Cricket Song Farm

Cricket Song Farm

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

EARTH DAY 2012

Every year at this time I re-evaluate what I have or have not done to make a difference in taking care of this beautiful planet we call HOME.  No, I am not an environmentalist, but I do all I can to leave a small footprint on this beautiful Earth.  I am conscious about my actions, purchases, and how I live my days.  Do I act in a responsible way towards the bounties the earth gives us?  Do I say a prayer of thanksgiving for the many tiny miracles I witness every time I stop long enough to notice them?   Am I grateful for nature, and do I find joy and wonder in every moment and every discovery?  Am I mindful of the beauty around me, or is my mind just full of the every day to day pressures that surround us all?  Let's all just stop; take a deep breath, and look around us and marvel.  Are each of us doing what we should in our STEWARDSHIP over our little plot we inhabit here on Earth?

I am sharing a few suggestions to lighten our foot-print, only a few because there are so many things we can do. Please fill fee to add your ideas or comments.

  Re-cycle and Re-use     ------- Use it up  
                                                                   Wear it out.
                                                                    Make it do,
                                                                    Or do with-out.


Support or donate to your local charity or thrift store.


My favorite past-time ever----YARD  SALE  !


 Re-purpose an item when it's original task is complete.  I have used rake heads for years.  (broken rakes are a part of gardening ).  Hang them on the fence in the yard to hang your small gardening tools on.  Put one in the tool shed to hang box-end wrenches, hammers and other tools.  Place one by the back door to hang your keys on.  I have used them in the kitchen to hold cooking pots, or for drying bundles of herbs.  My fancy blue vintage glass-ware looks especially nice displayed this way.






I have always had one of these hanging in my bedroom to hang all my farm-girl bling on.  Also use it for men's ties or your smaller purses.  If you don't like the rusty look, just spray paint it in pretty colors.




Who needs new when the well worn look is soft and inviting.  I have collected someone else's cast-offs my whole married life.  There is something rewarding about rescuing an item, re-vamping it  and incorporating it into your home.





nothing new here




  COOK FROM SCRATCH------  lets get rid of the box. 


Use your home grown vegetables or veges from our CSA for the bulk of your cooking, but when you need other options try these mixes for breakfast or supper. Cooking from scratch can cut down on the trips to the store and the packaging.                   
  Many petroleum by-products are used in the packages, and only contain a small amount of food.   Buy in bulk to minimize the use of plastic, and it saves you money.

Here are a few of the basic Breakfast mixes we use.  Store in an airtight container.



                                                                 PANCAKE MIX

9 C. unbleached flour
9 C. whole wheat flour
2C. whole grain of choice (oatmeal, ground flax seed etc.)
2/3 c. baking powder  ( I don't use baking powder so I substitute with 1/4c. + 2 tbs. soda)
3 C. powdered milk
To make:  2 cups mix, 1 tbs. sugar or agave nectar, 1 C. water or milk, and 1 egg.


                                                              BASIC MUFFIN MIX

10 C. flour
1 C. sugar
4 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tbs. salt

To make:    2C. mix, 1 egg, 1tbs. oil  mix until just blended.   Bake 375-400 for 15 to 20 mins.
I always add one of the following to the mix. 

SAVORY MUFFINS:
               -   add chopped onions, minced garlic and ground spice of choice
               -   add crumbled cooked bacon or sausage
               -   add 2/3c. grated cheese and 2 tbs. melted butter instead of the oil.
               -   add 1/2c/ creamed corn and reduce the liquid to 1/2c.

SWEET MUFFINS:
               - add 1c. diced apple and cinnamon
               - add 2 mashed banana and nutmeg- may need to reduce the liquid-
               - add 1/2c. berries of choice (blueberries, raspberries, currants etc.)
               - for an up-side down muffin, add fruit of choice and chopped walnuts to the  bottom of the tin, sprinkle with sweetener and melted butter, add mix over top.



RAISE A GARDEN even a few pots on the terrace if you don't have a yard

BUY LOCAL

COMPOST 
        One day I received a call from my daughter Meadow.  She was away at college, and had to throw away a cantaloupe rind in the garbage.  She called expressing her helplessness and the feeling of guilt about not being able to compost it or feed it to the chickens.   She is married now and I hope the concept will last through her life, and that she will raise a whole pile of little composters.

CARPOOL

WALK, RIDE A BIKE, OR TAKE THE BUS TO WORK

JOIN A CSA
            Your food travels an average of 1500 miles to get to your plate, by then the nutritional value has decreased. Generally, most CSA's apply organic principles  in their farming practices which are better for the environment.



TURN OFF THE LIGHTS, EAT A CANDLE LIGHT DINNER

HANG THE LAUNDRY OUTSIDE

CONSERVE WATER

AND OF COURSE LET'S ALL PLANT SOME TREES !

Here are just a few ideas.  Let's all do and little and together we can do a lot.














1 comment:

  1. Great ideas Jill. I re-use tinfoil, ziploc or other kinds of bags like bread bags or produce bags. I empty the dirt out of my vacuum bags and reuse those.
    And of course I am incapable of passing up a yard sale

    ReplyDelete