Born A-Green

How Make Your Own Organic Cleaning Products

2012-01-10T15:18:00.001-05:00

Many people want know how to make their own organic cleaning products. The process, like that for Laundry Detergent, is quite simple. You'll need a few simple, common ingredients to make your own household cleaning products, plus a few extras.

Common ingredients include: Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, washing soda (aka sodium carbonate), Borax (sodium borate), table salt or kosher salt, olive or vegetable oil, beeswax and a liquid vegetable or castile soap.

Extras are essential oils, like tea tree, sweet orange, lavender, rose, eucalyptus and sandalwood, for scent.

To create simple homemade, organic cleaning products, some recipes have been provided below:

All Purpose Spray Cleaner: ½ tsp Washing Soda (sodium carbonate), ½ tsp Borax (sodium borate), ½ tsp vegetable based soap, 2 T vinegar and 2 C hot water. Shake until well-blended and all small bits have been dissolved. You can add essential oil to give it a pleasing odor, like sweet orange, lavender or tea tree.

Drain Cleaner: ½ c baking soda and 1 c white vinegar. Pour the ½ c baking soda in and slowly add the vinegar a bit at time until the fizzing stops. Rinse drain with hottest tap water from faucet.

Window Cleaner: ½ tsp vegetable based soap, 3 T vinegar, 2 cups water. Put inside a spray bottle and shake well to blend. Use old newspaper for a streak-free shine.

Disinfectant: 2 C water, 3 T vegetable based soap, 20-30 drops tea tree oil.

Stainless Steel Sink, Oven and Countertop Cleaner: Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to surface areas. Let set for 15 mins and then scrub off.

Silver Cleaning: Line sink with aluminum foil, put your tarnished silver in the sink. Pour boiling water over, a cup of baking soda and a dash of salt. Let sit for a few minutes and the tarnish will transfer from silver to the aluminum foil, which can be recycled.

Creamy Soft Scrubber: Pour ½ c baking soda into a bowl and add enough vegetable soap to make a texture similar to a glaze. To keep it moist for future use, add 1 t olive oil to the recipe, or just make as much as you need for any particular occatsion.

Furniture Polish: ½ c oil, like olive or vegetable, 1t lemon juice. Mix ingredients in a glass jar. Use a soft rag to wipe onto wood surfaces.

Dishwasher Liquid: ½ c castile soap, ½ c water, 1 t lemon juice, 3 drops tea tree extract, ¼ c white vinegar. Mix ingredients and store in a squeeze bottle, use 2 T per load.

So, there you have it. Some easy, simple and very green recipes for organic cleaning products that anyone can make for pennies and using common household items that anyone can easily obtain. Many of these homemade cleaning product recipes can be made and stored in bulk, with a minimum of planning. All of them work as good, if not better than their non-organic, store-bought counterparts. Good luck with the organic cleaning product recipes and happy cleaning!

Living Green: How to Have a Greener Kitchen

2011-11-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

1. Cookware:

No Teflon.

Teflon pans are coated with a polymer that release toxins at high temperatures, both into food and into the air.

No Aluminum.

Exposure to excess aluminum can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Aluminum leaches into food from the cookware when heated, so it’s best to avoid if possible.

Stainless Steel, Iron or Enamelware.

High quality stainless steel, or copper-based stainless steel pots and pans with durability are the best for cooking and safety. Cast iron pans are also beneficial and give added iron for people who experience anemia. Enamelware is a good option, but make sure it is cast iron that is being coated and not aluminum. If you choose enamelware, do not buy it second hand. Old enamelware had high levels of cadmium and lead, but modern versions do not.

Clay, Glass and Pyrex.

Clay bake ware is excellent for baking and cooks very evenly. It is not dishwasher safe because it is made of natural material and the clay will absorb the soap. The clay should be cured and carefully wiped and rinsed, and dried. Glass is very versatile,

Baking Sheets and Muffin Pans. .

Iron or stainless steel.

I would suggest, for convenience, that cookware be purchased with glass lids, for convenience when cooking. Even if you purchase cookware second hand from places like Goodwill, buy with an eye towards long term use. If you are uncomfortable doing so, buy from discounters or ask for the item as a gift.

2. Utensils:

Stainless Steel

A silicon handle is helpful. These are durable and recyclable if damaged.

Bamboo Wood

Sustainable and durable, for things like wooden spoons or wooden spatulas.

Knives

Good stainless steel or carbon steel, with decent handles (not plastic). These are essential kitchen tools, especially if you do a lot of cooking. Try not to skimp on these.

Avoid Plastic and Aluminum

Not only are they virtually disposable, but many of them will leach chemicals into food when used on hot items (just like with plastic containers). Use of aluminum is shown to affect incidents of Alzheimer’s disease.

Be sure to evaluate your need for certain items. If you use garlic a lot and would benefit from a garlic press then get one. You’ll also want a decent can opener but an electric one is not necessary. Only get the utensils you will actually need and use, and which won’t sit in a drawer gathering dust.

3. Dishtowels & Dishcloths:

Re-usable

Dishcloths are reusable and inexpensive. They resist harboring bacteria and have multiple uses in the kitchen.

Can be washed and hung to dry, bleached.

They can be sterilized in a solution of non-chlorine bleach and water, or vinegar and water. Can be washed and hung to dry, and rarely need replacing. They also can be used as rags when too dirty for kitchen use.

Paper towels of recycled material.

While I don’t advocate regular use of paper towels, and openly advocate avoiding use of paper plates, cups and napkins, sometimes paper towels become necessary. If you must use them, buy them made of mostly or all recycled material.

Coffee filters of non-bleached paper.

A French press, or cafetiere is probably the most frugal and green way to make your cup of joe, but if you do elect to use an electric coffee maker, make sure to unplug it after use and use coffee filters that have non-bleached paper (brown). Recycle the brown paper filters and grounds into your composter.

4. Dishes:

Eco-friendly dish soap

Low-phosphate, natural, gentle ingredients. Some good brands are Greenworks or Seventh Generation, both of which are at most regular grocery stores.

Scrubbers made of plant fiber.

Loofahs, sisal or other natural sponge fiber-based scrubbers should be used, which can be composted when no longer effective. Avoid metal or plastic scrubbers and those with soap inside.

Use a dish drainer and a wash bin.

Turn off water while washing. Use cold water on dishes that aren’t heavily stained. Rinse all dishes at the end of washing, instead of continually throughout the process.

Using a dishwasher

If you do use a dishwasher, make sure the dishwasher is complete full before running and use an eco-friendly dishwasher product.

Low-flow faucet heads.

Faucets should have aerators or low-flow faucet heads to preserve water and minimize usage.

5. Wraps and Containers, Transporting and Storing Food

· Recycled Aluminum Foil

· Compostable Garbage Bags

· Reusable Grocery Bags

· Reusable Lunch Bags and Water Bottles

· Parchment Paper

· Wash and re-use plastic zip bags

· Glass or metal containers with lids, avoid plastic containers. If you must use, do not microwave or put hot food in them. They can leach chemicals from the plastic into food when heat is applied.

6. Table Top Compost Collector

· Stainless steel, with lid for odor control.

· Removable inner sleeve for disposal.

7. Appliances

· Only what is essential for cooking; this will vary per individual

· Energy Star certified

Keep clean & in good repair for low energy use

8. Plumbing

· Make sure in good repair, no leaks and flush pipes periodically.

· Faucet-mount water purifier, or pitcher system

· Aerators or low-flow faucet heads.

How To Make Your Own Cleaning Products

2011-10-24T14:19:00.000-04:00

This article is on how to make your own cleaning products, using everyday household items that have minimal impact on the environment. The additional benefit of these products is that they are dual use and rather inexpensive to buy. It is extremely easy to make your own green cleaning products using my cleaning products recipes below.

Each of the cleaning products recipes shows the various uses for baking soda, uses for Borax, uses for castile soap, uses for lemon juice, uses for white vinegar and uses for salt. Many of the green cleaning recipes will combine these simple ingredients to make your own home made green cleaning products which have minimal package and provide loads of convenience. All you need to do is scour your kitchen and laundry room and grab some clean, dry spray bottles and rags and you’re ready to go!

Baking Soda

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a common kitchen staple used for baking. However baking soda has a variety of uses throughout the home, due to its mild abrasive properties. It scours, deodorizes, and mildly scrubs surfaces.

To clean counter tops, sprinkle with baking soda and wipe with a damp cloth. Rinse with clean water. To deodorize a carpet, garbage can or counter top composter, sprinkle baking soda and let sit for 15-30 mins, then rinse with clean water. For a carpet, leave on 30 mins then vacuum. Add baking soda to laundry to remove perspiration and bad smells.

Mix baking soda and white vinegar in hot water to pour down a clogged drain. It will eat away the hair and unclog the drain. This treatment may have to be done 2 times before effective.

Borax

Borax, or sodium borate, is a common laundry additive, disinfectant and mild abrasive. It also serves as an eco-friendly pest control measure, and will repel and kill fleas, ants, roaches and mice.

It is a common ingredient in home made cleaning products. It is also an effective pot scrubber. A mixture of lemon juice and Borax will remove rust and a past eof lemon juice and Borax will remove stains from stainless steel and porcelain.

Mix ½ c of Borax with 1 gallon of hot water, add essential oil like sweet orange or grapefruit, and put in a spray bottle for a disinfectant cleaner.

Castile Soap

100% pure castile soap is a good household cleanser. It can be scented, or plain, whichever is preferred. It is a mild surfactant that will remove oil from clothes, counter tops and dishes.

Mix 3 T castile soap with 2 L water and add 20-30 drops of tea tree oil to make a disinfecting counter top cleaner.

It is a good soap to use on hand washing items that are hung on a line or rack to dry. It is also a good dish soap.

Club Soda

Excellent for stain removal from carpets and upholstery. Can be used with lemon juice on items that are not affected by fading or contact with the sun.

Hydrogen Peroxide

It is an anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-mold and anti-bacterial, so it is a good addition to any cleaning kit.

Hydrogen peroxide is a good replacement for bleach to whiten whites in laundry. It can be used to disinfect cutting boards and counter top compost bins.

½ c of hydrogen peroxide mixed with hot water is an excellent solution for cleaning kitchen floors.

Add a ¼ to dish water to sanitize dirty dishes.

Fill a spray bottle with one part hydrogen peroxide to the remainder of water and use as a spray to sanitize fruits and vegetables before eating.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is an all purpose astringent and will brighten whites and degrease, neutralize hard water deposits and tarnish on silver. One of the major benefits of lemon juice is the pleasant smell. Another of the uses for lemon juice is as an anti-bacterial.

A combination of lemon juice and salt is good for scrubbing down a cutting board. It is also a good mixture for cleaning a coffee pot. A paste of lemon juice and salt is an excellent brass cleaner.

To make furniture polish, mix 1 cup lemon juice with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp water, and apply sparingly to furniture using a soft cloth. After it sits for a little while, buff.

Place straight lemon juice on hard water stains to soften them enough wipe away. Let sit for 10 minutes before wiping.

Kosher or Table Salt

Salt is a good scourer and deodorizer. It can be easily mixed with other household ingredients to make an effective cleaner.

To clean the refrigerator, sprinkle and even amount of salt and baking soda and wipe down shelves with a wet cloth. Rinse with clear water. This will scrub and deodorize in one easy step.

Spills in the oven and on the stove will wipe up easier if sprinkled with salt.

Rubbing glasses or a coffee pot with salt will help remove hard water stains. Clean with soap and dry as usual after scrubbing. It will not scratch glass.

White Vinegar

White vinegar cuts grease, kills mildew and mold, stains and wax build up. It is an acid, so use sparingly.

For a good all purpose cleaner mix ½ c vinegar with ¼ cup baking soda into ½ gallon. Store in a large container and add to spray bottle as needed.

White vinegar can be added to laundry rinse water instead of fabric softener.

Use a mixture of white vinegar and water to clean windows. Wipe with newspaper for a streak-free shine. This works on any glass surface. Don’t forget to recycle your newspapers afterwards!

The smell of white vinegar dissipates when it dries.

So there you have it – the basics of making your own natural cleaning products using these easy green cleaning recipes and ingredients.

Basic Sewing Kit, Hand Sew, Easy Hand Sewing Projects, Hemming, Buttons

2011-10-03T13:04:00.001-04:00

Today, we’ll address hand sewing basics. One of the most frugal and green things a person can do is to repair or alter his or her own clothes when necessary. I also find hand it very soothing to hand sew, and it keeps my hands busy during cooler months when I am listening to music or watching a program on TV While hand sewing has its devotees, for most people living in the modern world hand sewing is a lost art. I can’t tell you how often I have been able to employ hand sewing basics to make or repair clothes, or make or repair items to improve my home.

The first thing I recommend is to assemble a basic sewing kit. A basic sewing box to hold your sewing kit will also be helpful, but even a small zipper or canvas bag will dol. Often sewing boxes or old plastic storage boxes can be found at second hand stores very inexpensively. A variety of thread can be obtained by purchasing a small sample kit of miniature spools, often contained in a plastic storage box themselves. In your kit, there should be the following:

1. Needles
2. Needle Threader
3. Magnifying Glass
4. Seam Ripper
5. Thread
6. Snips, or Scissors
7. Thimble
8. Tape Measure
9. Fasteners, like hooks and eyes or buttons
10. Straight pins and baby pins, and a pin cushion.
11. Tailor’s chalk

Sewing kits can also be purchased online, or in stores. Prices may vary, and quality of the items in the kit may vary, as well. Buttons can be had from flea markets, fabric stores and also off of garments purchased. Buttons are also often found, and can be removed from shirts and other clothes that are being recycled or repurposed. I recommend 100% cotton thread for cotton items, 100% polyester thread or blends for polyester items. Silk and linen can be repaired with cotton, or silk, thread which is more expensive, so I tend to use a brushed, shiny cotton thread on those.

Some additional items maybe be needed or acquired over time. These may include fabric, patches, patterns and iron/ironing board for pressing. A good sewing book for beginners is: Sew With Confidence: A Beginner’s Guild to Basic Sewing by Nancy Zieman, published 2004. It is available online in used or new condition.

Basic sewing stitiches to practice include a running (basting) stitch, which may either be tight or loose, and the back stitch – which is the strongest, and most commonly used, hand stitch. The other common hand stitch is called over handing, and it is used to make a flat hem or seem that is virtually invisible at first glance. It is important to practice even, straight stitching on a piece of scrap fabric until you get the hang of doing it, and then work on a small project.

The most common clothing repair is to replace a button that has come off. It is also one of the simplest repairs, able to be completed by even novice hand sewers. Thread your needle with a long length of thread that matches the fabric of the item to be repaired. The length should be long enough to be doubled. Knot the end. With tailor’s chalk, mark the correct spot where the button should go. Holding the button to the fabric with your non-sewing hand, put the thread through the fabric and once through put the need button holes back through the fabric in an opposing hole. Repeat 6-8 times, running the thread through all available holes. Tie off the thread and snip it, leaving a tiny tail to ensure no damage to your sewing work.
To make a hand sewn button hole, snip a small cut in the location you would like your button hole. Ensure you have aligned this location with the location of the button to avoid gaping in the fabric closure. Snip a small slit in the fabric. Thread your needed with a long length of thread that matches the color of the item you are working with. Double the thread and knot off the end. Using a whip stitch, carefully sew around the edges of the slit, to keep the fabric from unraveling. The stitches should be very close together, and even in length to appear neat and tidy.

The second most common repair is a ripped seam. It is so easy to hand sew a ripped seam in few simple steps. Turn the garment inside out. Locate the ripped seam. Using straight pins, pin the hole closed. Thread your needle with a long length of thread that can be doubled and knot off. Start just beyond the edge of the ripped seam and using a back stitch, sew in a direction moving towards the opposite end of the ripped seam. Sew just beyond the other end, knot off your thread and snip it, leaving a small tail behind. Be sure to use a thread that very closely matches the color of the fabric, or your repair will be obvious to the casual viewer. If desired, press the seam down.

Lastly, hemming pants or altering pant legs to a custom length is also something many people need or want to do. This technique will also turn pants into shorts, if for some reason the knees of the pants cannot be patched. This is also the only repair where you will probably need to use a measuring tape and get some assistance. Put the pants on turned inside out. Have someone help you fold the fabric up to the desired length, forming large cuffs. With a bit of chalk, make a small mark on the leg in a couple of places to show where the hem should be. (If making shorts, where you would like them to be on the thigh). Using a tape measure, draw an even line all the way around. Extra fabric is fine as long as it isn’t too much. It’s always easier to cut something down then expand it, so if you find you need to let the pants leg down later on, it will be nice to have the extra fabric. Pin the pants and use a over hand stitch to secure it. Press the pants leg for a nice final effect.

I have used hand sewing to make clothes, make cushions for a house, to repair clothes and alter them, too. It is much more economical and green to fix something you all ready own than to toss it or buy a replacement. Hand sewing basics c are easy to master with practice. Once you have hand sewing down, look into purchasing a basic, economical sewing machine. Your first sewing machine will probably only do basic stitching like zig zag, straight stitch, button holing and backstitching. Many of them can be purchased second hand online or in shops. It will enable you to make basic clothing items quickly, and to fix large household items like sheets, curtains, or to make toss cushions and slipcovers for furniture.

How To Make Homemade Laundry Soap and Homemade Fabric Softener

2011-09-28T13:22:00.000-04:00

One of the things that I enjoy is to know how things are made so that if I am in a pinch, I can make them up if I have the ingredients on hand. I do this in cooking and I do this in the home. Sometimes, I like to make my own laundry soap and I find it often less expensive than the commercial laundry detergents on the market. It is super easy to make your own laundry detergent with just a few simple, easily obtained ingredients. I can show you how to make homemade laundry soap in just a handful of easy steps.

Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe

When you make laundry soap, the basic recipe remains the same. You will need:

· 1 bar soap (Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Kirk’s Coco-Castile)

· 1 cup sodium carbonate (Arm & Hammer Washing Soda)

· ½ cup sodium borate (20 Mule Team Borax)

· 4 cups hot tap water

· 2 five gallon buckets with a secure lids for storage

· Essential oil for fragrance (10-15 drops per 2 gallons)

· Saucepan

· Used laundry soap bottle/dispenser

Recipe yields 10 gallons at approximately $.01 per load.

Grate the bar of soap into the saucepan and add water to cover. Melt the soap over medium heat, stirring until completely dissolved.

Fill the five gallon bucket half-full of hot tap water. Add the melted soap, the sodium carbonate, the sodium borate and mix. Cover and let sit overnight to thicken. This is the resulting laundry soap concentrate. To use, mix half laundry soap concentrate and half water in the laundry soap bottle. Shake to blend. You will need to shake each time you use to mix up the ingredients. Also, this is a low-foam laundry detergent. If you are looking for a lot of bubbles, they won’t be here. Bubbles don’t clean clothes, detergent cleans clothes and this is pure laundry detergent. If you want to add essential oils, go ahead. Some favorites are lavender, orange, lemon and peppermint. Otherwise, your clothes may smell more like soap, which is also okay.

Homemade Laundry Soap (Liquid Castile Based)

If you prefer liquid castile soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s, here is a homemade laundry soap recipe for that type of soap:

· 1 cup Dr Bronner’s liquid castile soap (any variety)

· 1 cup baking soda

· 2 cups warm tap water

· 1/3 cup of sea or other coarse grained salt

· 1 gallon container (any clean jug or milk bottle works)

In the warmed water, stir in the baking soda and salt until completely dissolved.

Add the Dr Bronner’s and pour into your gallon container. Fill to the top with water and shake to mix. Use ¼ cup of laundry soap per load.

Recipe yields 1 gallon or 64 loads worth of laundry detergent, price will vary depending on the cost of the Dr Bronner’s – which I find price-y.

Homemade laundry soap is very cost effective and it gives you the choice, as a consumer, which ingredients and scents or dyes (if any) that go into your laundry soap. Its impact on the environment is much smaller than commercial equivalents. Each recipe for laundry soap is simple and the ingredients are readily obtainable from your grocery or natural foods store.

For fabric softening, I tend to use just straight white vinegar in the rinse load, and for many things I don’t use fabric softener at all. For items made of silk or other delicate material, I hang them to dry and allow the iron to soften them when I iron. On the clothes like jeans that I do soften, I have not experienced clothes smelling like vinegar, regardless of being dried in a dryer or on a clothes rack (or line). Some people don’t like using vinegar and claim they can smell a faint trace of it on clothes. So, here’s a frugal recipe that is greener than commercial softeners, but which still uses traditional scents and existing materials:

Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe

· 6 cups hot tap water

· 3 cups white vinegar

· 2 cups inexpensive hair conditioner like White Rain or Suave*

· 1 gallon container (any clean jug or milk bottle works)

· Clean rags or old washcloths to turn into dryer sheets (if desired) & a storage box

Mix hair conditioner and hot tap water in a bowl or deep pot until all the conditioner is dissolved. Stir in the white vinegar. Put into the gallon container and shake to mix again. Use approximately 2 tablespoons of fabric softener either in a dispenser ball or the softener unit on the machine. To make dryer sheets, put the rag over the mouth of the jug and tip some out onto the rag. Squeeze to spread the fabric softener over the rag and toss it the dryer with the load to dry. (I tend to line dry 50% or more of my clothes, but for some areas doing so is difficult, so dryer sheets might be helpful to make).

*If you use coupons and combine them with sales, often these inexpensive conditioners can be next to or absolutely free!

So, there you have it! It’s so simple and easy to make homemade laundry detergent and it gives you a sense of control over what chemicals, dyes and fragrances you allow on your body. I always recommend experimenting with the recipe until you find one that works best for you. When you make your own laundry soap, it can feel quite satisfying and fulfilling! It is definitely one of the more fun parts of ‘going green’.

Best Books Ever On Organic Gardening & Composting (In My Opinion)

2011-09-14T10:42:00.000-04:00

Below, I have added my list of the best books ever on organic gardening and composting. I have or have read these books and keep them handy as references when I am working on my organic garden or my herb garden. Various topics covered by these books include companion planting, planting tips, crop rotation, composting methods and natural pest control for organic gardens.

Stephens, James M. Vegetable Gardening in Florida, published 1999. ISBN 13: 978-0-8130-1674-0. This is a great book! It is very simply laid out , very detailed (complete with pictures) and filled with planting tips and information on companion planting. It has pictures and shows you what you need to know. It doesn’t focus on organic gardening specifically, but it does talk about organic gardening and what kind of crops grow well in this climate. I learned about this book from a co-worker who also gardens, and she gave me a copy as a gift. I definitely use and refer to this guide a lot, for zone 9 gardening.
Martin, Deborah & Gershuny, Grace (editors) The Rodale Book of Composting, published 1992. ISBN 13: 978-0-8785-7990-7. This is a definitely 'best book ever' on compost methods and troubleshooting for most areas. There is some complaint about not enough information on composting methods for drier climates, but since I live in a sub-tropical climate, I find this book fits my needs. This Rodale book was a really good investment and I have found my compost bins to be very fruitful, productive and beneficial to my vegetables due to using their composting techniques.
Martin, Deborah, Bradley, Fern, Ellis Barbara (authors) The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control: A Complete Guide to Maintaining A Healthy Garden and Yard The Earth-Friendly Way (Rodale Organic Gardening Books), published 2010. ISBN 13: 978-0-8759-6124-8 This book is definitely my go-to resource for natural pest control for gardens and the recommendations and solutions are often very easy fixes, a lot of which can be made with normal household items or easy to obtain ones (like neem oil). It also talks a lot about how to prep your garden to avoid pests before they start. Another great Rodale book, and highly recommended.
Hamilton, Geoff (author) The Organic Garden Book (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides), published 1994 ISBN 13: 978-1-5645-8528-8. I love this book. It was one of the first ones I read about organic gardening and it is very helpful for beginning and experienced gardeners alike. Another reference book for me, I keep it handy. I like being able to use certain approved standards by which to work, along with tried-and-true methods that help me avoid costly mistakes. It is my encyclopedia of organic gardening.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2012, copyright 2011 by Yankee Publishing Incorporated. Library of Congress Card No. 56-29681 The Old Farmer's Alamanac was one of the first things I ever read about gardening and it still serves me well for planning and planting today. It has never steered me wrong and I buy a new one each year and wear it out until it isdog-eared and raggedy. It addresses companion planting and when to set seeds out, it also deals with natural pest control for organic gardens and serves as a companion to any organic gardening guide.

So, there you have it. These are my top 5 organic gardening books and if you have an opportunity, I would highly recommend picking them up and giving them a read.

Farmers Markets, CSAs and Local Produce Markets

2011-09-09T14:15:00.000-04:00

Because my family consists of locavores and 'mostly vegetarians', we tend to eat a lot of local produce. This can be a budget buster for a lot of people, because it can be expensive and the food doesn't last long. Also, for some people, it can be difficult to find access to a local farmers market and that may make it difficult to eat local produce. One of ouur remedies to this situation has been to use CSAs (community supported agriculture, aka community farming projects) and a local farmers market that offers organic produce that is locally grown.

I have found that our CSAs locally offer competitive pricing. A half share, which has fruit and vegetables, is about $25 for organically-raised, in season produce and is enough to feed three people for a week. A full share is about $50 and will feed a larger group of people, or a smaller group of people for a longer time (if properly stored). Our main CSA is HomeGrown Organics and we make arrangements to pick up our produce nearby, whenever there is a need. The only reservation about using CSAs is you often have to place an order in advance, so it's not a good option for just picking up a few needed items. It is an excellent option however, if you want a regular, weekly supply of locally grown, in-season, organic produce.

Another option is to use produce markets. Often, these offer organically grown, local, competitively priced seasonal produce. Not too far from me, there is a weekly farmers market - the Alachua County Farmers Market. One of the great things about this farmers market is that, in addition to seasonal produce, it offers fresh baked goods, honey, candles, cheese, free-range chickens, homemade jellies and jams and smoked mullet (local catch), as well as wild boar sausage. Some of the vendors will sell vegetable, herb and fruit plants, too. That makes it a convenient, stress-free way to eat local, in season produce. As a person who strongly supports community farming projects, it feels good to spend money to support produce markets and local farmers markets instead of big chain grocery stores.

A lot of areas have food co-ops to join, as well. That can be a very effective way to keep costs down while maintaining access to organic, locally grown and in season produce. A recent development in Alachua County is the Citizens Co-Op, which is a community-owned market. A member purchases a share in the market, and purchases items from the market. The individual will get a dividend, or refund, from the market based on how much money is spent there, reducing out of pocket costs. There are student and low-income shares available, too. Other memberships available are producer memberships and employee memberships, which require more direct contact and support of the food co-op, as opposed to a consumer membership.

The last option is to grow some yourself. While this may not yield the entire amount of in season produce you might need, it will help to cut your costs. Anything you can grow and eat yourself is going to be less expensive and will yield less packaging, less fuel costs and less environmental impact than what you can buy elsewhere. It's fine to start small, with a small container garden on your porch. I have herbs like oregano, basil, chives and stevia on my porch. I also have tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), white beans, eggplant (aubergine) and squash. I am sprouting okra, spinach, bok choi (pak choi), and Swiss chard for the next wave. Since I have been doing this a while, my investment is almost nil annually. In fact, my last bunch of seeds was given to me by a co-worker. I grow organically, so I spend a lot of time reading on organic pest control and optimizing compost and manure for fertilizer. To me, it's worth it. I feel more comfortable and secure being able to control my access to healthy, nourishing in season produce. I don't want to have to depend on CSAs, farmers markets or organic food co-ops for everything. I love supporting them, but ultimately I feel I should be able to take matters into my own hands if needed.

Once you move beyond container gardening, you can start with small bed. I have a pentagonal (five-sided) plot that has herbs like fennel, thyme, tarragon, chamomile and feverfew. I will build some boxes and expand my vegetable garden next year.

I have also been a member of organic gardening co-ops, also known as allotments in the UK. These groups host community gardening plots that you can rent for a season for about $10 or so. (That is what mine cost). UF Organic Gardens was where I had my plot, or allotment. The thing I really enjoyed about this was learning from other gardeners how to do organic gardening, being able to discuss and bounce problems off of other members, and that they had all the tools and seeds readily available for use so no additional outlay was required to get started. What changed for me was the perspective of traveling 10 miles each way to do my organic gardening. The need to be out there nearly daily in the height of growing season caused the fuel expense to go way up. It seemed inefficient to spend that much gas to just be able to organically garden. What I miss about the allotment is the comraderie and the large space in which to grow produce (along with the ease of having all the tools and seeds available). We would also donate in season produce we couldn't use to local homeless shelters in town. I felt really good about that. I also enjoyed the ability to eat local and share in season produce with my fellow co-op members. However, if you have one nearby, I would highly recommend doing it. It is educational, and empowering, to learn how to grow your own food organically.

Eating well, and nutrtionally, is an investment in yourself. Using farmers markets, produce markets, CSAs, food-coops and garden plots (or allotments) can help make that easier and less expensive in the long run. We encourage everyone to become a locavore, eat local and get engaged in community farming projects, even if you're in an urban area.

How To Make Hummus - Easy, Inexpensive & Tasty!

2011-07-14T10:28:00.000-04:00

When money is tight, I hate to compromise my healthy lifestyle to save on groceries. Over the years, I have learned the quality and quantity of certain things are better homemade. Hummus is one of those. While I will purchase store-bought hummus sometimes, often the price point is higher than I would pay and sometimes it contains preservatives I don't like. So, I harkened back to my days working in a French bakery and dug out a recipe I learned there to make hummus, and which I have modified to make my own. I have distilled down the basic recipe for hummus here, and will talk a bit about making gourmet hummus (adding mix-ins and flavors), as well, for fun.

When you make hummus for the first time, don't be intimidated. It's super simple. You just need a food processor or a blender, a rubber (silicon) spatula, and your ingredients. For my part I don't mind 'cheating' with canned, organic garbanzo beans (chick peas) as long as they have no added preservatives. My family size is small, so I just use one can and that makes enough. If I have people over, I might make more than that. Now, there are some real purists out there who like to use dried and soak and cook them before they make hummus. I can't fault them for that - I have done that in the past. It shows dedication and a concern for the quality of what goes into your food. However, when I am trying to be time-efficient as well, I find the good quality canned beans are just fine and the result is the same.

Hummus is a great, nutritious sandwich filler and snackfood. Often, I will make hummus to have with salad, or in a pita for a quick cold supper on hot Florida summer nights. And one of my favorite sandwiches is a pita or flatbread with hummus inside, and sliced cucumbers, sprouts, tomatoes and lettuce. (I also have one variation of this sandwich that incorporates cooked, diced zucchini, sauteed onions and eggplant for a different twist)! Hummus is made from garbanzo beans, or chick peas, and they are high in B vitamins (folate), zinc and protein. They are low in fat and high in fiber, and like lentils they are rather inexpensive to buy if you're on a budget or watching your health.

I will also have hummus on crackers as a healthy snack. I make hummus and spread it on a cracker and top it with fresh diced red or green pepper, or a slice of cucumber or carrot. I will dip carrots, sliced cucumbers and squash into hummus. And to make sure I don't get too bored with it, I will change the flavor of hummus from time to time. Some mix-ins I have used are roasted red peppers minced, artichoke hearts minced, eggplant diced and cooked, spinach cooked and chopped, pine nuts, pecans, walnuts or almonds chopped. I have added chopped seeds like sunflower or pumpkin (done in a coffee grinder), and I have added tobasco for spiciness (also cayenne or jalapeno peppers), paprika, oregano, basil and cracked black pepper for flavor. One of the keys to successful flavoring is to slightly blend or process the mix-in and add that to the hummus first, then fold in the rest toward the end after all blending has been done. This allows the flavors to mingle and keeps the hummus recipe from getting too lumpy.

So, there you go - a quick tutorial on how to make hummus, with a recipe for hummus (and a lot of different varieties), too! Hope you enjoy!

My Top Five State Parks (And Nature Spots) In North Central Florida

2011-07-09T08:49:00.002-04:00

Below, I am providing a list of my top five state parks in Florida, and nature spots. I live in North Central Florida, so these state parks and nature spots are one that I have direct or very near access to. These are places that are kept close to nature and which my family and I love to visit when we want some low-cost fun. We tend to favor places that are near fresh or salt water, but there are also state parks listed that are not near water, as well. Most state parks in Florida charge a nominal entrance fee, but many other nature spots are free. Florida state park fees are an indication, however, of how Floridians feel about their state parks. Most are fiercely protective of these pristine, natural spots as they represent the best of the wildlife and wooded areas Florida has to offer. We are happy to pay to maintain them and frown on littering and destruction of wildlife habitats.

Rum Island Park: Rum Island Park isn't really an island and there's no rum there, either. It's one of the idiosyncrasies of the South. It is a small spring and outcropping on the Santa Fe River in North Central Florida in nearby Columbia County. It is located just past High Springs and is a wonderful place for swimming, drifting down the Santa Fe River, picnicking and just enjoying nature. This is a free park, and it is closed on Tuesday mornings until noon for park maintenance. It is very rustic: There is a set of steps to get down to the spring, a boat ramp, trash cans and there are a couple of picnic tables, but there are two porta-potties and no official bathroom facilities other than that. Overnight camping, alcohol and dogs that aren't leashed are prohibited. There is no entrance fee to this state park.
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park: Located off County Road 232 in Alachua County, The Devil's Millhopper is a sinkhole and hiking trail state park that is popular amongst many visitors to Florida. The sink leads down 120 feet to a minature rainforest, complete with waterfalls. The stairs are steep, and going up can be difficult, so this part might be difficult for those with health conditions, but the remainder of the park contains very walkable hiking trails that give visitors a sampling of native Florida wildlife and forests. The entrance fee to this park is nominal; it's $3.00 per car and it's on the honor system. You put your fee into an envelope, drop it into the receptacle and take a ticket that hangs from your rearview mirror. The park is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but open the remaining days of the week.
Anastasia State Park: Most visitors to Florida state parks expect that they'll hit the beach at one point of another. Anastasia State Park is located in St. Augustine Florida, off State Road A1A. This particular park includes the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, and St. Augustine boasts the honor of being the oldest continuous settlement in the United States. This FL state park is very popular and the fees range from $2.00 per person for pedestrian traffic, to $8.00 per car and overnight camping is $28.00 (which includes electric and water hook up). This park has many amenities, including full bathroom and camping facilities, hiking and fishing. This park is open 365 days a year.
San Felasco Hammock State Park: Located between Gainesville and Alachua, FL San Felasco Hammock State Park is located off of US Hwy 441. It is one of the newest ones added to our list of favorites, and we recently discovered it on a trip to Rum Island. It contains both horse-riding and biking trails. The bike trails can be shared with hikers, but hikers must yield to the bikers. There are picnic facilities, bathroom facilities and horse-care facilities (for grooming and washing down horses). This park has a $3.00 per car entrance fee and very good maps and trail markings. There is a one mile trail (the one we hiked) and a five mile trail, on the bike side. We did not access the horse-riding trails, but I hear they are beautiful . We were struck by the pristine beauty of this hidden spot and had passed the entrance to this state park before, but never tried it. We will certainly be going back.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park: This state park is also located on US Hwy 441, but going south towards Micanopy. Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park was Florida's first preserve, established in 1971. This state park offers camping and hiking facilities, including cabins. It also boasts ranger-led activities on the weekends. The park is open from 8:00am until sundown, 365 days a year and the average fee is $6.00 per carload of people. The prairie is breathtaking and boasts horses and a large herd of bison. It has several hiking trails that showcase a variety of different Florida ecosystems and is a great spot for camping. Camping fees are $18.00 per night, and include water and electric hook ups.

So, there you have it, my top five state parks in Florida. This list was difficult to compile because there are other spots we definitely enjoy, like Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus, and several of the local parks such as the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. However, in the interest of simplicity I kept it to my top five state parks and nature spots, otherwise I could keep going. There are many more we haven't seen and would be interesting in learning about as well, because Florida's state parks are worth exploring and preserving.

How To Make Cheese: Organic Farmers Cheese

2011-06-21T13:27:00.004-04:00

I often like to make organic farmer's cheese on the weekends. In this blog post, I will talk about how to make cheese and some of the different variations of cheese that you can make easily at home, with little fuss. In order to make farmer's cheese, you will need a small amount of kitchen equipment:

A collander
A food thermometer
Some cheesecloth
A stockpot
A large ceramic bowl

And, of course, a recipe on how to make organic farmers cheese.

The most important thing about making farmers cheese is to make sure your equipment is clean, dry and sterilized.. Any time you are handling dairy products, this is key to preventing unwanted contamination in the finished product. I prefer to use metal, ceramic and glass items for this reason, over plastic. Wooden spoons are okay, but a metal one is preferrable for stirring.

A long time ago, these simple recipes were the common property of housewives who didn't often go to the store or market to buy them, but rather did them at home. Specialty cheeses from different regions were bought at market, but everyday food rarely was. Learning how to make cheese was the mark of a good homemaker's education, along with baking bread, and simple stews like pottage.

For my part, I love garlic and herb cheese. Or slightly spicy cheese with cayenne, black pepper and paprika. I keep the milkfat content high because I find that makes a smoother, tastier farmers cheese. I do realize that it makes it less healthy than it could be, but I also think limited quantities are fine. The milk is organic and there are no preservatives in my homemade cheese.

I learned how to make cheese through trial and error. I think one of the things that surprised me most is how much milk is required to make cheese. You might be surprised that a gallon of milk leads to such a small quantity of farmers cheese. I know, for my part, it made me appreciate how much milk goes into the process when you make homemade cheese!

Waste Not, Want Not: Using Leftovers In A Kitchen Sink Soup Recipe

2011-06-20T14:01:00.003-04:00

When I was little, my mother used to make something she called "Kitchen Sink Soup". She learned about it from her mom, who lived through the Great Depression Making soup is super easy, and both my mother and grandmother often saved money on the food budget by putting leftover bits of vegetable, cooked grains, beans, meat and peas into a pot. It was a delicious, nutritious low-cost meal, with salad and bread that could really fill the gap when money was tight. To this day, I use this Kitchen Sink Soup recipe whenever I have leftovers in the fridge I can't figure out how to use. The soup freezes beautifully, by the way, so you can make it year-round. The name "Kitchen Sink Soup" refers to the fact that you can put anything in it, ie ‘all but the kitchen sink’. Today, I am going to talk about how to make a soup, and the many variations thereof.

Often, you’ll have little bits of vegetable or grain leftovers in your fridge in small containers. Or the last remnants of frozen veggies in the freezer. Those are the start of a great soup, in and of themselves! This soup is never boring, never the same twice. This Kitchen Sink Soup recipe can be vegetarian, or sometimes you can put bits of meat or seafood in it, too.

The first thing you’ll need is a large pot, though even a medium sized pot will do. If you use a medium size pot, you’ll simply get less soup! I usually start out with a Dutch oven. I put in 6 cups of water to start (try 3-4 for a medium size pot, more for a stock pot), and put the water on medium, so it slowly boils as I scour the fridge for ingredients. I might chop up half an onion and carrot from the vegetable bin. Cut up a remnant of a zucchini, and a green pepper. There might be some tomato sauce, or left over canned tomatoes to toss in. Canned beans are a fine addition, especially if you all ready used half for another dish. The point is, there is almost no wrong way to make soup. It’s the flavor at the end that determines success. The point of this Kitchen Sink Soup recipe is to keep you from throwing out little bits of veg you don’t know what to do with, contributing to food waste. If you have a little bit of frozen peas or broccoli left, even if it's not enough for just one person, toss that in. A bit of chicken left over? Go on. Or maybe some pot roast ends? Keep tossing. Summer squash, asparagus and green beans next, but remember it is what you have in YOUR fridge. Even if they aren't 'pretty looking', they'll do fine (just nothing truly gone over to the dark side, that should be composted!) Add some salt to taste, maybe some dried herbs like oregano, parsley, basil leaves. Have some left over boiled potatoes? In they go. I clean out my fridge when making my Kitchen Sink Soup recipe and just pile up the empty containers in the sink. The only thing to remember is don’t put the rice, barley or pasta in until the end or it will soak up all of your water! Remember, when you make a soup it is important to taste as you go along, adjusting for your own personal tastes. If the water seems to boil down, add a bit more and taste. Try not to overcook Kitchen Sink Soup – remember, most of the ingredients are pre-cooked, so you’re merely making and seasoning the broth they’re in and warming them up. The main thing to remember when making soup is to balance the flavors – too many strong tasting things like onions, peppers and garlic will give you a strong tasting soup, so also add carrots, peas and other milder vegetables to balance things out.

I love that Kitchen Sink Soup can be anything you want it to be; it can be vegan or vegetarian, or it can be a seafood lovers' paradise, or a meat lover's delight. It just depends on what you have on hand that can be repurposed!

Learning how to use leftovers is an important skill. Not only does it help you keep food on a budget, Kitchen Sink Soup is a healthy meal that helps to prevent food waste, or reduce food waste. I try to stop food waste where I can, using leftovers to best advantage. While we put fruit and vegetable peels in the composter, it seems a shame to put perfectly good food in the scrap heap when all it takes is a little imagination, a large cook pot and some easy instructions on how to make a soup!

Review of Thames & Kosmos Wind Power 2.0 - Build A WindTurbine Kit

2011-06-12T08:51:00.002-04:00

I got a Thames & Kosmos Wind Power 2.0 Kit as part of a rebate for Procter & Gamble's Future Friendly marketing effort. I was all ready going to buy the products that qualified for the wind turbine kit, and the wind turbine kit was a freebie, so why not? It retails for about $39.99 so it's kind of a nice opportunity to make a wind turbine for a low cost. I had always wanted to see the workings of a wind power turbine, because I am green-geeky like that! Plus, this DIY wind power turbine kit has the benefit of being able to, in theory, charge a rechargeable battery using wind power...and that's kind of cool. So, we went for it and are going to show you, through our experience, how to make a wind turbine.

The wind power turbine kit arrived a couple of weeks ago and has been sitting on my dining table until my husband and I had a chance to sit down and read the assembly instructions. The wind turbine we wanted to build had long blades and used about 99 pieces, which sounded like a lot to us (until we started assembling it). I have to say the directions were very well written, probably because this is intended to be a child's project, good for ages 8+. (We figured we qualified because we're very young at heart! lol)

So, we got out all the pieces. Since there were 99, we were pretty methodical about it. A child might not be quite as methodical, so I can advise adult supervision at least initially.

We put the gear box together first -

The assembly wasn't too difficult until we got to the gears. We put them in the way the illustration showed, but there was some issue later on with having to pull them out when it was mostly assembled and put them back in again. We also had to read up on the 1:3, 1:1 and 3:1 gear ratios and test them until we figured out which one gave us the most spin to our blades. (There's not a whole lot of wind in Florida, so we went with 'whatever allowed the blades to turn the easiest').

Then, we attached the LED light and the battery/power storage box , and built the base -

It was at this point we had to adjust the gears, and to be honest neither of us is mechanically inclined in a way that makes us understand gear boxes. Electrical? Sure. I can even repair a VCR, but I am not familiar with gear boxes at all. Still, we managed okay. After all, the bloody thing works!

Last, we attached the blades and gave it a test run -

All in all, this was simpler than we thought it would be when looking at the instructions. There are two little battery carriers that can be attached - the blue one is to run the turbine off a battery and the green one can be used to recharge a rechargeable battery if you have sufficient wind available to do so.

I would definitely recommend this kit - I think kids who are inclined to science would enjoy it and anyway its just fun sometimes to assemble things with Legos and that was what this was like. Apparently, you can also build a car that can be given juice from the wind turbine to propel it forward, though we haven't tried that, yet. I would rate this kit a 4 out of 5 stars.

Clothing Swap Party Rules: Host Your Own!

2011-05-30T09:03:00.005-04:00

One of the best ways to minimize expense and contributions to the growing piles of clothes in the landfills is to host a clothing swap party, or clothing exchange. A clothing swap party is an informal get-together where people bring good quality clothes, shoes and accessories in wearable condition and agree to barter them one for one. Host a clothing swap and everyone walks away with something they didn't have before without spending a cent out of pocket. So here are a few clothing swap party rules:

Everything should be washed, dry and in good repair. If it is a dressy item, it should be ironed. Small repair items like missing buttons are okay, and sometimes people will even swap things with broken zippers, but please don't bring items that are permanently out of shape, that have shot elastic, are stained or unrepairable, or that you wouldn't wear yourself. I realize everyone has different standards, but I think we all understand what raggedy clothes look like. Please don't bring those.
Shoes are fine, as long as they are clean and in good repair. No nicked heels or shoes smelling badly, or stretched out. Again, if you would purchase the items a certain condition then that is the condition they should be in for the swap.
Things like bathing suits, undergarments and socks are worn close to the body and there may be a limited market for these items in your group. Some people are even squeamish about shoes, so please understand this going in so you don't end up offended.
High end items, and high quality items, often hold value well and are particularly prized at clothing swaps.
Make sure to clean out any pockets or pocketbooks before swapping. It simplifies things later on. If you have forgotten and left your library card in a raincoat you bartered to someone, it might be difficult to get it back.
Everyone has the right of refusal and it is not personal. Please resist the temptation to 'sell' your stuff. Just like browsing a store, the customer (swapper) has every right to not choose something belonging to another. If you organize the swap well, everyone should find at something they like in another person's things.
It's also okay to NOT do a one-to-one barter. If someone likes something of yours and you don't mind giving it to that person, that's fine. However, one-to-one barters should take precedence, in order to keep things as even as possible. It depends on what your goal is for attending the swap. If you just want to get rid of things, then that's okay. If you want things back to take home, that are 'new to you', then bartering is a better method.
Items left over from the swap, unless the owners wish to take them back, can then be donated to a local charity shop or donation center.

It is pretty easy to organize a swap party if you follow these basic clothing swap rules. Send out some invitations and feel free to have fun. Put out some sparkling water, juice and healthy snacks. Some soft music on a CD player or IPod also helps break the ice. I recommend inviting about 6-8 friends over and be sure to let them know what kind of clothing swap: men's, women's, childrens'. Will there be accessories (belts, purses, shoes, scarves) included? Hosting a clothes swapping party is certainly an eco-friendly, productive and cheerful way of spending a weekend afternoon! I love to swap my stuff!

Green Living Principles: Quality Over Quantity

2011-05-14T06:24:00.004-04:00

One of the most important things I have discovered on my green living journey is the importance of quality over quantity. This idea plays into many aspects of green living, including simplicity, gentleness on the Earth and handling such driving forces as rabid consumerism. Quality over quantity is a cornerstone of green living principles.

For many people, “quality over quantity” applies in various ways. I have discovered, in terms of food, I prefer an approach that is less about how cheap and easy to make the food is, and whether or not the food is of good quality and is an investment in my health. Quality over quantity, in this sense, means going slightly against my frugal nature, at least on the surface, and embracing an added short term expense to minimize a long term one. I believe, and have learned, that investing in my health now by way of modifying my diet to include organic and humanely-raised animal products will benefit me with lower health care costs as I get older. In the end, it is more frugal to take care of the body I have than try to fix it later on down the line.

I have also found quality over quantity applies in relationships with people. I choose to spend time with people who enhance and fulfill my life, who support me and what I am trying to do and in whose company I feel loved, secure and cared for. I find that so important that I honestly don't have much time for those who do not.

The easiest to understand, though, is “quality over quantity” in the consumer marketplace. How many people buy a cheap, plastic vacuum and eventually have to take it to a landfill because it no longer works, or the plastic cracks, sometimes within five years of ownership? Yes, the vacuum cost $59.99 at WalMart and was quite affordable; it probably met certain manufacturing standards and seemed like a really good buy initially – But, as time went on, it just wasn't a high quality durable good and its function seemed to decline...As a person experimenting with a green lifestyle, this has been a huge frustration for me. My frugal nature routinely encouraged me to buy the least expensive item out there, like the cheapest vacuum cleaner, and that vacuum cleaner would never last long so I would have to toss it out and buy a new one. Is this really frugal? Or would I be better served spending a bit more on a higher quality product that had real durability, and was fixable (if it broke down)? After surveying the landscape to see the cheap quality of everything from toasters to automobiles, I decided the latter was the better course. As a consumer, I can only vote with my wallet. It's time I stopped wasting my power.

Making that decision enabled me to also possess fewer items, overall, as I learned to apply the principle to items such as clothing and shoes. I used to have many, inexpensive and 'trendy' clothes items and shoes that were, almost literally, disposable. This was one area where I definitely did not embrace “quality over quantity”. Additionally, I was also encouraging my daughter to live this way. Sure, we often bought clothes at consignment shops or at clearance sales, so they weren't expensive. But were they of good quality, and could they take the wear and tear? Not to mention we often bought inexpensive shoes as places like WalMart, Payless or Target. Was it any surprise these shoes only lasted a season? In retrospect, it was probably not the wisest expenditure of money. In my experience, not many American consumers question the quality of the items they buy, they just buy them; and forget about the origins of their clothes, or the sweatshop conditions of those who laboured to make them. It often doesn't enter into the consciousness of everyday people.

Over time, I have pared down my wardrobe to essentials. I actively had to choose quality over quantity in this area. After all, I like clothes and shoes. A lot. So, essentials for me included putting a limit on shoes and sticking to that limit. I have a shoe organizer on the back of my door that holds 12 pairs of shoes. For some people, 12 pairs is bottom of the barrel, but I found that was a number I could live with; it gives me three pairs of dress shoes, two pairs of tennis shoes and seven pairs of casual shoes. It's hardly self-deprivation, and I am enjoying the freedom that comes with only having 12 pairs to clean, or polish, and care for. I am actually looking forward to reducing that number, as well, over time. Since I also chose the most well-made shoes to keep, I expect they will have a fair amount of durability and will need to be replaced less often. For clothing, I elected to only keep those items I will actively wear; if I couldn't remember when I last wore it, it was donated to charity. Again, this activity produced a natural retention level and I was able to halve my required amount of closet space and hangers. I kept a couple of items that I wouldn't wear everyday, but which I could foresee a use: a cocktail dress, a business suit, a heavy coat; the rest, all gone. I repeated the process with books, CDs, jewelry and accessories. Now I have things around me that I truly like and enjoy, that will be used, and that add to my life instead of take away from it. If, for some reason, that no longer applies, I have committed to responsibly disposing of the item, either through charitable donation or sustainable practices. That's green living 101.

I appreciate minimalists, the minimalist lifestyle and what they are trying to do, but I also find some of their behaviours more extreme. That kind of extreme frugality has its appeal, but I'd warrant it is limited. appreciate having items of beauty around me, such as art objects, or cushions, sometimes even if they don't have an actual purpose beyond comfort or decoration. I don't need 50 hand-crafted pieces of pottery, however. Six are plenty enough.

It feels kind of freeing, actually, to fall off treadmill of consumerism. Other than replacing items that wear out, I don't feel the need to be at the shopping mall and can easily avoid places that use sweatshop labour, or cheap materials, or which have bad environmental practices. I can be more choosy and discerning as a consumer. I can point my money in a direction to support those businesses with sustainable practices, who pay a decent wage to their workers. While I may never embrace the minimalist movement, I can be mindful and deliberate, instead of mindless and ignorant. I can choose to fill my time with writing, outings with my family, exploring natural parks and truly living life. And It feels pretty good.

How To Make Your Own Yogurt At Home

2011-04-27T11:58:00.002-04:00

One of the things I like to do is make my own yogurt at home. I really enjoy the freshness, and taste of homemade yogurt. I especially like the thicker, Greek-style homemade yogurt. I make and eat homemade yogurt for health and financial reasons, and because most pre-packaged yogurt is made with both sugar, and cow’s milk treated with hormones and antibiotics. Organic yogurt is available, but can be dear to purchase, especially non-sugared, non-fruited varieties. Once you learn how to make your own yogurt at home, you won’t want anything else!

I learned to make organic yogurt at home using this recipe for homemade yogurt. You'll need a small amount of kitchen equipment including:

A food thermometer

A cooking pot large enough to hold the amount of milk you’ve put aside

A heating pad

A clean dishtowel or two

A clean spoon for stirring, preferably metal.

Several small containers, such as a jar or bowl (glass or metal preferred)

A larger container, such as a crockpot sleeve, terracotta pot or canner.

So, first things first. Everything you are using should be clean, dry and sterilized. The heat softens the milk proteins and prepares them for bacterial growth while the other purpose is to keep the milk from growing contaminants. If you let the milk ferment longer than seven hours, your homemade yogurt will be thicker. We use 2% organic milk for our Greek yogurt because we like it rich and creamy. We top our homemade yogurt with fresh fruit, and sometimes honey if we want something less tangy. I have found that mini Ball jars (half size) are ideal for storing and transporting homemade Greek yogurt. It will last about 7 days in the refrigerator, maybe longer. It does not freeze well, in my experience. I use homemade yogurt as a substitute for sour cream in many dishes and salads.
Let me know how it turns out!

What Is A Solar Oven and Where Can I Get One?

2011-04-19T16:35:00.002-04:00

A solar oven, or solar cooker, is a way of cooking food that does not require wood for burning, or natural gas or electricity. A solar oven uses the power of the sun to heat and cook the food. They are very simple to make, and there are multiple designs available. The design for the solar oven I ended up with was a bit of a mix of two designs I found online, due to materials I had on hand or could easily obtain with minimal out of pocket expense. Also, I have included some tips to make the building of your solar cooker easier, based on my experience. In my next blog, I will include a picture of the oven, and hopefully a video of my first test of the completed oven!

Here is the website where I got the inspiration for my idea: http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/

Part of my ‘green genie’ project is to keep each project low cost, so I completed this project with materials that were on hand or free. I didn’t succeed entirely, but I believe the whole project cost me about $6-10 all told.

Here’s what you’ll need to build your solar oven:

1. Three boxes, one with a lid. I like copy paper boxes for size and sturdiness. I used that as the outside box. The inside box should be smaller and fit within the larger box, leaving a gap of at least ½” room to spare on each side (more is okay). The inside box does not need a lid. I used a business envelope box. My third box had to be as long as the copy paper box because that is what I will use to create a sunlight reflector. My cost: FREE

2. Newspaper (or any balled up paper). My cost: FREE

3. A piece of glass or an oven cooking bag. My cost: $2.99

4. A glass cutter (they are $3.79 at Home Depot) My cost: FREE

5. Scissors or utility knife. My cost: FREE

6. A straight edge or ruler. My cost: FREE

7. Aluminum foil. My cost: FREE

8. Flat black paint (tempera, non-toxic spray paint, permanent marker or a mix of soot and flour paste.) My cost: $1.99

9. Stapler with staples. My cost: FREE

10. Black duct tape. I like Gorilla Tape, but it is pricey. (I had this on hand from another project). My cost: FREE

11. Heat resistant glue. My cost: $.99

12. Goggles and gloves for glass cutting & handling. My cost: FREE

I painted the bottom, outside and inside of each box with black paint. I rolled out, measured and cut sheets of aluminum foil for the inside of each box, but left the bottom and outside of each box black. Once the paint was dry, I stapled the sheets of aluminum foil along the sides with the stapler. I set them aside.

For the copy paper box lid, I painted it black, too. Then, I measured a rectangle in the middle of the box, leaving a one inch lip from the edge. The box lid should look a lot like a picture frame.

I am not big on plastic oven bags but they are an alternative if you have no glass and you don’t mind replacing the bag when it deteriorates from heat. I prefer glass and bought a piece cheaply. I went to Goodwill and found an old picture frame for $2.99. I made sure it was made with glass because that’s really the bit I wanted. (I got a quote for having a piece of glass custom cut, and going to Goodwill is by far the cheaper option). If you’re really lucky, you’ll get a piece that matches your box lid dimensions. I wasn’t so lucky and had to cut mine. I used a glass cutter. (This is probably the most labor-intensive and risky part of the project. The first time I tried, I broke the piece of glass and had to use another. Fortunately, I had a spare for that reason.)

You’ll need a stable surface, a glass cutter, gloves, goggles and a sharpie marker. I took my ruler, measured the box length and width, and took my sharpie marker and marked up my piece of glass according to my measurements. I used the glass cutter to score the glass. Gently, I broke off the piece of scored glass. Please be sure to use glove and goggles, because those glass fragments can really hurt!

Slide the piece of glass you’ve cut inside the box lid and ensure a good fit. If your glass fits, you can glue it on the inside of the box lid and set it aside to dry. You can edge it inside and out with the black duct tape if you would like some additional support.

Alternately, you can open your oven bag (splitting it down two sides), lay it flat and tape it into place in the lid. Be aware that although this method is simpler up front, you will need to continually replace the bag each time it wears out due to heat. I have found it has much less durability than the glass method, with longer costs over time (those turkey-sized oven bags aren’t cheap!) Also, it is my experience that the glass retains heat better.

Now, onto the sunlight reflector!

Open up the third box and lay it flat. Cut a rectangle that is the same length and height as your bigger box. If you have a piece that is bent into three panels, like a triptych, that is even better. (I had a piece like that and it really helps with the reflection of sunlight.) Using flat black paint, blacken the cardboard. When it is dry, cover the front side with aluminum foil and staple it into place.

Assuming the rest of your black paint and glue has dried, you can begin assembling the components.

Take your balled up newspaper and place some in the bottom of your bigger box. Put the smaller box inside and add more newspaper around the sides for insulation. This stabilizes the inner box and allows for heat to flow under your inner box, as well as around the sides, for more even, rapid cooking. Place your completed lid over the top, and you’re nearly there! You can, if you like, staple or tape your reflector on, but I find you can just rest the lip at the bottom on the back of the box and fold the side flaps forward a bit it works fine without having to add and remove it each time.

I believe this project took me about 75 minutes, start to finish. (The paint dries quickly on cardboard) It is kid friendly, except the glass cutting. That is something only an adult should do. I would say this project is a good family project, for children 11+ with strong adult supervision.

We are going to give our solar oven a trial run on the weekend, and next week I will post pictures and video of how our oven worked and what we cooked in it, and how long it took to cook the food. Stay tuned!

Build A Rain Water Collection System (aka Rain Barrel)*

2011-04-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

* It is advisable to have your own home with gutters on the roofing system if you want to build a rain barrel or rainwater collection system. It simplifies this project to something that can be completed in less than an hour. If you rent a house, please get permission from the property owner before modifying anything and if you're in an apartment, you'll need a different system.

I am an avid gardener, not only for ecological reasons, but because I am frugal. Tomatoes at $4.99/lb are anathema to me. In leaner times, when the weather isn't great, I will purchase a half share of produce locally from HomeGrown Organics. Their produce is fantastic, and recently they had a Groupon available for more than half off a half share. $25 worth for $12! I bought one, and received one as a gift. We love Groupon! What a great gift! We really enjoyed the produce..and the price break! I will still use HomeGrown Organics in future, when either I am in need or the weather is not good for growing my own.

But now that the weather is great for gardening again and I have no excuse for laziness, I have started my container garden with eggplant, peppers (hot and green), squash (zucchini and yellow), tomatoes (including heirloom), onions, strawberries, figs, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, Swiss chard, kale, green, wax and pinto beans, amaranth, quinoa and various medicinal and culinary herbs. Sounds like a lot, right? Well it is. It requires a lot of TLC, but most especially WATER! Kilogallons of water, to be exact. I was a little behind the eight ball this year with a late frost, so for a month I was stuck watering my plants the expensive way - with a garden hose! Yikes. I spent a ridiculous amount of money to water my plants when I could have been collecting free water.
Yep, free. It rolls right off the roof and onto the ground...unless you get smart and collect it. When I went online to price out rain barrels my first thought was, "Are you people on crack?" Those websites wanted upwards of $200 for a fancypants rain barrel that looked cute. No thanks. Function over form is all right in this case. I figured, I'm smart, and all right with tools and projects, so I should build my own. So, onto Google and YouTube to see other peoples' homemade rain collection projects, and then design my own. (I am no stranger to home projects, I have built compost bins, a solar oven and soon I will be building a cold frame for my winter garden when I get my hands on some recycled windows!)

You'll need the following for this rain collection project:

1. Large trash can (preferrably 32 gallons). I found one of decent quality at Lowe's for $13.98. I saw cheaper ones at WalMart for $9.98, but I wasn't sure about the quality and I am not a huge WalMart person. I would rather use a mom-and-pop shop or get one second hand, but if price and availability were a factor, that might be your option. The garbage can needs to be durable and thick enough to hold water, not just rubbish. You don't want it to fold, or buckle, because, well, that would defeat the purpose.

2. Insect netting. I bought this at Lowe's for about $5-6 dollars. I didn't use the whole roll. I will have some left over for window screening projects (and we have some screens that need it, so I justified the purchase that way). If you can, share a roll with someone else to cut your costs, or see if you can pick up some inexpensive screens that are no longer in use on windows.

3. Dryer vent kit. I prefer the aluminum, rust- and fire-resistant one that comes with two clamps. Mine retailed at Lowe's for $5.97. Your price may vary depending on how far from the gutter you will need to extend the dryer vent kit. My distance was only 24 inches because of where I rested the can and where my gutter was located.

4. Tin snips or very sharp scissors. (I paid $3 for my snips at a yard sale. Those tin snips are a fantastic tool, well worth the initial investment!)

5. A hacksaw. (Borrow one, if you don’t have one.)

6. A staple gun with staples. (Ditto.)

7. Pliers, or hammer. (Ditto, ditto.)

8. Screwdriver. (Ditto, ditto, ditto.)

7. A sharpie marker. (About a buck.)

8. A hose. (Hopefully if you garden, you've got one of these~!)

9. Some bleach, a goldfish or vegetable oil for pest control. (More on that later). It might be overkill, but mosquitoes are a pain in the butt and you don't want larvae in your rain collection system. Not in Florida, you don't.

10. Clean gutters. If yours are full of junk, that will get filtered into your lid, but eventually it will clog up your rainwater collection system, so clean 'em all ready!

OPTIONAL: An old hose with the ends cut off, some duct tape and a pedestal or flat stone to raise/lower your can as necessary to connect it to your gutter system.

First, I measured the distance from where I intended to cut the gutter to the top of the garbage can where I am going to connect it to the lid. That lets me know what size dryer vent kit to purchase. My distance was about 24 inches with the can resting on the garden stone I intended to use for a level surface.

Okay, so now if you've got your supplies and tools handy, here's what to do: Rinse out your garbage can with a hose to start clean. Put your garbage can near your gutter, where you'd like it to rest. I have a garden path stone under my can to prop it up about 1-1/2” and provide a level surface, but it is not required. Open the dryer vent kit (most are usually 4” in diameter and can surround a traditional home gutter) and with your sharpie marker, trace the outline of it on the lid of the garbage can where you’d like to cut your hole. I put my hole in the center, but it is okay to think outside the box if your resources are limited. Put it as close to the gutter system as you need. Then, with your tin snips, cut the circle out of the lid. Put the lid on the work surface or grass you are using and unroll some of the insect netting. Use the lid to trace a circle of insect netting that will fit just inside. Use either tin snips or sharp scissors to cut the insect netting out. With the staple gun, staple the insect netting to the inside of the garbage can lid, along the inside rim. When you’re done, flip over the lid and use your pliers or hammers to bang down the staples so the sharp ends are folded over. (If you don’t do this, your rain barrel can cut you unintentionally). Once the lid is done, you can move on to the can itself.

If you want to use a soaker hose with your can (I don’t, I just use my watering can at this point), you can figure out where you’d like to place it near the bottom of the can. (I intend to do this part when I find a used hose at a yard sale that I don’t mind poking some holes in…) I estimate about 4-6 inches from the bottom will be adequate water pressure to push it out of the hose when the barrel is half or mostly full. Measure the diameter of your hose and draw a circle (freehand is okay) that is slightly smaller than the diameter of your hose. (This is important!) Then, push or force your old hose into the hole. It must be a snug fit, on purpose. The rain collection system will leak valuable water otherwise. Then, using duct tape, secure it inside and out. If you don’t want to use your hose or want to dip a can when the barrel is full, you can hang a hook or hose rack of some kind above the top height of the rain barrel and place the hose on that. Some people use a plastic wine cork. When you pull it down, gravity does the work.

Place the completed lid on the completed can. Then, work on sawing your gutter. (Don’t forget to save the cut off piece, as it can be re-attached later if you no longer have need of a rain collection system. ) Measure the distance again from the lid to where you need to attach it to the gutter. This distance cannot be longer than your dryer vent kit! If your kit is 24” and you need 26”, you’re going to need a longer kit! Longer kits can be cut down with snips or scissors for a custom fit.

Using the sharpie marker, draw a line horizontally across the gutter where you need to cut, to spot it. Take your hacksaw and start sawing. Once you get to the gutter seam, you may need tin snips to help you out. Once the gutter is off, put it aside for storage or scrap. Put your can on its resting place. Undo one of the dryer kit clamps. Slide it over one end of the dryer vent kit. Slightly bend or buckle the gutter (it is aluminum, should require a gentle touch) until it fits into one side of the dryer vent kit and slide up the clamp, securing it with the screwdriver. It should be a snug fit that doesn’t easily come off the gutter. Extend the dryer vent kit until the other end can be pushed into the hole that you cut into the lid. Voila! Make sure the lid to the can is secure on the base and you’re ready to collect water!

Now, the insect netting should keep mosquitoes from putting larvae into your water, however, if your can is not secure at any point they could make it past the netting. For that reason, it is recommended that you either (a) employ a goldfish to eat larvae. They can live in the barrel indefinitely, (b) create an oil slick on the surface with food grade vegetable oil to make laying larvae impossible. This will not damage your garden, or (c) use a capful of bleach to give the water an undesirable PH so they don’t want to lay eggs in it. Pick one technique. DO NOT use combinations of these techniques or you will have unintended results. Don’t mix oil and goldfish (you’ll suffocate the fish). Don’t mix bleach and goldfish (it will kill the fish). Don’t mix oil and bleach. Empty your rain barrel as often as you can. Do not use vinegar – the acidity will kill your plants.

This project is kid-friendly for children 10+ years with adult supervision.

So, what kind of Christmas tree?

2009-11-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

This is a conundrum for me. Albeit, a bit of a manufactured one as I am not a practicing Christian, though I was raised in a Christian tradition and my daughter considers herself one.

But, what's more environmentally-friendly? A fake tree, made of wire and plastic, or a real tree?

The jury's out.

I've had a fake tree for years and comforted myself with the notion that I'm not cutting down a real tree, only to throw it out a month later. But the tree is starting to get old, and shed its little bits (another reason for not having a real tree - clean up!) And yes, I know there are some greener options, such as a tree planted in a bucket, but I think only so many of those can be planted in a person's yard. So, maybe for a year or two. What then?

Perhaps we should phase out the Christmas tree tradition? It is really necessary?

Readjusting Priorities

2009-09-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

It's been about a year since I started this blog, with (as always) the best of intentions. In some things (eating locally, healthfully, naturally) I've been fairly successful. In others, not so much.

Organic gardening was fun, but driving across town 3-5 times a week no longer became practical when my daughter went to middle school. First off, I have to take half my lunch break to drive her to school in the morning due to scheduling conflict, so the remaining 30 mins only allows me enough time to eat quickly and not enough time to drive across town to water my plot. There isn't a branch of the organic gardening co op on my side of town, so I had to let it go. I still have the herb garden, and potatoes and lettuce in pots on my porch. Right now, that will be the best I can do, besides shop at the farmer's market down the road from me.

I don't have a suitable spot in the yard to create another one, but I might co-opt one of my former flower beds and try it there if I can figure out how.

The recycling and reusing project has gone much better. We are recycling and reusing a majority of our waste, with plastics going into the bin and glass jars being reused. We fill up our bins almost weekly now, and we only put out one small bag of trash a week, so that's not too bad. We still buy a lot of second hand stuff, and generally most things bought have more than one use most of the time.

All in all, it isn't possible in today's society to be 100% green without significant effort, but strides are possible. Different choices can be made, I think, to make a life less consumptive, and more environmentally friendly. It may not be possible to grow your own food all the time, but it is possible to make sensible, thoughtful choices like fair trade, organic coffee (pay the true price of those beans!), and free range eggs or local produce.

One Whole Chicken = 4 meals, Kasutera, Yogurt and A Canner

2009-02-01T08:35:00.002-05:00

Okay, well my crowning achievement right now is what I call 'Four+ From One'. I bought one whole chicken (free range, organic) for about $7.00 USD and turned it into four meals. We love roasted or baked chicken, with a little lemon and fresh herbs. We are 'mostly vegetarian' so we don't buy many chickens; one whole chicken is usually enough for two weeks worth for our family of three.

The first meal off the whole chicken was the breast of the chicken, with the skin removed. The organ meats were donated to locate stray cats, as we find them unpalatable. We're white meat fanatics in this house and there is nothing like a tender bit of roast breast meat served with Brussels sprouts and maybe some quinoa, spuds or wild brown rice mix. Simple, filling and delicious!

The second meal was from the darker meat. I took it off the rest of the chicken and broke it into pieces. Using organic chicken broth (made from a previous whole chicken) and vegetables like diced potatoes, celery, peas, carrots and diced onions, with a touch of flour (or corn starch, if you prefer), I made chicken pot pie filling. With a batch of simple whole wheat pie crust, it became a delicious chicken pot pie. In our case, we made a hybrid form of shepherd's pie because I put homemade mashed potatoes on the top just for fun. Whole wheat pie crust is either butter or shortening, flour, salt and some ice water. A simple recipe would go: 2 c whole wheat flour, 1/2 c shortening worked well into that until it resembles loose crumbs, a pinch of salt and about 2 T ice water, dripped in slowly until the dough just holds together. Roll it out on a floured surface and knead until slightly smooth. Don't overknead or your dough will be dry and tough. Roll it out and there you go, pie crust.

I made enough filling with the darker meat for two pies, but chicken pie gets old if you have it repeatedly for two weeks. lol We're a smallish household (3 people) and variety makes eating at home just as enjoyable as any meal out. Especially if one of the eaters agrees to help with clean up! So, instead of another pie I decided to save and freeze the other pie filling to be served over brown rice as chicken a la king. It is a comfort food I had in childhood, and a cinch to make.

Once the carcass was stripped of meat, I tossed it into a stockpot with the necessary veg (onion, carrot, celery, a small potato) and made chicken stock. About 2 quarts worth, actually. lol I froze it in quart containers and it will have a future as chicken noodle or rice soup, or in a casserole of some kind, who knows?

This is the kind of thing that makes my heart sing, you know? When that chicken carcass was finally sent away to be disposed of, it had gotten its full use. And even though meat of this kind can be expensive, we have managed to make it completely cost effective! It's as close to perfect as a frugal green foodie can get!

*********

One of the things that I like about the Internet is that it exposes me to new things. I was looking for a good, simple sponge cake recipe that had few ingredients and wasn't too complicated to make. And of course, I found one. Kasutera, or Castella, is a simple Japanese sponge cake that has a lovely taste and meets all of my specifications for simplicity and ease.

Here is the basic recipe I used:

Kasutera

My cake came out beautifully - gorgeous, light and fluffy. It was an immediate hit in our house and I can see how it would be good for light social occasions. And yes, it really is best the next day!

********

I made homemade yogurt.. It's been a while, but it turned out pretty well. I decided to start making it again after I checked the sugar content in the fruited yogurts (even, disappointingly, the organic ones!) I had been eating. There was a lot of sugar in there. So, I resolved to make my own and eat it with fresh fruit instead.

Like bread, yogurt, once started, is pretty self-evolving. Give it a try! Once the milk has been sterilized and cooled, and the starter added, just put it in a draft-free area (I put mine in a warm 115F water bath in my stock pot inside my oven. Eight hours later, voila! Enough yogurt for a week (I just did 2-3 cups of milk due to household size.)

Once set, I put it into clean glass jars I had prepared at the start and refrigerated it. Done. It's good for up to 7 days.

*********

My splurge, if you will, was a $20 water bath canner. You can do it without a real one, as many a mountain woman or homesteader will attest, but it's better to do it with one. Less breakage of the jars and it really is worth 10x what it costs to buy. The one I purchased online will hold 7 jars, with a rack and is stainless steal with an enamel coating.

Now that we're bringing home large amounts of food from the organic co-op, we're having trouble storing it all. It will be nice to be able to can certain things, and give my freezer and fridge a little breathing space. Plus, it feels like you're being useful, doing something like that. I know when civilization falls apart, I'll be in beans, peas and home-canned and frozen food for a while. Add to that my herb garden, the co-op plot, I bake bread, my neighbors' orange trees and that I recently planted blueberry shrubs in my yard, we'll eat. And fairly well, too. All without pesticides or anyone having control over our food supply, with the exception of meat and dairy. Try as I might, though, my neighborhood covenant won't permit chickens or a cow! lol

My actual goal is to be as independent as possible from mass food conglomerates. We're a long way off, but we're making progress and keeping to the outside aisles of the store 90% of the time, when we go. Fruit, veg, dairy and fish/chicken are the bulk of our diet. The only time we're traveling to the inside aisles is for coffee and grains. (I haven't bought any coffee bean plants yet, but I'll keep you posted! I did, however, contemplate buying quinoa or amaranth to grow in my yard.)

Make Homemade Orange Marmalade Out of Sour Oranges

2009-01-08T12:32:00.002-05:00

The point of this blog - making homemade marmalade from organic sour oranges! We were out at the co-op and there was a bunch of fruit and we took some home over the holidays. More than we could reasonably eat and since I hate to waste food, so I made some of it into organic marmalade without pectin. It's much easier than you think! Over the winter, when a lot of people were gone their broccoli went into flower, as did their lettuce. We had to trim them down and compost them as they became inedible. It was sad to see all that hard work go into a bin, so I became inspired!

I took out my old Joy Of Cooking and looked up an easy recipe for sour orange marmalade. I'd made it before, when I was a kid, with my mother. This time, however, I was on my own. Below, find my recipe for sour orange marmalade.

First, I cleaned (scrubbed) the rinds and washed the fruit thoroughly. Then, I sliced and seeded it. Then, I soaked them in 11 cups of water for 24-36 hours, to soften the rinds and get the good flavorful juices and oils in there. The next day, in the evening, I took out the fruit, removed the pulp and put the rinds into the food processor. While I was doing this, I started the simmering process with the liquor. After bringing the liquid to a boil for an hour, I added the sugar, stirring periodically. I turned the heat down to medium-low so as not to kill the pectin. I continued simmering this way for an hour more until the orange marmalade gelled on the spoon. Then, I turned it off and let it cool in the stainless-steel stock pot.Once it's done, the sour orange marmalade will keep for 6 months in a crock, or longer if you decide to put it into boiled jelly jars. I put mine in a crock for now (it's about 18 jars worth), but I will jar some in the near future to be put up for longer - or to be given as gifts to friends. I have mixed feelings about using the white sugar, but honey and other liquid sweeteners don't work to gel the jelly. It was organic sugar, so I could keep the homemade marmalade recipe pesticide and chemical-free.

So, there it is. Delicious, homemade marmalade. It's very smooth, tasty and makes a great gift!

Michael Pollan Interview On Bill Moyers' Journal

2008-12-03T13:18:00.012-05:00

I watched Bill Moyers' Michael Pollan interview recently; it was an excellent broadcast, and I highly recommend it:

Bill Moyers Journal Two-Part Interview With Michael Pollan

There's more information below on Michael Pollan, and also a podcast to listen to, as well.

Michael Pollan's books have been very inspiring to me, in terms of eating healthier and in a more conscientious way - with regard to using resources and where food comes from. Even Barack Obama has referenced Michael Pollan's papers and articles when attempting to decide what to do about the current food crisis. Like the NY Times Op-Ed here:

NYTimes Op-Ed by Michael Pollan From October 2008

But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and
abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you,
like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the
fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s
food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand
your attention.

Anwyay, it's definitely worth listening to as the weather gets colder and food production and food security seems more on our minds than ever. Does Dr. Pollan have the answers? Who knows? But I do find his research on the subject, and the human tendency to eat what is virtually inedible and call it 'food', absolutely fascinating.

Unhealthy Food Donations & An Injury: Bumps On The Road to Green

2008-11-26T14:44:00.001-05:00

This post I am going to try and tackle the food ethics of unhealthy food donations and talk about my sprained ankle! The injury has limited my green activities like gardening for the present, so I have been left to mull over the ethics of food donations this Thanksgiving season.

Right now, I'm recovering from a sprained ankle. It's doing much better, though they take a while to heal. I'm walking around, but I have to be careful about doing too much and re-injuring it. So, I've not been able to get to the organic co-op as much as I want. I have been managing about once a week, or so. So, I've been having a lot of free time on my hands to ponder things like the ethics of seasonal food donations.. I really struggle with being green in light of things like this. Personally, I've done as much organic/free range stuff as I can afford this Thanksgiving, and I'm giving thanks that I can. But should we be so picky when trying to feed the hungry? Yes, a box of Hamburger Helper or instant Mashed Potatoes isn't healthy and its contributing to the environment, but it's also cheap, filling and appreciated by hungry bellies. It's the whole 'if a vegetarian is hungry enough, he'll eat a burger' argument, which by the way is true. When I was extremely poor, I ate the bland food of the Krishnas for free, gratefully, and whoever else wanted to was welcome to feed me, as well. I wasn't likely to complain or insist on free range, grass fed meat, regardless of how well-intended or important to the environment it might have been.

And yet, eating cheap, industrialized food is exacerbating things. Unhealthy food donations could be part of the problem...It would be nice to wave a magic wand and have all cranberries be organic, and all turkeys grass fed, and all eggs cage-free. But with food prices going up, a 50-cent box of mac-n-cheese is a feast to some.

So, where do you personally draw the line? Ethics? Environment? Full Stomach?

Basic Bread Recipe, or "Hey Man, Can You Spare Some Bread?"

2008-11-17T12:47:00.003-05:00

Whenever people talk about how difficult it is to make homemade bread, I always scratch my head. I've always baked homemade bread in conjunction with other activities, so to my mind bread virtually bakes itself. So, for this blog entry, I want to talk about how to make homemade bread and allay fears and anxieties that go along with it.

For my part, I start the yeast and water with a little honey or organic sugar (aka proofing the yeast), put some laundry in the washing machine. Then I come back, add some flour, bran, salt and oil, (or milk & egg, depending on recipe) put it in a greased bowl and cover it with a clean, dry towel. I set the bowl on the top of a warm stove or in a recessed area away from drafts. Then I go do stuff for an hour (vaccuum, play Scrabble, go for a bike ride, whatever...) and come back. I punch the dough down and knead it for about 10 mins until the gluten in the flour is elastic and stretchy, a bit shiny. Sometimes, I enlist the help of the Peanut Gallery™ to help me. Kids love to hit stuff, especially when its sanctioned and legit. Why not bread dough? Then, it's back to the greased bowl for the second rising. I go do more stuff (put away dishes, move clothes to the dryer, do some ironing...) and it's time to shape it, let it rise the last 15 mins and pre-heat the oven. If I want loaves, I grease loaf pans. If I want rolls, I shape the dough into balls, with the ends tucked under, and place them on a greased baking sheet. Then, I let them rise until it's time to place them in a pre-heated oven. If you want a crisper crust, brush with egg or melted butter, and place a pan of water on the bottom baking rack. Voila! Homemade Bread. It's just that easy.

Or, even easier if you use the No Knead Bread Recipe I found. I will use this one if I don't have the time or energy to focus on kneading.

Now, granted, I don't bake bread every week, and it would be a drag if I had to - which is when I bake homemade bread it is kind of fun still (if utilitarian and useful). It's also cheap. I can make several loaves of bread from one bag of flour. The varieties are infinite. Depending on the kind of homemade bread you want to make, I've used herbs from the garden, or left over mashed potatoes (for potato bread! yum!). I've made challah (it's fun to twist the braids - kids enjoy that, too!) and dried fruit breads, oatmeal bread, millet bread, whole wheat, multigrain...There's something so satisfying to sitting down to a meal where you've grown the food, baked homemade bread and prepared it yourself...and who knows? One day it will likely include fish I've caught and cleaned (though not anytime soon! Haha!)...

Foods to get COOL Labeling

2008-09-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

COuntry of Origin Labeling:

http://http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/09/29/food.origin.labels.ap/index.html

Until now, shoppers have had little clue where many everyday
foods --
meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, certain nuts -- originate.
That's what the
so-called COOL law, for country-of-origin labeling,
changes.
Those who want
to buy local -- or who prefer, say, Chilean
grapes and New Zealand lamb -- can
more easily exercise their purchasing
power. Those worried about lax safety
regulations in certain countries can
avoid those imports. And the next time
tomatoes are suspected of food
poisoning, consumers may be able to tell investigators they bought only ones
grown in a certain region, speeding the probe.

Great news, yeah? Sort of. There are a lot of exemptions, so please still ask. Supermarkets will do this, but the butcher and the fishmonger will not. Foods mixed together are not factored in; still it's a big step towards helping people eat more locally and to avoid contaminated foods.