On Death and Dying: Composting Series 3: Bargaining

By now I'm hoping that you have sited and built your first compost bin!  If not, I'll be patient.  Speaking of patience, you'll need some of this while you start trying to fill your bin with goodies.  You might be having small bursts of desperation as you try to fill your new bin (especially if you have already raked and disposed of your leaves).  This is okay, you'll be fine.  Some typical thoughts/google searches you might have/do are:

1. How many bananas can a person eat before potassium poisoning sets in?
2. Rifling through the garbage for compostables at work with no one noticing
3. Should I cut down that perfectly good shrub to put in my bin?
4. I'm going to buy that cauliflower b/c even if I don't eat it, I can compost it

A common and useful way to deal with these types of thoughts is bargaining.  You will find yourself looking at apple cores, peels, coffee grounds and wilted lettuce leaves in a whole new way.  At first, you might bargain or scheme in easy and socially acceptable ways.  Maybe you ask a close friend if you have have the shell she just peeled off her hard boiled egg in return for a cookie.  Maybe you slip the coffee grounds from work into a plastic bag and cart it out in your lunch pail.  No one needs to know about this.  Maybe you approach the produce guy at the grocery store and casually ask how you can get your hands on the boxes and boxes of "culling" aka. semi-rotted stuff they pick off the shelves.

You'll find all sorts of creative ways to fill your bin.  You'll probably start eating more fruits and veggies just to have the cores, peels, stumps, etc. for your pile.  You might hit up local coffee shops for their used grounds.  You'll have stiff competition from other composters for these so make nice with the baristas for first dibs.  Coffee grounds aren't called Black Gold for nothing.

The most advanced form of bargaining will be when you plead with your higher power to put in more microbes to kick start your pile.  It will sound something like this, "higher power, please let the microbes thrive in my pile and I promise that I'll volunteer at that soup kitchen/clean out the bottom of the fridge/be nice to my nasty coworker, etc."  You can avoid these types of unhealthy conversations by just buying a little bag of 'compost starter' at Ace Hardware.  This is easy to use and makes you feel in control of the process.

You'll find a lot of info on the ratio of greens (nitrates) to browns (carbon).  Try not to stress over this.  Just do your best to have more browns (leaves, shredded papers, and dead, brown things) than greens (produce waste, coffee grounds/things that are still moist/juicy/any other color).
As you begin to get a substantial amount of stuffs in your pile, do the following every 3rd day to create "gourmet compost."

Turn and mix up your ingredients.  Microbes need air so by stirring/flipping, you'll introduce the needed O2.

Check the moisture level.  It should be damp, like a wrung out sponge.  Not dripping and not dusty.  If it's too try, sprinkle water over it, turn, repeat.  If it's too wet, turn it daily until it get's drier.  If it's extra rainy for more than 2 days, cover it up with a sheet of plastic until it stops raining.

It might steam/smoke/smell like a barn.  These are all signs that things are going well!

Next week, we'll learn how you know if your pile is working and dealing with Depression if it is not.  How's your pile coming?

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On Death & Dying: Composting Series 2: Anger

Welcome back to the composting series!  This week we'll be working through the Anger phase.  Anger during these early stages of composting can crop up in a variety of different ways.  I'll share my points of angst and you can feel free to comment below on your particular points of pain.

If you're following along, you should have surveyed your land and chosen your ideal place for your compost heap.  Now it's time to get serious about this and by serious, I mean you are going to need to go to Home Depot or similar home shop.

Anger Type 1: You will research bins and find that ready made bins cost $75-$200, this is upsetting and inappropriate! So, to build a basic compost bin, you'll need some 2x4s, screws, washers and medium mesh wire "fencing" (total cost $30ish).  Chickenwire's holes are too big so choose a type that has smallish squares or rectangles.  This would also be a good time to pick up a small pitch fork. 
You're basically going to build a frame out of the 2x4's and attach the mesh inside the frame on the 4 sides using screws and washers.  Reference the diagram above for a hilarious depiction of what your bin could look like!

Anger Type 2:  This could occur at various stages during the building of your bin.  You will forget something and have to make multiple trips to the store.  Just come to terms with it now.  You might also realize that your bin is too huge, too tiny or trapezoid shaped.  These will all pose problems for you in the future, so consult appropriate measuring devices to get it right.  You could also incur a host of injuries during this phase so take appropriate safety measures as I can't be held responsible for anything that happens to you or your doting husbands/boyfriends as they try to "help."

Let's assume that you got your bin built.  YAY!  Good job.  If you're not stingy, you could have just bought a nice plastic bin but where's the fun in that?!  Plus, the storemade bin will deprive you of most of the fun interactions you could have with your pile in the future.

Anger Type 3:  Feeling overwhelmed that you now have a giant wooden form but nothing to put in it.  Never fear, stick to these do's and don'ts and you should be well on your way to filling your bin.
DO: Compost anything that grows in the ground, on a tree or similar.  This includes things that might have been 'processed' but not added to during processing (coffee grounds, raw nuts, seeds, egg shells, etc).
DON'T: Compost any meats, oils/fats/bones, human or animal wastes.  You'll find info that says you can compost these things at high enough temperatures but let's just start off safe and avoid them.

Your task this week is to go forth and build your bin.  If you're Type A, Concrete/Sequential or MBTI J's, feel free to google "how to build a compost bin" for step by step instructions.
Blog in soon to learn about Bargaining and what you might Bargain for regarding your compost.

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Would You Like White or Wheat Bread?

White flour as we know it today is a product of the industrial revolution. Freshly ground whole grain flour goes rancid quickly because of the oil in the germ of the grain, which is, coincidentally, where nearly all of the nutrients are found. When food started becoming mass produced and shipped, flour needed to become shelf stable, so the bran and germ were removed and the remnant (called the middling) was ground and packaged. (Whole wheat flour that you buy on the shelf has just had the bran returned for fiber, but not the germ with the nutrients.) A problem arose when people consuming the white flour started becoming ill. They were missing the nutrients found in the germ and vitamin deficincies led to disease and health problems. That is when white flour became fortified with some basic nutrients such as niacin. The healthier alternative to eating fortified flour, of course, is to eat grain the way nature intended, whole, and grind it yourself. With the purchase of a grain mill, this is easy to do.

I use my own ground wheat flour in every recipe. I usually just substitute it for white flour without any other modifications, and we have come to prefer the denser texture and richer taste. The one consideration I make is to use hard white wheat for yeast breads and soft white wheat for quick breads, cookies, cakes, etc. I also grind rye, spelt, and corn, and there are numerous other grains/flours to experiment with.

One step further: grain is actually fairly difficult for the body to digest and you will hear of sprouting grain and soaking flour as a means of "predigesting" the grains to allow the body to better assimilate the nutrients they contain. Other cultures use this practice frequently and we used to much more so with the tradition of sourdough breads, even passing down a starter within families. An excellent book on this topic, and many others, that also includes recipes, is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Basic Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast

1/2 Tbsp gluten (optional)

1/2 Tbsp dough enhancer (optional)

1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 c. warm water

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. canola or olive oil

6 c. whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on speed 2 for 9 min. Divide into two loaves, place in greased loaf pans. Let rise 15 min., bake at 350 for 30 min. Easy!

 

What do you think of this technique?  Would you try it?

How Menu Planning Saved Us!

Every Sunday night or Monday morning I select which recipes I want to make for dinner that week. Lucky for me, I only cook 3 times/week and we eat leftovers. I prefer to go to the grocery store in the morning, which is ideal and low stress. No more weekend shopping and fighting the crowds!


When selecting recipes try to:

Make your meat dishes early in the week and transition to vegetarian or pasta dishes later in the week. This ensures that you use up the most perishable stuff first. I also like to have one "oh crap" meal on hand like a frozen meal in a bag in case a recipe goes awry or I don't feel like cooking.

Both Rachel Ray and Realsimple.com have week's worth of recipes and shopping lists on their websites.

Also begin to plan ahead for snacking and lunches. I always keep soup and sandwich stuff on hand for my lunches and I started buying fruit by quantity. 1 apple and 1 banana per day etc so I never have extras that spoil.
What has changed:

Less waste: Our fridge and cupboards are no longer cluttered with random leftovers, ingredientes that we forgot to eat or weird snacks that we don't like.
More organic fruits: I can purchase organic more (I've noticed they don't last as long as their waxed cousins) It has helped me not snack so much b/c I've only purchased a specific quantity of snack foods for each week.
Less stress, cuter waist!:  We are eating out A LOT less which is great for our wallets, health and we have more time b/c we're not driving around in search of dinner! You'll be able to hit the gym with the time saved!

If you find any great recipes, please share!  I like http://www.recipezaar.com/ with recipes filtered by highest rating.

Going "black"

Would going black be the opposite of going green?  Let's say it is and let's say that I totally blew it this weekend.  I'm going to list all of the things I did today that were in direct violation of a greener lifestyle.  What's worse, is that I was/am fully aware that I was engaging in counterproductive "black" behaviors.  Call me addicted to my lifestyle...I'm coming clean here.

Saturday Morning:

1. I could have heated up yesterday's leftover coffee but dumped it and made a fresh pot and only drank half again.  I've drank leftover coffee before and it tastes identical to fresh.  I ALWAYS make twice what I plan on drinking.
2. Instead of raking my leaves by hand and getting a decent workout, I used our electric leaf vacuum for about 2 hours (no, electric is not great, that energy comes from coal, not jelly beans like people would have you think).
3. To soothe my tired body after a morning of lawn care, I loitered in the shower.  Probably for 20 minutes, I was clean after 3.  Sometimes I turn on a space heater while I'm in the shower.  I don't really need it, I lived just fine without this luxury for the first 29 years.
4. Instead of taking my dog on a walk, I drove her 4 miles to the dog park and she only played for 10 minutes.  The walk would have taken less time.

Saturday Afternoon:

1. The "dog" was craving Wendy's.  Each of my 4 items came individually packaged, in a bag and with 12 napkins and I threw everything away, even the paper, which I know is recyclable!  What is wrong with me?!
2. I washed some clothes on hot instead of cold even though they say it doesn't matter.  I think it matters.
3. Needed shoe therapy and drove 8 miles to DSW.  It was too crowded so I spent 5 minutes and then came directly back home.
4. Drove to CSU and printed approximately 120 pages of text that I need to read.  At the end of my project, I will have only used about 20 of those pages to write my paper which my instructor will demand that I email him and then submit a printed copy. 

Saturday Night:

1. I installed our electric mattress pad heater.  I just turned it on.  It was 65 degrees today.  Later I'll be up there reading a magazine before bed and I want it toasty.
2. I could have made dinner at home but I drove 3 miles to Noodles for carryout and got another load of plastic.
3. I have the tv on right now while I write.  I'm not watching it.  I haven't even glanced up once.
4. The kitchen light is on, I'm not in the kitchen.

So, for anyone who is trying to go green....we're probably suffering from the same habits.  What behaviors do you have that you KNOW you shouldn't be doing?

Green Baby Series 2 of 5 - Food Mill vs Store Bought Baby Food

It is very easy to make your own baby food and only a little more time consuming, and doesn't really require any special equipment. You basically just steam or boil fruits and veggies for babies and then blend them with a little water to a smooth consistency. Preparing fresh fruits and veggies preserves many of the vitamins and antioxidants that are lost in the processing of jarred food. As they grow and can handle more variety, a food mill is invaluable.

You can pick one up for about $12 and start grinding up whatever you are having for your meals.

Not only is this healthier for babies because they are getting fresher, more whole foods without many additives and preservatives, and the flavors are more true to the real thing. Acquiring a taste for natural, whole food sets them up for better eating habits as toddlers. For example, if a baby is used to jarred peaches and then fruit cups, when you finally slice a real peach for them to eat they won't only be taken by surprise, but will probably prefer the sweeter, canned version.

When a baby really gets going on solids, they may start going through two or three jars of food per meal, or about 8 - 10 a day. Those little glass jars add up fast as far as waste is concerned, not to mention the carbon footprint required to manufacture and ship them. Shopping what's local, in season, (and on sale!) at your grocery store or farmer's market is definitely a more environmentally friendly choice. It will also lead you to try different things, expanding your baby's repertoire and often making them more open to accepting a variety of fruits and veggies and trying new things as toddlers. The environmental advantages, plus the health benefits, of feeding your baby and toddler natural, whole foods definitely makes it an important part of a "greener" lifestyle!

 

OrganicAngel's Two Cents:  Let's compare what we just learned to this boutique, organic baby food I just found online.  You get only 3.5 ounces of mashed fruits in this pouch for $1.79!  You could buy 2.5 POUNDS of organic bananas for the same price with none of the waste.  (we'll talk about composting those peels later)!

Whole Foods or Whole Paycheck- a study.

Whole Foods is a chain grocery store that focuses on providing the least processed, most flavorful foods without preservatives or artificialness.  We have a Whole Foods in my town and most of my friends say, "I love, love, love Whole Foods but it costs SO much, I just can't shop there for everything."  I decided to do a quick comparative study based on my weekly shopping list.  My shopping list varies each week (obviously) but I thought this week had a nice smattering of products.  All products were priced at King Soopers and Whole Foods and all products in both stores are organic.  If identical items couldn't be found, I compared name brand to name brand or store brand to store brand.

So, as you can see here, Whole Foods cost $1.28 more overall.  This is about 21 cents extra per item that I bought.  Some might argue that your extra 21 cents buys you the "experience" of going to Whole Foods.  This is similar to the difference between WalMart and Target.  At Target, you pay for the experience-wider aisles, brighter/cleaner stores etc.  I'd say that we can chalk this up to how much you value the experience of grocery shopping.  I find Whole Foods to be extremely crowded but I do like wandering in the bakery area for the experience.  Also, the bag they gave us at Whole Foods broke before we got out of the store...punishment for not bringing our own!

Apples, apples everywhere

Today I "put up" my supply of organic apples.  If you know what "put up" means: you win!  This is an old school term that means to make a lot of one thing at a time and then can or freeze it to eat later.  I started with my apple peeler/corer/slicer from Pampered Chef or my "apple lathe" as my husband calls it.  You can peel/core and slice a dozen apples in about 10 minutes or less.  I like to do as many apples as possible at one time (up to 4 dozen if you're feeling crazy).

You can purchase an apple lathe like this at amazon.com for about $20.  If you want to go more green with this, don't peel the apples, just slice/dice them into 1/2 inch pieces.  The skins give the filling a nice color.

Organic Apple Filling
1 Dozen Organic Apples (mixed variety is the most fun)
1/2 C Organic Sugar
1 Tbsp Organic Cinnamon
1/3 C Water

Peel/core and slice your apples and put them all in a large pot with the water, sugar and cinnamon.  Boil and stir them a couple times on low for about 10 minutes or until they smell really good.  Spoon them into freezer baggies, push out the air and freeze for up to a year.

Uses:
When you crave appley goodness, lay a bag or 2 out the day of or in the fridge the night before.  I use them in pies and for apple crisp.  You can also add blueberries or fresh peaches to the apples right before baking for an even more delicious dessert!