Old habits . . .

I am having a hard time breaking my paper towel habit. Just this morning I had one of those blueberry muffins I made yesterday for breakfast and I had to stop myself from grabbing a paper towel to put it on. I told my kids about the idea of using washcloths and cloth napkins yesterday and my oldest said, "You mean I would have to wipe my face on the same thing you wiped dog pee up with?" I told him we'd keep paper towels for that gross stuff and then he was good with the idea. I guess what I'll need to do is actually put away the paper towels and put the cloth napkins out on the island in a basket or napkin holder so they are in sight and in reach. Right now all I have is a bunch of old white washcloths that I used in the kitchen for washing dirty faces when the boys were little. Not the most attractive. Maybe I can make some more attractive napkins using some fabric from my stash. Unfortunately tomorrow is my last day of vacation at home and I do have some other things I need to do. I am going to really try to find some napkins today though!

Trash-free lunch updates

I decided to talk to my boys about trash-free lunches. They think it's a decent idea. We visited the website http://wastefreelunches.org where we found information on how whole schools can go waste-free along with examples of how to pack waste free lunches and lots of healthy lunch ideas. The bonus to parents it that it is less expensive to buy items in large packages or make them homemade and pack in a container than it is to purchase single-serving packs of everything. It is also healthier! A piece of fresh fruit is waste-free and is healthier than a single serve pack of canned fruit. At lunchtime we made a bunch of pancakes which we freeze on a try and then put into a container. When they want pancakes for their lunch or breakfast, they just pop out a couple and heat them up. We are also making fruit roll-ups for the first time today on our new dehydrator and I am planning to make some blueberry muffins for the freezer. Since I already try to pack lunches each day, packing them waste-free won't be much more of an effort I don't think. The problem is always the planning ahead to make the lunches in the first place! Now that one of our Sunday afternoon activities has ended, I am hoping to have more time for lunch planning and preparing homemade food, for eating, lunches and storage. Ah, if only I could stay home everyday . . . I'd be so organized, make everything from scratch, have an immaculately clean home, have 1 year's worth of food in organized storage . . . Who am I kidding??? Even stay-at-home full time moms don't get all that done. Well, maybe some do, but I don't think I would. At least summer vacation is just a few months' away . . . then I can pretend to be a stay-at-home full time mom for a few months! :)

My big decorating project!

When we built our house last year, I didn't have the builders put in a backsplash in the kitchen because I wanted tile, however it was too big of an expense at the time. Every little decision was costing more and more money. So I decided I would tile the backsplash myself. It took me a long time to choose the tiles I wanted and over the last 5 days I got the job done. I put up 30 ft sq of white subway tile with some accent tiles in a brushed nickel/black/gray tones that match the drawer pulls and the countertop. I really like it! It was frugal because I did the work myself, it will last forever, and I purchased the tiles from a locally-owned store instead of the big-box stores. The GM of the tile store is actually one of the neighbors I hadn't yet met. So it was good to make that connection. We live on a rural dead end road with only 9 houses, so in an emergency situation it is good to know your neighbors!

Being a frugal, part-time green prepper I try to decorate with items I can use and that didn't cost a fortune. This fall I made my own valances and cafe' curtains for the kitchen and dining room. I think I spent $20 total-including the curtain rods. I like to have nice things to decorate the house with, but hate spending money on them. As a result, most of my walls are bare. I did spend some money on 1 print for the living room I had to have. It was expensive to me -$70, but I know people spend a lot more than that on art. The other things I have in the living room include a framed Amish print from Salvation army, a large country print from a garage sale that my mom picked up for me, 2 oil lamsp-1 was a gift 17 years ago, the other is from a garage sale, some hardcover books I love-from Salvation Army and 2 metal wall hangings from a discount store. Oh in the hall I have 2 small framed mirrors I got as a birthday gift 10 years ago.

I have some greenery in a box somewhere I am going to try to find today to decorate above the kitchen cabinets. We'll see what else I get done today, though my vacation from work is half over and I've spent it all working, plus this weekend I am helping my brother move. So I may spend this day reading and baking--2 of my favorite things!

Pets and emergencies

As I roamed the woods today with a bag of dog treats calling for my 2 golden retirevers to come home, I realized this would be a problem in an emergency situation. My dogs are lovaeable and fluffy, but also large and energetic. It is difficult to give them enough exercise daily in regular times without letting them run free for little while. Even so they don't always listen (like today) when I call them to come back. If I had to keep them in the house for a long period of time, that would be a problem. They would get restless and the younger one would start chewing things again. I also need them to listen better! I have been trying to train them to come when I call. In the house, that's no problem. However, outside with acres of land and the distraction of deer and animal scents, it's a challenge. Maybe I'll have to take at least the puppy to a class this summer when I'm done teaching. I was trying the call and treat method. I would let them loose, and call them back after a few seconds and give a treat. Let them run for a few seconds, call back and treat. Over and over again. It only works if I have treats. And they don't see a deer or groundhog. I am considering putting in a fence around a section of the yard to keep them contained when outdoors and not on the tie out line.

My BIg anti-green, anti-prepper mistake!

I wasted food today. :( This happens sometimes when a person is only a part-time green prepper. The brain gets filled with the full-time job and family duties and a person might forget something important. For example, a person might have taken a chicken out of the fridge, discovered it was still frozen and decided to let it sit on the counter for a few hours* to help it thaw. Then perhaps 18 hours later, while 30 minutes away at work, suddenly remember the chicken is still sitting out! I came home hoping it was still cold. However, it was not cold at all. We can't eat it. So not only did I waste an entire chicken, we have nothing prepared for tonight's dinner! I remember when I was a stay-at-home mom/child care provider, I would get really busy with the kids and forget things I needed to do (like take the laundry out of the washer and put in it in the dryer). I would set the timer on the kitchen stove to remind me and it worked great! So, if you are a part-time green prepper like I am, might I suggest to you that when you have something important to remember--like thawing poultry--you set a timer! Meanwhile I am enjoying a peanutbutter smoothie made with homemade yogurt while I figure out what we are going to have for dinner! *Warning: According to food safety experts you shouldn't thaw meat/poultry on the counter. Harmful bacteria can grow on the outside of the meat while the inside is still frozen.

The Trash Free Lunch

I recently had a group of my son's classmates at our house for an afternoon play rehearsal. It was a half day of school so I took a few hours off from work to pick up the kids and bring them back to my house for a rehearsal. For convenience, I just had each child bring a lunch from home. One boy I noticed had some peanuts in his lunch. They were packed in a small glass jar with one of those rubber gasket/metal latch lids. I also noticed his sandwich was wrapped in waxed paper. I noticed these because they were a bit out of the ordinary. After he was finished eating, he put his banana peel and waxed paper back into his lunch box. THEN I finally got it--he was taking them home to his compost pile! Nothing from his lunch went into the trash can. This idea of a trash free lunch intrigued me! I had already stopped buying all the pre-packaged lunch items (Lean Cuisines for me and Lunchable for the kids) that were so common in last school year's lunch. This year it's been home-prepared lunches every day for me and many days for the boys. Though, I have to admit a few weeks went by when we were so busy the kids just ate school lunch every day (ugh!). Earlier this year I purchased a bunch of the plastic "take-alongs" containers in a variety of sizes for sandwiches, canned fruit etc . . . Eventually though, the lids get lost and we end up throwing most of them away at some point. Also, I have heard plastic isn't very healthy to eat from. Sooo . . . I am working on trying out "low to no trash lunches" for myself. I bought some small Pyrex glass bowls with lids that fit perfectly in the thermos lunch totes I got for Christmas. Once I test this idea on my own lunches, I can see how to adapt it to the kids'. When I packed this morning's lunch, here's how it worked: Triscuits-in the original bag, carrots-in the original bag, veggie dig-in the original container, a pear- well, in it's original peel! So, is it a "trash free lunch?" Maybe if I don't finish anything. It will likely have some trash--but it is not extra trash generated by putting a few of each item into little baggies, just the containers I bought them from the store in. I guess that counts! Doesn't it? Do you pack trash free lunches? How do yours look?

Homemade vs. Pre-packaged

No one would argue that homemade is almost always healthier than pre-packaged. Healthy eating is important to me. However, I have decided that my new phrase "what fits with the balance of our lives" fits very well when discussing healthy eating. Everyone you talk to has a different definition of healthy eating. Some people do "clean eating," eating foods as mininally processed as possible with a focus on vegetable, fruits and lean protein. Others focus on low-fat. Others value organic and natural methods of raising food. Some people try to eat only locally-grown foods. Some people try to eat foods that come from nature, not chemicals. I have to agree with most of these ideas in theory. But honestly, in my busy life with 2 boys, 2 dogs, a husband and a full-time job, I cannot grow all my own food (or supplement just from local farmers), grind my own wheat, make all my own yogurt, store 1 year's worth of food and prepare a healthy breakfast each morning that doesn't come from a box. Would I like to? YES! Will I do so when I have time? YES? Will I beat myself up if we have some Doritos for a snack this weekend? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Will I spend $6 a gallon for organic milk, when I can get hormone free milk for 2.50? Nope! Will I buy organic apples or banana if the price difference is under a dollar? Sure! I have decided a balance is best for me. I am an eclectic person. I have always wanted to be one of those people who is an expert in something. I have learned that is just not me! I am well-rounded and that is good! I can bake, cook, sew, garden, change a tire, and quilt. I can teach my students and train adults. I can do CPR and I know first aid. I store food and supples for emergencies. Am I an expert on any of these things? I don't think so, but I feel like it's better to be who I am--and know a bit about how to do all kinds of things than try to be some one I am not. So, do I always make every food I feed my family from scratch? No, but I do as much as I can. I never buy pre-packaged cookies, but make them from scratch. They are healthier and yummier! This evening we are having roast beef and potatoes, vegetables and for dessert strawberry oat bars my 9 year old made using sugar free jam, oatmeal, butter and a cake mix! Healthier without the mix? Yep, but this was quick and easy. And sometimes, quick and easy counts!