Sun Chips: Frito Lay Discontinues Use of Biodegradable Bags

I was stunned as I read the news report online. Apparently so many people complained about the noise of the new bags and the sales dropped by 11 %, that Frito Lay decided to switch back to their old bags until they could find a quieter alternative. Really people?????!!!! Was the sound really that bad? I agree they were a bit more noisy, but since when did the packaging represent the quality of of the product inside?

Now before you start throwing out Marketing 101,(It's all about the packaging) I will remind you that Sun Chips has been around since 1991. It's not like they were new on the market and trying to edge in for their piece of the snack chip pie. They already had a customer/fan base. When I heard that they were switching to these new, environmentally friendly bags, I rejoiced and purchased even more than my normal share. Evidently, others did not jump on the bandwagon and to that I say...........shame on you. Shame on your need for convenience to override positive solutions to detrimental effects on our environment. Are you people really that self absorbed, that a little noise outweighs the benefits for our planet's health?

I am so angry about this. They were not THAT loud. I've had other products that made as much noise or had difficult packaging, but it never stopped me from purchasing a product I really liked. (Anybody ever buy something in clamshell packaging? It's a nightmare to get into. How about yogurt or individual salsa cups with foil lids? Ever open one and not get back splash?) I am usually very laid back in my promotion of green living, but this has riled me so much that I will step outside my comfort zone. I propose that all my friends, green or otherwise, join me in a boycott of all Frito Lay/PepsiCo products. If the company can be swayed by a selfish group that complained about the noisy bags, I say they be sway back by people like us, to rethink their decision. It's sad to say, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Become a giant, squeaky, GREEN wheel with me! I also ask that you join me in emailing a complaint directly to Frito Lay. http://www.fritolay.com/about-us/contact-us.html . You can also call them at 1-800-352-4477 Mon-Fri, 9am -4:30pm CST.

If you aren't sure what products part of the Frito Lay/PepsiCo company, here's a list:


Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi, Diet Pepsi/Pepsi Light, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi Light, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Lime, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Twist and Pepsi ONE.
Other U.S. carbonated soft drinks, including Mountain Dew, Crush, Mug Root Beer, Sierra Mist, Tropicana Twister Soda and Frawg,
7 Up (Globally, outside the USA)
Other U.S. beverages, including Aquafina (Flavor Splash, Alive, and Twist/Burst), Tava, Dole, Gatorade, Izze, AMP Energy, Propel Fitness Water, SoBe, Quaker Milk Chillers, and Tropicana
Beverages marketed outside the U.S.: Alvalle, Concordia, Copella, Evervess, Fiesta, Frui'Vita, Fruko, H2OH!, Ivi, Junkanoo, Kas, Loóza, Manzana Corona, Manzanita Sol, Mirinda, Paso de los Toros (drink), Radical Fruit, San Carlos, Schwip Schwap, Shani, Teem, Triple Kola, and Yedigun
Frito-Lay brands: Baken-ets, Barcel, Bocabits, Cheese Tris, Cheetos, Chester's, Chizitos, Churrumais, Cracker Jack, Crujitos, Doritos, Fandangos, Fritos, Funyuns, Gamesa, Go Snacks, James' Grandma's Cookies, Hamka's, Lay's, Miss Vickie's, Munchies, Munchos, Nik Naks, Ollie's Meat Snacks, Quavers, Rold Gold, Ruffles, Rustler's Meat Sticks, Sabritas, Sabritones, Sandora, Santitas, Smartfood, The Smith's Snackfood Company, Sonric's, Stacy's Pita Chips, Sun Chips, Tor-tees, Kurkure, Tostitos, Walkers, and Wotsits
Quaker Oats brands: Aunt Jemima, Cap'n Crunch, Chewy Granola bars, Coqueiro, Crisp'ums, Cruesli, FrescAvena, King Vitaman, Life, Oatso Simple, Quake, Quisp, Rice-A-Roni, and Spudz


I realize a boycott will take some effort, but things that are worth our while often do. I think as a green nation, we can continue to make a difference, by standing up for what is right. I'm most certainly going to do my part. It ain't easy being green, but it's always the right thing to do!

Simple and Fun Fall Grilling

With Autumn approaching we start to get that little pep in our step. The crisp morning air fills our lungs and a smile slowly spreads across our faces. We survived Summer! We can pat ourselves on the back, because we actually made it through the hottest summer in most of our memories.

I think I've said this to my readers before, but I'm a fall kinda girl. This is the time of the year I look most forward to. The cooler days, that make me feel like getting outside and being active. The colder nights, where I can snuggle up in a quilt, with a good book and a great hot of cup of tea. There's football '(college and high school), bonfires, Halloween, freshly baked bread and pies, the burning of leaves, clear starlit nights. chili and sweaters. This is, for me, is the best time of the year.

I have a few ideas of activies you can enjoy this fall. I'll post them in a series of blogs to come, but the first idea is to have cookouts. Yes you heard me right, cookouts. Most think that the best time for cook outs are during the late spring and early summer, but no, late summer and early fall are excellent times to get together and fire up that grill. The weather is crisp, the air has that great smell to it, and people, like animals, tend to get frisky when the air turns cooler. So invite your friends over for a friendly game of kickball or touch football. Plan a simple menu, pull out the hoodies, and enjoy visiting with your guests in your backyard or patio. When becomes dark outside , which it does earlier this time of year, you can fire up the firepit or bonfire for warmth and light. Light candles, pull out the lawn chairs, make smores, and talk. In our wired up world I don't think we take enough time to talk face to face. I find this very sad. You can do as a friend recently suggested. Place a basket at your front door and request all your guest, adults and children alike, to deposit phones, ipods, and electronic devices until it's time to go home. This will make it easier for your guest to interact with one another, without the diversion of texting, mp3's or phone calls. Great idea, huh? You can also play card or board games. Contraire to common belief, board games are not boring and when played with good friends, can be the source of great amusement.

One of my favorite grilled meals I got to experience just recently. It's something my friends call kabab sandwiches, although most the time we omit the skewers. We grilled this great yogurt marinated beef and chicken and placed into pitas and naan bread, along with a cool yogurt sauce and fresh veggies. Serve with kalamata olives, hummus, and tzatziki to make a very tasty addition to your grilled repertoire. YUM! I's insanely easy and a great change of pace. You can use chicken, beef, turkey or lamb.

Spicy Yogurt Marinade

http://www.achefshelp.com/recipe/5268/spicy-yogurt-marinade-rubs-and-marinades-barbecue-recipes


Tzatziki
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=365792051340341954

Hummus
http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=199214&u=http://www.recipezaar.com/143488

Smore Alternative:Instead of chocolate, use Nutella. It spreads evenly and it so wonderful! If you are looking for a gourmet type of smore, try using Ghirardelli Filled Squares.


Now, you can buy hummus from a store, but in my opinion, it's not as flavorful as the one you make fresh. Besides, it's very simple and something that's as easy to throw together as that cheese dip you make often.


You can grill your veggies ( tomato, onion and peppers, eggplant), but we like our veggies fresh and crisp. Slice lettuce , onion, cucumber, green peppers and add a splash of lemon. Grill your pita or naan, but remember to coat the bread with oil, before placing on the grill. Don't forget pita chips for the great hummus.


I promise the smells and the taste of this simple meal will delight your senses and sate your hunger. Enjoy on a cool autumn evening and don't forget to pair with a great wine, good friends, and great conversation. To add to the ambiance , you can always play Greek folk music and serve ouzo. OPA!!

Struggling, But Still Surviving

The oppressive heat is not friends with my few remaining plants, however, they are hearty things. I'm still getting a steady production of yellow pear tomatoes, as well as banana peppers and the welcome addition of hot chilies.

Every morning, before dawn, I go out and give them all a much needed drink. They aren't the full plants of a few weeks before, but somewhat limp and a little wilted, still, they live on. The fact they are still producing is more a testament to their resilience, than my skill.

I think I have enough tomatoes and peppers to make up a chunky salsa to go with dinner tonight, which of course, will be a light one, because who is crazy enough to cook in this heat? Stay cool guys and remember to keep hydrated.

Garden Update

I have tomatoes and peppers! Sadly, my squash and cucumbers went kaput. I've learned a few harsh lessons in this foray into container gardening. You have to be very vigilant in watering. I don't mean you MUST water everyday, but you have to keep tabs on the soil moisture and I failed at this. I did manage to not get the dreaded hornworms, so my tomato plants are very healthy. I also have other smaller tomato plants that I hope will produce well into early fall. Yum!

I have decided that the front porch is not the best place for container gardening, so I'm going to work hard to have a raised bed in my back yard for next year. I've had a wonderful garden there in the past, but with the seasonal flooding, it was not an option this year. We have decided to raise the bed to three feet, so to prevent any future flooding from damaging my prospective garden. If I can pull it off, I'm adding a raised mulching bed too. This will help to cut back on my trash production, as well as add some awesome enriched fertilizer to my garden.

I handed off some of the heirloom yellow pear tomatoes to my friends a few streets over and they agreed with me on the awesome flavor. I think I will plan to incorporate more heirloom varieties on my next go around. You really just can't beat the flavor. I've got lots a beautiful basil growing, so I'm thinking about making a beautiful tomato/basil salad today. I'll also prepare some of that lovely sweet corn Ms. Jane was so generous in sharing with me and some if that wonderful squash from Mom's garden. Life is good and my meal today will be superb!

My landlord finally ridded me of that Yucca plant that went all alien on me. If you don't know the story, I have a Spanish style stucco house that had this gorgeous Yucca plant in front of the big windows. Unfortunately, an ice storm in 2006 ruined it. The plant was so damaged that I thought it was dead. It cloned its self into four new plants that where off shooting from the main plant and completely overtook my flower bed. It now no longer resembled the beautiful plant that was here when I moved in, but looked like some alien strain of cactus. It was hideous. Luckily it is now just a bad memory and I have the opportunity to start something new in that space. I'm thinking a butterfly bush and some other great flowers to attract butterflies. I think it's time to change the energy of that part of the yard. Maybe add a bench or two and hopefully a glide swing. I really want an inviting area, where you just want to sit and enjoy the outdoors. Hmmm to Craig's list I go to see if anyone wants to get rid of some lawn furniture. Yes guys, still sticking to my "NOTHING NEW" vow. I can tell you it's been really tough, but getting easier as time passes.

I've been reading a lot about using ladybugs to help control pest in your garden. I have found a place to purchase some, so I'm going to order a couple of gross and will keep you guys updated on my progress. I'm kinda excited about the prospect of having more butterflies and ladybugs in my garden. What could be more inviting?

Yoga.........Smogah

Okay, so when someone mentions yoga, most of you get that glazed look and tune out, right? I know, I know, yoga makes you think of super thin, bendy people, who are most likely vegetarians, who have this weird ability to be peaceful in the most stressful of moments. Plain and simple, those SCARY people! Well, I'm one of those scary people. Well, not really so scary, definitely not thin, but somewhat bendy. Although I eat pretty healthily, I can't let go of all meat to become vegetarian. Let's face it, steak is pretty freaking good. Unless the doctor tells me tomorrow.... "If you eat another piece of red meat again you will die!"..... I'm gonna indulge occasionally. I am an omnivore and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Still I applaud my vegan and vegetarian friends and I do try to be more like you guys everyday. ;)



I love yoga. I really do. After being one of those people that secretly laughed at the bendy ones, I was encouraged by a friend to give it a try. I was in my late 20's and looking for something to relieve stress after my divorce. After much eye rolling, and snarkisms, ssurprisingly, I fell in love with yoga. I felt soooo good when I did yoga. I felt stronger, more graceful, centered. I can honestly say that one of the most balanced times in my life, emotionally and physically, was when I was meditating and doing yoga. I continued this practice for many years, but when I hit the last few years of my late 30's, I picked up considerable weight. I didn't feel like I had the right body for yoga and let's face it, some of the positions were near impossible for me, I became discouraged and abandoned it.



Now let's fast forward to 2009. After turning 42, I realized I needed to re-assess my life. If you've been reading this blog, you already know some of the conclusions I came to. I realized that I missed my daily mediation and yoga routines, so I vowed to fit them in my schedule pronto! The meditation part was pretty easy........find a quiet corner and do breathing/visualization exercises.........ommmmmmmmmmmmm, but the yoga, oh the yoga, yeah..........my body still thwarted my efforts. I was determined, I tried very valiantly to do my old routines, but I suffered and resented every moment of it. Yoga no longer felt good. So, what's a round girl to do when boobs and a belly get in the way? Well, I'll tell you what you do, you look for yoga for people without typical bodies or physical abilities.



I started researching on the net. I typed in Yoga for heavier woman *wasn't willing to put in the word FAT in yet* and I came up with all types of hits. When I pushed my research a little farther, I found yoga for heavy people, yoga for women, yoga for people with back injuries, yoga for people that are bed bound, pretty much yoga for anyone person that had to desire to practice this great art. I was ecstatic!

Now I'm not gonna go through the litany of types of yoga here. I will tell you that Bikram and Hatha are the two I practice. These two types suit my needs and it's up to you to figure out what works for you.

A great find for us fuller figured people is "Yoga: Just My Size" with Megan Garcia. Megan also has a great book called "Mega Yoga", which helps you create your modified routine. There is an awesome dvd called "Yoga For the Rest of Us" with Peggy Cappy, which is great for non traditional bodies. You think you are too heavy, too old, too out of shape for yoga? Well this dvd may just change your mind. Another good option is a dvd called "Yoga In Bed". I used this some nights when I'm really tired, but still want to do a yoga routine to be faithful to my goal. It's great and I sleep like a baby afterwards!

If you research yoga, you can find there are all sorts of yoga. Yoga for back injuries, yoga for diabetes, yoga during pregnancy, the list goes on. Find something that fits your needs. Yoga can be for anyone, the trick is to find the one that suits you. Then one day, maybe you too can become one of the "bendy" ones. I hope this encourages some of you to just give it a try. I can't convey how much it helps me overall and I think if you just give it a chance, you'll soon be a convert too. Until next time, Namaste.

Green Goodies

I'm always on the look out for great ideas to live a greener existence. Hours are spent perusing the Internet, in search for cool and reasonably priced items. Today I'll pass along a few I've found.

Recently my old lunch bag gave out. KAPUT! It had been my son's lunch bag since 2000. Since he is now closing in on 21, this bag has seen 10 years of use. Not too shabby. It's an insulated bag, which decided to disintegrate during its last washing. I sighed and looked around the house for something that I could use in its place. No such luck. The cloth bags I used for groceries are out of the question, since I needed something insulated, because many times there is no room in the fridge at work. So I went on the hunt and found this site. http://www.laptoplunches.com/

Their products contain no phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA) or lead, which is what I look for in such products. In case you are scratching your heads going phtha...........what? Or bisphenal who? I'll give a brief rundown on these compounds. Phthalate is used in plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, and durability. However, once the plastic starts to break down, which it invariably will, it releases the phthalate esters into the environment. This is bad because studies have reported that high levels of phthalates can cause changes in hormone levels, birth defects, and endocrine disruption. There are current studies going on that believe that this can lead to obesity and metabolic interference. BPA is also used in plastic and studies have shown that it is also an endocrine disruptor. Along with the side effects I listed above, there is also an increase risk in cancers, such as breast, prostate, and neuroblastoma. Nothing about these chemical compounds are positive and, in my opinion, need to be kept out of our environment.

The Bento lunch boxes and their sleeves look to be exactly what I am looking for. I 'bag' it a lot these days, partly because of money, but also as a part of my "cut down on my consumer consumption" pledge. I am most excited about the little container for salad dressing or sauce. Yay! I hate hauling around an entire bottle of dressing for just one lunch salad. This will also help on portion control. The site also comes with ideas and menus for lunch, which can help liven up a boring meal. One can only stand so many sandwiches.

The next goody is a somewhat cheap and easy to install, solar panel. This panel will not power your entire house, but it can be used to power tvs, computers, and some lights. We are all told about how much our computers drain on our electric grids. I power down my laptop everyday, but I have to leave up my PC, because I have Comcast Phone and it is powered by my PC. See my dilemma? I have been talking about installing a solar power for just powering my computer and my ex hubby recommended this http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-solar-panel-kit-90599.html.

This panel is right at $200 and seems to be just what I am looking for. I think I will put a few bucks away and purchase this in the next few months. I'll then report how much money I saved, due to running a few appliances off it's power.

I have some more things for you guys to check out, but I'll post those in coming blogs. Hope both or at least one of these items piques your interest. If you guys have ideas you'd like to pass along, please email me at greenermusings@gmail.com.

Simple Pleasures

Although a lot of this is about being 'greener', it's not the entire purpose of this blog. In my pledge to myself, I've promised to simplify. To stop and smell the roses, so to speak. I had two such opportunities this past week.

Is there anything as simple or as relaxing as soap bubbles? A friend at work gave me a bubble wand and I have utilized it almost every day since. When I'm feeling a little stressed at work, I blow them and with the help of my fan, send them over the wall to my neighbor, who gave me the bubbles. She will then gleefully exclaim "Bubbles!" and I'll laugh and blow a few more and it just give us both a moment of silliness. You'd think we were both six, instead of grown adults, but I think that regressing to that inner kid for short periods of time is very good for the soul. I think kids have it right. When kids are actually being kids and playing their little hearts out, there is very little stress and I think we could could learn a lot from children. We often forget two of the best elements in life............to have fun and to laugh. This last five months I have made it a point to have at least one good belly laugh a day and one instance of sublime silliness. So far so good and you know what? I'm a heck of a lot less stressed.

The second goes along with the playing aspect, but it has to do with pets. Studies report that people with pets are less stressed. I don't doubt it. Phantom and I had an evening where we played on my bed, her laying on her back, paws wrapped around my bed rail, while trying to capture my walking fingers. This play went on for about 20 mins, before she gave up and came to head butt me and rub my head affectionately with her own. After a pretty stressful day, this play had me very relaxed and smiling contently. Sometimes she is such good medicine, that I completely forgive her for her 'hell' kitty days.

We tend to think that money, power, or prestige will make us happier, but these two acts gave me a lot more smiles than I've had in a quite a while. Someone told me to find my bliss in everyday things and last week I was lucky enough to find two. Take time to enjoy the moment, for that moment will never return and regret is just more wasted moments.

Review of Sergeant's Nature's Guardian Natural Flea and Tick Squeeze

I'm always on the lookout for natural ways to do things. While looking for a natural alternative to prevent Phantom's fleas, I came across Sergent's Nature's Guardian Natural Flea and Tick Squeeze. I researched it some and decided to give it a try. I really, really wish I had researched this product more, before subjecting my pet to this. I am a bad cat mama. I would not recommend this to any animal lover. In fact, I think it should be removed from public consumption.


Many reviews mentioned the strong smell. The smell did not bother me at all, in fact, it made her smell like a Christmas kitty. The problem began a week after I had treated her. Suddenly she had three oozing blisters on her and now she has a patch of hair, about the size of a quarter, missing between her shoulder blades. After carefully washing the product off her and treating the wounds with antibiotic gel, she is on the mend. I, however, am eaten up with guilt.

After the horrible reaction, I again looked up the product, but this time with the tag of blisters in the search line. I was stunned by all the things the people were saying about this product. Apparently Phantom got off lightly. Many cats have had far worse reactions and in several cases it caused seizures and even death. I nearly cried when I realized I had put her in jeopardy. Sure I complain about her bad kitty behavior, but it's all in jest. I adore her and I never wish anything bad to happen to her. In fact my search for a natural alternative was an attempt to protect her from harsh chemicals.

I have not given up on my search for a natural treatment for her fleas. But, you can bet I will research the next product exhaustively, just to make sure she doesn't go through another ordeal like this one.

Sleeping With The Enemy

I have a saboteur in my house. She is a black, 10 month old cat, and her name is Phantom. It is her mission to destroy every seedling I have. I'm certain it was a black ops, because she did it without sound, in the middle of the night.

I awoke Tuesday morning to find that she had knocked over and mauled my pepper seedlings. I managed to save three, but you can imagine my upset over the incident. There were several rounds of "Bad Kitty!", but since I had gotten up extremely late, I just picked up the survivors and left the mess to be cleaned when I got home. Well I guess she showed me. I returned home that evening and she had again knock over the container with the peppers, along with the tomato seedlings. Now I have two pepper and three tomato seedlings left. I was sick. She had left them alone for several weeks, so I guess I lulled myself into thinking she wasn't interested in my little project. I have since moved my wounded greenery to another room that she can't get into. She knows they are in there and it's driving her crazy not to be able to get to them. She rolls around in front of the shut door and mews. A couple times she has body slammed the door. "Bad, Bad, Bad, Kitty!"

I know this is just par for cat behavior, but I'm a new cat caretaker and I forget that plants are one of kitty's mortal enemies. Did I learn nothing from all those comics, where Garfield ate the fern? Apparently not. The incident will be hence known as the April Massacre. I'm hoping that my surviving little soldiers will thrive inspite of their two horrible days of destruction. As for Phantom, I got back at her by giving her a bath to wash off the soil she had rolled around in. That will teach her!

Visions of a Greener Future

A greener future garden that is. Yesterday my plans changed. Due to thunderstorms, I was unable to attend the Earth Day Festival down at the River Front. I was all ready to go, but lightening made me change my mind. I can deal with monsoon like rain, but lightening, with me holding a metal umbrella, equals nervous. So I curled up on the couch and flipped through my Starting from Seed magazine. By the time the rain cleared out and the sun greeted me, it was too late to catch the bus to the festival and besides, I was pretty primed to do a little gardening.


Mom had brought me several re purposed containers and buckets of good farm soil, so I spent the afternoon mixing the farm soil with my bag of organic soil and transplanted all my starter plants to bigger containers. I can't begin to tell you how satisfying this is. Dirt under your nails and the promise of a bountiful container garden made for me very peaceful yesterday. I can't think of a better way to have spent my Saturday.


During my research into container gardening, I've discovered things like "you can crowd a container". What this means is companion gardening. You can put things like tomatoes and squash in the same container, as long as the tomato plant already has some height. This cuts down on the number of containers needed and the plants help one another out. I'll also place a marigold along with these, as a natural deterrent of squash bugs and horn worms. There is so much to remember, lately I've been dreaming of gardening. I can't complain though, as these are always pleasant dreams.

Gardening is having the extra benefit of reducing stress. As I've said before, this blog isn't just about being green, although I know that has been it's emphasis of late, it's also about having a simpler and productive life. Nothing can be simpler, than thrusting your hands in the soil and helping things grow. There is a sort of mediation to gardening. I can understand why so many people turn to this to forget about the problems of the day. I felt wonderfully tired, but on the whole, it was very restorative. I slept like a baby last night, all the while dreaming that my plants had grown into a beautiful magazine like picture of a garden. Maybe a hint of things to come? *crosses fingers*

I'd like to remind those in North Little Rock that you have received another round of notices in your mail for curbside pick up by the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. They will take clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, books, all bedding (except for mattresses), draperies and curtains, house wares and furniture, toys, games, and tools, radios and small appliances (no tvs). They ask that they be gently used items and all you have to do is put your donations on your curbside on you designated day. If you did not get a notice, you can call 501.374.6661 to see if there will be a pick up in your neighborhood, or for drop-off locations. I encourage you to donate. This is a great way to clean out that clutter and give a new home to those items, instead of them ending up in a landfill somewhere. I mean, you were probably going to put it on the curb anyway, this way it goes for a better purpose and you'll be doing something green, but in a pretty painless way.

Happy Earth Day!

What did you do to mark the day? Did you drop a can in the recycle bin? Did you car pool? Did you even know it was Earth Day? I'm guessing many of you didn't.

So what does a green girl do to go the extra mile on Earth Day? I absolutely didn't have a clue this morning when I woke up. I had thought about it all last week and I drew a blank. I'm already making such big changes in my life, that big gestures seemed kinda lame. So I just figured I'd do my normal routine and call it a day.

Funny how opportunity falls right into your lap. I was teasing a friend at work about "What are you going to do to be green?" In the conversation I told her to give me her two plastic bottles and I would put them in my bin at home. Then it hit me! We already have a recycle bin at work for soda cans, but why not one for plastic bottles. We only have one can soda vending machine, but two bottled ones. We talked about it and she is on a committee with the building's maintenance engineer, so I asked her to bring it up to him as a possibility.

So what did I do for Earth Day? Hopefully I got the ball rolling for another form of recycling at my work. Not bad for a girl that didn't have a clue this morning. It's not too late guys...........get your green on!

Baby Steps

I'm coming closer to having my garden going. I'm awaiting the appearance of first green of my tomato and pepper seedlings. Two variety of tomatoes, cherry and beefsteak. There is also two variety of pepper seedlings, bell and jalapeno. I also have planted basil, chives, and parsley, which I can't wait to use for everyday cooking. I love cooking with fresh herbs, it just makes everything taste so much fuller. When I lived in Ward, AR I had a pretty extensive herb garden, but they did not do well with the move, so I've only grown basil and lemon balm for the past few years.

Yesterday I splurged and bought some starter plants. I now have a yellow pear heriloom tomatoes, crooked neck squash, cucumbers, and banana peppers. I'm so excited about these! Next year I will get a head start and hopefully grow a few of these from seeds also. I have been reading how to harvest and preserve seeds, so I think I will be on top of things. Just waiting on the arrival of the repurposed containers my mom has collected for me and I can start properly.

I spend way too much time online, reading about natural prevention of hornworms and the like. Growing organic is hard work, but I think the rewards of not worrying about what I am introducing to my body and enviroment are worth the work. I am not a first time gardener, but this is my first completely organic garden. I find that when I go to do anything with this garden, I have to go research first, because a lot of the old ways I used will not work here. Some of the things I learned growing up still apply. Marigolds are still a good natural deterent for pest and make great companion plants for tomatoes. Manure is still the best plant food, other than compose. I just have to find a good supplier. I've also been told to look into tabacco as a natural pesticide, but after a little research, I'm not so certain this is something I want in my garden. I'll keep researching.

I've been collecting great receipes for canning. The one thing I really want to find a great recipe for is pear chow chow. Growing up, we used to get this wonderful chow chow from my step dad's friend. I don't know if I can obtain that recipe, but I'm sure going to try. To date I have not found anything near close to it, so all others pale in comparison. Yes, it was THAT good! I also want to put up some yummy salsa and maybe some chuttney. Of course I will can tomatoes and peppers. I'm not going to get too ambitious this year, but I hope to do a lot more next year. Gotta get started collecting those used mason jars. If you have some to get rid of, pass them my way.

A friend of mine suggested I don't quite look the part of farmer, so in my thrift shopping I am looking for the perfect straw hat. Surely that will signal to others that I'm a 'serious' farmer. ;) Personally I think the sweat that rolled off me yesterday morning as I was planting my seeds sould surfice. Of course I wasn't outside planting them, but inside in my kitchen, and I was sitting on a stool, but still, it was the sweat of hard work and I think that should count for something. I did remember how soothing working with soil and plants can be, so I can't wait to transfer my plants outside. But first, I need some really good sun screen before I turn into one huge freckle.

Until next time, find a way to bring parts of your life back to the basics. You'll find that sometimes the old ways were really the best ways.

Growing Pains

I haven't blogged recently, because there really wasn't anything new to tell. Mom is helping me gather containers to use for my container gardening. I've started my seedlings for two types of tomatoes, three types of peppers, and some herbs. I'm getting excited about the prospect of fresh ingredients to cook with. I have been searching my cookbooks and the Internet for exciting ways to cook my veggies, when they finally show up. My long term goal is to build a raised bed for next year's gardening and a raised mulching bed. I have a big problem with flooding in my backyard, so this is the easiest way I have found around it.

Really looking forward to this weekend! The Certified Arkansas Farmer's Market opens for the season, on April 17th. In case you are unfamiliar, this is a different market from the one in Little Rock. The CAFM, located on Mainstreet in North Little Rock, offers only products from Arkansas farms and such. A lot of the farmers are strictly organic, which is something I look for. I love this time of the year, because I can readily get farm eggs, fresh cheese, and the people are wonderful! I think the best thing I come away with is feeling of fellowship. If you are a regular, most of the farmers greet you like an old friend. Not only is it good for the body, it is good for the soul.

Another thing that I am beside myself with is the opening of Argenta Market. Opening day is April 15th. Their hours will be Mon-Sat 7am-7pm. I have budgeted some extra grocery money for my first trip, for I know I will be unable to come out of there without a mother load. I know they are still trying to get their feet under them, so I'll try to keep my expectations in check.

I have hit my first dilemma in my 'buy nothing new' resolution. I need new work shoes. Because I ride the bus and have to walk some distance, comfort is a big must. I also need them to be somewhat dressy. For the past few years I have bought Sketcher Mary Jane's. They look like cute dress shoes, but are really walking shoes! Greatness! Sadly, one of my latest pair is coming apart at one seam. I have searched for a decent used pair of comfortable dress shoes, but so far, no luck. I have very wide feet and this makes my search harder. I think I'm going to default to my sandals for now and keep looking. (That's okay, time to show off that cute nail polish I got for Christmas.) I have also toyed with the idea of having it repaired. They still look really good, except for that one corner piece, so on my list of things to consider, I'm going to call around to shoe repair shops and price a repair. Yes my friends, they do still exist. More on that as I get some facts to share.

I am currently trying to limit high fructose corn syrup in my diet. This has been fairly simple, no sodas, no mass produced sweets, but there is one area that continues to kick my butt, yogurt. I eat a lot of yogurt and I like variety. In case you haven't noticed, most name brand yogurts contain fructose corn syrup. If you look in the organic/natural foods section of Kroger on McCain, you can find two brands that don't have that ingredient, Stoneyfield and Fage. Unfortunately the selection of flavors is limited. If you guys are aware of where I can find more variety of yogurts like these, please share. I'm hoping Argenta Market will have better offerings.

Whew, for someone that really didn't have much to say, I sure have said a lot. Thanks to the positive responses. My friends , you are hysterical. The ideas of buying me a whittling knife for my upcoming birthday, so I can whittle my own shoes and one friend changing over from bottled Corona, to cans, so she can recycle better..........priceless. I love your good humor teasing, positive feedback, and great ideas. So far this has been a pretty fun project and I hope I can continue my positive mindset. Until next time, it isn't easy being green, but sometimes it can be fun!

How it Started

I guess I should start at the beginning. Hello, my name is Dinah. I'm a 42 yr old single mom from North Little Rock Arkansas. I say single mom, but my only child recently flew the coop *whew*, so I guess technically, since I'm not doing daily mothering anymore, I'm just a single, 42 yr old, who also happens to be a mom. A mom who is at loose ends and cat sits for her son. Hopefully soon he will have a place of his own, so they can be reunited. I adore her, but I'm so allergic.

In the past few years I have been working out ways to live a simpler existence. I mapped out the things that were most important to me, and from the thousands of things that I came up with, I whittled it down to a doable list. I would start off by just trying to live simpler. By simpler, I mean to cut out all the keeping up with the Joneses, quit trying to impress the greater masses, stop being caught up in the electronic frenzy, and try to downsize many aspects of my life. There is a lot to be said about enjoying the moment, doing things for the pure pleasure of it, and stopping to smell the honeysuckle.

I have been a part of the green movement for several years, but I guess I am guilty of what many would consider green chic. I recycled, used reusable cloth shopping bags, changed my light bulbs to fluorescent ones, and shopped regularly at thrift shops. I attempted to mulch, I quit buying bottled water, and I donated unwanted items to charity, instead of sending them to the landfill. All good things, right? Sure, but deep down inside I knew I was not doing enough.

Now, I'm not an environmental 'nut'. I am concerned about our environment and I do think there has to be a change on a big scale, before we all end up living in a huge trash heap, but I don't preach at people about their 'earth killing ways'. Like religion, I believe the message is best delivered by example, instead of by fire and brimstone. So I decided to start doing small things to put my money where my mouth is.

My first task, riding the city bus, instead of commuting by car, 10 miles everyday. Now, I know me and I know I have good intentions, but sometimes I can be lazy and if things seem too difficult, I can abandon them in a heartbeat. So to really commit to this, I parked my car in my driveway and dropped my insurance. This would force me to ride and I couldn't fall back on the...."Oh it's raining" or "It's just too hard". Two years ago, this month, I started riding the bus and I will have to admit it's been mostly a good experience. I have met lots of interesting people, I have saved quite a bit of money, and I've made a few really good friends in the process. The downside is, that what used to be a 20 minute commute, is now an hour and a half ride. The upside, I have plenty of time to read, people watch, listen to music, meditate, or socialize. The money I saved has helped fund my entertainment. On the whole it's been a win. The only really bad thing about using public transportation is grocery shopping. If you buy like I do, groceries to last for two weeks, trying to haul all those bags can be a nightmare. Luckily, I had several friends and family members who came to my rescue. Now days it's not so much an issue. With one less mouth to feed, I find I can shop lighter and more frequently.

About a month ago I began phase two of my plan. I made a personal resolution to not buy anything new, that I could buy used. If I could not find what I needed used, I would have to rethink if that desired object was really needed. Of course a few things are exempt from this resolution. Obviously things that have to do with hygienic living would have to be new. Underwear, toothbrushes, et cetera, could be purchased new. The trick was only buy these items when absolutely necessary. In less than 24 hours, I was already attempting to cheat. See, I'm in the process of redecorating. I had recently decided on a new color scheme for my bedroom and found the perfect comforter for my bed. My budget made me hold off on that purchase for a certain paycheck. Imagine my dismay when I realized this paycheck fell five days after I had made my resolution. For a day, I considered putting off my vow for a week, so I could buy the much coveted bedding. Then I realized that I was already taking short cuts and this was not how to make improvements in my life, so I said goodbye to the perfect comforter and I have challenged myself to find something in a thrift shop that will work equally as well. I'll just have to be creative. I'm a creative person and this should be easy for me, right? Right?!!!

The second resolution I made, was to try to eat as as locally as possible. There is a new community grocery store that is opening up in Argenta on April 15th. It's main purpose is to provide a venue for locally grown and produced products. You can check them out here: http://www.argentamarket.com/ I am really excited about them opening and this is a real boon for us foodies. For quite some time I have made a concerted effort to eat as fresh and organic as possible. It's not easy and sometimes can be quite expensive. Not to mention that finding local food can be a bit like a scanvenger hunt! In the past I've depended heavily on the farmers market. This new store will give me an option I've been sorely craving.

Along with shopping at The Argenta Market, I hope to do some container gardening this year, so I can eat my own organic yield and possibly freeze and can some veggies for the winter. Now, if you knew me and my teenage history with gardening and canning, you would think I was off my nutter, but that is another story for another blog. (Yes Mom, I know you are shaking your head and thinking "She swore she would never...."

So now I've kinda clued you in on what I've been up to. The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my trials and errors in trying to live a simpler, greener, productive life. I hope that I can post things that are inexpensive and fairly easy to do, so that you guys might be inspired to at least try a few. I'm mostly writing for my friends and family, but if I gain a few readers in the blogosphere, that's all gravy.

I welcome comments, but please be gentle. Remember I'm just a woman who is trying to make difference in her own life and hoping I can nudge people to at least try to make a small difference in their own.