Tag Archives: it’s not easy being green

>Jammin’ with my Bloggy Friends

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>In generations past, cooks would exchange advice over the backyard fences, over coffee in each other’s kitchens, or over the phone. In today’s world, we’re not all that different; we exchange advice through our friends. Some of those friends, however, are not in the immediate neighborhood; they’re online.

I sought advice on twitter. I asked friends on Plurk. I visited City Slipper’s jam/ jelly tutorial on his Home Kitchen Garden blog. I visited Green Girl’s home kitchen and garden! Well, her raspberry patch, to be more accurate. After seeking advice from friends on Plurk, on Twitter, on blogs, and in real life, I did it. I successfully made three kinds of jam.

First I had to clean the kitchen. There was no room to work.

I didn’t take any pictures of the jam-making process. Trust me; it all went as planned. The house smelled wonderful. After the initial kitchen clean-up, the mashing of berries, the stirring of fruit and sugar, and the heating of jars, I cleaned up once again.

Oops, I forgot one sticky pot.
There. Now it looks better. Three kinds of jam: strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, and raspberry. Organic strawberries from the farmers’ market, rhubarb from my backyard, and raspberries from Green Girl’s yard: wow. This is pretty darn cool, impressive even for the locavore in me.


Very cool – or rather hot. The jars will be cooler in the morning. Ooh: which should I spread on my toast for breakfast? Maybe I should bake bread, too.

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>A high tech and low tech day

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>Readers, are you old enough to remember MegaTrends? In the early 1980s John Naisbitt wrote a book called Megatrends in which he predicted a global switch to high tech in business and in personal relationships. He balanced the high tech with what he called high touch: the low tech connections still necessary to keep our emotional lives balanced.

Yesterday I had a day that swung from low tech to high tech. High touch, maybe. Let’s take a look, and you can decide.

Morning: prepping strawberries! I bought a flat of strawberries at the downtown farmers’ market. It’s best to prep these right away, but Amigo and I had a high-priority plan: a road trip to Miller Park to watch the Milwaukee Brewers play! Major League Baseball; now there’s high tech and low tech melded into one experience.

But back to Sunday’s tasks. I rinsed the strawberries, cut the tops off, and diced them into smaller pieces. The ripest and softest berries went into one container, and the more solid in another. The bucket of softies will become jam; I flash froze the rest. On top of a baking sheet lined with wax paper, I froze a single layer of berries for about an hour. At that time, I dumped the lightly frozen berries into a bucket. The strawberries are now frozen individually rather than in clumps. When I want one cup of strawberries for a cake or muffins, I’ll thaw exactly one cup. This worked so well for us last winter, I almost wanted a bigger freezer!

While the strawberries were freezing, I composted the tops and buried the juice-soiled containers in the squash section of the garden. Small as they are, they’ll be weed barriers until they decompose. It works for me. In addition, I picked a batch of rhubarb for either jam or cookies, also making the rhubarb plants smaller to simplify their transplanting later on.

So far, we’re looking at low tech. Very low tech. Fresh, organic strawberries, produce straight from the producer. Compost. Natural weed barriers. Rhubarb.

Here’s the first hint of high tech: I used a food processor to dice the rhubarb.

Now the main high tech action of the day; a politically active friend came over and trained me in data entry for the local chapter of Organizing For America. She handed over the data sheets from the area canvassers, and I took over from there. Canvassing, whether door to door or by phone, is not my strength. Data entry is one way I can contribute to the cause. High tech, perhaps! But my convictions remain high touch as I focus on issues that can truly make a difference.

But off the political soapbox for a bit. I finished off the evening with one more low tech, high humidity, hands-on, high touch task. I moved the rhubarb plants to their new home. I worked up a sweat in the muggy weather, but it needed to be done. Now the rhubarb is moved, the mint is gone (well, for now), and the raspberries have all the room they need to grow and spread.

And I’ll be patient; no matter what kind of high tech goodies I have at my disposal, the only tool to make raspberries grow is time.

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>Throwing a greener party

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>It wasn’t fully green. We did use paper plates; you can see them here. However, there were many green elements to the graduation party at our humble home last weekend.

There were plastic cups available, but no one used them. Those who chose not to drink out of the cans and bottles (yes, we’re a casual crew) used real glasses and actual coffee mugs. We used regular flatware instead of plastic utensils. Between our own set and the stash from La Petite’s apartment, we had plenty of forks and spoons for the picnic-style meal.

Serving dishes were all reusable. They didn’t all match (not by a long shot!), but they all fit in the sink or dishwasher later for cleaning.


Can you see them, behind Chuck’s German potato salad and my mother’s baked beans? To the right of the coffeepot? The basket in the corner has cloth napkins. Yes, you read that correctly. We used cloth napkins for the party. We own plenty, and they were easy to wash with the rest of the regular laundry.

The end result: one bag of garbage. One. Thirty to forty people (give or take a few) had supper at our house, and we only generated one bag of garbage. If we do this again, I might collect the paper plates separately and bury them in the compost bin.

Maybe. If someone else does the dishes.

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>BP or not BP: Accountability, not apologies.

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>Republican Congressman Joe Barton personally apologized to BP in a congressional hearing this week.

Apologized. Told the huge international company, the one responsible for eleven deaths and an unprecedented environmental disaster, that he was sorry. He called the $20 billion victims’ relief fund a “shakedown.”

What the #%$%!^&*#!?!?

President Obama and many members of Congress are working hard to ensure that BP provides relief to the victims in the Gulf region — and that the oil giant is held accountable for the damage it’s done. This is not a shakedown. This is accountability. This is responsibility. This is Taking care of the world in which they do business.

On that note, here’s my apology.

Dear Representative Barton and colleagues:

I’m sorry that you’ve been misled by your Grand Old Party. Successful business is good, and oil is important. But the cost in human lives, animal lives, and massive environmental damage, is not something to be taken lightly.

I’m sorry you think it’s wrong to expect accountability. Paying for damages is not a shakedown; it’s restitution. Putting up an escrow account for the future to rebuild and restore the beaches and marshes and fragile ecosystems; that’s not a shakedown, either. It’s called responsibility. Average citizens, the “small people” so condescendingly mentioned by BP executives, call it insurance. We pay premiums in case of disasters that we hope will never happen.

Most of all, Representative Barton and associates, I’m sorry that you have the power to make policy and write laws. If taking responsibility for our world, accepting accountability for mistakes that cost lives, and planning for the future are alien concepts, I don’t want you in office. You certainly don’t represent me.

Sincerely,

Daisy

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>The good, the bad, and the ugly in the garden this week

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>The bad: darn these baby maple seeds! The helicopters landed, I picked up as many as I could, and now I’m pulling the sprouts of those I missed. If I ever let natural succession take its course, I’ll have a lot of silver maples.

The ugly: Poor Chuck! The bunnies ate his new shrub. The rain and the construction kept him from putting up the fence, and the neighborhood fuzz-balls thought they’d enjoy a salad.

The good? My tomatoes are supported! I couldn’t decide which type of support to buy, so I bought all three. This will be the experimental year. I’ll see what works best and invest in that kind of support next summer.

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>Farm Market Therapy

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>I’ve been feeling really down lately. The weather, keeping me out of the garden. The virus, keeping me under the weather for several days. The never-ending construction, forcing me to the laundromat and covering my bed in a layer of dust. I found myself wondering if our carpenters like tomatoes and zucchini – and then thinking “oh, no, that would mean they’d still be here in August!”
Some women go shopping and call it Retail Therapy. I can do that – if it’s thrift shopping or surfing the garage sales. In general, spending money doesn’t make me happy.
Some people work in the garden – the heavy rain took that option away.

But today was the day with the best therapy of all: the first Farmers’ Market of the summer.

I was so involved in the process that I forgot to take a picture while I was there. Here’s a partial collection of my haul. The strawberries are in a colander in the sink. The cheeses are in the refrigerator. I’d already sliced one loaf of bread (white with flax seed, yum) and put it in the fridge, too. The toast with jelly came from that loaf. Onions, tomatoes (greenhouse style), asparagus, fair trade coffee, bunny food (also in the sink at the picture-taking), and more — it was a good day.

But even more important than the fresh and organic goodies: the change in my mood is dramatic. Why? Let me count the ways.
Seeing the crowd: families, singles, couples, people of all ages. Strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, canes.
Crowds of people caring about buying locally, buying fresh, and buying organic.
Sunshine, aromas from the coffee shops and kettle corn stand.
People smiling and laughing and interacting.
The cheese vendor offering a sample to a sad toddler and getting a smile in return.
The young vendor handing our samples of her kettle corn, and people saying thank you.
Music from buskers and local orchestra students.
My wheeled bag getting more and more full of good foods for my family.
I’m feeling much better. I hope you are, too.

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>No more cash for caulkers?

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>Regular readers know that we’ve been going through the trials and tribulations of a major home renovation. Part of project is a second floor laundry closet with front-loading, energy efficient machines. I’m excited to get rid of my old washer; it wasn’t draining well, leaving clothes more than damp and causing the electric dryer to overwork and use way too much energy. The new washer will use less water, less detergent, and even help use less dryer energy. The switch from electric to gas dryer ought to make a difference in the long run as well.

Part of our ever-greener lifestyle includes energy savings and the accompanying money savings. The Energy Star rating on the washer (there are no energy star dryers; even the best dryers are energy hogs) qualified us for a federal rebate in the program nicknamed “Cash for Caulkers.” It’s a win-win! Invest in energy efficient appliances, save money on electricity, gas, and water, and even earn a rebate in the process!

Or not.

The rebate paperwork came back to us marked (Sing it, Elvis) Return to Sender: Address Unknown. We tried the web site and found out we’d sent everything to the right place, but the program was out of money. Next we tried Big Box Major Appliance Store; we’d purchased in April, and they were informed and told to stop offering the rebates on the first of May. It was simply our bad luck to miss the window of opportunity. No one was at fault.

It’s disappointing, at the least. Do the right thing, complete the paperwork, and have it tossed back at us without so much as a “Gee, thanks for being energy conscious.”

I believe in the changes happening in our government. I believe in the hope that we can lessen our dependence on petroleum products, ease our need for dangerous drilling. I support the work that’s going on, even as the wheels of bureaucracy squeak slowly around and around before significant change occurs.

Watching a positive program shut down seemingly overnight for lack of funds is discouraging – discouraging to an extreme.

Disclaimer: I know the US Post Office doesn’t really use a stamp that says, “Return to Sender.” However, there’s little enough humor in this situation; I thought I’d at least make this episode a musical.

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>Tomato, tomahto, and tomato supports

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>The newest dilemma in the new garden area is this: how shall I support the tomatoes? The old cages are no longer suitable. Last time I used them we had a tomato jungle: the plants grew so tall they fell over the sides of the cages, and then the wire cages broke through the stems. They were getting close to six feet tall, and the conical cages were only 48 inches in height.

Last year I planted tomatoes in the wrong place and too close together. They didn’t get enough sun, and they fought each other for space and water and nutrients from the soil. We didn’t get hit with the blight, but it was not a good year for tomatoes.

I’ve ruled out the wire cages. I’m using the old trellises to support the peas. Now what? I did a search (on swagbucks, check the link in the right sidebar), and found several options.

Tomato ladders. There’s a neighbor who uses these, and I like the looks of the product. They’re strong, they’re thick, and they’re coated steel (no vine breakage!). But I’d need ten at least, and at a cost of $50 for a package of three… deep breath.
Tomato towers. This is also expensive. Could we make our own? Do I have time? Does Chuck have time? I found something similar in a local hardware for $5 apiece.
Tomato Spirals. Now these look intriguing. At $35 for a set of five, this is more affordable. I can use the t-shirt tie-ups from last year if I need them.
Here’s a combination of two philosophies: the tomato spiral cage. Again, expensive to purchase outright.

Now the challenge: finding and buying these. I’d much rather buy locally. I’ve checked two hardware stores, a garden specialty store, and two big box stores with garden sections. So far, no luck. At least, no luck that I’d consider affordable. If I spend too much, we’re approaching the $64 Tomato mark, and that’s just not reasonable. I know most of these products would last for years, but I still need to make the initial investment now.

There are two stores left on my list, and then I might give in and order online – or create something entirely different.

Ideas, gardener friends? Suggestions? I’m listening.

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>Boycott BP – or not?

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>Should I boycott BP on the basis of the massive disaster in the Gulf of Mexico?

It’s harder than it sounds. I’ve had a BP credit card for years – decades, really. It’s a great convenience to travel with a gas card. I know where the BP stations are along my usual routes, including the drive to and from La Petite’s college town. Pay at the pump, use the rest rooms, and then get back on the road quickly and efficiently.

But now that BP is responsible for a terrible environmental disaster, should I cut up this card, cancel the account, and then shop for gas elsewhere? Or not?

I’m leaning toward not. It’s not about convenience; I can use my MasterCard or my Visa at any gas station or pay cash, too. In fact, this decision is less about me and more about impact. Boycotts are all about economic impact: hitting a company in its wallet, where it hurts the most.

If I decide to boycott BP stations in my town and my state, the company itself won’t even feel a blip on its dollar sign radar. The people who would suffer from a boycott would be the franchisees, those who own the local and regional stations and convenience stores. Those local people suffer when the economy worsens. Any resentment I harbor toward BP is not with local station owners. I don’t want them to suffer.

It’s not the locals who caused this massive disaster and let it grow, failing to cap the flow at every turn. It’s not the station owners who found themselves scrambling to find solutions after the fact rather than planning ahead and installing real, functional solutions to their rigs in case of emergencies.

It’s not the locals who failed, who lost my trust.

A personal boycott will not hit the people at the top. They won’t even feel a tickle. In fact, even a nationwide boycott by concerned environmentalists wouldn’t have a significant impact on the decision-makers at BP.

If my goal is to make an impact, I would do better to lower my dependence on oil over all. It’s time to drive less and use fewer petroleum products such as plastics. If I’m planning a long trip, I can offset my fuel use by leaving the car in the garage for several days in advance. I can consider a hybrid or electric vehicle when we replace Chuck’s Saturn or my minivan. I can walk, use a bicycle, or take public transportation. My personal impact will still be small, but the inspiration could spread.

What do you think, readers? How can you lower your petroleum use, cutting your contribution to our society’s oil dependence? How can I?

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