Cre8 and ReCre8

ReCre8 Fabric Scraps: Stuffed Turtle

2011-03-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

I have one little boy in my life who always has a creative project idea for me. Some of them are not practical (such as a giant remote control gorilla). So, when he asks me for a soft stuffed turtle, I can say "yes"! I loved making this little fabric-scrap turtle for my son. When you make a one-of-a-kind gift for a child, the payoff makes it totally worth it.

Supplies

A piece of thin cardboard
One piece of scrap fabric for the body.
One piece of scrap fabric for the shell.
One scrap of batting.
Thread to match
Embroidery thread
Stuffing

Instructions

You start by cutting out templates from a piece of scrap cardboard. You can just free-hand it or you can use this image as a template.

Here is what some of the template will look like.
Double your scrap fabric for the turtle body. Arrange the body template pieces (see picture below). Trace around them with a pencil or pen.
Double the fabric for the shell. Trace around the shell template.
Trace the shell template onto your piece of batting.
Cut the shell fabric and the body fabric leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
Cut the shell batting with no seam allowance.
At this point you should have 2 pieces of fabric for body, 2 pieces of fabric for shell, 1 piece of batting for the shell stuffing.
Assemble the Shell

Place fabric with right side facing each other. Using your sewing machine, sew around the shell with a 1/4" seam leaving a 2" opening.Stuff the batting into the shell and then hand-stitch the opening.
Stitch the shell in spiral or desired pattern to give it a quilted effect.
OPTIONAL: Using a backstitch with embroidery thread, make a design in the

Assemble the body

Sew around the body with a 1/4" seam leaving a 1" opening.
Stuff the body with stuffing and then hand stitch the opening.

Tack the shell to the body at four or 5 points around the turtle.
OPTIONAL: Embroider on a face or a smile.

Enjoy your stuffed turtle!!

Little Boy Clutching Beloved Little Turtle

Bringing joy to my little boy with a few left over scraps of fabric? That is a finer thing.

This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's The Finer Things in Life.

ReCre8 Old T-Shirt Projects: Memory Pillows (Epsiode 1)

2011-03-22T08:00:00.043-04:00

So, this is my "5 minute" attempt at creating a t-shirt pillow. I had this 12x12 pillow form sitting in the craft closet, so I thought I could throw together a pillow case for my 7-yo with his old T-Ball t-shirt.

I didn't want to mess with fusing and such, so I dealt with reinforcing the t-shirt material by using squares of an old sheet to sew underneath them.

Supplies

2 13x13 squares of old sheet or similar cotton fabric
1 t-shirt
1 12x12 pillow form
Sheers
Sewing Machine

Instructions

Pin the 13x13 square of fabric to the front of the t-shirt, taking care to place any graphics in an appealing place.
Cut around the 13x13 square.
Repeat for the back of the t-shirt.
Layer your squares with the t-shirts pieces sanwiched inside the cotton fabric. (the part you want to show should be facing each other in the middle.

Using your machine, sew around the edges leaving a 1/2" seam. Leave a 5" opening for stuffing the pillow form in.
Turn the pillow form right side out.
Stuff your pillow form into the pillow case.
Hand stitch up the seam. (Here is where I tried to take a short cut and use the sewing machine. You can see from the picture that it does not look pretty! I don't recommend it!)
Ta-Da! now you have a soft comfy pillow.

2010 Garden Reflections

2011-01-20T08:00:00.012-05:00

I am just giddy as I start to think about what my 2011 garden will look like! On these cold, winter days I like to sit and fantasize about all those fresh veggies and herbs growing just outside my door. But, as not to repeat gardening sins of the past, I first need to reflect on lessons learned from the 2010 garden.

Since I was on a blogging break in 2010, I never did share my 2010 garden plan. I was attempting Square Foot Gardening, and I found Microsoft Excel very helpful to plan out how I would plant. I found this to be very useful to manage my time and also this made it very easy to adjust as reality interfered with my original vision.

Here is a view of the whole garden. There are 6 smaller beds (2'x5' and 2'x6'). Then there is a larger berry patch (4'x10') and an additional bed (4'x9'). Each cell in Excel represents 1 4"x4" square in the garden.

This is the blow-up of what I consider the main garden beds. This was the original size of the garden.

Here is the berry patch and the potato trash can. I had anticipating getting the berry patch all set in 2010, but as it turned out, I didn't get the plants in until the fall.

Finally, this is the large bed. In 2011, I use this for squashes and melons.

So, what did I learn in 2010? So much!

I need deer protection! In the smaller garden area we didn't have a problem with deer - I think this might have been because the space was too small to jump into. In our larger garden area this year, the deer just helped themselves on a daily basis. They ate squash blossoms, whole tomato plants, lettuce, and parsley. This year, I need to have a proactive solution for keeping the deer OUT! Any suggestions?
Aggressive de-bugging works. I made finding aphids into a game for my boys. They would come out there with me early in the season to gently look under the leaves playing "who can find the most aphids". Then I could just smush them before they could do much damage. This allowed my broccoli to mature beautifully for the first time providing both a spring and fall harvest!
Garlic really needs to be planted in the fall to mature properly in my area. So, this time, I have already planted tons of garlic. I really hope it does well.
I need to fungicide the pear tree. We have a mature pear tree in our back yard. We have seen some years with nothing and some years with a wonderful harvest. I have noticed for the past 2 years how the leaves all get black dots underneath them and fall off. With no more source of fuel, the immature fruits fall off. After talking to some local farmers, I learned that my problem is fungus. Apparently it is nearly impossible to grow pears in this humid mid-atlantic climate without using some fungicide.So, now I have to research the most eco-friendly fungicide.
Prepare beds for the winter - it will make the spring much easier! In 2010, it was a big pain to de-weed my beds in preparation for planting. This year, I prepared (mostly) in the fall and covered the beds with a bunch of oak leaves. I hope this will leave me in better shape come March.

OK, there are a lot more lessons learned, but this post is getting too long. Dreaming of gardens past in present is definitely a finer thing in life. This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's The Finer Things in Life.

I would love to hear what you have learned in your 2010 gardening experience...

Cre8-ing Electricity: Results from 1.5 years of Solar

2011-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

So far, I've shared how we decided to invest in a Photovoltaic Solar System and how the installation went. Many people ask me how the system is performing and how it affects us on a day-to-day basis. Let me start with the easy stuff...

How Does Solar Affect Us on a Day-to-Day Basis?
Not at all. In fact, we could just forget about this until our electric bill comes and it is lower than expected (if I didn't obsessively check the performance on a daily basis). In our installation, the solar panels are only visible from the back yard, so we don't even look a them. There is no change to the way the electric system works within our house.

How Did We Prepare (Reducing Electricity Usage)?
Before we went ahead and invested in this system, we took many steps to reduce the electric usage in our home. Some of the biggest impact items were: using a programmable thermostat to lower the usage of AC/Heat Pump, add weather stripping, and lower the temperature on our hot water heater. Some other items are:

put vampire energy hogs (such s the cable box) on a timer,
not using dry cycle on dishwasher,
switch to CF/LED lighting
and washing clothes in cool water.

How Much Do We Produce?
Yeah, this is where I get to show my graph. I am a geek for Excel! There is a lot of information in this graph. The bars represent our total electric usage each month. The "green" section of the bar shows the amount each month that our solar generates. The "red" section of the bar shows the amount of electricity that we use from BGE. The line on the graph shows the percentage of our total usage that comes from solar each month.

What Affects Production the Most?
The biggest barrier to production is 2 feet of snow covering the panels! In fact, the only times we have had zero production is when the panels are covered with snow. The other factors that affect this are the season (number of hours of daylight), how cloudy the sky is, and the temperature (solar panels are more efficient in cool weather rather than in very hot weather).

What Percent of Our Electric Usage Comes From Solar?
Here's another (far more simplistic) graph. BGE is our electric company. We have no gas in our area, so all of our heating and cooking needs are met by electric. To date, about 46% of our electric usage comes form our solar system. When we first looked into this, I was very set on having a system that provided 100% of our needs. After evaluating the investment, it was just not feasible for us. Also, there was not enough room on our roof to support this. If you look at the first graph, you can see how this percentage varies over time. In the spring and early summer, almost all of our energy can be supplied by solar. In the winter, it is a very small percentage. This is not just because we generate less electricity in the winter, but because we tend to use the heat in the winter a lot more than we use the AC in the summer.

What Kinds of Issues Have We Had?
I hate to say this, because I don't want to jinx it, but we have not had any issues so far. I am hoping that keeps up because maintenance expenses would really delay our return on investment (ROI) timeline.

What is the Return on Investment (ROI)?
Based on the tax incentives we have seen so far and based on what we can expect to save in electiricity costs in the future, our system should pay itself off by 2015. We should break even within 5.5 years. After that point, all that annual savings is just money in our pocket (or in 529 plans as the case may be). I was willing to pursue this with a 10 year ROI, so I am very pleased that it looks like it will come in under 6 years.

How Has This Changed Our Electric Usage?
I was really hoping that once we had the system installed we would continue to cut our electric usage (motivated by the desire to see that meter run backwards). Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Our usage has been creeping upwards. With only 1.5 years of data to look at, it is hard to say if this is because of the extreme weather we have been having (extremely hot and extremely cold) or just because we have become lethargic about reducing our usage. Time and data will tell!

Pass the Weeds, Please (Episode III): Winter Weed

2011-01-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

Once my pre-ordered copy of John Kallas's Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate arrived, I completely devoured it in a day. One of my favorite finds in my backyard this year was chickweed.

Chickweed (Stellaria Media)
Chickweed is a delicious winter weed. It grows all over the planet, so there is probably some i your area. I have read from a few different sources that it gets its name because chickens love to eat it. Depending on your zone, you may see it start showing up in February or March.

How to Identify Chickweed

Nutrition Information for Chickweed
Chickweed contains vitamins B6, B12, C and
D, plus beta-carotene, iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and
manganese. It also contains the flavinoid rutin.

This is what my garden looked like in early April (however, many regions will find Chickweed starting to arrive as early as February) as I was going to get started with my spring planting. It was totally overrun with Chickweed, although I didn't know what it was at the time. So, as I often do when I find weeds growing in the garden, I identified it to see if it was something worth eating. I liked what I found!

These pictures are what chickweed looks like in the early spring in my zone. Look how much is there! I needed to clean it out of my garden, so why not put all these free veggies to good use. This plant changes a lot throughout the season. It gets very tall and grows very aggressively. The good news is that it is very easy to pull up. I look forward to cleaning up my garden this year and cooking up some nice Chickweed quiche for dinner.

How to Use Chickweed, Some Ideas

Add to Tomato Sauce/Spaghetti Sauce ( I do this all the time. I just throw it in the blender with the tomatoes and basil).
Sautee in some olive oil and butter with Diced Onions
Toss with a table salad
Include in a pesto
Wash and Eat it raw - it is a really tasty weed
Add it to a veggie lasagna
Chickweed Quiche or Frittata

Free fresh veggies in my own backyard? Now that is a Finer Thing.

Note: I am not a biologist, nutrition, or herbalist. I am just sharing my own appreciation for foraging and nutrition based on my own research. I strongly encourage you to conduct your own research before eating wild food.

This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's The Finer Things in Life.

Cre8-ing Electricity: Our Solar Installation

2011-01-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

In August of 2009, after we had taken efforts to reduce our electricity consumption and done a lengthy analysis on the feasibility of acquiring a Photovoltaic Solar System, we had a 7.7 kW Solar Electric System installed on our roof by a local mid-Atlantic company called Standard Solar.

We were giddy with excitement the day of the installation. The truck pulled up, the workers unloaded all the materials and gear and they got right to work up on the roof.

Some of the Panels anxiously waiting on the deck to be installed

The Specs

Size: 7.7kW Solar Electric System
Panels: 44 Suntech 175 Watt solar modules.

Type of PV Cells: Crystalline
Monitoring: Sunny Webbox.

The Installation
Overall, the installation was completed in two days. The process was very painless for us - not so much for the installers being up on the roof in 95 degree weather!! But, I did my best to keep them hydrated.

The installation involved putting the mountings on the roof to securely hold the panels, installing the panels, installing the inverter, tying into our electrical system, and upgrading the meter to a digital meter which can run forwards and backwards.

Our New Meter

Wiring through Attic to Inverter

Laying the Groudwork to Secure the Panels

Installing the Last of the Panels

It was about 2 weeks between when our system installation was completed and when the electric company approved our Interconnection Application so that the system could be tied into the grid. Rather than having a battery backup, our system is tied into the electric grid. This means when we are producing less than we use, we pull electricity from the grid and our meter runs forward. If we are producing more than we use, we push electricity back to the grid and our meter runs backwards. Being tied into the grid means that when there is a power outage in our area, we still experience that power outage. We are okay with that, because it doesn't happen too often for us. Standard Solar has a great little video on how the Solar System works in this setup.

So far, after a year and a half, everything has been working just as expected. We have not had any issues or problems so far. In the next Solar Post, I'll tell you how we track the performance of the system and how it has been doing with all this extreme temperature in the Mid-Atlantic over the past two year.

How about you? Do you have a solar system? Are you considering alternative sources of energy?

Grateful for My Local Home & Garden Information Center

2011-01-11T08:00:00.030-05:00

I just didn't expect something like this to exist! The University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center has a program where you can call or email your gardening questions and a Master Gardener will respond with an answer. They advertise on their site:

Ask the experts! We answer plant
and pest questions.

So, I did just that. I want to know why I can't seem to grow bell peppers, which are supposed to be so easy to grow. So I asked...

Next business day, they responded...

This same organization also brings one of my favorite gardening blogs called "Grow It! Eat It!," where I get lots of good gardening advice.

What a great free, local resource! Do they have something similar in your area?

I am sharing my gratitude. Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Cockaigne - An Adaptation

2011-01-10T08:00:00.094-05:00

The Joy of Cooking is my "food bible". I would say I use this at least 5 times a week and it shows! The pages are covered in flower and butter and chocolate smudges. Until recently, I thought the word "Cockaigne" after some of the recipe names was some type of French cooking technique of which I had never heard. So, after a little research, I learned that this is not the case at all.

Apparently (according to Wikipedia), Cockaigne is a "medieval mythical land of plenty, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease where physical comforts and pleasures are always immediately at hand and where the harshness of medieval peasant life does not exist." Cockaigne is also the name of a family estate of Irma Rombauer designed by her architect husband, John Becker. Recipes in the Joy of Cooking that are designated with a "Cockaigne" ending are a family favorite of the Beckers!

And this Chocolate Chip cookie deserves to be a family favorite. Since I am grinding my own flour now, I needed an adaptation of this cookie that would work with only whole grains. I also threw in a little coconut flour for the extra sweetness and fiber.

This is a double recipe I included volume and weights on the flour for those of you who weigh your flour for baking. I always like to freeze half of this for "cookies on demand".

Ingredients

2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (10 oz.)
2/3 c. finely milled Oat Flour (4 oz.)
1 c. coarsely milled Oat Flour (5 oz.)
1/2 c. Coconut Flour (4 oz.)
2 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 pound butter (soft)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
1/2 c. milk
5 tsp. vanilla
1-2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (depending on your preference)
6 oz. milk chocolate grated or chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together Wheat flour, Coconut flour, finely-milled Oat flour (retain the coarsely milled), Baking soda, Baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
In your electric mixer bowl (or a large bowl for hand mixing), beat butter with medium speed until it is creamy and light. Add sugars and beat until fully combined. Beat in eggs one at a time; scraping the bowl in between. Beat in milk and vanilla.
Stir in the flour mixture gradually until everything is well blended.
Stir in the coarsely milled oat flour, chocolate chips, and grated milk chocolate until evenly distributed.
Prepare your baking sheet by greasing, laying parchment paper, or a silicone baking sheet
Use a small disher or your hands to drop 1.5" balls of dough about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Using two fingers, slightly flatten out each ball of dough.
Bake for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool and Enjoy!

Cookies-On-Demand
You never know when you are going to NEED a chocolate chip cookie. I take about half the dough and form it into a log. I then roll up the log in parchment paper and twist the ends like a giant tootsie roll and put it in the freezer. When you want to make cookies, just use a steak knife to slice off about 1/2" discs and cook at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Let me know if you try this one out! What are your FAVORITE Joy of Cooking Recipes?

The Garden My Husband Built

2011-01-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

I often come up with lots of great ideas that create a good deal of work for my husband. Over these 16 years of togetherness, we seem to fall into these roles as a couple. I come up with some crazy plan and he makes it happen.

After a successful summer with a container herb garden on my deck, I thought we definitely needed a garden. The problem was, I am a very inconsistent "maintainer" (is that a word). I tend to have a ton of enthusiasm at the beginning of a project and then fizzle out as I get bored or discouraged. So, if this garden was going to work, it had to be pretty self-sustaining.

After a lot of research (thanks, Internet!) I decided we would need a raised bed garden with a drip irrigation system on a timer. Following much of the advice in Mel Bartholomew's book, Square Foot Gardening, we found a sunny spot in the yard and made a plan.

Cedar really would have been the best option for the beds, but it was out of our price range. We didn't want to use plain lumber because of the toxins it would leak into the ground. Although it is less than ideal, we settled on painted lumber (I LOVE the paint color - husband? not so much).

We put river rocks around the beds to keep weeds down and some flagstone for a walkway through the garden area. We put chicken wire underneath each of the beds to try to keep out digging varmits from beneath.

The drip irrigation on a timer has really been a life saver. If I go on vacation, the garden still gets watered. If I forget, the garden still gets watered. This is the number one thing that has turned my black thumb at least military green.

So, after two years of gardening, we have had some great successes (such as an abundant strawberry harvest, beautiful herbs, and lots of broccoli) and we have had many failures (2 years of failed eggplant, spinach destroyed by aphids, and deer eating all our tomato plants). But each year we learn a great deal. It brings me so much joy to tend to the plants with my children and to "pick" our dinner at night.

The Garden My Husband Built is a Finer Thing

This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's The Finer Things in Life.

ReCre8 Old T-Shirts

2011-01-05T12:00:00.007-05:00

T-Shirts.

I have WAY too many T-Shirts. I rarely wear them, but I love the memories of special events and times in my life that the T-shirts represent. Being the beginning of the New Year, it is time to clean out some of these unused items from my closet. Rather than just trashing them, here are a bunch of projects to ReCre8 these t-shirts.

T-Shirts as Rags. (Instructions: Just cut them up - any shape or size)
T-Shirt Handkerchiefs/Wipes (Instructions)
T-Shirts as Reusable Napkins. (Instructions)
T-Shirt Pillowcase: (Instructions)
The T-Shirt Quilt. (Instructions)
T-Shit Laundry Bag/Tote Bag (Instructions)
T-Shirt Memory Scarf (Instructions)

I plan to try several of these. What about you? Do you have any ideas to add?

Cre8-ing New Years Resolutions

2010-12-29T13:47:00.013-05:00

It's that time of year. The end of another year that has past by more quickly than the last. I just looked at my last blog post and it was dated 2009! I think that the trouble is, I want to be posting about new projects every day, but it is just too much as a full-time working mom of 3 young boys. So, my first New Years Resolution is about blogging:

Resolution 1: Blog Sometimes, and Only When I Have Something Useful to Say

As I sit and think about my goals for the upcoming year, gardening is one of the first things that comes to mind. I have had an active vegetable garden for two years now with many delightful success and many failures along the way. I am terrible at regular maintenance, so my goal is to have a gardening system in place that I cannot mess up! I feel that I am going into this year with so many lessons learned and a whole lot of inspiration to grow food in the spring, summer, and fall.

Resolution 2: Maintain a 3 Season Garden (Spring, Summer, Fall)

I am no seamstress, but I love to "hack" together some clothes, costumes, and other sewing projects. Re-purposing a useless piece of clothing into a useful one is my favorite way to sew. Which brings me to my third resolution...

Resolution 3: Document at Least One Re-Purposing Sewing Project

Whole foods cooking and baking has been an ongoing journey for all of us in my home. What works? What doesn't work? There are a lot of projects here I would like to get documented.

Resolution 4: Document More Cooking and Baking Projects

I have not been successful at ridding my life of all things plastic. However, for so many reasons (see My Plastic-Free Life), I want to minimize plastic usage in my life, especially those things that are disposables. It's always a challenge to find good, reusable alternatives and it takes some Cre8-tivity to make it happen.

Resolution 5: Use Even Less Plastic

So, I will try to keep these resolutions this year, but I will not stress myself about it. To me, it is more important to that is to keep my balance and have all priorities in place.

Pass the Weeds, Please (Episode II)

2009-07-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

A Foraging Recipe - Weed Pesto

Here is a great pesto I like to make with some of my weeds...

Ingredients

¼ cup Dandelion Greens
¼ cup Purslane
¼ cup Field Garlic (grass)
4 bulbs Field Garlic (bulb)
¼ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Pine Nuts
¼ cup Basil leaves
¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Mince and lightly saute the garlic bulbs in some Olive Oil to take the edge off. In a food processor: chop up the nuts and garlic bulbs. Add all of the greens and continue to process until everything is finely chopped. Add in cheese and slowly add the olive oil slowly while processing until you reach the desired texture. Leave in the fridge for a few hours before eating. Serve as a dressing for penne pasta, use as a sandwich spread, or serve with crackers or toast.

So, what weeds do you like to eat?

Pass the Weeds, Please (Episode I)

2009-07-24T08:45:00.001-04:00

I’ve been intrigued by foraging for food in my backyard my whole life. My neighbors and I searched for wild strawberries, ate “onion grass”, and came up with a recipe for “lemon grass” cheese sauce. At the time, it did not concern me whether or not these things were toxic. Lucky for me, they weren’t!

Now I am a suburbanite who does not want to use fertilizer or weed killer to have a lush, green bed of grass in my lawn. Instead, I like to arm my children with baskets to go collect dinner from the lawn. Backyard foraging has become a fun family activity. Here are some of the things we can find in our mid-atlantic yard:

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) – This is my absolute favorite weed. I like to just pluck off some of the succulent leave and eat them plain because they are tasty. They have a little bit of a lemony flavor to them. A sprig of purslane makes a great addition to a toss salad, an addition to a tomato sauce, or as a component of a pesto. What is unique about purslane is that the leaves are naturally high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is rare for green vegetables. The stems are high in Vitamin C. I like to put purslane in a container garden – it doesn’t need too much tending. Most often purslane is considered a weed and people are trying to eradicate it, but if I see some growing in a friends yard, I just say “May I have your weeds?”

How to Identify Purslane

Nutrition Information for Raw Purslane

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) – This is my second-favorite weed. Besides the fact that it is a beautiful flower and makes great bouquets, necklaces, rings, and hair accessories, it is extremely useful food and herbal remedy. Have you ever eaten that Whole Foods “Spring Greens” in a bag salad mix? You are probably eating Dandelion greens. The leaves are great in the spring for salads, pesto, or sandwich toppings. Dandelion greens are a great source of Vitamin A and C as well as fiber. The roots are great in the fall for a bitter tea or as a nutritional supplement. Dandelion roots harvested in the fall are high in inulin (soluble fiber). The flowers can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and ground into flour.

How to Identify Dandelions

Nutrition Data for Dandelion: Greens

Wild Blackberries (Rubus allegheniensis) – We have these growing all along our fenceline as well as on our bike-riding route. What could be better than free blackberries? The brambles can be prickly, so take care when picking these. Make sure to wait until they are dark purple before picking – otherwise, they won’t taste very good. Use them just as you would blackberries: Freeze them, make a jam, add to a fruit smoothie, or best – just eat them as you pick!

How to identify Wild Blackberries

Some words of caution…

Don’t eat any foraged food that is from an area that may be exposed to insecticides, road salt (from snow), or any foreign chemical substances that you don’t know about.
Make sure to clean anything that you pluck from your yard thoroughly.
Make sure you can absolutely, positively identify something before you eat it. Many plants in your yard are poisonous.
Don’t encourage non-native invasive species to grow. Check with your state or local invasive species organization.

Resources
Properly identifying anything you forage is very important. Here are some great resources to help with that. I am a big fan of naturalist “Wildman” Steve Brill who has written a book on the subject and has a wealth of information on his website: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/. He includes tons of information on identifying plants that are edible and is working on a book for foraging with kids.

An organization called Plants for a Future (http://www.pfaf.org/index.php) has a searchable database of edible plants with all kinds of information on uses of the plants and any hazards or warnings about their usage. It is an excellent free resource.

Frugal and Fun: Backyard Foraging is a Finer Thing. (See more Finer Things at Amy’s Finer Things Fridays).

This is a series and I plan to share more foraging tips, resources, and recipes to try.

Cre8 Your Own Energy: Documenting our Solar Project

2009-07-21T14:03:00.006-04:00

Okay, so I am not building my own solar panels or anything, but the stars aligned for us this year and we are able to get solar panels on our home. I hope to document that process here a little bit.

Step 1 - Reduce Energy Usage
Of course the process started over a year ago for us. It started with an awareness of how much energy we were using and wasting. We only have electric available in our neighborhood - and boy, were we using more than our share! In the winter, our bills $400-$500+. So, being the geeky engineer-types that we are in my household, we immediately started tracking our usage and started an aggressive campaign to reduce our electric usage. We turned down our heat, turned up our AC, got rid of our "vampires", switched to CFLs, turned the lights off, among many other little energy saving changes. The results were dramatic! I would say we save about $1700/yr over if we had not changed our behavior. This graph is what we've been using to track our usage over time.

Step 2 - Cost/Benefit Analysis
So once we reduced our usage, we looked at the costs and benefits of installing the solar panels on our home. The up-front costs are very high, approximately $60K for the size system we are getting. Luckily, this year there are many state and federal grants and rebates that end up cutting the cost in half to about $30K. We are using a local company called Standard Solar that will take care of all the paperwork and permits for us. Now, we will expect $1200 cost savings every year on our energy bill. In addition, the energy company will pay us a credit for producing clean energy (like a carbon offset price). This system should (theoretically) also increase the value of our home by about $30K. The financial Return on Investment for us (minus the increase in home value) is about 11 years assuming energy costs stay the same. Now, if energy costs rise, our ROI will come much sooner.

That is just the financial benefit. There are also benefits that are not financial. One is knowing that we are not burning through as much natural resources to create our energy. Another is emergency preparedness. If our electric service became rationed or more unreliable, we have a good solid backup. Also, it is a great learning experience for us and the kids. So, overall, it was a go for me and my husband.

Step 3 - Evaluation, Planning, Permits, and Design
Now, this was the easy part for us because the Solar Company does all this work for us. Our solar rep came out and took a bunch of measurements and pictures of the house. They tested the sun exposure and determined that we would have 89% efficiency with the panels. The panels will be mounted on the east-facing back of our roof, so you won't even see them from the street. An engineer at the company then made up a bunch of technical design drawings for us to review and approve.

Now that the design is complete and the permits are pulled and the paperwork is filed, we are ready for our installation. That is yet to happen. I'll let you know how it goes...

What to Do with Old Pants: Travel Pillow Cases

2009-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Adult-sized non-tapered chinos or Jeans are just perfect for very simple pillow-case for a travel-size pillow. I love to have travel pillows with us for naps in the car or to use with sleeping bags on overnight trips to Grandma’s house. However, things get so dirty in the car being accidentally stepped on with muddy shoes or ending up with popsicle sticks melted into them. I needed a cover for these travel pillows that I could just throw into the washer with everything else – and I didn’t have too much time toi spend on this project.

So, after making my “coloring bag” (also good for travel in the car), I took the left-over pants legs from my husbands old chinos and made them into a nice little pillow-case. Here’s how I did it:

Get a travel pillow (you could make one from scratch - I found these at CVS).
Cut off a pant leg from a worn pair of chinos. Choose a 15 in section of the pants that is wide enough to fit around the pillow.
Sew: Sew up the side at an angle so the top and bottom end up the same width. Sew down the bottom of the pillowcase.
Fold under the top of the pillow case twice and sew around.
Turn right side out.

Once I was finished with the sewing portion, I wanted to personalize them for the kids. (They do love to have their own, personal items. So, on our trip to the beach in the car, here’s how I did it:

I had them each choose a picture they wanted on them.
Using a ball point pen, I wrote out their name and drew their respective fish, shark, and turtle
Then using a back stitch I hand-stitched around my free-hand drawing. Then I embroidered on their names. With such a thick material for the pillow case - I didn't find any need for a hoop.
Voila – no they each have a one-of-a-kind very special travel pillow.

These get a lot of use around here and can easily just get thrown in the laundry for cleaning.

Cre8 4th 0f July T-Shirts (and Rocks)

2009-07-13T08:40:00.007-04:00

I love celebrating the 4th of July. This year, we had a nice "small town" 4th of July (even though we live far from a small town). I was looking for a good activity to celebrate with that would appeal to my 13-yo niece as well as my 4 and 6 year old boys. Using some fabric paint and some plain white t-shirts, we made our own Independence Day shirts.

We put coloring books in the middle of the shirt to make sure the paint didn't spread to the back.

And the kids decided to make some patriotic pet rocks....

Fun was had by all.

Re-Cre8 Your Garbage: Composting

2009-03-26T17:00:00.001-04:00

We've had a composting bin for years, but we didn't know what we were doing with it. We had it next to the shed in the shade and we only put yard clippings in it. It wasn't doing much.

So, as our small little container gardening was going so well for us last summer, we thought we were ready for the next step of composting. We moved our bin to the sunlight. We started collecting kitchen scraps, old cardboard boxes, along with the yard waste to balance out the bin. DH religiously waters and turns the compost. At first, it was a pile of garbage (surprisingly, not too smelly). Eventually it became a beautiful pile of rich topsoil that we can use for this year's planting. Yeah.

And, we've got worms. Ours came of their own accord to feast on the glorious coffee grinds, banana peels, and junk mail. Oh, glorious day!

Composting gets two thumbs up from me. Here's my top ten list for why composting is great.

10. Lots of free pet worms!

9. A chore little kids love - adding their banana peels to the composter.

8. Makes it fun to clean out the refrigerator. The moldier the better for the compost.

7. Switch to fewer garbage pickups and save money.

6. Organic fertilizer for your landscaping.

5. Less waste has to go to waste processing facilities which saves energy.

4. Use fewer plastic trash bags.

3. Great free topsoil for the garden.

2. How often can you get excited about dirt?

1. No stinky food trash smelling up the garage.

Interested in composting? Here are some good resources:
Nature.org
HowToCompost.org
Easy Composting from Montgomery County Recycles

Cre8 Copy-Cat Fiber One Bars (Peanut-Free)

2009-03-25T09:40:00.006-04:00

My family loves the Oats and Chocolate Chip Fiber One bars. We all love the taste and convenience. I love all the fiber and nutrients in the bars. There are a few things I don't like about the bars:

Peanuts as an ingredient means the kids cannot take them to school in the lunch box (peanut-free school).
The individual packaging generates a lot of non-recyclable plastic waste.
Even buying them in bulk, they are pretty pricey ~$1/piece

So, I decided to try to make a copycat version of these bars leaving out the ingredients I don't want (Peanuts, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, among others) and also add in some ingredients that I do want (flax meal, oat bran, etc.)

I would really like to add chicory root extract for all the soluble fiber, but I have not been able to find that commercially available. Would love a source if you have one!

This is a huge recipe - makes 30-40 bars and they last well. There are a lot of ingredients here and there is a good amount of room for improvisation. I don't think I actually make them the same way twice...

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. butter, melted
¼ cup packed brown sugar (melted to a syrup)
½ cup honey
¼ cup Agave Nectar
¼ cup molasses
½ cup sunflower butter (mine is sunflowers, tahini, and canola oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. liquid lecithin
1 ½ cup barley flakes
2 ½ cups rolled oats
2 cup crisped rice
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
¼ cup oat bran
¼ cup white whole wheat flour
¼ cup lightly blended almonds
¼ cup flax meal
¼ cup dry coconut flakes
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter with the soy lecithin (you could substitute egg yolk for this - it is the emulsifier) then add all the wet ingredients (including the sunflower butter) and whisk until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly distributed. Next, spread the batter into two greased 9x11 baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (or until the edges are lightly browned).

Now, here's the hard part... Cover lightly and leave for 24 hours before cutting. This is a really essential step to keep the bars from falling apart. You may even place in the refrigerator for a few hours before cutting. Cut into bars (I use a pizza cutter, which works great). You can store in a glass container(s) or leave them right in the pan. These are great snacks for the lunch box, after school snacks, a lunch supplement.

Without the chicory root extract, these bars do not have the fiber content that Fiber One Bars do, but they stall have a lot! As well as a bunch of other good nutrients.

ReCre8 Profile: Design*Sponge Before and After

2009-03-20T12:28:00.004-04:00

I am certainly no designer. I've always been missing that capability to put all the pieces together in such a way that they just look good. But, I do love getting inspiration from good, talented designers and artists in the world.

One amazing source of ReCre8-ive inspiration is the before and after series on Design*Sponge. Grace Bonney, a Brooklyn-based writer, puts together a beautiful collection of makeover projects that can't help but make you want to go to the thrift store the next time you need something!

Cre8 a Knitted Baby Hat - Episode I

2009-03-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

I love to knit. Most especially, I love to knit baby hats. I think it is because of the speed and simplicity of the projects. I am always in need of baby gifts and I can whip up a hat in a night or two while I'm watching Top Chef.

I usually make up the pattern as I go, but lately I've been trying to write them down so I can share them. This little baby hat is probably best for babies ages 3 months - 1 year (depending on their head size).

Supplies

Yarn: 2 colors (your choice) Baby Weight DK Yarn (I like Sirdar Snuggly Baby Yarn, which they do not make any more). You will need 1 skein plus a scrap for the second color.
Needles: Size 4 circular needles and set of Size 4 double-sided bamboo needles
Small Cable Hook

Gauge (Understanding Gauge)

6 stitches/in

Instructions
Don't know how to read a knitting instruction? Check out "How to Read a Knitting Pattern" at WikiHow or the excellent resources at About.com.

Cast On 80 stitches with Color #1 and join to work in the round.
Rows 1-3: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20
Row 4: in Color #2 (K2P2)*20
Rows 5,6: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20
Rows 7,8: in Color #2 (K2P2)*20
Row 9: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20 -- NOTE: continue in color #1 for the rest of the pattern
Rows 10-15: K35 P2 K6 P2 K35
Row 16: K35 P2 C6F P2 K35
Rows 17-22: (repeat 10)
Row 23: (repeat 16)
Rows 24-29: (repeat 10)
Row 30: (repeat 16)
Rows 31-36: (repeat 10)
Row 37: (repeat 16)
NOTE: While decreasing, switch to your 4 double-sided needles whenever the hat becomes too small for your circular needle.
Row 38: (K2 K2tog K3)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K3 K2tog K2)*5
Row 39: K30 P2 K6 P2 K30
Row 40: (K2 K2tog K2)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K2 K2tog K2)*5
Row 41: K25 P2 K6 P2 K25
Row 42: (K1 K2tog K2)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K2 K2tog K1)*5
Row 43: K20 P2 K6 P2 K20
Row 44: (K1 K2tog K1)*5 P2 CF6 P2 (K1 K2tog K1)*5
Row 45: K15 P2 K2 K2tog K2 P2 K15
Row 46: (K1 K2tog)*5 P2tog K5 P2tog (K2tog K1)*5
Row 47: K10 P1 K2tog K1 K2tog P1 K10
Row 48: (K2tog)*5 P1 K3 P1 (K2tog)*5
Row 49: K5 P1 K2tog K1 P1 K5
Row 50: (K2tog)*7

Using a yarn needle work the tail of the yarn through the 7 stitches, removing them from the knitting needles. Pull the top of the hat closed and work the yarn into stitches on the inside of the hat. Work in all your yarn ends to complete.

Garden Planning 2009

2009-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

The blogosphere has spoken and I have listened. Now is the time to begin planning my 2009 vegetable garden. Thankfully, there are SO many great resources on the Internet for those of us who have a track record of killing plants rather than growing them. Here are two:

Amy at "The Finer Things In Life" has a comprehensive post on advice for vegetable gardening.

I also like the "10 Steps to a Successful Vegetable Garden" at About.com.

One thing I haven't been able to find is some advice about managing pests (from deers and groundhogs to unwelcome bugs) in an eco-friendly way. Anyone have good resources to offer?

Last year I had a container garden which I could conveniently keep on my back deck and the deer couldn't get to (although, a groundhog frequented my garden for a parsley meal). This year, I'm planning to expand to a full-out backyard vegetable garden. Unfortunately, none of my herbs survived the winter other than my bay laurel, so I have to start from scratch. Here's what I would like to plant (it is yet to be seen what I actually do).

Vegetables
- Peppers (Cayenne, Bell, Paprika)
- Asparagus
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Onion
- Broccoli
- Pumpkin
- Squash

Herbs
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Bay Laurel
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Oregano
Sunflowers (because they are just so awesome)...

Cre8 Green Lentils Spicy-Style

2009-02-28T08:00:00.004-05:00

During the season of lent, many Catholics and other Christians abstain from eating meat on Fridays. Even outside of lent, we try to have at least 3 meat-free dinners a week in order to conserve energy and to lower our grocery bills. This is one of our favorite meat-free meals - and it makes great left-overs to bring to work the next day. I will say it is "inspired" by Indian Daal, in flavors.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. of butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/2 c. dry green lentils
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turneric
4 finely chopped cardamom seeds
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on your heat preference)
1 quart vegetable broth
~2 c. water

Directions
Melt butter in skillet on med-high. Add garlic and onion. Saute until onion becomes translucent. Add the dry lentils and toss until lightly coated with butter. Add enough vegetable broth to cover the lentils. Add cumin, turmeric, cardamom, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook until all the broth is absorbed stirring frequently. Add more broth about 1/2 cup at a time until absorbed. When all the broth is used up, continue the process using water. Cook until the lentils have reached the desired texture ~45 min. Using a wooden spoon, press some of the lentils against the bottom of the pan, "smushing them", to add thickness to the sauce. Serve over rice.

To find more green-themed ideas, head over to "The Little Green Project" hosted by HeavenlyHomemakers.com.

Carmen

ReCre8 Frosting Jar: Crayon Holder

2009-02-27T17:00:00.006-05:00

This is a very simple project I did for my boys' birthday party. It was useful and I had to assuage my plastic guilt for buying the Betty Crocker frosting. Here's how I did it (as if directions are required):

All I did was wash the frosting containers
Cut a strip of card stock to fit around the container and tape it in place
Add the crayons

At the party, I used Kraft paper as the tablecloths (like you'd find at a crab shack) and put the crayon containers in the center so the kids could just color on the tablecloth. Now I am enjoying having these on-the-go crayon containers for the car, church, or visiting a friend.

Any other uses for frosting jars?

ReCre8 Printer Paper Box Lids: Cupcake Carrier

2009-02-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

So, I was looking at how to transport the 60 cupcakes to pre-school for my twin boys birthday. Clearly something more experienced mothers have already thought through. My husband announced the conundrum at his office and all the moms in the room immediately directed him to use lids from the office printer paper. After we were done, they could just be recycled. It worked like a charm. Now, I have to admit, I did not make these cupcakes and frosting from scratch. It was box mix and Betty Crocker this year. I find that I'm having plastic guilt, but I did find a way to re-use the frosting containers (more on that later).

Cre8 an Eco-Friendly Pre-School Birthday Party

2009-02-19T14:18:00.003-05:00

I've been struggling this year with putting together a birthday party for my three boys that is simple, fun, and a minimal impact on the environment. This year, no cheap plastic goody bags from Oriental Traders and the like. But, I have been struggling with what to do as an alternative.

In the end, I think I'll only partially meet my goal, but I'll document the party on the blog and let you know how it goes.

In the mean time, I found a great resource over at Kiwi which provided some good ideas - some of which I think I'll use.

Does anyone else struggle with this? Any ideas to share?

Cre8 Little Environmentalists

2009-02-17T09:51:00.009-05:00

with Family Nature Traditions and Nature Routines

As Richard Louv asks in his fabulous book “Last Child in the Woods”, how can we expect our children to be stewards of the environment when they have never experienced nature? In a manufactured world suburban world, where television, video games, Chuck E Cheese’s, and Jump Zones are pulling your children inside to play and veg, how do you push them back outside to experience the glory of the natural world?

When I look back at my own childhood, it is those simple experiences with nature shared with my friends and family that have had the biggest impact on my desire to preserve and care for the world. So, to instill a passion for protecting the earth in my own children, I turn to family traditions and outings – building positive experiences and memories of the natural world with my boys.

Camping Adventures
Our family tradition that we’ve done for 6 years now is to go camping in the mountains every Memorial Day Weekend. Sometimes we have a ton of friends go with us, sometimes it is just the family, but we go every year. – And yes, you can camp with little babies – even twin babies!
If you are camping a National or State Park, make sure to take advantage of all those great learning opportunities: guided nature walks, presentations by naturalists, hands-on activities at a nature center.

Nature Walks and Picnics
I love exploring nature with my children. They notice so many little things that I don’t see myself. When we go out for a hike, we always bring our picnic lunch. It’s a great opportunity to teach my boys about not leaving anything behind and making as little impact as possible. We pack up the lunch in reusable bags, use our Klean Kanteens for drinks, bring along our cloth napkins (made from old cloths), and include a bag to carry home the compostable material. We talk with the kids about each of these choices we make so they understand the impact of these choices versus the alternative on the environment. And if they see trash on the trail along the way and want to bring it home with us, I try to be supportive rather than grossed out.

I think it is important to celebrate all the nature we see in the local ecosystem along the way. It’s almost like a scavenger hunt. We try to find interesting plants, bugs, birds, and reptiles. We search for animal poop and try to discover what kind of animal made it (see a great resource “Who Pooped in the Park” series to find a local National Park version ) . Most of all, my boys like to look for bones. A little disturbing? Maybe. But, I think it makes them feel like little paleontologists.

Family Rock Climbing
I love Rock Climbing as a family. It is such a great way to experience nature together. It always involves a hike to our climbing location and a day outside with the rocks, the trees, and the dirt. We always go home tired, dirty, and happy. You can’t get that experience by going to the gym.

Gardening and Composting
One of our family routines that we started in 2008 was gardening and composting. These are two things even toddlers can help out with. They see the waste (like their banana peel) turn into fertilizer for their garden which helps the herbs and vegetables grow which ends up in their spaghetti and pizza sauce. The kids love to care for and harvest the herbs, vegetables, and flowers. They beam with pride when they can present their Nana with a sunflower that they grew themselves from seed.

And so much more….
There are so many other ways we can build positive nature experiences with our families. Pick-Your-Own berries, a trip to the pumpkin patch, a visit to the nature center, the botanical gardens, even the beach can build a greater appreciation for the natural world in our children and ourselves. This is the foundation upon which caring for the earth is built.

How do you build your own positive experiences in the natural world?

This is my submission for the February APLS Carnival on “Nature and the Environment”. The carnival will be posted February 20th at The Green Phone Booth.

What to Do with Old Pants: Sketchbook Pouch

2009-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this great project over at Fun In the Making. Make a protective pouch for your sketchbook or journal using an old pair of jeans. This one looks SUPER easy. I love the idea of reusing that button. The approach is so cleverly simple. You know I'll be making my own and posting up the results... It would look great with a little patch or even some beading.

ReCre8 Bread Crusts: Bread Crust Casserole

2009-02-13T16:15:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you, but my kids do not like bread crusts. Especially not the bread crusts from the homemade bread machine bread we make (it tends to be just a little hard on the crusts). I could battle it out and try to force them to eat it, but I like a peaceful meal time.

Since I am taking part in Crunchy Chicken's Food Waste Reduction Challenge, I got to thinking, how can I use these bread crusts rather than just throw them in the composting bin as I have been doing? (Because, to be honest with you, I don't really like eating the crusts either!)

So, I tried out this bread crust casserole and I think it was a pretty good success. (BTW, I count it a success if all the adults eat it and at least one of the kids - so I don't set the bar TOO high!)

So, here's how I did it...

First, I saved all the bread crusts and ends of loaves that got dry in the freezer for a few weeks. I also saved leftover chicken, broccoli, onion, and other vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
3 cup bread crusts
1 Tbsp. bread crumbs (you can make these by blending up some of the bread crusts)
1-2 cup vegetable leftovers (I used celery, broccoli, and onions)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. First, whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and 1/4 c. parmesan cheese (save the 2 Tbsp. for later). Cut up the bread crusts to about 1-inch. lengths. Spread out the bread crusts, chicken, vegetables, and cheddar cheese in a casserole dish. Pour on the wet ingredients. Let everything soak in for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and the remaining parmesan cheese.

Put in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes (until the top turns a golden, crispy brown).

Remember, it's casserole, so, in my opinion, all the ingredients are negotiable! I'm not the best recipe writer, so if you have any ways to improve the directions, please let me know!

P.S. I didn't get a picture, but next time I make it, I'll update this post.

Re-Cre8 Profile: TerraCycle Inc.

2009-01-20T15:51:00.006-05:00

TerraCycle Inc. is a really cool concept for a business. The co-founders Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer, begun with the idea for a profitable yet eco-friendly and socially responsible business. Their first product turned food waste into plant food sold in re-used soda bottles. Now, they have a suite of products available at major retailers, such as Target.

The company actually pays you to send them your trash (specific trash) and uses that as the raw material for their products. You could get a cork board from waste corks, a Capri-Sun pencil case, or many others - you get the idea.

So, check it out...

I'm taking the Food Waste Reduction Challenge

2009-01-18T14:36:00.002-05:00

This is a challenge hosted by Crunchy Chicken. As I go along, I'll blog about some of the things I come up with to reduce food waste in my home.

Cre8: Wholesome Multigrain Bread

2009-01-16T16:37:00.004-05:00

In pursuit of the perfect multigrain bread...

About a year ago, my husband and I made the decision that we would make all our own bread for the family. This was one part frugality, 1 part eating healthier, and 1 part that we like to make stuff. So, we pulled our bread maker out of storage, brushed off the dust, searched for recipes online, and got started. We make a whole wheat sandwich bread for the kids as well as a multigrain bread for ourselves, our kids like to call it the “grown up bread”.

I honestly had a lot of trouble finding a good whole wheat multigrain bread. Here was my criteria for the perfect bread:

100% whole wheat flour along with other whole grains for the health benefit.
A little bit on the sweeter side.
Dense and filling, but not a brick.
Moist, not dry.
Containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Good Cholesterol Benefits.

These were my main concerns. We started with a base recipe I found at bigoven.com and then we tweaked it and tweaked it until we just recently got it JUST RIGHT for our tastes. So, here it goes:

Ingredients:

13 oz Warm Water
2 Tbsp Yeast Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Molasses
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Nonfat Dried Milk
2 ¾ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Cup Gluten
1 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Cornmeal
3 Tbsp Toasted Wheat Germ
1/3 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/3 Cup Rolled Oats (Toasted)
1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seeds

Directions:
We use a bread machine to make the dough, but we cook it in the oven. We’ve also made it totally in the bread machine.

Proof the yeast in all the water according to your brand’s instructions.
Combine ingredients in the order they are listed.
Either use your bread machine dough setting or knead by hand accordingly.
Let the dough rise ~ 1 hr.
Knock the dough down, form into a loaf, and place in a 9-in. loaf pan.
Let rise for another hour.
Bake at 325* for ~30 min. Remove from loaf pan. If sides and bottom are still moist, return to oven for 10-15 min.
Slice and enjoy.

To me, this bread is a meal in and of itself! Since it is so moist, I often eat a slice of it with some homemade yogurt for lunch. I also love it toasted with butter on it. The bread keeps very well for homemade bread and stays nice and moist.

Re-Cre8 Pancakes: Fruit & Cake Rolls

2009-01-15T12:07:00.009-05:00

My family just loves pancakes. Who doesn’t? I like them too because they are so easy and fun and you can make them a little healthier just by adding in a few other ingredients (more on that another time). I always like to make a few extra pancakes because they make such great leftovers and they are very portable. Just throw them in the fridge overnight and pack them in a lunchbox the next day. But, I’m not willing to pack along syrup or honey. This is just too messy for a portable meal.

So, the other day as I was packing up an on-the-go dinner for gymnastics, I thought I could re-create these leftover pancakes into something very fun. Fruit and Cake rolls. These rolls taste a lot like Fruit Newtons, if you’ve had them (“they’re not cookies, they are fruit and cake” as the commercial goes…).

This couldn’t be easier. Here’s what you will need:

Leftover pancakes

Leftover pancakes

Fruit preserves or jam of your choice

A knife

A cutting board

A portable container

Here’s what you do

Spread the fruit preserves on one side of the pancake.

Gently roll up the pancake.

Slice it up into bite size rolls and place into the container.

Now enjoy!

Maybe these are not a whole meal, but a great snack or “side dish” or dessert. These can easily go into school lunches, or be taken along on picnics. And, unlike little Fruit Newton snack packs – there is no plastic involved (if you ignore my plastic transportation container, but that could just as easily be a pyrex) and nothing to go into the landfill.

ReCre8 Milk: Make Your Own Yogurt

2008-11-15T06:00:00.008-05:00

I have tried to encourage yogurt eating in my household since my kids were on solid food. It’s a great way to get your calcium, protein, and helpful bacteria all at once. With the right additions you can get a lot of other yummy and helpful nutrients and antioxidants too. Here are some links on the health benefits of yogurt and other cultured dairy products:

Ask Dr. Sears has an excellent informational site
An excerpt from FDA Consumer Magazine
Wikipedia always has good info

This year, I realized we were spending at least $10-$20 a week on yogurt. That is $500 - $1000/yr just on yogurt! I also realized how much plastic we were acquiring to support this yogurt habit. Many wonderful green and frugal blogs out there inspired me to make my own yogurt. It is super easy to make your own yogurt. It has been a big savings to our food budget and just a lot of fun.

I have researched a TON of advice out there and came up with my preferred method for making yogurt. I’ll explain it here, but I’ll also provide links to the great resources I found out there that can give lots of other ideas.

Before venturing to make your own yogurt, I highly recommend watching the Alton Brown “Good Eats” episode which gives a tutorial on making yogurt. It's called "Good Milk Gone Bad", pretty funny. It is available on YouTube unless it gets taken down. I do mine a little bit differently, but this helps you understand the process really well.

I make ½ gallon at a time, but you can easily adjust this to make any amount. The yogurt will stay good in the fridge 1-2 weeks, but it never lasts that long in my house! This is my method:

What you will need:

6 oz. yogurt with LIVE, ACTIVE, CULTURES (this is your “starter”.
You can use plain or a flavored variety, but if you use flavored, your resulting yogurt will carry that flavor forward)
½ gallon of milk (I use 2% organic – in a GLASS bottle, but you can use skim or whole milk as well)
¼ c. non-fat dry milk (optional – adds protein)
1 2-quart thermos or thermal carafe (must be lined with stainless steel or glass – NOT plastic)
Kitchen Thermometer (I use a candy thermometer)

Directions

I like to start in the evening, putting the milk on to heat right before we sit down for dinner. Then, by the morning, I have yogurt!

Day 1:

Take out 6 oz. yogurt as a starter and let it come to room temperature while you prepare the milk
Heat milk at medium heat in your pot to 180 degrees F, stirring regularly (this kills off any bacteria that is currently in your milk)
Stir in non-fat dry milk
Once milk reaches desired temperature, cool it down to 120 degreed F
While milk is cooling, sterilize and warm your thermos or carafe by adding boiling water and closing it for at least 5 minutes. Empty the water.
Temper your room-temperature yogurt with the 120 degrees F milk
Add starter yogurt to pot and stir gently until dissolved
Transfer milk/yogurt combination to your thermos or thermal carafe
Put in a warm, draft-free place and leave overnight 8-10 hours

Day 2:
At this point you have a choice. Do you like your yogurt very thick or do you like it a tiny bit runny? If you don’t mind it a little thinner, your yogurt will be done. Just transfer it into a glass container or into jelly jars and put it in the fridge. I like to have my yogurt very thick and creamy, so I always strain out the whey first. To strain your yogurt, place a mesh sieve over a glass bowl. Pour in enough yogurt to fill the sieve. Let it sit and drain. Use a flexible spatula to gently manipulate the yogurt. Don’t mess with it too much, because you don’t want to break up the curds. Once it is at the desired thickness, place it in your glass or ceramic storage vessel (I like to use 4 oz. or 8 oz. jelly jars so I have single servings ready-to-go). Once you have jarred up all your yogurt, don’t discard the whey! It is full of protein and other goodies and it is infinitely useful, as I will cover in another post. Store it in a glass jar in your fridge until you are ready to use it.

Flavoring Yogurt
Now, regarding the flavoring. You have so many options for flavoring. I used to mix up some flavors in the blender and stir them into the yogurt, but it was more work and more to clean. So, I found some super simple ways to make a variety of flavors:

Honey-Yogurt: A favorite of my kids. Just drizzle a tablespoon of honey (or substitute Agave nectar) on the top of the yogurt and put it in the fridge. When you are ready to eat it, just stir it up.
Raspberry Yogurt: This is my absolute favorite. Just take about 10 or so frozen raspberries and push them into the yogurt. Leave it out for a few hours until you are ready to eat (this makes it very convenient for a bag lunch – no refrigeration necessary). Once the raspberries have melted, stir the yogurt together. Add a packet of sugar or equal for sweetness. This is really a treat.
Chocolate Yogurt: Stir in 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder into the yogurt. Put 1 tablespoon of honey or Agave Nectar on top and refrigerate for a few hours or days. When ready to eat, just stir it all up.

These are some of the favorites in my house, but really, you can stir in whatever flavors you like and sweeten it to your own taste.

Here are some sites that have some different recipes and some different approaches:

Yogurt Maker Coffee Yogurt at Crunchy Chicken
Fermenting Yogurt in the Oven at Hillbilly Housewife
Cooler Fermenting Yogurt at Heavenly Homemakers
Video Tutorial at about.com

In the next post, I’ll cover some other great things you can do with yogurt.

Re-Cre8 Canning Jars as a Flexible Kitchen Storage System

2008-11-14T16:00:00.010-05:00

i HEART mason jars

The introduction of mason jars/canning jars into my kitchen has been the most wonderful transformation in storage for me. If you look in my regrigerator, any of my cabinets, or on the counter, you are sure to find all sizes of jars performing some useful function. I initially bought some jelly jars for making jam after our pick-your-own raspberries and blackberries adventure this summer. (BTW, the jam turned out great and the canning process was super easy). That is when I had an “a-ha” moment that these inexpensive glass jars will address many of my concerns in the kitchen this year.

Here are all the reasons for my new love affair with these classics:

Using less plastic - I have been trying systematically to remove my dependence on plastic - especially those kinds that cannot be recycled at all, such as zip-top bags and plastic wrap. I found that having a set of different sized canning jars lets me do just that. I can store single-size servings of leftover spaghetti - ready to go into lunch boxes or snack-size cookies and crackers. I can use them in place of plastic storage containers for just about everything I cook. They are also great in the pantries for holding beans, seeds, and flour bought in bulk.

Storing leftovers in re-heatable containers - Leftovers are important to staying frugal and eating healthy in my household. I absolutely refuse to put anything plastic in the microwave. So storing, say leftover homemade Spaghetti Sauce, in a quart size mason jar allows me to just put it directly in the microwave and voila - dinner's ready. No need to pour from a Tupperware into a another bowl and dirty some more dishes.

Reusable containers for work and school lunches - I use these in my Kindergartner's lunch and to bring my lunch to work all the time. Applesauce, yogurt, smoothies, leftover rice and beans, soup - you name it - all of these things work great in a small canning jar for a portable lunch. While glass is breakable, these are pretty durable. As long as you're not throwing your lunch box around, they're going to be alright.

Yogurt jars - These are just about the best solution for creating single-serving yogurt jars. There are 4-oz. jars and 8-oz. jars for kids-size servings as well as grown-up servings.

Standard and easy-to-replace lids -Now the lids for all my containers can be interchanged with each other. If I lose them, I don't have to throw out the whole storage container - I can just get a new lid from any grocery or hardware store.

Bulk Food Storage - I am buying more and more bulk food in the process of reducing my plastic consumption. Mason jars are so great for storing rice, beans, seeds, and flours. No need to have anything disposable involved! They also are a standard size, so it can keep your pantry nice and neat.

The list goes on and on. But, you get the idea! It is just as wonderful to reuse glass jars you may get your honey, parmesan, jams, or pickles in - especially if they have a lid that is easily reusable. Give it a try!

What to Do with Old Pants: Coloring Tote

2008-10-26T06:00:00.002-04:00

This project involves making a bag just the size for some activity books and coloring books along with crayons out of the butt of a pair of men's chinos. These are size 36 waist pants. Anything smaller might not yield a bag that can hold coloring books, but might be fun just the same.

Here's how you do it:

Cut down the side seams of the pants, so you are left with just the back side.
Fold in half (top to bottom) and cut off any excess on the sides to make sure it will be square.
Cut across the butt allowing the height of the bag you want plus 1-inch for a seam allowance.
Sew across the bottom of the pockets (on the inside) so that they are at a desired length. (I like them just tall enough to hold some crayons, but so that the crayons can still pop out the top).
Fold in half side-to-side and inside-out.
Sew across the bottom of the bag.
Sew across the open side 0f the bag. The top will be very thick, so be careful there.
Make the strap:
- Cut a strip from one of the legs that is ~4 in. across.
- Fold in half long-ways and sew up the side leaving 1/4" in. seam
- Turn the strip right side out and sew up both sides with a 1/4 in. seam to keep it nice and flat.
Now attach the strap to the bag by sewing at the waste-band.

Now you have a nice kid-friendly tote. Get's dirty? Just throw it in the wash with your clothes. Decorate it up however it seems interesting to you. If you try this yourself, send me some pictures or techniques.

What to Do with Old Pants: Special Bags

2008-10-24T11:35:00.015-04:00

My boys all have to wear khaki pants as part of their school uniform. Three of my oldest son’s pants had been worn through the knees (or cut with “safety” scissors). Rather than just getting rid of them, I thought I’d alter them in to khaki shorts. No problem… just snip, snip and hem. I hated to just throw out the bottoms of the pants, but I couldn’t justify adding to my “scrap fabric for creative projects when I have the time” pile.

I got the idea to turn the pants legs into a “special bag” for each of them. Kids, especially ones with siblings with whom they must share everything, love to have something “special” made just for them. Here’s how I did it

Turn pant leg inside out.
Sew a Seem down the un-hemmed side
Optional: (to give it more depth) Rotate to the side and sew a line forming a triangle (do the same on the other side.

Flip right-side-out. Cut 2 slits in the existing hem on the inside of the bag
Using a yarn needle, take some scrap yarn and work it all through the hem and out the other slit. This will form your draw string
Tie a knot in the string and voila, you are done!

You could also finish them off by needlepointing their names on the bags – or even just writing them with a fabric marker.

These bags can be used for snack bags or storage. They are a great reusable alternative to Ziploc bags for that kind of thing. But, when we are going somewhere and the kids want to bring toys, I like to tell them “Get your special bag and you can bring whatever can fit in there.” They love to spend time choosing the toys they want to bring with them and gathering them all up. Last time we went hiking and rock climbing as a family, they brought their special bags full of dinosaurs. My 5-yo did not like to have to carry the bag, so he had the idea of getting a stick and hanging the bag on the stick while resting it on his shoulder. Of course, as soon as he had done this, his little brothers wanted in on the action. Before you know it, we had a parade of boys Tom Sawyer-style hiking up the mountain with their sacks. We got a lot of adoring looks on that hike!

USES:

Keep Puzzle Pieces Together - Those cardboard boxes don't last long in my house. Using these little bags lets you throw multiple bags of puzzles into a drawer or a basket without getting all the pieces mixed up. Plus, it looks nice.
Lunch Sack - this is a great reusable little lunch bag for bringing on hikes or to the park or even to school.
Toy Sack - Let your little ones stuff as many toys as they can into the bag to bring with them to a friend's house or their brother's soccer game or rock climbing!
Travel Organizer - When packing for a big trip (or even a little one), these little drawstring bags are great for putting like things together. For our annual trip to the beach this year, I packed up one bag with all the spices we would need (so I could save $$ on shopping while I was there). I put all the kids toiletries in another one.
Gift Bag - Rather than buying a gift bag at the store, these make excellent gift bags for smaller items. And it is something that the new owner can reuse or re-purpose.
There are infinite uses. Do you have some other ideas?

What to Do with Old Pants: Uniform Shorts

2008-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

So, my son had worn through the knees in most of his school pants, what to do? I know it is pretty obvious to say "make some shorts". It is so much better than giving them or (gasp!) throwing them away. All it takes is an easy hem on the sewing machine and it saves me plenty of money for buying summer uniforms for my three boys (who can all wear the same size shorts). This was project #1 with old pants.

Here is my method:

Cut straight across the legs right above the hole or worn part of the pants (making sure that both legs fall even). This will ensure that the shorts would hit right at or above the knees.
Fold 1/2 inch under and iron around for the hem. Fold under again 3/4 inch and iron (this way, you don't have to use hem tape or fray-check or anything.
Using your machine, stitch straight around1/2 inch above the bottom of each of the legs and you're done. (If you prefer, you can hand stitch it as well).

Don't throw away the bottoms of those legs, there are great uses for those as well!

What to Do with Old Pants

2008-10-23T19:00:00.000-04:00

After seeing how much of the clothes that we donate still end up in landfills, I was reluctant to just get rid of all the outgrown or torn khaki pants without a fight.I started with thinking about some of my simple living goals and what I needed to meet them. One was to buy less clothing and household items. Another was to really cut down on my use of plastic bags. So, my remaking of old khakis turned into four small and easy projects.

Uniform Shorts
Pant Leg “Special Bags”
Personalized Travel Pillow Cases
Pocket Activity Bag

I’m sure there are more great projects out there for pants. Anyone have ideas to share?

Reusing Tissue Paper as Gift Wrap

2008-10-22T11:04:00.001-04:00

I love a beautifully wrapped gift, but I hate all the expense and waste that goes along with it. Much of it goes directly into the trash within a few hours of wrapping the gift. Many of us reuse gift bags as long as the hold up rather than throwing them out, but what about reusing the tissue paper that invariably goes with them?

Tissue paper as gift wrap is so easy because it is already cut for you. If you can’t find scissors or tape (a typical situation in my home as was the problem when I wrapped this gift), you can use tissue paper to wrap a gift without these. Just fold the tissue paper to the size you want, wrap it neatly around the gift you want and secure with a pretty piece of raffia, ribbon, or even a piece of twine or yarn. It makes a colorful and beautiful presentation with little effort. Also, it’s recreating something that may just have been trash otherwise. By skipping the tape – you also allow for it to be reused again.

What goes great with a tissue paper wrapped gift? A homemade card. My boys were very into sunflowers at this time since they had been growing their own in the garden. I just took a scrap of card stock and drew a simple sunflower on the front. My 5-yo colored it in to make it a personalized card for his cousin’s 1st birthday present.

About Cre8 and Recre8

2008-08-22T09:27:00.000-04:00

“Do It Self” was the most common phrase from my three boys as the triumphed through their terrific twos. They were just learning to be independent and self-sufficient. Like them, I get a sense of freedom and satisfaction from being able to accomplish something all by myself. I know that I can by trendy jewelry at a department store or that I could pay someone to alter my clothes or that I can purchase a dragon themed birthday cake for the grocery store for my son’s 5^th birthday party, but these choices don’t fill me with the bliss and self-satisfaction of creating my own custom, in-style necklace or recreating old clothing and turning it into something new.

I have always had a hard time wasting resources – throwing away something that is 80% useful just because it has a small defect. At the same time, I don’t want to live in a cluttered environment full of semi-useful items. That is why I am especially passionate about quick and simple projects that recreate something that may otherwise be trashed into something useful, fun, and unexpected. Recreating these items is in line with my goals to simplify life, live frugally and simply, and create less trash to go into landfills.

A little about me… I work full time as a technical project manager. I am married to an excellent and supportive husband who joins me on most DIY endeavors (he has many of his own as well). I have 3 wonderful, energetic, and talkative little boys (3 yo twins and a 5 yo). I have always been interested in creating items. I bartered babysitting for art lessons in junior high school, at 12 in the 80s I had my own little hair bow business”, in high school and college I made and sold beaded jewelry and polymer clay picture frames. In college I taught classes at our craft shop in candle-making and jewelry-making. My mother is a knit and crochet teacher and has taught me everything I know. I hate to measure, I hate to worry about gauge, I just like to jump into projects and see where they take me.