Sky Minded & Ever Growing

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

2013-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, with Halloween over, it means that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday! So, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes; Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins!

Each Thanksgiving morning, as soon as I wake up, I make Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins. Not only are they yummy, but I've found that if I don't eat something first thing in the morning, I'll get busy with cooking and wind up not eating anything until 3:00 when it's meal time! Not good (for me or anyone else, I get really crabby when I don't eat)! So, if I make some muffins, I'll eat them and everyone will be happy!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 cups cranberries, cleaned and halved (or dried and re-hydrated)

Process: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, allspice and salt.  Stir to mix well.
Add the butter, pumpkin and eggs.  Stir until ingredients are just moist.
Stir in cranberries.
Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups (two regular muffin tins) and place in hot oven.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until a tester (toothpick) comes out clean.

Notes:

I usually make 12 large muffins and 24 mini muffins.  This gives us plenty of muffins to eat over a couple of days and gives us some mini muffins to put out for guests as they wait for everything to be ready on Thanksgiving.  I bake the mini muffins for about 15 minutes.
I did not create this recipe.  I found it online in January of 2005 (yes, I still have my original print off of the recipe), but just checked for the website and it no longer exists. Weird. If this is your recipe, or you know of it's origins, please let me know so I can give it proper credit.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

M

2013 Eco Challenge - Food Waste (Reflection)

2013-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh man...I had such good intentions!!!

However, this challenge is a prime example of why one should not bite off more than they can chew! With everything happening in my life (in our lives) right now, I just wasn't able to give this challenge the kind of attention it rightfully deserves. Food waste is something that is regularly on my mind as I am trying to figure out better ways to handle the food we grow, purchase, consume and toss out. However, thinking about something and acting on it are two completely different things.

So, I do believe that this challenge will have to be re-launched at a later date when I feel like I can give it the attention it deserves! Maybe, if you're interested, I'll make it a bit of a group challenge!

Stay tuned!

xoxo,
M

Lately - A few updates and some very exciting changes ahead!

2013-10-31T06:21:00.002-07:00

Hi All! I just wanted to check in with everyone and see how we're all doing! I am way behind on my reading and commenting on blogs and I miss you all for it! I will get caught up with everyone ASAP and wanted to, in the meantime, give you all a short update on what's been happening behind the scenes around here lately!

New Baby - Sprout
As you might know, Sprout joined us at home on October 7th and is absolutely perfect! She is sweet and easy and has turned our lives completely upside down in every way possible! I wonder daily how anyone ever gets anything done with a newborn around! I mean really?! Between the feeding and changing and gazing lovingly into each others eyes, what else is there time for? Needless to say, the 24 hours in each day are not enough to get everything (anything) done, despite the lack of actual sleep-time!

New Opportunity - Capper's Farmer
A couple of months ago I became aware of Capper's Farmer on facebook, an old magazine with a shot at a new life! you know Grit and Mother Earth News, right? Welp, Capper's Farmer was around well before either of them and is experiencing a come-back! In the midst of this comeback, I was invited to blog for them! So, of course I said yes and have been doing my best to send in a submission form time to time! The goal is to get up to one or two posts directly on their site each week in addition to continuing to post here 4-6 times per week. I might be crazy, but that is the goal! If you haven't already, pop on over and check out their site! Also, if you still prefer a hard copy of a magazine to the web version, theirs is gorgeous. Really.

New Community - Village Green Network

At about the same time I joined up with Capper's Farmer, I was also accepted into Village Green Network (VGN) as a Featured Publisher. I applied last summer thinking that, if accepted, I would simply be a part of a community of green/like-minded bloggers that I could learn from and grow with in a casual way. I couldn't have been more wrong! Yes, there is community and learning, but the resounding theme of the majority of the bloggers and the network is the monetization of their blogs in an attempt to make a full time salary while blogging. Not a bad thing, but definitely a huge learning curve for me! Yes, I've dabbled in bringing in a bit of income through ad spaces and a few giveaways, but what we are encouraged to do is serious business!

So, while I try to find my equilibrium within the network you may have seen a few new things happening in this space...like ads on my sidebar and along the bottom of this page and some amazon affiliate links in the text of some of my posts. The truth is, I would love to bring in some income from this space since I devote so much time to it. However, I do not want to lose myself in the process, so I am learning how to find a balance between who I am , what I write about and what I want for the future of this space.

Now, you might be wondering what the heck I mean by "affiliate links". Using Amazon affiliate links simply means that there are text links within the body of some of my posts. If you click on them and are taken to Amazon.com and then purchase anything within the next 24 hours I will receive a small commission (4-8%) on the sale with no extra charge to you what-so-ever. Alternatively, if you place an item in your Cart after clicking one of my links and purchase it within 30 days, I will also get a small commission (again, with no extra charge to you). Additionally, you will find a few eBook scattered about that fall under the same premise except that I am working directly with their authors and will receive a higher commission rate (usually anywhere from 30-50%). These books will only be books I am personally excited about or already own myself and would highly recommend to anyone.

The small amounts of affiliate monies will slowly add up and help contribute to a tiny affiliate income to help support our urban farming endeavors and I am incredibly grateful for every single click a reader makes!

Of course, in addition to all the learning, there is also some f-u-n happening in the way of group giveaways! Did you check out Octobers giveaway? Well, guess what? November's giveaway is equally awesome! Are you ready for it? Here's what we're giving away beginning Nov. 4th...

Pretty cool, right? I am very excited about this giveaway and I hope you will be, too!

Also, I have found some awesome homesteader bloggers that I'd like to share with you ;-) If you don't already know about them, please check out: Five Little Homesteaders, House, Barn, Farm, Blue Yurt Farms, Whistle Pig Hollow, Learning and Yearning, Faulk Farmstead and The Browning Homestead. All of these women have been immensely helpful in my learning with VGN!

New Website - Sky Minded & Ever Growing to Ever Growing Farm
After much thought and debate, while becoming more intentional about this space, I have decided to move my blog over to wordpress and essentially re-brand. I have a dear friend who is helping me with the transition, design and all of my various computer challenges and I am very excited about this transition. This space will contain all of the same information on organic gardening, chickens, bees, and DIYs, the format will just look quite different (as you can see form the below screenshot). We will now officially be a dot com and hope to launch the new site sometime in the next week even though there will be still be some dusting to do behind the scenes!

What does this mean for you, my dear readers? Hopefully it means you will have a better experience when visiting my space! Other than that, you shouldn't have to worry about anything! If you would like to update your reader or your bookmark when we switch over, please do! Otherwise, a "re-direct" will be put in place on the old blogger site and you will automatically be directed to the new site when/if you try to come back here.

I am very hopeful that you all will love the new format/site as much as I do! With all the blood, sweat and tears that have been going into it, it better be a good experience for all ;-)

New Newsletter - Ever Growing News

Along with the new site, I intend to send out a monthly newsletter highlighting both upcoming and recent content covered on the blog as well as a few tips & tricks and any current giveaways! I promise not to clog up your inbox every week nor repeat myself incessantly, though I can't promise there won't be an occasional "announcement" newsletter if something especially exciting is happening! Truly, I would prefer to have my newsletter be something my readers actually want to open instead of it being something you dread seeing in your inbox!

There is a sign up area on my sidebar in this space as well as in the new space or you can sign up below right now! I do hope to see many of you become my newsletter subscribers!

Alright, I think that's enough news for one day, what do you think? Thank you for sticking with me over the past 2 1/2 years and through this new growth period! I am very excited to see what the future brings and am so happy to have you share our journey with us!

xoxo,
M

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Photo Project

2013-10-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

MATERIALS:
A digital camera, a natural or man made object you have access to every day (a tree, flower, tomato plant, backyard chicken, a lamp…), a computer and permission to use it.

TIME FRAME:
2 minutes each day for your own set period of time.
PROCEDURE:

Every day for a set period of time (two weeks, two months, even two years f the item is a perennial or is able to be photographed over a long period of time), take a picture of one item.
At the end of your set period, organize all of your photos into a folder on your computer and do whatever you like with them...create a collage, a stop motion video are two fairly simple ideas.

REFLECTION:
Why did you choose your item? How did your item change over time? Were the changes subtle or dramatic? How were you surprised by the changes that occurred? Could you see them each day or did it take reflection and processing once your project was completed to fully understand the changes that occurred?

CONNECTIONS:

Sometimes, when we see something everyday, we begin to forget that it’s even there! Watching something regularly, intentionally, allows you to really see it for it’s wonderful self! There are textures and details contained within every single thing on our planet that many of us simply take for granted because we are too busy looking at the next thing or simply not looking at all! What are some things (people, plants, animals, etc.) that you could look a little more closely at? How can you make the time to do so?

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

Enjoy this space?  Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Veggie Garden in a Bag

2013-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Source

MATERIALS:
A bag of organic topsoil, organic vegetable seeds, scissors

TIME FRAME:
60 minutes

PROCEDURE:

With permission, go out into your yard and find a spot that you can plant your own little garden in. Remember, your space will need to get 6 to 8 hours of sun each day and need to have access to a water source (though you can hand water if necessary).
Place your bag of topsoil where it will stay. The average bag of topsoil measures ~3 feet X 2 feet, so make sure the spot you pick is big enough to fit your bag and has enough room to walk around.
On the back of your bag, cut several small holes that will act as drainage for your plants
Carefully turn your bag over so it lays flat on the ground and cut a square out of the top of your bag, making sure not to cut the sides of the bag.
Following the instructions on your seed packets for depth and spacing, plant your seeds and gently water them.
That’s it! Now you simply have to water them regularly, watch them grow and enjoy them when they mature!

REFLECTION:
Where did you place your bag and why? Which vegetable (or vegetables) did you choose to plant? If you could grow more vegetable or fruits, what would you grow? How does it feel to plant seeds and watch them grow knowing that they will feed you soon? How can you continue to grow some of your own foods?

CONNECTIONS:

Growing a few of your own vegetables not only ensures that you can grow them organically, it also allows you to have immediate access to a healthy snack while helping the environment at the same time! Imagine if everyone grew just one or two of their own vegetables!

TIPS:

What can you do if you don’t have a yard? Well, if you have a balcony or a sunny window, you can still grow your own vegetables and even a few flowers or herbs! Check out the self-watering containers activity for instructions and tips for growing veggies in small spaces!
You can also use this project to chart germination rates and/or growth rates

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

Enjoy this space?  Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Expanding Ripples - Call for Submissions

2013-10-25T06:41:00.004-07:00

The social and environmental issues we are facing these days can feel incredibly overwhelming, big and unchangeable, despite our continued work to affect positive change in our own lives.

This feature highlights individuals and organizations who are working for positive change...taking small (and large) steps to create positive change for our environment and in our communities. I firmly believe that passion and action are priceless and that one person can inspire countless others...just like the expanding ripples in a pond are caused by a single disturbance.

Do you know of an individual, small business or small organization that has inspired you and you think deserves to be featured for the change they are affecting on the world around them? Have you worked hard in your professional or personal life to affect positive change and would like to be featured? If so, please email me at trinityvision3(at)gmail(dot)com with the answers to the below questions or comment below with any ideas or suggestions!

Examples of past features:
Fed By Threads
The Itty Bitty Book Company
Eco Footprint
Balloons Blow

Questions to answer :
(each of which can be tweaked a bit to fit your specific experience)

Tell us a little about yourself or your business/organization...
What inspired you to begin the work you do?
What do you love about what you do?
Is there anything you would change about what you do?
What new skills have you learned through your experiences and how have you applied them to other aspects of your life?
What have been your greatest challenges in ___ (fill in the blank depending on your specific content and focus)?
What can people do on a daily basis to affect change in the world around them? (this can be generic or specific to your area of focus)
Is there anything else you'd like people to know?

Please also include in your email to me:

2-4 high quality photos related to your content
Links to your website/blog and facebook page, where applicable

Live the life you've always wanted to live

by Paulo Coelho

Even if you were to study your own life in detail and relive each moment that you suffered, sweated and smiled beneath the sun, you would still never know exactly when you had been useful to someone else.

A life is never useless. Each soul that came down to Earth is here for a reason.

The people who really help others are not trying to be useful, but are simply leading a useful life.

They rarely give advice, but serve as an example.

Do one thing: live the life you always wanted to live.

Please feel free to email me at the above address with any questions you might have!

xoxo,
M

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #133

Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits

2013-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits are my absolute favorite biscuit to make and have become a Thanksgiving tradition because 1)Fish Girl always helps me with the prepping of all the herbs that go into them and 2)Brother could eat every single one I make, and would if I let him. He LOVES them and that makes me happy. Unfortunately, I don't tend to make these biscuits any other time of the year. I don't have a reason not to, I just don't, and I know I should change that, which is why I'm posting this now; as inspiration!

This recipe comes out of The Thanksgiving Table.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 tbsp ice cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh sage
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil for brushing


Process:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pepper.
Scatter the butter over the top.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are no larger than peas.
Add the herbs and buttermilk, stirring just to blend well.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then, using your fingertips, press the dough out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick
Cut 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or use the rim of a drinking glass.
Reshape any remaining dough and cut more biscuits
Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet
Brush the biscuits with olive oil and place in hot oven
Bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown


Notes:

Thanksgiving specifics: Freshly baked biscuits can be complicated with everything else that is happening on Thanksgiving, so I make the biscuits ahead of time and put them in the fridge.  After we pull the turkey out and let it rest, I put the biscuits in the oven while the turkey is being carved.  Then, they go from the oven to the table, piping hot!

Enjoy!!!

xoxo,

M

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #133

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Bee Friendly Flower Patch

2013-10-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

MATERIALS:
Seeds (preferably native to your area), ~5 square feet of garden or yard space, garden gloves, permission

TIME FRAME:
60 minutes + growing time

PROCEDURE:

Once you’ve gotten permission to plant some seeds and have reviewed where they will be planted, begin by assessing the soil. Wild flowers don’t require the same quality of soil as fruits and vegetables, but will do better with soil that is as weed and rock free as possible. This might require some weeding or removal of rocks.
Once your soil is ready, follow the instructions on the back of your seed packets and sow your seeds.
Water gently and leave alone.
Wild flowers have an amazing ability to take care of themselves! If you live in a dry area, water them as necessary. If you live in a moist area, they just might be able to take care of themselves!
Once they have matured and are flowering, take a few minutes each day to observe all of the insects that are utilizing the beautiful space you have created for them!

REFLECTION:
How easy was it to decide where to sow the seeds for your flower patch? How did you choose which flowers to plant?

TIDBITS:

Bees absolutely love Russian Sage! If you are able to plant Russian sage in your yard it will not only help the bees, but know that it is also drought tolerant! Once it establishes itself, it requires very little attention and no artificial watering!

TIPS & IMAGININGS:

Think ahead and plan a color themed flower plot! You can also plan your plot by the height of the fully mature flower! Have fun with it, be creative and remember; wild flowers are just that...WILD! Enjoy the diversity of them!

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

Enjoy this space?  Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

2013 Potato Harvest

2013-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well, despite our best efforts and great plans, our potato harvest this year has been another failure. Let's look at the numbers:

German Butterball

Planted - 5 lbs

Harvested - 3 lbs 1 oz

All Blue

Planted - 2.5 lbs

Harvested - 2 lbs 14 oz

Sweet

Our sweet potatoes were a bonus this year as they were only planted after a piece of a sweet potato was thrown in the compost and decided to sprout. When we found the sprouts, I took the potato and plopped it in one of our raised beds. The foliage was gorgeous and it is possible that there are a few more potatoes in there because I haven't dug out the entire bed yet, but so far I've only found one single (beautiful) sweet potato weighing in at 13 oz.

The verdict

We will no longer attempt to grow potatoes on our little farm. Potatoes are, unfortunately, in no way worth the time, effort, or money it takes to attempt to grow them. The monetary cost, in water and seed prices, far outweighs any of our tiny harvests. So, going forth, potatoes will be off the Grow List.

I have to say, I am quite disappointed. We purchased good quality seed potatoes, set them up on drip, added good soil and straw regularly to "hill them up" and even pinched their flowers in an attempt to boost their spud growth. All to no avail. With growing space at a premium, there are other crops that could easily be planted in their place that would produce much more bang for their buck!

Moving forward, we'll leave the potato growing to the experts! I guess that gives us one more item to add the Farmers Market shopping list!

How did your potatoes do this year? I sure hope that your potato crops fared better than ours!

xoxo,

{this moment}

2013-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

{this moment inspired by Soule Mama}  

If you're inspired to do the same, please leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all of us to find and see.

xoxo,

M

Simple Autumn Harvest Stew

2013-10-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, in trying to figure out something mild* and comforting for us to eat as we hunkered down with Sprout while the winds whipped around outside, I decided to throw a bunch of items in a pot and see how it all turned out! If you have been around this space for a while, you know I don't do well without following recipes, but I was feeling a little adventurous, so I just dove in and trusted it would turn out OK!

Guess what? It was more than "OK", it was absolutely delicious! Score! Here's what's I did...

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts sliced in half
1 package bacon
1 small Butternut Squash
3 medium potatoes
2 large carrots
2 apples (sweet)
2 quarts low sodium chicken stock

Process:

Place your Dutch Oven (or large pot) on the stove over medium heat
Cut up bacon into 1 inch pieces and crisp up in Dutch Oven
Cut the carrots, potatoes and butternut squash into 1/2 inch chunks
Remove bacon from pan and set to drain
Saute chicken in bacon grease, turning once, until cooked through
Remove chicken from pan and set to cool
Place potatoes, butternut squash and carrots into your Dutch Oven and stir to coat in the leftover bacon grease
Pour in both quarts of chicken stock
Peel and chop your apples into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks and add to the pot
Peel your cooled chicken and add it to your pot
Simmer for ~45 minutes over medium heat until all veggies are tender but not too soft
Once cooked through, stir in your cooked bacon to warm
Serve hot, preferably with fresh, buttered bread (though crackers work just as well)

Notes:

The bacon contains enough saltiness to not require any additional salting
*This stew is considered "mild" because of the lack of herbs, spices and tomato base. Oh, and no onions or garlic. Each of the ingredients are easy on the digestive system with the exception of maybe the bacon (depending on your system). We are watching Tool Lady's food intake since she is breastfeeding Sprout and Sprout's system is still so new and sensitive.

Enjoy!!!

xoxo,

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #132,
From the Farm #56

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Photo Scavenger Hunt

2013-10-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

MATERIALS:
A camera, scavenger hunt list below or one you’ve created on your own.

TIME FRAME:
30- 60 minutes

PROCEDURE:
Using the list below as a guide, go for a walk with your camera and take pictures of the following items. Find as many of them as you can!

Something smooth
Something rough
Something brightly-colored
Something green
Something slimy
Something wet
Something that has cracks in it
Two stones or rocks of different sizes
Two stones or rocks of different colors
A flower
Movement
An insect
Pinecones
Two different kinds of leaves
Bark
An interesting-looking twig
A small, furry creature, such as a squirrel
A bird
A pet (such as a dog)
Moss
Grass

REFLECTION:

Which was your favorite item to photograph? Were there any photos that you didn’t like? Why or why not? Which items did you photograph that were not on the list? If you were to create your ideal Photo Scavenger Hunt, what items would you put on it?

IMAGININGS :

Imagine that there are no boundaries! Imagine that you can take a photo of anything you’d like and call it anything you’d like! What would you photograph? Would you photograph something someone else might call smooth, but you thing it is the most fantastic, textured object ever? Use your imagination, get creative and don’t be afraid to label things however, you want to instead of how everyone else things you should!

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

Enjoy this space?  Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

2013 EcoChallenge - Food Waste

2013-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I wanted you all to know that I am very excited to be participating in the NW Earth Institute's 2013 EcoChallenge as a Community Team EcoChallenger! The challenge runs October 15 - 30.

What is the NW Earth Institute's EcoChallenge?

In their own words, "The EcoChallenge is an annual event that challenges people to choose one action to reduce their environmental impact and stick with it for two weeks. Individuals and teams pick a category—water, trash, energy, food or transportation—and set a goal that stretches their comfort zone and makes a difference for themselves and the planet."

How am I participating?

To kick off my first ever participation in the EcoChallenge, I have decided to focus on Sustainable Food Options with a specific focus on limiting food waste. With so much food going to waste every single day in the US and around the world, I would like to bring attention to the problem through writing about it in this space as we assess our own food waste and work towards lowering how much we waste on a meal by meal basis. By focusing our attention on our intention I know we can affect change in our own home and I hope we can inspire others to do the same!

Why is food waste an issue?

Source

Source
Click to enlarge

How can we reduce our food waste?

Here is a helpful infographic and some information directly from the EPA website:

http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/

More food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in municipal solid waste (MSW). In 2011 alone, more than 36 million tons of food waste was generated, with only four percent diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting.

How Can I Divert Food From Landfills?

Source Reduction/Prevention
Preventing food waste before it is created

Feeding People
Donating fresh, wholesome food to those in need

Feeding Animals
Feeding safe, fresh food scraps to animals like pig farms

Industrial Uses
Rendering fats, oils, and grease and turning it into products or biofuel

Composting
Turning food waste into a valuable soil amendment

Anaerobic Digestion
Turning food waste into renewable energy and a valuable soil amendment

Why Divert Food Waste From Landfills?

***

Need more? Here's another thing to think about in relation to food waste:

Expiration dates on food packages mean very little:Nine out of ten Americans needlessly throw away food according to a new report on expiration dates and sell-by dates.

But there are people who are thinking outside of the box and trying to come up with clever ways to use those "expired" foods: "It's the idea about how to bring affordable nutrition to the underserved in our cities. It basically tries to utilize this 40 percent of this food that is wasted. This is, to a large degree, either excess, overstocked, wholesome food that's thrown out by grocers, etc. ... at the end of the day because of the sell-by dates."

What will we be doing to reduce our personal food waste?

Honestly, at first I wasn't sure where to start! It all feels so big and so ingrained! Habits, even wasteful, horrible habits, are hard to break! However, after reading Meatified's 21 Ways to Reduce Food Waste and Food Shift's Reduce Your Waste, I feel quite equipped and inspired!

Here are a few things we will be implementing:

We will create a meal plan for the next two weeks being realistic about the food we have and the food we need to buy. This weekend is our shopping weekend, but that doesn't mean we have to purchase items just to purchase them. Intention and planning will be key here.
We will get better about leftovers. We are notorious for putting foods nicely in containers to use later and then never use them. It's a huge issue. Planning our meals should also help with leftovers.
We will create an "eat first" shelf in the fridge and actually use it. When we purchase our groceries every two weeks, I rotate our groceries so the older items sit in the front of the fridge, but they're still on several different shelves. By creating a single shelf where all of our "older" food will go, it will be easier to see and, in theory, easier to grab and eat.
Keep a freezer bag for food scraps and peels. When it's full, turn it into stock. I did this once or twice before and then stopped. I have no reason for stopping, I just did.
Track our trash. While I'm not yet sure how this will exactly be implemented, I am going to do my best to track the food that goes in the trash.

And here are a few things we already do and will continue:

Don't trust printed food expiration dates. One can easily smell and taste any dairy product or eat a cracker that may be past it's official date to test it out.
Compost - we already have a compost bucket that lives in our kitchen. We are quite proud of our compost pile and happily feed it, but we would probably be better served to feed ourselves more intentionally first ;-)
Store leftovers in glass/see through containers so there is no mystery as to what might be in there.

As I think about this challenge, I wonder if two weeks is really long enough to make an impact and change some of our habits. I'm already thinking about extending it, but maybe I shouldn't get ahead of myself. In the meantime, I will check in here a couple of times before the end of the challenge to let you know how it's going. I will thank you in advance for helping to keep us on track!

How do you manage your food waste?

Please share any tips or tricks that have worked for you in the comments below! Let's learn form each other!

xoxo,

Homemade, Simple Baby Wipe Solution

2013-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Throughout Tool Lady's pregnancy, we talked about all of the things we wanted to do for Sprout, for health reasons, environmental reasons and for economical reasons. We talked about making our own wipe solution and cloth wipes, using cloth diapers and, in the future, making our own baby food (preferably from our own garden), to name just a few of our ideas.

While baby food is a ways off, making our own wipe solution for Sprout has been one of the easiest and best DIYs we've done! I have to say, too, I feel so much better knowing that we're not putting a bunch of chemicals and ingredients I can't even pronounce on her brand new skin!

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 tbsp baby liquid castile soap
1 tbsp Burts Bees Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil or extra virgin organic olive oil
2 drops tea tree oil
5 drops of lavender or other essential oil for scent (this is optional, so far we have not added any scents)

We simply store our solution in a wide mouth pint sized mason jar so it can easily be carried where ever we need it because, you know, babies aren't always changed in the exact same spot every time, even when you have an official changing table.

What are the ingredients in our homemade wipe solution?

Dr. Bonner's Baby Liquid Castile Soap:

Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol

Burts Bees Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil
prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, tritium vulgare (wheat) germ oil, tocopheryl acetate, fragrance, tocopherol, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil

Tea Tree Essential Oil - 100%
Benefits - Kills bacteria and fungus, and reduces allergic skin reactions.

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 100%

Benefits - Moisturizer (especially helpful in the high desert). In addition to adding it to the wipe solution, we have also used olive oil as a direct moisturizer on Sprout since her skin is still adapting to the outside world and is quite dry.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

And what are those chemicals and ingredients mentioned above that I can't even pronounce?

Pamper's Clean N Go Wipes:

Fragrance(s)/perfume(s), Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG- 16/16 Dimethicone, Citric acid, Benzyl alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Water, Xanthan gum, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, 3-Iodo-2-propynylbutylcarbamate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate

And according to the US Department of Health & Human Services, even the "sensitive" wipes can be quite intense (and not much different than the wipes above)!

Pamper's Sensitive Wipes:

Matricaria (chamomilla recutita) extract, Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG- 16/16 Dimethicone, Citric acid, Benzyl alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Bisabolol, Sodium phosphate, Water, Xanthan gum, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, 3-Iodo-2-propynylbutylcarbamate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate

Now, we do the best we can with what we have, and while I would love to be feel like we could afford to purchase everything in its organic form, we simply cannot. However, as long as I have a choice, I will keep Sprout away from as many chemicals as I can for as long as I can. I mean, really, look at that tender, new skin!

xoxo,

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #133

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

How to Plant Garlic

2013-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Garlic is, hands down, my favorite and most used spice! Whether it's whole and roasted, chopped and simmered (or sauteed) or in powder form, it goes in pretty much everything savory I make in the kitchen!

Who:
I always purchase my seed garlic from either Seed Savers Exchange or our local Farmers Market and would recommend the same.

What:
Use Seed Garlic. I know that seems like a silly thing to say, but seriously - use seed garlic. Either order it from a source you trust or ask the vendors at your local market specifically for seed garlic, don't just grab some garlic off the shelf at the grocery store, cross your fingers and hope for the best. I've done that, it ended poorly...You'll be happier for taking the extra step.

When:
Between September 15 and November 30 is the best time to get it in the ground. I usually shoot for sometime before Halloween.

Where:
Garlic loves loose, rich soil with lots of organic matter and a pH of 6.5.

Why:

Planting your own garlic allows you to grow diverse varieties of garlic and get to know which are your own personal favorites.
There's also something about knowing that there is something working in the garden despite to snow and cold throughout the grey months.

How:

Keep your head of garlic intact until you are ready to plant, then break it into cloves right before planting (keep the "paper" on each clove).
Each clove goes in the ground pointy end up (root end down) and ~2 inches below the soil.
Each clove should be 4-8 inches away from each consecutive clove in the row depending on which variety you choose.
Once you've covered your cloves with soil, apply 6 inches of mulch over the top and let it be for the winter (we use straw as mulch pretty much all the time).
Your garlic may sprout before winter fully sets in...don't worry, it may get frost bit where it peeks through the mulch, but it should recover perfectly.

Happy Planting!

xoxo,

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #132,
From the Farm #56

Introductions

2013-10-12T11:07:00.001-07:00

Hello World, meet Ember, our tiny, perfect, baby girl.

Sun spot!

Little wisps of light brown hair.

She loves her big sister!

Bo the Cat is very curious, but keeps her distance so far ;-)

She was born at home via a water birth and with the help of our phenomenal mid-wife, her amazing apprentice and one of our dearest friends at 6:04pm on Monday, October 7th. She weighed in at 7 pounds of absolute perfection and is 21 inches long. Mom did a wonderful job bringing her into the world and truly, I could not be more proud of her.

Our days have since been filled with eating, sleeping, lots of diaper changes and the slow meeting of family, friends and pets. Many hours have been spent simply soaking in every nook and cranny of her tiny body and getting to know who our little girl is. We are beside ourselves with love and adoration for her.

It really is amazing to rediscover how much love can fit inside a mothers heart.

I hope that whatever you're doing today, it is joyful and full of love.

xoxo,

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Climb a Tree!

2013-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

MATERIALS:
Sturdy shoes, weather appropriate clothing, permission.

TIME FRAME:
As long as you want!

PROCEDURE:

Find a nice, sturdy, healthy tree with lots of thick branches and begin climbing it!
It doesn't matter how far up you go ( as long as you’re being safe), just climb up there and observe the world...observe how you feel, how the bark feels.
Relax, enjoy and get done’ safely as soon as you’re ready.

TIPS & IMAGININGS:

How is your perspective different while up in the tree?
Bring your Nature Journal and draw a picture of the world you see from ground level, then draw it from your raised perspective.
Always let a grown up know that you will be outside and what you’ll be doing and always use both hands while climbing your tree :-)

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

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Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Seed Saving

2013-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

MATERIALS:
Several small envelopes to put the different seeds you collect in, scissors, a pencil or pen

TIME FRAME:
As long (or as short) as you’d like!

PROCEDURE:

With permission, go on a walk during the fall, winter or summer and look for old, dead flowers
The heads of most flowers contains the seeds for the next generation of flowers, this is what you are looking for!
Once you find a patch of dead flowers, carefully cut off the head of a few of the flowers. Please be sure to leave several intact so new flowers can grow in that spot next year.
Place the seeds from each type of flower into an envelope and label it If you know what kind of flowers they are, great! If not, don’t worry! You can grow them next year and learn!
Upon returning home, lay your seeds out on a cookie sheet and allow to dry completely.
Once dry, place them in envelopes and store them until it is time to sow them in your own yard!

REFLECTION:
What varieties of seeds did you collect? If you are unsure of some of the varieties, how can you find out what they are before they germinate next season? Where did you collect you seeds from? Did you meet any new people while you were collecting?

CONNECTIONS:
Historically, everyone was responsible for saving their own seeds for the coming planting season...you couldn’t simply go to a store and purchase them like you can now! If you couldn’t gather your own seeds, you could trade (barter) for seeds if someone wanted some of your seeds and you wanted some of theirs.

TIPS:

Cosmos and marigolds are very easy seeds to collect and save and are very easy to grow as well!
Always ask for permission before going on to someone’s property and gathering seeds from their plants. Most people will be happy to share their seeds with, but you must ask first!

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

Enjoy this space?  Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Fried Green Tomatoes - Three Ways

2013-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Late last week we were given a Freeze Warning. Even though it should go with saying that it was inevitable, I was just not ready for it and absolutely did not plan ahead. So, after a long week at work, I came home on Friday night and began to harvest everything that would not survive the night if i didn't tear it out. Sans gloves and with the help of a headlamp, I harvested the last ~26 pounds of our 2013 tomatoes, ~14 pounds of which were green.

In the past, we have laid every last one of our green tomatoes out on a table in the garage to ripen up over the course of several weeks. However, while most of them have ripened in the past, there is always a handful of tomatoes that just never turn and instead, shrivel up and mock me.

So, this year I am determined to use as many of our smaller, super green tomatoes as possible while they're still green and what better way to do this than by making Fried Green Tomatoes! In my exhausted daze on Friday night, I posted a picture of a few of our green tomatoes on my EverGrowing facebook page and come Saturday morning, I had a couple of recipes to try!

Fried Green Tomatoes - Take One
Judith offered: My Dad always swore by the simple version: Dipped in flour, then egg and finally in crushed saltine crackers before frying. Delicious!

I made a batch just as stated above.

Fried Green Tomatoes - Take Two
Ellen offered: For fried green tomatoes, you can fry them in canola or bacon grease. We don't really ever eat crackers, so I dip them in spiced flour (garlic powder, salt, etc). Also, it needs to be a higher heat when frying or they will be mushy.

I spiced the flour with a little garlic powder, salt, pepper and tiny pinch of cayenne.

Fried Green Tomatoes - Take Three
For the third piece of my experiment I winged it and used blue corn corn meal as the final layer.

The Steps

Heat your oil of choice in a deep pan on medium-hot heat
Gather your green tomatoes (I used both Romas and Cherokee Purples)
Slice them into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
Dip a tomato slice in plain flour
Then dip it in eggs that have been beaten with a little splash of water
Last, dip it in your chosen flour mix
Carefully place your coated tomatoes into the hot oil
Remove tomatoes from oil with a slotted spoon after 4-5 minutes
Set to drain over a strainer over a bowl
Eat hot (but be careful, they will be hot!) and enjoy!

The Verdict
I wish I could say there was a clear winner here, but all three recipes were great! The only things I might change would be a bit more cayenne and some corn starch to Take Two in order to spice and crisp them up a bit more than they were. Now I'm on the hunt for the perfect dipping sauce!

What is your favorite way to fry up green tomatoes at the end of the growing season? Please share your recipes or links in the comments below!

xoxo,
M

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #132,
From the Farm #56

Enjoy this space? Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Hot Sauce DIY

2013-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we have just completed our very first fermentation project! With all of the Cayenne Peppers we grew this summer, I've been looking for ways to use them up and (like I mentioned a little while back), Andrea's Homemade, Homegrown Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce sounded like a perfect addition to our winter stores!

Following Andrea's directions, I filled two pint jars with our most recent harvest of Cayennes, a bit of salt, lots of garlic cloves (5 or 6 per pint) and some filtered water, capped them, shook them up and put them on the shelf in the pantry for two weeks.

When my waiting period was up, I dumped both pints into the blender and blended away! I then strained out the pulp and seeds, capped both pints again and put them in the fridge where they should last for up to a year!

Now, what will I use a pint and a half of hot sauce on? Well, probably some chicken wings at some point, but first up will be my mom's amazing (and super simple) Tuna Patties with her special sauce so stay tuned and get cracking on your own hot sauce so you can be ready when I post the recipe!

What's your favorite way to use hot sauce? Have you ever made your own before? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below!

xoxo,

Enjoy this space? Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Germination Rates Experiment

2013-10-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

MATERIALS:
Old seeds (3-5 varieties), soil, seed starting tray or deep cookie sheet, a window, masking tape and a marker or pen

TIME FRAME:
15 - 30 minutes + germination time (3-10 days)

PROCEDURE:

Fill your seed starting tray or your cookie sheet up with soil.
With your finger tip, create a shallow row in the soil for each variety of seed you have (if you have four varieties, make four rows).
In each row, place one variety of seed following the directions on the packet for depth and spacing.
Using your masking tape and marker, write down which seeds were planted where and attach the tape to the side of your germination tray.
Using your Growth Chart write down which seeds your planted in which rows and how many of each variety were planted.
Gently water your seeds and place them in a warm and sunny location.
Using your Growth Chart track which seeds germinate first, second, third, etc. as well as when each sprout grows it’s first true leaves and any other information you’d like to jot down.

REFLECTION:
Which seeds germinated first? Did all of the seeds in each variety germinate? Germination is dependent on many factors; age, moisture, sunlight...What other factors could affect the germination of seeds? Imagine these seeds were outside and not protected within your home. What are some possible factors that could affect their germination then?

TIPS & IMAGININGS:
Light, heat and water all factor into how well each seed will germinate. Imagine that your seed is a tiny little baby (it is!) and you must care for every need so it can grow up to be healthy and strong (just like you)! Luckily, the seedlings won’t be running around like you do, though!

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,

M

Enjoy this space?  Please vote for me by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Ever Growing Giveaway - Excalibur Food Dehydrator!

2013-10-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

Happy October!!!

I have been wanting to offer a larger giveaway for my faithful readers for quite sometime now, but the cost of purchasing a large item on my own to give away is pretty cost prohibitive at this point. However, thanks to several of my fellow bloggers, I have been given the amazing opportunity to participate in my first ever group giveaway! After putting the options to a vote on my Ever Growing facebook page last week, the item of choice was obvious!

What's the prize?

I am so very excited to announce that, along with 9 other bloggers, we are giving away the Excalibur Food Dehydrator - 9 Tray Stainless Steel Electric Dryer - DS900S with BPA Free Plastic Trays!!!

The Excalibur is the Rock Star of dehydrators and features:

9 large trays, 15" X 15" each with BPA free mesh screens
26 hour timer and automatic turn off when the set time is complete
Adjustable Thermostat - 95 to 155 degrees F

Enter to win your own Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator!

FOLLOW THESE FOUR EASY STEPS TO WIN!

1) Click to take a closer look at the Excalibur DS900S and check out the terrific features! After reading about it come back here to complete steps 2 & 3.

2) Subscribe to EVER GROWING ROOTS, our monthly newsletter highlighting the latest posts and Urban Farming tips from Ever Growing! * indicates required

For more chances to win, be sure to visit this giveaways co-hosting blogs!

Nourishing Herbalist

The Skinny Pear

Don't Mess with Mama

Blue Yurt Farms
Rethink Simple
Natural Family Today
Learning and Yearning

Five Little Homesteaders

Happy HealthNut

If you don't already like my Ever Growing Facebook page, pop on over and give it a "like" so you'll always know about the latest & greatest upcoming giveaways!

Note: If you cannot see the Rafflecopter widget below, click here to see the widget and enter now.

A winner will be chosen via random.org. We will announce the lucky winner on Tuesday, October 15th, 2013. The winner will have 48 hours to contact (nourishingherbalist at gmail dot com) with his/her full name, address, and phone number. There is no purchase necessary to win. This giveaway is open to everyone, but the Excalibur Dehydrator will only be shipped to U.S. or Canadian residents. Winners who live outside of these areas will receive an Amazon gift card in the amount of the item sale price on Amazon.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo,

Grow, Harvest, Eat

2013-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was an absolute whirlwind of activity! Do you ever feel like you need another weekend to recover from your weekend? Yeah...me too! Happy Monday!!!

There was the work on the chicken coop first thing Friday morning in order to help make the Ladies a bit happier after all the rains and mud and chilly nights we've been having. Then there was the freeze warning on Friday evening that forced me to come home and harvest by headlamp after a very long day and work week in general.

Then there were the errands and shopping followed by the tearing out of (pretty much) the entire garden on Saturday...We made through Friday nights freeze warning but are facing more throughout the coming days and weeks. I figure with the baby coming, I should just get as much done as I can now instead of worrying about it later.

After the garden was torn out (with the help of an amazing friend) we made our way up into Fish Girl's old room and turned it, officially, into a Guest Room/Studio by moving around the furniture and bringing my drafting table up into the space. The room has amazing light throughout the first half of the day, so I am very excited about actually being able to paint again now that I have a designated space.

Finally, Sunday was filled with cooking and preserving in the form of a pot of tomato sauce, 10 lasagnas (yes, finally...one large and nine two serving smaller lasagnas for easy meals once the baby is here), roasted beets with coconut oil and balsamic vinegar, tomatillo salsa, seven quarts of pinto beans, 11 pints of celery soup base, fried green tomatoes and brownies.

Tired? Yes. But, man it feels good to have some things done before our Little One joins us!

Grow

With the big tear out, there's very little growing and producing in the yard right now beyond a couple of luffa and some greens and we are patiently waiting for the potatoes to fully die back. I still have not planted out all the starts under the grow lights, but that will have to happen this week along with the hoop house going up to protect it all from our cold nights.

I did receive our garlic in the mail a couple of days ago, so that needs to go in the ground soon, too.

Harvest

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to tally up all of my final harvest numbers, but I will get to that at some point this week and see where we're at goal-wise. I know we are no where near where I hoped we be when I set my goals (550 lbs +), but I guess Nature had different plans for our area this season. There really is only so much one can have control over ;-)

Harvest totals for the past two weeks:

Carrots (mixed) - 4 oz
Chard - 8 oz
Corn - 3 lbs
Cucumbers

Lemon - 9 oz
White Wonder - 10 oz

Eggplant

Early Long Purple - 12 oz

Mint - not yet weighed
Onions - 1 lb 2 oz
Peppers

Shishito - 6 oz
Ring-o-Fire Cayenne - 1 lb 9 oz

Rhubarb - 4 oz
Rosemary - 2 oz
Sage - 4 oz
Squash

Butternut Squash - 2 lbs 4 oz

Thyme - 2 oz
Tomatillos - 2 lbs 3 oz
Tomatoes

Black from Tula - 6 oz
Cherokee Purple - 1 lb 11 oz
Small Sweet Red Cherry - 5 oz
Indigo Rose - 14 oz
Orange Flesh Purple Smudge - 2 lbs 12 oz
Roma - 4 lb 14 oz
Yellow Taxi - 4 oz
MISC. green tomatoes - 13 lbs 12 oz

Eggs - 45

Eat

I won't pretend that we've improved our habits exponentially in the last week, but both Tool Lady and I are trying very hard to not work 10-12 hour days every day and eat out for (pretty much) every meal. Harvesting so much from the garden on Friday has helped us plan many of this weeks meals and will also help me figure out how to better plan our plantings for next year so we can better utilize the space to grow what we will actually eat when times get tough.

Breakfast
French Toast with sausage
Veggie Omelette with Bacon
Cereal with berries
Protein and berry shakes
Breakfast sandwiches
Bagels and cream cheese

Lunch
Lasanga
Cheese Ravioli
Sandwiches
Vegetable Fried Rice
Salad with turkey

Dinner
Celery Soup
Vegetable Lasagna
Green Chile Stew with squash
Tuna Patties
Butternut Squash Ravioli
Shrimp Quesadillas
Tamale Pie

Snacks
Tomatillo Salsa with tortilla chips
Roasted Beets (with coconut oil and balsamic vinegar)

What are you growing, harvesting, planning and eating in your neck of the woods?  Please share your stories and links in the comments below!

xoxo,

M

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Linking up to Harvest Monday and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #92

Consumerist Culture & Dryer Maintenance

2013-09-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

I recently received the following comment on my DIY Dryer Maintenance post that read:

"Wow, a dryer ? It's always interesting to see how other "cultures" do things, I have never even owned one, a dryer that is. The clothes hang out on the line, the sun does it's thing.

No carbon pollution from burning electricity, no money spent on electricity, money saved in purchasing and money saved in repairs.

I DO appreciate the DIY approach though. good job :)"

At first I felt a little taken aback...almost defensive. But that feeling quickly shifted into gratefulness for the reality check (and the kind way with which it was given).

We have worked very hard to shift many of our habits towards the more environmentally friendly over the past few years, but there is still much work to be done. Using a washer and dryer for our clothes is one of those shifts that has not happened yet and probably won't for the foreseeable future. We could pipe our grey water to cover some of our water costs and recycle in that way, but we don't have enough non-edible landscaping for it to really make sense at this point. We could hang our clothes out to dry, but we live in a very dry climate and right next to a very busy street which equates to dusty, smelly clothes by the time they've dried (which wouldn't take long, but the smell would not be OK).

This whole thing begs the question, though, of the conveniences so many of us live with that aren't even options or on the radar of so many other people across this beautiful globe of ours. We are, here in the US, consumers. We define the word. And while we are making small changes to our daily lives, it often feels as though it is just not enough to affect enough change for it all to be worth it.

But it is worth it. Every small step is worth it. We just need to take so many more small (and giant) steps towards changing our habits so that we can leave this planet in better shape than our generation came into.

Have you thought about such things? Do you live in a consumerist culture and think about what you could be doing differently and how to implement those changes in your daily lives? What things would you change? Or, do you live in a place where habits like ours surprise you? Which habits surprise you the most?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below so we can learn from each other!

xoxo,
M

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How to Re-Hydrate Dried Cranberries

2013-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to make a recipe with fresh cranberries only to find that cranberries aren't in season or easily available? Yeah, not fun, right? Luckily, dried cranberries are pretty much always available and are super simple to re-hydrate for your recipe!

Process:

Measure out the amount of cranberries needed for your recipe and pour them into a bowl or a pot
Pour enough hot water over the cranberries to cover them all
Cover your bowl or pot to keep in the heat
Let sit for 20-30 minutes
Pour off water* and strain the cranberries
Use just as you would fresh cranberries

Keep in mind:

3/4 cup dried cranberries = 1 cup re-hydrated cranberries

Easy-peasy, right? Gotta love it!

*Water-wise tip
When straining or rinsing foods, catch the water in a large bowl instead of letting it run down the drain, then water your compost pile with it!

xoxo,
M

Enjoy this space? Please vote for me daily by simply clicking here. Thank you!

Linking up to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #92