Sustainable Living: Rain = Blog Time (Weeks 12/13)

Spring brings new life, including baby squirrels. It was fun to watch Mama Squirrel teaching her babies how to jump a couple weeks ago (first two pics). Our theory is that she was trying to keep them off the ground because she lost her last two litters to the neighbor’s dog. And she has been successful, as I see them hanging out in the trees at the back of our lot lately. Though, they were experimenting with climbing on the house, which Mama did not like (last two pics).

For me, the semester ended yesterday when I posted official grades. Thus, I have lots of time to work on my sustainable living goals. Although the last two weeks have been hectic, I’ve found cooking and tending my plants a welcome escape from the inevitable end-of-semester chaos. I finally made the toaster pastries (pictured below, before and after baking). After making them, I’ve decided I need a stock of dough disks in the freezer and a stock of jam in the cupboard. Then, they would not seem so labor-intense. They were delicious! My husband and son think they need to be smaller with frosting and more jam. Aside from the jam, the recipe contains no added sugar, so I understand they want the dough to be sweeter. Fortunately, The Homemade Pantry provides a recipe for frosting.

Now on to gardening, toward which the progress is astounding! I’m only waiting on two kinds of seeds to pop. I planted more butternut squash seeds for sharing with others, but I did not start them in eggshells this time. I’ve ended up conducting an experiment of sorts and discovered that the squash seeds I planted in eggshells popped in about three days, while the ones I did not start in eggshells have yet to emerge after at least a week. So, the eggshells really do provide a boost, at least for squash. Could the sunlight be a factor too? It has been cloudy for the last week, whereas the seeds in eggshells received many hours of constant sunshine. The other seeds I’m waiting for are lemon trees, which I just planted (in eggshells) today. Six seeds should ensure at least one good tree, and if I get more, I will give them away. I wonder if lime trees are as easy to grow.

This morning, my husband Bob put the green beans in the ground after he spent several hours over a few days constructing a pest-resistant place for them to grow (pictured below). Last week, I spaced out my carrots and kale, which made them happier (pictured below). I transplanted the largest tomato and found that some of the other tomatoes were egg bound (pictured below), so I dug them up, broke off the shells, and put them back. I added more soil to the peas and have watered them liberally. Voila, they are blooming (pictured below)! My lavender has emerged, at last. I lost my lettuce basil to overwatering and am hoping to save what’s left of my lime basil. We are preparing the mounds for putting the zucchini, butternut squash, cucumbers, and apple melons in the ground. The beefsteak tomato seedlings are growing like mad, and the beets and peppers are taking their time (pictured below). Spinach takes a few weeks to germinate but grows strong quickly.

After cleaning out a cupboard today and finding an old bag of African violet soil, I did a little research to make sure it would be okay for roses. In the light rain, I mixed the violet soil with a bit of coffee grounds and mounded it up around my four rose bushes. I am determined to get them to bloom this season, as they didn’t last year. The lack of blooms is caused not only by my negligence but also by Asian beetles. They LOVE rose bush leaves! I will use the sack traps this year to keep the beetles off my roses, and I will apply a healthy mound of soil with a blooming agent around each bush. That should do it! A couple weeks ago, I transplanted my ferns away from the side of the house because we are installing vinyl siding and I don’t want them trampled. After transplanting, a bunch more came up than usual, and I will need to transplant them as well. My goal this week is to get my flowerbeds in shape for the season, which includes laying decorative blocks to form a berm around two old stumps and two new bushes in the very front of the house; planting all the hostas we acquired; and moving my tulips.

In closing, I want to share my Monday mini-adventure to Nachusa Grasslands, one of the most successful prairie restoration projects in the country. The best part? It is within 10 minutes of our country home. Bob, my son, and I met a class of reclamation students there Monday morning. One of the leading reclamation experts in the country took us on a tour of several areas in different stages of planting. He helped us identify a myriad of plant and animal species thriving in the conservancy. I took clippings from cream indigo and lupine (pictured on the left below) to attempt propagation for my yard. Turns out, I had no idea at the time I took the clippings that the lupine is extremely endangered and required for the sustenance of the karner blue butterfly, which the conservancy may reintroduce. The diversity of life there is magical! The next best part (okay, really the best part)? They have brought bison (a pure breed) back to the Midwest as part of this project. The bison were not visible on the tour, but afterward, the three of us took a side road in our van and were able to barely pick them out in the distance. Seeing this project gives me so much hope for the restoration of over/misused parts of the earth! I plan to volunteer at this prairie often. So much work is required to collect and process seeds not only for this site but for restorations around the world. If you love the outdoors, this is a great way to spend your time.

Now, onto at least one of the two book reviews I’m behind on…

Thanks so much for reading!

Sustainable Living: Gaga Over Gardening (Week 10)

When I started gardening this year after years of not gardening, I planned to grow a few basic vegetables. “Keep it simple,” I had said to myself. BUT I should know better by now that I tend to go overboard when I decide to do anything. AND I have gone overboard, but I’m giddy about it. I’m having so much fun planting, growing, and sharing my seedlings and story with others. Again, the Law of Attraction is at work in my life!

Today, as we were leaving for the store, my neighbor stopped over to give us some onion plants and chives. We made plans to exchange more goodies. She has oregano, and I offered to give her as many zucchini and green bean seedlings as she would like. Bartering is the best and easily accomplished with veggies and herbs!

Gardening has become a second job. This week, I planted cilantro, lavender, apple melons, lime basil, lettuce basil, lemongrass, onions, beefsteak tomatoes, and white cucumbers. The onions and lemongrass have sprouted already, and my cherry tomatoes and butternut squash popped as well. Despite our initial thought to grow everything in pots, we’ve decided to plant the zucchini, cucumbers, and butternut squash in mounds where the old garden used to be in the backyard. We will plant the green beans along the back of the deck. This week’s goal is to get these veggies in the ground. I’m going to refrain from taking on more than that in addition to tending new seedlings because I’m wracked with grading and student conferences. I hope I have some time to spend on the flowerbeds, but we’ll see…

Last week, I transplanted the tomatoes and carrots into bigger pots. They seem happy. I prepared the homemade vanilla extract and will wait three weeks for it to be ready. It’s beautiful! I bought chicken wire for composting and have been saving kitchen scraps, contributing more to my waste reduction goal. I’ve struggled with my kale. It is puny and unhappy. I read that it likes the cold, but does that mean it won’t grow at all in the heat? (Hopefully, one of you can shed some light on this problem.) I was told I need to continuously plant new kale seeds, but the at-least month-old seedlings I’ve got now are only about an inch tall. Is it worth trying new seeds? Perhaps I should abandon my kale dreams and resign to buy it. I want to grow my own because I usually end up wasting about half of what I buy. Anyway, I think I learned from GreenEggs about saving unused seeds for next year, so I have started rolling them up and placing them in a jar that I will store in the refrigerator.

I’m going to cut this short because I would like to spend some time working on another book review and reading others’ blogs. Thanks for the views, likes, and comments. Keep ’em coming!

Sustainable Living: Big Picture, Baby Goals (Week 9)

We hit the motherlode Friday at two estate sales. For about $80, I got almost everything I will need to prep and can food with all the veggies I’m growing, plus some other stuff we’ve been patiently waiting to purchase used. Our haul included a canning pot with a box of medium-sized jars and lids, Sunbeam standing mixer, old high-quality blender with a glass reservoir, set of knives, set of cutlery, blanching pot, watering can, large cherub garden ornament, gas-powered weed whacker, porcelain-coated teapot, industrial food processor, splitting axe, two long planters, like-new window air conditioner, old cookbook (with a recipe for zucchini relish!), box of Christmas cards, hummingbird feeder, small manual grass seeder with grass seed, and two ornate wooden kitchen chairs.

To top it off, I brought some seeds and seedlings to a friend (pictured below), and she gave me some seeds. She likes to buy “weird” varieties, the kind I would never venture to try. So, I ended up with several previously unknown (to me) varieties of lavender, lettuce basil, lime basil, lemongrass, white cucumbers, beets, and apple melons. I didn’t record the exact names; thus, I can’t illuminate their strangeness. I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised.

This friend also showed me her compost pile, which I’ve decided to emulate for its simplicity. (I read several articles and blogs about it, too.) She just throws scraps in a fence corner and turns it every now and then. I don’t have a fence corner, so I will use chicken wire to fence off a spot in my yard for tossing buckets of kitchen scraps and whatever else. With the Week 9 goal only a matter of buying the chicken wire, I consider it accomplished.

As in the past weeks, I exceeded the goal. This morning, I resurrected a trellis for my peas made of small volunteer trees I cut out of the side yard last weekend. I secured the pots to the deck railing with bungee cords because the trellis now makes them vulnerable to wind. Viewing the picture I took of the trellis reminds me of when we saved our Quonset hut from going to the dump. Our Greek sculptor friend became too incapacitated to sculpt and had to sell his property. (The roadside attraction with some of his work is pictured here. George has since passed away. His obituary is here.) His wife allowed us to take a few items before clearing the property for the new owners. The Quonset hut is one of the items. We are now using it as temporary storage for our building materials as we remodel our town house. The hut will eventually become a permanent greenhouse at our country house.

Of course, we continued to tend our seedlings, and I planted some new seeds this week, including spinach, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, and butternut squash. I intend to plant some onions yet today and maybe the basil and lemongrass. Happily, I can report that the potatoes and red peppers are beginning to sprout (Finally! I was starting to wonder.) Our Brandywine tomatoes and Black Valentine green beans are hardly seedlings anymore.

Finally, I’m delighted to report that my order of pectin and organic vanilla beans arrived. So, I need to stop by the Amish farm to see if I can purchase some frozen berries from last year. Then, I will be able to make the jam for the toaster pastries I’ve been wanting to make. With the organic vanilla beans, I’m going to make my own vanilla extract. (The bottle I intend to use is shown in the first picture in this post, making the extract functional and aesthetic—my ultimate desire for all things.) My use of The Homemade Pantry is underway!

As for next week’s goal, I’m going to keep it extra-simple because I suspect I will be super-busy with teaching responsibilities. (The end of the semester is near!) The goal is to plant more seeds, transplant seedlings, and cook some homemade food.

AND I will continue to spread the Sustainable Word wherever I go to whomever will listen! I appreciate your camaraderie and readership!

Sustainable Living: Big Picture, Baby Goals (Week 8)

In light of reading The Jungle Effect, I’m thrilled that I have already incorporated some of Dr. Miller’s findings from exploring indigenous diets around the world. For example, I am:

• Growing much of my food
• Learning to prepare and store food
• Purchasing mainly whole, unprocessed, local-grown, organic foods
• Reading labels to select the healthiest versions of processed foods
• Preparing whole and simple processed foods in combination for synergistic health effects
• Eating many of the foods she recommends on a regular basis such as organic milk, kefir, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, organic meat, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, cabbage, squash, green beans, olive oil, garlic, flax seed, vinegar, oregano, kale, kefir, potatoes (small, waxy, with skins), lemon, walnuts, free-range eggs, raisins, apples, ginger, and dried fruit.

I will build on these healthy habits by integrating new ones and more of the foods she recommends. I definitely need more fish and greens. In fact, this book has solidified my plans to undertake a small-scale aquaponics operation at my rural homestead because it is growing increasingly difficult to find nontoxic fish. I assume the fish recommendations Dr. Miller provides in the book are outdated given recent nuclear disasters and oil spills. Thus, I’m not willing to trust any third-party sources of fish, although I am hopeful that the organic fish market will become a viable option soon.

In general, I’m buoyed by the myriad of food and sustainability movements in the world that may deliver us back into a healthier era. Industrialization has given us lots of great inventions and social improvements but has introduced new problems for which solutions are desperately needed. Upon reflection, changes for the good are possible when the masses are paying attention and poised for change.

As for my sustainable living goals, I caught an illness earlier this week. It’s been running its course through most of my students and settling on my husband who had almost recovered when I caught it. I mistakenly thought it had passed me by, but alas, it got me. With extra doses of apple cider vinegar and ginger-infused tinctures, I was able to conquer it in a few days versus the 2- to 3-week cycle I’ve witnessed in others. Despite the illness, I managed to make cereal bars from The Homemade Pantry (easy, convenient, and delicious), order low-sugar pectin to make the jam I need for the toaster pastries, order organic vanilla beans for making homemade vanilla extract, and order seeds to grow an indoor lemon tree.

Additionally, I was able to care for and transplant seedlings. I was delighted to learn that my 12-year-old planted some seeds in science class, and we were able to compare results. Now that his seedlings have sprouted, he seems more interested in our growing efforts around the house. What a relief from the usual video-game mentality! The imitation instinct is alive and well!

My goal for next week is to master the art of composting, or at least learn all I can. I’ve begun to save some organic materials for it (banana peels, coffee grounds, veg waste, egg shellsetc.), so I need to get started. This effort will further reduce my weekly curbside contributions to the garbage collectors.

Thanks for reading and sharing your sustainable living experiences!

A.M. Tuesday

I think this will be the most helpful, practical “diet” book I’ve ever read. I’ve never read one all the way through until now, but I believe I will use this one every day for the rest of my life. It just makes sense.

In the beginning, Dr. Miller confesses to trying to handle her patients’ health problems as any doctor would, offering the usual diets, exercises, and prescriptions. But they rarely worked and sometimes made the problems worse. The typical health issues she witnessed in her San Francisco practice included depression, heart disease, respiratory disease, bowel disease, diabetes, cancer, and the like. Dr. Miller gives several reasons for her inability to lend patients reliable diet advice: (1) nutrition contributes to overall health in the long-term, and few studies run long enough to determine the outcomes of consuming certain nutrients; (2) foods with the same name may contain vastly different…

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Sustainable Living: Big Picture, Baby Goals (Week 6)

Just a quick update today. With Easter and husband’s illness, I’ve not had enough time to fulfill all my goals from last week. My peas, green beans, and tomatoes are taking off, and I will have extras to give away. Sharing is one of the great joys of my life. (Unfortunately, some people take it the wrong way or misconstrue my intentions. I really only have one motivation for sharing. I feel good about it; no strings attached—really, that’s all! Weird, I know. When a trade can be made, that’s fun too!)

To my dismay, many of my seeds sprouted and died from lack of moisture. We can’t stay at this house every day of the week, so the sprouts burned up. I figure terrarium-style planting will solve my problem. (Gardening is trial and error, anyway, right?) Reusing my eggshells, I replanted the kale, peppers, carrots, and zucchini in clear containers with lids. I planted the potatoes in the Smart Pots and placed them in a sunny spot. Next week, I intend to plant three more veggies: cucumbers, butternut squash, and some kind of onion (suggestions welcome). Other than that, I plan to nab some herbs from a neighbor to plant by the kitchen sink and be done planting for the season (except for flowers).

As for The Homemade Pantry, I’ve got my ingredient list for toaster pastries made out. I hope to get to the store sometime this weekend, so I can have everything on hand when I make them next week. My other goal is to get my seeds to sprout.

Sustainable Living: Big Picture, Baby Goals (Week 5)

Because of another obligation, I was not able to publish a post last Friday, so I will write two this week. Honestly, I’ve been reading more than writing lately. Ever since I quit grad school (long story, dirty scam!), I’ve been devouring books for pleasure. (It’s been five long years of deprivation from one of my favorite pasttimes!) I’m now reading three books at once, one fiction and two nonfiction. I finished a fiction novel last week for which I intend to write a book review on my other blog. Actually, I intend to write reviews of all the books I read from now on.

I mentioned one of the books in a previous post. I am so glad I purchased The Jungle Effect. The more I read, the more sense it makes. I intend to follow its philosophy for the rest of my life. I will write more extensively about it soon.

As for my goal for last week, I cared for my seedlings and planted the Amish snap peas in their permanent pots today (with the help of my husband, of course). On Wednesday, I will transfer any ready sprouts to their permanent pots. I think the rest of the peas and the Brandywine tomatoes will be big enough to plant. I received my order of Smart Pots last week, and I will use them to plant potatoes on Wednesday, too. I learned about a method for growing potatoes in the Smart Pots from fellow blogger GreenEggs, except I am planting in two larger pots (golds and reds). I’m growing my entire garden in pots because I’m hoping to move mid to late summer.

My other goal of making some recipes from The Homemade Pantry got pushed into this week because some of these recipes are quite complicated. Each recipe is made from multiple homemade concoctions. So, I really need to plan out how I’m going set up the infrastructure for making all this homemade food. I did get all the ingredients to make cereal bars, which do not require any other homemade item. I’ve made these before a few times and have altered the recipe to my liking. My goal by Friday will be to generate a list of all the ingredients I will need to complete at least one of the recipes from the book.

To conclude, I want to mention a new invention over which I am extremely ecstatic—a machine that converts plastic into oil or gas. As my overall waste production continues to dwindle, I can’t help but notice that the number one waste product I can’t seem to reduce much is plastic. But here is a viable solution I hope goes mainstream.

Please share your thoughts. Thank you for sharing in my journey!

Sustainable Living: Big Picture, Baby Goals (Week 3)

Spring has suddenly sprung, which has swiveled my sustainable priorities toward planting. In keeping to this week’s goal, I spent a lot of time sifting through The Homemade Pantry. I soon realized that I need to establish a household infrastructure from which to prepare, manage, and store our homemade stock: a variety of glass storage containers, some new cooking tools, a chest freezer, and most importantly, as much homegrown food as possible. After all, I decided I want to make my own granola, popcorn snacks, vanilla extract, toaster pastries, cereal bars, frozen pizzas, ketchup, salsa, salad dressings, and mayo. That list is but the beginning of a longer list of foods I want to make myself. Thus, next week’s goal is to decide what I will grow and how I will grow it.

I continue to be amazed at the inspiration flooding in from unexpected sources. A magical phenomenon emerges when one sets her intentions in a positive direction. For me, this intention-setting started last summer when I visited Peaceful Hearts Ranch in Temecula, California. It’s strange that riding a wild mustang can teach us about the strength of our intentions, but it’s true nonetheless. From Cochina the horse and Kedra the trainer, I learned that my intentions are strong, but my patience is weak, as demonstrated through my breathing. My impatience causes anxiety in the horse, which disrupts the path toward my intentions. I just can’t get over what a wonderful experience that was, so I reflect on it often. It brought me to my current mindset of setting manageable goals, breathing deep and steady until little by little my lifestyle is transformed. BUT I never anticipated how much good company I would encounter along the way!

In addition to the people I carry with me spiritually (like my brother the vegan, daughter the yogi/minimalist, and others too numerous to list), I encounter new people every week traveling parallel journeys. The latter are also too numerous to name, and in sticking to manageability (lest I become overexcited and have to take a lap around the block to calm myself), I want to mention one such encounter from yesterday. One of my students (hello and thank you!) approached me before class with a book, The Jungle Effect by Daphne Miller, M.D., containing everything I need to create my daily nutrient checklist I mentioned in a previous post. Prior to learning of my weekly goals and blog, this student spoke to me during a topic workshop about writing her research paper on planning for a sustainable life. (The Law of Attraction is truly amazing, isn’t it?!) Although I can’t take credit for her initial interest in the topic, I wonder what the effect of my enthusiasm for it will be. Her purpose is a noble one: why not learn everything I can about sustainable living now, so I can apply it throughout my life. If I’d only had the knowledge, direction, and maturity at that age (20 years ago), where would I be today?! I was so out of tune then, and so the law of attraction was not working for me. But now, to be in the right place at the right time for at least one young person to start now and take it all the way through, and to consider the people she will influence!!! Aaaahh! (I think I’ll take that lap now!) This experience fits right in with my intention to make young people (including students) my number one priority and my intention to live sustainably. Covering multiple purposes simultaneously is so rewarding!

As for my weekly goal, I’ve made some decisions about infrastructure that I will work on in the coming weeks. With garage sale season upon me, I will pick up as many secondhand containers and cooking tools as I can. I will look into purchasing a chest freezer. I started saving (and asked others to save) egg shells in which I plan to start my seeds. My goal for this week is to decide what and how to plant. Having the added complication of two households at the moment (which will be a topic of another post), the planning is not simple.

Thanks for reading and circulating the inspiration!

Sustainable Living: Big Picture, Baby Goals (Week 2)

Last week, I started thinking of all the ways I have incorporated sustainable practices into my life within the last five years (prior to making the goal more intentional and systematic). This week, I thought more about how I can build on those practices:

• Brushing my teeth with coconut oil. I started this practice about 4 months ago, and I am happy with the results. It is a different experience compared to brushing with toothpaste. I learned to brush with hot water to prevent the drain clogging from the oil. My dentist visits may become unnecessary, as no plaque has formed on my teeth since I began this practice. I do not need to purchase toothpaste at all anymore, thereby saving money, time, and waste. I bought a 30-ounce (reusable) glass jar of coconut oil and still have plenty left after 4 months. Because toothpaste contains fluoride and other toxic chemicals, the oil is a healthier option. I use it for cooking and in my daily smoothies, and I’m certain I will learn other uses for it.
• Preparing and consuming a daily smoothie. I adopted this practice years ago, abandoned it, and picked it back up a couple months ago. After my daily workout (kickboxing/yoga), I make a smoothie. A few staple ingredients form the base: plain kefir, banana, honey, milled flax seed, nuts (whatever kind I have), and kale. The other ingredients vary but always include some kind of unsweetened frozen fruit or berries. To prevent respiratory and digestive illnesses in the winter months, I always grate fresh ginger root and sometimes lemon into my smoothies. I mainly use raw organic ingredients, and I may throw in anything that is about to go bad. Often, I freeze too-brown bananas for use in my smoothie. This practice contributes to my health, waste reduction, and efficient living goals. Smoothies take about 5 minutes to make/clean up and about 10 minutes to consume.
• Taking a daily shot of raw organic apple cider vinegar. Prior to starting this practice 2 years ago, I got sick 4 or 5 times every winter and a couple times each summer with either cold or flu. I’ve gotten sick twice total in the past 2 years, and the illness lasted one day each when others around me remained ill for at least a week and, at times, continued coughing for several weeks. This practice eliminates doctor visits, time off work, etc.
• Purchasing local organic eggs. Years ago, I raised my own chickens until one of my dogs killed them. I plan to raise my own again someday, but for now, I purchase my eggs from some friends of mine who raise free range chickens. We recycle egg cartons and avoid supporting corporate farms. The fresh eggs are so much more flavorful and nutritious than store-bought eggs, which can be up to a month old when purchased.
• Buying secondhand clothing and other items. I’ve been doing this throughout my life. There’s no reason to buy new clothing etc. when used (and often new) items are available for about a tenth of the brand-new cost. I inspect items carefully for flaws and sometimes purchase items that require a bit of sewing to make them like new again. I find items of greater quality that last longer and allow for a unique style.

Overall, I think this list is a sufficient inventory of sustainable activities for now. It’s important to take stock of how one is already moving toward goals to more effectively select new directions for goal development. From thinking about my current practices, I have realized that I’ve got a solid foundation from which to build a sustainable life. Last week, eating became my top priority, and I ordered a year’s worth of locally produced organic meat.

This week, I researched joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) membership club. I looked at Small Family Farm, Tree of Life, and Two Onion Farm. I was disappointed to learn that my health insurance company discontinued the CSA rebate program and replaced it with a wellness program toward which I can earn points for healthy activities. Points are redeemed for gift cards, which could be used to offset the cost of CSA membership. I need to look into how my health insurance company plans to use the information from my wellness assessment before I partake in the wellness program. Plus, after considering the costs of joining a CSA, I’ve decided that I’m not sure if it is the most economical route for my family. Preliminarily, I think we would waste too much of our CSA share, and I would rather purchase what I know I will use. It’s just as easy (if not easier) to drive to the farmers’ market or the Driftless Market when necessary as it is to pick up a bi/weekly CSA share.

Although I decided against the CSA this week, I moved closer to two other long-term goals—finding healthy recipes and increasing my daily vegetable intake. The Two Onion Farm website lists recipes by vegetable or herb that I can use to plan meals. I have further speculated that I want to create a daily checklist of foods/nutrients for myself to ensure I am covering all bases. The list will reflect my individual preferences and nutritional needs and will contain a variety of options. (Variety is one thing I cannot live without!!) I will continue to look for ways to prepare and store food. A related goal I’ve been carrying for a few years now is to make more staple foods at home. I bought The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making a couple years ago, and I intend to start using it to fulfill next week’s goal.

All suggestions are welcome! Thanks so much for reading and commenting!