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!

beware of the avocado monster

sounds scary, doesn't it? you may picture a big green hairy creature with guacamole dripping from its month and massive paws covered in green goo....or you could picture a 20 month old covered in avocado pudding and smiling ear to ear. yup, the second image is right on.

we cannot resist avocados in our household. we chow down on that creamy green fruit daily and have found ways to make it sweet, savory, spicy and even in our smoothies. it is all good in our book. as for our munchkin, she devours an avocado almost daily. since before she was a year old she noshed on that irresistible green goodness and we must gloat that she would beg for an avocado before touching what most toddlers consume daily.

today's avocado consumption began with one our favorite concoctions that we call 'pudding'. our raw banacado pudding is way better than any dairy based pudding out there. i'd say that it reigns in the pudding hall of fame. ahhh, it is so scrumptdiliumptious. you want the recipe? ok, just be careful, it may be habit forming and healthy. so, here goes....

2 nice and ripe avocados
1/2 banana
2 tbsp. agave or raw honey
2 tbsp. carob powder

blend all ingredients in food processor until super smooth, like pudding. serve with a myriad of toppings...chia seeds, ground flax seeds, coconut flakes, banana slices, blueberries, strawberries, wheat germ and on and on. this also makes a great 'pie' filling.

well folks, there you have it. don't say that we didn't warn you. just let us say that the picture is only a warning of may happen when this is consumed. smiles, messy lunchtime chaos and happy raw kids are just a few of the side effects of chowing down on bowls of this stuff. oh, make sure that you get some to. enjoy!