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6/30/2008
100 Thing Challenge
Dave is allowing himself a few small personal memorabilia boxes in the garage (that he will not access throughout the year) as well as shared items in the house such as pots and pans to not count towards his personal items. What he is counting is his clothes, shoes, computers, cellphones, ipods, pens, pencils, jewelry, wallet etc. Just the purely personal objects he owns.
His challenge has begun a movement and other people are pledging to limit their personal items to 100 things as well. You can join the 100 Thing Challenge group on Facebook
In the past, I have thought about this very issue -I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF- especially last year when I moved across the country. However, I have always thought in it of terms such as: 'Before I can get a new pair of pants, I need to donate a pair of pants to the Goodwill.' Dave's ideas are fairly radical to me - I mean I have 100 things in my purse right now for sure! But I think they are issues that we all need to look at on a daily basis.
I'm not ready to jump into this challenge but before I pick up another $1.99 sale item at Target I hope to evaluate if it is something I would keep if I could only have 100 things. It is important to value the things we own and not just buy another dish towel because it is on sale.
6/28/2008
Key Ingriendent Cooking
6/27/2008
What the canning folks don't tell you.
- The water bath pot needs to be almost at a boil.
- Large pot holding clean cans put on a simmer.
- Small saucepan filled with the flat lids also on a simmer.
- The large pot you will actually be making jam in also occupies a burner.
So here is what was never told to me that I think would be helpful information for a newbie.
- I used KitchenAid tongs, and it worked out great for retrieving lids and lifting the jars in and out of the water. If you plan to use jars larger than a pint I'd purchase the jar lifter. Otherwise save the bucks you'd spend on buying something that only has one purpose and go for the tongs that you can use for grabbing meats and veggies.
- Save the foam that you skim off the top of the jam, before pouring it into the jars. Store in the fridge, it's great in cottage cheese and yogurt and on ice cream! YUMMY!
- Buy a funnel, will save you tons of time and will help keep the canning mess to a minimum.
- Wear clothes that you don't care about because the first time canning you will get berry juice on them.
- Plan to make jam/can when you have undisturbed time. You can prep everything beforehand but once you put those smashed berries in the pot you are tied to that stove until all the jars are filled.
6/26/2008
Raverly.com

Last night I attended Boulder's local Stitch 'n Bitch at the a lovely organic coffee/ice cream place that has recently added a yarn store. Purl Knit Cafe (pictured left) is located just 9 blocks from my front door so there was no excuse for me to not start attending the local knit circle that they have there every Wednesday night.
Although I consider myself an outgoing person, I still get a little nervous when attending "social-group-things" for the first time, especially when I don't know anyone. But, of course it was a blast! There was only a small group of ladies (7) last night but they were are extremely friendly. Several even admitted that they too lurked around the Boulder Stitch 'n Bitch message board for months before they attended their first gathering. All of the women in attendance were serious knitters or crocheters. They were throwing names of specialty yarns around the way some people discuss popular TV shows.
After I mention that I recently began working for a local Tech Company, they all immediately demanded to know if I was on raverly.com. I cringed inside a bit because I wasn't sure if I wanted to join yet another time sucking facebook or myspace type website. But then they started to describe to me what Raverly is all about, and I could barely wait to go home to join.
Raverly is a knit and crochet community but unlike say, Facebook, where the main purpose is to keep friends updated with current pictures of you or to scan and see what kind of movies your friend likes, raverly has a specfic purpose. On your profile page you can log all the various needle and hook sizes you have - so you don't end up buying another E-hook. Or you can enter all of the yarn you have in your stash. You can also search the yarn you have in your stash and see what other people have created with it. People post patterns for free and for charge. They also link to their craft blogs. It is just too amazing for words - and I have even entered the site yet.
That's right since the program is in Beta, all you can do is sign up for and invitation to join! Currently, I am #180585 to request an invitation. There are 2,174 people in line ahead and 363 behind. All people will get an invitation - it just takes time. In my case probably 3-7 days.
Here's a screen shot from their site tour:

6/23/2008
The Food Budget
- Breakfast for dinner. Pancakes with eggs or oatmeal with fresh berries, both make great alternatives to traditional dinners.
- Goodbye Cereal! Homemade scones, muffins or breads for breakfast cost much less than cereal, even if you get it on sale. The added bonus is that homemade muffins produce a lot less waste too.
- "I be jammin!" I started making my own jam and canning it for the year. Logan is on the GF/CF diet and can't have sugar or artificial sweeteners. Finding a jam that is only sweetened with fruit juice costs around 5 bucks for a 10 oz jar. Now I make my own and the jars can be reused every year so the overall cost will be very low year after year.
- PB &J. If no one is allergic in your house, start packing your lunch with the school time favorite instead of lunch meat and cheese. It's lower in fat and peanut butter is a great source of protein.
6/22/2008
Orchids

I'm beginning to think I should stick to easy house plants like spider or aloe plants.
In May when my friend Jordan asked me if I could watch his plants for him while he was gone for the summer I said, "But, of course!" At the time I had know idea he would be dropping his orchid plant off for me to care for.
Orchids scare me a little. Just try it yourself. Google 'orchid care' and see how many sites come up. And each and every site has different and often contracting information. One page will say never let the plant's soil dry out completely ALWAYS make sure it is slightly damp. The next page will say to ALWAYS let plants dry out between waterings. Yet another page will claim that you must always have the plant living over a little tray of standing water so it can absorb the moisture.
And for as many contradicting water instructions there were there are even more other possible instructions. Several chat rooms have heated discussions about whether an orchid should always have a slight fan breeze blowing on it at all times or whether it should be protected by all means from nasty drafts. Other pages warn that the delicate flowers should ONLY be watered early in the morning at first light. It goes on and on...
Jordan said he had wonderful luck with the plant and that all he did was water it when it was dry and cut the stalk off near the soil once the blooms had finally died. When I got possesion of the posey it had recently been cut back so there were no blooms to enjoy -and it still looks exactly the same! I keep it moist in a medium West facing window. Sometimes I put a low fan on it but mostly I don't. Why hasn't it re-bloomed? I wish I knew. The leaves are green and it is definately not near death and yet, the cut stalk hasn't move - to my eye- even a centimeter.
Although I've never claimed to have a green thumb, I usually am quite good at keeping house plants happy and healthy. I definately do not want the plant that I was entrusted to care for to die on my watch. (Even if Jordan said he understood if it wasn't alive when he returned.) So, I ask our readers - Has anyone out there had luck with getting orchid to bloom. If you have please let me know ASAP. Any and all of your personal orchid knowledge would be greatly appreciated as a guest blog post this summer.
6/21/2008
Apple Oatmeal Bars

Preheat oven to 350.
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and chopped apples
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
6/20/2008
Bag filled with Fun

So I made Zane a "fun bag", every time we go to summer school (as we call it) Zane gets to pack his bag of things to entertain himself.
Does the fabric look familiar? It's made entirely from left over fabric from the Custom Pocket Headboards.
6/19/2008
Triple Berry Jam

I've never tasted mulberries before but apparently they are pretty popular in China. Traditionally, mulberry fruit has been used as a medicinal agent to nourish the yin and blood, benefit the kidneys, and treat weakness, fatigue, anemia, and premature graying of hair. Who would have thought! And in my backyard!
6/18/2008
Libraries are Incredible

ps- I normally do not dress my kids in matching outfits. They actually dress themselves and both boys wanted to wear matching shirts.
6/17/2008
Embroidered Everyday Napkins

6/15/2008
Quilted Coasters

6/14/2008
Happy Father's Day!!!

I feel so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man who I believe is the best dad in the world.
We parent "together". Together we make decisions on rules, schedules, education etc. The point is we do it together and I feel lucky to say that, not every person can.
The boys look up to daddy with wide eyes, dreaming to be as big and strong as him. And when I asked Logan what he wanted to be when he grew up, the first answer was "Superman" and the second was "Daddy". I think he's a pretty super dad and if I was Logan I'd want to be him too.
Happy Father's Day to all those amazing dads out there!
6/12/2008
Even the Amish are "made in china"
When I heard about the Amish Farmer's Market coming this summer near our house I was ecstatic!
So I made plans today to enjoy the market with my dad and the boys. My dad shares the same love/fascination as I do. And since these Amish were from PA it was even better in my dad's eyes since he is from Altoona, PA.
As I drive to the market I'm envisioning rows of outside booths some with tents, some without. Farmer's with callused hands and sun red necks and chatting with the women about their beautiful quilts, asking the farmers how their crop has been with all the rain. I pull up and already I get uneasy when I see that it is inside a large building that looks like it was a grocery store in it's past life. As my father and I walk around I realize it's not at all what I expected. Sure there are a few Amish but mostly Mennonite selling at each of their booths. But these are not farmers market type booths, these booths come equipped with air conditioned glass cases. Everything looked pretty and clean. A little too clean, I was suspicious.
We reached the back of the market and there they were...the veggies! OK! I am ready to shop...but then as I survey the items I think to myself WTF!!! Oranges in PA!?!? Come on! Peppers aren't even in season! Lemons! What the hell is going on here!?!?!?!
I immediately felt like I was being had. I watch a man pull out potatoes from a box marked that they are from Idaho and placing them in little wooden baskets.
They are selling us the illusion of buying from farmers from PA, equipped with costumes!!!
I pointed out the boxes labeled California oranges and tomatoes to my dad, I think I burst his bubble a bit, he was as equally excited as I was about this market.
So we skipped the veggies, bought some homemade bread that you could see the woman actually making behind the booth. We headed for the lunch meat booth, I asked the gorgeous blonde haired beauty if the chicken was grass fed, organic or just no antibiotics. She smiled revealing beautiful straight teeth and said she'd have to ask her dad. I watched as she went over to the older man wearing the Amish clothes equipped with a straw hat talking on a cellphone. A cellphone! I know I'm one of the last people on earth not using a cellphone but even the Mennonite are "in the network"! He shrugged his shoulders. The blonde beauty comes back and sweetly says they don't know. A little confused I asked, "what do you mean you don't know, weren't these once your chickens?" "oh no", she smiles with a slight laugh behind it.
Yup that's right folks these "farmers" are buying all of their products from factories just like Safeway, Giant, Whole Foods and any other big grocery store chain.
It's a total scam!!!
I tell my dad that I HAVE to see the crafts, hoping deep in my heart that at least those items would be made in PA. I turn over a picture frame with a cute little embroidered quote on fabric and there is was...the sticker...MADE IN CHINA!!!! Everything I pick up has the same sticker.
Clearly the folks from PA got a little too big for their britches, as my mother would say, and after success of selling handmade items the money sign$ showed in their eyes and off to china to mass produce what was was once so cherished...so pure...so handmade.
Even the Amish are made in china!
6/11/2008
Salmonellosis Outbreak in Tomatoes

"The Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak appears to be linked to consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes. The bacteria causing the illnesses are Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella.
The specific type and source of tomatoes are under investigation. However, preliminary data suggest that raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw round red tomatoes are the cause. At this time, consumers should limit their tomato consumption to tomatoes that have not been implicated in the outbreak. These include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and tomatoes grown at home."
To read the whole article go to the FDA website.
It seems like two to three times a year now we are experiencing a major food sickness outbreak. I don't remember this happening when I was younger. I know it all stems from the industrialization of the food chain and other than buying what you can locally I'm not sure if there is a way to eat 100% safely. Of course this doesn't prevent you from getting sick via a restaurant that has purchased tainted food.
The worst part about this particular outbreak is that taking the regular precautions of washing your veggies wouldn't have helped because washing doesn't get rid of Salmonella.
Just another reason to plant your own garden, I guess.
6/09/2008
Dinner on the Cheap

I swore I'd never eat pork again but with the cost of food nowadays I've realized that I need to be less picky. I often think about the people who lived through the depression or who are currently living on our planet and are hungry.
I know that I think about that and how much trash I create more than the average person.
So the pork...when I saw a package of organic pork in the "reduced for quick sale" area for $1.85 I gave up my no-pork stance. Instead I knew my "i love to eat meat" husband would be thrilled. Pair with a red beans and rice box side that I also got in the clearance area because of the banged up box. I also never buy box side dinners because they are so overpriced and high in sodium but once again when I saw this box for 65 cents I said to myself "what's a little sodium?!?!?!"
So for less than 3 bucks my hubby and I enjoyed a very easy dinner thanks to the clearance area of our grocery store.
6/08/2008
Craigslist Desk
6/04/2008
How to Cook a Bug
Alright. I would do almost anything to help reduce my impact on the environment but I'm not sure if I'm ready to start eating bugs. This video shows a chef cooking bugs. I originally read the article "Eating Bugs" in Time Magazine. Go here to read the article online time.com.
Anyway, in addition to discussing various dishes a person can eat that include ingredients such as crickets and moth larva the article discusses how "green" eating bugs as a protein source is for the environment.
Here's the thing I'll use scratchy environmentally safe toilet paper and I'll live in unflattering florescent light but I'm not yet ready to eat bugs even if pound for pound they use significantly less resources to produce. I just can't even think about it without gagging a little. But if you think you want to try it I've added the chef's cookbook to our amazon store.
On a completely different note, I am trying to blog this post directly from youtube in order to share the video. I hope it works.
6/03/2008
Window Frame from trash to treasure


I've actually been looking for one of these old window frames, odd thing to be looking for but I had this idea a long time ago and now it's complete! It is at the top of our stairs and my hubby and I both are in love with it. Oh yeah the kids like it too since they are in the photos :)

I measured each frame window and then cut card stock and went to town designing each square. I chose a spring theme and the plan is to pull these out when I tire of looking at them and then make new designs for another season. I love that it will constantly be changing. And it's a great way for people to see the scrapbook pages I design when they are in our house instead of forcing them to flip through the albums. Yes I do force some people, grandparents especially.
Trash to treasure... and treasure it I will.
6/02/2008
Handmade Calendars

6/01/2008
Silicon Vegetable Steamer

Find that half-broken metal vegetable steamer that has a few rust spots and two broken panels and throw it out. You know the one I mean, the one that scratch your non-stick cookware.
The silicon steamer has arrived. In the last 3-4 years there has been an explosion of silicon cookware from muffin pans to cookie sheets. And the full disclosure is that I haven't tried any of it. I already have a muffin pan and I couldn't quite justify buying new all new baking pans just to have the pretty colors.
That said, buying this smart and affordable (under $10.00) silicon steamer was a no-brainer for me. For years I've struggled to cook with imperfect metal steamers which rarely fit the pan right and usual have a life span of under 2 years.
I've been using this steamer for about 2 months now and it awesome. I've added a link to it in our Amazon store (top right of blog) but you should be able to get it at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, or any numerous cooking gadget store. Give a shout out to me if you've used the silicon bakeware. Now that I love this steamer, I might be willing to give them a try.
Oven set @ 450

Well one of the easiest dinners to make is seen here. Buy a bunch of veggies from the farmer's market, come home and set your oven to 450. Drizzle a 2 inch deep baking pan with olive oil...don't be shy about pouring it in. Cut up your veggies. Remember to slice root veggies thin since they take longer to cook. Add salt and pepper and maybe some of your favorite herbs...or not...toss so the veggies are coated in the oil. And place in the oven for 30 minutes. If you wanted to add meat to the pan you could do that also or not.
So simple and so delicious!