Time has flown! So much has happened since I've last put pen (fingers) to paper (keyboard).
Until recently I have taken for granted that I am one of the lucky few who gets to carry out their passion in their day job. I'm a speech therapist at a school and I thrive on interacting with my therapy kiddies and watching them achieve success at something they previously struggled with. Return to my day job after lockdown has not been return to normal. Most kids are still at home and my new job has involved teaching people how to sanitize their computers, compiling home programs and screening staff and parents at the gate. You know what? It's not that awesome. Doing a job for the sake of doing the job is kinda mleh. Don't get me wrong, I am super grateful to have a job at a time when so many people are in dire need of an income. I have just come to realise that when I can get to do more of what I consider to be my calling, I will savour every minute and give thanks that I am so lucky to be blessed with a job that I love.
So now in these chaotic times, when I finish my day job in the afternoon, reeking of hand sanitizer and have a panda face from my mask moisture making my mascara run, I come home and get to carry out my other passion: creating quality products using environmentally friendly packaging, alongside some pretty amazing family members. Step 1: Use my Rooted Herbivores reusable cotton face scrubbies to wash off that smudgy mascara. Step 2: Fill my Rooted Herbivores glass water bottle to accompany me into the garden. Step 3: Lunch - Freshly sliced Rooted Herbivores bread (new on our offering is sourdough rye, yum!) with Rooted Herbivores dairy free butter (who knew you could get all that flavour without the need for a mooing mama producer?) and Rooted Herbivores fig jam. Step 4: Head to my happy place, the garden. Step 5: Breathe. Beautiful namaqualand daisies in full bloom, providing a pit stop for the bees and other pollinators. This means we'll soon be able to harvest seeds for you to stock up for planting next season, when the winter months leave the pollinators in desperate need for a pop of colour and a lick of nectar. The carrot bed is shrinking, as more and more people enjoy the sweet orange organic goodness. First come, first served, so order your bunch ASAP! If you're too late, however, we've got the next batch of seeds in the ground and will have a harvest again in a couple of months. Also new in the ground is spinach and cabbage. Arienne loved the excuse to get muddy putting these "babies to bed" and wished each plant a goodnight as she plopped the seedlings into their new homes. Some tender loving care will see them ready to harvest in a couple of months. Our raised bed made from the box that Herbie was delivered in is coming along nicely and saves a lot of bending down when tending to the plants. Watch our social media platforms to see progress in pictures!
New in our at-home bakery (home to Herbie the Herbinator and where much of the bread-making magic happens - in an outside room at my parents' home) is the addition of a washbasin. No longer will Byron the Baker have to trek into the main house to do his washing up after mixing breads. And the best part? Our awesome plumber connected the drain outlet directly to a pipe leading to the vegetable garden! Using eco friendly soap, and considering that we're only washing flour and water off in our bakery, the grey water gets re-used to grow our veggies, instead of down municipal drainage. Another earth-friendly win!
After a tour of the garden and checking in on the pecan nut trees and the peach trees (which already have blossoms! I can smell a peach chutney in our future!) a refreshing drink is in order and nothing does the trick better than some Rooted Herbivores lemon or passion fruit cordial. Made by my mom, with organically grown produce, dilute a dash of this in water or soda water and get some extra fruit in, in drinkable format!
By the end of the day, the furkids are needing a cuddle and a treat and our Rooted Herbivores Doggy Treats have passed many a doggy taste test, made from sweet potatoes grown by my dad, organic oats, home-grown mint for fresh breath, xylitol-free peanut butter and stone-milled brown bread flour. These can be frozen to prolong shelf, since we don't add any preservatives. Although Cupid, Ponchos and Zoey (our three furkids) would be unlikely to have any leftovers to freeze!
After dinner treats for the two-legged members of the family may include some delicious crunchies, made using organic oats and coconut, baked by our second-youngest Rooted Herbivores team member, Hannah.
By the time all your Rooted Herbivores goodies have run out and it's time to place your next order, remember to return your glass containers to us! We can sterilize and re-use them, saving the planet and saving you money (R5 refund off your next order with each glass container returned). Just let Marijke (our operations manager and order receiver) know when you contact us to place your order and she will add the discount to your invoice.
Thank you all for the overwhelming support we have received thus far. We feel utterly blessed to get to share our passion with you all. Please see our attached updated pricelist for the extra goodies we've added. Hope to be delivering to you soon!
Claire
Speechie
Garden Nerd
Eco Warrior