GreenQueen's Writerlust

The coolest website

2008-09-17T17:38:00.002-05:00

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

Some changes a-comin'

2008-09-16T21:55:00.002-05:00

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.

Stretching

2008-09-16T21:28:00.002-05:00

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.

Grooming Green

2008-08-19T10:00:00.002-05:00

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.

The first step is the hardest

2008-08-18T15:54:00.002-05:00

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.

Green babies and vaccinations

2008-08-06T12:52:00.003-05:00

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)?

My garden is (not yet) filled with...

2008-08-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

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.

Begone, Mosquito

2008-08-04T10:08:00.002-05:00

Now that I've tackled the ant problem, I'm trying out various natural remedies for mosquito infestations. (Dire situation around here, ugh.) I whipped up a concoction of a few drops of peppermint oil, few drops of lavender, and warm water. Shake well, then spray on clothing before going outdoors. Seems to work...temporarily. I have great resources for other home formulas. Stay tuned...

Cold-Pressed is Best

2008-08-04T10:07:00.002-05:00

Cold-pressed orange oil is the most effective natural ant repellent I've found, so far. In fact, it kills them on contact. It's a powerful cleaner, too, and smells heavenly. Who doesn't love a citrus scent?

Pass the Cornmeal, Please

2008-07-30T23:32:00.002-05:00

Have ants? Fire ants? Recently we have had some 'visitors' to our home. Pesticides are absolutely forbidden, so after much trial and error I've found successful, non-toxic treatments. First, use a layering effect. Don't rely on one method. To truly rid your home of ants (or other unwelcomed guests, for that matter), you must incorporate multiple deterrents.

Start with outdoor colonies. Pour boiling water on any and all mounds, especially those closest to your foundation. Do this 2-3 times. Spray a mixture of peppermint oil, castile soap and warm water around the perimeter of your home. Plant varieties of mint (e.g. peppermint, spearmint, etc.) in containers and place them around patios. Placing potted mint close to access points (where ants enter your residence) works well, too. Indoors, clean countertops, appliances and floors with a citrus-based oil. Spray the peppermint oil mixture along access points. Peppermint and citrus will repel ants but will not kill them. To fully eradicate the colonies, pour tiny mounds of cornmeal near access points. Ants will take it back to the mound and die; they can not digest cornmeal.

I have two more remedies to try and will post about their success/failure soon.

Lavender is essential

2008-07-02T07:29:00.002-05:00

Pick up a small bottle (vial, perhaps?) of this oil, and blow the lid off your cleaning regimen. Add a few drops to the rinse cycle of your washing machine; not only is the fragrance heavenly, there is an antiseptic quality about lavender. It can be used in compresses to soothe and calm, even relieve headaches. Add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with warm water, then spray on pillows, linens, furniture to freshen up AND kill germs. So very many applications! There are various online sources or try your local health food store. I found mine about a year ago (and still have about 80% left) at Whole Foods Market.

Green Makes Green

2008-06-06T16:20:00.003-05:00

Socially responsible investing lets you put your money where your values are -- with companies who are solving issues confronting humanity. Few financial planners or brokers focus on SRIs, and anyway you could probably manage your assets much better than someone looking for a commission per transaction. You just need to do research -- and keep doing it until you divest from a particular stock or other investment vehicle. In light of today's record-setting prices for crude oil, we need to look at various sources of energy. To power vehicles, we should look at bagasse, a by-product of processing sugar cane. It's more economical and efficient to produce than corn-based ethanol -- just ask Brazil -- and can be used for tree-free paper products. I've eaten off Ecoproducts.com's bagasse "paper" plates and was very impressed.

Manufacturers of solar panels, too, are a good play. General Electric recently announced it will be jumping into the solar game, rivaling First Solar, currently the "best of breed" in the solar industry within the energy sector. Together with wind energy, solar can easily be converted to power just about everything in or around your home. I bought a few shares of First Solar and hope they will appreciate greatly over the coming years.

Think green -- as in good for your budget as well as for the planet. Which green investments would you recommend and why?

Green Programming

2008-06-05T11:12:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Discovery Home switched to Planet Green, the first and only 24-hour green network. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/

Natural remedy for cradle cap

2008-06-05T10:55:00.004-05:00

An online search turns up multiple natural treatments for cradle cap. Here's what has worked for Sage. First, stop washing baby's head with water until outbreak heals. Next, take a small, CLEAN glass jar (approximately 4-6 oz.) -- I use an old minced garlic container -- and fill it with organic aloe vera gel. Add a few drops of essential lavender oil. Make sure it's essential oil, not fragrance. Secure the lid and shake vigorously. Slather baby's head with the mixture and allow to dry. Reapply a few hours later and comb through to lift scales. At bedtime apply a thin layer of grapeseed oil. Repeat daily until outbreak heals.

I use the aloe lavender concoction as an astringent for my face. I also use grapeseed oil as a styling hair gel for Sage and me. It's light enough to use as a daily moisturizer, as well. Natural, non-toxic, EFFECTIVE, and more economical than expensive personal care products.

Can't Fight the Teether

2008-06-05T10:44:00.002-05:00

Heh, dig that reference to the early-90s Veruca Salt tune...Anyhoo, Sage has been a profuse drooler recently. At her 4-mo checkup her pediatrician confirmed it -- Sage is teething. Organic cotton teethers are too big for her little mouth, and I'm not too keen on hard plastic toys. I scoured the internet for other organic, or at least non-toxic, ideas. What I found was so simple, so logical, so economical. CELERY. Cut in pieces 4-6" long, celery stalks are the perfect size for small hands and mouths. I recommend buying organic celery, rinsing it thoroughly with non-toxic vegetable wash, cutting into desired lengths, and refrigerating the teethers in water in an air-tight glass container. Not only does the consistency relieve aching gums, without exposing baby to harmful chemicals, celery teethers introduce baby to vegetables and may positively influence her diet later in life.

Reviving the Blog

2008-06-05T10:40:00.002-05:00

Joined by my new sidekick, Baby Sage, I'm ready to resume sharing my opinions about green products, services, and experiences.