Adventures in Sprouting Day 3 Photos

I skipped Day One photos because they were boring. Here's day three though! They're growing!!!!!!!

Last night, I started a jar with clovers and broccoli sprouts. I will be keeping you posted on those too! I know I am geeking out about these, but I didn't expect it to be so easy to do. If I wasn't supposed to be in O Chen in 30 minutes, I'd write more. Also, I must depart.

Happy Sprouting!

Container Gardening

Tris and I worked hard on Saturday afternoon to plant 12 tomato plants, 6 cabbage, 6 Brussel sprouts, 11 pea plants, several potato plants, and 1 blueberry bush. We researched how to grow in Flagstaff, consulted books and got dirty. I am expecting a lovely bounty come May or June on the cold weather plants and late July on the tomatoes. I have no idea about the blueberries. I'm guessing not this year. We used any container we could find, including an old sled for the shallow rooted lettuce.

We are staring to think about chickens again. And I am secretly hoping to figure out vermaculture this summer. Also in the works are thoughts about a greenhouse and raised bed garden. The Two Queer Hippies are back!

Adventures in Sprouting

As if I don't have enough to do with the end of the semester just 4 weeks away, I started sprouting alfalfa. I was in my local expensive store, you know the one, when I came across their home sprouting section. All I had to buy was the special lid with holes (it fits the wide mouth mason jars I recently acquired) and some seeds. Initial cost: $15. I have been soaking and rinsing since Sunday night and my sprouts are beginning to sprout! I am going to buy another lid and some different seeds today. I may actually be able to sell my sprouts at the farmers market this summer if I can master growing them!! Here are pictures of soaking and day two. They're boring, but the daily chronicle should be cool in the end!

Soaking

Day Two

Keeping Myself Accountable

I am on day 2 of the 21 day yoga challenge! I am loving every minute!! Who else has joined me?

Also I am still not eating sugar. 23 days!!!!!! This week, I am going to make no sugar, vegan mini-cheesecakes. I am super excited about them. I'll post pics and the recipe for you. It came from a delight little gem of a book I picked up at Bookman's called, Sexy Bitch. I'm in love....

That's all I have for now.

Peace and Love

Let's Talk About Plastic Bay-Be, Let's Talk About You and Me

Watch this first, then discuss....it actually makes me cry every time I watch it. 

What'd ya think? To some of you this isn't new, but to a bunch of you, this is a horrific new detail in our environmental disaster. 2 MILLION BOTTLES EVERY HOUR IN THE U-fucking-S ALONE? WHAT THE FUCK????? Seriously??? It doesn't have to be this way!!! Remember when you were a kid and your parents had snack duty for your AYSO soccer game? If you are as old as I am, they brought the team orange cooler filled with Tang and some sliced oranges, not 30 fucking Gatorade bottles, mini sized to start out a new generation of fat kids, and 30 individually wrapped crap-tastic snack whatevers.

Think people! Do you need all those plastic bottles? Do you need to have anything, but one bottle, glass (you can find them for $5 at Ross) or stainless steel, that you carry around with you all the time? Do you need that crappy soda? And if you do, can you fill it up at the fountain, in your own cup? Even aluminum is better because it can be fully recycled. Think deeper. Do you need a plastic bag at the grocery store? Can you carry out your small items or bring your own bag? For you in Phoenix, the Roadrunner farmers market sells hand made t-shirt bags for $1!!!! Buy 10. My friend Alli makes them. I have one and I love it!

All that packaging that goes into processed food production, is it really necessary? The answer is no! There is actually an award for food processing companies who have the best packaging, best meaning most plastic used, not best for the environment. Hey all those veggies you buy in the produce section and wash, do you really need to put them in plastic bags just to take them home? They are already full of the store personal and shoppers germs and you are washing them anyway, why take the bag too? It does nothing to keep your veggies longer, I promise. Make your own produce bags, and if you're not crafty, buy reusable ones at Target or support a work at home mom who makes their living reusing and selling things like this on the Internet.

Let's reduce in 2012. Just me and you. It will catch on. Look how neon clothing has made several comebacks in fashion! This can be done! Write to your favorite store bought cookie maker and tell them you won't buy their cookies any more until the reduce the packaging, or better yet, make your own! You, yes you!, can make a difference. Please, watch the video again and give it a thought. What else can be done to reduce this massive death trap? I'm all ears and heart. I will follow any other suggestions. (I'm not accusing you, I'm just a bit worked up.)

100th Post!

So to celebrate my 100th post, I thought I would share a muffin with you. And in honor of my processed sugar ban, these are sugar free, but very sweet!! My new favorite muffin!!!!!!! Like so favorite that I made six yesterday, ate three and a half, shared the other two and a half with the boys and today made twelve more. The intent is to eat them over the weekend, but I'm not sure if all twelve will make it past the night...

Introducing Honey Wheat Muffins!!!! They are easy to make and healthy and sweet, sweet, sweet!!!! And when I get around to buying whole flax seeds to make egg replacer*, they'll also be vegan!! (Substitute non-dairy milk for regular.) Yahoo!!!!

I've also been making fresh loaves of bread since yesterday. If you aren't familiar with the 5 Minute Bread recipe, acquaint yourself immediately! I first found the recipe in Mother Earth News and that's the recipe I still use, so please, for all that's good and holy, follow the link and make your own bread! Seriously no kneading and fresh bread daily!! The article is a bit wordy, but there are recipes galore in it! The actual bread recipe starts on page 3. Guess what? You can freeze the dough, but why? It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, as if. But, the longer its stays in the fridge, the more sour it gets. Hello??? Could it be a more perfect way to give yourself and your family a delicious, nutritious snack?

Okay, the benefits of making your own muffins and bread: You know what's in them and where it came from. You can make them the way you like, like without crappy sugar the fucks with your brain and liver and kidneys and fat cells. I made the bread with half organic white flour, half freshly ground wheat flour (Thank you, Anneka!!!) and half a cup of flax meal. There is no waste, like no plastic to throw away to contribute to the Plastic Island. So many good reasons!!! Start baking!!!!

Hey busy people!!!!! All of these freeze, so with a quick thaw you can have the best food ever!!

*To make your own egg replacer, boil a couple of teaspoons of flax seeds in a couple of cups of water. It will start to thicken up a bit and look and feel like goopy egg whites. Strain the seeds, or keep them in as I usually do, and used 1/4 cup of replacer for every egg your recipe calls for. Hello fiber, goodbye maimed, mutilated, overworked and abused hens!!

4 Minute Shower

In the interest of doing more for the environment, I have been talking to a few people about they do. Many things I already do, or don't, but a four minute shower is not one of those things I do. So I timed my last two showers. This is what I can accomplish in 1 four minute period: the first shower I did all my soaping and I shaved. The second shower, I just soaped and sat for what seemed like 10 minutes with the water on my head. Both times I also brushed my teeth. I haven't washed my hair yet and don't intend to for a few more days, so you'll have to wait for those results.

Challenge for you: Can you take only four minutes showers for the rest of the month and compare your water bill from December? I'm with you in this. Lets see how much water we can conserve!!