Somewhere back I wrote about being somewhat of a coffee snob. But still I set out grow and roast my own and I did it on my first go. Totally surprised but it is really good.  Here is the video of the process 1. Growing. I started without any knowledge, I just saw a coffee tree at a nursery and thought I'd give it a go. Turns out the little tree was actually a miniature so it less than a meter high after 3 years but is covered in fruit. I started out with the tree planted in a position where it just got too wet and the leaves all fell off. I then moved it to a dryer position which is actually under the drop line of a huge gumtree.  2. Pulping. You just squeeze the berries and the seed covered in a slimy substance shoot out. Derrrr keep the seeds and feed the skins to the chooks.  4. Fermentation. It should be called simply, soaking. Toss the seeds in fresh water and leave them for around 2 days - 18 to 24 hours.  Don't be too particular you can feel the regular ...

   I’ve written before how I set my garden and orchard up based around the food, I liked to cook most.  My strategy which has proven correct is that when you’re tired and exhausted or when people drop in you prepare meals you are familiar with, your old favourites. For me that was a good Italian pasta or an Asian stir fry or with a little more time with the oven alight and heated, real pizza or a slow cooked stew.  (Planning Your Garden)  Having your favourites always available reduces the desire to make a quick trip to the shop to get a few things.  Self-sufficiency to me is about growing everything you need. Zero cost living is being able to obtain, trade, swap, sell what you can produce to afford the items you can’t produce yourself. Flour for example I can’t make but I can sell a dozen free range eggs and buy heaps of flour. Sugar try as I might I just can’t get Stevia (My Stevia Trials)  to work for me as sugar to thicken jams to p...