by Catherine Haug, June 27, 2011
During the discussion at our very first ESP gathering, we talked about helping needy people in our community by providing fresh food from our gardens to the food bank. Perhaps some of us are already doing this.
But according to the June AARP Bulletin, non-profit groups around the country, have taken this idea further:
by Catherine Haug, June 23, 2011
Many of us are already using the Green Machines curbside recycling service in Bigfork, or dropping off recyclables at one of the many drop sites in the valley. Now we also have another curbside service. Here’s a listing of current options: (more…)
by Catherine Haug, June 22, 2011
The May AARP bulletin offered the following information on avoiding the toxins that are found in many commercial pesticides, by trying effective and safe alternatives (1):
Ants: Spread cinnamon, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, salted cucumber peels or leaves from mint tea bags near their point of entry or along basemboards.
Mice: Place cotton dipped in peppermint oil, or used kitty litter, near problem areas. [The kitty litter option seems odd to me, since if you have the used litter you probably have cats and would not have the mouse problem in the first place. However, if you want to try this, I have lots of used kitty litter…].
Mosquitoes: when you barbecue, throw some sage or rosemary onto the coals.
Carpenter ants: Mix 3 cups hot water, 1 cup sugar and 4 teaspoons boric acid. Soak cotton in the mixture and leave it near places where ants are found. [Boric acid can be purchased at most pharmacies.]
by Catherine Haug, June 13, 2011
Our grandparents (or great-grandparents) understood a basic principle: You are what you eat. (Michael Pollen has added to that principle: You are what you eat eats). But somewhere along the way we decided we knew better, that we could eradicate disease with synthetic chemicals. Now we are beginning to understand that our grandparents were on to something (and those synthetic chemicals may cause more harm than good).
A recent article by Mercola is a case in point: Cancerous Cells Cannot Survive without This (referring to curcumin, from turmeric). His original title of the article was This Powerful Herb Changes Your Genes to Combat Cancer. The hypothesis is that genes are equipped with switches that, when turned on, cause the gene to do one thing, and when turned off, to do another. And these switches are influenced by the gene’s environment. From the article: (more…)
Cast Iron Dutch Oven
by Catherine Haug, June 14, 2011
(photo from www.basspro.com)
While looking for a sourdough banana bread recipe on the internet, I stumbled upon a very interesting website: Byron’s Dutch Oven Recipes (scroll down to see the index of recipes). He includes one-pot meals as well as breads & desserts, which could come in handy for campouts and picnics, as well as meal preparation at home. (more…)
by Catherine Haug, June 10, 2011
Shortly after becoming First Lady, Michelle Obama started a mostly-Organic kitchen garden on the White House grounds, with help from local school kids (see my post: Victory Garden 2009). Each year this project has been a great success, not only in providing the White House with fresh, healthful produce, but also in raising awareness with children around the country, on the importance – and fun – of growing your own.
What would America’s Garden look like if it instead represented the crops supported by our subsidy dollars? And how does government ag policy affect small scale producers? (more…)