Time to start saving those 2liter bottles again

Check out this tutorial on how to make a greenhouse out of plastic 2liter soda bottles over at http://ana-white.com/2011/04/plastic-bottle-green-house-build-guide

~

Instructions on how to build a plastic bottle greenhouse using 2ltr plastic lemonade bottles. This was produced as part of the Greenspaces project with primary schools in Moray. http://www.reapscotland.org.uk/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=8

~

How I built my Greenhouse, or how to ignore instructions and get away with it! http://www.squidoo.com/plasticbottlegreenhouse

~

Plastic bottle greenhouse http://www.appropedia.org/Plastic_bottle_greenhouse

Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden

Last night I bought a new book on dehydrating. Drying With an Attitude By Mary T. Bell. At the start of this book she states "One of my mentors has been Buffalo Bird Woman."  She describes this book as "a rare and valuable window into the past by clearly documenting specific details of how Native Americans grew, harvested, dried, stored, and cooked their food." 

This reminded me that A while ago when I read The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe. Carol frequently referred to Buffalo Bird Woman’s garden.





Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Indian born about 1839, was an expert gardener. Following centuries-old methods, she and the women of her family raised huge crops of corn, squash, beans, and sunflowers on the rich bottom lands of the Missouri River in what is now North Dakota. When she was young, her fields were near Like-a-Fishhook, the earth-lodge village that the Hidatsa shared with the Mandan and Arikara. When she grew older, the families of the three tribes moved to individual allotments on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.In Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden, first published in 1917, anthropologist Gilbert L. Wilson transcribed the words of this remarkable woman, whose advice today's gardeners can still follow. She describes a year of activities, from preparing and planting the fields through cultivating, harvesting, and storing foods. She gives recipes for cooking typical Hidatsa dishes. And she tells of the stories, songs, and ceremonies that were essential to a bountiful harvest.A new introduction by anthropologist and ethnobotanist Jeffery R. Hanson describes the Hidatsa people's ecologically sound methods of gardening and Wilson's work with this traditional gardener.

After reading reviews of this book that glowingly state testimonials such as "As a messenger of the old ways, she detailed how to build drying platforms, the best days to dry corn, beans, squash, buffalo, serviceberries, prairie turnips, and more. She cached food for two years in case the next growing season was a failure."  I knew this is a must read for me.

Each of the pictures of the books in this post are links to amazon where you can purchase them. But if your cheap frugal like me, I wanted to share a link I found where you can download a copy of Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden: Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians for free from the 

Digital Library

 

  Click here to go to book http://hdl.handle.net/2027/loc.ark:/13960/t0sq90970

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

How to Make Natural, Homemade Deodorant

Get Together in the Dark, 2010 Earth Hour

Earth Hour is here again and time to show our efforts in helping planet Earth save on energy!

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 8:30 p.m. local time, I am taking part in Earth Hour—an event led by World Wildlife Fund in which millions of people around the world will unite by turning out their lights for one hour to make a bold statement of concern about our planet and climate change.
Here is a link to the Earth Hour Website http://www.myearthhour.org/
Earth Hour started three years ago in Sydney, Australia and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Nearly one billion people from 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents participated last year and, with your help, Earth Hour 2010 can be even bigger.
During Earth Hour, international landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower and Great Pyramids have gone dark alongside the city skylines of Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and more. To see it for yourself, check out this video: www.myearthhour. org/earth- hour-video.
But Earth Hour isn't just for national landmarks and big cities—anyone can participate, whether it be individuals like you and me or schools, businesses, organizations, and our state and local governments. I hope you will join me for this amazing event and help send a message that the time for action on climate change is now. To sign up and start spreading the word, visit www. EarthHour.org.

Please help me spread the word. Let's switch off our lights and send a powerful message: by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change.

Let's Get Some Serious Support for Local Food Growing

Please support the idea of asking our federal government to send some of those stimulus money to promote local farms and gardens.

A Petition to Direct Stimulus Money to Local Food Production
Targeting: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House

Started by: Zev Paiss

Given the increasing instabilities in the American economy, rising oil prices, and unpredictable weather patterns, food security has become a pressing national issue. Today a handful of agri-businesses produce the majority of our food. Sadly, the 3,000 mile Caesar salad has become common place, and few Americans know a local farmer.

A combination of one or more external factors, such as extreme weather conditions, global conflict, or trade disputes with oil producing nations could easily lead to crop failure, disrupted food supplies, and widespread hunger -- unless we make fundamental changes in how we farm, process, distribute, and consume our food over the next 20 years.

Instead of sending tens of billions of dollars to the ailing car companies and hundreds of billions to the financial system, we must direct our federal government to invest at least 5 billion dollars to set up tens of thousands of urban farms and gardens so we can be assured to have a year-round source of healthy locally-grown food to eat in the years to come.

Click here to Sign the petition and let's get growing!

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 10

1. Plant something –
*Enriching garden for the Spring
* Started with harvesting Llama poo and adding to the garden
2. Harvest something –
* Chives
3. Preserve something –
* Chives,
* Green peppers
4. Reduce waste –
* Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with.
5. Preparation and Storage –
* Continuing my water storage.
6. Build Community Food Systems –
* Continuing to shop at a locally owned grocery store instead of the large corporate store and local fruit stand.
7. Eat the Food –
* Spaghetti Sauce
8. Learn something –
* Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia, Need to get off my butt and finish this.
* Reading about raising Llamas
9. Simple Living –
* DH and I attended an evening of celebrating Grandparent’s Day with DGD at her school. We had such a great time that she was mad the next morning because we couldn’t go to school with her for the whole day ☻
* Celebrated DH’s birthday with a dinner of his favorites.
* Enjoying an ice-cream with DGD
* Reconnecting with family and friends out of town
* Reading
* Taking care of and enjoying our animals.
10. To Do –
* Finish sewing DGD school clothes
* Working on Christmas gifts

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 8 AND 9

1. Plant something – Potted the garden chives and moved them into the kitchen for the cold months.
2. Harvest something –Green Peppers. Tomatoes, Potatoes.
3. Preserve something – 1 case of quart jars filled with spaghetti sauce
4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with.
5. Preparation and Storage – Nothing this time.
6. Build Community Food Systems – Began my water storage.
7. Eat the Food – Spaghetti Sauce
8. Learn something –
* Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia,
* Reading about raising Llamas
9. Simple Living –
* Spent the day at the Zoo with DD, DGD and DSG. DD packed a lovely lunch and we used the aluminum Pepsi bottles with cork stoppers to carry our drinks from home. We had a lovely day and the only money we spent was for the gas to drive to the Zoo.
* Celebrated DGS’s first birthday and then the next week we celebrated my mother’s birthday with a great dinner and a family game of Monopoly.
* Yesterday and today we tore down the garden for the year.
* Continued making Christmas gifts. Sewing DGD school clothes
* Finished reading The Sword of the Lady by S. M. Stirling, Received 2 more books thru The Paperpack Swap to add to my reading list.
10. To Do –
* Finish sewing DGD school clothes
* freeze remainder of green peppers.

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 7

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.
2. Harvest something –Green Peppers. Tomatoes
3. Preserve something – Re-pickled 25 lbs of Pickled Onions, The men of the family had insisted I make them as I had 20 years ago with a Jalapeño pepper cut in half in each jar, well either Jalapeño peppers are hotter now, not, or my men are wimpier, because they were too hot, “Did you do something different?” they asked. So I had to open up each jar remove the peppers tone down the juice a little and reprocess them. Aren’t men sweet.
4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with.
5. Preparation and Storage – Nothing this time.
6. Build Community Food Systems – Nothing this time.
7. Eat the Food –Chicken Broth8. Learn something –
Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia, Reading about raising Llamas
Learning each day on how to raise my Llamas.
9. Simple Living – Continued making Christmas gifts. Sewing DGD school clothes
10. To Do –* Finish sewing DGD school clothes

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 6

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.
2. Harvest something –Green Peppers
3. Preserve something – 25 lbs Pickled Onions
4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with. Mom and Dad bought a new Frig. and Stove, I took their old ones (Brand new to me), my daughter received my frig, and a young couple that my son works with took my stove.
5. Preparation and Storage – Bought extras of groceries. Bought and set up shelving for food storage.
6. Build Community Food Systems – Went shopping at a locally owned grocery store instead of the large corporate store.
7. Eat the Food –Tomatoes diced, Broccoli.
8. Learn something –
Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia, Reading about raising Llamas
Finished reading The Amber Room: The Fate of the World's Greatest Lost Treasure by Catherine Scott-Clark.
9. Simple Living – Continued making Christmas gifts. Canned an extra dozen pints of pickled onions for my dad’s birthday present, they are his favorite.
10. To Do –* Sew DGD school clothes

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 5

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.
2. Harvest something – Tomatoes, Green Peppers, last of the Watermelon
3. Preserve something – froze 10 lbs broccoli .
4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, using cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with. mailed off 2 books thru the paperback swap and ordered 2 books also,
5. Preparation and Storage – 10 bottles BBQ sauce, whipped up another batch of laundry soap
6. Build Community Food Systems – Went shopping at a locally owned grocery store instead of the large corporate store.
7. Eat the Food –Tomatoes diced, and sauce.
8. Learn something – Continuing to take the Preserving food at home online self study course offered thru the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia,
currently reading The Amber Room: The Fate of the World's Greatest Lost Treasure by Catherine Scott-Clark. This is the (true) story of two journalists who embark on a quest to find out what happened to the Amber Room. The Amber Room was a room in Catherine Palace in St Petersburg that was decorated with panels of amber mosaics. During World War 2, with the Nazis heading towards St Petersburg, the Russians packed up as many treasures as they could and sent them across the country to be safely stored. But they were unable to pack up the Amber Room, so they tried to conceal it in situ. This ruse was unsuccessful. The Nazis dismantled the room and relocated it to Konisberg Castle in Prussia. When the war ended, the Russians went to recover the room - but it had vanished. Where was it? Was it still in existence? There was evidence to suggest that it may have been moved again - but to where? The story is told from the point of view of the two authors, as they sift through archived data in both Russia and Germany, and also try to track down any surviving witnesses to that time. It's very easy to read and surprisingly gripping. Not a dry history book at ALL.
9. Simple Living – Continued making Christmas gifts.
10. To Do –* Sew DGD school clothes * Blackberry jelly

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 4, Late post this was last weeks.

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.
2. Harvest something – Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Watermelon
3. Preserve something – 14 pts diced tomatoes.
4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, Use cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, using homemade laundry soap, saving old jeans to reupholster a chair with.
5. Preparation and Storage – Reorganized, began extended shopping list.
6. Build Community Food Systems – Nothing at this time.
7. Eat the Food –Tomatoes diced, and sauce.
8. Simple Living – Began making Christmas gifts.
9. To Do –* Sew DGD school clothes * Blackberry jelly* Make new batch laundry soap

INDEPENDANCE DAYS CHALLENGE, WEEK 3

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.

2. Harvest something – Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Green Beans

3. Preserve something – Need to get my butt in gear.

4. Reduce waste – Recycling cans, Use cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, Bought a pressure cooker and a neat spice rack at the thrift store.

5. Preparation and Storage – Stocked up on spices.

6. Build Community Food Systems – Bought 2 qts. of blackberries at the local farmers market.

7. Eat the Food –Tomatoes diced, and sauce.

--I thought I add number 8 to the list so I can’t procrastinate anymore--

8. To Do –
* Sew DGD school clothes
* Can tomatoes
* Freeze green beans
* Blackberry jelly
* Freeze green peppers

Independance Days Challenge, week 2

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.
2. Harvest something – Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Green Beans, Basil
3. Preserve something - Canned 2 batches of diced tomatoes, dried 4 batches of basil
4. Reduce waste – Accidentally ate the wrapper on a cupcake. Does that count?
5. Preparation and Storage – Stocked up on toiletries and paper products, double bought 1/3 of my dry goods
6. Build Community Food Systems - Nothing this time.
7. Eat the Food – Pickles, tomatoes, cucumbers, BBQ pulled venison sandwiches with home grown potato fry's

Independance Days Challenge, week one

I’ve been seeing a lot of Independence Days Challenge participants on blogs and started to investigate it. It is a challenge started by Sharon Astyk, on her blog called Casaubon’s Book. In her blog she’s stated that it is “ desperately needed that we do declare our independence from the globalizing, totalitarian, destructive, toxic, dangerous agriculture” She then challenged herself and everyone else to participate in a Food Independence Days challenge that she started. “That all of us try to do one thing every day to create Food Independence.” She then goes on to explain the how to’s of the challenge at http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/29/independence-days-my-first-challenge/

I couldn't wait to start so here's my first week:

1. Plant something - Nothing this time.
2. Harvest something – Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green Peppers.
3. Preserve something - I made some Gherkin pickles, and 2 batches of Tomato Sauce
4. Reduce waste – Bought my Pepsi in aluminum bottles and will recycle them by using them as water bottles.
5. Preparation and Storage – Home baked bread, Pickles, Tomato Sauce, Bought an old metal drip coffee pot at a garage sale.
6. Build Community Food Systems - Nothing this time.
7. Eat the Food – Pickles, tomatoes, cucumbers, venison steaks from deer season.