baby talk

we come upon this earth with nothing but the body that has been granted to us, then we hopefully spend the next 80 or so years in this body. can one imagine what effect we have upon this earth in that time? the results are staggering for the average american. we are consumers, users, throw AWAYers and then we leave. we leave this earth with all of the 'things' that we thought we needed in our lifetime. i don't mean to be so pesimistic about our impact, but it is the honest truth.

as a mother of two i have come to realize that the first few years of our journey here are spent using vast amounts of resources. a child's impact on the environment is boggling. not that they choose to do so, but their caretakers are the ones to blame. as parents it is our responsiblity to keep our baby's consumerism to a minimum. unfortunately the market gears every effort towards the mommy's need to buy buy buy and have the latest and greatest. they want us to believe that our children are better off with their product, or our lives will be so
much easier with their product, or that you just simply need it.

what does a baby need? well, they obviously need us as parents to provide. to provide love, food and shelter. that really isn't much to ask for. then why do we buy some many things? families fill their homes with bouncers, cribs, a changing table, loads of clothing, paper diapers, toys toys and more toys, car seats and more. something are obviously needed, but the majority is just stuff. if i had to compile a list of what i really use on a day to day basis as a mother, this is what i'd say is absolutely necessary:

• diapers (cloth preferred), wipes (reusable fleece) and covers


• a sling or pack carrier for baby (keeps my hands free and baby safe and warm)


• food (breast for baby and solids for big sister)
  
• a few blankets (for warmth, protection, a place to play)


• clothing (for all obvious reasons, but the reality is that they don't need a million outifts)


• a stroller or wagon (gets us out and about on foot and is great exercise for mama and papa)

well, that's about it. it isn't much, but i would say that it covers the necessities. to start with, we have used the same diapers for baby one as we have for baby two. a $400 investment covered us for about 2 years with baby one and now baby two is using the same setup. any parent will tell you that the cost of diapers is excessive. however, tell these same parents that you use cloth diapers and they we go on and on about the mess, the bother and the clean-up, all of which isn't true. once you go with cloth, the routine is easy, clean and cheap. plus, healthy for your baby's bum and for the environment. we even use reusable fleece wipes with homemade wipe solution. check out vermont diaper company for the lowdown on cloth diapering. just remember, a newborn blows through about 10-12 diapers a day for the first few months. add that one up!

next on the list is a sling. we have three different carriers for the kids and can even use one of them with our 2 1/2 year old. these are great for keeping hands free, keeping kiddos up on your level, and keeping them safe and content. we use our ergo baby carrier the most and i'd say that it is the most versitile and durable. they're a great company out of hawaii and they're perspective on baby wearing is just up our ally. anytime we run into other folks using it, they feel the same way we do about the ergo. it goes without saying that once a parent finds something that works, they are always willing to share the love with others. it is a definite must have for families who enjoy being on the go with kiddos!

some things go without saying, but i have to mention food. yes, we do feed our little monsters. one gets the boob and the other eats pretty much what we eat. no microwaved meals, no prepackaged entrees, rarely anything out of a box and just good ole fashioned food. i truely feel bad for kids who chow down on nothing but processed food. i know that we are a rarity and i do understand that some families don't have the time or means to provide what we feel is good food. however, i don't hesitate to share my ideals with anyone who asks about our diets. food is a huge part of our lives and i am proud of the fact that we do what we do. one other thing that i should mention is our habit of eating meals together. as a kid my mom had dinner on the table at 5:30 and was dead set against eating anywhere, but the kitchen table. i thank her for that and i hope that we can say the same thing when our peanuts are old enough to understand the importance of food and family.

keeping our children safe, well feed, clean and warm are just a few of things that are expected of us as parents. clothing is an enormous financial and environmental burden when it comes to kids. in the first year of life, a child's growth is tremendous and along with that comes everchanging wardrobes. from then on, it is a constant cycle of buy more clothes, pack them away and then so on and so forth. one must wonder, how much clothing does my child need? not much! we love getting bags of hand-me-downs from the neighbor and handing down our stuff to my sister and then back again. why not? have you ever seen an infant wear out a pair of pajamas? never! so, if you keep clothing in good shape, stain free when possible and share with others, it can be a constant flow of 'new' clothes. we also hit up our local salvation army on half price family day and frequent the local consignment shops. it doesn't mean that your kiddos have to be wearing duds from the 80's and be out of style. it just means that you are merely reusing what someone else has already worn. not a big deal and your little ones can still be in style. plus, you don't feel bad if your peanuts totally trash an outfit that only cost a buck!

i cannot think of a better way to get fresh air and excerise than walking with my little ones. from the time my oldest was a few weeks old, i had her out in the fresh air every decent day that i could. it was good for both of us. i'd bundle her up in our favorite patagonia baby bunting, pack her in the sling and a stroller when she was a bit bigger, and off we'd go. we took her everywhere, the beach, hiking, festivals, around town, and anywhere that we could. now, she is in a jog stroller and the youngest one is in the ergo baby carrier. we feel limitless and they feel less confined when we 'travel' outdoors. our recent addition of a wagon is great for shorter walks and when we need to bring some goodies along. you know, stuffed animals, beach toys, a dish for the neighborhood potluck and even a friend. there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a designer stroller, but do get a feel for what you need and then try a few out. our local consignment shop always has strollers for sale and they would suffice for almost any family. i can honestly say that our jog stroller has been everywhere with us, from florida to maine and it is still holding up.

the key to reusing kids' gear and clothing is care. if you take care of what you have, it will take care of you. appreciate your goods and you will reap more from them. when you realize how much 'stuff' your little people use, then you may realize the importance of reusing, recycling and consciously raising them can have on your surroundings. here are a few facts about what our kids do to our mother earth:

in 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.

no one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.

disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

the manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.

over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.

it is estimated that each baby will need about 6,000 diapers during the first two years of life.

these facts don't even take into consideration everything that a child consumes in the first few years, but it gives you a good idea of what their potty habits do to our land

so, that's that! just remember that every little bit counts. if you practice healthy and constructive habits in your home, then hopefully your peanuts will grow up and do the same. it is contagious! your job as a parent goes far deeper than providing food, love and shelter. it makes an impression that is so deep, that future generations deal with the choices you have made. if you want your great great grandchildren to live amoung your rubbish, then go ahead and keep on consuming without consciousness. if you want them to live in paradise, then start now and do the right thing.

not your average american idol

ICON

function: a noun
etymology: latin, from greek eikon, from eikenai to resemble

definition: an object of uncritical devotion: an idol

let me paint you a picture, a very vivid and wrinkly one at that. imagine a woman in her mid 70's, with eyes so blue that she makes the sky blush, with a smile as wide as the sea that she calls home, with dedication so deep you can see it pulsating from her every cell and a naked, wrinkled body that she is not remotely modest about hiding. well there, pretty nuts, huh? i kind of thought so too, until i read on.

i picked up the latest issue of 'Surfer's Journal' and thumbed through the countless pages of crystal blue waters strewn with young tan bodies gliding across foreign waves and there she was: a naked wrinkled woman that made be shiver and giggle like a child. what is she doing in here? and of course, curiosity sets in and one must dive right into the article. Carol Schuldt is her name and she calls San Francisco her home. she is 75 years old and i must say, she is kick ass. her zest for life, her minimalist mindset and the fact that she bodysurfs almost everyday in the 50 degree waters of northern california naked or minimally clad is enough said.

you can take a peek at the 'queen of ocean beach' in an excerpt in 'Surfer's Journal'

not your average icon by no means, but what does it take to be of that standing these days? money, money and more money? perhaps. fame and fortune? most likely. your face on the cover of 'People' magazine a few times a year? yup! but why? what is it that these folks have or do that makes them so important? not a darn thing, but luck. what do people like Carol Schuldt, Gypsy Boots and others have? they have heart and soul, love, passion, compassion, dedication to the pure and minimal recognition. that is what makes a true icon.

i would rather have my child look up to a 75 year old naked bohemian woman than brittney spears. why not? Carol leads her life with a heart of gold and a peaceful mind. i can dig that. why not look up to a woman that sleeps in her kitchen, rarely buys anything new and rides her rusty old bike for miles to bask in the cold waters of the pacific for wave after wave with no gear, but the body that god gave her? hell with money, that woman found 'IT' and i admire her for sharing the light with all that cross paths with her. she shares her home and her heart with others and looks for nothing in return.

so, next time you think about an icon or an idol, think a bit deeper. i had a boss that used to always say, 'do the right thing', and with that said, does your idol follow in those foot steps? the 'right thing' is so simple that most folk step right over it along with the debris and complexity that is strewn across our paths. slow down, look in front of you and you'll see that 'IT' is all right there. just ask Carol!

dedicated to bob pollard. an icon of his short time on this earth with a spirit larger than life. may he always be remembered by all that he touched. we miss you bob.

what's without is within

huh, you may say. what on earth do you mean. oh, i am trying to say that what you use on your body ultimately ends up in your body. oh! and, better to be without than with all the junk. there you go. so, what are you slathering, lathering and scrubbing yourself with these days?

those isles and isles of fruity, smelly and oh so alluring body care items can really suck you in. go into your local drug store and just step back. is it really necessary to have big of a selection. i guess so, other wise it wouldn't be there or would it? all considering who owns all of these brands, i would assume that that is reason enough for the mass marketing of these items. you can't live without them!

sure you can! break away and get real. that stuff is laden with some seriously scary ingredients. you really don't need 35 ingredients in your shampoo. why does it need to be bright green and smell like guava pineapple on a summer morning. what they hell does that have to do with shiny, clean hair. NADA. so, i say dis the chemicals and go for the real deal.

i can go into detail about parabens, artificial color, fragrance, etc., but i really believe that there is enough info out there on that junk and why bore you with it. what i will bore you with is how to get back to your roots, how to be clean, smell clean and look good without the 'stuff' that eventually leaches into your body and ultimately makes you toxic, not to mention supports some really unethical companies.

first things first, i must mention deodorant and antiperspirant before all else. it is one of the most toxic things that people choose to smear onto their skin. the later is even more toxic, especially for us lady folk. think about it...you are smearing aluminum, a heavy metal, under your arms on skin that is generally shaved. maybe most women don't realize that their breasts are super close to their armpits. linking this together yet? so, where does all of that aluminum go? into your breasts...oh, breast cancer. now you see what i am getting at. creepy stuff! no thanks. by the way, we are supposed to sweat. it is natural. the smelly end of it can be controlled without the conventional goods. check out lafe's natural and organic deodorant selection. complete with mineral salts, natural oils (including hemp) and plant extracts, available in spray and roll on. good stuff! plus, there is a man behind this company. a person with compassion and ethics. can't say that about most things.

next up is soap. in the keepin' it simple mode of things, we still use and probably will always use dr. bronner's magic soaps. their rep says it all and the fact that they have been whipping up this stuff for 60 years is a good sign. plus, they are fair trade and a super hip family run company. who needs body wash to match your shampoo, and your body spray and your lotion. soon you start smelling like a walking perfume bottle. i wonder if people can actually smell themselves or did they burn their noses out? anyway, just a thought. what does matter is that you are clean when you get out of the shower. dr. bronner's castile soaps are the bomb. they have been rockin' the scene way longer than any of that other junk and they have managed to do so without adding the junk. plus, dr. bronner's magic all-one soaps double as a bunch of stuff...you can brush your teeth with it, wash your dishes and clean the toilet. damn that stuff is tricky!

i am assuming that most of us have hair, but not all, so if you do, shampoo and conditioner is probably another item in the bathroom lineup. once again, i could ramble off all of the junk in this stuff, but why bother. i'll get right down to it. look for plant extracts, natural oils and plant based surfactants. it isn't necessary to 'attempt' to smell like what some chemist thinks that a spring dew smells like. all you ultimately need is a healthy scalp and shiny and clean hair. the rest will follow. natural products naturally smell good. like coconuts, and flowers and the dew on a orange blossom. no really, they do. so, check out john masters organics for a huge selection of salon quality hair care products. they have it all and yes, they know what they are doing with it. he even owns and operates a 'clean air salon' in nyc. i dig his shampoo, detangler, sea mist and the dry hair defrizzer (a great herbal oil for keeping sun and salt laden hair happy). for those of you who want to opt for the less salon type products, i'd suggest aubrey organics. they have kept it real for over 40 years, before going green was in, and they have something for everyone. once again, two companies with faces, oddly enough male faces, behind some awesome goods.

that leaves us with lotions and oils and anything else that you may slather on your body's largest organ, your skin. yes, your skin is a pretty complex organ that absorbs and releases the good and the bad. so, you better think about what you are coating yourself with on a daily basis. when treated right, your skin will balance itself out and take care of business. yes, it needs our help to maintain, but that's because we are the ones that take advantage of it. we tend to get too much sun at times, go swimming, play on the beach and unfortunately smear junk on it that isn't what it needs. time to give it what it needs. OIL! yes, good healthy natural oil. be it coconut, jojoba, hemp, calendula, etc., as long as it comes from a plant and is maintained in a pure form, it will make your skin vibrate with happiness. one of my favorites is based on the edgar cayce's studies, heritage brand aura glow. i love the feel and smell of it and it truly makes you feel good. plus, it is great for preggy bellies. regardless of what i enjoy, you will find a ton of products out there in oil form that will make you feel like you are glowing. keep it simple though.

well, there you have it. the basics. it is simple and basic if you let it roll that way. your whole family can use these products if you so choose. we do use pretty much the same brands on the peanut, with the addition of some weleda baby products. it is so vital to treat that baby skin like you do the baby within. nurture and nourish, not add fragrance and chemicals just because you want that new clean baby smell. really folks, babes don't naturally smell like that 'stuff'. they need pure and simple things that don't get their beginning in a laboratory owned by some huge chem company.

the same goes for what you use for yourself. treat yourself well and yourself will treat you well. remember within and without. love that body, it is merely a rental.

what's growing on?

phew, it's been awhile. i feel like we have been mia for months. lots going on and with those longer days and warm spells, we've been recharging our batteries and on the move. so, where have we been? outside of course. every spare minute...mowing grass, playing, keeping the plants happy, growing a baby and filling up our yard with tons of organic goodies.

we got our organic blueberry bushes from backyard berry plants, thanks to keith uridel and his fam, and mrs. chanticleer and ms. aurora, as we so affectionately call our early variety and late variety high bush plants, are abiding in our front yard as we speak. the early variety, chanticleer, already has some berries on there and we can't wait to do some taste testing. kudos to backyard berry plants and keith. he is a great guy to deal with, super helpful, honest and packs up some great organic berry plants along with brambles. and they just had a mention in mother earth news this issue. not bad for a family farm in indiana. we need more of these guys.

the new fruit trees are in the ground and doing alright. we lost one of the apricots, but i can honestly say that i think that it was shipped out in that condition. it looks sad and will luckily be replaced in the fall with another. other than that, the new plum whip and the other apricot whip are doing fine. good news on the ole mrs. rosa front. our older, only about 4 years old, santa rosa plum tree set a great amount of fruit this year. we are happy to say that it looks like we'll be getting more than one plum this year.

as far as the rest of the yard goes, we have tons of greens growing on (mizuna, spinach, collards, kale, chard and mesclun), the tomato plants are in and looking good, the snap peas grew a foot since last week and we are already munching on some young ones, and we have green, well purple, green beans growing all over the place along with some kentucky wonders just poking their heads out. oh, almost forgot the cucs...thanks to a friend we have some lemon cucs and we couldn't resist the pickling cucs that we grew last year, so they will be taking up residence next to our outdoor shower this year. they loved it! those were the best cucs that we have ever had and thanks to our bathing habits, they were as happy as could be climbing up the side of our shower while getting a good daily drink. we are also trying to do some trellising cucs in hanging baskets. worth a try and nothing to lose. we have some great sunny spots that could be utilized and so we shall give it a shot. off the ground, means less fungus and plenty of sun, so why not? it's all about trying to find that balance and it could be found anywhere, even in our backyard.

hard to believe that it is june already, and it feels so good to be barefoot, dirty and weeding and planting already. there will be more to plant, more to eat and more to do as the next few weeks roll on, but for now we are loving this time of awakening. there have been challenges and on the other hand, there have been gains, so it is ALL GOOD. we are battling the neighborhood cats and their choice of our gardens as their toilets, but we can fix it with a few more wire fences, and we also have a 3 foot tall garden monkey, aka our daughter, who loves to remove soil from the gardens at all costs, water everything in site and give the plant hugs, but thanks to some one and a half foot tall picket fences, from the local hardware store, we have successfully kept the little monkey out of the gardens for over a week. gotta love her affection for our food though. she thinks that all plants are babies and that they need hugs and water to grow. i think that she is on to something.

well, that's where the fam is for now. in the yard with grass stained toes, dirt under the nails, naked at times (the garden monkey, not us) and roaming around in the ole camper when the waves are calling or the sun is shining.

get out and roam! and don't forget to grow and glow.

in with 'manpower' ed mower, out with the gas guzzler

flowers are bloomin', longer days, greens are a sproutin' and the grass is growin'. now, i know that this may sound crazy, but i love mowing grass. it is meditative, physical and just plain fulfilling. it is like clean laundry or clean floors throughout the house. it makes you feel good and it looks pretty. yup, i'm nuts, just ask my husband.

so, when i declared my hatred for our damned lawn mower for the thousandth time, my husband couldn't say no to me wanting a new mower. our old one was self propelled, which means that it is heavy, cumbersome and huge. our yard is tiny, not square and has nooks and crannies that you have to get into. big mower means pain in my butt and a lot of frustration. plus, i had to find the gas can, get it started, and risk waking the little one while trying to do all of the above. no fun. not to mention that it is hard to store, takes gas, oh, did i mention that it takes gas and yes, it takes gas.

you ask, 'what are your other options?', if you don't want a gas guzzler. well, simple, inexpensive and i think lots of fun...old school reel mowers. yes, there are electric mowers, but once again i'd have to maneuver it, store it and still deal with a bigger piece of 'equipment'. plus, most options have to be maintained: filters, oil, tuneups, etc.. not the reel mower, it is pretty low key. lube up the blades to prevent rust and lube up the wheels and blade spindle. so, the reel mowers pack a punch in a small but green package, light, a good workout, enviro friendly, do a great job and they are tiny compared to their motorized counterparts. so, i must gloat, I WON! i got to pick out a new mower with the agreement that i'll do the mowing without complaining. duh, a no brainer all considering my love of lawn maintenance.

off we headed to home depot in hopes of finding the model that i came up with. i did the research, looked at the reviews, priced them out and the model that won was....scotts elite push reel mower at the depot. 16" blade cutting area, probably around 30ish pounds, under $100 and i think that it is cute. i couldn't wait to try it out.

today it put that bad boy together, in under 10 minutes, mowed the grass with ease and was ecstatic with the results. the lawn looked great! just as good as when we did it with the ole guy. well, the old mower will be sad to know that last season was it's last with us, but we'll be passing that one on to a new home. just put a sign on it at the edge of the driveway and hope for a new home for ole gasey.

there you have it; old school reel mower bumps out new school gas mower. a happy ending for all, well maybe not the old mower, but someone else may have patience for that thing. not me, too conflicting with my ways, but boy do i have a new found love for something so old that it is new, the reel mower.

the fam's urban farm...beach style

here we are again, it is finally getting warmer and we are feeling like there is a light at the end of this long winter tunnel. though we go through it ever year, for a lifetime, it still feels like forever. yes, winter is out and spring and summer are in. this means time to plant indoors and outdoors, tunnels over the beds, some new fruit trees and blueberry bushes on the way.

the fam is ramping up for a good summer bounty. we had a great crop last year that even carried us into this january with kale and collards, but we are making some permanent additions this season. now more than ever the importance of sustainability is knocking on the door, especially self sustainability. we are looking a ways to be less in line with the consumer flow and more in line with the mother flow. why not? it is the safest, most economical and most enlightening way to feed your fam. our food supply isn't what you would call safe nor honest nowadays. so, do your own thing and get out there and claim a plot either on site or off site. by this i mean in your yard, at a friends house or even in a community garden site. there is always a way...so my father says!

with that said, who said that you can't make a teeny tiny yard produce veggies and fruit for your family? just because space is tight, doesn't mean that you are limited. and, if space is abundant for you, awesome, roll with it and go wild. consider it the price of therapy included in your mortgage. a garden no matter how big or small is a wonderful way to chill out, grow goodies and make your yard look like the garden of eden.

and...the garden of eden isn't complete without fruit. yes, that sweet and juicy oh so yummy stuff that is usually super pricey and not to mention sprayed beyond belief with the stuff that monsanto peddles to every conventional farm in america. yes, i am talking about pesticides and junk. no good! so, grow your own. we planted a santa rosa plum 2 1/2 years ago and it has proven to be a beautiful tree, but it is getting lonely in the fruit yard. well, last week amidst the rain and yucky weather arrived 3 new dwarf trees to keep ole rosa company. we decided to go with all dwarf varieties for obvious reasons (they only grow to about 8 feet tall) and the shiro plum is a companion to rosa for cross pollination and the 2 apricots moorpark and chinese are companions. today with shovel in hand, we planted all three, staked them, mulched them and gave them a new home at the beach. now, we just have to what a few years, but it is all worth it. those 4 trees will be plenty for the fam.

that isn't all that is going on around here. we have some organic blueberry bushes coming from indiana that will take residence in the front yard. too exciting, i know, but we couldn't resist the thought of blueberries on hand in july and august. thanks to a friend of mine, who was kind enough to give those ole rose bushes a new home, we are getting some raspberry canes in exchange. gotta love it. you never know what you'll be able to swap. speaking of swapping, take a look for local plant exchanges or even plant sales in your area. we have one here every year and the prices are wonderful, the selection is outstanding and your know that it came from close to home.

on the veggie front we have a bunch of stuff under plastic at the moment. we are still getting super chilly nights with windy and somewhat warmer days. so, everything is under hoops or in raised boxes under cover. we have spinach, mustard greens, peas, dinosaur kale, vates collards and golden and silverado chard outside all doing well. this week is time for the beets, some more greens and a few more inside things like parsley and basil to get started. it all feels so good. so liberating and so fresh.

now, it is your turn. get out there. get creative. get on motherearthnews.com and do some exploring on varieties to plant, when and where, ways to extend your season and more. it is inspirational to see what you can do with a little bit of research, some time and some ingenuity. oh, speaking of that, we are looking at our options for a passive solar greenhouse to be built this fall to keep the fam feed all winter. yup, no more fall and winter breaks. the possibilty of fresh greens and cool weather crops all winter long sounds too good to be true, but it is totally possible and totally inexpensive for the do it yourselfer. we've done the reasearch and now we are sorting through our options, but keep an eye out for a late summer post on our newest project.

happy planting, much love and luck to your sprouts and seedlings and happy gardening. enjoy, embrace and most importantly indulge. treat your yard to something special this season. maybe your yard needs a little lovin' and a blueberry bush or a fruit tree or 2 may make it happy.

the home pantry: not a thing of the past

it seems as though more and more folk are catching on to the idea of stocking up on basics, buying in bulk and keeping a well managed pantry, the core of a healthy eating fam. i am not talking about going to the large warehouse markets and buying 20 rolls of tp, but rather food. you know, the essentials to living. things like rice, beans, grains, etc. some folks may find this hard to believe, but some of us live off of stuff like that. yup, we actually soak our beans and cook them. believe me, it isn't rocket science.

anyway, back to the topic at hand, the home pantry. back in the day it was loaded with canned fruit and veggies from the home garden, flours, sugars, grains, seasonings and probably some funky rendered animal product (maybe lard?). regardless of what folks stashed in their pantry, it was simple and basic and people were most likely never heard saying the oh so popular americana phrase, "there is nothing to eat in this house!" i know, i know, but there really isn't anything to eat. like most people are actually going to starve. most likely not!

if people were prepared, ate simple homemade meals and actually put a teeny bit of effort into making meals, they would realize that you can find the majority of what you need in a revamped pantry. what's hiding in there now? maybe some stale crackers, cans of tuna from 2 years ago, cereal that never seems to expire, soda, boxes of betty's brownie mix and probably five boxes of noodles. no wonder they have nothing to 'eat'. you can't make a decent meal out of that stuff. but, try stocking up on these basics and you'll have endless meals on hand:

dried beans: soak overnight or for 8 hours and cook in soups or plain to be eaten as burritos, with rice and dressed up with seasonings. we dig pinto, navy, black and garbanzo (think of homemade hummus).

rice: with so many types from basmati to wild rice, you can't resist the variety of flavors that go with almost any meal. "but it takes so long to cook", you say? well, all you have to do is get it started and walk away for 20-50 minutes. really, no real labor in that. plus, when combined with your cooked beans, you have a perfecto meal. did i mention that it was also super cheap?

grains: just like the multitude of rices, there are so many yummy grains that even the non-crunchiest of folks would dig. try cooking up some quinoa, millet or even the ole standby, oatmeal. yup, it doesn't have to be so bland. oatmeal is a wonderful meal anytime of the day when topped with nuts, fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup. get creative.

seeds: i am mentioning seeds as a pantry item, but if you don't use them quick enough, try stashing them in the freezer to keep them fresh. we go through a bit of pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds on a weekly basis, so you can always find a few jars of them in there.

sprouting supplies: by far the most bang for the buck in the pantry if you ask me. sprouting seeds, jars, etc. will give you endless additions to your meals for so little money. right now we have some russian sprout mix, spicy and french. check out my old post on sprouting for details.

nut butters and peanut butter: this is an essential item for our family. keep in mind, we are talking about natural nut butters, sunflower butter and peanut butter. when used in moderation, it adds that little dense protein kick to any slice of toast or bowl of oatmeal. plus, always a good one to grab for a road trip to catch some surf.

seasonings: once you learn to prepare things from scratch, adding the right touches can make the simplest thing into the most taste bud pleasing meal. you can buy herbs in bulk and pour them into tiny glass jars for storage. plus, don't be afraid to dry some of that extra basil in your garden to add to your stash. yes, you can make you own dried herbs with little effort. so, we generally have a number of essentials in the spice department: coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, basil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. i am sure that i am missing some, but you'll figure out what fits in your cooking groove.

teas: tea can be enjoyed anytime of the day and is always a nice reward on a chilly winter day or a hot summer afternoon. we keep a basket loaded with our favorites. from licorice mint to green tea with kombucha we love to keep a variety on hand. plus, just think of all the money you'll save by not cruising through the drive-through at your local coffee spot. add that one up? not pretty is it? you can always keep a travel mug on hand and enjoy your hot stuff on the go for a major fraction of the cost. for you coffee drinkers, it is all the same. make your own. think of all the waste that you are saving.

sweeteners: for some this may be a two product deal (corn syrup and white sugar), but if you are willing to get off of the white refined stuff, there are so many options out there that taste wonderful and aren't so bad for you. we keep a supply of stevia (we prefer liquid), maple syrup, molasses, agave and turbinado for occasional use.

the miscellaneous, but essential: this is a pretty broad category. plus, it varies by family, but this is what else we keep on hand. things like rice milk (stores for long periods, lactose free, and you can avoid having to head to the store for an emergency milk run), sea veggies (kombu, dulse, nori sheets and more. we add these gifts from the sea to our beans before cooking, make homemade nori rolls aka sushi, and to season meals), noodles (our favs are eden's kamut spirals among a few others), cans of tomato paste and diced tomatoes (add to soups, beans and make sauce), homemade jellies that we whipped up with summer's bounty of blueberries, flour (making that homemade bread) and obviously other baking essentials. so, i am sure that you'll have your own miscellaneous section.

this all may sound daunting, but it really isn't. with a bit of guidance and some sense of adventure, you can make it happen. for some tidbits and great articles on food prep check out eden foods' FOOD ARTICLES. this will set you in the right direction.

well, what do you think? cleaning out that pantry may be on your to do list if you are thinking of changing up your eating habits or saving some money on grocery bills. eating well isn't all about keeping your physical self in check, but it is also about making less of an impact, being frugal (aka saving money!!!) and enjoying a homemade meal with your family and friends. think about what food means to you. is it something that you stuff in your mouth on the run or is it a moment when you feel so blessed to be able to enjoy a wholesome meal with your family without putting mother E at stake? yeh, that pantry is a bigger deal than you think.

here are some other tidbits while we are on a roll:

• consider storing everything in glass jars. mason jars are super cheap and can store in the pantry or in the freezer and fridge. plus, you can sprout in them.


• buy in bulk if you can. if you have space to do so, buy things that you use the most of in larger quantities. most natural food stores will definitely order bags of rice, oatmeal, etc by special request.


• don't buy more than you know you'll use or need. there are things that are essential, but you may not need 5 pounds of it. if you know that you'll use up that rice milk that you got on sale, then buy a bunch, but keep an eye on that expiration date.


• don't be afraid to share. if you see something that you use, but know that you can't use that much, ask a friend to split it with you.


• keep your supplies in check. when you run out of something, jot it down on your shopping list so you don't forget. this goes along with the keeping what you need in there theory. we know what we go through weekly, so we only keep a buffer in there for some things.


• can your own garden goodies. we made bread and butter pickles, dill pickles, relish and jam from our summer bounty. way better than that store bought stuff.


• when you are ready to clean out your pantry, keep your local food bank in mind. as long as it hasn't expired, you know that someone else will benefit from your generosity.
  
  

alright, have fun revamping your pantry, or create one for yourself. we just turned an old storage space into a great pantry. get creative!

the amazon meets new england: biochar

what in the world am i talking about? well, it is a gardening technique that is at least 3,000 years old. it's so old that it's new. new to us, but a common practice to the ancient amazonian tribes who grew corn, cassava and various tree fruits in superior soil that they enriched with compost, mulch and the newly termed 'biochar'. still lost?

well, let's break it down:

bio- (bī′ō, -ə): life, of living things, biological

char (c̸här): to reduce to charcoal by burning, to burn slightly; scorch

so, with that said, biochar is basically organic matter that is burned slowly, with restricted oxygen flow, and then the fire is halted when the plant matter reaches the charcoal stage. yup, it is charcoal. naturally made from organic matter in the area around your garden. it is dried weeds, woody brush, and limbs that when turned to charcoal and incorporated into your growing space, can help hold plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium. not to mention the presence of beneficial fungi and bacteria that thrive in high carbon soil. now, you get it? it isn't rocket science, even though scientists around the world are intrigued, but it is a simple and enviro option to improve soil, decrease waste and reduce the loss of nutrients. now, you do need to start with good soil in order for this concept to work. it isn't the answer to poor soil, but it is one way to help your soil retain what it has. so, hopefully you've been working on adding in the good stuff. if not, it isn't too late to start and biochar can help.

if you are nervous about the idea of starting fires in your garden, don't be. we aren't talking bonfire size, but rather small trenches with controlled burning. not a biggie. heck, we live in a small beach town and i was bubbling with excitement at the idea of making biochar when i first read about it. oh, you bet i was out there the first nice day foraging all of our dried up yard waste and wood scraps. it was wonderful! in no time at all i had a beautiful collection of biochar of my own.

so, put aside your smokey the bear 'don't start forest fires' mentality and go for it. oh, you don't quite have all of the details? this is what 'mother earth news' had to say about getting down to business:

"to make biochar right in your garden, start by digging a trench in a bed. then pile brush into the trench and light it. you want to have a fire that starts out hot, but is quickly slowed down by reducing the oxygen supply. the best way to tell what's going on in a biochar fire is to watch the smoke. the white smoke, produced early on, is mostly water vapor. as the smoke turns yellow, resins and sugars in the material are being burned. when the smoke thins and turns grayish blue, dampen down the fire by covering it with about an inch of soil to reduce the air supply, and leave it to smolder. then, after the organic matter has smoldered into charcoal chunks, use water to put out the fire."

there you have it. you aren't just limited to making biochar in your garden, but you can also collect charcoals from your fire place and camp fires.

i bet that you'll never look at charcoals, i mean 'biochar' the same. you'll be eyeing up those poor forgotten coals at the bottom of your fireplace and wondering, "where could i use them?" yup, you'll be hooked. all while adopting a practice that is over 3,000 years old, reducing loss of carbon into the atmosphere and improving your growing space. not bad!

have fun with it, research it for yourself and most importantly, BE SAFE!

cleaning house and mind

as you may have guessed after our last post, we have begun our purging of 'stuff' in the house. after hanging out in a 60 square foot camper for a month, we realized even more what we really do not want nor need in our lives. makes us wonder what we have been holding on to.

think about it...someone drops by and leaves some 'goodies' for you (add one more thing to your mix), then your birthday rolls around and people give you gifts, some needed and some not so needed (add 5 things to your mix), then comes the holidays, which we really don't want anything, but family insists and you end up with more stuff (add 10 things to your mix), and then you buy that 'thing' that you thought you needed (add on one more thing) and now here we are. it is january and you theoretically have 17 more things than you had in september. where do you put it? do you add it on top of all of your other stuff that you so call enjoy or do you stash it to only find it a year later? ahhhhh, too much to think about!


EXACTLY, it weighs down your consciousness and before you know it all of this 'stuff' has you so pinned down that you are 'trapped' by your junk. yup, that is how most people cruise along these days. thinking about all of their stuff. worrying about losing some of it, paying for it, not wanting it to get broken, needing a bigger house to fit it all in, needing more so you can keep up with betty jones down the street and before you know it, you are putting more energy and thought into your 'stuff' than you do into your own health, family and well being.


not us. get rid of it. if you don't need it, use it, want it or care about it, pass it on. we dug through our dressers, the closet, the crawl space, the pantry and more and man did we come up with some 'stuff'. mostly things that we never really wanted but took anyway, stashed it for a bit and now it is being purged from our lives and minds forever. you have options when purging. don't think that it is all one big trip to the thrift shop. a vintage guitar, surfboard, antique vase and some bike parts are going on ebay and will hopefully earn us a little chunk of change to pay for some home improvements that we are working on (yup, another one of our purging side effects). clothing is going to the local church donation bin and the rest of it to salvation army. if you have something that you may still have an attachment to, but you don't need it, share it with a friend. regift it? why not? not all gifts need to be new. well, maybe for betty jones, but not for the conscious purging soul who is regaining their independence from their stuff. have fun with getting rid of the junk and don't regret it. regret is only you still be tied down by the 'stuff'.


well, now don't you feel better. i know that your mind is going now. the ole hamster wheel is turning and you are thinking about what you can sell, share or simply give 'away'. yup, that old purse that you really haven't used since last winter (there are purse swaps online), those shoes that you bought for a wedding and you only wore them once because they killed your feet, that ugly sweater you aunt lily bought you and those skis that you bought 5 years ago and haven't used in 4 1/2 years. the possibilities are endless and like most people, you probably have more 'stuff' than you'll ever need.


THE MORE YOU HAVE, THE MORE YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT!

on the road again...

our nomadic senses kicked in with the recent arrival of snow and ice in new england. so, we did what any conscious fam would do, we bought a 1962 camper, put some sweat equity into it, and dragged the little thing down to florida for a few weeks. ah, sun, surf and coconuts...what else do you need? oh, honeybell tangelos. we ate tons of these in season balls of sweet citrusy goodness.

we left chilly new england with a few surfboards, clothing and food and headed south. we stocked our new 'home' with the basics and off we went. what a great feeling to let go for awhile. we're not sure if many folks could do it. sure, they can plant their butts in a hotel room, eat out every meal and fall in many a tourist trap. or, you could eat in (yes, we took a blender for smoothies), hang out at state parks and local beaches and roam around some bird sanctuaries for entertainment. you probably guessed, we opted for the second one.

we found that we had everything that we needed. we never longed for anything left behind at home, well except for the cat, and we found ourselves cleansed of material baggage. makes one wonder what we really even need at home. we're sure that this will lead to some purging of goods at home. once you go without, you feel overwhelmed with what you have. not that we have much, but we know what is necessary and what is overkill.

so, what do you need? a place sleep (the camper), food (bought at local natural food stores, a roadside stand, and foraged), warmth (the sun and a tiny propane heater), water (the ocean and purified water in refillable bottles) and happiness (the fam, the beach, walks, full moons, eating coconuts by the fire, digging gigantic holes in the sand, watching dolphins from the campsite, waking up to a happy baby, suntans and so much more). you get it by now...NOT MUCH! heck, we didn't even buy firewood, we scavenged for it on a rustic road called 'the jungle trail'.

this trip was about family, the now and experiences. we met some sweet folk, started some friendships with people twice our ages and realized that we don't need to wait to 'roam' until after retirement. why plan for 30 years down the road, do 'IT' now. if you go with less, you have less to lose. 'IT' can be anything you'd like, but why wait. learn to go without the new duds, a designer purse, eating out every week and hitting the mall weekly and you'll realize what you can really have...freedom.

LESSON LEARNED: LESS IS MORE

"On the road again. Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' music with my friends. And I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again. Goin' places that I've never been. Seein' things that I may never see again,And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again. Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. We're the best of friends. Insisting that the world be turnin' our way. And our way Is on the road again. Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' music with my friends. And I can't wait to get on the road again." thanks willie

feel free to hum along!