Looking for a recipe for meatless meatloaf, I found a link to this site from another blog. Great way to use up leftovers -- very resourceful cooking! Reduce waste and your waist...
http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Some changes a-comin'
I have no idea why I'm writing in a Southern dialect. Yes I'm a writer from the South but I'm not "a-writing" about those experiences. Let's change the subject...
Speaking of changes...a whole of 'em coming your way over at NativeDave.com. I'm eager (or a-chomping at the bit?) to finish the planning phase and move on to implementing the changes. This project has been a tremendous undertaking. It's taken more than a year to really define the new 'site. I expect it to be up and running in a month or two, sooner if Sage continues beyond her two-day streak of going to bed ontime. ;-)
More photos, easier to view. Less 'graphic' and more image driven. Everything will be better organized and more concise (except the blogs, or Blahgs, of course. Heh.) The layout of the blogs will complement the main website. Looking forward to your feedback.
Speaking of changes...a whole of 'em coming your way over at NativeDave.com. I'm eager (or a-chomping at the bit?) to finish the planning phase and move on to implementing the changes. This project has been a tremendous undertaking. It's taken more than a year to really define the new 'site. I expect it to be up and running in a month or two, sooner if Sage continues beyond her two-day streak of going to bed ontime. ;-)
More photos, easier to view. Less 'graphic' and more image driven. Everything will be better organized and more concise (except the blogs, or Blahgs, of course. Heh.) The layout of the blogs will complement the main website. Looking forward to your feedback.
Stretching
Yesterday the Dow Jones Industrial tumbled 500 points. Gas prices are up, in part, because ol' Ike disrupted oil production along the Gulf Coast. Food costs are spiking. Jobs are disappearing overseas. Our homes are being devalued, people are defaulting on their mortgages and racking up enormous credit card debt. How are we to make ends meet?
I don't have all the answers. Heck, I'm a writer and gardener, not an economist. But I pay attention, I follow financial news. I look at the macro and the micro of it all. I can't make a huge difference in the big picture, but as the manager of the finances within my household, I have learned ways to stretch our greenbacks. Green ways to feed our family without stressing the planet. Since my readership attracts novice greenies and well-seasoned ecofolks alike, I'll keep it simple and inclusive.
First, I find quick and simple recipes online or in my cookbooks, enough for a full week of dinners. Streamlining works best for me, so I try to pick recipes that call for many of the same ingredients. Then I write out my shopping list and hit the stores. I won't recommend specific stores, because they differ market-by-market, region-by-region. But my approach is to shop at some big box place for certain staples -- rice, pasta, bread, etc. More esoteric items, like tempeh or Shoya (soy sauce), and castille soap are found at specialty and health food stores. Produce is a bit tricky. Sometimes the organic stuff is only located at the specialty places, sometimes it's wedged in a corner at the supermarket. If you have access to a farmers' market or CSA, go that route. My goal is to pick up enough items to last 7-10 days, and I must finish all the shopping on one day.
I get creative with my leftovers. I substitute this for that, and discover a whole new recipe. Last week I made Lentil Carrot Veggie Burgers. This week, I tweaked it a bit. Instead of tomato paste I added tomato sauce (basil and onion flavor.) I also added spinach, cooked and chopped, to the lentil-y, carrot-y mix. Hmm, I just re-read the recipe and realized I made all sorts of changes. LOL. Oh well, it was delicious and nutritious, simple and fun to make. Last week I served them with Oven-Fried Potato Chips. I modified that, too, by using Toasted Sesame Oil in lieu of butter. After removing the pan from the oven I sprinkled grated parmesan cheese over the chips. Yummy. This week I served the burgers with spaghetti drizzled with olive oil and garlic-stuffed olives. I still have about 3 cups of cooked lentils and 2-3 cups of cooked black beans to work my -- ahem -- magic.
Dry beans and grains in bulk really help to stretch our budget. Inexpensive, versatile, and healthy, not to mention planet-friendly. Match them up with some locally grown veggies, fruits and herbs, and you have yourself a good ol' sustainable dinner. Yeehaw.
I don't have all the answers. Heck, I'm a writer and gardener, not an economist. But I pay attention, I follow financial news. I look at the macro and the micro of it all. I can't make a huge difference in the big picture, but as the manager of the finances within my household, I have learned ways to stretch our greenbacks. Green ways to feed our family without stressing the planet. Since my readership attracts novice greenies and well-seasoned ecofolks alike, I'll keep it simple and inclusive.
First, I find quick and simple recipes online or in my cookbooks, enough for a full week of dinners. Streamlining works best for me, so I try to pick recipes that call for many of the same ingredients. Then I write out my shopping list and hit the stores. I won't recommend specific stores, because they differ market-by-market, region-by-region. But my approach is to shop at some big box place for certain staples -- rice, pasta, bread, etc. More esoteric items, like tempeh or Shoya (soy sauce), and castille soap are found at specialty and health food stores. Produce is a bit tricky. Sometimes the organic stuff is only located at the specialty places, sometimes it's wedged in a corner at the supermarket. If you have access to a farmers' market or CSA, go that route. My goal is to pick up enough items to last 7-10 days, and I must finish all the shopping on one day.
I get creative with my leftovers. I substitute this for that, and discover a whole new recipe. Last week I made Lentil Carrot Veggie Burgers. This week, I tweaked it a bit. Instead of tomato paste I added tomato sauce (basil and onion flavor.) I also added spinach, cooked and chopped, to the lentil-y, carrot-y mix. Hmm, I just re-read the recipe and realized I made all sorts of changes. LOL. Oh well, it was delicious and nutritious, simple and fun to make. Last week I served them with Oven-Fried Potato Chips. I modified that, too, by using Toasted Sesame Oil in lieu of butter. After removing the pan from the oven I sprinkled grated parmesan cheese over the chips. Yummy. This week I served the burgers with spaghetti drizzled with olive oil and garlic-stuffed olives. I still have about 3 cups of cooked lentils and 2-3 cups of cooked black beans to work my -- ahem -- magic.
Dry beans and grains in bulk really help to stretch our budget. Inexpensive, versatile, and healthy, not to mention planet-friendly. Match them up with some locally grown veggies, fruits and herbs, and you have yourself a good ol' sustainable dinner. Yeehaw.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Grooming Green
Pet owners, take notice. Miss Pat's is where it's at. Natural, organic products for your pet. Super customer service. And get this: when you call or bring in your dog or cat for grooming, you actually get to talk to Miss Pat. She is a true animal lover; her business is an extension of her passion. Your pet will love her, and you.
Folsom the Dog has been frightened by other groomers, but not Miss Pat. He wags his tail whenever we visit her!
Pat's Pet Grooming is located in Plano on the southwest corner of 15th and Custer, on the side of Canine Commissary. www.patspetgrooming or give Miss Pat a call at 972.943.3366.
Folsom the Dog has been frightened by other groomers, but not Miss Pat. He wags his tail whenever we visit her!
Pat's Pet Grooming is located in Plano on the southwest corner of 15th and Custer, on the side of Canine Commissary. www.patspetgrooming or give Miss Pat a call at 972.943.3366.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The first step is the hardest
Living green isn't about buying everything organic. It isn't about driving a hybrid or powering our homes with solar or wind. No, the most important step toward living green is also the hardest. The first of the "Rs" -- reduce, reuse, recycle, rebuy -- means to truly make a positive impact on the planet, we must reduce our consumption of goods and services. That doesn't mean we must do without, it just means maybe we don't need that extra serving of steak or that forty-second pair of black shoes. Maybe we can walk to the post office rather than drive. Maybe we don't need to always be in such a hurry.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Green babies and vaccinations
You probably have read about or seen footage of Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey joining legions of parents speaking about the link between autism and vaccinations. I was fully vaccinated as a child, and until about a year ago I never thought much about whether or not I would have my own children vaccinated. I mean, I guess I always thought it's just what is to be done. As Sage's arrival date approached, I discovered immunization schedules are much different than when I was a little girl. Children receive more shots and more frequently. Honestly, this made me uneasy on too many levels to address here. So when we took Sage for her 2-week checkup with her pediatrician, I needed a little guidance. Like many of you, I saw the decision to/not to vaccinate as all or nothing. Either follow the guidelines supported by the Centers for Disease Control and pediatricians' groups, or don't immunize at all. All or nothing.
But that's just not the complete picture. As parents we aren't faced with just one decision related to vaccines. There are actually TWELVE. There are also sometimes several manufacturers of a particular vaccine, with marked differences in ingredients. You can choose the brand of vaccine, too. Some parents choose to leave all the decisions up to their child's doctor, some want absolute control of their child's immunization schedule. And there are plenty of parents like David and me -- dads and moms who want to protect their child from disease, but worry that we are a "vaccination nation" -- who fall somewhere in between.
Fortunately, "alternative" or "graduated" immunization schedules are available. Schedules vary, but in a nutshell their purpose is to immunize fully, gradually, by administering only 2 or 3 shots per visit, spread out over several visits. Yes, your child may see her doctor more frequently (more copays) but if she has a reaction to any of the shots, it's easier to determine which of 2 rather than 8 or more shots caused the reaction.
The Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears is an excellent resource. He presents research-based evidence, not necessarily opinions. He does, however, suggest an alternative schedule that he follows with his patients, with success. You can submit questions to him by way of his website (http://www.askdrsears.com.)
I've read other alternative, or delayed vaccination schedules, and visited plentiful websites encouraging parents to not vaccinate. In no particular order:
http://www.blissfullydomestic.com/2008/04/creating-a-sele.html
http://www.familiesfornaturalliving.org/ONSITE/render.php?currentObjId=3839
http://www.momsagainstmercury.com/
http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html
http://vaccineinfo.net/
http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/medical/danprotocol.htm
Take a look around each of these websites and you will find links to other related 'sites. One gem(http://mercola.com) contains numerous articles about vaccines and other health-related topics. Most states offer exemptions from vaccinations but you will need to check with your state entities for specific guidelines. The vaccineinfo.net site addresses Texas specifically.
Are your children vaccinated? What influenced your decision(s)? Could you recommend links and/or literature that supports your decision(s)?
But that's just not the complete picture. As parents we aren't faced with just one decision related to vaccines. There are actually TWELVE. There are also sometimes several manufacturers of a particular vaccine, with marked differences in ingredients. You can choose the brand of vaccine, too. Some parents choose to leave all the decisions up to their child's doctor, some want absolute control of their child's immunization schedule. And there are plenty of parents like David and me -- dads and moms who want to protect their child from disease, but worry that we are a "vaccination nation" -- who fall somewhere in between.
Fortunately, "alternative" or "graduated" immunization schedules are available. Schedules vary, but in a nutshell their purpose is to immunize fully, gradually, by administering only 2 or 3 shots per visit, spread out over several visits. Yes, your child may see her doctor more frequently (more copays) but if she has a reaction to any of the shots, it's easier to determine which of 2 rather than 8 or more shots caused the reaction.
The Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears is an excellent resource. He presents research-based evidence, not necessarily opinions. He does, however, suggest an alternative schedule that he follows with his patients, with success. You can submit questions to him by way of his website (http://www.askdrsears.com.)
I've read other alternative, or delayed vaccination schedules, and visited plentiful websites encouraging parents to not vaccinate. In no particular order:
http://www.blissfullydomestic.com/2008/04/creating-a-sele.html
http://www.familiesfornaturalliving.org/ONSITE/render.php?currentObjId=3839
http://www.momsagainstmercury.com/
http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html
http://vaccineinfo.net/
http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/medical/danprotocol.htm
Take a look around each of these websites and you will find links to other related 'sites. One gem(http://mercola.com) contains numerous articles about vaccines and other health-related topics. Most states offer exemptions from vaccinations but you will need to check with your state entities for specific guidelines. The vaccineinfo.net site addresses Texas specifically.
Are your children vaccinated? What influenced your decision(s)? Could you recommend links and/or literature that supports your decision(s)?
My garden is (not yet) filled with...
papayas and mangoes (parrotheads know what I'm talking about ;-) Lately I've been squeezing in a few moments to garden while Sage naps. It's fun getting my fingers dirty again...mostly I've planted herbs and vegetables, but not much else. Everything is in containers, especially important when planting mint; it can take over a garden. For teas, household and personal care products, I have: peppermint, spearmint and chocolate mint. Other herbs: lemongrass (for making teas); lavender (household and personal care products); cilantro (cooking); garlic chives (cooking); sweet basil and purple basil (cooking, esp. PESTO); bay tree (cooking); and aloe vera (cooking, household and personal care products.) I love experimenting with new plants, so I've also potted up cuban oregano, tree spinach (aka chaya), salad burnet and lemon eucalyptus. Ironically, I haven't planted one single species of sage yet. All my plants are being maintained organically, and I plan to harvest the seeds for next year's crop. Sol Meltzer's Herb Gardening in Texas is quite informative as an instructional manual for growing, harvesting, drying, and using your homegrown herbs. Howard Garrett has a good book about herbs for Texas, as well.
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