Almond cheese is made mostly from crushed almonds, but also contains casein, which is protein from non-fat dairy milk.  It gives the almond cheese it’s nice texture.  If you scroll down the Wikipedia page for casein, you will see that it is not without its controversies.  However, neither are any other foods.

Nutritional value is where we see almond cheese really take the lead.  The cheddar information is on top.  As you can see, they both have 7g of protein, but the cheddar has 10% of your daily cholesterol whereas the almond cheese has none.  They are almost tied in sodium, but the cheddar has 9 times as much fat along with 30% of your daily allowance of saturated fats.  The almond cheese also contains MORE calcium (yes, more!) than the cheddar.

I often worry that these weird “food alternatives” are going to be highly processed, but the ingredients list is pretty short and is rife with the word “organic.”  Based on all this information, I decided to give it a try.

My first experiment was to shred it onto my salad like I usually do with cheddar.  It shred perfectly and tasted quite fine.  (There are a lot of ingredients in my salad, so the cheese isn’t necessarily the most dominant.)  I cut off a small piece of cheese and just popped it in my mouth, and that tasted good, too.  It definitely had the same consistency as a block of traditional cheese.  What’s more is I found a bunch of recipes online for making your own almond cheese.  If it’s easy enough to make at home, then it can’t be too processed!

Tonight was my final test – melting.  Well… nobody’s perfect!  I made a small grilled cheese sandwich, and, while it got warm and soft, it never actually “melted.”  Despite this one flaw, I’m really digging the almond cheese.  It’s so much healthier for you and tastes great.  As a devoted fan of Cabot cheddar, I have to say that they do put out a good product that is non-GMO and made in the greatest state in the country.  But if you eat too much of it, it’s going to have its effects.  Try almond cheese for a low-fat alternative.

Growing sprouts is a way of growing your own fresh food no matter where you are.  It requires very few supplies, very little space and is super easy.  Sprouts are very nutritious and can be used for a variety of things, such as salads, frozen nutrient bars or just a snack.

The supplies are easy.  You can make loads of sprouts using just this $15 sprouter.  I bought mine at my local co-op, along with the only package of sprouting seeds they had.  Then you put some sprouts soaking in warm water for 8-12 hours.  Dump out the water and let them sit for another 24-36 hours, and voila!  You have a tasty, nutritious snack!

I don’t think I would get the mixed sprout package again because the red ones never sprouted at all, and the green ones sprouted way faster than the chick-pea-type ones.  It’s probably better to get all of one kind.  You can buy all sorts of organic and non-GMO sprouting seeds here in up to 30 pound buckets!

Because they start out as dry seeds, sprouts make a great addition to your emergency pantry.  In hard times, they provide fresh, living food by simply adding water.

And check out these great recipes that use sprouts!

As it turns out, in place of mercury, they are using a substance called Galinstan®, which they claim is non-toxic.  According to Wikipedia, Galinstan is a family of eutectic alloys mainly consisting of gallium, indium, and tin, which are liquids at room temperature, typically freezing at −19 °C (−2 °F).  Wikipedia goes on to say:

Galinstan is commercially used as a mercury replacement in thermometers due to its nontoxic properties, but the inner tube must be coated with gallium oxide to prevent the alloy from wetting the glass surface.

After searching the web a bit, I could not find anything particularly heinous about gallium oxide to suggest that its presence in the thermometer is necessarily a bad thing.  The full MDSD (Material Safety Data Sheet) on Galinstan can be found here.

The thermometer is made by a company called Geratherm A.G. that also makes digital and infra-red thermometers.  Leave it to the Germans to develop this cool technology.

Although the EPA has not banned mercury thermometers, they do provide this helpful information page about mercury.  Apparently 13 states have individually banned the sale of mercury-containing thermometers, and I was surprised to see that Vermont was not on that list.  I could not find any mercury-containing oral thermometers for sale online, so I think manufacturers are simply not selling them at all.

I decided to give this thermometer a test drive to see how its results compare to those of a digital thermometer.  I did 3 trials with each thermometer to make sure each one gave consistent results.  With the Geratherm thermometer, I got 98.7, 98.7 and 98.6.  Clearly, it is consistent.  With the no-name digital thermometer, I got 98.6 during each trail.

It looks like I don’t have a fever, but I do have two fully functioning thermometers.  The thermometer with the Galinstan seems to work great, and I would highly recommend it for someone who doesn’t like digital thermometers.  Having to flick the “mercury” down in the thermometer brings back fond memories of my mom taking care of me when I was little, so the Galinstan thermometer also appeals to my sense of nostalgia.

The Tar Sands Action group is using a lot of honey today to surround the White House with dedicated progressives who will give the White House a big, encouraging, “You can do it!” hug.  Our message: “We love you!  That’s why we elected you.  Please keep the promises that made us fall in love with you.”

One promise in particular that we’d like him to keep is the promise to ween our country of our addiction to oil, stop global climate change in its track and help us heal the planet.  Granted, that’s a tall order, but he made us believe that it was possible.

Over and over again, the Keystone XL pipeline approval process is being rocked to its core with allegations of mishandling.  It is now painfully obvious that this amazingly important process was not treated with the magnanimity and care that it should have been.

As an honored member of the 1253 persons who were arrested during the first Tar Sands action, I returned to DC for this group hug.  I attended a training/cheerleading session last night and was inspired by the speakers who addressed the group.

	Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and tireless activist, was the first to speak. Download audio file ()
	Then Clayton Thomas-Müller, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network representing First Nations in Canada, gave a heartfelt speech about the social injustices that come along with the pipeline. Download audio file ()
	Lastly, author Naomi Klein, a native of Canada, addressed the group. Download audio file ()

As it turned out, I had a migraine all weekend and chose not to participate in the actual hug, but I knew they were expecting upwards of 10,000 people. As they only really needed a few thousand to encircle the White House, I knew the operation would be a success – with our without me.  Instead, I put together this blog post to allow others to hear these inspirational speakers.  Enjoy!

St. Petersburg has a completely different vibe than Sarasota.  Whereas Sarasota’s downtown can feel a bit “closed off” at times, St. Petersburg is a city built for the people.  The sidewalks on Central Avenue are not made of square, grey blocks but of colorful swirls, bubbles and shapes.  There is a trolley that, for a quarter, will take you from one end of Central Avenue to the other about every 20 minutes.  When you walk down the street, you see people of all ages, shapes and sizes.  There are a lot of homeless people there, but they’re not troublesome… in fact, they are human beings, just like you and I.  They engage you in conversation and give you some pause to reflect on what’s important in life.

There are bike lanes in St. Pete, but not just any bike lanes.  These are bike lanes that are separated from traffic by a barrier.  In other words, you can safely ride without worrying about getting run over by an errant driver.  There are tattoo parlors, art galleries, second-hand shops, restaurants… all inviting to everyone.  Nothing seems “out of my league” here.  The streets have a friendly, welcoming vibe.

As I walked out of a restaurant one afternoon, a man on a stool asked for my leftovers.  But he wanted to give me something in exchange and so asked if he could recite me a poem.  I was giddy at the prospect – how often do you get to hear live poetry?  He asked if I preferred rhyming or non-rhyming, and I, of course, said “non-rhyming.”  He then proceeded to recite a beautiful verse for me, and, in return, I handed over a delicious portion of spanikopita that I’d planned to have for the next day’s lunch.  As it turns out, this poetic fellow is responsible for the colorful chalk drawings you see on the sidewalks of downtown St. Pete.  His name is Jacob, and he stole my heart that day.  I walked off feeling alive and in love with the world.

On the way back to the apartment that same day, I met a man as I boarded the trolley, and, as it turned out, he’d also read David Byrne’s book about bicycles.  We discussed it until we reached my stop.

It is these interactions with human beings that energize my life.  If you dig the people scene, St. Pete is a great place to be.

In just about every way, Florida is different than Vermont.  For anyone who has left their home town and family to move to Florida, it means many things.  When one of your parents needs something, either a sibling or friend has to get/do it for them.  In Florida, generally speaking, there are lots of amenities very close to you… post office, school, groceries.  Your friends are nearby.  In many places, you can live without a car if you choose and take public transportation when you want.  Technology is at the forefront.  Activities abound.

And then there is Vermont.  Vermont moves at an altogether different pace.  I often say about my mother that she has absolutely no sense of urgency… about anything!  The motto here is often, “It will get done eventually.”  Even basic amenities are 2-5 miles away.  When your family needs you (which they do pretty often as they get older), you are there for them, no matter how many miles you have to drive or how many hours you have to spend.  Why?  Because they’re your family.  In Florida, I could work uninterrupted for days, but here I have errands to run for parents and kids.  And I don’t want to act like I don’t have time for them…  grumble and hurry them along…  Why?  Because they’re my family.

When I’m waiting in the hospital with my dad while he prepares for his CAT scan, do I want to deal with clients whose email isn’t working?  No, I don’t, and it gives things a lot of perspective.  Sometimes I have said that life in Vermont isn’t “real” life, but maybe life in Vermont IS the real life.  This is the important stuff… family, helping others, getting a good education.

I am and always will be a city girl in that I like to be able to walk to a coffee shop and mingle with the masses.  I like public transportation and the ability to ride my bike or walk to the post office all year ’round.  I like having all my best friends live within 5 miles of me.  I like having lots of choices of movies to see, restaurants to eat at and bars to belly up to.

But when my 82-year-old father wants to stop at the hardware store on the way home from his CAT scan, and I’ve got clients up my ass who need me to be back at my computer… I think “How many more chances will I get to have this car ride?  Do I really want him to think that I don’t have time for him?”

Being here forces a person to live more in the now.

But more about that later.  I have to go cheer on a beautiful 12-year old girl at a 7th grade girls’ soccer game.

I’ve been following Bill McKibben and 350.org for a few years.  Mr. McKibben is an unlikely activist – he says so himself.  Authoring his latest book, Eaarth, however, catapulted him into the spotlight of the environmental community.  A scholar in residence at Middlebury College in Vermont, Mr. McKibben has become the voice for climate change activism.  He co-founded 350.org and has helped organize several worldwide days of action.

Mr. McKibben has recently embraced the Tar Sands Action – a movement that has organized people around the country to protest the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline via a daily civil disobedience sit-in (or sit-out, as it were) in front of the White House.  Participants are warned that their participation will get them arrested, but that didn’t stopped thousands from signing up and being arrested.

When I heard about this action and the damage that would be caused by the pipeline, I deemed it a worth cause… one so worthy that I was willing to travel to Washington, DC from Florida to participate.  Was I nervous about being arrested?  You bet!

My day to participate was scheduled for August 30th, and since the protest started on the 20th, this allowed me to see what happened on the preceding days.  It looked like things were going as planned and nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

I arrived in DC on August 29th on a flight into BWI.  From there, I took a shuttle to St. Stephen’s Church in the NW quadrant of the city where this night’s training would take place.  I arrived early and the church doors were wide open, so I entered quietly and took a seat in one of the back pews.  Very shortly a woman arrived who was also there for the training, and, as it turned out, she was from Vermont.  She had arrived on a bus with a group of 25 Vermonters who had left on Sunday morning.  I asked her if she could believe all the devastation that had happened in Vermont, and she got a quizzical look on her face.  “What do you mean?”  I couldn’t believe she didn’t know, and I told her a bit of what had happened.  She immediately called her boyfriend in Pittsford and ended up with tears rolling down her face as he told her of the father and son (whom they knew) who had been swept away in the flooding.  (The father’s body was later found but not the son.)

As I sat there, I thought, “This is why we’re here.  Hurricanes aren’t supposed to go to Vermont.  This shouldn’t be happening.”  Soon afterward, the rest of the Vermont delegation showed up, and we sat in a circle out on the lawn sharing stories of what we’d heard of the flooding.  Little did we know the true extent, which is now becoming clear.

Our training lasted 4 hours and included detailed information, from a legal briefing to mock arrests.  They served us a simple vegan dinner and did lots of energy-raising exercises.  Most of all, they made us feel safe.  They assured us that they would stay with us throughout the entire experience – from arrest to release.  We were given their legal assistance hotline and told to write it on our bodies in case we were relieved of everything on us.  (I actually wrote it twice, on my arm and on my leg, along with my niece’s phone number – who remembers phone numbers anymore???)

We were also told to find a same-sex “buddy” among those present.  This person could give us support along the way and we could be responsible for each other.  My buddy ended up being 83-year-old Celeste who came all the way from Portland, OR just to participate in this action.

The support staff seemed wonderful, and they were all very well-versed in getting arrested during this type of civil disobedience.  At the end of the night, I had a slight transportation snafu, and they were so kind and helpful.

Fortunately, I have a niece who lives in Virginia, so I was able to stay with her.  She also agreed to come into DC with me to be my support, which I really appreciated.  We were told to bring nothing more than what we absolutely needed – ID, $110 in cash (to post out of jail) and possibly water or snacks.

We were running a little late in the morning, so when I got off the Metro at the White House stop, I ran across Lafayette Park in hopes that I was not too late to join the action.  As luck would have it, folks were just getting into position, and I slipped in next to my “buddy” – we were actually some of the few people standing to hold up the banner.

Once there, a woman next to me pointed out that Daryl Hannah had joined our sit-in that day!  What a blessing to have a celebrity among us to attract more attention to our cause. The police didn’t wait over a half hour to issue their first warning… our permit to assemble in this area had been revoked, and we were ordered to leave immediately.

I looked around for my niece and located her in the crowd of supporters.  She was taking photos and watching how things went.

About 5 minutes later, the police gave their second warning.  At this point, anyone who was sitting with us who did not want to get arrested got up and left to join the crowd of supporters.  They then gave their 3rd warning and indicated that everyone who was still there would be arrested.

Not surprisingly, the police arrested Ms. Hannah first in hopes that the paparazzi would leave.  They then took our banners away from us.  Then, as expected, they arrested the females first, one by one.  Celeste was arrested right before me, and I prayed that they were be gentle with her.

When it was your turn, the police would grab a pair of zip cuffs off the stack they had placed over one of the police car antennas.  They would ask you to turn around, which we each did without question.  The point of the civil disobedience was to be just that… civil.  We wanted to draw attention to our cause for good reasons – not to be labeled troublemakers.

The police were very respectful – I’m sure they do this all the time.  Once cuffed and “labeled” with a number, we went over to a female officer who frisked us.  They took my Obama pin – probably because it was pointy.  They also took my ID but left my money in my pocket.  I was number 28.  Once inside the on-site processing tent, an officer (most likely the arresting officer) had his picture taken with me.  That was kind of awkward.  I felt like I was at the prom!  I’d like to get my hands on that photo… for posterity!

Then  they asked us if we wanted to Post & Forfeit.  Basically what that means is that we pay $100 to avoid going to jail and without being convicted of anything.  Therefore nothing goes on our permanent record.  If you didn’t do that, you’d have to stick around and go to court.  Celeste was two people in front of me, and when asked whether she wanted to go to jail or Post & Forfeit, she got confused.  I stepped up to her and said, “You have your $100, right, Celeste?”  At that point, she said “Yes” and the officers knew that’s what she wanted.  So, I was glad to be able to help my buddy.

We were then led to and loaded into the meat wagon.  Since it looked like a big van, I expected it to be open inside, but it was not.  There was a thick dividing wall in the middle, which made each half look very small.  I was thankfully the last person loaded in because I probably would’ve felt very claustrophobic to be in the middle or at the very back.  Once they shut the doors, it was sweltering in there.  No fresh air at all.  And, to boot, I had worn a long sleeve zipped overshirt because I had a bruise on my arm and didn’t want to look trashy.

The night before, someone had given us a tip to grab onto the seat belts in the van (since our hands were behind us and we couldn’t put them on).  This was great advice because the 15 minute ride to the station was a little bumpy, and that kept you from bouncing around inside the van.

They opened the door almost immediately upon arrival at the station, but we had to sit there for 15 minutes or so in the van.  I appreciated the slight breeze that came in through the open door.  About 2 minutes later, a member of the legal team came walking up the sidewalk.  Wow, they’re good!

Finally we were able to get out, and the breeze felt SO good.  We were taken into what amounted to an annex of the Anacostia police station.  There were two rooms, divided by a mesh chain wall.  We were asked to get in line according to our number, which we did.  We were frisked again by a female officer, who then removed our cuffs.  It was so nice to take off my long sleeved shirt at that point.

We then had to stand in two lines.  One to be issued our citation for failure to obey a lawful order.  The next to pay the ticket.  Then we were let out of the building.  On my way out, I asked the officer what had happened to my Obama pin… it was an ’08 election pin… you can’t exactly get them anymore.  He asked what my number was, and he ended up finding it, which was very cool.  The support team was waiting just outside the door to direct us to a gathering on the other end of the parking lot.

There I found a group of folks, along with snacks and water.  The legal team asked us to fill out some paperwork so they could keep track of who gets arrested when.  Delightfully, I met a girl who had also been arrested who is finishing up the same degree I’m pursuing at Vermont Law School!  What a great coincidence!  She gave me her contact information, and I’m hoping she can lend some guidance throughout my course.

At this point, I needed to find my niece, who was not there yet.  I borrowed someone’s phone and was thankful for my niece’s number on my arm!  As it turned out, she got a bit lost, through no fault of her own.  I had to wait about 30 minutes (in excellent company), but eventually we met up at the Metro station.  We went back into DC as I really wanted to go to the Capitol City Brewery, one of my favorite spots in town.  We got some food, and I had a beer, and it seemed like a successful day!  We headed back to Virginia on the Metro.

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To see more photos, visit the Flickr page for Tar Sands Action.

Something clicked inside my head.  What better way to make substantive changes to the way we do things in the world than by understanding and influencing policy?

Vermont Law School’s online degree is great in that it mirrors their on-campus degree of the same name, so you know you’re getting the same high-quality education you would get if you attended classes.  Providing an online version of the degree makes it accessible to working professionals and folks in other countries.

Kind of on a whim, I applied for the degree, and, after a few tense weeks of submitting materials, I was accepted!  I am so honored to be studying at such a well-regarded school, and I can’t wait to see what doors it opens for me.

I’m currently in the process of finishing up my orientation for the program, and it is definitely proving challenging.  Hopefully I will get into a rhythm!

Hard water can also form deposits that clog drains and water heaters, which is why many people choose to install a whole-house water softening system.  These systems remove the calcium and magnesium and replaces them with sodium.  Because the resulting water is so high in sodium, it is not safe for most people to drink.  Therefore, when having water softening systems installed, you should never attach it to the kitchen sink.  This way you can still have safe water for drinking and cooking.  The alternative would be the wasteful consumption of bottled water, which I do not recommend.

You can also “condition” your water, which causes the calcium and magnesium particles to become “suspended” and thus unable to cause stains and buildup.  However, this water also gets the added sodium and so is not really suitable for drinking either.

The real lesson here is to consume the water the way Mother Nature gives it to you.  Hard water actually contributes calcium and magnesium, two beneficial minerals, to your diet.  Protecting your pipes and property from the staining and buildup can be done, as long as you don’t include the kitchen sink.

A few weekends ago, I attended the Sarasota County Extension‘s Chickens 101 class, which was held at the Lauterbach farm on Palmer Boulevard.  Janice and George Lauterbach raise their own chickens and also sell chickens.

The class was completely full of chicken enthusiasts and current chicken owners, including Jono Miller of Sarasota C.L.U.C.K. Subjects covered were chicken breeds, necessary equipment, feeding, protection, etc.  It was interesting to see the various breeds and to know that many breeds are actually in danger of extinction because the big factory farms only care about the best layers or best meat birds.  So, by choosing the less popular breeds for your backyard chickens, you are actually working to save some special species of birds.  You can find out about the various chicken breeds using the Handy Dandy Chicken Chart.

One great thing about backyard chickens is that they eat kitchen veggie scraps.  For a vegetarian like me, this means less feed to buy for them.  It feels good when one of my outputs can become an immediate and important input.  We were told that they don’t do so well with onions and avocados, though.  Here is some good information on keeping your chickens well-fed without buying commercial chicken feed.

Biosecurity and keeping your chickens healthy were stressed in this class.  First, it was advised to get your chickens from NPIP rated farms as they have been tested for disease.  (For some reason, the NPIP page on the government’s website seems to be missing… not sure what that’s about.)  Second, watch your chickens for signs of disease and report any sick birds to the appropriate authority.  Third, protect your chickens by disinfecting your shoes and clothes if they come into contact with soil or birds from another property.  Getting NPIP certified is free of charge and gives you plenty of peace of mind, so I would highly recommend it.

Part of the way through the class, we were invited to taste test the difference between store-bought eggs and backyard eggs.  As I don’t really eat eggs, I asked to just try the backyard eggs because I already knew they’d be better!  I put a bit of salt on them and dove into my first real serving of eggs ever.  I was pleasantly surprised by the taste.  I often force myself to eat Think Thin bars to get protein, and it definitely wasn’t any worse than that.  I’m guessing the taste would grow on me – especially knowing how fresh and nutritious the eggs are.

To me, backyard chickens seem like great pets and a perfect next step toward a healthier, more self-sufficient life.  If you’re thinking about backyard chickens, take this short quiz to see if you’re ready.

P.S. I apologize that there aren’t more photos… I can’t find the camera I took them on!