Tag Archives: it’s not easy being green

>Rain! Spinach! And more!

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>Rain! We finally had a little rain! My rain barrels were empty, and I actually watered the garden with the hose two nights in a row. It felt so wasteful, yet was so necessary. My poor plants were drying up in the cracked soil.

Spinach! We have spinach! I harvested a big batch of spinach to cook up with chicken in my slow cooker. The produce drawer looked like Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (with the exception of bunny food), so I stopped at our neighborhood market and picked up 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, and one small onion. I found out that the best cheese is located at the meat counter. Feta will be perfect on this dish!
I’ve also discovered two relatively new thrift stores. I picked up a pot and two tiny cute buckets, sized perfectly for giving away two jars of jam each. Total purchase: $1.97.
Next door was Starbucks. I don’t get out much, so I used a gift card and got myself a treat. After that, I mailed a few books and picked up prescriptions.
Now back to the neighborhood market. I used my own bag at the thrift store and for the prescriptions, so when I got to the market, I had to take their plastic bag. Famous last words: “Oh, I don’t need to keep all three bags in my purse. Two will be plenty.” Uh-huh. The clerk even teased a little because I never, ever need a bag at this little store.
Now the crock pot is simmering, the medicines hiding in their designated cupboard, the new buckets and I’m debating what to grow now that I have another pot. Meanwhile, time to make lunch and relax with the mid-day news.
So, readers, I’m curious. Do you bring your own bags? How many do you carry with you on a regular basis?

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>Spring, Summer, and good health

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Late spring and early summer are sometimes the hardest seasons for eating fresh and local. My freezer is emptying of last summer’s bounty, the Farmers’ Market hasn’t opened yet, it’s too early and too wet to plant, much less harvest, and we’re in the midst of time-consuming events that signal the end of the school year.
We’re hoping and planning to put up more of our own garden produce and local goodies from the Farmers’ Market as soon as local food comes into season. I’m preparing in several ways.
  • I picked up a food saver to replace my hand pump. I liked using the zipper bags for vegetables, but pumping the air out of each bag got tiring. Pushing a button and “zip!” sucking the air out will make it easier.
  • I’ve set aside good containers for freezing fresh fruits and fresh peppers. It’s so nice to reach into the freezer and pull out a jalapeno pepper from last fall’s garden instead of buying one from the store, a pepper probably imported over a great distance.
  • The tomato and pepper sections of our garden will be bigger and more varied. The family requested more salsa this year; last year’s stock only lasted until December. More salsa means more pulp tomatoes and more peppers.
  • We’ll continue to plant spinach; adding spinach to soups and stews and salads and omelets, to name a few, can increase or maintain a decent amount of iron in my diet.
  • Herbs! Seasoning with fresh herbs is tasty and helps us resist adding too much salt to our food. The chives are right outside the dining room door, making them easily accessible.
In the meantime, I can stock the kitchen with good foods made from scratch. I keep baking bread, adding flaxseed or local honey or other healthy additions to the recipe. The slow cookers (yes, plural, I have several) provide another method for easily cooking from scratch. It’s easier to keep meals low salt and low calorie when I have control over the ingredients.
When I don’t have time or energy to cook from scratch, it’s time to pull out something simple, yet healthy. Weight Watchers Smart Ones is making it easier to stay on track with a healthy meal plan without spending time on prep work beforehand. Their products provide a variety of delicious, convenient and portion controlled meals and snacks that contain lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. And now they are offering two new breakfast items – like the new Egg, Sausage & Cheese Wrap and the French Toast with Turkey Sausage. If you’re keeping track, the packaging tells you the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values in each serving, allowing you to conveniently plan for the day. Visit www.eatyourbest.com for more information.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Weight Watchers Smart Ones and received a promotional item and coupons to facilitate my review.

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>The Wild Asparagus Economy

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>Long ago, but not so far away, I worked with a single mom of four grown children. We were sitting down to a lunch which included fresh vegetables when she told me this story.

When Joan (not her real name) was newly divorced and on her own with the young children, she was worried about paying the bills. A creative thinker, she walked to a nearby area that looked like all weeds – but it wasn’t. Joan noticed wild asparagus in the ditch alongside the dandelions and other spring greens. She picked a large batch of asparagus to take home. Joan washed the delicious vegetable, tied it up in nice, presentable bunches, and sent her children door to door to sell it.
As she put it, “Honest to God, it held us over until payday.”
The downside: her children, now young adults, haven’t eaten asparagus since.
Is there a moral to this story? No, not a morel – that’s another kind of foraging altogether. No, I don’t have a lesson or motivational saying, sorry. As the asparagus begins to peek out of the ground, a sure sign of spring, it’s also a sign that we moms are often creative in feeding and supporting our families.

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>Starting Seeds

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>I’ve tried starting seeds early a couple of years with minimal success. I’m trying again, this time with a better plan – I hope.

My Ultimate Greenhouse (set of shelves with a fitted plastic cover) is assembled and sitting on the deck. The herbs that survived the winter are there, as are the newly planted seeds. With about 6 weeks until planting time, let’s see if I can put together a garden from scratch.
So far, I have:
  • jalapeno peppers
  • green bell peppers
  • broccoli
  • cilantro
  • oregano
  • yellow pear tomatoes
If I can maintain these and care for them well, I’ll have seedlings when spring becomes summer-like and frost warnings are over, well, minimal. If the list doesn’t sound like much, remember that I usually buy tomato and pepper seedlings in mid-May. I’ll have them in plenty of time to join the pre-planted pals. Beans and peas and squash will wait until the end of May, too. I have a wish list of seeds that I might give in and buy from Hometown Seeds. I tested a variety pack from their site last year with excellent results.
My goal this year is to fill both new and old plots. Instead of telling you, I’ll show you – when there are actually plants to show, that is!
Warm breezes, dirt under my nails — it’s definitely spring.

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>Pennywise, green, or both?

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>Regular readers might know I’m on a medical leave of absence. Some might deduce that this means there’s less income coming into the home.

Readers, new or regular, know or can guess that I’m a green, eco-conscious type of person. While I deal with fatigue, the unpredictability of my career, and more, I need focus. My focus for the time being will be small changes on the pennywise-frugal and green fronts.
Here’s a weekly round-up.
Litter boxes cleaned:
  • Used plastic shopping bags for the garbage (I use my own bags – how did we get this huge crate of plastic?) – frugal and green
  • As always, used biodegradable litter – green, similar cost to other products
  • Found the “lost” litter boxes under a pile of snow – we must have left them out to rinse in the rain when the last snowstorm surprised us. Is this green, frugal, both, or neither?
Home thermostat:
  • Changed heating program by dropping the temps two degrees all day. I’m the only one home most days; I can dress in layers if I feel cold. Both frugal and green.
  • If I open windows, I turn the heat off. This is frugal, but it can backfire; I must remember to turn it back on at night when the temperature drops toward freezing.
Laundry:
  • The heavy items all hang on dryer racks until they’re merely damp: jeans, sweats, heavy sweaters use much less energy to dry, but the clothes still come out soft. Frugal, somewhat green.
  • Anti-static dryer balls! I rarely buy fabric softener. The only time I need it is in the sweater load. Frugal – very frugal.
  • Washing everything on warm or cold, never hot, saves shrinkage as well as saving money.
Garden:
  • I put together the Ultimate Greenhouse set of shelving.
  • Now it’s time to take inventory of seeds and plan the layout for both plots.
  • Then I can start a few seeds so they’re ready for planting when the frost danger is gone.
  • Green? Of course. Frugal? When we’re harvesting bunny food and making our own salsa, the grocery bills will go down.

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>Gardeners’ Sustainable Living Project

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>Over the ground lies a mantle of white… so how can I be thinking green? A week ago I could see brown – yes, the ground was showing! Then we were hit by a late-arriving record-breaking snowstorm, and my gardening goals had to wait. Again.

Each year, every spring, I expand on my eco-consciousness by choosing at least one more goal toward a more sustainable garden. Last year my goal was learning to can. I made jams, stewed tomatoes, and salsa. I blanched and froze green beans, sugar snap peas, and corn sliced off the cob. In fact, we just finished the last bag of green beans last week. I had just enough organic strawberries to make ice cream last week, and the blueberries in yesterday’s muffins were organic, too. There isn’t much left in the freezer; thank goodness spring and garden season is on the way!
My main goal this year is to plant primarily heirloom varieties of tomatoes and peppers. If possible, I’ll do the same with green beans and squash. These seeds and seedlings may be more expensive than my usual stock, but the quality and perhaps even the quantity will be well worth it. Last year only half the new garden plot was planted; this year, I’m filling it completely.
Sustainable Gardening goal number 1: Plant heirloom varieties.
Sustainable Gardening goal number 2: Fill the space, square foot style
Sustainable Gardening goal number 3: Enjoy. Enjoy the planning, the planting, the process, and eventually, preserving the results (family says “More salsa this year, mom!).
Are you interested in becoming more sustainable? Join the Gardener’s Sustainable Living Project! There’s snow on the ground, but I joined in anyway.

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>In favor of Recycling Programs

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>In my fair state of Wisconsin, recycling is required by law. Certain materials – you can guess: paper, glass, aluminum, and certain other recyclables – are no longer allowed in landfills.

  • Recycling programs provide 97,000 jobs in Wisconsin.
  • Recycling programs contribute $5.4 billion (yes, Billion) to Wisconsin’s economy.
  • 2 million tons of waste avoids landfills by getting recycled instead.
  • Wisconsin was the first state to pass laws mandating recycling.
Our new Governor doesn’t believe Wisconsin should remain at the top of the cycle. His new budget cuts state funding for recycling, but doesn’t change landfill laws. He thinks that eliminating recycling mandates and cutting funding to localities will balance the budget. Remember, these materials still can’t go in landfills. Does this make sense?
Gaylord Nelson, proud Wisconsinite and founder of Earth Day, would be appalled.
What’s next? I hope the governor doesn’t outlaw composting!
Facts and figures from the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.

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>Thinking ahead for this year’s garden

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>Thinking ahead – gardeners do this a lot. I’m stuck inside with a major headache, but I can look out the windows and see sunshine in a late-winter thaw. Sunshine lifts my spirits and raises thoughts and plans for spring’s eventual arrival. I don’t have a drawing yet; yes, I often sketch the garden plan so I buy the right number of plants and seeds. Most of the winter I’m in brainstorming and dreaming mode.

Random gardening thoughts:
  • I’d like to incorporate shallots and leeks. They can go in the smallest corner of the triangular garden.
  • We’ll have the fence up this year with a supporting border of marigolds, so I’ll put in broccoli. Maybe our own bunnies will actually get to eat it! Last year only the wild backyard cottontails had the joy of fresh broccoli.
  • I’m letting the raspberries expand. I moved the chives and asparagus out of the general area of the raspberries, so nothing is in the way of their spreading. Not that anything stops raspberry plants!
  • Peas will go in front of the beans on a new trellis. They didn’t get enough sun last year, so the move will help. Peas mature before beans, so they’ll be harvested and gone before the beans need the bulk of the sunshine.
  • Squash! Where should the squash go? I’m putting in butternut squash and my usual zucchini. If I plant the seeds near the beans or peas, they’ll grow toward the sun. They also mature later. This should work.
  • Bunny food! The usual lettuces and spinach and parsley will have a space. They might go in the area that will be taken over later by squash.
  • Tomatoes; oh, I love my tomatoes. I had success canning stewed tomatoes and salsa, so I’m going to put in more heirloom pulp tomato varieties. I’ll still put in the standard eating tomatoes and the cherries; they’re delicious and they freeze well.
  • Freezing: now that’s another post.
You can get a sense of my garden plans for the coming season. I’m planning on using the space well, using the sunshine efficiently, and preserving more of the harvest. Oh, winter sunshine, you taunt me! I want to get started now.

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>Spring fever – I’ll be ready.

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My garden is under a foot of snow. The topsoil is frozen, but underneath, the little microorganisms keep living and dying and decomposing, making the soil rich and fertile for spring. There are several piles of compost, frozen solid, dumped last fall but not spread, in between bouts with gout and an influenza-like virus. We barely got the rain barrels emptied and turned so they wouldn’t freeze during the winter – spreading the compost just didn’t happen. It’ll have to get spread in the spring.
Spring. I can look to spring and think positive thoughts. I’ll still be on my extended leave of absence. I won’t be juggling planting schedules around school calendars; I can work on putting in the seeds earlier than usual, and care for the seedlings by putting them on the deck by day to soak in the sun, and bringing them inside overnight to avoid freezing.
In fact, in the middle of winter – in January! Football isn’t even done yet! – I went to Fleet Farm and bought one of these. It’s called the Ultimate Greenhouse. I don’t know that I’d call it Ultimate, but it was an inexpensive set-up that will work beautifully on my deck while I’m waiting for the frost danger to end.
It does look handy, doesn’t it? Mine will be full of vegetables rather than flowers. It’s still in the box in the garage. When spring fever hits (April, most likely), I’ll put it together. I’m looking forward to that activity, and that’s what it’s all about right now.

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>Setting goals? Go greener.

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>I frequently admit that while I lean to the green, I’m not as green as I could be. While my family is far from no-impact, we do find ways to lower our impact on the planet. If you’re setting goals on the green side, here are a few that are easy to implement.

Bring your own bag. Many, many stores offer discounts when a shopper brings a bag. It may be 5 cents off the total, but if you bring five bags every time you shop, it’ll add up. It’ll also reduce the amount of garbage or recycling in the house when those paper or plastic bags stop piling up in the corner. For people who forget; make it a fun and easy habit. I keep two collapsible bags in my purse at all times and another in the car’s glove box. Buy a pretty one that you’ll want to use! It’s a mind game, yes, like many other goals.

Water bottles. Remember my review of the Filtrete pitcher? The family likes it. We’re drinking more water, staying better hydrated, and Chuck & La Petite are using fewer plastic bottles. I’m buying a replacement filter so we can continue using the filter pitcher. Filtered water makes good coffee, too. need I say more? Like the BYOBag goal, easy and convenient goals are more likely to continue and become habit.
Garbage. This one is new to the family, but it fits. The city offered residents a chance to downsize their curbside garbage bins, the ones picked up by the automated trucks. The reward is – it’s free, rather than a small charge for the big ones. We chose to take them up on their offer. It’ll be tougher in the winter when we’re composting less and the bunny litter doesn’t go on the brush pile, but we can do it. The real reward isn’t the absence of this small charge; the real reward is knowing we’re contributing less to the landfill.
I expect 2011 to be a year of change in many ways. One attitude that will not change is this; we’ll take care of our world as much as we can, acting locally while thinking big.

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