10,000 Steps Everyday

Do it! With me! 10,000 really isn't much.

I'll post on my Twitter and/or Facebook how I've done.

Green Saves Green October Challenge

I did it! I figured out how to make a VERY SIMPLE banner for my first challenge- Green Saves Green. This is a joint venture between me and Robin at A Little Greener Everyday. She has been challenging her readers every month with new eco challenges so she convinced me to get one going for the month of October. Actually my challenge is a direct result of me ranting and worrying about being green during economically troubling times.

Here is what I need you to do for the month of October's "Green Saves Green Challenge":

1. If you have a blog, post one idea everyday, or how ever often you like, about what you do to stay green and save money. But don't just post a list or a small thought, elaborate on your thoughts. Tell how you accomplished it or who gave you the idea or any story that relates to why you perform that specific green task.
2. If you don't have a blog you can email me and I will post it here with full recognition that it is you and not me with the idea. Or you can tell your story as a comment. Every Monday I'll remind you to post your ideas in my comment section.
3. Let me know. Comment to my post today or email me that you are in. I will list you in my margin to the right. Don't forget your blog link so I can include it.
4. Grab the banner above and put it on your site. Right click. Save it to your harddrive. Place it on your blog. Link it back to my site, http://itsthelittlethinks.blogspot.com/ or Robin's, http://robinshreeves.blogspot.com/, whom ever you favor.
5. Have fun.
   

I am looking forward to hearing your insight on being green and saving moola.

Goodies at the Goodwill Store

I was inspired by Beth at Coming Up For Air to go thrifting.

I haven't been to a thrift store for about 7 years. And the only reason I went 7 years ago was to look for a Halloween costume for my son and I was unsuccessful. Well, I lied, I guess the the Half Price Bookstore I frequent can be thrifty, some books are new and some used.

There is a small Goodwill store about 7 miles from me. I walked in and remembered the first reason I don't shop used- the old and musty smell. Once I got past the attic scent I headed straight for the books. This helped me to ease into the whole used shopping experience again. Books are ok to buy used, people don't mind, but most people frown on buying used clothes. (Reason #2-wearing some strangers clothes-yuck! I personally stay away from used underwear, t-shirts and socks.) I found 3 books, some silly chapter books for my son and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, all for $1 each. For those of you on the male side of the hemisphere, AYTGIMM is reading right of passage for 12 year old girls. Although my daughter is a wee 7 I will have the classic waiting for her when it is "time".

Next I headed over to the linens area. The reason I came to Goodwill was to look for cloth napkins. Over at Going Green with Burban Mom she has challenged her readers to give up paper napkins. (She also has a Yahoo Group for more in depth discussion, I just lurk right now, hee hee.) I sneezed (reason #3 I haven't shopped thrift stores in a while-I am highly allergic to dust.) my way through blankets, pillow cases, sheets and table clothes to find no cloth napkins.

Then I ventured to the clothing. This was the hardest part for me. Touching, let alone buying, some strangers clothing! The thought of sanitizing everything ran through my head constantly. I found some shorts, they were too small after I tried to get them past my thighs in the dressing room. A little relieved but also flustered, I went to the children's area. I shuffled though a pile of clothes on a table to eventually find 2 very cute denim jackets for my daughter. I have to admit, I was looking at the tags. Anything I knew that was from Target, Kmart or Walmart was not taken only because I know they are cheaper made clothing that even at $3.99 I would be wasting my time and energy. One jacket was from Limited Too and the other from Papaya. I tugged on them for rips at the seams, checked for discolorations and missing buttons. I was proud of myself. I know these jackets were probably $50 each new and I paid $3.99 for them.

I also picked up some computer software games for my daughter to help her learn spelling for .99 each.

I did end up at Home Goods to find new cloth napkins. I know they are not used or organic. But I could have searched the internet for organic, pay a hefty price then have them delivered to my house (hello, carbon footprint) or I can go on the way home to Home Goods, buy them discounted and use the napkins until they fall apart on me. And, yes, I could have made them from old linens I had in the closet, but I am simply not that crafty.

Happy Thifting...

OLS Week #5

I rarely eat eggs for breakfast, I am a cereal and coffee gal. But I was craving some over-easy eggs (or as my brother would say when he was a boy, "eggs lookin at ya") and toast. I was lucky enough to have some eggs left over from Shelly's Garden. And the bread I made the night before. The ingredients for the bread are not local but making it is. And a parsley sprig from our garden for photo effect. (I did eat it after.) Simply Good.

That was my local meal for the week. Next week I will probably be eating zucchini from our garden. Does anyone have a good zucchini recipe?

Yah, Thursday

I made it! No Diet Pepsi yet. Yesterday I ended up making myself some Blackberry tea, added a little sugar and chilled it. It was yummy. And my spirits are better today because tomorrow is 4th of July. We will be celebrating it with friends and I can't wait to eat, drink and enjoy a great time.

I tried some new things this week that are helping me be greener. I baked my own bread, finally. I hung my clothes outside. I froze a lot of zucchini. Kept the A/C off. And I made zucchini muffins.

I baked the bread with King Arthur's Organic Whole Wheat flour (from Trader Joe's, of course) and used the recipe on the back of the flour bag (minus the nuts, my family would complain.) It was a dense bread but had a very good flavor. Isn't it pretty? This was my first yeast bread. I started it in the bread maker on the dough cycle, took it out, let it rise, then put it in the loaf pan and baked it. The house smelled really nice. I think I cut the slices too thick for sandwiches but we still ate it. Remember, if you bake fresh bread at home refrigerate it so it doesn't mold, there are no preservatives in it. (Beth, I went to the website for the bread recipe you directed me previously and it is gone.)

I started hanging my clothes outside. I hang everything except underwear, socks and jeans. I don't have a clothesline but I have 2 clothes racks like the one pictured to the left. It is warm, dry and breezy during the day here so they were dry lickety-split. They smell better than putting the clothes in the dryer. I saved my house from heating up. And I didn't use about 3 hours worth of dryer time. Not bad.

This is what happens when you leave unattended zucchini for just 2 days. They are worse than the kids! Notice the pen next to the largest zucchini. This is why you will be hearing me talk about which zucchini dish I made-AGAIN. I froze much of it. I shredded, chopped and sliced for a couple of hours. The shredded zucchini is flash frozen for a couple of hours then packed away using my new handy dandy Foodsaver. Any other types of cuts you need to blanch first, cool, flash freeze and let the Foodsaver do its work. Zucchini is juicy and that disrupts the sealing process of the Foodsaver so flash freezing it keeps the juices at bay. I am all ready to make soup, breads, cakes and casseroles this winter.

Thanks to Crunchy Chicken I am trying to cut back my A/C. I never officially joined her challenge but I am trying to follow her guidelines. I can say, so far it hasn't been hard. We are only in the mid to high eighties this week. It was hard to keep it off today because I made zucchini muffins. I used the same recipe from my mother-in-law but subsituted 1 cup of regular flour for 1 cup whole wheat. You can't tell the difference.

If you live in the states have a wonderful 4th of July and if you don't you can still have a wonderful 4th of July.

Be Green

Oh, Wednesday...

(Warning: Woman talk ahead.)

I know I already did an "Oh, Monday" but today I can't help it. I really do try not to be a whiner but I want my Diet Pepsi back!!! I am only on day 2 and I can't handle it. Am I addicted? Well, there are other circumstances surrounding my "ohhhhh". I decided to give up my precious Diet Pepsi at "that time of the month". The day I quit my bubbly, cool drink was the same day my monthly visitor came and with a vengeance. I was working out at the gym almost everyday then my kids got out of school and I got lazy. I haven't gone in 2 weeks. When I was working out "she" was not so bad but now I have bloating, crankiness, sleeplessness, back discomfort and I feel drained. It's also hot here and I refuse to turn on the A/C until I am sweating.

I am just being a sissy? There are people that give up smoking or alcohol and get through it. I can give up soda. I can try tea again. I have tried it in the past several times and I just didn't like it.

Tomorrow I should be back to my normal self.

Oh, Monday

I really don't feel like posting today but, damn it, I have things I want to share! I love writing here, it is so therapeutic and helps me make decisions. So here it goes.

First off, Robin at A Little Greener Everyday is having a July Challenge. Unlike other blog challengers she is giving you a choice, she is so nice. I think she is challenging herself and doesn't want to be alone, ha ha. So she has 5 challenges to choose from. Here is the ultra-short list: beverages, A/C, lights, showers and journal. You'll have to visit to get details and to challenge yourself. I chose showers. I'll keep you posted.

We went away for the weekend on a non-green mini trip. We went to California's Great America on Sunday. We did everything non-green: ate horrid theme park food, wasted so much energy riding rides, wasted water on water slides, drove there at 70 miles an hour, wore regular sunscreen and bought non-organic towels because I forgot our towels at home. And then when we got home I realized the A/C was not turned off! Green Yikes!!! We did do some things green. We reused any cups and bottles by refilling them, I refused to by souvenirs (the towels were necessities), we only bought what we could completely finish eating. I can't say it was my eco-shining moment but with 2 kids and no real vacation plans this summer how can I resist the theme park experience? I feel I need to punish myself by doing some extreme green penance. Does anyone have any ideas?

I did have my new hemp flip-flops on all day Sunday and they we horrid! First off, why didn't anyone tell me hemp shrinks and hardens after it gets wet? The top part of the thong gave me blisters after getting off the first water ride at 11 AM. I have to keep the brown pair I wore all day but the black pair is going back. Back to the drawing board. Does anyone know where I can get organic, recycled material flip-flops?

I am trying to make my first loaf of bread today. And hopefully using my Foodsaver for the first time. Wish me luck.

Be Green.

One Local Summer Week #4

Last week I didn't post my OLS meal because I didn't have one that was pure local. I have been feasting on local fruits and veggies but I didn't create one meal that was all local.

This week we had Mount Diablo Chicken Thighs w/ Grilled Veggies and Grilled Apricots drizzled with local honey for dessert.

The chicken thighs are from locally owned Brentwood Fine Meats and they get their chicken from the Fulton Valley, about 95 miles from here. The chicken is free range and hormone free. The marinade on the chicken consists of garlic, soy sauce, bell pepper and brown sugar. It was scrumptious on the grill!

The veggies are all local and they were flavored by my garden fresh thyme and oregano.

The apricots were freshly picked by me about 2 hours before grilling for about 12 minutes and drizzled with honey.

Mmm, good eats.

Papertowels Update

Robin,

My paper towels are still hiding in the laundry room. When I do laundry I almost feel bad for them, all alone. I bet they miss the banana holder (which I have given up also because of food miles) and the fruit basket. They sat there for years. Now I have exiled them to the laundry table next to perpetually unfolded clothes. They look lonely. No more juice spills or messy faces.

I know the June Eco Challenge has been over for a week now but I don't want to stop. I will try my hardest to not use paper towels but when friends come over and eat ribs what do I do? I don't think they will understand my greener ways and want a paper towel for the sauce on their faces.

Thanks for the challenge and the great blog.

Allison

One Local Summer: Week #2

I managed to stay away from eggs for dinner, barely. I found pork sausage from Lodi at the Thursday Antioch Farmer's Market. I emailed the most local ranch that sells beef and they have not returned the gesture. I will not give up my search for local meat.

My meals are simple, I usually don't like to cook and frankly I would eat cereal and local fruit all day if I lived alone. (I have a hubby and 2 kids.) This challenge is not only for the earth, it is for my health. It keeps me cookin'.

We had:

-Grilled Five Pepper Pork Sausage-Lodi, 44 miles
-Slightly steamed corn-Brentwood, 1 mile

-Slightly steamed broccoli and zuchini-farmers market, not sure how far but no more than 50 miles

The meal was perfect because we are now easily hitting over 85-90 degrees outside everyday. Gotta keep meals light and short for our summers.

Update on Challenges

I have 2 challenges this summer, no paper towels and eat one meal local every week.

I have been doing excellent at keeping the paper towels at bay. But my family is going through withdrawals. My husband asked where the paper towels were the other day and I told him flat out that I hid them. He just sat there quiet thinking, "well give them to me." I happily showed him the stack of rags he can use instead. He did and went on his merry way. My daughter actually started to grab a napkin (I can't break them of wiping their mouths with napkins or shirts for that matter) to clean her milk spill. And I directed her to the dish rag. I think I can get through eventually.

And I am finally mentioned in someone else's blog!!! But it wasn't for my witty writing or my outrageously interesting blog (ha ha), it was for a challenge. I am on the Farm to Philly blog under California for the One Local Summer Challenge. Scroll down and you will find me under California then Allison. Anyway, since then I realized that the meal does not need to be dinner, it can be lunch or breakfast. So yesterday I had scrambled eggs from Shelly's Garden with just salt and pepper for breakfast. (Sorry no picture of that meal, ya all know what scrambled eggs look like.)

So there, I am satisfied with meeting my challenges! Happy Green Day!

One Local Summer Week #1

This summer I took on the "One Local Summer Challenge" at Farm To Philly's blog. I assumed it would be easy here where much of the land surrounding my town is still farmed. And it would be. Except my husband put a wrench in my efforts. He didn't do it on purpose, he doesn't even know that I am in the challenge.

What happen was he wanted meat this weekend. And to top it off he was willing to cook it. How could I not accept his offer? So Saturday we had steak and tonight we are having chicken, both on the grill. Well, I still have not been able to find a local meat producer. I found veggies, fruits, nuts, honey olive oil and eggs but no meat. I have to confess, the meat is from the supermarket. But it was on sale, I couldn't resist that either.

Yet all is not lost on our meals with non-local meat. The sides and marinades are mostly local, right down to the olive oil used to baste the bird. The chicken was grilled with a marinade of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, basil, parsley, and oregano (the last 3 from our garden.) And we are having baked potatoes from the farmer's market. Yesterday our grilled veggies were corn, zuchini, onion, garlic and herbs all locally grown. I did buy the red bell pepper from the market. It was left over from this week and I needed to eat it. And may I add (just so I don't get in trouble too much by breaking Farm to Philly's rules) the cherries, oranges and nectarines my daughter and I have been munching on today for snacks are all local, I even rode my bike to get the cherries.

My daughter enjoying her cherries just a little too much.

So I am sorry that the whole meal is not local. I do plan on making more than one meal a week local. I just had to learn a hard lesson-don't make the meal on the weekend when my husband wants meat.

One Local Summer

Green Bean is at it again. She inspires me to do things I have never done and maybe never would have thought of. First I am buying hemp flip-flops and now I am taking on the "One Local Summer" challenge over at Farm To Philly. The challenge is to make one meal a week from local produce from June 1 to August 31. Head over to Farm to Philly and sign up.
I have to admit eating local is a breeze for me. My community here, within 5 miles of my house, produces tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, nuts, corn, potatoes, plums, strawberries, plums, cherries, asparagus, olive oil, wine, fresh eggs, and the list can go on. I am very lucky! My biggest dilemna would be finding meat. But now that I know I can get eggs I guess frittata will be on the menu. AND there is always fishing in the Delta and lakes. My husband and I are also growing our own very small garden, hopefully we will get produce.
I know that I am boasting but I love living where I live. And I am thankful my community will still support the local farmers. Please bear with me while I get over my excitement.
So go sign up, you have until Sunday, May 25th! See you at the farmers markets!