30 Rock Love

30 rock may be one of my favorite shows of all time. I was just looking for an excuse to post a clip - I really enjoy this one, especially for the recycling jokes joke.

Not Martha Stewart, But Getting There

I just found the coolest blog that I wanted to share. Not Martha. It is a blog of do it yourself projects. I recently borrowed Martha Stewart's A to Z Encyclopedia of Crafts from the library, which was a partial inspiration for the soapmaking project. So to find a blog of someone with random, needed do-it-yourself projects online is exciting. I think I am slowly realizing there are a lot of them out there.

This might be the start of something. Last weekend, I was at a baby shower with lots of crafty people that work on craft books. Today, a friend just gave me a sewing machine. I think my life may be getting a little more crafty, if not at the least more self-sufficient.

The soap is finally ready to use. I tried it out today with successful results. I did not realize that store-bought soap removes the glycerin from the soap or is made from detergents. Homemade soap is supposedly more moisturizing; I am excited to test it out.

Belated Frost

Cold weather on the marsh last week - there was frost on the Spartina and ice in the shallow parts of the marsh. It was beautiful, but cold.

Paying Attention

In Reimagining the Good Life, Michael Schuler asks "Is the quality of our attention such that we accurately perceive what's going on around us and inside ourselves?"

Paying attention is something I have been working on for the last year. It is easy to distract myself with the Internet, music, books, work, etc.. But turning them off and just being there makes it easier to put things in perspective and to value what you have.

Since last January, I have been reading a number of Buddhism books and started practicing yoga and occasionally attending group meditations. I also give myself time just to think and be, without having to accomplish anything or be any certain way. I have found that in the past I got caught up in how I "should" live, and this interferes with my enjoyment and appreciation of how I already am living. By being still and pausing for just one or two minutes a day, I find that I am more appreciative and perceptive of how I am currently living my life. I don't get as caught up in what could happen, what did happen, or what is happening to others - rather I can pay more attention to how I am feeling and thinking and being.

I would like to create a stronger meditation practice, but if at the very least I am truly present for at least a moment each day, I do feel a noticeable difference in my perspective and enjoyment of life.

Adventures in Soapmaking

I have been on a kick to make soap for a little while now. I found a great recipe on the internet for Basic Castile Soap. After reading about how difficult it is to obtain lye for soapmaking, I was worried my soap plans would not happen. Apparently, lye is used in methampetamine making also - a less frontier/simple living purpose than soap - so stores have taken it off the shelves along with Sudafed. However, Lowe's did happen to have some, so I bought that, along with olive oil, a soup toureen, wooden spoons, rubber gloves, and a scale. I gathered up all my materials in the kitchen. Wearing my biggest, craziest sunglasses and some stylish rubber gloves as protection, I was ready.

I added the carefully measured lye to water in a designated plastic pitcher, which heated up from the chemical reaction. Once it had cooled back down, I added it to a pot of heated oil and stirred and stirred (45 minutes!) and then added the newly formed soap to some molds (yogurt cups and a plastic food container).

I waited a couple of days and then exposed the soap to the air, which made it harden. I am still in the process of curing the soap, where you let it dry and harden for a week up to 2 months. By photos of the final product, you can see that I am still experimenting with when to cut the bars of soap and what kind of molds to use. In the future, I hope to add oatmeal and honey and other goodies to the soap and experiment with different oils and fats in the recipe. Castile soap is supposedly highly moisturizing, but doesn't lather much. Adding some coconut oil should change that up nicely.

Adventures in Breadmaking

Here's my first attempt at no-knead whole wheat travel bread, from Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook. It turned out really tasty and was easy to make, so I'm hoping to make it a weekly ritual. I have my second batch rising right now.

What I love about the bread is that it is entirely whole grain (and super easy to make). Here's an abbreviated recipe:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 c water, plus a little extra to add as needed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl - add water and stir. The consistency should be slightly sticky, not dry or runny. Cover with plastic and put in warm place (I use the oven) overnight (12 to 20 hours).

Grease loaf pan (I'm using a dutch oven because the loaf pans are packed away somewhere) with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add dough and cover with rest of olive oil. Cover pan with towel for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and cool on rack.

The bread doesn't rise very high, but it lasts for a few days before getting stale and it tastes good.

Mark Bittman has more variations in his book, which I recommend reading or buying. My favorite cookbook on my shelf is his The Best Recipes in the World, and I am hoping to buy How to Cook Everything Vegetarian someday. These are encyclopedias of recipes. I know you can collect recipes online nowadays, but I really enjoy just sitting down with books and recipe magazines and just picking out what looks good.

Laundry List

I took this list from 100 mile harvest's blog, modified it slightly, and filled it out for myself. I've highlighted in green what I already do and in blue what I would like to do. This identifies some places to work on and on things to learn how to make (soap, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies). Good times ahead!

Around the House
-Turn lights off when leaving a room
-Change air filters once a month
-Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
-Use ceiling fans to keep rooms cooler during the summer months
-Replace analog thermostats with programmable, digital thermostats that automatically adjust temperature according to a schedule

Kitchen
-Unplug all kitchen appliances at the end of the day and when leaving the room
-Keep refrigerator full to maximize coolness
-Use microwave only for the minimum –defrost food ahead of time and heat food on a stove or toaster oven
-Eliminate the use of disposable plates and utensils
-Use glass or ceramic containers for food storage
-Use washable cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
-Use water filtration system instead of relying on bottled water
-Run the dishwasher only when full
-Use the dishwasher’s “no-heat” option to save energy
-Replace paper filters on coffee/tea appliances with a reusable wire mesh filter
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies

Bathroom
-Use non-toxic and biodegradable chlorine-free, non-petroleum, phosphate-free based cleaning supplies
-Turn the water off while brushing your teeth or shaving
-Shower instead of taking a bath
-Use a slow-flow showerhead that reduces water usage
-Do not use the toilet as a trash can

Lawn and Garden
-Start a garden
-Use soapy water to get rid of aphid problems on plants and shrubs
-Spread used coffee grounds on ant hills to control fire ants
-Spray a light mist of a solution of hot peppers in water to prevent fungus on plants
-Use crushed, dry eggshells as calcium supplement for plants
-Install sprinkler system for a greener grass, they are most efficient at maximizing watering coverage on the lawn
-When mowing the lawn, use lawn clippings to promote growth
-Water lawns before sunrise, to minimize water evaporation
-Landscape with native plants, which are adapted to the local climate
-Use mulch or lawn clippings around trees, bushes and flowers beds to help retain water

Laundry Room
-Use the cold water setting for every laundry load
-Wait for a full load of clothes to start the washer
-Clean the dryer’s lint filter after every use
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable laundry detergents

Gym
-Bring filtered water to the gym in a reusable bottle
-Bring a personal towel to the gym to help save water and avoid exposure to heavy-duty cleaning detergents and bleaches
-Use cardiovascular equipment that does not draw electrical power. Best options are elliptical machines and stationary bikes - goodbye treadmill
-Choose outdoor exercise when possible

Lifestyle changes
-Support organic farming practices
-Buy food locally
-Structure a diet of mostly vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs
-Eat mostly fruits and nuts with local honey as snacks
-Seek out eco-friendly businesses and support them
-Cut TV usage to 2hrs a week - Not sure I can do this!
-Replace wall-to-wall carpet in the home with wood or tile flooring for allergy control
-Buy books in audio formats (preferably internet delivery rather than CD media) - I'm using the library instead
-Read all products labels, be an informed shopper

Banking
-Enroll in online banking
-Decline ATM receipts
-Request paperless statement from banks and credit card companies

Car
-Keep tires properly inflated to maximize gas mileage
-Re-fuel when tank is half full, instead of nearly empty
-Do not idle, shut engine off if stopping for more than 30 seconds
-Buy a hybrid vehicle
-Carpool whenever possible
-Keep vehicles tuned up
-Use a commercial car wash (most recycle their water)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
-Clean recyclable containers before putting in recycling bin.
-Recycle baby food glass jars – fitted with a tea light candle they make beautiful lanterns when hung from trees during evening outdoor events
-Stop newspaper distribution (read news online)
-Eliminate or reduce magazine subscriptions
-Recycle all junk mail
-Request to be removed from direct marketing mail lists
-Contact companies to cancel non-essential catalog delivery
-Cut old articles of clothing and bed sheets into cleaning rags
-Stop buying bottled water, use a refillable water bottle instead
-Remove caps, lids and corks from bottles before recycling
-Re-use food jars for other storage needs
-Carry reusable bags on all shopping trips - I'm trying to do this!
-Use recycled garbage bags

Office
-Recycle paper, plastic, junk mail and printer, copier and fax cartridges
-Replace all disposable plates and utensils in the office kitchen with ceramic plates, mugs, glasses, and flatware. Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups each year.
-Print on both sides of a sheet of paper
-Use recycled paper in printers
-Reuse paper clips
-Avoid buying/using rubber bands
-Shut down computers overnight - time to stop hibernating and start unplugging
-Carpool whenever possible
-Turn lights off when leaving the office, storage or breakrooms
-Bring home-cooked lunch to work - the perks of a home office!
-Carry lunch to work in reusable ceramic or glass containers
-Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies
-Use power saver mode on all computers
-Use water cooler to discourage bottled water usage