Goals for 2014

Use Fewer Plastic Bags

So last year I was 100% successful in no longer using paper plates, plastic cups and buying bottled water! Go me! This year I’m trying to stop using zip lock plastic bags and replacing them with reusable containers. Yes some of those containers are plastic but it’s better to reuse them for years than throw them in the wastebin. I’m going to try and reuse containers I get with other things in them.

One of the problems with using recycled containers is storage of THOSE. Keeping track of all those containers and lids can be a nightmare. I have not solved that issue yet.

Gardening

Last year I was only partially successful in saving kitchen waste for my compost bin.  Part of the problem is where to store it in the kitchen. I bought a small metal garbage can with a tight fitting lid and that worked fairly well.  Another part of the problem is I don’t  actually have a compost bin…. what I have is a pile of crap in one spot in my yard. This year I’m going to try and build actual compost bins using old shipping pallets.  I finally found a source for pallets…. they are surprisingly difficult to find for me…

I also started the process of creating a water barrel to capture rain water but never got it set up fully. This year I’m going to get it set up. I have to put in a small gutter and buy a rain barrel kit to turn the barrel I have into a rain barrel.

As always with snow on the ground and spring approaching, I have humongous plans most of which will not come to fruition. If I hit a bullseye or two I’ll be happy…. a girl can dream !

Been a long time

I got a new job at a company that retrofits homes for energy efficiency. I’m still making glass but this is now my full time job. My goals for 2013 were to shop more consciously, reuse more, waste less, produce a better garden and eat better foods. I think I’ve made some good progress with a lot more to come of course.

I stopped using paper plates and plastic throwaway cups. I’ve cut down the number of paper towels I use. I have not bought a plastic bottle of water all year! I’ve cut down on the prepackaged foods I buy and bought more organic goods. I’ve started to compost kitchen garbage (not 100% but working on it). I’m learning to balance my family’s desires with my desire to meet my goals as listed here. Do I sometimes have to purchase goods made by evil companies.. yes.. I do…but I’ve cut way down. My husband insists on drinking Pepsi.. I have to buy it… but I drink other things most of the time. We can only change ourselves.

My garden was a flop. I suck as a gardener but I have such big dreams. I did produce more potatoes this year though. I say this every winter.. but next year will be better.. heh..

I also achieved more acceptance of things I can’t change, more patience with others. Living with more love and light in my life. Letting go of things that used to irk me that I have no control over….

It may not seem like much to some but change takes time. Changing our consciousness takes even more time.  I accept my progress this year and will strive to achieve more next year.

Patented Natural Plants? WTF?

So the other day I read an article about Monsanto being allowed to patent Broccoli in Europe. Since the US recognizes other countries patents as part of international agreements I guess Monsanto owns broccoli… now a lot of us don’t like broccoli but still this is the epotimy of stupidity. What’s next? Patenting water? Air? Dirt? Cows? Pigs?

It’s a loophole in the law but no intelligent body of people, who actually work for the common good they are supposed to represent, would have allowed this to go through.

Is the world going to hell in a handbasket? Not if that handbasket is woven from Monstanto owned grass I can tell you that.. unless you want to pay a big fee for using said grass.

No corporation, government or other body should be allowed to own nature or naturally occuring organisms. Is the next revolution going to be at your local farmer’s market or in your own backyard? All I can say is ‘try and come take my seeds or keep me from gardening’. No more panty raids we’ll soon have jackbooted stormtroopers raiding grannies pantry for canned beets.

Wake up and smell the coffee … as long as you’re allowed to breath in that wonderful scent without dropping a dime in a jar for the pleasure…..

I’m just disgusted with the whole thing. I did however go to SeedSavers.org and purchase my own non-gmo, organic, heirloom seeds. I’m also learning how to dry and store my own seeds for future use. If you like to eat I suggest you do the same.

Related articles

• European Patent Office grants Monsanto patent on natural broccoli seeds, florets (realfarmacy.com)
• Monsanto patents broccoli #monsanto, #seed patents (catsontheinternet.net)
• No Patents on Seeds (no-patents-on-seeds.org)
• Subsidiary of Monsanto claims patent for broccoli (watchingmonsanto2013.wordpress.com)

PAM – The cooking Spray

I discovered that Pam contains GMO corn & soybean and canola oil ingredients. Plus  the propellant is petroleum based. YUMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!  So I’m sorry Pam but this is our breakup song. I’m so over you, please never cross my doorstep again. I’ve met Mr. Olive Oil and he’s pumped. He makes my chicken sizzle.

Shopping with Buycott app again

Well my weekly shopping took a lot longer than usual but I took my time, scanned in foods and learned a lot. Again I did have to buy some things I want to buycott but it’s always a compromise. I found King Arthur flour (they have organic flour too at about 2x the price),  I bought Mission flour tortillas instead of Taco Bel taco shells, I found Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena hand soap, Patak’s sauces for curry are OK as is Lee Kums Oyster Sauce, Bumble Bee is a bad bee but honestly can’t really afford to buy the pole caught tuna at over $2 a can (sometimes almost $4 a can), Nathan’s hot dogs are still hotdogs but they are not on the ‘contains GMOs or is related to Monsanto’ list, Fresh Express Salad was ok (I prefer to get my salad at the farmers market but didn’t make it this week and mine is not big enuf to eat yet) and last but not least Lipton Tea is bad….. I didn’t find an alternative because I got tired and just wanted to get out of the store. I wanted to buy a free ranged, organic chicken to roast but it was $18 vs. $6 for regular roasters… I just couldn’t do it.

All the choices are not necessarily the ‘best’ choices (like hotdogs) but it’s an improvement and a learning process.  I am enjoying the learning process. Some of us can’t go as far as we might like when shopping whether for cost reasons or because our family insists on certain products but changing what we can we can hurt the bottom line of those companies that support GMO’s.   By switching brands when we can will make a dent; it might not close their doors overnight but if we each do what we can it will add up and make an impact. And.. we’ll be eating healthier…

Keep fighting the good fight!!

A good company to replace some of those GMO foods

In my search for replacements for some of our everyday foods such as peanut butter and ketchup I found Woodstock foods. They are a local New England company that is family run and they produce a full line of organic, non-gmo products.

I bought the smooth peanut butter and had some on toast this morning. Now growing up on Skippy it may take some getting used to REAL peanut butter. The oil does seperate and it’s slipperier than Skippy but it tastes wonderful and you can feel good about eating REAL FOOD.

The next test will be getting the family to eat it….. they are not fully on board with my epiphany…..heh…

Well I could not figure out how to embed the link in my post so here they are: https://www.facebook.com/WoodstockFoods

Recycling

So a number of years ago our small town voted to do away with recycling. Blasphemy I know. Boy was it difficult to throw away cans after years of mandatory recycling in NY. I’m looking into my recycling options and I think I’m going to set up a station outside my kitchen for cans, plastic and such. I’m fairly certain I can take it to another town for recycling but  need to look into that. I already try to reuse as much as possible and find uses for platic bottles in feeding/watering the chickens and in the studio.

Another step is to try and buy fewer packaged foods.. which goes along with eating healthier anyway. I guess I’m going to have to invest in some large jars or containers for flour and grains from the co-op. I don’t really have any that big from recycled goods. With only three of us here I don’t buy items in that quantity like a giant bottle of mayo lol…cause that wouild be a perfect jar… oh well… hmm wonder if they have any at the dump? Time for a trip….

Joining the local Co-op

Well today I’m going down to Belfast to join the local food co-op. It’s one more step along my journey and hopefully will allow me to learn more about being a better resident of our planet and to eat and shop  more responsibly.

Baby Steps..

Well my family  is not all that impressed with my endeavors to make them healhier. I must use stealth health it seems…. i.e. make them healthier w/o them knowing I’m doing it. The organic white bread was not a success. The residents of my  household have rejected it as sandwich bread. They have also rejected the whole grain bread. hmmmmmmmmmmm….the search for a decent and yet healthy sandwich bread continues….

My first shopping trip

Using the new Buycott app to try and not buy items made by, or with products from, Monsanto and those who support NO GMO labeling. It’s amazing the number of products that Monsanto touches with it’s greasy fingers. Like many of you I have a child and spouse to feed so I can’t go all ninja-mom in the grocery store on them. You don’t  change a horses feed overnight either… so I’ve got to make some of these changes gradually and some things I won’t be able to change. Life is about compromise; we do what we can and accept what we can’t change. For instance, my husband loves soda and while I think it’s very bad for you I can’t make that decision for him and so i will buy it for him. If I don’t he’ll just go buy it anyway and at a higher price.

What I did buy yesterday was organic peanut butter, butter, rice and bread.. yes it is white bread but at least it’s organic and only contains about 5 REAL ingredients.. none of that IDKWTF it is stuff. I also bought more veggies and fruit. Last week I went to the farmers market (missed it this week : ( ) and I bought some whole grain bread… my family would not eat it… however, I ate every bite .. toasted it, buttered it and put organic honey on it… it was dam good.

There were a number of items I scanned, found they associate with Monsanto, and put back on the shelf. I wasn’t 100% compliant with my buycott but I made a number of changes and I’m happy with that.

One of my concerns now is meat. Who knows where the meat in the grocery store comes from? I do not. So, a friend has a farm and they just started to raise pigs so I think I’ll go over there and buy some pork. We get hamburger and some beef from a local dairy farmer who hays our field and it’s all grass fed organic beef. I raise chickens but we don’t eat them, we just eat the eggs.

Organic is more expensive that’s for sure so I may not to stick with it 100% but I figure if I can try and if I do what I can that is better than nothing. A journey starts with one step.. at least I’m off the couch….