Casalinho

Category: Life in General

  • Our Week in Pictures: 6th October 2014

    Lots of people on site this week including some new volunteers, and plenty going on as usual. But the focus has really been on the grape harvest, with foot stomping the grapes being a popular activity. The first batch of wine has now started it’s secondary fermentation, and another batch is on the way. Grapes more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 29th September 2014

    Another busy week! Making up for the rain of last week we’ve been cracking on with the first part of our grape harvest and wine making. Harvesting and produce preservation continues, with tomatoes and quinces still being top of my processing list. Volunteer Marjolein has been filming this week, which has given Jeroen a marvellous more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 22nd September 2014

    We’ve had our first taste of autumn weather this week, somewhat early, with lots of rain and tremendous thunderstorms.  We can’t really complain though, look at these photos of Lisbon today. Wet soil easily compacts so we’ve not been doing a great deal in the veg garden as a result. A seemingly simple task of knocking more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 8th September 2014

    It’s been another week of harvesting and processing. I’ve been making the most of the summer sun to dry as much as I can, with particular emphasis on things that can add variety to the animals’ winter feed. Left to right, top to bottom. 1. We discovered that the dead stalks of the parsnips we more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 1st September 2014

    The start of a new month and we’re wondering how the summer managed to pass so quickly! This week Jeroen has been working on replacing a friend’s roof, and here at the farm we’ve been caught up in a frenzy of harvesting and preserving our bounty. Left to right, top to bottom: 1) Yellow cherry more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 25th August 2014

    Festa, festa still this week, with the three day event at Malhada do Rei. As I write, we’re sitting in the smoke of the first fire we’ve experienced locally this year. It’s not close enough to be of concern to us personally, but is a stark reminder of how a dangerous a stray spark can more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 18th August 2014

    It’s been another very sociable week and my feet don’t feel like they’ve touched the ground. We’ve got lots done though, as some of these picture testify.  

  • In the Kitchen: Fruit Scrap Vinegar

    Here at Casalinho nothing is wasted, and I really mean nothing. But if I can squeeze in an extra step between kitchen, animal shed and compost, you can bet I will! Fruit scrap vinegar is a fabulous way of doing exactly that. Make a secondary, tasty product from something which many households would simply throw away. more »

  • Our Week in Pictures: 11th August 2014

  • The Mystery of the Disappearing Guinea Pig

    Last night there should have been 5 baby guinea pigs in the hutch when I went to lock up. But there were only 4. After emptying the hutch completely then meticulously sifting through the deep litter on the floor by hand, I eventually concluded that it had fallen out and been nabbed by a hungry more »