Preparedness Wednesday: August in Review

I didn't quite make my typical preparedness goals, but I feel entirely justified because it was over 100 degrees here every single day of the past month and I had a baby. I'm amazed I got anything done .

Doing:

• Had the air conditioning fixed, which should dramatically reduce our next power bill
• Made 4 digital photo books (I think this falls under getting things organized)
• Experimented numerous times with my sun oven
• Harvested onions and peppers from my garden, then planted seeds for our winter garden

Emergency Preparedness

• Cottonelle Toilet Paper- $3.25 for a 12-pack at Walgreens
• Geisha canned mushrooms- 25 cents each at Walgreens
• Skippy Natural Super Chunk Peanut Butter- Amazon Subscribe & Save- I love it when my food storage buys itself.

Food Storage Friday and Vegetarian Link-Up

 My husband has recently decided to be a vegetarian. And I sort of follow suit because I don't want to bother making two or three meals every night. Right now I find that if I go two or three days without eating meat I start feeling weak and nauseated (more so than usual). I also found that when I don't eat meat I don't gain weight, which I need to be doing right now. I don't need a lot of meat to fix the problem, a turkey sandwich will usually do the trick, but I have to have meat. Perhaps I will give it a more concerted effort when I am not trying to grow a person in my belly. For now I cook vegetarian meals at home and when we go out to eat, or sometimes when I'm at work I eat meat. (The kids don't really like to eat meat anyway, except for the occasional chicken nugget.) So I'm eating some meat, but not very much.
 So why go vegetarian? Here are a few bonuses about the lifestyle:

• It dramatically lowers your cholesterol and calorie intake.
• Cutting out the meat significantly reduces your grocery bill.
• Vegetarian protein sources are cheaper to store and last significantly longer in your food storage than canned or dried meat.
• Meat is unfortunately "fortified" with steroids, antibiotics and growth hormones. None of which I recommend taking without a prescription.
• It forces you to pay attention to think about what you are eating. While you are looking at the ingredients, it's more likely that you may be thinking 'Is this good for me?'
• Vegetarians live longer and don't get sick as often.
• Going vegetarian leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

 Here's the my vegetarian experiment of the week:

Crock Pot Pepper Pasta
Food Storage Ingredients:
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/8 cup olive oil
2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste
2 Tablespoons jarred, pre-chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 lb pasta, prepared according to directions

Fresh Ingredients:
3 bell peppers, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
6 Tablespoons shredded Parmesean

1. Mix everything except pasta and cheese together in crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours. 2. When sauce is almost done prepare pasta. 3. Season sauce to taste. Serve with Parmesean.

This stuff made my house smell wonderful. I served it over whole wheat pasta with green apples and french bread (in the interest of providing something I could guarantee my kids would eat.) I thought the sauce was a little thinner than I liked, so next time I may drain one of the cans of tomatoes. My husband loved it the way it was and used his french bread to soak it up.

Now I am well aware that giving up meat is a huge life-style change. I obviously can not say that I have managed to do it. But if you can reduce the amount of meat that you're eating, think of the benefits. You will save money and improve your health, (which also saves you money). It has taken a little work and experimentation, but I have found myself trying and loving many foods that I never would have thought of trying before. Vegetarian cooking has also given me a boost of confidence in my culinary skills. Where my husband works they go out to eat/order in pretty frequently, and usually he's more interested in my leftovers than what is available at local restaurants. Haha!  So this week I am inviting anyone out there to share their favorite vegetarian recipes. And if it includes rice, pasta, oats, potatoes, wheat or beans, all the better!

5 Simple Ways of Conserving

I mention recycling fairly often on my blog, but I think that recycling is a only a small part of energy conservation. Don't just recycle, reuse, re-purpose, use less and throw away less. I believe that a big part of it is attitude. 'What small things can I do today to make the world a better place?' Here are some of the things that I do, and yes I am aware that they don't make an enormous difference, but if everyone is doing small simple things to help the environment, it can make an enormous difference.

1. Reusable grocery bags- I love these. They're bigger and easier to carry than multiple plastic bags and they save me money. For every time you use one of these at Target they take 5 cents off your total. Every time you use one of these at Smith's, you get 5 points, which essentially translates to a 5 cent reward towards future grocery purchases.
2. Reuse cooking water- I realize this is not always easy to do, but when I boil pasta or corn I drain the water into a container instead of the sink and pour it on my garden after it cools. I also pour half-full luke warm glasses of water on my lawn instead of down the drain.
3. Save and reuse popsicle sticks- Why should I pay for popsicle sticks for craft projects when I rinse off the hundreds that we go through around here and use those?
4. Reuse plastic grocery bags- Even with using the cloth bags I still get these sometimes. I make a point of not throwing them away. I use them to line the small garbage cans in our bathrooms and the office. I keep a couple in my car to hold trash, or soiled children's clothing. They're also good for wrapping Christmas ornaments or fragile items when moving.
5. Reuse paper- You know those credit card and insurance offers that you're always getting in the mail?  I use the back sides of those papers to print coupons. I also use them to write my to do lists on. I use the envelopes to hold my coupons divided by grocery store. I've printed coupons on the backsides of bills before. I also maneuver it so I always print at least 2 coupons per sheet of paper. Junk mail can also be used for paper mache or for small children to color on.

Here are a couple of other posts I have written in the past about things you can do to help the environment that will also save you money.

Ways to save money that are good for the environment too.


More ways to save money that are good for the environment.

Ways to save money on your utility bills in the summer.

What things do you do to help out the environment?

Do's and Don'ts & Facts About Recycling

 So it has become a habit of mine that every Monday morning I load my recycling bins and drop off in the larger recycling bins that are in the parking lot of my local grocery store. This past Monday I was pretty annoyed with what I saw. There is one bin that is just for paper and a second bin that is for paper, plastic and metals. In multiple places on the bins it says "No glass" and "No cardboard". Yet overflowing from the bins were large cardboard boxes and strew on the ground around the bins were large amounts of broken glass. And both bins were overflowing with non-recyclable items like clothing and garbage. I realize that I'm ranting a little and I  also realize that the people who most need to hear this are probably not the ones who read my blog, but I'm going to say it anyway.*Warning, this is where I get on my soap box.*

Do's

• Cardboard, glass, metals, plastic and paper are all recyclable items. You just have to take them to the right places.
• Here are the locations if you happen to live in St George. If you live elsewhere you can type in your zip code and what you want to recycle to Earth911.com and it will tell you where to take it.

1. Cardboard- the recycling bin in front of the new Bosch kitchen store
2. Glass- the yellow binnies found in the parking lots of Smith's, across the street from the old hospital, Harmon's parking lot, as well as a few others
3. Paper, plastic and metal- all of the above plus the parking lot of Lin's
4. You can recycle old clothing by leaving it in the Big Brother, Big Sister bins that are at the Bosch kitchen store and Lin's,  or by taking to Deseret Industries, the Salvation Army or the Catholic Church Community Center

• Do encourage your children, friends and family to recycle. Big changes won't happen unless lots of ordinary people start doing little things.
• Think about things before you throw them in the garbage. Some lawn furniture, siding, gutters, car components and window frames contain aluminum which can be turned into soda cans just as well as old soda cans can. Foil candy wrappers works as well.

Don'ts

• Don't recycle cardboard or paper that has food or grease on it (i.e. your standard pizza box). The grease can contaminate and ruin huge batches of recycled paper, making the process very inefficient. Either throw it away or shred it and use it as compost. (This is one that I just recently learned myself.)
• Don't recycle used paper towels, napkins, plates, etc. This is for the same reasons. The paper pulp and oil stick together and once the contaminants are squeezed out you have a product with holes.
• Don't bother to thoroughly clean plastic, glass and metal containers. These items are recycled through a different process than paper and food residue is burned off. (I usually give these items a quick rinse before tossing them in the recycle bin, just to cut down on smell and keep my bin cleaner.)
• Don't pour motor oil down the drain. Motor oil is recyclable and never wears out, it just gets dirty and needs to be processed and refined. One quart, if given the chance can contaminate 2 million gallons of water.

 I highly encourage people to recycle. It turns what is otherwise garbage into something useful. It conserves resources and helps keep the places we live in cleaner and greener. And I think that a lot of people are thinking that if they throw something into a recycling bin, that they're helping out. However, if you are not going to do it right, don't bother.  Irresponsible recycling costs recycling companies more than $700 million each year. It's not rocket science people, my three year old knows how to sort the recycling. I'm assuming that these people making messes are adults, and guess what their mothers aren't here to pick up after them, and in being careless they are making life more difficult for someone else.

A few interesting facts about recycling:

• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
• There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled.
• Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.
• If all our newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year!
• Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!
• The construction costs of a paper mill designed to use waste paper is 50 to 80% less than the cost of a mill using new pulp.
• Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.
• The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or a compact fluorescent bulb for 20 hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.
• On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash, $50 to send it to the landfill, and $65 to $75 to incinerate it.
• Glass takes 4000 years or more to decompose.
• Plastic is made out of oil, the same oil that can be turned into gasoline. Recycling plastic helps to cut down the demand for this resource which in turn helps to lower the cost of gas. :)

In conclusion, I believe that it is important to carefully use the resources that we have. Part of that is recycling (although an even bigger part is just using less). However, for your recycling to help you need to be careful and make sure that you're putting your stuff in the right place, otherwise you may be undoing the efforts that someone else has made. I'm not perfect when it comes to recycling everything, but the reading that I did to write this article makes me want to do better.

Preparedness Wednesday: April in Review

For those of you just tuning in, every week I try to do something to get my house in order (fix things, get out of debt, etc) and purchase something to add to my emergency supply. If you want to follow my deals as I find them. I post them on my public facebook profile as I find them if you are interested.

Doing:

• Taxes
• Bought a push lawn mower, not only is it powered by exercise instead of gas (which saves us money with rising gas prices), it doesn't send a fine spray of cut grass into the air, which always makes my husband's allergies go berserk. It's definitely the best lawn mower for us.
• Bought materials to build a few more shelves in our home
• Worked some extra hours

Emergency Storage:

• Case lot sale at Smith's- Ramen 10 cents per package & canned corn at 47 cents per can.
• More canned tomatoes from Lin's Case Lot Sale- 48 cents each
• #10 Can of powdered orange drink mix- $10 Walmart
• Idahoan Mashed Potatoes- 19 cents per package at Albertson's
• A case of Charmin- $22 (Thank you Amazon Subscribe and Save)

Ideas from Parents April 2011

5 Easy Ways to Go Green (And get your kids involved too)

1. Pre-cycle- Consider the product and it's container before you purchase it. Does it really need that much packaging? Can you reuse the container?
2. Bring Your Own Bag- Make your kids the "bag police", and have them remind you to bring your reusable bag with you when you go to the store.
3. Conserve Water- Have each person use one water glass per day and mark it in some way.  (The author used decorated clothes pins.) Fewer half glasses of water thrown in the sink and fewer dishes to be done.
4. Eat Better- Fresh vegetables generally come with less packaging and are better for you.
5. Turn Off The Lights- Teach your kids about the importance of conserving energy and get them in on the act.

 Parent's Magazine 10 Best Restaurant Chains- Healthy Food and Family Friendly
(I particularly wanted to remember this because whenever we travel I am faced with the dilemma of deciding where to eat. I want something healthy and delicious that also offers something our kids will enjoy too.)

1. Jason's Deli
2. Cosi Cafe
3. Souplantation/ Sweet Tomatoes
4. Red Lobster
5. Chipotle
6. Noodles & Company
7. Red Robin
8. Mimi's Cafe
9. Panera Bread
10. P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Being A One Car Family

 It has always been our policy to avoid debt like the plague. And for us this has meant ever since we have been married we have only had one car. There are numerous times that it has been inconvenient, but for us it has been worth it. Given our circumstances, to afford a second car we would have had to do one of two things a) Not spend money on anything fun and put that money (plus some) towards a car or b) I would have to get a second job and work more than I already do. I don't really like either of those options, and it is more important to me to spend time with my family than to have a second car. Many times people have said to me, 'I don't understand how you can possibly survive with only one car', I guess it just comes down to priorities.
 Now I fully understand that having one car per family just doesn't work for some people's circumstances, work schedules, distance from work, etc. But here are some things that we have found to make one vehicle per family work for us.

• At least three days a week my husband bikes to school/ work. (Weather permitting.) The college is  about 5.5 miles from our house and his old job was almost 7. It's doable. Well for him it is. If I had to get up before 4 am so I could bike to work before a 12-13 hour shift I would cry, really.
• Previously where we lived this was not feasible, so most days he took the bus to school. Yes, public transportation is not always the most desirable method, and sometimes very inconvenient, but it played a big part in both of us getting through college without debt.
• Every week I plan one day where I do most of my shopping, errands and activities (like take the kids to the library or museums). I try to be organized and make shopping lists so I don't need to make as many trips to the grocery store.
• We make good use of the park that is within walking distance of our home.
• We spend a lot of time at home. My kids love to play in the backyard and I can watch them from my kitchen while I cook, clean or blog. I enjoy being in my house.

In addition to not having an extra car payment, not having an extra car has the following benefits:

• Less money spent on gas, licensing fees, insurance and maintenance
• I feel like I waste less time, I rarely go to the store for one item and subsequently spend less time running errands.
• Fewer trips to the store means less impulse buying.
• Less driving is better for the environment. :)
• If you're using public transportation (especially as a college student), you can use your transportation time as study time, which is harder to do when you're driving.
• Walking and biking, when feasible, provide good exercise.

Preparedness Wednesday: March in Review

Doing:

• Hung energy efficient curtains in front of the biggest window in my house (Saved $21 using coupons at Bed Bath and Beyond)
• Planted a garden
• Planted a pomegranate tree
• Fixed one toilet so it didn't take literally hours to fill with water after flushing
• Sorted through and packed up clothes that are too small for Thing 1 and Thing 2
• Worked a couple extra shifts to put money into savings (or car repairs)

Food Storage:

• 24 boxes of Annie's pasta and cheese in various varieties (49 cents each)-Smiths
• 6 packages of various pastas (Free with coupons)-Smith's
• Multiple cases of water My husband mocks me for purchasing bottled water. 1.39 for 24 bottles after catalina deal at Smith's (Plus I found a couple $1 off coupons which made two of them 39 cents per case)
• Canned tomatoes, beans, green chiles and mushrooms (48-70 cents each) from Lin's Case Lot Sale
• Sliced almonds from Costco

Book Review: Back to Basics-Tips for Gardening

After the love of my life discovered that I would remotely even consider a "self-sufficient" lifestyle, he picked up Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills. This book is not 'light reading', but it is a great reference. It has articles on every skill I can imagine that would be useful if you were to live off land or 'go off the grid'. Some of the topics it covers include: making your house energy efficient, gardening, planning and building your own home, preserving food, quilting, fishing and camping. I will readily admit that I did not read this entire book, but I did read the large section on raising your own produce. Here are some things that I learned from my reading.

• Companion Planting: Some plants grow better in the company of others and do poorly with others. For example pumpkins grow well with corn, but not potatoes.
• Tall vegetables (corn, tomatoes) should be planted at the north end of the garden or the side near a house, wall or other light barrier.
• When selecting what to plant, avoid market or cropper varieties. These will provide your entire harvest all at once.
• The most important soil-improvement task is to add organic matter to the soil.  Compost and other organic matter should be mixed into the top 12 inches of soil. Ideal soil is loose, soft and crumbly.
• Most plants grow best in soil with a pH of 6.1-6.8.
• A greenhouse should face south to maximize winter sunlight.
• Almost any waterproof container can be used to start seedlings. Used, clean milk jugs and yogurt cups work well.
• Seed sprouts are easy to grow and rich in vitamins and proteins, however tomato and potato sprouts are poisonous.
• To supply enough produce for 2 adults and 2 school age children for a year, you need approximately 2,500 square feet of gardening space.
• To avoid diseases and pests you should not plant members of the same plant family in the same spot two years in a row.
• Hardy (easy to grow) vegetables include: carrots, beets, collards, kale, mustard, onions, radishes, rhubarb, horseradish
• Difficult to grow vegetables include: cauliflower, celery, asparagus, artichokes, celeriac
• Cucumber vines grow only from the tip.
• Peas taste best if cooked within a few hours of harvesting them from the plant.
• Potatoes sold in food stores are not recommended for seed pieces. They often are treated with chemicals to keep them from sprouting and contaminated with disease.
• Sweet potatoes are actually part of the morning glory family.
• Tomatoes are closely related to potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tobacco.
• Tomatoes yield more fruit if you pinch off the shoots that grow in the joints where the leaf stems meet the main stems.
• Organic mulch can smother weeds, conserve moisture and add organic matter. Cheap options include sawdust, leaves, newspaper, compost, pine needles and lawn clippings.
• It is better to water heavily once a week than lightly every day.
• The best time to water is in the late afternoon.

Spring Gardening in St George- from Utah State University

Last week at church there was a pile of handouts about spring gardening in St George. The information comes from the Washington County extension of Utah State University. It seems like great info, but the last thing that I need is another piece of paper to get lost on my kitchen counter. So I thought I would share it here and recycle the hard copy.

Spring Gardening in St. George

By Rick Heflebower, Washington County Horticulture Agent

Vegetable gardening in Washington County can be rewarding and successful. The county has a wide range in elevation which has a significant influence on the climate and growing season. For example, St. George has an elevation of 2,624 feet and a frost-free growing season of more than six months. Enterprise has an elevation of 5,346 feet and the frost-free season begins later in the spring and ends earlier in the fall (shortening the season considerably.) This doesn’t mean that you can’t grow vegetables there – you just need to know when to plant.

Cold-hardy vegetables such as cabbage, onion, peas, spinach, and turnips can be planted before the danger of frost is over. This is because they can tolerate cold temperatures and they do not fare well once temperatures get into the mid-eighties and above. Other plants such as beets, carrots, potatoes and parsnips may be planted before the last frost date but could be tender if they are out of the ground on a night when the temperatures drop well below freezing. Keep in mind that the frost-free dates given here are only average dates and will vary from season to season.

Even though the season starts early and ends fairly late in the St. George area, the middle of the season is too hot to grow most vegetables successfully. There is a period beginning in June which often goes until August when the temperatures exceed 95 degrees nearly every day. This extreme heat renders the pollen of most vegetables sterile and fertilization cannot take place. This is often seen on tomatoes and squash when the flowers wilt and die in mid season rather than forming young fruits. During the hot period, areas of higher elevation and cooler average temperatures will have much better success with gardening.

Another way to deal with the heat of summer is to think of it as two growing seasons. Begin early and plan to mature vegetables before it gets really hot. You can also plant late in the season and try to have plants come into bearing late enough to miss the worst of the heat. In theory, this works well on short-season crops like beans and squash but is more difficult on long-season crops such as tomatoes and melons. You may also beat the heat by purchasing young transplants and putting them in while it is cool. Transplants will take less time to mature than direct-seeded vegetables and therefore mature before it gets too hot. However, this does not work well with all vegetables. For example, corn, beans, and carrots should not be transplanted. Some gardeners have used shade cloth or other ways to shield plants from the harsh afternoon sun. The period from 2 pm until sundown is generally the hottest time of the day. Where possible, offer protection from the sun from the west in late afternoon.

Planting Times for St. George Area

By Rick Heflebower, Washington County Horticulture Agent

FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 15
Radish
Cabbage (plants)
Kohlrabi (plants)
Onions
Peas
Spinach
Turnip

MARCH 1 – MARCH 15
Beets
Carrots
Cauliflower (plants)
Endive
Lettuce
Parsnips
Potato
Swiss Chard

MARCH 15 – APRIL 1
Bush Bean
Corn
Cucumber
Spinach
Summer Squash

APRIL 1 – MAY 1
Lima Beans
Cantaloupe and melons
Eggplant (plants)
Winter Squash
Tomato (plants)
Pepper (plants)

FALL HARVEST/JULY 15 – AUGUST 1
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Corn
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Onions
Pole Beans
Spinach
Turnips

ST. GEORGE HAS A GROWING SEASON OF ABOUT 210 DAYS
Last frost in Spring – April 1st
First frost in Fall – October 1st

Tips for Cleaning- Spring and Otherwise

Some people would consider me a somewhat of a clean freak. My best friend (and former roommate) has said that she would feel comfortable eating off my kitchen floor at any time. Perhaps I have developed this reputation because when I am stressed about something I cope by cleaning. It's my productive outlet. There are other parts of my house that leave something to be desired. People who know me in real life know that unless I'm really stressed about something I don't have the energy to keep my entire house clean from top to bottom. I am a mom to small, active and adorable little persons who not only require lots of time, but also create lots of messes. One day I spent four hours just spot-cleaning dried boogers off my walls. True story. The point of this rambling intro is that I am not any kind of expert on house cleaning, (Not that I really think I have fooled any of you into believing that I am.) but I have found several articles that I thought were worth sharing. Plus I added my own most useful house cleaning tips that I have discovered through trial and error.

1. Clean up spills as they happen. (It saves so much effort!)
2. Boiling water is your best defense against dried-on sticky spills, just be careful.
3. Spend 5-15 minutes every day getting rid of clutter.
4. Organization is half the battle.
5. I send hard plastic bath toys through the dishwasher and foam letters through the washing machine every time that I clean the bathroom.
6. Play music while you clean.

Dawn can really cut down on the effort needed to clean your bathroom.-I Dare You To Eat It

The key to keeping a house clean with small children underfoot is getting them involved.-The Mom Blog

Many of things that are just cluttering up your house may be useful to someone else.-The Bellingham Herald

Some things to consider when cleaning out your garage.- Seattle Pi

Recipes for making your own all natural cleaning products.- Funcoast.com

Home Gardening- Take 2

 Earlier his week we took a trip to "the house store" as my children call it. My husband is encouraging a healthy love for our local home improvement store in them. As soon as we walk in Thing 1 always wants to look at the lighting aisle. (It's easy to imagine a little bit of magic there.) Thing 2 likes to look at the sinks and toilets. (We're pretty focused on potty training right now, not to mention he would spend all day playing in the sink if I let him.) And I have to admit that I like the place too. While we were there we picked up a $6 part to decrease water waste in our home, a new water filter for our fridge and some supplies for this year's garden. We also looked at the makings of some new home office furniture, but that is a project that will have to wait for a later date.

Thing 1 planting strawberries with her dad.

 Last year we spent $50 on plants and supplies and got 2 pathetic strawberries out of it. Pretty much a failure. I don't even want to add up how much we have spent this year. (It's more than $50.) But we've done a little more research and hopefully this time we can at least break even for the annuals. We've planned, loosened the dirt, removed a few random buried chunks of concrete and fertilized. Here's hoping. So far we have planted one red pepper, one heat-resistant tomato, one Anaheim pepper (two words: chile relleno), one sugar baby watermelon, one pomegranate tree, two raspberries (if they take we'll plant more) and 39 red onions. If I feel like we can stay on top of this maybe I'll plant an herb garden too.
 Now I'm sure that if I took the money that I have spent on plants and accessories, I could buy a lot more food storage than this garden could possibly produce. I can't kill food storage, or at least not as easily, and it is not nearly as demanding. However, we are planting a garden  because I feel there are important lessons that can be learned from it. We are teaching our children patience, the value of hard work and how to work together. Or at least that's the plan. So far they have been excited to be involved in the process and loved digging in the dirt, if we can just maintain their interest.... Of course there is also something very wonderful about fresh produce from the garden.

Book Review: The Diet Rebel's Cookbook

I found a review for The Diet Rebel's Cookbook: Eating Clean and Green by Jillayne Clements and Michelle Stewart on another blog that I sometimes read, or I thought that's where I read it, but now I can't find the post. (On a side-note, they don't come out and say it, but from the experiences that the authors talked about I am willing to bet good money that these women are Mormons living in Southern Utah County. ) The book sounded like something I would be interested in. I'm all for healthy eating, trying new things, reducing my carbon footprint and of course, eating delicious food. But as I read it, I had mixed feelings about the content.
 First to summarize their philosophy: Eating a healthy diet will improve your health can cure many illnesses. They determined that the best diet is one with whole organic foods, fresh meats and vegetables,without refined sugars or flours, and incorporates grains that are either sprouted or soured and this diet is based on research done on societies that had healthy active people that lived into their hundred's. They believe that food should be enriched by composting, not by chemical fertilizers or pesticides. They believe in eating meat, but only occasionally. They believe in using a water ionizer in your home to produce pure alkaline water. They believe in using real butter. They believe in soaking beans and nuts to make them easier to digest. They believe in cooking food "low and slow", also to aid in digestion. They also believe the microwave to be evil.
 Now I agree with a lot of this. I can buy that eating a healthy diet can ward off diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and decrease your risk for a stroke. It also decreases your risk of many forms of cancer. Besides that, if you eat well, you feel well. I soak my beans before cooking, because it results in softer beans that don't cause in gas. Anyone who knows me knows that I heart my crock pot. I compost my kitchen scraps, and one of these days I'm going to start a garden. My diet is already by far mostly grains, fruits and vegetables. Depending on where you live, you may definitely need a water purifier. (Recently we visited my mother-in-law's home town for a funeral. I ordered a glass of water with my meal. It tasted like a combination of water that has been sitting in a garden hose and water that comes out of a bathroom in a house with old copper pipes. Whatever you do, don't drink the water in Delano, CA. Trust me. Gag.) I try to minimize high fructose corn syrup intake in my family and also am a fan of real butter and sourdough bread.
  I was reading this book as we were traveling back and forth to California for two funerals and I was thinking 'We are traveling, and there absolutely NO food options that fall into their healthy eating philosophy.' Everything is made using refined white flour. No where along the way served organic meat, fruits or vegetables. I was lucky if where we stopped had any form of fruits and vegetables period. And of course these eating establishments were not using sprouted grains or raw milk and cheese. And as a general rule I like to travel, it seems like if I bought into this philosophy I could never go anywhere without being really hungry and grumpy every time I left the house.
 It seems like in order to follow the recommendations of this book would require a serious life-style overhaul. (And the rhetoric that they use for their recommendations is a bit strong.) I would either need to start spending a whole lot more money on organic fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy, or I would have to start my own farm where I get up every day to milk a cow and then make my own butter and cheese in addition to sprouting my grain and having an organic garden. This really not an option right now.
 I am a mom who works full-time. I consider myself accomplished if my kids and house are clean and I can get them to eat fruits and vegetables. If I could find the time to make my own butter, cheese and sprouted bread on a regular basis, I would probably do other things like spend more time with my kids, practice the piano, read more books, serve in my community, or do more than the bare minimum of cleaning in my house. It's just not realistic to spend that much time in the kitchen, and this is coming from someone who likes to cook. I am skeptical that eating an all-natural, all organic diet is really worth the extra cost and effort. Perhaps it might add a couple of years to my life, but to get those couple years I would have to spend more than a couple of years in the kitchen. I am ok with only living into my 90's.  (I also have to confess that the thought of giving up white sugar and chocolate is a little daunting. Heather needs herself some dark chocolate sometimes.)
  One more thing, if I follow their recommendations, I would starve every time I went to work. Obviously the hospital cafeteria wouldn't cut it, and if I bring leftovers from home my only method of heating them is the microwave. Also a big no-no. So either I could haul my toaster oven to work in my bag every day or after nine hours someone would find me curled up under a computer whimpering for a Cafe Rio salad and Oreo ice cream. Let's not even think of what would happen after twelve and a half hours, or heaven forbid the days that last longer than that.
 And of course, this wouldn't really be a cookbook review if I didn't at least try one of their recipes. I tried the sourdough pizza crust. It didn't work out, period. The instructions say to make a ball of dough and let it rise for 12-24 hours. It should be doubled in size and bubbly. 22 hours later it wasn't. It smelled good, but it hadn't changed and I didn't think it could make an edible pizza crust. There are several other recipes that look good, so I'll keep the book around and give them a whirl.
 In conclusion, some interesting ideas, but not ones that are reasonably implemented in modern society. Not to say I wouldn't try some of these methods sometime, but right now for me (and probably most people), it's just not realistic.

Firestarters and Other Camping Tips

Here's a riddle: What do old candles, empty egg cartons, used popsicle sticks and dryer lint have in common? Hint, the answer is not that they're garbage.

The answer: they're ingredients to make great fire starters!

I learned how to make these several months ago at an emergency preparedness class, and was reminded of them by a few people who suggested bringing lint for a fire starter as a camping tip under the August giveaway. (Because dryer lint is the cheapest, quickest fire starter.) Whether you use just the lint or make my weird little craft, you're finding a purpose for something that would just be thrown away otherwise.

Instructions: 1 Cut lid and latch flap off egg carton 2. Fill egg cups with dryer lint. 3. Break Popsicle sticks into little pieces. (I used a pair of pliers, some leverage and my concrete steps for this. The ones that they showed in the class were made with wood pellets, which they said you can get a large bag of for $3, but then what would I do with the rest of the bag of wood pellets?) 4. Pack broken Popsicle sticks into dryer lint. (I used about 2 dozen sticks.) 5. Pour enough hot wax over the whole thing to hold it together. (I melted my candles with a candle warmer.) 6. Cut into individual egg cups once wax has hardened. Each fire starter will burn for approximately 12 minutes. (Every one will vary depending on how much wax, lint, etc was used.)

Pretty much the weirdest, ugliest craft ever.

We tested them over Labor Day weekend. They worked pretty effectively.

Here are some other great tips that were mentioned.

1. Bring your dutch oven
2. When it rains do not push on the tent as you are laying inside because it will leak even if it is water resistant!
3. Bring tweezers. The ticks will always find you!
4. Have a really great Swiss Army Knife on hand.
5. Always have WAY more matches and kindling than you think you're going to need. 
6. Bring a clothesline to hang wet towels.
7. Cook your first meal at home and bring with when camping.
8. Always pack toilet paper and bug spray.
9. Pack everything in individual bags or lidded containers and then pack those in a large lidded bin. No more rummaging, plus everything stays clean and dry. 
10. A Frisbee will add support to paper plates when the plate is placed inside the Frisbee.
11. Take along some of your old extracts and use as a fire starter-sprinkle some on the firewood and it will help get it started and smells great too.
12. Save all the sample shampoos that you get from the mail and use those while camping.
13. You can never have too many socks. a couple extra pair can be a lifesaver.
14. Try out the bug repellent candles, they work amazing!
15. Bring extra trash or grocery bags with you that you can carry when you go hiking or to the lake. You might end up saving an animal or to by removing trash. 
16. Check the weather before you go so you can pack the appropriate clothing.
17. Make sure that you bring appropriate shoes.
18. An old rolled-up memory foam mattress topper makes a great sleeping pad. Just cut to size.
19. Always take lots of paper towels. You never know when you are going to need them!
20. Pack a bottle of dish soap in a zipper bag- you'll always find a use for the soap, but will not be happy if it explodes on all your camping stuff & it's not contained in a bag.
21. Take baby wipes. They work great to clean up any thing or any one!
22. Use an old towel as a door mat for wiping off feet before entering the tent.
23. Put up a tent back away from the wooded area and lake beds if possible be cause when night falls--in come the bugs and mosquitos--learned that the hard way :) 
24. One from a friend- wrap your tin-foil dinners in cabbage leaves before wrapping in foil, this will prevent the potatoes from burning to the foil.
25. And I'll add, make sure you have an EXTRA flash light. It may come in handy when you need to run to the loo in the middle of the night. 

Thanks to everyone who contributed tips.

Quest to Save the Planet: Backyard Composting

So here I am in my little corner of the world, trying to make it a better place, and I have started composting. Here are reasons I think that the average person should compost.

1. Composting reduces waste.  It's good for the planet. Food waste and yard trimmings currently make up 23% of waste in the US. Wouldn't that be great if we could easily reduced the number of landfills by 1/4?
2. Composting returns micro-nutrients from food waste to the soil to help plants grow.
3. Composting can reduce diseases and pests.
4. Composting reduces the needs for chemical fertilizers.
5. Composting saves money when it comes to gardening. It can eliminate the need to purchase soil and fertilizer.

Here are a few more reasons why I compost.

1. I live in St George, where I like most of my neighbors have mostly red clay in my yard instead of your typical garden-variety dirt. It's not exactly conducive to growing a garden. And I have been advised by life-long St. Geezy residents that this is the most effective way to make your garden grow.
2. Between composting and recycling, we actually make very little garbage. This means that I don't have to drag our outside garbage can to the street very often (and when I say I, I mean ask my husband to do it), or when I do, it's not as heavy and awkward to drag through gravel to the street. If it weren't for the fact that diapers get really smelly in the sun, I could go a couple months between taking my cans to the street. One good chore saves another. (When you actually start recycling, you'll be amazed at how much is reusable in some way or another.)
3. Composting justifies my deep seeded personality flaw of being a hoarder. I try to get rid of things, but I can always think of a reason why it could be useful someday. If I bury it in my backyard, even my garbage can be of use to me.

Now that you're motivated to compost, here are a list of things that you can and can't compost:
CAN:

• Animal manure
• Cardboard rolls
• Clean paper
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Cotton rags
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Eggshells
• Fireplace ashes
• Fruits and vegetables
• Grass clippings
• Hair and fur
• Hay and straw
• Houseplants
• Leaves
• Nut shells
• Sawdust
• Shredded newspaper
• Tea bags
• Wood chips
• Wool rags
• Yard trimmings

 CAN'T and why:

• Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
• Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
• Coal or charcoal ash
• Might contain substances harmful to plants
• Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs
• Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Diseased or insect-ridden plants
• Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
• Fats, grease, lard, or oils
• Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Meat or fish bones and scraps
• Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)
• Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
• Might kill beneficial composting organisms

There are many products and methods out there for composting (most of them overpriced.)  Good compost should be a mix of three elements  1. brown matter (shredded newspaper, cardboard, hay, leaves, saw dust, some kitchen scrap, etc.) and 2. green matter (weeds, lawn clippings and some kitchen scraps) and 3. water. Here's what I do:

1. I have an old laundry detergent bucket in my garage where I throw my kitchen scraps. When it gets more than half full I throw in a bunch of sawdust and some crab grass. (There's always some to be found.)
2. Then I dig a hole big enough to hide the mix and cover it with dirt (clay in my case) and then pour water over it.

This morning I got up early to dig a hole before the day got too hot. My son decided to come out and watch me. As I was digging a hole and pulling crab grass my son wanted to help and I realized this is something that I should be involving my kids in. This is simple enough that they can help me do and I can teach them responsibility for the world around them and how we can help plants grow. Apparently even my two-year-old can effectively pull weeds. As I was digging, I dug up a previously buried compost pile. It was  nice to see some proof that my methods are working. What was previously a bunch of garbage was now some rich dirt when a few decaying orange peels mixed in.

Here's the area that hopefully next year will provide me with fresh veggies (and my husband in his pj's.)

For more ways to save money and help the environment at the same time look here, here and here.

Ways to Save Money On Your Utility Bills In The Summer

It is July and I live in St George. In case you haven't ever been here, it's hot. Not as bad as Phoenix, but close. Most days I hide in my house between noon and six pm. Sometimes after dinner I may run errands and it's still 107 degrees. And this has been a mild summer compared to most. Next week it's supposed to get up to 114. I am not looking forward to what that will do to my power bill. With the AC running all the time, it gets expensive. Here's a some things you can do, some are simple every day things, others require a little investment of time and money, which can pay off in the long-run.

1. Have a home inspection. We had to do this anyway when we bought the place six months ago. This can help you find trouble spots that are costing you money. Like for us, our attic should have a few more vents than it does to adequately circulate air. In Utah you can have one done for $25 and reimbursed on your gas bill if you follow the recommendations. Or you can get a do-it-yourself-audit form here.
2. Clean your fridge. Your fridge sucks a lot of power, but there's something you can do to make it run more efficiently.The coils behind the fridge tend to attract dust, which coat the coil, making it work harder to maintain fridge temp. Unplug the fridge, pull it away from the wall and vacuum off the dust. You should do this about every 3 months.
3. Keep vents and temperature registers unobstructed. If air flows freely, your furnace/AC can maintain temperature more efficiently.
4. Clean your lint screen between every load of laundry. It may not look like it needs it that often, but without the lint, your dryer can work more efficiently.
5. Eliminate air leaks.
6. Close vents and doors to unused rooms.
7. Add things to block the heat. Drapes, shutters, awnings, shade trees, glass with reflective film and/or solar screens can help keep your house cooler. 
8. Solar Power Prices have really come down on this and it is something we are strongly considering installing.
9. Check rebates and tax credits that are available for improving the energy efficiency of your home, here.
10. Close the blinds and drapes on the sunny side of the house to keep the house cooler.
11. Keep closet doors closed so you're not spending money cooling space that you don't "live" in.
12. Regularly change air filters in your air conditioning. If they're clogged with dust they won't run as efficiently. In the summer you should clean or change them once a month.
13. Use a microwave whenever you can. It uses far less power than a conventional oven, plus it doesn't heat the house up.
14. Stock your fridge. Even if only with water bottles or pitchers. If your fridge is mostly empty it has to work harder to keep the inside cold.
15. Smart house features Automated home features have the potential to save you a fair amount of money. Plus they're just wicked awesome. You can start with smart surge protectors that are only slightly more than standard ones. (My husband has all kinds of plans and dreams about automating our house to make it more efficient. Someday.)
16. Take cold showers. They require less energy and can be rejuvenating in the summer heat.

I've also mentioned a few other money saving/power conserving ideas here and here.

Helping Your Kids to Discover the Outdoors

Most  people will agree that children these days need to play outside more. It's one of those few noncontroversial parenting topics. But even for nature lovers it can be easier said than done. Recently I read an article in Salt Lake Tribune by Melissa Rayworth, that gave some ideas to overcome obstacles to your children discovering the outdoors.

• Team up with other parents of children in the neighborhood to take turns supervising outdoor play.
• Have outdoor picnics after work.
• Research your neighborhood. What are the crime stats? How safe is it? Is there something that can be done to improve the safety?
• Mandate that every hour of screen time is balanced by an hour of play time. Stick to it.
• Take a walk after the rain. Point out the changes in the environment.
• Offer open-ended toys that encourage creativity- i.e. a ball, a magnifying glass, a shovel and spade, etc.
• Accept the fact that your kids are going to get dirty. Don't make a big deal of it.
• Start a tiny garden, even if it's only a couple seeds, it gives you the opportunity to teach your children about how things grow.
• Don't wait until you have a full day free. Even if it's 15 minutes an small outdoor excursion is beneficial for your kids.

More Ways to Save Money that are Good For the Environment

My last list on this topic was fairly popular, so I decided to dig up a few more ideas. Many of these require a little more effort, but most not really that much more. And isn't doing your part worth a little effort?

1. Refill your printer ink cartridges- I only started doing this in the few months and I feel like a sucker that I was paying so much for ink all of those years.
2. Compost- Why not make good use of your kitchen scraps and pulled weeds instead of taking up space in a landfill? You can use those things to improve your soil and grow a better garden. Composting is much cheaper than buying soil and additives and is often of better quality.
3. Eat more fresh vegetables- Switching to a vegan diet does more to decrease global warming than buying a hybrid car. Am I suggesting you do this? No. But decreasing the meat in your diet and increasing the vegetables and whole grains will improve your health, save you money and help the planet a little too.
4. Learn to make things yourself- Recently my husband came home from work and said that he needed a hobby to take out his frustrations that didn't involve torturing his high school students. His plan- make a few pieces of wood furniture. Boy, am I excited. Even if he only makes the first two items on the list it will more than cover the cost of the tools, plus no packaging and I can use the sawdust for the compost pile. So far he has made a shelf which has made a small dent in the clutter in my home. :) Now this is not the answer every time, but if you can makes things for yourself there is a lot of potential money savings and it can be good for the environment as well.
5. Pay your bills online- Save paper, clutter and postage.
6. Use less heat/air conditioning- Turn it off when you're out of town. Turn it down at night or when you're away. Consider a programmable thermostat or installing a few ceiling fans.
7. Potty train your toddler- Easier said than done. But think about how much money you'll save when you don't have to buy diapers. Disposable diapers are not recyclable and they're a huge contributor to landfills. Forcing a child before they're ready is not really effective, but you can still strongly encourage. (Almost every day my son tells me he wants to sit on the potty. He sits there long enough to eat his gummy bear and then we're done. Perhaps someday we'll get more results.)
8. Use the cruise control button- This can give you up to 15% better gas mileage.
9. Plan errands to avoid driving back and forth across town. Group them together.
10. Fix things that aren't preforming at their best. A few months ago I got a new dishwasher, and while I was excited to have a dishwasher again, it's performance was somewhat lacking. Everything had to be pre-rinsed and put on the soak cycle, plus I usually had to wash things a few times. Finally I called a repairman. He was amazed that it worked at all. He fixed a valve and we are in business. It was under warranty so I didn't have to pay for the visit, but I was annoyed with myself that I didn't do it earlier. I could have saved a lot of time, energy and detergent if I had called him months ago. This principle applies to more than dishwashers.
    

Tricks with Hydrogen Peroxide

I hope that everyone had a great Mother's Day.

My mother-in-law recently sent me a list of uses for 3% hydrogen peroxide, plus I added a few more that I thought were helpful. It's amazing what can be done with a bottle that costs less than a dollar. Everything I listed I have either tried, know someone who has tried or I have found enough research to support it, unless otherwise indicated. The ones we haven't tried aren't going to do any harm. It seems that hydrogen peroxide is safe and helpful, but if swallowed undiluted it can make you very sick.

1. To get rid of canker sores and whiten teeth- Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 1 minute daily, then spit it out... (Small print says mouthwash and gargle right on the bottle.) However, you should not use this as a mouthwash long term, if used extensively it can soften teeth and damage gums.
2. If a dog has swallowed a harmful substance (e.g., rat poison), small amounts of hydrogen peroxide can be given to induce vomiting.  (About 2 tablespoons) Haven't had a reason to try this, but I have read this in several places.
3. If a dog has been sprayed by a skunk, mix a large bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a 1/4 cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Thoroughly scrub skunk victim with solution, several times. Do not add water because that activates the skunk smell.
4. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of H202 to keep them free of germs. 
5. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dish rag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters. 
6. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria. 
7. Spray a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on feet (especially the toes) every night and let dry to get rid of athletes foot and other foot fungus.   
8. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. Reportedly it can effectively treat gangrene. Although recent research has shown that wounds treated with hydrogen peroxide are more likely to scar.
9. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will. 
10. If you like a natural looking highlights in your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change.    
11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections. (This one I haven't tried, but I don't think it will hurt.)
12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. It is effective in getting out grass stains and grape juice. Oxiclean is essentially hydrogen peroxide.
13. Use peroxide to clean mirrors without smearing or streaking. 
14. It is used to whiten bones that are put on display (who besides paleontologists are putting bones on display? That's kind of creepy.) 
15. Some horticulturalists advocate the use of weak hydrogen peroxide solution ("Spanish water") in watering solutions. Its chemical action releases oxygen that enhances a plant's root development and helps to treat root rot and a variety of other pests. 
16. Use as a vegetable wash or soak to kill bacteria and neutralize chemicals.
17. Clean with hydrogen peroxide when your house becomes a biohazard after its invaded by toxic mold, such as those with water damage. Careful as it can lighten the colors of most things it comes in contact with.
18. And of course hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning up blood. If applied immediately and rinsed, it can take it out of clothing and carpets without staining. However, it does make said item wear out faster and can lighten the color. But better that than blood-stains.  

Ways to save money that are good for the environment too.

1. Cook from scratch- There's a great deal of potential savings here when compared to eating out, buying packaged foods and mixes. And cooking from scratch is often healthier. Plus less packaging, less waste.
2. Start a garden- My husband and I were debating on whether are garden is actually cost efficient. Thus far we've spent $50 and gotten two miniature strawberries. But then there were a lot of up-front costs that we won't have to do again like garden tools. Perhaps this will save us money as we get better at it. I did make the argument that growing your own herbs is definitely cost effective and I have managed to successfully do that one.
3. Unplug your appliances- I've heard several times that you can decrease your power bill by 10-15% by unplugging your appliances when not in use. I am not about to unplug my major kitchen and laundry appliances when they're not in use. That is too much work. But unplugging computers and the TV at night is reasonable.
4. Check out home improvement rebates- A few months ago we had our attic insulation redone. Upfront cost- $860. Rebate total- $823. So it cost $37 out of pocket and is estimated to save us $290 each year on power and heating. We also got rebates for buying new energy efficient appliances (which we had to purchase anyway.) These are just a few examples. There are many other opportunities out there. See what you have in your area.
5. Plant a tree- If you plant it on the south or west side of your home and it provides any amount of shade it can decrease your air-conditioning bill, plus it increases the value of your home.
6. Make use of your library- I'm certain that I would save thousands of dollars if I went to the library as often as I go to Barnes and Noble. It's a weakness of mine, but I'm getting better.
7. Reuse plastic containers- I reuse Cool Whip containers to freeze vegetable purees. There are hundreds of other possibilities.
8. Get your kids to play outside- Turn off the tv and computer once in awhile. The exercise is good for them too.
9. Cook with a crockpot- These appliances are actually pretty energy efficient. And in the summer time they don't heat up the kitchen like your stove and oven, thus saving $ on your power bill.
10. Take care of your car- Making sure your tires are inflated can save money on gas. And maintenance is cheaper than replacement.
11. Have your kids color on both sides of the page. The little things add up.
12. Buy in bulk-This only applies to some things. I buy fruit, cheese, laundry detergent and baby wipes in bulk because I know that whatever I buy we'll use. This isn't a good idea if what you buy will go bad before you get to using it. Figure out the price per ounce and comparison shop.
13. Find alternative methods of cooking- Recently I went to a preparedness fair where they taught us how to cook using solar ovens and wonderboxes. I'm excited to give them a try.
14. Walk or bike when its feasible- Another thing that's good for your health too.
15. Reduce what you have to wash- I only wash jeans after they have been worn twice. (Unless they've been smegged.) It makes them last longer and it reduces what you spend on detergent, water and power. Plus it's that much less time folding and washing laundry.
16. Get organized!- Being organized can decrease what you spend on things that you don't need. Plus it can save you time and just make your life easier.

Happy Earth Day! Does anyone have any other great ideas that belong on this list?