I Have this theory about soup… Its come together over the course of a few years and i think the following is the full soup low down..

Ok, so soup is a great sustainable dinner, because you can make it from literally any veg left over.. That wrinkled up parsnip that’s been in your fridge for 2 weeks? Chuck it in the pot, Those potatoes that have started to sprout, chop em up and chuck em in… maybe not the broccoli though.. i’m not convinced about broccoli in soup. Basically, you can chuck any veg in the pot with some vegetable stock and voila..

The next thing about soup is that its just what you put in it… and whilst you stand there and stir it, you can stir in some good intentions. Infuse your soup as you stir it with love, strength and health.. so when you eat it, you can absorb all those gorgeous intentions.

The other thing is that, its as easy to make a stack of it as it is to make a small amount. Why not make a bunch and take a portion over to a friends house.. that way you can offer them the love and positive intentions.

Heres the recipe for my favourite most frequently made soup. Vegan and chock full of nutritious vegetables, and high in protein. Freezes well.

You can also double or triple the recipie easily, substitute any ingredients for something similar.

RECIPE

One onion

Two sticks of celery

3 large carrots

2 large courgettes

3 large cooking tomatoes

A litre of vegetable stock

A can of butterbeans

Chilli flakes or fresh

A couple handfuls of chopped kale

Oregano fresh or dried

Method

Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and add the chopped onion. Sweat in the pan for a few minutes. Mean while chop all the veg and tomatoes (offially a fruit). When the onions are translucent and soft, add the courgettes and cook for a little while longer, until the courgettes start to turn a little brown. Then throw in all the other vegetables and absentmindedly stir. Speak your spells and intentions into the mix..

After a few minutes, add in the stock and allow to bubble nicely.. Add the drained butter beans and reduce the heat. Add salt and pepper, oregano and chilli to taste.

Allow the soup to simmer for 20 or so minutes. Use this time to dance around the kitchen for music of your choice. Gesture your arms whilst dancing towards the cooking soup and sing your heart out. The joy will make for an extra special ingredient.

When the soup is cooked and the veg has all softened, add in the kale! Allow it to cook for a further 5 minutes or so.

The ladle out a steaming bowl of the gorgeous steaming soup and serve with crusty bread..

If you are not vegan, you could grate some cheese and add to the top.

Portion up some into tupperware or a flask and leave on the doorstep of a friend with a love note and a posy of wild flowers.

A lot of people ask… what’s so wrong with using kitchen paper? It’s paper… It biodegrades??

Well, I’m afraid to say that depending what you’ve used your kitchen paper for, it may not degrade or be suitable for recycling.

Chemical cleaners, and kitchen oil and grease affects the biochemistry of soil and so shouldn’t be added to the compost heap. And for the same reasons can’t be recycled.

Also, the power needed to fell trees, process them into paper and then bleach, wrap and ship, is huge!! That’s a massive carbon footprint. In fact, the paper and pulp industry is the 4th largest contributor to greenhouse emissions.

Our reusable cleaning wipes are made once,
and then can be used over and over again. Some of my kitchen wipes are still going strong after 3/4 years.

Once they are not functional anymore, you can put them in the compost, clean.. even the thread we use is made from organic cotton and will entirely biodegrade.

You can clean your whole house with them, polish your wood and shine your windows…
Wipes hands and faces. They are so versatile and so much better for the environment.

4 pillars to sustainable shopping

GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE ECO FRIENDLY GIFT BUYING

Do I need this?

Do I have something already that works as well?

Who am I buying this from?

What is it made of?

DO I NEED THIS?

Before you buy that thing…

STOP

Check in with yourself.

Why are you buying this thing?

Are you feeling rubbish and wanting a quick dopamine hit?

Are you buying thoughtlessly? Ie, out of a habit.

Do you actually need this item?

DO I HAVE SOMETHING ALREADY THAT WORKS AS WELL

Quite often, especially when we’re buying an outfit or something for the home, we might already have something that fits the bill. Maybe there’s something already in our cupboard that works… and we’re just being lulled into the excitement of feeling that this is somehow different..

Make time to know what you have in yourhome and what’s in your wardrobe.

Do you still need this thing?

WHO AM I BUYING THIS FROM

So you do need that thing… but who will you give your hard earned cash to?

When we spend money, we are casting a vote for what we want to see in the world.

That multi billionaire who doesnt pay their own employees properly? Or is this a thing you can buy from someone who has a local shop? Who supports your community by providing essential jobs and services.

OR, is there a company you can get this from that supports those less privileged.

Or can you get this thing second hand? From a charity shop or a preloved market place?

Remember, money is energy and where you spend it is important.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM

So, now you’ve decided that you need this thing and you’ve located a reputable seller.

What are you buying? What is the item? Is it made from a material that will eventually decompose? Or can it be recycled? Will it last for the job it’s required for? Or will you have to ditch it and get another one becasue it will break?

Buy good quality stuff, made

from natural, replenishable materials, so it will last along time and then will eventually decompose..

if it’s doesn’t do this, re think… is there something else you can buy? Make a better choice for the earth.

Oh my beauties… I feel you today. I have met many of you coming from and to the #cop26climate March… and I know you are tired. Some of you are feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. That it’s all too late, that not enough is being done from the top.. that these small changes won’t make a difference… it’s ok loves. Rest a while. Feel the injustice. Cry for the earth. You are doing so much. You are doing so well. Put down your pack and let me carry the burden for a while. Let me hold the hope, so you can weep. And from my little space of this earth, I will share the faith, that the future is beautiful. That Mother Earth will recover, and balance will be restored. 🌱🙌🏻❤️📷 @isabellemortonphoto#vestaliving #vestasustainableliving#love #eco

Connection…

I felt like I was missing it a little bit.. in the space of 2 years 3 of my closest friends left Birmingham… which was a total bummer…

Tho great for trips out!

And recently, post Covid lockdown, I have sensed a real loss in people of their friendships. Everyone seems a little at sea. Maybe not seeing people in a really long time, or having fall outs, Covid isolated us in more ways than the physical.

So this week I arranged a meet up. Under the Aries full moon.. Because woman gathering under a full moon is always magic. I invited those people I’d always enjoyed a passing chat with, the ones I wanted to get to know better, but we never had the time for the deep and meaningfuls. And the more time goes on, the less likely I am to want to discuss the weather.

How are your connections?

I look forward to opening our doors so that we can connect in person. I intend to run some workshops too, though im still working out what these will look like..

And one more thing!! I’ve started a private member group on Facebook, so we can chat all things connection, saving the world, living an eco lifestyle. It’s not ready quite yet, but if you sign up to our newsletter you will hear about it first!!! Click on the link in our bio and scroll to the bottom of our page to sign up.

#vestaliving #vestasustainabliving #community #birmingham #connection #vestaprivatemembersgroup #vesta #goddess #savetheocean #plasticfree #sustainableliving #zerowaste #digbeth #shopindie #shoplocalbirmingham #independantbirmingham #westmidlands

Ross from friends screaming “PIVOT” whilst his new sofa is stuck in the stairwell, is quite frankly ICONIC…

And this week, I had to PIVOT, in the face of annoying rejection.

Let me tell you how it went.

I applied for my markets, and my best market rejected me… for the first time ever… and initially I was ok about it, but since then, I feel like I’ve missed a couple of other great opportunities to get out and meet my gorge customers and make those all important Xmas sales..

I had a whinge… felt a bit sorry for myself.. until this little voice popped into my head… “stop looking at what you don’t have and focus on what you do have…”

After a good talking to myself in the mirror, I have the best customers, incredible stockists, locally and nationally, I have a few markets with my very best people planned in and I have this amazing little space.. I have the most amazing little studio shop space…

And so my plan is to open my little shop space.. on a more permanent basis in the lead up to Christmas..

I’ve secured some fab brands and worked on some great new products which I can’t wait to share with you all.

We can’t wait to welcome you from 4th November every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.