Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wheel of the Year
The Reveal....
Peace!
My surprise is….. I’m starting a veggie garden. A big one. And in my front yard!
I have through the years gone back and forth with gardening. I have planted here and there. I know enough to get a little something from the little something I plant. But I never had the perfect place to put in a REAL garden. And I still don’t. I have decided to screw perfect and work with the here and now.
The property I live on has no real backyard. It’s mostly side yards and front. The backyard has NO grass at all. And there are so many pine trees that the straw is all that’s back there. I don’t go back there. There is no reason to. I was thinking about getting some chickens and keeping them back there. I am allowed to keep 4 chickens. But that still requires some more thought. Keeping chickens will effectively keep me form going on vacation. Who will want to sit them?
This is my backyard.
But the front yard is full and gets lots of sun. I mean a lot. That is saying something because I swear I live in a jungle. When we moved there last year, I was looking for a place last winter. I had no idea when those trees fleshed out I’d feel like I was living in the bush…. Only my front yard gets a consistent 8 hours of sunlight daily. I did my homework and found that it was perfectly legal to put a veggie garden in the front yard in my neighborhood. I think it’s shady that folks can’t do what they want with the property they pay and are responsible for. But you must get along with your neighbors…..
This is the front yard, where the garden will be.
And this is the side yard. I must get the God to rake BEFORE I get planting.
So here is my line up….
1. Cucumbers: 2 kinds, lemon and regular green (I forget the name)
2. Peppers: Hot fish (this is a traditional African American variety from Baltimore)
Chocolate Sweet bell
3. Corn: some hybrid. I never grew corn before. I’m not going crazy over a crop that might not make it. If I get it right, next year I will grow non GMO. At least this year’s will be organic
4. Beans: Kentucky wonders I wanted purple velour variety, but I forgot to order it and wasn’t going to incur fresh s&h for them so I got the KW’s. My grandmother and aunt used to grow these.
5. Black Eyes Peas: self explanatory
6. Squash: I forget the variety. But it’s a small fruit because I’m employing the “3 sisters” planting method and I don’t want big ole squash fruits. Besides, I don’t like squash
7. Zucchini: I don’t like the taste of zucchini but I use it in a lot of recipes. Maybe I can use the squash too
8. Tomatoes: Black Cherry cherry tomatoes and Purple Cherokee
9. Bib lettuce: my absolute favorite
10. Brussel Sprouts: never grew these before. Recently found that I liked them. The pack was on sale so I was like… why not?
11. Peanuts.
12 Maybe some asparagus. It is so expensive in the store. Why not grow it
That’s a lot isn’t it? I’m being super ambitions, I know. It has been my experience that you gotta sometimes just throw yourself into thick of things and figure it out as you go. Most of those things I have grown before, so I feel comfortable. But it’s the scale in which I’m growing that I am iffy about.
More to come…..!
Peace
My surprise is….. I’m starting a veggie garden. A big one. And in my front yard!
I have through the years gone back and forth with gardening. I have planted here and there. I know enough to get a little something from the little something I plant. But I never had the perfect place to put in a REAL garden. And I still don’t. I have decided to screw perfect and work with the here and now.
The property I live on has no real backyard. It’s mostly side yards and front. The backyard has NO grass at all. And there are so many pine trees that the straw is all that’s back there. I don’t go back there. There is no reason to. I was thinking about getting some chickens and keeping them back there. I am allowed to keep 4 chickens. But that still requires some more thought. Keeping chickens will effectively keep me form going on vacation. Who will want to sit them?
This is my backyard.
But the front yard is full and gets lots of sun. I mean a lot. That is saying something because I swear I live in a jungle. When we moved there last year, I was looking for a place last winter. I had no idea when those trees fleshed out I’d feel like I was living in the bush…. Only my front yard gets a consistent 8 hours of sunlight daily. I did my homework and found that it was perfectly legal to put a veggie garden in the front yard in my neighborhood. I think it’s shady that folks can’t do what they want with the property they pay and are responsible for. But you must get along with your neighbors…..
This is the front yard, where the garden will be.
And this is the side yard. I must get the God to rake BEFORE I get planting.
So here is my line up….
1. Cucumbers: 2 kinds, lemon and regular green (I forget the name)
2. Peppers: Hot fish (this is a traditional African American variety from Baltimore)
Chocolate Sweet bell
3. Corn: some hybrid. I never grew corn before. I’m not going crazy over a crop that might not make it. If I get it right, next year I will grow non GMO. At least this year’s will be organic
4. Beans: Kentucky wonders I wanted purple velour variety, but I forgot to order it and wasn’t going to incur fresh s&h for them so I got the KW’s. My grandmother and aunt used to grow these.
5. Black Eyes Peas: self explanatory
6. Squash: I forget the variety. But it’s a small fruit because I’m employing the “3 sisters” planting method and I don’t want big ole squash fruits. Besides, I don’t like squash
7. Zucchini: I don’t like the taste of zucchini but I use it in a lot of recipes. Maybe I can use the squash too
8. Tomatoes: Black Cherry cherry tomatoes and Purple Cherokee
9. Bib lettuce: my absolute favorite
10. Brussel Sprouts: never grew these before. Recently found that I liked them. The pack was on sale so I was like… why not?
11. Peanuts.
12 Maybe some asparagus. It is so expensive in the store. Why not grow it
That’s a lot isn’t it? I’m being super ambitions, I know. It has been my experience that you gotta sometimes just throw yourself into thick of things and figure it out as you go. Most of those things I have grown before, so I feel comfortable. But it’s the scale in which I’m growing that I am iffy about.
More to come…..!
Peace
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Monday, April 23, 2012
DIY Coconut Yogurt - Mostly Pass
Peace.
I really felt like I had to wait before I could truly give this recipe an objective review. I feel like I have a feel now.
Why:
I have been striving to remove dairy from my diet. It bloats me. That means no yogurt. But I love yogurt. I could use soy yogurt. But…. I could. I am not a soy hater; but I don’t think folks should be overloading their diets with the stuff either. We get a lot of soy in processed foods, so adding it extra, if you don’t have to, doesn’t really make sense to me. And of course, if it’s natural and inexpensive, it’s a plus. A BIG plus.
Method:
Here is the site for the recipe and technique I used…. http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2010/08/homemade-vegan-yogurt-in-the-crock-pot/
Must give credit where credit is due. And I use brown sugar, simply because I don’t use white sugar anymore
Data
I made 2 batches with canned milk. I suppose I could have made my own coconut milk, but that would have been more expensive, time consuming and not worth it. One with probiotic caps, one with a tablespoon of soy yogurt. The one made with probiotics never thickened correctly and the milk kept separating. Now that could be because the probiotics were dead or because it just wasn’t going to happen. Either way, it wasn’t successful.
The batch made with leftover yogurt thickened much better but not the consistency of store bought yogurt but enough for me to be satisfied with the result. It thickened more once it went into the refrigerator and it doesn’t separate as much as the probiotic yogurt. It has the yogurt ‘tang’ and the coconut flavor doesn’t come through as strong as coconut milk. I put coconut milk in my coffee and it’s overpowering. I tend to flavor it with nutmeg and vanilla (sometimes brandy) and the like just to pretend that flavor is intentional.
Conclusion:
I like it. I will make more of this in the future using the successful batch as a starter.
Peace
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
DIY Laundry Soap: Dry version---- PASS! So far
Peace.
OK. This build is a long time coming. I have been wanting to try this recipe since 2007, but just never got around to it. I think I was still getting over a friend of min clowning me because I wanted to try this. Also, some of the bloggers claim that diy detergent destroys your machine. Since my machine is 12 years old, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned. This weekend after I did my personal laundry (there are some things I don’t want soaking with my ‘good’ clothes and unmentionables). I washed dish towels, an oven mit, and 3 of the God’s white undershirts. I ran out of washing powder and was too lazy to go to the grocery for more Tide. So that was as good a time as ever. Plus I already had the ingredients…. From 2007!
Here is the recipe: ½ bar of shredded Zote, 1 cup of Borax, ½ cup of washing soda, ¼ cup of oxyclean all placed in an air tight container.
The Line Up
All mixed up
Other bloggers suggest using 1 Tables spoon. I used 2. I didn’t want to make the liquid versions. I don’t buy liquid washing soap in the 1st place. Why would I make it now? Of course I did the knowledge to all the products first. I have been looking for a vegetarian cleaning product. I don’t eat meat and I don’t think it’s cool to wear clothes that have been soaked in meat. Especially on my girl parts. That’s not saying Zote or Fels Naptha are vegetarian, but now I know it can be done. The interesting thing I learned was that Borax and washing soda essentially did the same thing. Washing soda is more severe, chemical version of borax. And where borax is quarried, washing soda is manufactured. They both soften hard water, they both remove organic stains, they both remove odor. So when I was playing with the proportions, I decided to use less soda and more borax. Also, washing soda is more difficult to find and more expensive. I don’t do online ordering of something I’m supposed to be able to find locally. I added oxyclean because it’s a brightner that I am familiar with.
Since I have given you the recipe and method, let me move on to the results… The mix worked on my non-garment laundry. I didn’t add bleach to the mix because my internet research said I shouldn’t mix bleach and washing soda. Plus I wanted to see how the powder worked all by itself. It seemed to work. BUT… I did wash the items in hot water. Let’s be mindful that hot water and agitation can clean clothes too. Here are some before and after pics….
Before
After
the glove on the left is unwashed. The glove on the right is clearly washed.
Yesterday, the God decided to do his own laundry with the powder. He did whites with hot water. He was very invested in using the powder since he was the one who had to shred the soap, and there wasn’t anything else to use. Shredding the soap is really was a man’s job. That soap was HARD. Also, he has more whites than I do in his wardrobe. I don’t know when this started but I, for some reason, have dark everything with few whites. Dark towels, dark under things, even dark t-shirts. I own very little white. And I didn’t realize that until we moved in together. I would buy bleach maybe every 6 months? In the past I have had skin reactions to bleach cleaned items and used to use that bluing stuff. But when I moved to GA I couldn’t find it here; nor anyone that ever heard of it. But I digress… The God’s clothes looked clean and didn’t smell funky. Isn’t that really the bottom line of clean laundry?
There were a few negatives… The yellow under arm stains did not budge. At all. I really should investigate how to remove those. I don’t really have that problem since I don’t wear white shirts that much, but the God does. And if anybody sees his undershirts, I will be deemed a poor Earth. And he won’t throw them away, or let me do it. Another thing is the laundry doesn’t smell like anything. Not funk, but not fresh. I know I was used to the chemical sweetness of Tide but I’d like a little something something. Also, the dishtowels were rough. I didn’t use fabric softener either. I wanted to see how the powder worked in its purest state. But none of these negatives are deal breakers.
So the conclusion is, I recommend this and will continue using this mix until something bad happens. I do want to do some further experimentation… (1) I want to use it on my clothes to see if it messes with my eczema. (2) I want to make this using vegan soap. (3) I want to use all borax and no washing soda to make it greener and cheaper. (4) I need to see if it works in cold water and on dark clothes. And (5) I am ever hopeful that it doesn’t mess with my machine.
Feedback? Sheila?
Peace
OK. This build is a long time coming. I have been wanting to try this recipe since 2007, but just never got around to it. I think I was still getting over a friend of min clowning me because I wanted to try this. Also, some of the bloggers claim that diy detergent destroys your machine. Since my machine is 12 years old, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned. This weekend after I did my personal laundry (there are some things I don’t want soaking with my ‘good’ clothes and unmentionables). I washed dish towels, an oven mit, and 3 of the God’s white undershirts. I ran out of washing powder and was too lazy to go to the grocery for more Tide. So that was as good a time as ever. Plus I already had the ingredients…. From 2007!
Here is the recipe: ½ bar of shredded Zote, 1 cup of Borax, ½ cup of washing soda, ¼ cup of oxyclean all placed in an air tight container.
Other bloggers suggest using 1 Tables spoon. I used 2. I didn’t want to make the liquid versions. I don’t buy liquid washing soap in the 1st place. Why would I make it now? Of course I did the knowledge to all the products first. I have been looking for a vegetarian cleaning product. I don’t eat meat and I don’t think it’s cool to wear clothes that have been soaked in meat. Especially on my girl parts. That’s not saying Zote or Fels Naptha are vegetarian, but now I know it can be done. The interesting thing I learned was that Borax and washing soda essentially did the same thing. Washing soda is more severe, chemical version of borax. And where borax is quarried, washing soda is manufactured. They both soften hard water, they both remove organic stains, they both remove odor. So when I was playing with the proportions, I decided to use less soda and more borax. Also, washing soda is more difficult to find and more expensive. I don’t do online ordering of something I’m supposed to be able to find locally. I added oxyclean because it’s a brightner that I am familiar with.
Since I have given you the recipe and method, let me move on to the results… The mix worked on my non-garment laundry. I didn’t add bleach to the mix because my internet research said I shouldn’t mix bleach and washing soda. Plus I wanted to see how the powder worked all by itself. It seemed to work. BUT… I did wash the items in hot water. Let’s be mindful that hot water and agitation can clean clothes too. Here are some before and after pics….
Yesterday, the God decided to do his own laundry with the powder. He did whites with hot water. He was very invested in using the powder since he was the one who had to shred the soap, and there wasn’t anything else to use. Shredding the soap is really was a man’s job. That soap was HARD. Also, he has more whites than I do in his wardrobe. I don’t know when this started but I, for some reason, have dark everything with few whites. Dark towels, dark under things, even dark t-shirts. I own very little white. And I didn’t realize that until we moved in together. I would buy bleach maybe every 6 months? In the past I have had skin reactions to bleach cleaned items and used to use that bluing stuff. But when I moved to GA I couldn’t find it here; nor anyone that ever heard of it. But I digress… The God’s clothes looked clean and didn’t smell funky. Isn’t that really the bottom line of clean laundry?
There were a few negatives… The yellow under arm stains did not budge. At all. I really should investigate how to remove those. I don’t really have that problem since I don’t wear white shirts that much, but the God does. And if anybody sees his undershirts, I will be deemed a poor Earth. And he won’t throw them away, or let me do it. Another thing is the laundry doesn’t smell like anything. Not funk, but not fresh. I know I was used to the chemical sweetness of Tide but I’d like a little something something. Also, the dishtowels were rough. I didn’t use fabric softener either. I wanted to see how the powder worked in its purest state. But none of these negatives are deal breakers.
So the conclusion is, I recommend this and will continue using this mix until something bad happens. I do want to do some further experimentation… (1) I want to use it on my clothes to see if it messes with my eczema. (2) I want to make this using vegan soap. (3) I want to use all borax and no washing soda to make it greener and cheaper. (4) I need to see if it works in cold water and on dark clothes. And (5) I am ever hopeful that it doesn’t mess with my machine.
Feedback? Sheila?
Peace
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Bathroom Cleaner - Pass!
Peace.
This weekend I was very busy trying stuff. I made washing powder, coconut yogurt and bathroom cleaner. I’m not ready to build on the yogurt and washing powder but I am ready to report on the bathroom cleaner.
Premise:
A DIY bathroom cleaner that alleges to cut grease and soap scum quickly and cheaply using relatively easy products to find.
Background:
Let me get started by giving you the recipe and source: http://www.food.com/recipe/tub-and-shower-magic-434275.
Method:
Equal amounts of Dawn and hot vinegar placed in a spray bottle and shake gently until combined. I added the Dawn first and then the hot vinegar to it. The directions say do it the other way around and they also say that when you do that you get major bubbles that slow you down.
Data:
I did a lot if internet research and I did not determine that one way over the other made a difference. And I didn’t have the bubble issue with vinegar added to soap.
Vinegar costs $.75. Dawn costs $1.15. So less than $2 for a full bottle of the cleaner. A full bottle of this solution was 2x the weight of the scrubbing bubbles. And I don’t use name brand bubbles. My bootleg bubbles cost $1. So this stuff is half the cost 1/2 of my usual cleaner.
Results
Did it work? Yes. I have been using it as a bathroom cleaner and it worked as well as the scrubbing bubbles I normally use. When you think about it makes sense. Dawn’s claim to fame is that it is a grease cutter. And vinegar is a strong acid. So together why wouldn’t it work? And it was cheaper than my old cleaner. Win, win.
But there are some negatives. The smell is very strong. I couldn’t stay for long periods of time in the bathroom or be super close to the solution without coughing. The solution burned my hands the mist irritated my face; so factor in the cost of gloves and possibly a mask.
Conclusion:
Right now I’m satisfied. I will be making this repeatedly in the future. I do wonder if I can make this with regular dish soap or does it have to be Dawn? I will check on that in subsequent experiments.
Hope this was helpful.
Peace
This weekend I was very busy trying stuff. I made washing powder, coconut yogurt and bathroom cleaner. I’m not ready to build on the yogurt and washing powder but I am ready to report on the bathroom cleaner.
Premise:
A DIY bathroom cleaner that alleges to cut grease and soap scum quickly and cheaply using relatively easy products to find.
Background:
Let me get started by giving you the recipe and source: http://www.food.com/recipe/tub-and-shower-magic-434275.
Method:
Equal amounts of Dawn and hot vinegar placed in a spray bottle and shake gently until combined. I added the Dawn first and then the hot vinegar to it. The directions say do it the other way around and they also say that when you do that you get major bubbles that slow you down.
Data:
I did a lot if internet research and I did not determine that one way over the other made a difference. And I didn’t have the bubble issue with vinegar added to soap.
Vinegar costs $.75. Dawn costs $1.15. So less than $2 for a full bottle of the cleaner. A full bottle of this solution was 2x the weight of the scrubbing bubbles. And I don’t use name brand bubbles. My bootleg bubbles cost $1. So this stuff is half the cost 1/2 of my usual cleaner.
Results
Did it work? Yes. I have been using it as a bathroom cleaner and it worked as well as the scrubbing bubbles I normally use. When you think about it makes sense. Dawn’s claim to fame is that it is a grease cutter. And vinegar is a strong acid. So together why wouldn’t it work? And it was cheaper than my old cleaner. Win, win.
But there are some negatives. The smell is very strong. I couldn’t stay for long periods of time in the bathroom or be super close to the solution without coughing. The solution burned my hands the mist irritated my face; so factor in the cost of gloves and possibly a mask.
Conclusion:
Right now I’m satisfied. I will be making this repeatedly in the future. I do wonder if I can make this with regular dish soap or does it have to be Dawn? I will check on that in subsequent experiments.
Hope this was helpful.
Peace
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Overnight Oatmeal: Pass!
Peace,
On the internet there is a plethora of overnight Oatmeal recipes. One of my pet peeves with recipes is that the people who comment say things like, “Yummy looking” or “Can’t wait to try this” or any of a number of uber-positive comments. But nothing useful. Like does it work? And I shouldn’t just blame this particular recipe; it’s like that with tutorials of every type. No REAL feedback.
So I just want to tell you that overnight oatmeal does work. Equal amounts of yogurt, milk and rolled oats left in the fridge overnight will yield some nice texture oatmeal. It will have the yogurt tang though if you like it or can get passed that. I don’t know why there is yogurt in it in the 1st place, but all the recipes say use yogurt so I did. I used blueberry yogurt and soy milk. It’s what I had. I was experimenting and not planning to buy a bunch of stuff for a test. It still worked. Also, because it was in the refrigerator all night it was be cold. I don’t often like cold things when the weather is chilly, but I can see myself enjoying this in the summer. I wonder if it must sit in the refrigerator even if it is covered. I suspect the yogurt will get more tangy.I will try that next.
I read you can do this with oat groats if you want to avoid the processed rolled oats, but who eats groats? It’s like eating wheat berries. The rolling of groats is not really all that processed but folks have their limits.
So if you want to try this, I recommend it. It worked. A cool way to get a jump on breakfast if you don’t have a million hours to cook or someone to cook for you.
Peace
PS: I am striving to get away from milk based products outside of cheese and butter. And even reduce my cheese consumption, and playing with alternatives to butter; but butter is so GOOD! So my next ‘test’ will be homemade coconut yogurt.
On the internet there is a plethora of overnight Oatmeal recipes. One of my pet peeves with recipes is that the people who comment say things like, “Yummy looking” or “Can’t wait to try this” or any of a number of uber-positive comments. But nothing useful. Like does it work? And I shouldn’t just blame this particular recipe; it’s like that with tutorials of every type. No REAL feedback.
So I just want to tell you that overnight oatmeal does work. Equal amounts of yogurt, milk and rolled oats left in the fridge overnight will yield some nice texture oatmeal. It will have the yogurt tang though if you like it or can get passed that. I don’t know why there is yogurt in it in the 1st place, but all the recipes say use yogurt so I did. I used blueberry yogurt and soy milk. It’s what I had. I was experimenting and not planning to buy a bunch of stuff for a test. It still worked. Also, because it was in the refrigerator all night it was be cold. I don’t often like cold things when the weather is chilly, but I can see myself enjoying this in the summer. I wonder if it must sit in the refrigerator even if it is covered. I suspect the yogurt will get more tangy.I will try that next.
I read you can do this with oat groats if you want to avoid the processed rolled oats, but who eats groats? It’s like eating wheat berries. The rolling of groats is not really all that processed but folks have their limits.
So if you want to try this, I recommend it. It worked. A cool way to get a jump on breakfast if you don’t have a million hours to cook or someone to cook for you.
Peace
PS: I am striving to get away from milk based products outside of cheese and butter. And even reduce my cheese consumption, and playing with alternatives to butter; but butter is so GOOD! So my next ‘test’ will be homemade coconut yogurt.
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