.
But you could also consider whether you need one. There is no doubt that
some people sweat profusely and smell foul. But there are many others
whose body odour ranges from mild to non-existent, and they could
probably get by without rolling chemicals on every morning. I’m still one
of those people who uses deodorant, but only because I think I’ve grown
up with advertising that has conditioned me to believe that if I sweat
my workmates and friends will shun me into oblivion and I’ll be Nelly
No Mates. I’m working on deprogramming myself and there are some
alternatives I’ve tried. Cider vinegar or white vinegar dabbed under the
arms not only keeps you incredibly clean but neutralises the pH levels,
and a cut lemon rubbed under your arms is great. There’s a deodorant
recipe that uses essential oils on page 247.
The recipes at the end of this chapter are concoctions my daughters
and I use regularly, and we hope you enjoy them. Some of them are a
little technical, involving melting things in double boilers, but I’ve tried
to choose ones that are simple to make and use ingredients you can find
easily.
Fragrance
Another problem for cosmetics is the fragrance they add. It is rarely
natural and most likely a synthetic copy of a natural smell, such as rose.
Rose oil, is very expensive and is the most commonly used scent in
perfumes and cosmetics. It takes 2000 flowers to get a single gram of pure
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rose oil, so you can see why it is cheaper and easier to make a synthetic
chemical rose scent in a laboratory.
One way to check the toxic status of products you use is to type them
into the website www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. They rate the toxicity
of products on a scale of one to ten. They are very rigid in their rating
systems and regard some essential oils as being toxic because they are
known allergens. But if a product I like rates in the mid-range and most
of that is because it contains essential oils, I am happy to use it.
The power of essential oils is well documented and they are used
extensively in Indian and Chinese medicine. Way back in ad78 the Greek
physician Pedanios Dioscorides published a book listing 600 medicinal
plants. Many drugs we commonly use today were derived from those
plants—such as morphine, which came from the poppy and was named
after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams.
The perfume I use and have used since my early twenties is Chanel
No 5. I love its rose/jasmine smell, but it rates a massive 8 out of 10 on
the cosmetic database site. Much to my horror I discovered that the only
thing natural in it appears to be water.
So I have embarked on a new role as experimental perfumer,
determined to replicate the world’s most legendary fragrance, whose
top-secret formula is no doubt locked up in a bank vault somewhere in
Switzerland.
Fortunately, over the years I have amassed many books on
aromatherapy, and after rifling through them all I found one in which
an enterprising author had made a stab at the essential oils that might
be used to replicate the scent of Chanel No 5. There were nine essential
oils and one powder, which was orris root. She didn’t go so far as to give
me a hint as to how much of each one I should use, which was completely
vexing but didn’t stop me in my quest to re-create my favourite scent.
First I needed to buy the essential oils of the following: bergamot,
lemon, neroli, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, vetiver, cedarwood and
vanilla—total cost about $180.
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I worked out that I could buy two bottles of Chanel No 5 for that. But
then I realised that I would only need a few drops of each, so essentially I
was investing in potentially bucket-loads of eau de toilette.
What a lovely gift it would make, I thought to myself.
Into a glass jar I poured 70 ml of vodka and gently stirred in my oils,
which I dropped in at random. I think rose got four drops, and jasmine
two. The rest just went in one drop at a time. I then added a pinch of
orris root, which has a lovely violet smell, and put on the lid. I left it for
two days, during which time the smell seemed to change dramatically
every time I sniffed it. Finally I added 30 ml of spring water and left it for
another two days. Once it was ready, I filtered it through a coffee filter. I
had 100 ml of eau de toilette that smelled extraordinarily gorgeous—but
nothing like Chanel No 5.
‘Doesn’t matter,’ said Pearl. ‘No chemicals is what matters. Give it
another name. Bouquet de Wendyl perhaps, or name it after one of the
hens.’
Chanel No 5 was named by Coco Chanel because she always launched
her collections on the fifth day of the fifth month and believed the
number five brought her luck. This would certainly seem to be true, as it
is estimated that around the world a bottle of Chanel No 5 is sold every
55 seconds.
My creation simply disappears after 55 seconds and needs constant re-
application to achieve the strength of floral odour of my former perfume.
‘Nothing’s perfect,’ said Pearl. ‘At least you can be safe in the knowledge
that it won’t kill you.’
Today I use mainly rose-based perfumes. A simple bottle of rose
absolute essential oil is great to dab on and Weleda does a very nice
natural rose perfume.
When I’m making up recipes for cleaners I always consult my list of
essential oils and their properties. It’s amazing how powerful tea-tree,
lavender, orange and clove oils can be at fighting bacteria while at the
same time altering your mood. I’ve been using aromatherapy for years
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as an alternative to drugs when someone in my family has a cold or a
headache. It’s good to see more and more people catching on to how
useful these oils can be in everyday life.
A GUIDE TO CHOOSING ESSENTIAL OILS
`` To reduce anxiety: basil, bergamot, geranium, lavender
`` To calm: sandalwood, sage, lavender, chamomile, neroli
`` To combat depression: bergamot, clary sage, neroli,
chamomile, juniper, lavender
`` To energise: rosemary, pine, lemon, orange
`` To encourage intimacy: sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine
`` To soothe mental fatigue: basil, peppermint, rosemary, pine
`` To treat mild shock: chamomile, melissa, neroli, peppermint
`` To reduce PMT: rose geranium, bergamot, jasmine
`` To relax: neroli, lavender, vetivert
`` To uplift: geranium, orange
If you think back to Nana’s era, eucalyptus oil in products like Vick’s
VapoRub was a common cold remedy, and they used oil of cloves for
toothache. In the past decade it has become popular to use oil burners
and essential oils to make a room smell nice instead of spraying around
chemical-based air-fresheners, which is a great step forward. But the
commercial cleaner manufacturers have responded by just adding tea-
tree, lavender, rose, rosemary or eucalyptus to their highly toxic mixtures.
Have a look on the label. You won’t see the words ‘essential oil’ used
anywhere. What you will see is ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’ because what
the manufacturers have done is simply add a synthetic concoction of
chemicals that matches the smell of the essential oils. These synthetic
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versions don’t have any of the natural healing powers these oils contain.
I believe part of the reason they won’t use extracts of essential oils is
because they would have difficulty patenting remedies that have been
known for years.
Natural health remedies
You’re also unlikely to find your doctor recommending natural remedies,
because drug companies can’t make money out of a remedy you can
extract yourself from a plant. Better to mix a cocktail of chemicals created
in a laboratory, convince the medical profession that this is the only cure,
and get half the world’s population reliant on them.
When I am ill, I always seek out a natural remedy if it can be found.
And I am realistic that natural remedies need time to work—they won’t
have you up and about in three days like a strong course of antibiotics
will.
A few years ago, I had a nasty breast infection that no amount of
antibiotics prescribed by the breast clinic could cure. They ended
up sending me away with the message that this particular infection
was difficult to treat and I would just have to live with it. It wasn’t life-
threatening or dangerous, it was just a little tender and annoying.
So I turned to natural medicines. I tried kawakawa leaf poultices,
an old Māori remedy for ulcers and sores. I tried aloe vera gel, which
actually cleared it up for a little while. And finally I tried turmeric. While
I was visiting my friend Paula Mason in Bali I discovered raw turmeric
being sold in the markets over there as a root, similar to ginger. I read
that the locals use it to heal everything. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic,
preservative and anti-inflammatory. The Balinese mix it with coconut oil
to treat skin diseases and fungal infections. They also drink a tonic of
it, called jamu, every morning. The Balinese say it helps prevent cancer,
aids the digestion and clears up respiratory infections.
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I came home, searched high and low for the fresh root and finally
found it in an Indian grocer’s shop in Mt Roskill where it had been
imported from Fiji. I grated it up, made a poultice and kept it plastered to
my breast for a week. The infection, which I had lived with for two years,
disappeared and has never returned. I now try to include turmeric in my
diet every day, and if I’m feeling a bit poorly I make up a jamu drink every
morning until I feel better.
I thought about writing to the breast clinic to tell them of my
discovery, as they had told me that other women also suffer from this
same infection, but I knew that they were not likely to call all their old
patients in to give them some turmeric roots. I’m sure, however, that if
a new antibiotic arrived care of a drug company, with a price attached,
we’d all hear about it.
Please don’t get me wrong: if I was seriously ill, I wouldn’t be a zealot
about my natural therapies. But I would combine modern drug therapy
with natural therapy and give my body what I consider to be the best of
both worlds.
One product we both discovered after Paul gave up smoking is an oil
that heals just about everything on the skin. When Paul stopped smoking
he developed an itchy skin condition that treatment from the doctor
wasn’t really helping. Obviously there were some pretty nasty toxins
trying to get out of his body so he learned to live with it, knowing that
one day it would clear up.
Then he was at the acupuncturist for a sore neck and she spotted
the rash and dabbed some tamanu oil on. It went away within days. We
now use it for everything from wound healing to rashes and even fungal
complaints. It is my go-to oil when skin flares up. Tamanu oil comes from
the nuts of the tamanu tree which grows throughout the South Pacific.
Polynesian people have used it for centuries for everything from insect
bites, sunburn, as a deodorant and for nappy rash. It has a strong, sweet
nutty smell and is quite pleasant to use.
Stevia has become a fairly well-known sugar alternative in cooking,
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and I use it in my tooth powder recipe (see page 244) because I found
some Japanese research that showed it can help fight dental disease.
Combine that with baking soda—which has highly alkaline properties
and therefore neutralises plaque acids and eliminates bacteria that
cause tooth decay—and you have a pretty fine teeth cleaner. Baking soda
also helps stop the major cause of tooth loss, which is gum infection
and inflammation. My tooth powder stops me using something that has
unrecognisable ingredients on its label and it is so nana, it’s 10 out of
10. When I was a child and we ran out of toothpaste Dad would tell us
to use salt or baking soda. All my tooth powder has in it is baking soda,
stevia and a few drops of essential oil, and I can guarantee your mouth
will never feel fresher.
Why not put this book down and go have a look at the toothpaste
you are using. I looked at one I bought while travelling in the United
States and it had a warning that said: ‘If more than used for brushing
is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control
Centre right away.’
Each year I have usually involved myself in a few mad fads for some
reason or other. One year I took a teaspoon of cinnamon a day for a
month as I’d read that it was good at balancing sugar levels and could
help weight loss. I just added it into my coffee and made a really nice tea
out of it with honey; but like most fads, I got sick of it after two weeks.
Then there was the apple cider vinegar that Paul and I both got into. I
read that it was good for weight loss, as well as a million other things such
as aiding digestion, providing potassium, cleansing the blood, helping
the kidneys, and preventing urinary tract infections. The list goes on. If
you are interested just type ‘apple cider vinegar’ into Google and you will
find a huge following. We drank a teaspoon of cider vinegar in a small
glass of water before meals and kept it up, for two weeks, until I decided
that my first taste of the day had to be better than vinegar. A lot of people
swear by it, though, and if I’m ever a bit poorly and feeling unwell I will
give myself a few days on it just to help clear things out.
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I’ve been through a significant fermentation stage where I made my
own sauerkraut and ate heaps of it to get the good bacteria into my gut.
I’ve also done the FODMAP diet, which I recommend to anyone who has
gut issues. It’s an elimination that focusses on a group of foods known
to cause allergies in people. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-,
Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols. These are a group of short-chain
carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed. In people with gastrointestinal
symptoms, a diet high in FODMAPs can induce diarrhoea and/or
constipation, bloating, wind and abdominal pain. It can be hard to do
but Monash University has a great app you can use. The result of doing
this was that I found I need to avoid onions and garlic and while I can eat
a little wheat I have to keep it to a minimum. It was great to finally have
the knowledge to avoid gut upsets, which for me can be pretty dramatic.
One fad I have stuck with is meditation. I did a Transcendental
Meditation course a few years back and now I do it most days, using a
great app on my iPhone called Headspace. I find it really has helped keep
me on an even keel and on my busiest days it helps me to find some calm.
My latest fad is using kava for anxiety. I had only ever had kava
once, while visiting a friend in Vanuatu. It was a fairly grim experience
involving sitting in an old hut and sipping a liquid that looked like mud
and tasted awful. Then my lips went all numb and tingly. As I’ve got older
I seem to have become more anxious and my daughter Hannah put me
on to kava tablets as a way of easing that. I find it is a healthy alternative
to pharmaceuticals and the tablets taste a lot better!
Every June, families all over New Zealand brace themselves for the
onslaught of colds and flu. When my two eldest children, Daniel and
Hannah, were younger a simple cold always brought on asthma attacks
and we would be in the car and off to the local clinic to get them on the
nebuliser. It was just something we got used to, and I would often turn
up at work having spent a few hours in the middle of the night cradling a
child who was struggling to breathe while nurses were kind and doctors
attentive.
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I started looking at alternative treatments back then in the 1980s,
deeply uncomfortable that my kids were receiving daily doses of steroids
to keep their asthma at bay. I figured if I could just keep the cold bugs from
coming into the house in the first place, we would stay one step ahead.
My favourite immunity booster is a combination of echinacea and olive
leaf extract. You can buy these combined in tablets with zinc, vitamin C
and garlic, or I prefer getting both in the liquid form from a naturopath
or a health store. Vitamin C is a great scavenger in the body, cleaning up
virus trash—you need about four doses a day of 500 mg if you are sick.
Zinc can work to limit the virus multiplying and garlic is well known as a
folk medicine for just about anything that ails you.
I know there are no ‘clinical studies’ proving the efficacy of some of
these products, but I also know that as soon as someone in my house
shows any signs of sniffles, they get put on a course for two weeks and the
cold will soon be over. I also drink lots of good-quality orange juice if I am
feeling poorly, limit anything that I know I have slight allergies to, such
as dairy products, and drink lots of chicken soup, a folk cure used since
the twelfth century that actually does have a study supporting its healing
properties. Researcher Dr Stephen Rennard at the University of Nebraska
found that the ingredients can prompt a flu-fighting reaction in the body.
If you do any research into both echinacea and olive leaf extract you
will find many differing opinions. I believe it is unlikely you will ever
find an endorsement by any official agency because of the power of
drug companies who stand to lose millions if everyone stops getting flu
vaccinations, or needing antibiotics and cough and cold medications.
Imagine a world where everyone fed their immune system with good-
quality food, regular exercise, less stress and a few herbs and hardly ever
had to go to the doctor to get a prescription?
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Sunscreen
One thing I never see mentioned in the old books like Aunt Daisy’s is
sunscreen. Obviously the link between sunlight and skin cancer had not
been made, but at the same time the idea of sitting out in the sun to get
a tan was ridiculous. In my nana’s day a peachy white complexion was
sought-after.
In fact, pictures of my nana in her heyday show her to have gorgeous
clear, white, rosy skin. Old Box Brownie pictures of that era show people
picnicking in the shade of leafy trees, wearing big wide floppy hats, with
no salacious skin showing, it was all long skirts and blouses.
Things have changed since those times. The depletion of the ozone
layer has meant we are exposed to more UV rays than is healthy and we
are happier to expose our skin.
I am one of those children of the sixties who sunbathed until I burned
to achieve a dark tan. I remember lying on the silver roof of our carport
and coating myself in vinegar and baby oil to get a great tan from the
reflection off the roof.
Being tanned was a great look and as my mother often said, ‘A tan
makes you look so healthy and much slimmer!’
It was hardly surprising when, at the age of 30, my doctor looked at
a couple of moles on my leg and asked, ‘How long have you had those?’
I had no idea.
They were both melanomas, one deeper than the other, and I had
to have them cut out. I had a lucky near-miss, and from that day on I
have never sunbathed or sat in the sun without some form of sunscreen
or cover-up. I also think my skin is better for the years out of the sun.
Initially I missed that sun-baked feeling you get after a day at the beach,
that lovely warm glow which tingles all over. But I found if I covered up
with saris and loose cotton kaftans I still got that feeling, just without the
sunburn.
Studies are now beginning to show that our slip, slop, slapping has led to
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vitamin D deficiency. This is compounded by the fact that the very lotion
we use to protect ourselves from cancer contains some of the nastiest
chemicals around, which really shouldn’t go anywhere near our skin.
Especially not babies. No baby under six months should have sunscreen
put anywhere near it. I’m not advocating a return to sun-baking, but some
sensible exposure to the sun is important for your health.
My nana-natural attitude to sun is to avoid it during its strongest
hours. I just don’t go out on the beach between the hours of 11 a.m. and
3 p.m. Those are not the best times for gardening either, so I usually just
stay inside and work. If I do go out I cover up with loose shirts and long
skirts and a good hat and sunglasses, and if I do need to use a sunscreen
I use a natural product or one I make myself. There are many natural
substances that will screen UV rays, including sesame oil, black tea
and zinc oxide cream. Natural sunscreens can be made without using
chemical sun filters, artificial preservatives or synthetic colours. The
problem is that most of the natural brands you buy give you a deathly
white pallor as the cream acts as a physical barrier sitting on top of the
skin rather than soaking into it. I just had to resign myself to the fact that
I’d rather look like death than be dead.
I usually try to sit in the sun for at least 20 minutes a day, arms and
legs uncovered, either side of the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. hot time to soak up
some of that vital vitamin D.
By the end of summer I inevitably take on a golden colour because
I spend a lot of time outdoors in the garden, walking or at the caravan,
but I never get sunburned. My skin simply colours up naturally. And my
regular skin checks, which I’ve had since my first moles were discovered
18 years ago, show no return of melanomas.
If you want to try my sunscreen recipe, it’s on page 243. I love it
because it leaves the skin supple and oiled at the end of the day, but be
sensible and patch-test it first. On my skin I think it has an SPF factor of
about 15 but it will differ on other skin types. It should also be re-applied
frequently, but I can’t and won’t offer any guarantees. Please use it at
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your own risk. This is safe for children but I also recommend using zinc
oxide cream from the pharmacy. The cream will usually have some castor
oil, paraffin or lanolin mixed in with it. You’ll remember in the 1980s we
used to put zinc on our noses in five fun fluoro colours. It is an excellent
natural sunscreen for all children, especially babies, but I do encourage
you not to rely solely on a sunscreen but also opt for T-shirts and hats,
big sun umbrellas and the shade of trees whenever your children are out
in the sun.
If you do get sunburnt, aloe vera is a great natural soother. I keep an
aloe vera plant in a pot for the amazing healing properties of the gel in its
leaves. Simply cut a leaf off, run a sharp knife down the centre of one side
and open it out to reveal the gel. This is great for kitchen burns but also
rubbed on sunburn.
Hair care
I have been trying to make shampoos for years, but they always turn out
to be awful and incredibly hard on the hair. So I just don’t bother and
instead I buy natural products, which are pricey but no more so than the
products your hairdresser pushes on you, and they have fewer chemicals.
The big nasty in the shampoo business is sodium lauryl sulphate, which
is a foaming agent. There have been claims it can cause cancer, skin
rashes and eye damage. I have yet to see a compelling study, but I do try
to avoid any chemical that has a question mark over it, and I have yet
to find a commercial shampoo that does the business without sodium
lauryl sulphate.
For a great conditioning treatment, get down to your local Indian food
supplies store and search for hair oils. They will usually contain jasmine,
smell amazing and are great for your hair. If you can’t find them, then
invest in some jojoba oil or coconut oil. Warm the oil gently and pour
on to your dry hair. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap and then in a hot
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towel. Leave on for as long as you can, then shampoo out and condition
as normal. I used to leave it on overnight. There are some recipes for my
own hair treatments on page 241.
NITS—THE INEVITABLE FATE OF SCHOOL KIDS
When Pearl and the rest of the kids were younger they would come home
from school in March with nits. Every parent has to deal with this at some
stage in their child’s schooling—on the first day of school, you can almost
mark on your calendar that four weeks later those nits will re-appear after
you’ve had a great six-week holiday without them.
Nits are like fleas: you can treat them naturally but you have to keep at
it. I can remember lining up all four of our older children in the kitchen
and combing them all every other night. At the time I was editing a
women’s magazine and doing long hours. I had better things I could have
been doing as soon as I got home from work, but the first rule of nits is
to get out the comb and use it every other night for two weeks. You must
also wash the bed linen every few days in hot water and add a dash of tea-
tree oil in the final rinse water.
One night while I was combing Pearl’s hair I was drowning the nits in
a glass of water next to me as I was finding them. We were both watching
television and I was obviously engrossed in the programme because I
took a long drink out of the glass next to me.
‘Mum,’ said Daniel in shock, ‘I think you just drank the nit water.’
I was out of the lounge so fast and reaching for some fresh water to
drink and then had to sit there for the next hour trying not to think about
all the nits fighting for their lives in my stomach.
There are many natural nit shampoos and treatments available now
and I urge you to use them in combination with the combing, but you can
make your own. I would buy a cheap, preferably unscented shampoo and
conditioner and add tea-tree oil to it (see the recipe on page 242). I’d also
drip tea-tree oil on our children’s brushes, so that when they brushed
their hair a light coating would penetrate it and deter the nits.
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It is very easy to make

your own beauty
products, especially
moisturisers and body oils.
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Beauty from within
It’s worth noting that there is a lot you can do for the quality of your skin,
hair, eyes and nails with your diet.
In New Zealand our soil is lacking in selenium, magnesium and
zinc, so we don’t get them through the vegetables and livestock. These
minerals are essential for healthy hair, nails and skin. And an easy way
to get the minerals is to eat nuts. Recent research showed that just one
Brazil nut a day is enough to raise the average New Zealander’s selenium
intake to internationally recommended levels, and eating two could lead
to added health benefits.
So grab a nut or two. Here’s the nutritional information for almonds
(which I prefer) and Brazil nuts.
`` Almonds: 100 g almonds contains 16.9 g protein, 4.2 mg iron,
250 mg calcium, 20 mg vitamin E, 3.1 mg zinc and 0.92 mg
vitamin B2.
`` Brazil nuts: 100 g Brazils contains 12 g protein, 61 g fat, 2.8 mg
iron, 180 mg calcium and 4.2 mg zinc.
You can get goji berries in health shops, Asian supermarkets (where they
are called wolfberries), or at some supermarkets in the bulk-bin area. They
look like red sultanas and taste very similar, but their super-food power
is incredible. They have been grown in China for more than 600 years
and they are said to enhance the immune system, increase antioxidant
levels, increase red blood cell levels, reduce cardiovascular disease,
inhibit tumour growth, lower blood sugar levels and reduce neuronal
decline. Historically, they have been used in China as a mild tranquilliser
to relieve insomnia, enhance weight loss, treat sexual dysfunction and
for menopause symptoms. And the good news is you only need 10–15
grams a day to receive their benefits.
I put flax seeds (also known as linseed) in my hens’ food to give them
and their eggs omega-3, but I also put the seeds in our bread. You can
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also buy flaxseed fibre in health shops, which is flax seeds ground up into
a powder to put in cereal. Flax seeds are a great source of fibre and you
can also buy flaxseed oil, which is really good used in salad dressings.
Flax seeds help remove toxins from the body and regulate blood sugar,
oestrogen and blood cholesterol. They also have lignans which have
powerful immune-boosting effects, folate, omega-3 and are rich in
antioxidants. Linseed oil, which goes through a refinement process and
may contain additives that improve its paint-cleaning properties, is not
to be consumed—it is best saved for oiling furniture.
By the way, oysters also have good quantities of magnesium, zinc and
selenium, if you find some on special!
For too long, women have starved themselves of fat even though fats
act as carriers for the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and
are needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A and for mineral
absorption.
Butter is no longer to be avoided since studies have shown that
saturated fats are not the artery-clogging, heart-attack-causing poison
we were told they were.
Personally, I’d rather eat something that originated in a cow than
something that was created in a lab by scientists. And I believe that
humans have been eating animal fat for thousands of years, so we are
designed to process them. We are not designed to process vegetable oil,
which has been chemically altered (hydrogenated), flavoured, coloured,
preserved and emulsified into margarine. And up until recently the
process of creating margarine created trans fats, which are even worse
for you than saturated fat.
I also believe in some fat for cosmetic reasons. After all, we all have a
layer of fat underneath our skin. A study published in the British Journal
of Nutrition in 2010 looked at the elasticity of the skin of 716 Japanese
women and found that those with higher levels of fat (saturated and
mono-unsaturated) in their diet had increased levels of skin elasticity.
As you age, I think it makes sense to include fat in your diet by eating
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avocados and dipping fresh bread in olive oils and maybe even having a
little bit of butter.
One of my colleagues in my magazine editing days used to look at a
very skinny woman and mutter, ‘Eat more pies.’ I look at women who
have great figures but faces that are wrinkled and drawn and think ‘Eat
more fat.’
I find it incredible that women will ban fat from their diet but be
happy to let a cosmetic nurse inject fat deposits into their faces to iron
out wrinkles that would probably not be there if they ate enough fat.
In particular, omega-3, which is found in foods such as oily fish (like
salmon), nuts, seeds and flaxseed oil, is known to promote supple skin.
Still, I’m just not sure if an ‘eat fat and stop the wrinkles’ message will
ever take off.
Enhance the looks you have
Every woman does it: the face gymnastics in the mirror where your hands
pull and scrape away at your flesh, pulling it back at the cheekbones, up
at the brow, imagining yourself post-op after an age-saving facelift. I do
this, and then I just accept myself for who I am, even if there is a new
wrinkle on my top lip and a few bags and sags that weren’t there last year.
I feel the same way about ageing as I do about size. If I meet a woman
for the first time I’m interested in her smile, her eyes and her personality.
Later I might notice what size she is, and perhaps that she has a few
wrinkles around her eyes, but I firmly believe that no one seriously judges
someone by how they look. So I try to make sure that I’m as interesting as
I can be as a person so that I can hold a decent conversation. I try to make
sure that I’m happy so that I’m always smiling. And I try to live an honest
life full of good karma so that you can see that behind my eyes.
Here is a no-pain, totally free and chemical-free way to give yourself a
facelift in your lunchtime. Try it—I can tell you it works.
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SEE YOURSELF
Women spend far too much time critiquing their bodies: ‘I hate my
stomach’, ‘If only I had straight hair’. Imagine what would happen if you
replaced those negative thoughts and images with a great body striding
confidently about looking happy. Don’t compare yourself with others,
especially that model you just saw on the cover of Vogue. Be realistic
about your image and accept the unique person you are and work with it.
WEAR IT
Yes I know it is red and you never wear red. I know it is more revealing
than you are used to. I also know that you feel fabulous in it, so put it
on, celebrate the experiment and be confident in it. Break free from the
expectations you imagine other people have of you and allow yourself to
be whoever you want to be. Pink, purple or, in my case, a lighter shade of
black.
BE AMAZING
Beauty is not about being classically pretty like Reese Witherspoon. It is
about having a point of difference, a fascinating conversation or take on
life. Learn to like that thing about yourself that everyone relates to, and
you’re already beautiful.
MAKE A DATE WITH YOU
When I talk to groups of women, I encourage them to work towards
getting one hour a day alone. A bath, a run, a walk, a lie on the bed with
a book. One hour with no one but yourself. Only then can you learn how
beautiful you really are.
CARRY THE BOOK ON YOUR HEAD
Remember when you were a kid and you’d all practise walking up and
down the hall with a telephone book on your head? Do that every day
(obviously imagine the book is there). First impressions do count,
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and someone who walks into a room with their head high and looking
confident will always leave a positive impression rather than someone
who scurries in with their head down and hides in the corner. If you
project ugly, that’s what the world will see.

HANG OUT WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

How long has it been since your best friend, partner or workmate paid
you a compliment? If you are surrounding yourself with negative people
and bad energy, then expect to start looking pretty dreadful anytime
soon. People who are good to be around will often pay compliments and
help build your self-esteem. Oh, and remember to do the same for your
friends.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR

And while you are doing it, say these words: ‘I am beautiful; I like the way
I look; I am doing the best that I can.’ It’ll make a change from the voice
track that goes, ‘When did my arse get that big, how fat are my thighs
and when did that wrinkle appear on my upper lip?’ And pretty soon you
might start believing what others already know about you.

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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
Recipes
` `
Face cream
This is a lovely old recipe I have
adapted from an old book by Harriet
Hubbard Ayer, who started her own
cosmetics company, Recamier,
in the United States. The original
recipe used spermaceti, which
is a substance found in the head
cavities of whales. I replaced it with
jojoba oil, which is actually a wax
and wonderful for the skin. I’ve also
added aloe vera gel, which is a great
skin-soother and can be used on its
own as a moisturiser if you want.
Friar’s Balsam is an incredibly old
ingredient also called tincture of
benzoin gum. It has been used for
600 years and smells like vanilla.
It can be used as an antiseptic
and protectant for minor cuts and
abrasions, chapped skin and lips,
cracked nipples, ulcers, herpes
simplex, and gingivitis and it can
relieve itching of chilblains and
eczema. It was also often used as
an inhalant with steam vapour as a
stimulating expectorant for coughs
and colds.
230
115 ml almond oil
15 ml jojoba oil
25 g beeswax
40 ml glycerine
1 tbsp aloe vera gel
1 ml orange flower water
1 drop neroli essential oil
3 ml Friar’s Balsam
Mix the oils and beeswax together
in a double boiler (or in a bowl set
over a saucepan of simmering water;
make sure the bottom of the bowl
stays above the water) and heat
gently.
Once melted together, take off
the heat and stir in the remaining
ingredients.
Keep whisking until the mixture
starts to cool and harden. Scoop into
a jar.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Cold cream
I love this recipe because it is so
damn old. It was invented 2000
years ago by the Greek doctor and
philosopher Galen. It’s great for
removing dirt and keeps the skin
soft and smooth. You’ll find many
versions of this recipe on the net,
but I like Elizabeth Francke’s from
her book Make your Own Cosmetics
and Fragrances New Zealand. I like
to add rose essential oil to make it
really rosy.
84 ml olive oil (extra virgin if possible)
28 g beeswax
28 ml rose water
10–20 drops rose essential oil
(optional)
Put the oil and wax in a jar and stand
it in a pan of hot water on the stove.
Warm until the wax is just melted.
Warm the rose water separately and
then stir it slowly into the oil/wax
mixture. Remove the jar from the hot
water and stir until it cools.
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Magic night cream
This recipe uses apple cider vinegar,
which has a great reputation for
curing everything that ails you.
My husband and I tried drinking it
every day as a tonic for a while. A
lot of people do this and say that it
aids weight loss and promotes blood
circulation, as well as having a great
effect on rheumatism. Now that we
we’re not drinking it every day, I try
to use it in salad dressings. I also
like it in this face cream recipe.
½ cup olive oil (extra virgin if
possible)
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
approx. 1 tbsp water
3 drops lavender essential oil
(optional)
Mix the oil with the vinegar. Add the
water slowly, mixing all the while,
until a smooth white cream forms.
If you don’t want to smell like a salad
dressing, add the lavender oil. You
will also need to shake the mixture
each night before applying as it tends
to separate.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Simple night treatment
Vitamin E oil has long been
heralded as a great antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory and skin-tissue
healer. So why not treat your face
to some every night, especially if
you have older, drier skin? It works
out at about 40 cents a night or $12
a month, which is cheaper than
commercial night treatments.
Simply buy a bottle of vitamin E
capsules, making sure they are
derived from a natural source (it
should have ‘tocopherol’ in the
ingredients). Prick a hole in a capsule
with a pin and rub it onto your face
and neck. I love the simplicity of
this treatment and it never feels
too greasy.
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White Satin hand cream
For moisturising my hands, I
generally rub on a bit more of
whatever I am putting on my face
or body. But you can’t go past
glycerine, and I love this recipe
as much for its name as for its
moisturising qualities. It sounds
and smells like something your
mother would have bought in a
white porcelain bottle with a gold
label and florid script. It’s more of a
milk than a cream, and I often stand
in the shower and pour it all over
myself, which leaves me feeling and
smelling like a rosy talcum powder
puff. Thanks again to Elizabeth
Francke.
1 cup rose water
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp glycerine
Shake all the ingredients together
thoroughly. Shake again before
using, as the cornflour will settle.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Body oil
essential oil(s) of your choice
carrier oil
Simply add 1 drop of essential oil to
every 1 ml of carrier oil. Some great
blends I have used are listed below,
but if you have one favourite smell
you like, then feel free to use that one
essential oil. And if you’re not sure
what you want, sniff a few bottles of
essential oil and use the ones you
respond to. Your body can tell you
what scent you need.
When you are:
``weepy, sad, depressed: use
a blend of ylang-ylang, rose
geranium and sandalwood.
``in the mood for romance: ylang-
ylang is the one to go for. Use it
on its own or combine with rose
and jasmine.
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``stressed out: use a blend of
eucalyptus, rose geranium and
lavender.
``suffering from a bit of a cold:
use a blend of peppermint,
eucalyptus and lavender.
``lacking energy: use a blend
of rosemary, orange and
peppermint.
``needing to concentrate: use a
blend of bergamot, peppermint
and rosemary.
``keen to be the life and soul
of the party: use a blend of
bergamot, clary sage and
jasmine.
``in need of a good night’s sleep:
lavender is the key, but if used
in too high a concentration it
can actually perk you up, so
blend it with rose geranium and
sandalwood.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Face masks
AVOCADO
Simply mash one up and plonk it
on. Avocado is really nourishing for
sensitive and dry skin, and this is a
great way to use up a specimen that
might have passed its usefulness in
the fruit bowl. Spread on your face
and leave as long as you like, then
rinse off. Alternatively, try mixing
4 tbsp avocado, 2 tsp honey and
8 drops apple cider vinegar together.
Spread on your face, leave for
15 minutes and rinse off.
BANANA
Mash up a banana with a little honey.
This is a great cleansing mask if your
skin is feeling a little lifeless. Spread
on your face, leave for 15 minutes
and rinse off.
OATS
Oats are the best thing for skin in my
opinion. This mask leaves your face
incredibly soft, and when you rinse it
off into the bath it makes the rest of
234
your body soft, too. Oats are great for
treating dry, itchy skin. Mix together
1 egg, ½ cup cooked oatmeal (left
over from breakfast) and 1 tsp olive
oil. Spread on your face, leave for
15 minutes and rinse off.
Note: Alternatively, combine all
three main ingredients from the
first three recipes (avocado, banana
and oats) with a little unsweetened
natural yoghurt for a luxury face
mask. You won’t regret it.
MAYONNAISE
If you are in a hurry, you can
simply grab a jar of mayonnaise
from the fridge and put it on as a
mask. Mayonnaise contains egg
yolks, vinegar and oil—all great
conditioners for the face.
TAHINI
If you make a lot of hummus, you’ll
have a jar of tahini in the fridge. Use
some as a mask and notice how soft
and moisturised your skin feels.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Lip balm Melt the oil, beeswax and cocoa
butter in a double boiler (or in a bowl
This is a fantastic recipe; the
set over a saucepan of simmering
vitamin E oil makes the balm
water; make sure the bottom of the
especially good for your lips and
bowl stays above the water). Add the
also acts as a preservative. I tested
icing sugar and stir to dissolve, then
this on my daughter and her two
remove the bowl from the heat.
friends one Saturday afternoon,
and their favourite was the orange Add the vitamin E by piercing the
batch that contained sweet orange capsule and pouring the oil in, then
essential oil. Do not make the add the essential oil and stir. Pour
mistake of thinking that vanilla into a lip balm container.
essence will work—it doesn’t. You
need to add the stronger-smelling
essential oils.
20 ml sweet almond oil
½ tsp beeswax, grated, or beeswax
pellets (cosmetic grade)
½ tsp cocoa butter
1 tsp icing sugar
1 capsule vitamin E
5 drops essential oil (sweet orange,
rose and peppermint all work well)
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` `
Beetroot lip and
blush tint
45 g raw beetroot, grated
3 tbsp vegetable glycerine
Place the beetroot and glycerine in a
double boiler (or in a bowl set over a
saucepan of simmering water; make
sure the bottom of the bowl stays
above the water). Heat gently for
15 minutes, leave to cool, then strain
into a small jug. Pour into a sealable
container.
Shake before use, then apply a dab
to your lips and cheeks.
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Quick and easy
make-up remover
There’s no excuse for smudged
mascara even when you are hiding
from the world, especially if there’s a
potato to hand. Peel the potato first—
or you’ll get mud in your eyes—then
slice it thinly. Use the potato slice to
wipe away your eye make-up. Wipe
off excess potato juice with a tissue.
You’ll be amazed at how good this is.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Bath soaks
Baths are a must for your body,
especially if you are at all stressed
or in need of some pampering. Here
are some great bath soaks to make
you feel better.
PMS SOAK
1 cup sea salt (not cooking salt, it must
be raw and smelling of the sea—rock
salt is ideal)
1 cup baking soda
10 drops rose geranium essential oil
This is great if you’re feeling a little,
shall we say, moody. Throw the
ingredients into the running bath,
shut the door to the bathroom and
tell your family you are out of action
for half an hour (or longer if you
think you can get away with it). Light
a single candle and sink into your
bath. Banish bad thoughts, think of
the beach and relax.
237
SOOTHING BATH BAGS
square of muslin (perhaps a piece
from an old nightie)
handful of oats
handful of flowering herbs (rosemary
or lavender work well)
string or ribbon
These are great for kids who have
chickenpox or just itchy skin after
a night with too many mosquitoes,
and they’re useful for treating prickly
heat. They also make excellent gifts
for anyone in need of some soothing.
Take the square of muslin and place
the oats and herbs in the middle.
I like to use rosemary, which is good
for soothing muscles and is also
antifungal and antibacterial. Gather
up the corners and tie together with
string (for a rustic look) or with a nice
long piece of ribbon. Hang the bag
from the tap or drop it in the bath.
You can open it and use the oatmeal
as a scrub as well, if you don’t mind
clearing out the clogged drain at
the end!
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
ATHLETE’S DREAM SOAK
2–4 cups Espom salts
Believe it or not, I have exercised to
exhaustion on occasion, and with the
recent rash of women tearing around
the place competing in marathons
I’m thinking there’s a real need out
there for this soak. Epsom salts have
a high magnesium content that helps
clear out the lactic acid released
during exercise. You must use at
least 2 cups per bath, but 4 cups is
preferable. Don’t add any oils to
the bath as they will change the
chemistry of the water. Make sure
the water is hot, hop in and soak for
at least 20 minutes.
HELP, I’M GETTING A COLD!
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops peppermint essential oil
Run a bath and add the essential oils.
I sometimes use more than this, but
5 drops of each is good for starters.
The peppermint will attach itself to
your back and may tingle, but the
238
sensation takes your mind off your
cold for a minute. Even if you get the
cold, keep having this soak daily as it
works wonders.
MILK BATH FOR QUIET
NIGHTS ALONE
3 cups full-fat milk powder (no place
for skim milk here!)
½ cup runny honey
10 drops lavender essential oil
Using this soak results in
wonderfully smooth, silky skin.
The lactic acid in milk dissolves
dead skin cells, the honey
moisturises your skin and acts
as an anti-bacterial agent, and
the lavender oil relaxes you into
a heavenly state. Combine all the
ingredients, toss the mixture into
your hot bath as it is running, light
a candle and soak away.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Body scrubs Nail treatment
Because skin is our body’s largest 2 tbsp wheatgerm oil
organ, it is important to scrub it 1 capsule vitamin E oil
often to clear out the pores and
Mix the oils together. Rub into your
allow the skin to do its job of
fingernails and cuticles every night
perspiring and releasing toxins.
before bed for a week.
CHOCOLATE SCRUB
5 tbsp olive oil
Hair mask
5 tbsp soft brown sugar If you have egg yolks left over from
2 heaped tsp cocoa a pavlova, there is no better use for
them than to make a mask for your
This smells heavenly. Combine the
hair.
ingredients, rub the mixture all
over your body, then wash off in the 2 egg yolks
shower for smooth, velvety skin. 1 tbsp olive oil
Combine the egg yolks and oil and
LEMON LIME SCRUB
apply to your hair. Leave on for
5 tbsp olive oil
10–20 minutes. Do be careful when
5 tbsp caster sugar
rinsing out that the water isn’t too
3 drops lime essential oil
hot—I once managed to scramble the
3 drops lemon essential oil
eggs in my hair.
Combine the ingredients, rub the
mixture on and wash off in the
shower. This will settle a bit between
uses, so give it a good stir each time.
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`
Hair rinses Hair frizz treatment
It’s a very old-fashioned concept This is a great spray for anyone who
to put a rinse through your hair has hair prone to frizziness.
after washing, but you can save on
1 lemon (or orange, if your hair is very
a multitude of commercial leave-in
dry), chopped
conditioners and sprays if you do.
450 ml water
Remember to leave these in your
1 tbsp vodka
hair—do not rinse out.
Place the lemon and water in a
BEER saucepan and simmer until the
liquid is reduced by half. Cool, then
Stale beer rinsed through the hair
strain and add the vodka to the
after washing can give the dullest
liquid. Pour into a spray bottle and
locks lots of body.
use whenever you have fly-away hair.
VINEGAR

Not only is vinegar great for dandruff

and dry scalp, it can also help if
you suffer from frizzy hair, as I do.
Infuse some apple cider vinegar
with rosemary by pouring warm
(not hot) vinegar over several sprigs
of rosemary in a clean glass jar or
bottle. Seal and leave in a dark place
for two weeks. The longer you leave
it, the better it will be.

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` `
Tea-tree oil shampoo
and conditioner for nit
prevention
Make your own tea-tree shampoo
and conditioner by buying any
cheap brand (preferably unscented)
from the supermarket and dropping
tea-tree oil into the bottles. It won’t
kill an infestation of nits, but it will
help prevent another one occurring.
1 small bottle shampoo
1 small bottle conditioner
at least 20 drops tea-tree essential oil
Simply drip 10 drops of tea-tree
oil into each bottle. Use more if
necessary, so that it gives a good
strong smell.
242
Hair gel
This uses gelatine, which is actually
collagen and full of protein so it
doubles as a hair strengthener.
1½ tsp gelatine
250 ml warm water
10 drops of your favourite
essential oils
Mix the gelatine with the water until
it dissolves. Add your favourite
essential oil—I use sandalwood if I
want a blokey smell. Put aside for
a few hours to set, then tip into a
blender and blend until smooth.
If you like your gel a little less
firm, just use 1 tsp gelatine. You can
also dilute the gel with water and
use it in a spray bottle as a natural
holding hairspray.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Sunscreen Sage sunburn soother
75 ml sesame oil handful of fresh sage leaves
45 g coconut oil or cocoa butter boiling water
15 g beeswax
Make a tea by covering the leaves
120 ml water
with boiling water. Leave covered
2 tbsp zinc oxide (from the pharmacy)
for 20 minutes, then strain and pour
1 tbsp wheat germ oil
into a spray bottle. Keep the bottle in
1 tsp citric acid (from supermarket
the fridge so that it is cool when you
baking aisle)
need it.
20 drops lavender essential oil
Put the oils and beeswax in a
double boiler (or in a bowl set over
a saucepan of simmering water;
make sure the bottom of the bowl
stays above the water) and heat
gently until melted. Remove from
the heat and add the water, mixing
with an electric mixer until thick
and creamy. Add the zinc oxide,
wheat germ oil and citric acid. Stir
to combine and add the lavender
oil. Over time this mixture will start
leaching water—just drain it off.
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` `
Tooth powder
CINNAMON
2 tbsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp stevia powder
Place the ingredients in a jar with a
lid and mix together, then seal the
jar and shake. To use, dampen your
toothbrush with water then stick
it in the jar to get a good coating.
Scrub away. Over time you will work
out how much you like to use, but
usually a healthy covering of the
brush will suffice.
PEPPERMINT
As above but replace the cinnamon
with 3 drops of peppermint essential
oil.
LEMON
As above but replace the cinnamon
or peppermint oil with 3 drops of
lemon essential oil.
244
Mouthwash
I don’t trust commercial
mouthwashes as they contain
ethanol and there has been some
concern raised about it causing oral
cancer. Also in recent years there
have been recalls of some products
because of safety concerns. This
mouthwash does contain alcohol
but only a little bit, and you need
it to spread the essential oil evenly
through the mix and to stimulate
your gums. You’ll have fresh breath
for hours using this mix.
30 ml warm water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp brandy
1 drop peppermint essential oil
Mix the ingredients together and
then swish around your mouth. If
you have toothache or an infection,
replace the peppermint oil with clove
oil—only use one drop though, as
clove oil is very powerful . . . oh, and
it tastes terrible!
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Aftershave splash Hand cleaner
I’m reliably informed that most
Paul doesn’t spend a lot of time
men these days just dab on a bit of
under cars getting covered in grease,
cologne after shaving, but a splash
so I don’t need a recipe for heavy-
of this mix offers the combined
duty hand cleaner. But a man or a
healing and antiseptic powers of
woman who spends time tinkering
witch hazel and rose water. It also
outside inevitably comes inside with
returns the skin to a neutral pH
dirty, greasy hands, and when they
after using alkaline soap. Use the
use commercial cleaners those hands
glycerine if you’re making the mix
get very dry indeed. I would suggest
for older men or those with dry
coating the hands in olive oil first to
skin, as it adds extra moisturising.
release the grease and grime, then
For oily skin, you can leave the
washing with ordinary soap.
glycerine out.
40 ml rose water
40 ml witch hazel
10 ml vodka
8 drops bergamot essential oil
4 drops rosemary essential oil
1 tsp glycerine (optional)
Mix the ingredients together, store in
a nice bottle and splash away.
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` `
Foot odour treatment
Smelly feet and shoes are a problem
for many people, yet they are
really easy to fix with my favourite
ingredient—baking soda—and this
three-step plan.
`` Gather up every pair of shoes
and sprinkle inside liberally
with some baking soda. Follow
up with a few drops of tea-tree
essential oil and leave overnight.
In the morning shake out the
powder. Do this treatment once a
week to ensure you are killing off
any fungus living in the shoes.
Also try to go barefoot as often as
possible to give your feet a good
airing.
`` Soak the feet as often as possible
(perhaps once a week) in a bucket
of warm water with 2 tablespoons
of sea salt and 2 tablespoons of
baking soda added to it.
`` Measure out 50 ml of a base oil
such as olive, almond or jojoba.
Add 10 drops lavender essential
oil and 10 drops tea-tree essential
oil. Rub into your feet, preferably
in the morning before you put
your socks on, as a deterrent to
fungi and odours.
Wendyl’s 100%
natural deodorant
This recipe may take a bit of getting
used to because to apply it you have
to rub it on your armpits. Believe it
or not, some people have become
so accustomed to sprays that the
thought of touching themselves
there makes them uncomfortable!
Get used to it, I say. Once you’re in
the swing of this you will never go
back to supermarket deodorants.
¼ cup baking soda
¼ cup arrowroot
4 tbsp coconut oil, softened
¼ tsp essential oil of your choice (or
none if you want your deodorant to
be unscented)
1 tsp rose water
Mix all the ingredients together to
make a paste.
Take ¼ tsp of paste on your
fingertip and rub it onto your
armpits. In hot weather the mixture
will be liquid, so you will need to
shake it first. In cold weather it will
be solid, so you’ll need to place your
finger on it for a moment to melt
enough to use. Alternatively, use
a little wooden stick or similar to
scrape up some paste, hold it against
your armpit for a moment to soften
it, then rub it in.
Note: To soften coconut oil, put it
in the sun or place it in a jar in a bowl
of hot water. In summer it should be
quite workable at room temperature.

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` `
Cold potion
My potion for relief from cold
symptoms tastes dreadful but
definitely makes you feel better.
Adding whisky makes it a little
easier to get down!
½ cup water
½ tsp powdered ginger
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp honey
juice of ½ lemon
Boil the water, ginger, cayenne, and
garlic for 1 minute. Remove from the
heat and add the honey and lemon
juice.
Let the mixture cool a little, then
hold your nose, close your eyes and
drink. This usually gives relief from
cold symptoms for 3 hours.
248
Balinese jamu
This is a tonic that people in Bali
consume every day to ward off any
illnesses. I like to drink it if I’m
feeling a bit under the weather.
3 tbsp finely grated fresh turmeric
(use a ginger grater)
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 tsp honey
Combine the ingredients and drink.
Repeat every morning until you feel
better.
H e a lt h a n d B e a u t y
Basic turmeric healing
ointment
I have used this simple ointment
to heal so many cuts and scrapes.
When I had a nasty breast infection
this was the ointment that finally
cleared it up after many antibiotics
failed.
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp grated fresh turmeric root
Combine the ingredients and apply
to the infection.
Note: If you can’t find fresh
turmeric you can sometimes get it
dried in health stores. Alternatively,
use turmeric powder.
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T H E N AT U R A L H O M E T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y

Taking Care
of Baby

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New mothers are bombarded

with remedies and advice
for everything from curing
wind to changing nappies,
and much of the advice is
contradictory. In the old days
you asked your mother, and
she told you what to do. If
you didn’t have a mother, you
might read a book and take the
advice from that, or talk to a
friend. But new mums never
had to process, analyse and
make a decision based on 25
different pieces of information.
It can be overwhelming.

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I believe that the chemicals we have allowed into our food, houses,
beauty products and even our clothes are having a detrimental effect on
our health and wellbeing, and many health workers agree with me. And
I believe that raising a baby in an environment as free of these harmful
chemicals as you can manage is a wonderful thing to do. What is one of
the first things we do to our newborn babies? Wipe their bottoms with
commercial, chemical-laden baby wipes and then pop them in a bath
into which we squeeze commercial chemical-laden bath wash.
Under current laws, chemicals are considered ‘innocent until proven
guilty’ and chemical companies have no responsibility to perform pre-
market testing or post-market follow-ups of the products that they
produce. Yet there’s growing evidence that children face real harm from
chemicals in their homes, schools and communities. Three studies, for
example, found that children exposed to the highest levels of pesticides
before birth had lower IQ scores than other children. Other studies have
found that boys exposed before birth to the highest levels of phthalates—
chemicals widely used in plastic—were more likely to be born with
anatomical defects such as undescended testes.
A study from the American-based Environmental Working Group
found that babies are born ‘pre-polluted’ with more than 200 chemicals,
including flame retardants, lead and pesticides banned 30 years ago.
Many children’s advocates say they’re concerned that toxic exposures
could be fuelling the recent rise in early puberty in girls, as well as
a variety of chronic diseases such as autism, allergies, asthma and
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No one knows exactly
what the long-term effects on humans and the environment of exposure
to toxins will be. Most of these chemicals found in our environment
are relatively new and it could take many years before we start to see
their effects.
I am not about black-and-white thinking, and would never take an all-
or-nothing approach. But I think if you change just one product you use
and swap it for a natural, old-fashioned alternative, then you are already
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ahead of someone who hasn’t even done that. That’s one less toxin in
your life.
And I am also not a chemophobe. After all, some of the most basic
things in our lives, such as water (H2O) and salt (NaCl), are chemicals.
I just suggest that we don’t use chemicals that we don’t need, that are
possibly dangerous and that are put in our food, our beauty products and
our homes without our knowledge or consent.
I know that a large proportion of the people who bought my natural
cleaning products were new mothers and I know that a large proportion
of the people who read my email newsletters were too. There is a huge
hunger for knowledge of the old-fashioned ways and I love nothing better
than finding a recipe or piece of advice in an old book, experimenting
with it and sharing it with my readers. None of this information is new;
it’s all out there in various places, but it does take time to find it, so I’ve
done the hard work for you and collected it here.
In this chapter I’m going to give you some ideas about clearing your
decks and making sure that everything that goes into your body or
touches it is as real and healthy as it can be. I’ll also help you clean your
house out of nasty chemicals lurking in your cleaning products.
I’m also going to do my best to explain why you need to avoid things
like parabens, colourings and fragrances because while there is good
awareness of the need to avoid these things, not many people understand
why. And I think you should know.
So, you’re pregnant
I’ve never met a woman who can’t remember the day she found out she
was pregnant. For some it’s a complete surprise, for others it’s simply
a confirmation of something she already instinctively knew, and for
others it is a long-awaited miracle. The one thing I believe all women feel
when they see those double lines on the test stick or are told the news
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by their doctor is an immediate change in their sense of self. The way
we were as a woman yesterday has no bearing at all on the woman we
are today, because today I am woman, hear me roar. There is nothing as
rudimentary and primitive as growing a baby, and we are immediately
connected down the line, through the ages, back to the caves and into the
forests with all other women who went before us and did exactly what we
are about to spend the next nine months doing. Being pregnant is that
natural. We need to remember that.
These days, pregnant woman are given screeds of advice about not
smoking, not drinking caffeine or alcohol, avoiding fish with high levels
of mercury and foods like raw seafood and packaged meats that might
harbour listeria.
But not many newly pregnant women come home from their doctor
with advice about limiting their baby’s exposure to chemicals in the home
environment, in processed food, cleaning products and beauty products.
From the moment you are pregnant, and even before if you are trying
to conceive, I want you to think about these three things:
`` Most of what you rub on your body will go into your bloodstream
and therefore your baby’s bloodstream, so although a body
cream laden with artificial fragrance, colour and preservatives
might smell nice, your baby can live without it.
`` Most of what you breathe into your lungs goes into your
bloodstream and therefore your baby’s bloodstream. So that
lungful of air-freshener loaded with artificial fragrance and
phthalates (see page 268) might smell nice, but your baby can
live without it. The same goes for fly spray and second-hand
smoke.
`` Everything you eat goes into your bloodstream. So, that slice of
frozen pizza you heated up for dinner which has 50 ingredients
in it including artificial colours, flavours and preservatives as
well as sulphites, your baby can live without.
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What you put in your body
I’d like you to imagine that you are in a science fiction movie and you are
an absolute genius scientist who has managed to work out how to make
babies outside of the womb. You have a little embryo in a see-through
cocoon and you are responsible for nurturing it as it grows. Here’s what
you probably won’t do in your laboratory: pour a glass of wine into the
cocoon, blow smoke into it or mash up fast food and highly processed,
packaged foods and throw them in the mix. Yet every day babies in the
womb are subjected to these substances. Instead, as a genius scientist
you would be more likely to seek out the best-quality foods you can find
in their most natural states, to give your growing baby the maximum
nutrition it can get.
In my nana’s day, the food people ate was locally grown. There were
no supermarkets that imported lemons from the US or pork from China.
Instead Nana went to her greengrocer and bought fruit and vegetables
that were in season and grown locally. Her meat came from the butcher,
who sourced it from nearby farms or abattoirs. Her bread was baked
locally by the baker, or she made it herself. She also grew a lot of her own
veges and swapped them with neighbours when she had a surplus. And
she was given strict instructions for the foods needed to grow a baby,
which were referred to as ‘protective foods’ because they protected the
body from common dietary deficiencies of the time.
Here are some tips for eating like my nana did when she was pregnant,
adapted for the modern world.
`` Eat organic food if you can afford it. Research conducted at
the Columbia Centre for Children’s Environmental Health has
shown that exposure to pesticides during pregnancy harms the
healthy growth and development of babies in the womb and
adversely affects development in early childhood.
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`` If you have the time and space, grow as many of your own
vegetables as you can to get the maximum amount of nutrients
from them. Vegetables start to lose their nutrients and vitality
as soon as they are picked, so eating straight from the garden
is better for you than a week after they have been harvested
and transported to a supermarket. And try to grow them
organically.

`` If you do buy vegetables, buy locally grown, not imported;

and wash them thoroughly in a mix of 1 tablespoon of white
vinegar to 2 litres of water to disinfect and clean the produce.

`` Don’t eat salad pre-packed in bags. In the summer of 2010,

listeria was found in bagged salads and some were recalled.
Listeria happily exists in the soil, so when it is put in a
modified atmosphere in the plastic bag that is used to extend
the life of the salad, it also gets plenty of time to grow. Listeria
is a dangerous bacteria for pregnant women to be exposed to,
as it can cause miscarriage and stillbirths.

`` If you must eat processed food from the supermarket, such

as chips, pasta sauces or baked goods, check the ingredients
panel. Don’t eat anything that has more than five ingredients
listed, and even then, only if your grandmother would
recognise the ingredient. Any more than five ingredients
will usually mean additives such as chemical flavourings,
colourings and preservatives. For example, a packet of
flavoured potato chips like Roast Lamb and Mint has 25
ingredients, compared with a packet of ready salted chips
which has three ingredients: potatoes, oil and salt. Choose
those ones if you need to eat chips.

`` Try to eat food that is presented to you in as natural a state

as it can be. Brown rice is what rice looks like before the husk
is taken off to make it white. It is much more nutritious than

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white rice and just takes a bit more cooking. White bread is
made from whole grains of flour that have had the husk taken
off them and been processed to make them white. Wholegrain
bread is more nutritious for you. Potatoes cooked with the
skins on are better for you than peeled.
`` Make like a vegetarian. I’m not for one minute suggesting you
become a vegetarian, as only very experienced vegetarians
and vegans can manage the nutritional needs of a pregnancy.
But thinking like a vegetarian and experimenting with some
alternative protein sources, such as the ancient grain quinoa
or a barley risotto, can be an interesting way of mixing up your
diet while giving you and your baby maximum protein.
`` Discover sprouts. A really easy way to boost your intake of
greens is to grow sprouts which you can throw in sandwiches,
soups, casseroles and stir-fries. They are very easy to grow, as
I explain on page 112.
`` Eat lots of fish. Aim for three times a week. It is rich in protein,
zinc, iodine, omega-3 and vitamins B12 and D, and is very low
in saturated fat. Avoid fish that is likely to be high in mercury,
such as shark, swordfish and fresh tuna. Shellfish is great too,
but must be cooked.
`` Don’t make the mistake of eating for two, like I did for my
first three pregnancies. Fat mothers and fat babies make for
difficult deliveries, and a lot of excess weight for you to get rid
of afterwards. Most women don’t need to eat any more calories
for the first half of their pregnancy, and after this they only
need an extra 200 calories—or half a ham sandwich—a day,
according to a recent British study. Although, our Ministry
of Health recommends 340 calories extra a day in the second
trimester and 425 calories in the third. Rather than eating for
two, concentrate on eating for maximum nutrition. Your body
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knows what it needs, and if you need more of a particular
nutrient, such as iron, you will find yourself craving foods that
are rich in iron. Trust your body to tell you what’s right.
`` Most doctors recommend taking folic acid supplements,
because our diets no longer rely on food rich in folic acid, such
as liver. Folic acid is important because it can prevent spina
bifida in unborn babies. One 120 g serving of liver will provide
you with 860 mcg of folic acid and most doctors recommend
a daily intake of between 400 and 600 mcg when pregnant, so
having liver once a week is a good idea. But don’t have it more
than once a week, as the Ministry of Health is concerned about
too much vitamin A in pregnancy. See pages 294 and 295 for
some fun nana ways to cook liver.
`` Talk to your doctor about taking supplements, but do
remember that your body is designed to get its vitamins and
minerals from good food. Supplements can be unregulated, in
which case you have no idea what goes into them, so provide
your body with real food and let it get the vitamins and
minerals it needs from a reliable source that our bodies have
been using for thousands of years.
`` Drink lots of water. It helps with constipation, which is often
a problem in pregnancy, and also flushes out any toxins and
bacteria in your system. Buying bottled water isn’t a great
environmental choice, because you are sending plastic bottles
to the landfills. Instead, buy a water filter jug, fill up your
own BPA-free drinking bottle and, if you must have sparkling
water, invest in a SodaStream machine. It has been found that
exposure of the placenta to low doses of BPA may lead to pre-
eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity and
pregnancy loss. See page 283 for more information on BPA.
Also take a look at the jug you use to boil water for your tea and
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If you have the time

and space, grow as
many of your own
vegetables as you can.
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coffee. If it is plastic, it is possibly leaching chemicals at high
heats, so swap it for a glass or metal electric jug.
One thing our nanas didn’t have to worry about too much was food-borne
illnesses. All of their food was prepared in their homes, and therefore
the chance of bacteria spreading was slim. They never ate out, never ate
takeaways or fast food that was prepared by others, and picking up a pasta
salad or quiche at the supermarket and heating it up in a microwave was
never an option.
So much of the food we eat is prepared outside our homes, and what
food we buy raw, such as battery-farmed, mass-produced chicken, can be
infected with salmonella which can only be killed by thorough cooking.
So, for the duration of your pregnancy many foods will be off your list
simply because they carry the risk of infecting you with listeria or other
illnesses. Your doctor or midwife will be able to provide you with a list of
foods to avoid.
Additives are put in food to make it last longer on the shelf, taste
differently, look more appealing or keep it crisp, dry and crunchy. You can
think you are eating guacamole from a jar but the jar may only contain 4
per cent avocado.
Additives that are banned in some countries because of serious health
concerns, such as cancer, asthma and eczema reactions, are allowed into
our foods, which is horrifying. But while you have an industry worth
trillions of dollars worldwide, trying to get an additive banned is a classic
David and Goliath battle.
I am now able to pick up any product in a supermarket and immediately
interpret the three-number codes that prevent consumers from seeing
the chemical names of what they are consuming. Most people have no
idea what those codes represent, or have the time to go home and look
them up on their computer. Thankfully, journalist Michael Pollan, who
has written several books on the subject of what is happening to the food
we eat, realised that people were probably not going to analyse every bit
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of their diet, so he came up with a great little book called Food Rules: An
Eater’s Manual. In it he lists several rules you can use to help you make
sure you are eating good-quality, real and well-produced food.
Two of his rules I have already mentioned in passing: only eat items
that contain fewer than five ingredients, and make sure your grandmother
would recognise those ingredients. Another rule I like is ‘Avoid foods that
are pretending to be something they are not’, such as margarine.
What you put on your body
For most women, daily make-up application is a ritual. I know you still
have half a jar left of that really expensive moisturiser, and you can’t live
without your favourite brand of red lipstick, but you are about to throw
them away or give them to a friend. If I take you back to that laboratory
where you are the genius scientist with your embryo in a jar . . . imagine
rubbing a substance that is full of harmful chemicals and toxins like
parabens all over the cocoon, and knowing that up to 60 per cent of that
substance will be absorbed into your baby’s bloodstream (up to 80 per
cent if the cocoon skin is wet).
A study in 2005, conducted by Greenpeace and the WWF-UK, analysed
the maternal and umbilical cord blood provided by volunteers in the
Netherlands and found that suspected hazardous substances, present in
everyday household products, were entering babies’ bodies through the
umbilical cord. The chemicals include several that are known to affect
physical and mental development in animals. Some of these chemicals
are found in deodorants, perfumes and antibacterial soaps.
It can be very frustrating to find that a brand of perfume or moisturiser
that you have used for years is full of chemicals, but few commercial
beauty products list their ingredients because beauty products in this
country are self-regulated, which means the manufacturers can put
anything they like in them—unlike food manufacturers who must submit
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to rigorous testing and regulations. The beauty-product manufacturers
might list their ingredients on the labels or they might not.
In my view, the cosmetics industry is much like the tobacco industry,
which denied for years that smoking caused cancer and emphysema.
The global cosmetics industry, which is estimated to be worth around
$300 billion, will tell you that the toxic ingredients used in their products
are in such small amounts that they have no effect on your health. But
that’s like saying if you only smoke one cigarette a day you’ll be fine,
because in reality few people ever smoke just one cigarette a day. As all
women know who lug around their beauty products in their handbags,
we use lots of products every day, and sometimes three times a day. It
doesn’t take much to work out that you are building up toxin upon toxin
to the point where you may be harming yourself and your baby.
`` Triclosan: This is used in antibacterial soaps and detergents,
It can also be frustrating trying to find out which chemicals you need
to avoid and why. The media is full of stories about paraben and triclosan
being found in products, but what is wrong with them? Here’s a list of the
top chemicals you should try to avoid in your beauty products, why you
need to avoid them and some alternatives you can use. I’ve taken this
information from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website. Also handy
is the Cosmetics Database, where you can search for your favourite
beauty product and see what chemicals it has in it.
`` Parabens: You will find these used under the names
ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben and
propylparaben. Beauty-product manufacturers need to
make sure that their products survive on shelves for up to
two years or longer, so they use parabens as a preservative
in many beauty products. There are no definitive studies
that link parabens with breast cancer, but they are known
to disrupt hormone function because they mimic natural
`` Formaldehyde: This is an ingredient used in nail polishes,
oestrogen. The body sees them as real oestrogen, which sets
off a reaction that can lead to breast cancer. I’ve picked up so-
called natural beauty products and been appalled at some of
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their ingredients, because some natural cosmetic companies
stop using parabens only to replace them with equally nasty
preservatives with other names. Living Nature, Weleda and
Dr Hauschka are three brands that contain no synthetic
preservatives. If you have time during your pregnancy, you are
best to make your own fresh creams and moisturisers out of
pure, natural oils, beeswax and aloe vera. If you have dry skin,
a good almond or apricot oil will work well as a moisturiser,
or if you have more oily skin you can use pure aloe vera gel
as a moisturiser. Just make sure you buy the real stuff from a
reputable health shop, not the stuff with green colouring sold
in pharmacies.
deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, fabrics and plastics.
This is another hormone disruptor that can interfere with the
body’s natural hormone system and cause illness. The main
concern, if you are pregnant, is that a study found traces of it
in umbilical cord blood. The last thing you want is a hormone
disruptor hanging around while your baby is in vulnerable
periods of development. Be wary of any product which states
that it is ‘antibacterial’. If you are really concerned about
bacteria on your chopping boards, make up my antibacterial
spray or simply wipe over with a cut lemon. The US Food and
Drug Administration found no evidence that antibacterial
washes containing triclosan were superior to plain soap and
water for protecting consumers from bacteria. Make up my
natural hand wash, tooth powder and deodorant (see recipes
in the Cleaning and Health and Beauty chapters).
nail glues, eyelash glues and hair gels and it has also been
found in baby shampoo, baby soap, body washes and wipes. Its
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use is restricted in the European Union and Canada, and it is
banned in Japan and Sweden. It is considered to be a probable
carcinogen, which means it can cause cancer, and it can cause
allergic skin reactions and rashes in some people. Take a break
from nail polish, artificial nails and body washes. Instead buy
a buffing kit from your local pharmacy to bring your nails to a
natural shine, and make your own body wash.
`` Phthalates: These are everywhere in toys, shower curtains,
air-fresheners but also nail polish and fragrances used in
many cosmetics. They can cause hormonal abnormalities,
birth defects and reproductive problems and appear to
have nasty effects on sex hormones. One study found that
phthalate exposure in pregnant women, as measured by
urine samples, has been associated with a shortened distance
between the anus and genitals in male babies, indicating that
a feminisation had occurred during genital development. And
another study found that baby boys exposed to phthalates
in breast milk had alterations in their hormone levels. You’re
already avoiding nail polish to keep formaldehyde out, but it is
best to avoid anything with fragrance added to it, as phthalates
are a common component. But just because a label says
‘fragrance free’ there is no legal standard for those words, so
unfortunately you can never be too sure.
`` Nitrosamines: Two substances called diethanolamine (DEA)
and triethanolamine (TEA) are used together in a product as
a preservative. But over time they break down and recombine
to form nitrosamines. Both DEA and TEA are commonly
used in cosmetics to adjust the pH or act as wetting agents.
The problem with nitrosamines is cancer, and they are listed
as possible human carcinogens by the US Environmental
Protection Agency, among others. They are used in most
personal care products, including mascara, concealer,
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conditioner, baby shampoo, pain-relief salve and sunless
tanning lotion. But because they are impurities, they are not
listed on product labels. You’ve already stopped using most
of your personal care products, so that just leaves conditioner
and sunless tanning lotion. I’ll give you alternatives for
shampoo and conditioner later on, but there is no natural or
old-fashioned alternative to tanning lotion. For the time of
your pregnancy, and hopefully forever, you are going to have to
accept that the colour you are is your natural state.
`` Lead: I know there is lead in red lipsticks, and so do the
people who make them. An independent laboratory test in
2007, by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, found that more
than 33 brand-name lipsticks contained detectable levels of
lead, and one-third of these lipsticks exceeded the US Food
and Drug Administration’s limit for lead in candy. None of
these lipsticks listed lead on their ingredients label. Lead is
particularly dangerous for pregnant women because it easily
crosses the placenta and may enter the foetal brain, where
it interferes with normal development. Lead has also been
linked to miscarriage. Cosmetics companies will tell you it’s
such a tiny amount that it won’t hurt you, but lead levels build
up over time. I’m sure you’ve all read the ridiculous claims on
the internet that the average woman consumes kilos of lipstick
during their lifetime. But I know that I eat a fair bit of my
lipstick, so you do have to be aware that you can be consuming
lead with it if you like to wear red lipstick. If you’re pregnant,
throw it out and change your lipstick colour. You can make
your own beetroot lip tint, which I found quite a lot of fun
but not quite as red as I needed. Or you can opt for a natural
lipstick that lists cochineal or carmine in its ingredients, which
shows they are using this to colour it instead of lead. Nana
used carmine all the time.
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By now you will be beginning to feel as though you can never use a Your first line of defence against the sun is to cover up with
commercial beauty product while you’re pregnant. And you’re probably clothes and hats and sit in the shade, just like Nana used to
right. Here is a list of products you should also avoid if you can. to protect her rose complexion. And remember that sunlight
is a great source of vitamin D, which is essential for growing
`` Hair dye: The main problem with hair dyes is the use of
healthy babies. A recent study published in the American
p-phenylenediamine or PPD. It is put in hair dyes because
Academy of Pediatrics’ medical journal, Pediatrics, found
it gives a natural look and withstands shampooing without
that newborns who were vitamin D deficient at birth were six
losing lustre. The chemical PPD is classified as an extreme
times more likely to develop a common virus that affects the
skin-sensitiser in Europe, and women have experienced severe
lungs and airways of infants and children, causing pneumonia,
allergic reactions to it and other chemicals in hair dyes. The
ear infections, bronchiolitis, croup and lung failure, than
worrying thing is that even if you have had no reaction to the
those who were not. So do sit in the sun for 20 minutes a day,
hair dye before, PPD can slowly build up in your body and
avoiding the peak burning hours in summer. You’ll find my
reach a level that may then lead to a reaction. There are some
recipe for sunscreen on page 243. I can’t and won’t offer any
natural alternatives, such as henna, which you can find in
guarantees so please use at your own risk.
health shops.

`` Toothpaste: Triclosan (see page 267) is often used in `` Deodorant: If you use an antiperspirant, then stop. They have
sweat-retarding agents in them that slow the action of your
toothpastes, as are sodium lauryl sulphate, fragrance, colour
sweat glands. Your body is designed to sweat—that is how you
and flavour. Even in small amounts toothpaste can be highly
get rid of toxins. You wouldn’t block up your car’s exhaust
toxic, which is why if you look closely at the packaging
pipe, so why block your own? Deodorants can have anti-
there will be advice about what to do if irritation occurs and
microbial agents, like triclosan, and also artificial perfumes.
warnings not to let children use some types of toothpaste.
No one likes to stink, but the smell is the result of toxins
There are few regulatory controls for toothpaste, so I just don’t
leaving your body and combining with bacteria. You can make
use it and make my own (see page 244).
up my deodorant recipe on page 247. If I don’t have time for
`` Sunscreens: Most of the chemicals in sunscreens have that, I use the spray deodorants made by Weleda.
minimal toxic effects when you first put them on the skin, but
when exposed to sunlight the chemicals heat up and reactions `` Essential oils: I love essential oils and use them in all my
cleaners and beauty products. The problem for pregnancy
occur that can be harmful. PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid)
is that they can be too powerful. Just as toxic chemicals can
generates oxygen radicals which harm DNA strands when
affect your unborn child, so too can some essential oils. In
exposed to sunlight, and it has also been found to increase
those cautious first few months, I wouldn’t take any risks and
the development of a particular DNA defect in human cells
avoided putting essential oils on my skin. After the first three
which in people who lack the natural mechanism to repair
months you can use these oils: lavender, rose geranium, rose
the defect can make them more susceptible to skin cancer.

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bulgar, rose maroc, tangerine, mandarin, chamomile roman.
These are alright to use in pregnancy, but only when very
diluted so never use them directly on your skin. Always dilute
in a carrier oil, like almond, olive or sunflower, first. Use 1 drop
of essential oil to 1 ml of carrier oil.
This might sound really crazy, but you can wash your hair with plain old
baking soda. I tried this and found that it left my hair really soft. The only
problem was I needed to do it every day. Apparently a baking soda wash
removes all the stuff left in your hair by commercial shampoos, and it can
take about two weeks before things come right and your natural oils kick
back in to leave your hair clean and shiny. I had a TV appearance after
washing my hair with baking soda for a week, so wasn’t prepared to do
the full two weeks. Instead I do a baking soda wash once every few weeks
as a good clean-out. There’s a recipe on page 309.
You can use aloe vera gel to condition your hair. Simply use as you
would a conditioner, then rinse out. Your hair will feel a bit ropey while
it is wet but will dry up really soft. I use this once a month for a special
treatment. Argan oil is also fabulous for your hair. Simply rub a small
amount—I use about half a teaspoon—into your wet hair before you blow-
dry or let it dry naturally. Most Indian shops will have lots of lovely hair
oils which smell amazing. I use these for a good conditioning treatment
every so often. Simply pour the oil on your dry hair and rub in. Then wrap
your head in plastic wrap, and then a hot towel. Leave as long as you can
and then wash out.
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Using cleaning products while pregnant
A study in 2005 of maternal and umbilical cord blood provided by
volunteers in the Netherlands revealed that known or suspected
hazardous substances present in everyday household products are
entering babies’ bodies through the umbilical cord. The chemicals
included some that are known to affect physical and mental development
in animals. So it makes sense when you are pregnant to clear out any
commercial cleaning products that may contaminate your home. It
should be a safe haven for that baby developing in your womb.
The main problem with cleaning products is that there is little or no
government regulation of them. Unlike food products, there is no legal
requirement to label the contents with a list of ingredients, nor is there any
regulatory agency that tests products for consumer safety. In this country
we are lucky enough to have Consumer magazine, which will regularly test
cleaning products, including so-called eco or green products, for safety.
Recently they found misleading claims on supposedly ‘green’ laundry
powder labels, with one major brand having a higher pH level than is
acceptable according to the ERMA (Environmental Risk Management
Authority). Previously the same brand had to change their labelling and
packaging for their dishwashing detergent because it contained a caustic
substance that could damage children’s throats. So there is no protection
as a consumer, and every product you bring home from the supermarket
has the potential to add just a little bit more to the toxic cocktail you are
brewing in your home.
There are a few recipes specifically for products that I recommend
using while you are pregnant and once baby comes along at the end of
this chapter, and many natural cleaning recipes in the Cleaning chapter.
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A guide to natural therapies life force to aid healing. Acupuncture involves the use of
needles to stimulate the pressure points whereas acupressure
The thought of my nana consulting a chiropractor or, for that matter, a uses firm pressure. For mothers it can be very effective
naturopath is hilarious. But many of the natural therapies we use today for treating morning sickness, backache and many other
are ancient, and the naturopath’s knowledge of herbs and nutrition, or pregnancy problems. In labour it can bring on labour and help
the acupuncturist’s knowledge of pressure points, go back thousands with pain relief. For babies it can help with colic, congestion
of years. and sleep.
I have a very open mind about natural therapies and will often consult
`` Chiropractic: The main focus of a chiropractor is your spine.
my naturopath and my chiropractor before going to my doctor. If I can
The theory is that if your spine is out of alignment, then it
fix it with good food and herbs and a realignment of my spine, then that
might press against nerves and cause an imbalance, resulting
makes sense to me. Since my family began cutting chemicals out of their
in discomfort, pain or even disease. Many people believe that
lives we have been remarkably healthy (touch wood) and I put that down
babies should have their spines checked out after birth as
to our immune systems functioning a lot better without having to clear
some long labours can result in babies being born with slight
the extra toxin load.
damage. This damage can cause unsettled sleep, crying, poor
Natural therapies are a great option if you are serious about keeping
feeding and an irritable baby. One Danish study of 316 babies
chemicals out of your family’s life. In pregnancy and labour, natural
with colic found that 94 per cent improved after receiving
therapies can help with pain relief and also help with your body healing
chiropractic treatment. However, there was no control group
and settling into breastfeeding. Your baby can also benefit from these
in the study and some non-believers in natural therapies
therapies, and it may mean they don’t have to take antibiotics or other
pointed out that colic improves over time anyway. Treatment
drugs so early in their life.
involves gentle pressure and manipulation of the spine to
These days many doctors and midwives work alongside natural
relive irritation on the nerves that run through the centre of
therapists, who are often referred to as complementary practitioners,
the spinal column. For mothers, it can give relief from lower-
and I think this is a good approach and gives you and your baby the best
back and pelvic-area pain late in pregnancy and any back
of both worlds. Do check that any therapist you use is properly qualified
problems after a difficult birth. For babies it can help with
and is registered with its own governing body.
colic, breathing difficulties, sleep and feeding problems.
`` Acupuncture and acupressure: These both come from `` Osteopathy: Osteopathy is similar to chiropractic therapy
traditional Chinese medicine, which dates back thousands
because it also works on the premise that the spine needs
of years. Chinese medicine works on the belief that the key
to be aligned, but it also incorporate muscles, ligaments
to health is balancing two opposing forces called yin and
and connective tissue to adjust the body. Osteopaths use
yang which are passive and active. The therapy works on
techniques such as stretching, pressure and mobilisation and
stimulating pressure points on the body to release muscular
can do cranial osteopathy or cranio-sacral therapy, which
tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s

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concentrates on the head and involves very subtle and gentle
adjustments without any ‘clicking’ of the joints. For mothers
it can help with backache, morning sickness, haemorrhoids,
and swollen legs and hands in pregnancy, and after birth it
can help with shoulder and back pain. For babies, cranial
osteopathy can be used to treat babies whose heads may have
experienced the use of forceps or a ventouse. It can also treat
colic, sleeplessness, reflux and glue ear as well as distressed or
irritable babies.
`` Homeopathy: This treatment works on the premise that ‘like
may cure like’. By introducing a natural remedy that mimics
the symptoms of the illness, the body’s own healing processes
are stimulated to cure the ailment. The remedies can include
animal, plant, mineral and synthetic substances. It is very
safe, as there are no side effects and you cannot become
addicted to the remedies. A commonly used homeopathic
treatment is Rescue Remedy, which is used by many to relieve
symptoms of stress and anxiety. For mothers it can help with
just about all pregnancy issues, such as morning sickness,
tiredness and backache. In labour it can help stimulate the
uterus and deal with exhaustion and irritability. And after
birth it can help with fast recovery and baby blues, and is
very useful for breastfeeding as it can help with establishing
a good milk flow, and protecting the nipples. For babies it can
help with colic, sleep problems, teething, earache and fevers.
Babies can respond very quickly to homeopathic treatment.
Although many homeopathic remedies are now sold over the
counter in health shops and pharmacies, it is wise to consult a
homeopathic practitioner before giving them to your child.
`` Herbalist: This is a really old-fashioned therapy—in fact, it
goes back to prehistoric times when herbal treatments were
the basis of medical care, as they still are in many countries
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around the world. Many modern drugs prescribed by doctors
were originally derived from plants but are now produced
using a synthesised form. Herbalists use plants and plant
extracts to treat their patients. For mothers, herbs can help
with all pregnancy issues and also facilitate a smooth labour.
After birth you can use herbs to aid recovery and help with
breastfeeding and stress. Herbs are wonderful for enhancing
your milk supply, too. For babies, they can help with colic,
sleep problems, infections and digestion issues. Many herbal
treatments are now readily available over the counter, but do
be careful. While herbal teas are usually regarded as quite safe,
other treatments might be too strong for you during pregnancy
and your baby after birth. Do consult a professional herbalist.
`` Naturopathy: A naturopath is the natural-therapy equivalent
of your GP. They train for four to five years and are qualified
to prescribe herbs, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and
minerals, and flower essences. They can also give nutritional
advice and perform massage or other body therapies. For
anyone interested in trying out a natural therapy, a naturopath
is a good one-stop shop to get started at. For mothers it can
treat most ailments throughout pregnancy, during labour and
after birth. For babies, most illnesses can get some form of
treatment.
Building your nest
Babies are especially vulnerable to environmental irritants, allergens and
toxins when they first arrive, as they have been protected in the womb.
So it is a good idea to plan your nursery so that it is as free of irritants as
possible—and also think about the products you’ll use on your baby—
well ahead of time.
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BABY’S ROOM
If you are serious about keeping chemicals out of your baby’s life, it is
very important that you do any painting well before your baby arrives
to give time for any harmful chemicals from the paint to dissipate. And
if you can, use water-based paint and low-odour paints that reduce the
solvents in the atmosphere of your home. If you are pregnant, do not
participate in this job as sanding off old paint in old houses can expose
you to lead which is harmful for your unborn child.
With two asthmatic children I have always opted for floorboards and
rugs in my homes instead of carpet. It is a much easier way to ensure
that you don’t have dust mites multiplying, so if you can do this in your
nursery it is a good idea. If you are stuck with carpet, then resist the
urge to get it chemically cleaned or to use chemical cleaners. You can
steam-clean it, but if you hire someone to do it, ask them not to use any
chemical detergent. A simple clean with water and steam is all you need.
And make up my simple recipes to keep the carpet clean (see page 185).
If you want to lay new carpet, then avoid synthetic ones as they give
off toxic fumes for several months after being laid. Instead use natural
fibres such as wool or cotton, and ask that the installer tacks them down
rather than using an adhesive that gives off toxic fumes.
I think a Moses basket is ideal to start with, as you can carry them from
room to room, the weave means it breathes so the baby always has fresh
air, and you can swing it gently to soothe the baby if you need to. They are
also made out of wicker, which is biodegradable and sustainable. You can
get cotton hanging bassinets that stand on legs. They are great because
you can also rock these gently to soothe the baby. And you can also get
cotton hammocks that hang from the ceiling or a stand and have excellent
rocking power. Many parents swear by them as a first bed, because babies
sleep so well in them. These are all natural-fibre options that won’t break
the bank.
As with anything going near a newborn baby, I think as well as avoiding
anything synthetic, like polyester or nylon, it is worth the investment
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to buy something organic. This is because organic fibres are created
without the use of toxic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
Other mattresses can be made out of PVC or polyurethane and may
also be treated with fire-retardant chemicals which can be harmful.
The last thing you want is your baby’s nose right up against any residue
from these toxins. Look for a bassinet or cot mattress that is made out
of organic cotton, wool mohair or coconut fibres. You can also get some
made out of latex, which is rubber that is plant-based and not synthetic.
There are concerns that old mattresses may harbour germs, bacteria and
mould. Some cot-death researchers, such as Dr Jim Sprott, believe that
mould spores in old mattresses can be a factor in cot death. He advises
covering second-hand mattresses with a plastic covering; however, the
Cot Death Association of New Zealand does not support his theory. The
British Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, on the other hand,
recommends that parents buy a new mattress for each new baby, so I
think it is a good idea just to be safe.
Find 100 per cent natural cotton, linen or hemp sheets because they
will withstand a lot of washing and breathe better than polyester mixes. If
you are handy with a sewing machine you can make your own by cutting
up a full-size sheet into smaller pieces, and you can sew on pretty lace
as an edging. If you are buying new, soak them first in my washing soda
soaker in the Cleaning chapter (see page 175) and wash thoroughly in hot
water to make sure that the fabric is free of formaldehyde, pesticides and
other chemicals which are often put into fabric when it is manufactured as
flame retardants, stain repellents, insect repellents and wrinkle resisters.
Newborn babies have very thin skin for the first three to five days after
birth, which means it’s more susceptible to absorbing toxins, so make
sure everything that will touch your baby, such as sheets, nappies and
clothing, is washed and cleaned thoroughly before use.
Nana always used wool for blankets, mainly because polyester had
only just been invented and wasn’t readily available. But today wool is a
great choice because it is warm, breathes and is naturally water-resistant
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and flame-retardant. Resist the urge to buy a polyester baby duvet that is
synthetic and won’t breathe. I can’t vouch for this, but during my research
I found a claim that we give off 600 ml of water vapour as perspiration
during an eight-hour sleep under a blanket. As long as you look after
wool blankets—use my wool soap jelly recipe (see page 316)—they are a
really good investment, so see if you can buy in a couple, or perhaps they
would be a great gift from a grandparent. I’m a big fan of air cell blankets
in both wool and cotton, because they have the flexibility to tuck in tight
around a newborn baby but also breathe so that the baby won’t overheat
in their cuddly cocoon.
I find it incredible that there are commercial air-fresheners marketed
for the baby’s room. No loving, caring parent would consciously place a
bottle full of chemicals right next to where their baby sleeps, yet that is
exactly what they are doing when they place one of these in the nursery.
Babies have a respiratory volume twice as large as an adult’s if compared
weight by weight, so it’s important that your child breathes the purest
air possible. The problem with air-fresheners that you spray around your
home liberally, plug into a wall socket, set up to spray regularly or simply
put in the room in the form of a liquid with reed diffusers that look like
incense sticks delivering the odour, is that they contain phthalates. To
remind you: phthalates can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects
and reproductive problems and are classified as a hormone disruptor,
which is especially problematic for pregnant women and babies.

NAPPIES
Despite being a self-proclaimed green goddess, I’m not about to launch
into a debate about cloth versus disposable nappies. Of course, if
everyone used cloth nappies the world would be a better place, because
our landfills would be emptier and less polluted, but it is more important
to me that a baby’s parents spend time enjoying their child and working
out how to be the best parents they can be, rather than slaving over wet
nappies and getting frustrated. And I would always say to new parents, if

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you want to give it a go, do so, but don’t feel you have failed if you resort
to disposables.
When I had my first baby, I started off using cloth nappies. There was
a lot I liked about them—they didn’t seem to encourage nappy rash as
much as the disposables, they saved us money in the long run, and there
was something soothing about looking at white nappies flapping on the
clothesline. But then I went back to work, and keeping up the washing and
drying was impossible. I never regretted buying those nappies, though,
as I’ve found many uses for them over the years and some of them have
even survived 25 years to be used again on our grandchildren.
My focus with nappies is to keep as many chemicals away from the
baby as possible, and the only way you can really do that is by avoiding
disposable nappies, which have chemicals in them, and washing your
cloth nappies with natural soaps, vinegar and sunshine just like Nana
did. But maybe the answer for you is using both. It’s up to you.
BABY CLOTHES
One of the most delightful things about being pregnant is going shopping
for those cuter-than-cute baby outfits.
The best advice I got from my mum when buying clothes for my first
baby was the rule of three: one on the baby, one on the line and one in the
wash. If you’re washing every day, which most new mothers do, then this
will work for you. And instead of buying six cheap polyester-mix stretch-
and-grows, why not buy three really good-quality, natural-fibre ones
instead? They will last longer and are better for your baby.
Do try to make sure that all of your baby’s clothes are made of natural
fibres so that you can be sure the cloth breathes well and doesn’t contain
unnecessary finishings and chemicals. And do soak them all using my
baby clothes prewash recipe (page 312) to wash away any additives the
manufacturers may have put on the clothes before sale. And give them
a wash using the baby laundry liquid or baby laundry powder recipes at
the end of this chapter.
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Knitting has to be one of the oldest and most enjoyable nana things
you can do these days. In the old days, women were encouraged to spend
much of their time sewing and knitting garments for their newborns.
Baby clothes are so tiny that you finish them really quickly before you
get bored. There are also great new yarns available, such as cotton and
bamboo, which still provide warmth but don’t need the extra care that a
woollen garment might need. If you know a knitter, or if you want to have
a go yourself, there are some great baby knitting patterns out there for
hats, scarves, singlets and other baby clothes.
BABY BOTTLES
In the old days there was only one type of baby bottle, and that was glass.
They lasted a long time and withstood numerous bouts of heating in
a saucepan of water on the stove. These days, plastic bottles are more
common, but if I was buying baby bottles I would definitely go for glass.
In recent years there has been a lot of controversy about levels of
bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic and especially plastic baby bottles when
they are heated. There are more than 130 studies that suggest that BPA
exposure at very low doses is linked to a number of health problems,
including prostate and breast cancer, obesity, attention deficit and
hyperactivity disorder, brain damage, altered immune system, lowered
sperm counts and early puberty.
Our Food Standards Authority (FSANZ) checked levels of the chemical,
thought to leach out of plastic, in 70 everyday food items and found that
about 30 per cent had detectable BPA levels. But they said quantities
were so low as to ‘not pose a health risk’. Meanwhile, many other
countries are banning BPA in products like baby bottles, and tinned-food
manufacturers are reviewing the lining material they use in their cans.
If you were going to keep one chemical away from your baby, this would
be the one to avoid, in my opinion. Growing children are particularly
at risk from chemicals in their environment because they face greater
exposure per kilo of body weight and are physiologically more susceptible
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to them; their adverse effects may take decades to detect.
When buying baby bottles, seek out BPA-free products or use glass
bottles instead, just like Nana did.
When it came to heating our granddaughters’ bottles, we did it in a
saucepan of water on the stove, like my parents and my nana did. Some
people are fearful of microwaves because of the radioactivity of them;
I simply don’t like them because I believe the way the molecules are
moved to heat the food spoils the nutritional value. You can do your
own research, but gently heating a baby’s bottle using the old-fashioned
method just makes more sense to me.
Once baby is home
BATHING YOUR NEWBORN
After putting our newborn babies to our breasts, the next thing we
usually do is bathe them. Sometimes the nurse will do this first wash for
you in hospital, or you may end up doing it yourself. You may be tempted
to scrub all the vernix—that waxy, white coating that covers newborn
babies—off with some good old soap. Your baby doesn’t need soap. In
fact, olive oil does a better job. In the old days, they would dip a cotton-
wool ball in olive oil and wipe the vernix off with that before bathing.
There are good soaps and then there are very bad ones. Believe me, I’ve
made my own. They are made by combining a fat with a very caustic acid
that causes the fat to saponify and form the soap. So some can be quite
harsh, and commercial ones have synthetic fragrances and other nasties
added to them.
When my kids were young, a new product came on the market called
Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Bath. On the bottle it says it is proven to help
baby sleep better, which is quite a marketing ploy as what new parents
don’t want that to happen? It used to be marketed as containing lavender,
but I see they have removed it. I did an analysis of all the chemicals listed
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on the back of the bottle and these were my findings:
`` The worst ingredient in it is fragrance, which represents
an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and
ingredients used as fragrance dispersants such as diethyl
phthalate. I’ve discussed phthalates in previous chapters,
and fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies,
dermatitis, respiratory distress and potential effects on the
reproductive system.
`` There are five chemical surfactants whose job it is to help the
soap spread out evenly in the water. None of them has any
toxic warnings against them except sodium laureth sulphate
(SLES), which may be irritating to eyes and skin. To stop eye
irritation, sodium lauroamphoacetate has been added to the
mix as a counter-irritant, therefore allowing the words ‘no
more tears’ to be used on the bottle.
`` The most dangerous ingredients are those that aren’t listed
on the bottle as an ingredient because they are contaminants,
not ingredients, which means they are released or created
by the ingredients once they go into the bottle. They are
formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, which are known carcinogens;
formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children.
In 2009 the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an
independent laboratory to test 48 bath products for children,
including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions,
for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for
formaldehyde. The lab found that 61 per cent contained both
contaminants.
So even if you read labels very carefully you can’t be sure what else is
lurking in these products. And while one product might not be cause for
concern, the reality is that babies may be exposed to several products
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at bath time, such as bath wash, shampoo, conditioner and baby lotion
every day, in addition to other chemical exposures in the home.
Fortunately, there are plenty of natural alternatives that are easy to
use. Here are some suggestions for what to put in baby’s bath.
`` Use a very mild, unscented soap, such as Dr Bronner’s Baby
Unscented soap, which comes in cake and liquid form. It is
made out of coconut, olive, hemp and jojoba oil and I’ve had
rave reviews from people with skin allergies after they’ve used
this soap.
`` Add a few drops of olive oil to the bathwater and swish around.
When baby is older than three months, you can also add one or
two drops of lavender oil in their bath at night to relax them for
sleep.
`` Put half an organic lemon in the bathwater. The astringency of
the lemon makes a great cleanser, and it is also antibacterial.
`` Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to make the water super-soft
and soothing. Especially good if baby has a nappy rash or heat
rash.
`` Add 20 ml of full-fat milk to the bath. The lactic acid in milk is
a great cleanser and leaves baby’s skin smooth and soft.
`` Tie a tablespoon of rolled oats into a piece of cloth the size of
a small handkerchief and tie at the top with a piece of string.
Add it to the bath five minutes beforehand, and just before you
pop baby in give it a squeeze. The oats are very soothing for
skin and you can use the sachet to clean your baby by rubbing
gently with it. Also good for skin rashes.
My baby bath wash recipe is on page 310.
Babies don’t need to have their hair shampooed, and many of the baby
shampoos available on the supermarket shelves have ingredients such as
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artificial colourings and fragrances that I wouldn’t put near me, let alone
a baby. Instead there are many other things you can use to keep baby’s
hair clean. Here are some suggestions.
`` Just wash it in bathwater to which you have added my baby
bath wash (see page 310).
`` Use a drop of Dr Bronner’s Baby Unscented liquid castile soap.
`` Mix 1 tsp baking soda and enough water to make a paste. Use
this on your baby’s hair once a week.
Many parents like to pat on baby powder or rub some nappy-rash-
preventing ointment into their baby after a bath, but a simple massage all
over with almond, olive, jojoba or sunflower oil will provide a complete
protective moisture repellent. Baby powders are not recommended, as it
is easy for babies to inhale the fine particles.
Do remember that babies don’t always need to be bathed every day.
You can get away with using a damp cloth dipped in a bit of warm water
with some of my baby bath wash in it to wipe just their neck, behind their
ears and their face. Then do the same with their bottom. This is a good
alternative to bathing, especially if your baby doesn’t seem fond of the
bath. Eventually they nearly all love it and it’s a great soothing sleep-
inducer at the end of the day.
In the early days all sorts of weird things can happen with babies’
eyes, ears and tummy buttons, and it’s important to keep these clean
at all times. A great safe and very natural disinfectant is a simple saline
solution (see page 319). Using a cotton bud or ball, you can clean mucky
eyes and ears and dab around the umbilical cord stump—although the
best thing you can do for that is to keep it dry by folding the nappy away
from it and keeping it uncovered.
(And putting a bit of breast milk in a baby’s gummy eye can work
wonders, because it has powerful antibodies. You can also use it to heal
ear infections and help heal scrapes and scratches.)
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CRADLE CAP
No one really knows what causes this scaly, flaky skin on the scalp of your
baby’s head, but it has nothing to do with allergies or bad hygiene. And it
doesn’t bother the baby, so leave it be if you can. Or you could rub some
almond oil on the scalp, leave it for 15 minutes and then gently wash it off
with the baking soda paste I mentioned earlier. Or if you have some cocoa
butter—make sure it is the pure stuff, not something with additives—you
can rub this on and it works beautifully.
NAPPY RASH
This is a common problem with all babies, and can be caused by
something in their diet or simply too much moisture around their skin.
If you are breastfeeding and your baby comes out in a rash, think back
and check that you didn’t introduce a new food that might be producing
the effect, and then avoid it for a few months. Here are some simple all-
natural nappy-rash treatments to try.
`` Aloe vera gel: This is a marvellous substance for rashes (and
burns). See if you can source real aloe vera gel from a health
shop. Or simply grow an aloe vera plant yourself. I have
several and they are very easy to keep alive. You can slit open
a leaf by running a sharp knife down the centre of the flat side.
You then open out the leaf surface to reveal the clear, healing
gel. Scrape it off, trying not to get any of the green outer layer,
as this can cause a reaction in some people. Use this clear gel
and apply it to your baby’s bottom at every nappy change. You
can also mix up a really effective moisturiser by combining
¼ cup of aloe vera gel in a jar with 1 teaspoon of glycerine
(you can buy this at pharmacies and some health shops and
supermarkets). You only need to use a tiny bit.
`` Zinc and castor oil ointment: You can buy this made up at
your pharmacy. Check that it has no artificial preservatives or
fragrance added to it.
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BABY WIPES
We spend a lot of time with our newborns changing their nappies and
wiping their bottoms with baby wipes. I would be very happy if everyone
stopped using these immediately. Many of them are scented with artificial
fragrance, which by now you will know is not a great thing to have around
babies. I looked at the ingredients of Select Scented Baby Wipes, which I
bought at my local supermarket, and was shocked to find two ingredients
that I don’t think should go near babies.
`` DMDM hydantoin is an antimicrobial formaldehyde-releasing
preservative. People exposed to such formaldehyde-releasing
ingredients may develop a formaldehyde allergy, or an allergy
to the ingredient itself and its decomposition products.
`` Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate is used as a preservative. It is
acutely toxic by inhalation and should not be used in products
that can be aerosolised or inhaled. The chances of a baby
inhaling this ingredient on a baby wipe are slim if the wipes
are just used for the bottom area, but how many of us have
grabbed a wipe to clean up a runny nose?
When I wrote about these ingredients in a newspaper article in 2011, it
turned out that iodopropynyl butylcarbamate was banned for use on
children under three and was acutely toxic by inhalation. Within 24 hours
of my article appearing, several brands were removed from supermarket
shelves all over the country. Which left me wondering how many other
products are on those shelves with harmful substances in them that we
don’t know about?
In Nana’s day and even in the 1980s, when I had my first two children,
we simply used facecloths or muslin cloths and some warm water to wipe
our babies. It couldn’t be easier. Just using a cloth and water also means
that your baby’s skin, which, let’s remember, is very thin in the first
few days and much more absorbent than our thicker skin, is not being
exposed to artificial substances. You can buy cloths and either sew on
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a little tag to identify one as a ‘bottom cleaning’ cloth or organise them
by colour. You could buy pink face cloths for bathing and wiping their
faces, and use the blue ones for the bottom area. There is a recipe for baby
wipes on page 320.
WASHING DIRTY NAPPIES
Most parents who use cloth nappies say that once you get into a routine
it’s no more difficult than using disposables and, of course, you get to
feel like a saint for not filling our landfills with plastic. The mistake many
cloth-nappy users make is that they think they have to use commercial
soakers and bleaches to keep them clean. What you are actually doing is
loading up the cloth with chemicals that don’t wash out and can cause
nappy rash.
You only need to soak nappies that have had poo on them. So if you
are washing every day, simply throw the wet nappies into the washing
machine or set aside in a bucket until you are free to wash them. If you
don’t want to do this then you can soak them, but just use water.
For nappies that have poo on them, you need to add something to
disinfect them and get rid of any germs. First scrape any poo into the
toilet and then put the nappy in a large bucket that has a tight-fitting lid.
If you have toddlers around, make sure you put this bucket well out of
reach to avoid them climbing in and drowning.
You need to fill this up every day with warm water to which you have
added a nappy-soaker formula. You can simply add ½ cup of washing
soda to a large bucket (about 18 litres) or ¼ cup to a normal bucket (about
9 litres) and stir until dissolved. Or you can make up my ‘Wendyl-San’
(see page 316).
You can wash your nappies in cold water if you like, or warm water. It
doesn’t matter. Use either the baby laundry liquid or the baby laundry
powder recipes at the end of the chapter. To the final rinse add ½ cup of
white vinegar to act as an extra germ killer, deodoriser and cleanser of
any soap particles that might be lingering and could cause skin irritation.
290
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
In New Zealand we are so lucky that we can usually line-dry our
clothes, even in the middle of winter. Sun is a natural bleach, and often if
there are any stains left on your nappies after soaking and washing it will
get rid of them for you. In Nana’s day, Plunket nurses used to tell mothers
‘one hour in the sun and you’re done’, which meant that one hour of full
sunshine was enough bleaching power for nappies.
FEEDING BABY
Feeding your baby solids is another of those generational controversies
that can be debated down the decades. In older times, solids were often
introduced as early as three months if it was felt that a baby needed the
extra food, but these days we realise this can lead to setting up food
allergies, and milk is regarded as the best food for baby until around six
months old, although some babies benefit from solids at four months
old. Ask your GP or Plunket nurse for advice on this.
Try to resist buying prepared foods if you can, although busy mothers
will always need a jar of something on the shelf for emergencies. By
preparing your own food you can be sure it is the best quality and has
few additives such as sugar, thickeners or preservatives, which your baby
doesn’t need. Or instead of preparing a separate meal for baby, why not
share some of yours? Take a sample from your plate, mash it if necessary
with your fork and see how it goes down.
By the age of five, most children have their eating habits pretty much
established for life, so make sure that the majority of their meals are good,
whole foods, and that junk food is something they have only occasionally.
That way they’ll grow into healthy adults, too!
In the past, commercial baby foods could contain unnecessary
additives, like starch, sugar, flavourings and extra nutrients that had to
be added because they were lost during the manufacture of the foods.
These days, baby food is quite strictly monitored and I couldn’t find any
food items in my local supermarket with unnecessary additives, but it
does pay to scan your eye over the ingredients label.
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Baby foods in jars and tins are good today, especially the organic ones.
However, a new study by the European Union found that baby food in jars
could contain acrylamides, which can cause cancer and nerve problems
with long-term exposure. And babies face as much as triple the exposure
of adults. Our Food Safety Authority is urging food manufacturers to
bring the levels of acrylamides down. The chemical is formed when foods
are cooked at very high temperatures, which is how they are produced by
commercial manufacturers, so one way to avoid the contamination is to
cook your own baby food by boiling and then puréeing.
This is a great thing to urge grandparents or helpful friends to do. They
can make up a batch and freeze it in ice-cube trays. Then, when frozen,
they can empty into a plastic bag and put it in your freezer. You just have
to remember to take out a cube in time to defrost for baby. I used to love
doing these for my granddaughter with kumara, to which I added peas,
silverbeet and a little bit of parsley. She loved it.
As your baby gets used to new foods, you can start to vary their diet
with other vegetables and fruits and mix them together once you are sure
they don’t have an intolerance to them.
Good first vegetables and fruits to purée are kumara, pumpkin, apple
and pear. To prepare, peel and steam or boil until they are soft. Tip into
a blender or put through a mouli (a hand mincer) until you have a very
smooth consistency, adding some of the cooking water if you need to thin
it down. Store in the fridge, or for large quantities pour into ice trays and
freeze. Never add salt or sugar to purées, as your baby doesn’t need it.

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Recipes
` `
Liver pâté for
mums-to-be
An easy way to get some liver, which
is high in folic acid, into you is by
eating pâté. Most people like pâté
on a bit of hot toast or crackers,
so make this up and keep it in the
fridge for snacks. If you can find
dried juniper berries, add them for
an extra flavour kick, but it works
fine without. I also use the cherry
brandy I make (see page 307), but
normal brandy is fine.
250 g chicken livers (duck livers are
good, too, if you can find them)
125 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped herbs (I use
thyme and sage, but parsley and
thyme also work well)
6 dried juniper berries, crushed (use a
mortar and pestle)
salt and pepper
⅓ cup cream
1 tbsp cherry brandy
294
Check the livers over for any
membrane and remove. Melt half
of the butter and fry the onion for
a few minutes until clear. Add the
livers and increase the heat so that
they cook quickly. This should only
take a minute each side.
Stir in the garlic, herbs and juniper
berries, and add salt and pepper.
Cut open one of the livers and
check that it is moist, then turn off
the heat. You don’t want them to dry
out. Cool and then blend in a food
processor until smooth.
Cut up the remaining butter and
blend that in along with the cream
and brandy until very smooth.
Pour into bowls and refrigerate.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Liver and bacon for Thinly slice the liver into slices about
mums-to-be 3 mm thick. In a plastic bag put the
flour, salt and pepper and shake the
My father used to cook up this meal
slices in it to coat.
for us as kids, which is probably
Heat a frying pan and fry the
where I developed a taste for liver. It
bacon until crisp, then remove. Add
is often called lamb’s fry and bacon
the butter and gently fry the onion
and features in every old cookbook I
until clear, then remove. Turn up
own. You can use either a lamb or a
the heat and cook the liver quickly
calf liver for this.
for about a minute on each side—it
350 g liver should still be red in the middle.
2 tbsp flour Throw the bacon and onion back in
salt and pepper the pan, sprinkle the Worcestershire
150 g bacon sauce or balsamic vinegar over it all,
2 tbsp butter give it a shake to coat and remove
1 onion, thinly sliced from the heat. Serve on toast.
Worcestershire sauce (or balsamic
vinegar)
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` `
Yummy brown rice for Put a little oil in a frying pan, add Quinoa for mums-to-be Easy barley risotto
mums-to-be the onion and garlic and cook on
We’re very big on quinoa in our
for mums-to-be
a low heat until soft. Wash the rice
People often don’t cook brown house, and my daughter Hannah 1 tbsp oil
and then add it to the frying pan,
rice properly, so they tend to think used it a lot in her vegan diet 1 onion, finely chopped
shaking it around until it is golden
it tastes like grit. My daughter because it is high in protein. 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
brown. This gives the rice a nice
Hannah has developed an older Pronounced keen-wa, it is also high 200 g pearl barley per person
nutty flavour. Add the water, salt and
recipe of mine into this delicious in calcium and a good source of 1 bay leaf
spices, cover with a lid and bring to
concoction. iron, phosphorous, B vitamins and 1 litre stock (use chicken or vegetable)
the boil. Simmer on a low heat for
vitamin E. The Incas called it the 1 small pumpkin or 3 kumara
olive oil 40 or 50 minutes. When all the water
mother grain, and it is a nice, faster- sunflower seeds or pine nuts
1 onion, chopped has disappeared and the rice is fluffy
cooking alternative to brown rice,
1 clove garlic, finely chopped and soft, stir in the chopped almonds Put the oil in a saucepan and sauté
with a sweet, nutty taste.
1 cup brown rice and spring onions. This is great with the onions and garlic until clear. Do
2 cups water a curry or just on its own for lunch. 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained not brown them. Wash the barley and
¼ tsp salt 1 cup pineapple juice add to the pot with the bay leaf and
⅛ tsp each ground coriander, 1 cup cold water stock. Cover and bring to the boil,
cinnamon, ginger, cumin and ¼ tsp soy sauce then reduce the heat and simmer,
turmeric uncovered, for 35–40 minutes,
Combine the quinoa, juice, water
8 almonds, roughly chopped stirring occasionally, until the barley
and soy sauce in a pot. Cover and
4 spring onions, chopped is swollen and the stock is absorbed.
place over a high heat until it boils.
Meanwhile, peel the pumpkin or
Stir a few times, then turn the heat
kumara and chop into cubes. Boil
to medium and cook for another
until cooked and then mash. Remove
15 minutes or so, until all the liquid
the bay leaf and stir the mashed
has been absorbed and the quinoa
vegetable into the barley. I sometimes
is fluffy and translucent. This is
add some cooked mushrooms or
wonderful served with stir-fried
thinly shredded silverbeet or spinach
veges.
with the pumpkin or kumara for
extra nutrition.

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Nana’s salad dressing
for mums-to-be
Sometimes, eating raw veges
and endless salads can be a bit
monotonous. I’m also not a big fan
of oily dressings such as vinaigrette.
The last thing I want to eat is a
lovely fresh piece of lettuce that’s
dripping in oil. This dressing is
quite sweet, but everyone I know
loves it and I find I eat a lot more
coleslaw or salad if a teaspoon of
this is in the mix.
395 g can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup apple cider or malt vinegar
(apple cider has more nutritional
benefits)
2 eggs
2 tsp mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste
Tip all the ingredients into a jar or
jug and whisk to combine. It will
thicken as it sits. Store in the fridge
for up to 2 weeks. Drizzle over your
salad, but don’t overdo it. A little
goes a long way with this one.
298
Easy daily bread
for mums-to-be
This recipe has only four ingredients
and does not require kneading.
All it needs is time, so I prepare it
before I go to bed, let it sit all night
and then put it in the oven in time
to have fresh bread for lunch. When
you take it out of the oven it is crisp
and crunchy, just like a loaf of bread
you might buy in a French bakery.
Although this is a white bread, it has
no added fats or sugars (unlike like
many homemade breads). You can
use ordinary high-grade flour from
your supermarket, but for a lighter
and crunchier loaf try to source
Italian pizza flour, which will be
marked either ‘00’ or ‘45’. You can
also make a wholemeal version (see
recipe).
3 cups white flour (for a wholemeal
version, use 1 cup wholemeal flour
and 2 cups white flour)
¼ tsp granulated yeast
1¼ tsp salt
1½–2½ cups water
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a
bowl. Pour the water in slowly and
stir until you have a sticky (not
stiff) dough. Sometimes I need just
1½ cups of water, at other times I
need the full 2½ cups—it depends on
the flour you use and the climate. If
you get a sloppy dough, don’t worry
as it will still make great bread—it’ll
just be a nightmare to work with!
Cover the dough with a tea towel and
let it prove in a warm place for 12–24
hours. I leave mine by the fire when
I go to bed in winter. Alternatively,
you could put it in a hot-water
cupboard or on top of your fridge.
The dough is ready to use when
you lift the tea towel and see that the
surface is dotted with bubbles. Don’t
be alarmed if it looks like a sloppy
batter; this is the way it should look.
Get lots of flour and sprinkle it on a
work surface so that you have a thick
covering. You don’t want to see any
surface through the layer of flour.
Tip the dough out on to the surface,
sprinkle the top with lots more flour
and fold it over on itself a few times
299
so that it is a mound, then cover
with a tea towel and leave for
15 minutes to recover. Do not be
surprised if it starts expanding and
creeping out over the work surface
during this time.
Flour your hand generously and
shape the dough into a ball. Coat a
tea towel liberally with flour—again,
you want a really thick covering—
then put the ball of dough on the tea
towel and wrap loosely. Leave in a
warm place for about 2 hours until it
has doubled in size.
Half an hour before the dough
is ready, put a 20-litre casserole
or Dutch oven (I use a heavy cast-
iron pot with a lid) into a 230°C
oven to heat up. When the dough is
ready, take the pot out of the oven,
put the bread in it and give it a
shake to settle it into the pot. Place
back in the oven with its lid on for
15 minutes, then bake with the lid off
for the next 15 minutes until the loaf
is nicely browned on top. Remove
from the oven, inhale and enjoy.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
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Toasted muesli (low-fat
version) for mums-to-be
I have always wanted to eat toasted
muesli that isn’t laden with oil. This
recipe originally had 1½ cups of oil
and 1 cup of honey! But I’ve reduced
that substantially and replaced
it with apple juice, which works
really well. You only need a little
bit of this muesli to fill you up and
it contains really good nutrients
like Brazil nuts (one a day keeps
you loaded with selenium), goji
berries (immune enhancers) and
flaxseed or linseed (great sources
of fibre and omega-3). If you grind
up the linseeds first, you get more
nutrition out of them as they pass
through your digestive system.
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup liquid honey
½ cup apple juice
1 kg wholegrain oats
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup coarsely grated coconut
300
1 cup coarsely chopped Brazil nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1 cup flax seed (also known as linseed)
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix the olive oil with the liquid
honey and top up to 1 cup with
apple juice. Place the remaining
ingredients in a bowl and coat with
the liquid, rubbing it into the oats
and nuts with your hands. Transfer
to a large roasting dish (I need
two) and toast in a 100°C oven for
1½ hours, stirring frequently until
golden brown. Store in an airtight
container and prepare to love it.
Note: If you fancy some extras, you
can stir in 1 cup sultanas and 1 cup
goji berries (you can buy goji berries
at health stores, supermarkets and
Asian stores, where you might find
them called wolfberries. They look
like red sultanas). You could also use
chopped dried apricots or dates if
you like.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Bran biscuits for Sift the flour, baking powder and salt
morning sickness into a bowl. Add the wholemeal flour
and bran, then rub in the butter.
This recipe is from a very old book
Mix with the beaten egg and enough
and claims to help women suffering
water to make a stiff biscuit dough.
from morning sickness, but I’m
Roll out very thin.
warning you that the biscuits are
Cut the dough into squares and
very bland. The recipe makes about
place them on a greased baking tray.
50 biscuits, so get your baking
Bake in a moderate (180°C) oven
tins out.
until light brown and quite dry and
1 cup flour crisp—about 15 minutes.
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups wholemeal flour
2 cups bran
125 g butter
1 egg, beaten
cold water to mix
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Raisin tea for
morning sickness
This is another old favourite you
might like to try. It only makes
about a cup’s worth and tastes
very strong, so if you are going to
try it just have a small cup (about
125 ml) to start with. You can also
make this with prunes as a cure for
constipation.
1 cup raisins
2 cups water
slice of lemon (optional)
Wash the raisins well. Cover with
water and soak overnight or for a few
hours at least. Tip the raisins and the
soaking water into a pot and simmer
for about 30 minutes. Strain the
raisins from the juice. Add a slice of
lemon to the juice if you like. Drink
warm or keep in the fridge.
302
Fruit salts
for indigestion
I keep a jar on hand at all times, as
it is pleasant to drink and always
helps out with indigestion.
2 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp citric acid
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp icing sugar
Mix the ingredients together in a jar
and give it a good shake to combine
the powders.
Use 2 teaspoons of these salts
per large glass of cold water, or
1 teaspoon per small glass. Drink it
down while it is still fizzing if you
can, and be prepared for a few loud
burps.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Rice cereal for baby
Get some basmati rice grown in
India for this cereal. Most Indian
food shops will stock ample supplies.
¼ cup rice powder (grind up 1 cup of
rice in your coffee grinder until it
forms a powder, and store excess in
an airtight container)
1 cup water
Put the water in a saucepan and
bring to the boil. Add the rice
powder and stir, then simmer for
about 10 minutes until the mixture
is stodgy and fluffy and comes away
from the pot. Serve warm, with
breast milk or formula added to thin
it down if necessary.
Note: You can make other cereals
in a similar way using wholegrain
(not quick-cook) oats, buckwheat,
quinoa, barley or millet—but wait
until baby is 6 months old as these
grains contain gluten, which can lead
to an intolerance if fed too early. My
choice after rice is oats because they’re
very nutritious, less likely to cause
constipation and very soothing.
303
Rice jelly for baby
This is a very old recipe, but well
worth a try as a first food for baby.
It has a smoother consistency than
the rice cereal, so if your baby is
rejecting the cereal you could try
this first.
4 tbsp basmati rice
2 litres warm water
Soak the rice in the warm water for
1 hour. Bring to the boil and keep it
simmering for another 3 hours.
While hot, strain the mixture
through muslin or through a
(perfectly clean) very fine-meshed
sieve into a jug. Allow to cool.
Keep in the fridge and serve
warmed.
Note: You can also make this
jelly using oats or barley, but do not
serve those to babies until they are
6 months old.
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Barley water for baby
This was an old-fashioned remedy
for colic, but I would wait to use it
until baby is more than 6 months
old because of its gluten content.
It is thought to be a great food for
invalids and also a treatment for
sore throats and cystitis in women.
This would be a nice drink to give
your baby in hot weather or if they
were a bit under the weather. If you
want to drink it you can add lemon
and honey for flavour.
2 tsp pearl barley
600 ml cold water
Put the barley and water in a
saucepan and bring to the boil.
Simmer until you have two-thirds of
the liquid left, then strain through
a fine-meshed sieve into a jug.
Discard the barley (or throw it into a
casserole or soup if you are making
one). Refrigerate.
304
Dill water for
a colicy baby
handful of fresh dill
handful of fresh mint
¼ tsp fennel seeds
250 ml boiling water
1 tsp honey
Put the dill, mint and fennel seeds in
a small bowl. Pour the boiling water
over these, add the honey, mix, cover
with a plate and leave to cool. Strain
and then bottle. Use 1 teaspoon of
this mixture in 120 ml of slightly
warm, boiled water for baby to drink.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Liver broth for baby
I found this recipe stapled into
my son Daniel’s old Plunket book.
I remember that my nurse at the
time was very old-fashioned and
she advised me to stir a bit of this
into his puréed veges to ensure he
got enough iron. I actually used this
technique until Daniel was well over
two years old because he would only
eat vegetables and hated any meat,
poultry or fish. So I would secretly
stir this into his meals without him
noticing. It was interesting that
when he was a fast-growing teen he
became anaemic, even though he
was a confirmed meat-eater by then.
That was when we learned about
combining vitamin C with an iron-
rich meal to ensure it is absorbed.
305
½ cup lamb’s fry (lamb’s liver), cut
into small chunks (or use chicken
livers)
pinch of salt
3 tsp water
Put the ingredients into a cup and
place the cup in a shallow pot of
water (the water needs to come
about halfway up the cup). Cover
the pot and leave to steam for
30–45 minutes, then strain through
a fine-meshed sieve into a cup.
Mix 1 teaspoon of the broth into
puréed vegetables before feeding
them to baby.
Once baby is accustomed to the
flavour, you can use the steamed
meat instead of the broth—grate it
or press it through a sieve or grinder.
Use 1 teaspoon mixed in with
vegetables to begin with, gradually
increasing to 3–4 teaspoons. This
should be given 2–3 times per week.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
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Homemade wine for mum
No one recommends to mothers
that they drink alcohol,
especially during pregnancy and
breastfeeding or to excess. But
I believe that there is a place in
every mother’s heart for a relaxing,
restorative glass of wine. This recipe
takes about the same time to mature
as it does to grow a baby, so why not
get started while you are pregnant
and you can look forward to sipping
it after your baby is born. I found
this recipe in a gorgeous old book
called The Country Housewife’s
Handbook, which was sent to me by
a lovely reader.
306
black grapes
1 kg of sugar + 2 litres of water for
every 1 kg of grapes
Crush the grapes in a tub. Pour the
cold water over them and leave for a
month, covered, stirring the liquid
at least once a day. Strain off the
liquid, add the sugar and stir until
dissolved. Cover with a blanket and
leave for three months. Then strain
into bottles and leave for six months,
when it will be ready for use.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Cherry brandy for mum Mulled wine for mum
Make the most of the last cherries 1 bottle strong, cheap red wine (merlot
that are in season just before is good)
Christmas every year, and bottle 6 cloves
them up into a really simple 1 stick cinnamon
cherry brandy. 1 vanilla pod
2 star anise pods
large glass jar
peel of 1 orange
fresh cherries (enough to fill jar)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
caster sugar
2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
brandy (get the cheapest you can find)
Put all the ingredients in a pot and
Take the stem off each cherry
bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low
and prick all over with a sterilised
and let simmer with the lid on for
darning needle. Fill the jar almost
10 minutes. Be gentle. Take off the
to the top with the cherries, making
heat and enjoy.
sure to discard any rotten ones.
Pour on caster sugar so that it comes
about one-third of the way up the
jar, then fill the jar to the top with
brandy. Seal with a well-fitting lid
and store in a cool, dark place for
6 weeks (or longer if you are patient).
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Antibacterial spray
This is a great spray for the
bathroom and kitchen, and I often
use it on my hands as a disinfecting
spray. I know of a health worker
who keeps a bottle of this in her
car to spray herself with every time
she comes out of a client’s house to
avoid carrying around nasty bugs
and illnesses.
My usual recipe for this uses
eucalyptus essential oil, which I
think is too strong for pregnancy.
I’ve replaced it with lemon, which
is not only antiseptic but antifungal
as well.
308
20 drops sweet orange essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
Mix the oils together and store in a
glass jar out of the sun. Add 8 drops
of this base mix to 1 cup of water
in a spray bottle, and use as an
antibacterial spray. There is no need
to wipe the spray off—leave it to dry
and do its work.
Note: When you are no longer
pregnant, switch back to eucalyptus
oil instead of lemon oil (in the same
quantity) for maximum germ-fighting
power.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Rose water deodorant
Rose water is a great antibacterial.
You can buy good rose water in
many ethnic specialty shops as it
is used a lot in Indian and Turkish
cuisines. Check the label carefully
to see if it has preservatives, though,
as some bottles I’ve bought turned
out to contain them. You may need
to shop around (I have found www.
lotusoils.co.nz to be a good source).
This recipe uses alcohol in the form
of vodka to diffuse the oil evenly.
80 ml rose water
40 ml vodka
Combine both ingredients in a spray
bottle. You may need to use this a
few times a day, but I usually find
that once a day in the morning is
sufficient.
309
Baking soda hair wash
for mum
If you have really long hair you’ll
need more, so double this recipe.
3 tbsp baking soda
enough water to mix to a paste
Mix the baking soda with water in a
cup until you have a paste.
Wet your hair and then rub the
paste all over your hair and scalp,
just as you would a shampoo. It won’t
foam, but keep rubbing it all in for
about a minute before rinsing out.
Note: Follow this up with a vinegar
hair rinse made from ½ tbsp vinegar
in 1 cup water. Then email me about
how nice your hair feels.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
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Baby bath wash
I invented this recipe when our
granddaughter Lila was born
because I knew that the commercial
baby washes were dodgy. It is easy
to make and it means you know
what is going on to your baby’s skin.
400 ml water
4 tbsp grated 100 per cent natural
vegetable oil soap (I use Dr Bronner’s
Baby Unscented)
80 ml rose water
20 ml glycerine
10 drops lavender essential oil (do not
add this for babies under 3 months
old)
310
Bring the water to the boil in a small
saucepan, then add the grated soap.
Stir until all the soap is melted, then
remove from the heat and allow to
cool until just warm.
Add the rest of the ingredients
and pour into a squeegee bottle.
Depending on the soap you use, this
may cool into a gel or remain quite
liquid.
To use the wash, simply squeeze
a little into the bathwater. It will not
bubble, but it cleans and moisturises
baby’s skin beautifully.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Bath soaks for mum
There is nothing more restorative
for a mother than some quiet time in
the bath. When I was a new mum I
would hop in the bath with my baby,
wash them and hand them over to
my husband to dry and dress while
I ran some more hot water and lay
back for a soothing soak. Here are
some nice ideas for making that
bath extra special (there are more
bath soak recipes in the Health and
Beauty chapter on pages 237–8).
SPICY WINTER WARMING
OAT BATH
½ cup oatmeal
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
6 cloves
Get a square of muslin or old net
curtain, place all the ingredients in
the middle and gather up the edges
311
to make a winter warming sachet. Tie
the ends of the muslin at the top with
a ribbon or string, and throw the bag
in your bath about 10 minutes before
you get in. Rub the bag all over your
skin to distribute the wonderful
spicy aromas.
ROSE WATER INDULGENCE
2 cups rose water
Pour the rose water into your bath
and lie back. The smell is amazing,
and your body will be soaking in
the wonderful antibacterial and
moisturising qualities of the rose
water. Your skin will also feel great
and smell very faintly of roses. This
is a bit indulgent as rose water can
be expensive, but look out for a
bargain—I can get 500 ml for $4.50
at a local Turkish shop. I thoroughly
recommend this soak as a soothing
healer for women who have an
episiotomy wound or infections.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
MULLED WINE BATH
Make the mulled wine recipe (see
page 307), add 1 cup to the bathwater
and drink the rest. It’s a wonderful
soak.
CIRCULATION BATH
1 cup Epsom salts
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
If you feel that you need to get your
feet and hands warm, pour a hot
bath and throw these ingredients in.
312
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Baby clothes prewash
Most clothes we buy in the shops
have been treated with some sort
of preservative or additives to keep
them looking good on the rack.
Before your baby gets anywhere
near new clothing you need to soak
it, wash it and preferably hang it
on the line to dry in the sun. This
pre-soak is great for all new baby
clothes, followed by a natural fabric
softener in the final rinse to remove
any hint of chemicals.
½ cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
Add the washing soda to the washing
machine before soaking the clothes.
In the morning, wash as usual, then
add the remaining ingredients to the
final rinse as a fabric softener.
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 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Baby laundry liquid for
pregnancy and baby
clothes
½ bar or 70 g Castile or vegetable-
based soap such as Dr Bronner’s
Baby Unscented soap
1.5 litres water
½ cup washing soda
¼ cup borax
6 litres hot water
Place the soap in a saucepan with
the first quantity of water and heat
on low until the soap has dissolved.
Stir in the washing soda and borax.
Continue stirring for a few minutes
until thickened, then remove from
the heat. (If you’re using Castile
or vegetable-based soap, it won’t
thicken straight away, but don’t
worry as it will thicken overnight in
the bottles).
314
Add 1 litre of the hot water to a
bucket. Pour in the soap mixture and
mix well. Top up the bucket with the
remaining 5 litres of hot water and
mix well. Pour the mixture into some
old milk bottles or other containers
and set aside for 24 hours or until it
thickens.
Use ½ cup of mixture per load of
washing. It can be quite gluggy, so
you may have to squeeze it out of the
bottle rather than pouring it.
Note: Many people ask if they can
use liquid Castile soap to make this
recipe. No you can’t—it needs to be a
cake soap.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Baby laundry clay/powder
If you use the washing soda that’s
sold in supermarkets and hardware
stores for this recipe, it will turn
out to be a clay. If you can find soda
ash, which is a powdery version of
washing soda, it will be a powder.
Both work equally well.
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
60 ml liquid Dr Bronner’s Baby
Unscented Castile soap
315
Put the washing soda in an old
food processor and whizz to reduce
the lumpy crystals as much as
possible. Add the baking soda and
mix together. With the processor
running, slowly drizzle in the liquid
Castile soap until the mixture
resembles white clay or powder.
Keep the mixture in an airtight
container. Use 1 tablespoon for
an average load, double if you are
washing a big load.
Note: When you are no longer
pregnant you can replace the Baby
Unscented soap with another of
Dr Bronner’s soaps, such as rose
or lavender. Try adding 2 ml of a
matching essential oil for a great
smell.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Wendyl-San
This recipe uses sodium
percarbonate, a powdered form
of hydrogen peroxide, which is an
oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleaching
is less harmful to the environment
than normal bleach, but it is still a
strong substance—so keep this in a
childproof container, out of reach
of little ones. You can find sodium
percarbonate at home-brewing
stores because they use this to clean
out the vats.
2 cups baking soda
1 cup sodium percarbonate
Combine the ingredients, then use
as a bleach, adding 3 tbsp of the
mixture per 9-litre bucket of water. If
soaking nappies or clothing, dissolve
the powder in warm water before
adding it to the bucket. Leave items
to soak for 24 hours if you can, but at
least 12 hours.
316
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Wool soap jelly For every 2 litres of lukewarm rub them on a washboard. Souse them
water, dissolve 1 heaped tablespoon up and down in the water and rub
If you have a wool setting on your
of jelly and mix well before adding them together with the hands until
machine, you can use my laundry
clothes or blankets. (If you do get cleaned. Do not put them through
detergent on page 173 for machine-
lumps, don’t worry, just leave them the wringer or wring by twisting, but
washing woollens, but this is a super-
in the jelly to set). squeeze out the soap suds with the
delicate wash that I recommend for
When I use this jelly on my hands, shake out carefully, stretch
hand-washing wool blankets and
woollens I also add 1 tablespoon and wash in a second lather prepared
baby clothes. This recipe uses Lux
white vinegar to the final rinse, just like the first, but not so strong.
flakes, which contain soap and some
to get rid of any lingering soap suds Rinse in warm water as near the
fragrance, but as long as you rinse
and any traces of artificial perfume. temperature of the suds as possible,
your woollens with some vinegar (as
I would also recommend that you to which a little bluing may be added,
I suggest below), it is okay.
avoid drying woollens in our harsh press out the rinsing water, shake
By the way, wool is naturally anti-
direct sunlight—dry them in the vigorously, and stretch the articles
bacterial, so blankets that baby has
shade instead. to prevent shrinking. Pull each piece
wet can often just be line-dried out
Note: When Nana washed woollens as nearly as possible into its proper
of the sun and will be fine without
she knew all about the gentle art of shape and hang up carefully in such a
needing a full wash.
sudsing. This is because wool fibres way that the shape may be preserved.
1 litre boiling water can easily be wrecked if they are A clear, bright day with sunshine and
250 g Lux flakes crushed or stretched, so you have a light breeze is desirable. Flannels
to be very gentle. Here are some should be taken down while still
Bring the water to boiling in a pot
instructions from one of my old books slightly damp and rolled up in a dry
and then scatter the flakes over,
from the early 1900s on how to ‘sud’: cloth. If the weather is not clear they
stirring to prevent lumps forming.
‘Allow the suds (this is water with soap may be dried indoors, but not near the
Simmer on the stovetop until the
jelly added) to become cool enough stove. The objective should be to avoid
flakes have dissolved. When the
to bear the hand comfortably before extreme changes of temperature, as
mixture is cold, it will form a hard,
putting in the flannels. Wash these these cause flannels to shrink and
white jelly. Store in an old ice-cream
articles one at a time as quickly as become hard.’
container or similar with a lid.
possible. Do not rub soap on them or
317
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
` `
Baby lotion
You can just massage in some olive
or almond oil and your baby’s skin
will be left nice and soft. Or try this
lotion which is quite easy to make.
70 ml olive oil
40 g coconut oil (if solid; if liquid then
45 ml)
10 g beeswax
120 ml water
1 tbsp glycerine
Put the oils and beeswax in a
double boiler (or in a bowl set over a
saucepan of simmering water; make
sure the bottom of the bowl stays
above the water) and heat gently.
Once the ingredients have melted
together, remove from the heat and
gradually pour in the water and
glycerine, blending with a whisk or
an electric mixer.
This lotion will last for about
2 months.
318
Karitane ointment
This is a quintessential old Kiwi
favourite that has been used
by generations of mothers. The
pharmacist used to make it up for
people, but I have found an old
recipe and adjusted it.
The recipe does use petroleum
jelly, which some greenies don’t like
because it comes from a mineral
source and supports the petroleum
industry which is depleting the
earth of its natural resources. But
I say use it in this recipe because
it’s a marvellous, easy-to-make
concoction.
50 g petroleum jelly
1 tsp zinc oxide powder
3 ml almond oil
½ tsp lanoline
Mix ingredients together in a bowl.
Store in an airtight jar and apply at
every nappy change.
T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y
Saline solution
1 litre boiling water
1 heaped tsp natural salt (such as rock
salt or sea salt)
Pour the boiling water into a clean
jug. Add the salt and stir to dissolve.
When using the solution, pour a
little into a clean glass and dip your
cotton bud or ball into that rather
than dipping it straight into the
bottle, as you might contaminate it.
319
Saline wipes
You can make these up and keep
them handy in a sealable plastic bag
for a quick face wipe. They are easy
to make and handy to have within
reach.
handful of paper towels
saline solution (see previous recipe)
plastic bag
Tear the paper towels in half, then
fold in half again. Put them in the
plastic bag and pour in enough of the
saline solution to make them moist
but not soggy. You don’t want there
to be any fluid sitting in the bottom.
Seal the bag and keep it handy
for when you need some antiseptic
power. The wipes will last for about
a month.
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y

` `
Baby wipes ½ cup water Carpet spot remover Carpet refresher
1 tbsp witch hazel
You can make these wipes with Make up this mixture and keep in All carpets benefit from this
1 tbsp rose water
paper towels or with cloths like the cupboard to spray on stains as treatment. It’s a good, chemical-free
Chux, which can be purchased in Combine all the ingredients, then soon as they happen. way to clean the carpet in baby’s
rolls from bulk-bin stores—that way pour a little of the mixture into the room.
1 cup water
you can recycle them by throwing bottom of a plastic container with an
1 cup white vinegar 2 cups baking soda
the used ones in the wash. airtight lid.
½ tsp liquid Castile soap 1 tsp lavender essential oil
Witch hazel is antiseptic but also Rip up a stack of kitchen towels or

soothing for itchy or inflamed skin. Chux cloths, and place about 10 of Combine the ingredients in a spray Combine the ingredients in a glass

But don’t get your witch hazel from them in the bottom of the container. bottle, and keep it in your cleaning jar, shake and leave for a few hours.

the pharmacy as it has parabens Pour a little more of the liquid on cupboard for accidents. Sprinkle over your carpet or rug

in it. Instead try to source pure top, then repeat with another layer and leave overnight if you can—the

witch hazel from a health shop or of 10 towels. Continue layering until longer you leave it the better. Simply

a reputable supplier (I like www. you have soaked all the towels, then vacuum up the next day and enjoy

lotusoils.co.nz). put on the lid. your fresh carpet.

Rose water smells beautiful and You can also make up travel packs

is antibacterial and antiseptic. by popping a few paper towels or

I’ll never forget watching people cloths in a sealable plastic bag and

in Morocco pouring rose water pouring some of the mixture in.

from a specially designed vessel Note: Because there is no

to clean their hands before eating. preservative in these, they won’t last

It also balances the pH levels on long in hot weather. It’s a good idea to

the skin. Don’t buy rose water store the liquid in the fridge and make

from the pharmacy either—source up the wipes in small batches as you

food-grade rose water from ethnic need them.

shops (Indian and Middle-Eastern

cuisines use it a lot).

320 321
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E T a ki n g c a r e o f b a b y

` `

322 323
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E

Appendices

Food numbers
If you are wanting to do a full analysis of the ingredients listed on a food
product go to www.wikipedia.org and type in ‘international numbering
system for food additives’.
For a quicker idea of what you are looking at, here is a list of the
category listings:
100–199: food colours
200–299: preservatives
300–399: antitoxidants, phosphates, and complexing agents
400–499: thickeners, gelling agents, phosphates, emulsifiers
500–599: salts and related compounds
600–699: flavour enhancers
700–899: not for human consumption
900–999: surface-coating agents, gases, sweeteners
1000–1399: miscellaneous
1400–1499: starch derivatives

A checklist for buying cleaning products

This list was adapted from one published at www.healthier-cleaning-
products.com. It outlines the standards of green cleaning solutions that
provide and promote the best health and wellbeing benefits to people.
Products should:

`` be bio-based and contain no petrochemicals

324 325
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E
`` contain no petro-dyes (no added colours such as blue, red,
yellow and so on unless from natural sources)
`` contain no artificial petro-perfumes (no added fragrances
such as pine, spice, mint and so on unless provided by natural
means such as essential oils)
`` be non-toxic to human or aquatic life
`` be non-corrosive to skin or eyes
`` have a pH level between 2.5 and 11.5
`` contain no chlorine bleach
`` contain no ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) or
nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)
`` contain no phenolic compounds or glycol ether
`` be free of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel
and selenium.
Healthy home checklist
I’ve adapted this from a list provided by the American organisation the
Environmental Working Group, which is a non-profit, non-partisan
research organisation dedicated to using the power of information to
protect human health and the environment. You might like to sign up to
get their tips and updates at www.ewg.org.
KITCHEN
`` Do you cook with non-stick cookware? Replace with cast-iron,
stainless steel or glass when possible. If you need to keep using
it, take care not to overheat it as it will release toxic fumes.
326
Appendices
`` Do you use plastic food containers? Use glass over plastic and
never microwave food in plastic containers as it may leach
toxic substances. Use glass or BPA-free plastic bottles for baby.
`` Do you filter your tap water? If you’re not sure what is in your
local town water supply, then it’s best to filter it.
`` Do you drink bottled water? Stop now. Buy a reusable water
bottle—stainless steel is best—and refill.
`` Is there any canned food in your pantry? Try to cook with fresh
or frozen whenever possible, as some food cans are lined with
plastic containing bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical that
leaches into food.
`` Do you use iodised salt? You should. Iodine is necessary to
maintain healthy thyroid function and is deficient in our soil.
BATHROOM
`` Do you use air-fresheners? Don’t! Most contain a number of
toxic chemicals that contaminate the air you breathe.
`` Is ‘fragrance’ listed as an ingredient in your personal care
products? We don’t know what’s in ‘fragrance’, so it’s safer
to choose all fragrance-free personal-care products. Always
check ingredient lists to be sure.
`` What kind of toothpaste do you use? Choose fluoride-free
for kids as they are prone to swallowing quite a lot of it while
brushing. Also pick a paste without triclosan as there are
concerns about how it reacts with the chlorine in water. Better
still, make up some tooth powder (see page 244).
`` Do you use liquid hand soap? If so, avoid antibacterials—the
American Medical Association found that antibacterial soaps
were no more effective in killing germs than normal soap
and the antibacterial compounds used could contribute to
327
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E Appendices

the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. It

recommends against using them at home. You can make your
own liquid handwash very easily. See page 245 for a recipe.

`` Do you have extra products? Less is more. Not using cosmetics

like hair spray and detangler, body sprays and powder is less
toxic—and cheaper. Make your own so that you know what
ingredients are in them.

LAUNDRY AND CLEANING CUPBOARD

`` Are your cleaners green? It’s hard to know without a full

ingredient list, which most products don’t have. Find out the
ingredients by calling the manufacturer, and if you don’t know
what something on the ingredients list is, ask them to tell you.
Some green products will hide information behind loose terms
such as ‘surfactants’. Or make your own; see the Cleaning
chapter and the Taking Care of Baby chapter.

`` Do your product labels list all ingredients? Most don’t, but

they should. Support companies that disclose all ingredients
by buying their products—you have the right to know what is
in the products you’re buying.

`` Do you need all those products? Most homes can be safely

cleaned with a few non-toxic ingredients: vinegar (it’s
antibacterial), baking soda, water, microfibre mops and old
clothes—and some elbow grease! Skip the laundry products
you don’t need, like fabric softener and chlorine bleach.

328 329
T H E N AT U R A L H O M E

Glossary
Some of the ingredients in this book are common, everyday things but
others are older so you might like to know what they are:

baking soda This is a slightly alkaline mineral made from soda

ash. You can buy it in the supermarket, but for the
quantities you’ll be needing I would get to a bulk
food store and buy a kilo. Also called bicarbonate
of soda.

borax This is an alkaline mineral that is a very effective

antibacterial, fungicidal cleaning and bleaching
agent, which is widely regarded as being better for
the environment than bleach. It can be toxic in high
doses and needs to be kept away from children and
animals. I restrict its use where I can. It is valuable
as an emulsifier, as a stain remover and deodoriser,
and in the old days it was used to keep pests away.
I only use it in recipes that won’t touch the skin,
as I have read that when it is mined it can become
contaminated with arsenic.

Castile soap If you can afford it, I recommend this for all my
recipes; however, Sunlight (see page 333) works
perfectly well. I use Dr Bronner’s Castile soap, both
liquid and cake, because it is organic and fair-
trade and contains only natural, vegetable-derived
ingredients.

330 331
 T H E N AT U R A L H O M E G lo s s a r y

cream of tartar This is made from grapes and is a by-product of wine
making. After the grape juices ferment, the bottoms
of the wine barrels or casks are scraped for what
will be packaged as cream of tartar. It is a primary
ingredient in baking powder and is acidic.
rose water This is a by-product of the production of rose oil
and is used in cooking, for perfume and also has
antibacterial and antiseptic properties. In Morocco
they use it to wash their hands, dispensing it from
gorgeous bottles.

essential oils These are natural plant essences that have been Sunlight soap I use this as a base for lots of my recipes. It is strictly
extracted into oil. Unlike the synthetic perfumes not a brilliant choice for the environment, despite
added to commercial cleaners, natural essential its old-fashioned values, as it is derived from animal
oils not only add an amazing smell but also have fats and contains a few chemicals. These recipes
powerful aromatherapy properties as well as being use small amounts, however, and I reason that it is a
antibacterial and anti-fungal. Never use them huge reduction on the high doses of chemicals you
undiluted, and if you’re pregnant then seek advice would use if you used commercial cleaners.
before using them. When buying essential oils, check
white vinegar This is very acidic and very historic, dating back to
that they are labelled 100 per cent pure and natural
Babylon in 5000 bc, when it was used to disinfect
and that they haven’t been mixed with a base oil.
and clean. For cleaning purposes, don’t get fussy and
For cleaning I mostly use tea-tree, eucalyptus and
buy the good stuff.
lavender, which are all relatively inexpensive.
washing soda I regard this as baking soda’s bigger, tougher,
glycerine This is a sweet, clear, viscous liquid that belongs
gruntier brother, and it doesn’t contain phosphates,
(sometimes to the alcohol family. It is a great old-fashioned
enzymes or bleach. It is much more alkaline than
sold as stain remover used on its own. It has amazing
its little brother and can be quite caustic, so wear
glycerol) moisturising properties as it is a humectant, which
rubber gloves when using it.
means it attracts water to the skin. It is produced
from animal or vegetable fats and is available at most
supermarkets.

lemon juice This is a great alternative to bleach, so if you have a

lemon tree, juice a few lemons next time you need
some bleaching power. Also slice one in half and rub
it on anything that needs a major bacteria bust, like
your chopping boards and work surfaces.

332 333

Recipe Index
alcoholic drinks cheese
Apple cider 133 Cottage cheese 119
Cherry brandy for mum 307 Paul’s oregano cheese on
G and T mix 136 toast 138
Homemade wine for mum Ricotta 121
306 Cherry brandy for mum 307
Mulled wine for mum 307 chicken: Quinoa salad 139
Spritzer 136 chilli
Turkish gin 136 Arrabiata sauce 122
Apple cider 133 Chilli jam 117
Arrabiata sauce 122 Nasturtium pesto 124
chocolate
baby skincare Hot chocolate 132
Baby bath wash 310
Paul’s chocolate mousse 143
Baby lotion 318 cleaning products
Baby wipes 320
Air-freshener, liquid 183
Karitane ointment 318 Air-freshener powder 182
Saline solution 319
Antibacterial spray 308
Saline wipes 319 Bathroom cleaning paste
Bacon, homemade 118
186
barley Carpet cleaner, general-
Barley water for baby 304
purpose 185
Easy barley risotto for Carpet deodoriser 185
mums-to-be 297
Carpet refresher 321
basil Carpet spot remover 321
Basil ice 123
Dishwasher mixes 180–181
Quick tomato pasta sauce Dishwashing mix, hand 182
123
Drain unblocker 189
Beef curry, pressure-cooker Dusters, lemon 190
142
Floor cleaner, natural 184
bird feeding Floor cleaner, not-at-all-
Incredibly expensive hen
green-but cheap 184
food 65
Floor polish 186
Seed cake 64
Furniture polish, lemon 191
Tūī sugar water 64
General-purpose carpet
Wax-eye cake 64
cleaner 185
Brandy for mum, cherry 307
Hand dishwashing mix 182
bread
Handwash, liquid 188
Breakfast brown rice 138
Lemon dusters 190
Easy daily bread for mums-
Lemon furniture polish 191
to-be 298
Linoleum cleaner 183
Pizza bread 127
Liquid air-freshener 183
Pumpernickel 130
Liquid handwash 188
Steam-baked white bread
Microwave cleaner 178
128
Milk cleaner 186
Wholegrain bread 129 Mirror defogger 193
Breakfast brown rice 138 Mould and mildew
Brown rice for mums-to-be, preventers 192
yummy 296 Natural antibacterial spray
Butter 119 177
Oven cleaner 178
334
Septic tank bacteria booster
189
Shower cleaner 188
Silver cleaner 179
Spray cleaner 176
Toilet bowl cleaner 187
Toilet bowl stain remover
187
Window cleaner 193
coffee
Home-roasted coffee beans
131
Turkish coffee 131
condiments
Butter 119
Chilli jam 117
Green peppercorn mustard
118
Herb salt 116
Nasturtium pesto 124
Sesame-lemon dressing 116
Strawberry rose jam 113
Worcestershire sauce 117
Cottage cheese 119
dessert: Paul’s chocolate
mousse 143
Dried herbs 126
Fish, smoked 141
G and T mix 136
garden pest control
Aphid spray 67
Baking soda fungus spray 67
Buggy bug spray 66
Chilli and garlic bug spray
65
Oxalis weed killer 67
Powdery mildew spray 65
Rhubarb general bug spray
66
Gin, Turkish 136
Glazed ham 139
Green peppercorn mustard 118
Growing sprouts 112
health and beauty products
Aftershave splash 245
Baking soda hair wash for
mum 309
Balinese jamu 249
Bath soaks 237–238
Recipe index
Bath soaks for mum 311
Beetroot lip and blush tint
236
Body oil 233
herbs
Dried herbs 126
Herb salt 116
Homemade yoghurt 120
Peppercorn mustard, green 118
pest control, see also garden
pest control
De-flea powder for cats 195
Body scrubs 239 Home-roasted coffee beans 131 Dog oil 195
Cold cream 231 Homemade bacon 118 Doggy flea treats 196
Cold potion 248 Homemade wine for mum 306 Fly paper 194
Deodorant, rose water 309 Hot chocolate 132 Moth repellent 197
Deodorant, Wendyl’s 100% Outdoor fly trap 194
natural 247 Jam, strawberry rose 113 Wendyl’s safe fly spray 194
Dill water for a colicy baby laundry Pizza bread 127
304 Baby clothes prewash 312 Pressure-cooker beef curry 142
Face cream 230 Baby laundry clay/powder
Face masks 234 Quick tomato pasta sauce 123
315 quinoa
Foot odour treatment 246 Baby laundry liquid for
Fruit salts for indigestion Quinoa for mums-to-be 297
pregnancy and baby Quinoa salad 139
302 clothes 314
Hair frizz treatment 241 Blueing powder 172 Raisin tea for morning sickness
Hair gel 242
Borax stain remover 175 302
Hair mask 239 Fabric fragrance 174 rice
Hair rinses 241
Fabric softener 174 Breakfast brown rice 138
Hair wash for mum, baking Laundry detergent 173 Rice cereal for baby 303
soda 309
Laundry spray, starch 172 Rice jelly for baby 303
Hand cleaner 245 Lavender water 175 Yummy brown rice for
Hand cream, White Satin
Lemon and sunshine stain mums-to-be 296
232 remover 172 Ricotta 121
Healing ointment, basic
Stain remover, lemon and Rose syrup 112
turmeric 250 sunshine 172
Lip and blush tint, beetroot Salad, quinoa 139
Starch laundry spray 172
236 Washing soda soak 175 Salad dressing for mums-to-be,
Lip balm 235 Nana’s 298
Wendyl-San 316
Magic night cream 231 Wool soap jelly 316 Sesame-lemon dressing 116
Make-up remover, quick and Smoked fish 141
liver
easy 236 Liver and bacon for mums- Spritzer 136
Mouthwash 244 Sprouts, growing 112
to-be 295
Nail treatment 239 Liver broth for baby 305 Steam-baked white bread 128
Night cream, magic 231 Strawberry rose jam 113
Liver casserole 140
Night treatment, simple 232 Liver pâté for mums-to-be
Tea for morning sickness,
Oil, body 233 294
raisin 302
Rose water deodorant 309
Muesli (low-fat version) for Tea, sun 132
Sage sunburn soother 243
mums-to-be, toasted 300 Toasted muesli (low-fat
Scrubs, body 239
Mulled wine for mum 307 version) for mums-to-be
Shampoo and conditioner
Mustard, green peppercorn 118 300
for nit prevention, tea-tree
Nana’s salad dressing for tomato
oil 242
mums-to-be 298 Quick tomato pasta sauce
Sunburn soother, sage 243
123
Sunscreen 243
Nasturtium pesto 124 Arrabiata sauce 122
Tea-tree oil shampoo
Chilli jam 117
and conditioner for nit oats: Toasted muesli for mums-
Turkish coffee 131
prevention 242 to-be 300
Turkish gin 136
Tooth powder 244
Turmeric healing ointment, pasta sauce
Wholegrain bread 129
basic 250 Arrabiata sauce 122
Wine for mum, homemade
Wendyl’s 100% natural Quick tomato pasta sauce
306
deodorant 247 123
Worcestershire sauce 117
White Satin hand cream 232 Paul’s chocolate mousse 143
Paul’s oregano cheese on toast Yoghurt, homemade 120
138
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T H E N A T U R A L H This
O M Ebook contains some information from four
of Wendyl’s previous books: A Home Companion,
Domestic Goddess on a Budget, Supermarket
Companion and Mother’s Little Helper.

Readers are advised to obtain specific advice

from a medical practitioner before acting on the
health information contained in this book.

First published in 2018

Text © Wendyl Nissen, 2018

Photography © Emily Hlaváč Green,
2018, except where credited below

Additional image credits: Sally Greer for the New

Zealand Woman’s Weekly (page 229 and back cover), Jae
Frew for the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly (page 6)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without prior
permission in writing from the publisher.

Allen & Unwin

Level 3, 228 Queen Street
Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone: (64 9) 377 3800
Email: info@allenandunwin.com
Web: www.allenandunwin.co.nz

83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065, Australia
Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

A catalogue record for this book is available

from the National Library of New Zealand.

ISBN 978 1 98854 706 0

Design by Kate Barraclough

Set in Tiempos text 10.5pt/16pt
Printed in China by
C&C Offset Printing Co. Ltd
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