In the Still Morning Air... A place to watch the world wake

Bulk foods on Amazon

2011-05-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can now buy bulk foods on amazon.com? So far we have purchased, the gluten free pizza mix we like and the Yogi brand tea that I drink in the afternoons/evenings. Not only are you able to save by buying in bulk, you can save more if you subscribe to the items. Right now we are subscribed to buying 6 pizza mixes every 3 months and 6 boxes of tea every 6 months. Through you Amazon.com account, you change/manage your subscriptions.

I haven't worked out the environmental benefits/hurtfulness of shopping this way but as soon as I do, I will be sure to share what I find.

In the mean time, be sure to check out our farm blog, www.Fireflyskiesfamilyfarm.com to stay updated with our farm progress.

Male Chicks Ground Alive

2011-02-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

The video below was posted on the blog "Nature's Harmony Farm" back in September 2009 but I just found it this afternoon. It is an undercover video shot at one of the largest hatcheries in the United States.

I don't think you need to swear off eggs but I don't think I can eat eggs anymore that aren't cruelty free eggs. I guess this means no more eating eggs out until I know more about where the eggs come from. I'm glad that we have chickens and I will happily spoil them all I can!

Remember to:

Grist makes link between Girl Scouts and Orangutans

2011-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I read an interesting article on Grist.org titled, "Are Girl Scout cookies killing Orangutans?"

The article states that Girl Scout cookies are made with palm oil and that palm oil is:

"the No. 1 culprit behind deforestation in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia."

The Grist article goes on to say that the Girl Scouts can switch to canola oil which is more environmentally friendly and healthier as well. The next part of the article is what I found most interesting. Apparently, the Girl Guides of Great Britain use olive and rapeseed oil instead of palm oil and are offering to help the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides Canada switch as well. This little tidbit comes from the blog, "Please do not tap on the glass"

I didn't understand why the Girl Scouts don't change oils until I read that they need palm oil to keep the chocolate chips from falling out of the cookies! Fair enough. However that excuses flies out the window when your sister organization comes to you and says, "Hey sis, we found another oil that works and guess what? Its more environmentally friendly and healthier then how you are currently making cookies!

So why don't the switch? Cost. We Americans demand cheaper prices on everything which in this case leads to deforestation which leads to a lost of Orangutan habitat.

So are the Girls Scouts helping to kill Orangutans with their palm oil filled cookies? Yes they are.

Who else is helping? Everyone that buys the cookies.

Remember, you can always:

Straight Razor

2011-02-17T05:35:00.000-08:00


Image from here

I think I'm finally ready to make the switch. For the past few years I've really been bothered each time that I throw away a disposable razor. We tend to use the mid price razor so I get a few good shaves on it but most of the time, it rips my face apart. It's gotten to the point where I only shave in the mornings if I know the razor is still new, otherwise, I shave at night so my face has time to heal before the morning.

I've thought about using a straight razor for some now but I guess I've been a little afraid to try it because I don't want to accidentally slit my throat. I've gotten over my nervousness and I'm ready to give it a try. Last night I read a great article on Mother Earth News simply titled, "How to use a straight razor."

The above article gives a good overview of how to shave with a straight razor, what to look for when buying a razor, and how advice on sharping storing the new razor.

I want to use a straight razor because I am tired of throwing away the disposable razor all the time. I'm thinking that once I learn how to use the razor, it will be a win-win for me and the environment.

Let the search began!

Wordless Wednesday - Hawaii's Big Island

2011-02-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Be Greedy - Save the World

2011-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Is global warming real? Yes? No? Who cares?

If you said yes, then there are plenty of documentaries out there for you. If you said no or who cares, then you should check out the new documentary called "Carbon Nation."

This film is not trying to change your mind on global warming, all they take about are energy solutions, creating jobs, and saving money. Check out the trailer below.

300 years of fossil-fueled addiction

2010-11-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

Hand Powered Espresso Maker for the Home

2010-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

In case you don't know, I love Americanos. An Americano is simply hot water added to espresso, usually 1 shot per 8oz of water. For the past year or so I have stuck (mostly) to my pledge of not drinking coffee from a disposable cup. This means that if I am out and about and I want a cup of coffee but I don't have my own cup with me...I'm out of luck.

Each morning, I hand grind my own coffee beans (Blind Dog Coffee - a local fair trade, organic, coffee roaster.) and then use my French Press to make my morning cup of joe. I love making coffee this way because of the low energy impact...just enough to boil the water.

However, some mornings I really want an Americano but I have no way to make one at home. I really don't want to buy some huge power hungry machine so I've been searching for some sort of hand powered espresso maker...

The first espresso maker I found was the: Handpresso Handheld Portable Espresso Machine.

This seemed like a great little machine and I loved he fact that it was portable...hello camping espresso! The downside I found to this device is that you can't use your own espresso, you have to use those little espresso pods that just get thrown away... No thanks. Price is about $135 (price is in British pounds)

Then this morning I came across: the Presso Espresso Maker

I love this espresso maker! Everything is hand powered like my french press and the best part is that you can use your own espresso. This also comes with a double shot maker attachment so with this machine, I would be all set to make my own Americanos! Price - $150

While $150 is a bit much, I think it would pay for itself within the first year. Plus the whole thing is recyclable.

Catching up

2010-10-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I love that the weather is starting to cool off and that life's pace is slowing down. We are eating more soup and I can bust out my favorite long sleeve shirts.

We've done a lot of the past month so let me catch everyone up.

My brother-in-law got sent to Switzerland for work at the end of last month and i decided to join him. I got to spend several days in Geneva while he worked at the W.H.O. and then we spent several days hiking in the alps and checking out small villages.

While I was gone, Firefly had a wood insert installed in our fireplace (we were going to do it after I got back but she wanted to surprise me)

Our Silkie hen went broody on us and stopped laying eggs and was also causing the other hens to slow down as well. To finally break her of being broody, I dunked her into a bucket of water. This is not as mean as it sounds. You have to find a way to cool her off and lower her body temperature. Dunking her in cool water on a warm day is the best/fastest way to do it.

Firefly has finished one chair and is getting ready to start on the second one!

we added a red ball and pull string after this shot so that it can be pulled around...which makes the legs move.

I have a list of projects to make for Christmas this year and I'm also thinking of starting a wood working blog/website to start building my wood working portfolio. I really like old wooden toys and I think I might try and focus on making them. I like that they last a long time and don't contain harmful chemicals or metals. Maybe they'll even be passed down for a few generations. Stay tuned for more on this.

2010-10-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Live Rescue video of Chile's Miners fron MSNBC

2010-10-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

Click here to goto the live video link from MSNBC

Past Peak Oil - Anita Sancha

2010-10-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

Past Peak Oil Travelling Towards Transition Animation from Anita Sancha on Vimeo.

Eww...Bacon! How bacon is made

2010-10-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

3.19 inches

2010-09-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

From Newsweek

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-09-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednessday

2010-09-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

USS KIRK on NPR

2010-09-03T06:01:00.000-07:00


Image from Kirk1087.org

If you have a little bit of time I think you should take a moment to listen (or read) about the US Navy's most important humanitarian rescue mission in history. This rescue mission took place 35 years ago in Vietnam and save the lives of 20,000-30,000 Vietnamese refugees.

The story is told in three parts so you can either listen to them back to back or over a few days if you'd rather.

You can listen to parts 2 and 3 but have to read part 1.

Wordless Wednesdays

2010-09-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

Our Crazy Weather

2010-08-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

The chickens first egg!

2010-08-27T09:38:00.001-07:00

Egg Recall

2010-08-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

You should check out this post on the blog Small Measure

Ultra Marathon Man - Dean Karnazes

2010-08-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

If you are into running or know of someone who is, I think you would enjoy this book. It is a quick and easy read about an ultra marathon runner. It follows his running life from middle school until he finishes several 199 mile runs. Along the way he runs the Western States 100 and a marathon to the South Pole. Enjoy! (I think I would just borrow this one from the library.)

2010-08-12T16:28:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Nesting Blocks - Quick and easy way to attract bees

2010-07-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

Our "new" bee nesting block

Over this past weekend, we decided to build a small bee nesting block with the hope of attracting some solitary bees to help pollinate the garden. I read that there are over 5000 types of solitary bees and 1500+ here in Nevada.

Solitary bee (Zool.), any species of bee which does not
        form communities.

Solitary bees are pretty neat little things. After they find the nesting block, they will choose a hole size they like and move in. They go to the very back and start building egg cells and laying eggs as they move their way back towards the entrance. They then packing in some pollen and nectar and seal the hole up. When the eggs hatch, the larva will eat the polling/nectar. Once they turn into a bee, they will dig there way out into the open and join the world.

Building a nesting block is pretty simple. I grab a piece of unpainted/unstained/untreated scrap 4x4 and then drilled lots of different sized holes into it with my drill press. I then added a slanted roof to help keep the rain off and hung it on the wall near the garden. Two days later, the bees have moved in!

A nice thing about solitary bees is that they are not very aggressive because they have no hive to defend.

Dear Old Spice Man, will using your product make me, um, less manly?

2010-07-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

I read this letter to the Old Spice man this morning on Grist and I thought I'd repost it here for others to see. If you don't read Grist, you should check them out at www.Grist.com

Dear Old Spice Man, will using your product make me, um, less manly?: "

by Tyler Falk.

Dear Old Spice Man,

I see you a lot on TV lately, running around with your shirt off telling me that I won’t be a man if I don’t use Old Spice Body Wash.

I hate commercials that blatantly play at gender stereotypes. But I’m not gonna lie, these ads (and your response videos) do make me chuckle. However, I’m worried that your “manly” line of products may actually make me less manly.

According to the Environmental Working Group, all but one of the 92 Old Spice products pose a moderate or high health risk to consumers, or all those men you say smell like ladies.

And one of the products in the After Hours line that you are promoting is one of your company’s worst. Ingredients in it are linked to cancer and may harm the brain, and, yes, the reproductive system. The ingredients in that product can lead to infertility, reproductive organ cancers, and birth defects. Doesn’t sound so manly to me.

To be fair, the body wash you hold up in the commercials is free of the harmful ingredients linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity, but it still contains stuff that can harm the brain, nervous, and immune system.

So I’m asking you, Old Spice Man, please make this right. Encourage Old Spice to use ingredients that keep our reproductive systems performing! In the mean time, I’m on a Crystal.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

How big is the BP Oil Spill now?

2010-07-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

I heard about this great website the other day while listening to the BBC. The site is called: ifitwasmyhome.com (If It Was My Home.com). All you have to do is plug in your city and state and it will overlay the oil spill onto your hometown (or whatever city you pick). You can pick any city in the world.

Here's what it would look like if the oil spill had happened where I live.

Keiro Kitchen Compost Grinder

2010-06-22T06:16:00.000-07:00


Both pictures are from Quirky.com

For about 2 months, I have been trying to build a manual compost grinder so that I could break down our kitchen scraps before putting them into the compost pile. This actually proved to be way harder then I thought it would and only of my designs worked...and it was way to bulky to be of any use.

Then just a few days I read that Quirky.com had just had a compost grinder competition and the winning product, Keiro would be going into pre-sale very soon. Please take a few moments and check out this awesome kitchen counter sized compost grinder.

The idea behind the Keiro is very simple. Instead of placing all you scraps into a small container to take to the compost pile, you can just grind it up really quick and then broke down food falls into a storage container. There is also a filter system in the container to trap any smells.

In order for this product to be made, 1140 people need to commit to buying it. Once that number is reached, it can go into production s please check it out and tell your friends and family. They say that you can un-commit at anytime and you won't be billed unless the product is actually made.

Right now we are at 26/1140

Is Millie Really Miles?

2010-06-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Firefly discovered that one of our hens may in fact be a rooster. We agreed when we got the chicks that if one turned out to be a rooster that we would try to find him a good home but now we are pretty torn as to what to do with him. He is one of the friendliest chickens we have and it would be really sad to watch the remaining Silkie perch by herself at night. (The Silkie perch on the lower roost and the Winedots like to perch together on the higher one.)

Below is a repost of Firefly's blog about why we think Millie is really Miles:

Is Millie really Miles?: "I think one of our Silkies is rooster. :( Millie is actually Miles. I started thinking about how different Millie and Petri looked and the wheels started turning... something is very different. So, I googled how to tell the difference between male and female Silkies and discovered that the males will have wilder feathers on the top of their head, the feathers will be different lengths and point more towards the tail, they will also develop bubbly 'brain' looking skin on top of their beak, and have wattles under their chin. The females have more of a puffball for feathers on top of their head, they don't have the bubbly looking skin, and no wattles. So, I went out and took some pictures of the birds to confirm with others (hopefully someone who knows more than I do) as to the gender of our feathered friends.

This is Millie, notice the bubbly skin and wattle.

This is Petri, notice the neater feathers, lack of bubbly skin and wattle.

And, just to be sure, I took some of them further away:

Millie (Miles)

Petri

And because I didn't want the other two to feel left out... Here are Gibbardanna and Thelma:

Responce from Springfield Creamery - Nancy's Yogurt

2010-06-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last month I start to wonder about the dairy products that Firefly and I buy each week. Here is the post. I want to make sure that the dairy products we eat are made in a sustainable and humane manner after see this video of dairy farmers abusing their cows.

I wrote to the company that makes the yogurt we enjoy, Nancy's Yogurt made by Springfield Creamery in Eugene Oregon, and below is their response:

Thank you for your interest in Nancy’s Products. We frequently are asked about farm practices at the dairies that supply us milk for Nancy’s Cultured Dairy Products. There are many variables involved in dairy farming so we may not be able to provide exact answers, but we are in frequent contact with representatives from the dairy coops that provide us milk, in order to provide the following information:

We purchase our milk from 2 dairy cooperatives: conventional milk from Northwest Dairyman’s Association (NDA) and organic milk from Organic Valley Family Farms. The milk comes to us directly from the farms, all farms within about 100 miles of our plant, all family owned, with average herd size of 150 head. None are “factory farms.”

The use of Bovine Growth Hormones (rBGH, also referred to as rBST) is prohibited in organic dairies. NDA, who supplies our conventional milk, has a strict policy of segregation of milk from treated cows and untreated cows. All farmers are required to sign affidavits indicating their adherence to this policy. NDA and Springfield Creamery pay a higher premium to the farmers to produce milk that is rBGH free. We only use rBGH free milk.

There are many variables that affect feed and pasturing practices. They are farm size, weather, season, management style as well as stewardship of the land.

All cows are fed a mixture of forages and grains. Forages include grass, hay, silage and other field greens. Corn, barley, soybeans, oats, field peas and flax are grains. Conventional farms average a ratio of 60/40 forage to grains. Organic farms average 80/20 forage to grains. None of the grains are imported from outside of the USA at this time.

Access to pasture varies by farm. Organic Valley encourages and sets standards for amount of pasturing(view at www.organicvalley.coop)

Generally, the smaller the farm the more access to pasture. Access to pasture also varies by season and weather. In order to protect the pasture, cows are allowed to pasture only during the grass growing season, which is about 8 months in Oregon.

Pastures take careful management to limit damage by trampling. Organic Valley’s standard is 3 head per acre. Cows are moved from section to section of the pasture to allow recovery of the grass.

Conventional Farms with large herds may or may not pasture, partially because of the logistics of rounding up the cows for milking, however cows are able to move around in the “loafing” area. No cows are confined to a stall, other than during milking.
All farms provide a humane and healthy environment for their herds in order to produce the fine quality milk we purchase. We have always had the utmost confidence in the quality of milk we receive- for 50 years!
Kind regards,

Elaine Kesey
Springfield Creamery, Inc.
Nancy's Cultured Dairy and Soy
541-689-2911
elaine@nancysyogurt.com

Wordless Wednesday - Godson

2010-06-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

Silver Creek Campground and Reserve America

2010-06-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

For our first camping trip with Daisy we decided to go to a camp ground that wasn't to far away just in case we had problems and needed to limp home. The bus did great and we had a great time. I also wanted to be close to home in case we needed anything that I knew we would forget.

We went to a little campground just outside of Truckee Ca, and had a nice quiet break from life.

We ended up at Silver Creek campground but I think next time we come back to this area, we would go to the campground just north of this one (towards Truckee) called Granite Flats

I also wanted to let you know about a great website called Reserveamerica.com From here you can search campgrounds all over the United States by location and/or by features of the park or spot.

Daisy's First Camping Trip

2010-06-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

A History of the American Presidency in One Infographic

2010-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is another repost from GOOD

A History of the American Presidency in One Infographic: "

This is about as complete an inforgraphic on the American presidency as you're ever going to see.

You can zoom in and view it in all its absurdly comprehensive glory over at Timeplots. They'll also sell you a poster-size copy.

Via Fast Company

Rocket stove from Stove Tec works great

2010-06-11T17:21:00.001-07:00

Reuse THEN Recycle, How to Sell Your Old Electronics

2010-06-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

Check out Gazelle, a quick and simple way to sell your old electronics. Here is how they describe what they do:

Gazelle wants to change the world – one cell phone, one laptop, one iPod at a time.
It is our purpose – and our promise – to provide a practical, rewarding way for people to finally rid themselves of all those old cell phones, digital cameras, and gaming systems that they no longer use, but can't seem to find a way to let go of.
Too often when people think of recycling, they rush straight to smashing things into bits for parts. We believe that reuse should always come first. If your GPS unit still works, why not keep it in circulation AND get paid for it? If reusing isn't in the cards, then let us recycle that vintage camcorder. We think of it as ReCommerce.
Yeah, we're green.
Green for you with dollars in your pocket. Green for the environment with fewer electronics being trashed.
It's good to Gazelle. That's our promise.

The process is super simple to use (I just found the site and have not used it yet) you just type in the item you have, answer a few questions about it and then accept the price they will give you for your item. I love that they Reuse before they Recycle

Chickens

2010-06-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

How to help Refugees in 3 Steps

2010-06-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Step one: Move to Canada

Step two: Read this post from Good

Step three: Make it happen captain!

Do You Use YOUR Library?

2010-06-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

I don't. I don't even have a library card anymore. I've been debating a lot lately about with ebook reader is a better deal both for me and for the planet. The one thing that most people agree on is that the greenest way to read your next book is to walk down to the local library and borrow it. on that note, check out the below post from GOOD.

How To: Save Your Local Library: "
With recent cuts in city and state funding, libraries are an increasingly endangered species. From Charlotte to Los Angeles (and lots of places in between) libraries are being closed and their hours cut. We talked to librarian Steve Klein about how you can keep the doors of your beloved branch open.
1. Borrow Your Next Read. Circulation is one of the most important ways for the budget keepers to decide what branches are most active. Next time you need a book, go to the library instead of that big retail store.
2. Use it or Lose It. When was the last time you stepped foot in your library? Foot traffic is a key indicator of how many people the branch is serving and how much of an asset it is to the surrounding community. Even if you don’t need a book, try to stop in your local library once or twice a month. Besides books, most libraries now offer DVDs, music, and magazines: all for free!
3. Create Great Programming. Your librarian is probably overworked and underpaid, so don’t ask him (or her) for more programming. Do it yourself. “Staff tends to get stuck in ruts and sometimes have trouble coming up with new ideas, so greater participation in the library by the community is the best possible solution to keeping the library relevant,” says Klein. Programs ranging from genealogy to film screenings can all be hosted and run by volunteers. And it’s not just adults who can contribute. Kids can teach workshops on how to use Facebook, iPhones, and other technology to older library members.
4. Volunteer. Besides programming, volunteers can help beleaguered staff with a number of operational functions. Got some extra time? Help reshelving books, repairing and maintaining the building, or creating displays and exhibits, says Klein. Because building conditions are an important consideration for the powers that be, point out (or help fix) small problems before they become big (read: expensive) problems for the city to handle.
5. Team Up. Does your child’s school need a place for after school tutors? Does the local community center need a computer lab? Connecting the dots and showing how local organizations benefit from the library will demonstrate its value to the surrounding community. And remind teachers, the PTA, and students to speak up. The more diverse the group of voices, the more likely it is your politicians will hear them.
Photo (cc) by Flickr user Stewart
This post originally appeared on www.refresheverything.com, as part of GOOD's collaboration with the Pepsi Refresh Project, a catalyst for world-changing ideas. Find out more about the Refresh campaign, or submit your own idea today.

"

Wordless Wednesday - Break room

2010-06-02T11:08:00.001-07:00

Where does your Milk come from?

2010-05-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

After posting the last post about the abuse at a dairy farm, I really wanted to know where the milk we use comes from. Because "milk" does not agree with either Firefly or myself, we don't drink it. We do however eat products that contain dairy.

Here are the dairy products that we use:

Tillamook Colby-Jack cheese (www.tillamookcheese.com)
WINCO deli swiss cheese (www.wincofoods.com)
Stella Parmesan cheese (www.Saputo.com)
Nancy's vanilla yogurt (www.nancysyogurt.com) Springfield Creamery Eugene, Oregon
Athenos Feta cheese (www.athenos.com)
Breyers All natural Rocky Road (www.breyers.com)

I will do some research on each of these and let you know what I find out!

What dairy products do you use?

How the Top Kill works

2010-05-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

The BBC has a good step-by-step walk through of how the "top kill" operation will stop the oil flow. Check it out here

Is this where your milk comes from?

2010-05-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

I found this video at treehugger this morning. Watching this video made me sick. I am glad we don't eat beef or drink milk. I am going to have to do more research on where the milk in our cheese and yogurt comes from.

Easy way to save the whales - just stop killing them

2010-05-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday Steam Canner

2010-05-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

The Chicken Coop from start to finish

2010-05-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Getting Closer...

2010-05-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Would you donate your hair to clean up oil spills?

2010-05-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

This is a repost of a Q & A over at Grist.org

Q. Dear Umbra,

I’ve heard that
people are donating their hair to help the oil cleanup of the Gulf Coast. I’m
an old-school hair farmer, and I want to know if it’s harvest time for a good
cause. What do you think?

If it’s a good
idea, then to whom do I send my bountiful harvest?

Hair Today, Gone
Tomorrow (to a good cause)
Seattle

A. Dearest
HTGT,

Props to
you for your willingness to donate your locks for this hairy situation. And
have I got the organization for you: Matter of Trust.

The
organization, known for its oil spill hair mats, is collecting
nylons, human hair, and animal fur to create hair booms to place in the water
to collect oil. Here’s a great article from The Washington Post explaining the
effort and its progress.

It’s
important to note, though, that the oil spill has gotten way too massive to think
that this approach can necessarily fix everything, but the grassroots effort
has finally gotten BP’s notice—the company contacted Matter of Trust last week.

You can
donate your own hair, animal fur, and nylons by signing up for Matter of
Trust’s Excess Access database and then
following the instructions for sending in
your hair harvest.

Thanks
again, HTGT. Every little bit helps.

Shornly,
Umbra

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T13:16:00.001-07:00

Support Your Local Theater

2010-05-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

Firefly and I just finished our last off broadway show at our local theater, The Pioneer Center. Last spring we saved up our pennys and bought season tickets which was 5 shows for $600 total. While it was a little stretch to come up with the money up front, I am very happy that we did because come fall we had 5 guaranteed prepaid date nights! I loved that we did have to try and come up with the money for each show.

We decided to buy the season tickets again this year and we are looking forward to this year's shows. This year we will be seeing:

Beauty and the Beast
Legally Blonde
A Chorus Line
Fiddler on the Roof
Riverdance

We think it would be great if we could get our friends and family to buy tickets with us so that we could have a large group of people for each show. If you live in Reno and want to buy season tickets you can either check out their website PioneerCenter.com or call 775.686.6609

You can buy season tickets for as low as $160 if you buy just the 4 show package.

Emergency Plan video

2010-05-16T19:03:00.001-07:00

Do you have a plan?

The Chicken Run phase 1

2010-05-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

I finally got the frame of the chicken run started, much to Firefly's delight, I'm sure. The run stands 6' tall and is 8' wide. The run only has 3 sides because the 4th side is the chicken coop itself. I still need to build/hang a gate, paint it, level the trench, attach the chicken wire and finally put it into place and attach it to the coop.

April showers bring May flowers...

2010-05-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know how the weather has been were you live but it's been crazy here. One day will will have beautiful, sunny, warm weather and the next a huge windstorm will come blowing through with gust over 100mph and tip over 30 foot tall trees like they were a house of cards.

We had really nice weather this weekend and then today it dumps a lot of rain and then we have a 30 minute blizzard. Right now I'm looking out the window and I see bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds right next to mean looking dark gray clouds. Oh well, what can we do?

I'm happy to report that the chicks are doing great and are growing bigger each day. Their food intake has increased ten fold and they love to fly to the top of the box when we lift the lid. Thelma is by far the most social of the four birds. I have no doubt that she would be perfectly happy sitting on a shoulder all day long.

We've been able to spend a fair amount of time outside and Firefly has lots of veggie starts growing in the office.

Here are a few pictures from the last few days. I'll try to be better about blogging but spring is calling

Buses in New York

2010-05-07T06:32:00.001-07:00

Are you Producing or Buying your life?

2010-05-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

"Radical Homemakers are aware of the misplaced priority on increasing the bottom line. Quite often their incomes are significantly below the norm. But that is because they have learned that there are two ways to make a living. In one method, the convention of our culture, substantial money is earned and then spent on purchasing life's necessities. In the other method, significantly less money is earned, and basic necessities are produced or otherwise procured. Packages from the mall, plastic-wrapped food, designer labels and television sets are seldom seen inside these households. Rather, they are filled with books, simmering pots, some dirty dishes, musical instruments, seedlings, wood shavings, maybe some hammers or drills, sewing machines, knitting baskets, canned peaches and tomato sauce, jars of sauerkraut, freezers with hunted or locally raised meat, and potted herbs. Outside the door there are no multiple new cars or manicured lawns. Whether in the country or the city, one is likely to find a garden plot or potted tomatoes, fruit trees, bicycles, probably a used car, shovels, spades, compost bins, chickens, maybe a wandering goat or some other livestock, and laundry blowing in the breeze. These people are producing their life, not buying it."
~Radical Homemakers,p. 208

Thanks to Amber at Unstuffed for sharing this quote.

The Green Phone Booth and The Green Hour

2010-05-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

The title of this post sounds like the title to an awesome children's book. If you haven't checked out the blog www.greenphonebooth.com then you're missing out. The blog description states:

Where Ordinary Women Become Eco-Heroes

If you have a few moments, I suggest reading the review on the book The Green Hour. I was going to borrow or buy a copy but I actually just won a free copy via The Green Phone Booth!

Go check out the blog and the book and have a great day!

The size of the oil spill

2010-05-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

click here for larger image

The numbers of this chart are simply crazy...I cannot believe how much oil is leaking into the ocean. There has got to be a better way to get energy then pumping oil out from the ground.

Thanks to Good.is for the article and the graphics.

Oil spill numbers

2010-05-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

image from GOOD

Chicken pile

2010-04-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

The chicks go for a "walk"

2010-04-19T21:34:00.001-07:00

Recycle Shingles?

2010-04-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

What do you do with old shingles? If you, like me, think the only thing you can do with them is throw them away then you'd be wrong. I didn't know it till today but it is actually possible to recycle your old shingles.

Once we finished roofing the chicken coop last night, I had a small pile of shingle scraps left over. I really didn't want to just throw them away but I really didn't know what else to do with them. So I did what I always do when I need an answer...I ask Dr. G (Google search)

It turns out that it's possible to turn roof shingles into roads...and that's exactlly what they are doing in Missouri with their ROOFS TO ROADS program.

More than 276 million pounds of roofing shingles are dumped into Missouri landfills every year. That’s enough shingles to completely cover St. Louis City and St. Louis County.


(picture from here)

So if you're like me, you're thinking..."Good stinkin' but what can I do where I live?"

Unfortunately I don't know. I'm going to start by calling several of the companies around town that build/repair roads and I think I will also call the roofing companies and see how/if they recycle their shingles. If you have a shingle recycling program in your area, how does it work?

Using Bikes to power inmate's Tv

2010-04-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said that gyms should start using their stationary bikes to generate power? (Recapturing Bike Energy from Gyms)

Well, it seems that a sheriff in Arizona had the same idea. It seems that Sheriff Joe Arpaio decided to buy a converted stationary bike and hook it up to the tv.

Now if inmates want to watch tv, they have to use the bike. You can check it out here via treehugger

Easy Green Tip

2010-04-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can use almost 30% less printer ink just by changing your font? (Of course going paper-less all together is better)

Which of these sentences would use less ink if they were printed?

Which of these sentences would use less ink if they were printed?

If you chose the second one, you'd be right. NPR's All Things Considered aired a story this afternoon about how the University of Wisconsin is saving THOUSANDS of dollars simply because they changed the default font on their email system from Arial to Century Gothic. You can listen to the story here (it's only about three minutes long)

My work prints a lot of paper everyday so hopefully they will take this serious and at least look into it. The only other thing is that you may want to change the font size to 11 (from 12) in order to prevent items being pushed to a second page because century gothic is a tad bit wider font.

The best part about this simple change...it doesn't cost anything to do!

Carbon Offsets for Work Vehicles?

2010-04-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

In March 2010 I drove my work truck (2004 F250 diesel) 943.5 miles
Using the EPA's website:

CO2 emissions from a gallon of diesel = 2,778 grams x 0.99 x (44/12) = 10,084 grams = 10.1 kg/gallon = 22.2 pounds/gallon

My trucks gets about 16mpg so 943.5 miles gives me about 59 gallons of gas or 59x22.2 =

1,309 pounds of CO2

The cost per ton at Carbonfund.org is $10 so about $6 to offset the work truck. Or either about 4 pine trees or about 21 maple trees (once they are 25 years old) according to www.erasecarbonfootprint.com

I also drove 341 miles in my work car

CO2 emissions from a gallon of gasoline = 2,421 grams x 0.99 x (44/12) = 8,788 grams = 8.8 kg/gallon = 19.4 pounds/gallon

The work car gets about 18mpg so 341/18= 19 gallons or 19x19.4 =

367.5 pounds of CO2

At $10 a ton that should be about $1.80 or 1 pine tree or 6 maple trees.

I used 25 gallons of gas in the VW so

25x19.4 = 485 pounds of CO2

which is $2.40 or 1.44 pine trees or 8.64 maple trees
Total for the month of March is:

Work
$7.80
5 pine trees or
27 maple trees

VW
$2.40
1.44 pine trees
8.64 maple trees

The Chicks have Arrived

2010-04-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

Say hello to the little chicks:

They are so tiny and cute and only about 2-3days old. Right now they chirp, peek the ground, fall asleep, chirp, drink water, sleep, chirp, chirp, dog pile each other, sleep...

We will post updates over at our joint blog www.fireflyskiesfamilyfarm.com/

Ecorazzi?

2010-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

So I just found this site Ecorazzi, the latest green gossip. Too much? You decide
http://www.ecorazzi.com/

Earth Hour photos

2010-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Check out a short slide show here from around the world.

Books Books Books

2010-03-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

John Grisham's Playing For Pizza -
    This was a fun little read about nothing. The basic story line is that an NFL player moves to Italy to play American football when he can't find an American team to play for. He eats good food, drinks lots of wine and meets a girl. I'd save this one for a summer vacation at the beach.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich -
   Another quick read, but far better then Grisham's book. The basic story follows Ivan Denisovich through one day in a Russian prison camp in Siberia. I love the positive attitude Ivan keeps through out the book and how he can find pleasure in the very simple things in life. If he can be happy in this frozen hell, then I can be happy as well.

Martha Riley's An Ordinary Man -
(Full disclosure, Martha Riley is my grandmother)
   This is a longer read but very well written. The writing made me want to keep reading but the content allowed me to only read this in smaller chunks. The book is based on the life of a man that my grandmother once knew. The book follows a Polish air force officer from the invasion by Germany, to a labor camp, joining the SS, escaping from the SS, joining the resistance, and finally running from Nazi hunters. What would you do to survive?

Ashley English Keeping Chickens -
    This is a wonderful book/guide that I would recommend to anyone who is thinking about keeping chickens. This book has been very helpful as Firefly and I have been getting ready for our chicks (we'll bring them home on Thursday...should only be a day or two old). I feel confident in our ability to raise the chicks to healthy hens and continue to care for them afterward because of what we learned in this book. This book won't make you the best chicken keeper in the world but it is a very good crash course! You can also check out Ashley's blog @ http://small-measure.blogspot.com

Chicken Update

2010-03-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

The coop so far, almost finished!

Our chicks should be hatching in a few days and we'll bring them home on Thursday! We have everything we need for them, we just need to set up their home.

The Story of Bottled Water

2010-03-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

The story of bottled water by the folks at the storyofstuff.org is out. Everyone should head over to http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/ and check it out.

The video has lots of good information as does the website itself. Check out the story of stuff while you're there too!

The new wine rack

2010-03-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

(start here)

Chicken Coop Coloring Contest

2010-03-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

We need your help! Firefly and I are spending the weekend building our chicken coop and we're looking for some help in the paint department. Our hope is that you will download the above coop picture, color it, and then post it with a link in the comments section. You can also print it out and then scan it. If it is easier, you can email me at:

tonyr.stillmorningair@gmail.com

I'm think I will also put some out at work and see what designs we get back.

Here's my entry:

How funky is your Chicken?

2010-03-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

After much debate between ducks and chickens, we decided to raise to raise chickens this year. We've spent the last few days researching different breeds and type of chickens trying to find the perfect fit for us. After much debate and three phones calls to the feed shop (Greens Feed in Reno) our order was placed. We decided on two bantam White Silkies and two standard Silver-laced Wyandotte.

In our chicken search Firefly found the great chicken website, Backyardchickens.com

You can learn all about the White Silkies here and all about the Silver-laced Wyandotte here

Because the White Silkies are bantam, they come straight run which means our odds of getting pullets (females) are 50-50. I guess the bantam are too small at birth to tell the gender.

We went with the standard Wyandottes so that we would be sure to have some hens. (10% chance of getting males because they are sexed by hand)

Our chicken book, Keeping Chickens by Ashley English should be here tomorrow or the next day and tomorrow I am going get the yard ready for the coop we are going to build.

I'll post updates here but most of the chicken news will be located at www.fireflyskiesfamilyfarm.com/

how to be a good Husband

2010-03-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

Bake some bread while your wife is out so the house smells good when she comes home.

(The above is an amazing gluten-free bread from a Bob Redmill mix)

The Story of Cap and Trade

2010-03-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Storyofstuff.org

Ted Talk: Dan Barber

2010-03-11T06:17:00.000-08:00

Can Fish stay on the Menu:

Found via Treehugger

The Rice has been Milk'd Update

2010-03-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sadly I can't report back on how the rice milk was from the freezer because I forgot to leave enough headspace when I filled the mason jars and they both broke. Time to make more and try again!

Robin Hood Tax

2010-03-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

I support the Robin Hood Tax, how about you?

Trader Joes Wine #10 Rootstock

2010-03-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! Right from the get go, this is a sweet wine. The first thing I noticed when I uncorked this beautiful colored red wine was the smell. To me it was a mixed smell of fresh strawberries and blackberries. The taste is far less sweet then the smell and the finish is wonderfully spicey.

The bottle says "will pair well with hearty entrees," but I enjoyed it both with dinner (homemade veggie soup w/rice) and has a post-work/pre-dinner wine.

Down and dirty info:
Price: $6.99
Average rating (Corkd.com): 78/100 (I would rate this MUCH higher)
Drinkability: 4.5/5
Length: long w/some spice
Dry?: Low

Drink again?: You betcha!

Hand Crank Compost Shredder

2010-03-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is my weekend project...anyone have any suggestion to make the design a bit better? My goal is to make a hand powered compost shredder so that I can breakdown our kitchen scraps before I add them to the compost pile.

Miles driven

2010-03-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

For a while now, I have been wanting to keep track of how many miles I drive, both for work and personal use. Why? Because I am curious about Carbon Offset and how much it would cost to balance out my driving. A while ago I posted that if everyone lived like I do, it would take 2.75 Earths to sustain us all. While we can't make a few more Earths, I can reduce my impact on the one we have.

The plan is to enter in how many miles I drive daily into a GoogleDocs form I made. (I can walk you through it if you'd like) When I pull it up on my phone it looks like this:

All I have to do is select one of the four preset vehicles I drive the most (or other if borrowing/renting a car) enter in the millage and hit submit. The information is then automatically sent to a spreadsheet which I have posted above. (I am going to be making a button on the homepage for this soon) At the end of every month, I will sort the raw data into total millage per vehicle and post the results. I am still looking for good data about the amount of carbon produced for each vehicle and once I find that, I will share it as well.

I am going to try and get work to buy carbon offsets (or many plant enough trees) to offset the amount of carbon released by just one employee over the course of a month or year.

If you would like to do something like this as well, let me know and I can post your information as well. I can make you the same spreadsheet or you can just post/email me how many miles you drive a month and what kind of vehicle you drive.

You can find out your Ecological Footprint here: www.myfootprint.org

Hummer

2010-02-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Did you hear that GM is going to stop making the Hummer and they were not able to find a buyer? Check it out here. Does that mean an end to the site FUH2.com as well?

Saying bye-bye to Tuna

2010-02-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

As much as it saddens me to say it, I'm no longer eating tuna. I have been hearing about how the Blue Finned Tuna is quickly becoming extint for some time now but I've finally heard enough to convince me to stop eating it.

A few months back I heard an interview with Daniel Pauly on the NPR show FreshAir (which you can listen to here or see my other post here) in which he said the following:

“Eating a tuna roll at a sushi restaurant should be considered no more environmentally benign than driving a Hummer or harpooning a manatee.”

The first time I went to sushi after I heard this, I stayed away from anything with tuna on it. I even went on a quest to find a sustainable sushi restaurant and found Mashiko in Seattle. (We planned on going on our next Seattle trip but we never went while we were there.) Over the next 3-4 sushi trips I slowly convinced myself that the tuna I was eating was NOT the same kind of tuna that was becoming extinct. There is of course NO way for me to know what kind of tuna I'm eating.

So after much debating (mostly internal) I've decided that they only way I can know for sure that I am not eating Bluefin Tuna is to simply not eat tuna.

There is a lot of information online about this and I hope you will take some time and do some reading on this subject.

Here are some sites I suggest:

Not eating any tuna might be a little excessive, but it feels right for me. What are your feelings?

Do You Supplement?

2010-02-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you Good for this...you can play with the interactive version here (www.informationisbeautiful.net)

DO Lectures

2010-02-26T06:17:00.000-08:00

If you like TED talks, you're gonna love DO lectures. You can read more at treehugger or go straight to the DO website

Hot Jalapeno Artichoke Dip

2010-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Firefly and I walked down to the store today to buy some munchies for another evening with friends and wine. I have been craving some artichoke dip for a while now but I was bummed by the selection...everything was in plastic :( To make it worse, the label wrapped all around the container so I couldn't even see if it was recyclable or not.

So instead of buy the plastic coated dip, we decided to make our own. Here's what we did:

Hot Jalapeno Artichoke Dip

2 medium Jalapeno peppers
2 jars of artichoke hearts
1.5 cups mayo (more or less can be used)
Parmesan cheese
garlic powder
dill

First I cut the jalapeno in half and de-seeded them. (I should have saved the seeds so we could plant them) Next I cut them up as fine as I could and set them aside. Then I drained and cut the artichokes hearts. I cut them into smallish chunks. I then mixed the artichokes, jalapenos, and 1/2 the mayo in a sauce pan. I decided to use the rest of the mayo because I wanted a lot of dip. I then mixed in a generous amount of cheese and heated it till hot. As it was heating, I added a little dill and garlic powder for a bit more flavor. Serve hot. Should be good for about 6-8 peoples (or two)

We are having it on fresh bread (just pulled it from the oven) but would be great on crackers as well!

The Rice has been Milk'd

2010-02-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

I was surprised at how easy it really was to make our own rice milk. I decided that I really didn't want to let the rice cook for 3 hours! (see last post) so I used my own recipe.

Rice Milk

1 cup organic brown rice (Long or Short, I used short)

4 cups water

Honey (Local of course!)

Rise the rice. Boil the water. Add the rice to the water once water is boiling. Turn heat down and let simmer for 30 min. Remove from heat. Using a ladle, fill a blender half way with the rice/water mixture. Fill the rest of the blender with cold water and blend until smooth. Pour through a mesh strainer into another large bowl. Once all the rice/water mixture has been blended and strained, fill the blender with the rice milk. Add honey (or sugar, maple syrup, ect) to taste (I added 1 tablespoon honey per blender batch) and then blend again to mix in the sweetness. Pour into mason jars and secure with lid. You can add more water if milk is thicker then you like. (you can also add vanilla, or anything else, as well if you'd like)

Ours was thinner then cow's milk but thicker then store bought rice milk and the yield was 2 quarts.

I still wasn't able to find on storage other then most people agree that it will keep in the fridge, with a good lid, for about 5-7 days. I put one quart in the fridge and two pints in the freezer. My plan is to make the quart last 7 days and then use the frozen milk in 2 weeks and 4 weeks to see if it keeps. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I now understand the saying about teaching a man to fish... We are no longer dependent on the supermarket for our milk.

We went from these ingerdients:

Filtered water, brown rice, expeller pressed canola oil, tricalcium phosphate, natural flavor, sea salt, guar gum, xanthan gum, carob bean gum, carrageenan, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin d2, and a non-recyclable container.

to these:

Water (snow melt), organic brown rice, local honey, and reusable mason jars

Rice Milk Update

2010-02-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

I did a little more poking around this morning and I found a slew of rice milk recipes. I like these one a lot better because you don't have to cook for three hours, most of these are about 30min or less. Also, these recipes have yields on them of about 2qts.

I have yet to find a way to store for long then a week...most recipes I've read say that the milk will keep for about a week in a refrigerated air-tight container.

People say the problem with canning the milk is that it is so low in acid. I'm going to make a batch this weekend and I'll post my results.

Here is the website with more recipes

Make you Own Rice Milk

2010-02-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that once you start thinking about something, its hard to stop? A few days we were talking about milk that comes in bags and/or plastic jugs and I think we can all agree that we would rather have the good ol' days of glass bottles. I think I might have been on a high horse at the time thinking I was doing a better job saving the world because we don't buy milk in plastic. Now I realize I'm doing even more harm...

Neither Firefly or myself can drink cow milk so we buy rice milk in small boxes that keep well in the pantry. I just realized that we throw every milk container away...the small boxes cannot be recycled! The containers are a mix of paper, cardboard, and wax and as far as I know, recyclable.

Now lets compare that to the milk drinker we know around here. Every milk drinker I know in Reno drinks Model Dairy milk. Model Dairy is a local company with local cows and the milk comes in plastic jugs...jugs that can be recycled.

What are we going to do now? Should we make the switch to the local, plastic jug milk? Nope.

I found a recipe online for rice milk so I am just going to start making it here at home. I found the rice milk recipe at a site called the Vegan Reader. I have never heard of them before but I like what I've read so far. The page with the recipe also talks about the milk Rice Dream and the changes in the company over the years. The parent company of Rice Dreams now has some major share holders that I don't really want to support...Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, Philip Morris and Monsanto.

We actually use Pacific Rice now instead of Rice Dream (we switched for flavor reasons) but there are alot of questions the Vegan Reader asks about Rice Dream that I can't answer about Pacific Rice.

I'll let you know what I think of the new recipe once we try it, I also report back on the easy of the recipe as well.

How To Make Rice Milk – The Recipe
Ingredients and Supplies:
1 cup uncooked organic long grain brown rice
8 cups water for cooking
More water for diluting
1 teaspoon salt
Glass mason jars for storage
A Blender
Mesh strainer
Directions
Thoroughly wash the rice.
Put 8 cups of water in a big pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Pour in the rice.
Cover the pot and lower the heat to let the water simmer.
Cook for 3 hours.

You will end up with something that looks a bit like a soupy rice pudding. Add the salt.
In batches, fill your blender halfway with the rice mixture and halfway with water. Blend until very smooth. Strain twice through a fine mesh strainer into a mason jar. Continue on with the rest of the milk until you’re finished, filling jars and screwing the lids on good and tight.

Even with the extra water, the homemade rice milk ends up thicker than the product you might be used to if you’ve always purchased Rice Dream Rice Milk. It’s more like rice cream! You may want to dilute it further at the time of serving it. Just add a bit more water until it’s the desired consistency.

Just for fun

2010-02-15T06:26:00.000-08:00

Just in case you're looking for a fun little project...

The fun folks at the Curiosity Group post this printable art project. All you do is print it out (on reused paper of course!) cut it out, fold and glue.

Have fun!

Trader Joe's wine #9 Novella

2010-02-13T06:23:00.000-08:00

2007 Novella Synergy from EOS Winery, Paso Robles CA

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the spicy smell. I was actually surprised how strong the first taste was. This wine is dry, strong, and fruity.

I think I would give this a 2.5/5 if I were to rate it...however, I keep going back for more.

This wine is another blend: 37% Petite Sirah, 25% Zinfandel, 20% Merlot, 18% Sangiovese

We had this wine with Firefly's spice vegetarian tacos (recipe coming soon!) and I think the spice from the wine went well with the spice from the tacos.

I think I would save this for a spicy dinner for a multi-bottle night.

Down and dirty info:
Price: $5.99
Average rating (Corkd.com): 84.6/100
Drinkability: 2.5/5
Next Day:
Length: Med-long
Dry?: Medium+

Barter and Trade

2010-02-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

What happened to the good ol' days of barter and trade?

Well, that depends on who you ask. Some people might say that it was to loose of a system and thankfully was replaced by our current monetary system where we all agree on the value of the form of payment. Others might say that it is a system we need to return to so that the individual is not required to give a portion of said payment to the Federal Government.

There is however a third group of people who instead of just talking about returning to a barter and trade system, have actually done so. These people include members of time banks and the teachers and students at the Trade School.

Time banks are so simple but they are changing communities all around the world. You can find them in 22 countries and on six continents. Once you are a member of a time bank, every hour that you spend helping someone else earns you an hour of help from another member.

The Trade School idea is another very unique system. At this school, the students and teachers trade items and/or services for education. So if you want to take a class on composting, maybe you would bring the teacher a loaf of homemade bread.

Check it out, bring it home, change the system, and save the world

Recapturing Bike Energy from Gyms

2010-02-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

Why are we not using gyms has power plants?

I first came across this the idea of gym power plants at Whynot.net and then recently here at treehugger.com

The basic idea is so simple...

People go to gym
People ride stationary bikes (spin class anyone?)
Bike is hooked to a generator
Gemerator creates power
Power is push out into the grid
Earth is saved!

What do you think? I know it wouldn't be gobs of electricity but I think if we can tap into more of these simple unused sources, we'll be better off in the long run.

Milk in bags?

2010-02-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

image via The New Heretics

The other day I found this post on Treehugger.com asking, "Is drinking milk from bags weird?"

My answer: Yep, sure is. Milk is bags?! That's weird. I quickly sent an email to Amber over at Unstuffed (she's Canadain) who confirmed that in Canada, milk is in fact available in bags. (She also added that the organic milk she buys comes in returnable bottles).

The point of the treehungger article was to say that milk that comes in bags uses 75% less material then the jugs that American's buy. The article goes on to say that the UK is expected to keep 100,000 tons of plastic out of landfills by switching to bagged milk.

Firefly and I drink rice milk that we buy in small 1/4gal boxes. These are sadly not recyclable. I have however been thinking that about learning how to make our own rice milk here and thus eliminating this source of trash.

How do you get your milk and what kind of container is it in? Anyone have a recipe for rice (or almond) milk?

Trader Joe's Wine #8 Ménage à Trois

2010-02-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a good standby wine, this might just be the wine for you.

While there is nothing uber-special about this wine, I think it is a great everyday table wine. This red wine has a very easy mellow taste with a nice hint of fruit. I actually think it might make a great after dinner outside-with-friends-summer-breeze wine.

This wine is not snobby in anyway so if you have so friend over who think they don't like wine, I'd pull this one off the shelve and see what they think. Like I said, it's nice and mellow with a smooth, short finish.

The name, Ménage à Trois, comes from the fact that it's a blend of three different grapes: Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cab.

A delightful blend based on three varietals- Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon - Label

Down and dirty info:
Price: $10-12
Average rating (Corkd.com): 88/100
Drinkability: 4/5
Next Day: No Change
Length: Short
Dry?: Nope

*side note*
I really enjoyed the fact that this wine tasted the same the second day as it did on the first.

The dark side of flowers

2010-02-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Ignorance is bliss...

Once you know the truth, can you really go back?

Firefly and I were just talking about how after we learn about another way we can save the earth, it drives us crazy when we don't do it.

What did we learn? This time our eyes were opened to the little plastic baggies next to the bulk bins at the grocery store. Firefly has decided that she is going to make some little baggies this weekend so that we NEVER again have to use the LPB (little plastic bags).

I joking said that I should post a blog talking about all the things we now dislike thanks to so-and-so...

Such as:

I now dislike straws thanks to The Green Phone Booth ... ect.

Now for the darker side of flowers:

Today on my way home from work, I stopped by Trader Joe's and bought Firefly some flowers (no special reason...I just hadn't bought her flowers in a long time). As I was paying for the flowers, the cashier automatically reached for that plastic flower baggie that they always put the flowers into. I kindly told her that I didn't need a bag (earth 1, plastic bag makers 0) and that was that, or was it?

This got me thinking...

Why do flowers always come wrapped in plastic? I remember buying plastic free flowers! I've bought flowers that were wrapped in paper...when did the switch to plastic happen? How did I miss that? Did the change happen one night while we all slept?

As I headed home, I asked myself the following questions:

"Self"

When was the last time you bought flowers not in plastic? - No idea (Firefly later said Pike Place market two years ago)
When was the last time you bought flowers not from a grocery store? - High school? (Firefly: Pikes!)
Where did these flower even come from? It's not spring time in Nevada!? -Next state over: California

Originally I was going to do a simple post asking where you buy flowers from, if you do, and what are they wrapped in, if they are.

However, while searching for a flower picture to use I stumbled across this, a website called Greenopia asking me if I was really green? Did you know that there are fair trade, organic, and/or sustainably grown flowers? I do now!

You should check it out....

P.s. I am PWW (posting with wine!)

Why Trader Joe's, Why?

2010-02-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

I don't remember where I first read about organic foods at Trader Joe's being in plastic but I can't get it out of my head. I recall Firefly telling me about it but I guess at the time, I didn't think much about it. However, now that I know about stores such as the packaging free store, it really is starting to bother me.

What do you think? Have you noticed this as well?

Trader Joe's wine #7 Oakley fiveReds

2010-02-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

Here we go with wine number #7 2007 Cline Oakley fiveRed

From the bottle: "Oakley fiveReds is a smooth blend of red grape varietals and other flavors of spice berries. An excellent accompaniment to spicy western grub or tomato-based dishes."

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the strong fruit smell. It took me a little while to place the smell but then it hit me...strawberry puree. The smell reminded me of making jam.

We had this wine over two nights...the first night with friends and the second with chocolate.

The first night: The wine started with a sweet and syrup-like taste that quickly thinned as the spice level increased. It finished with a subtle dryness that felt like some of the wine was evaporating as it hit the back of my throat. The wine was a rich dark red color that was thin enough to see through.

The second night, I hated the wine. Okay, hate might be to strong of a word but regardless, this wine was definitely not as good the second night as it was the night before. Thankful we had plenty of chocolate.

First we tried it with pieces of a Hershey's milk chocolate bar and suddenly the not-so-good-the-second-night bottle of wine was excellent! The wine enhanced the creaminess of the chocolate so much that it tasted almost like drinking a milk chocolate moose.

We then tried it with a Chipotle Chili dark chocolate bar from World Market (64% cacao) and wow!
If you thought the chocolate was too spicy by itself, then maybe you shouldn't try it with the Oakley fiveReds. This wine is really good at bringing out the flavor of whatever you are eating it with, in this case, the spicy chocolate. Our spicy, bitter (the high the cacao content, the more bitter the chocolate) became even spicier and more bitter.

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