I was just going to go outside yesterday and take some pictures of the many different vegetables we currently have growing in our hoop houses (as described on The Crunchy Chicken Facebook page), but I decided that I might as well make a video about it.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here's a short video of what's growing in our backyard in late January, 2012. I apologize for the weird camera smudginess at the beginning. I think our camera got some salt water spray on it from our recent trip to San Diego.
To watch the video on YouTube (if you are experiencing technical difficulties), you can see it here.
What do you have growing in your winter garden?
Check out my new book, The Non-Toxic Avenger: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You, available from Amazon.
I'm on tour! Check out where I was last week and where I am this week.
I'm hosting an online Book Club starting in February. Check out the schedule here!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Top 10 Urban Farming books
For those of you who live in the city (or the suburbs), I hope this helps!
1. The Urban Farm Handbook, by Annette Cottrell and Joshua McNichols: Here's my review post, this is still one of my favorites.
2. The Essential Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter: This one is on my to-read list. I read Novella's previous book, Farm City, and loved it.
3. Urban Homesteading, by Rachel Kaplan: I'll be doing a review/giveaway of this one soon.
4. Your Farm in the City, by Lisa Taylor: This book is put out by my local Seattle Tilth and I can't believe I haven't read it yet! Time to hit the library.
5. The Urban Homestead, by Kelly Coyne and Eric Knutzen: This book covers more than you can possibly imagine and will inspire you to try new things.
6. Urban Farming, by Thomas Fox: From the makers of Urban Farming magazine (Hobby Farms).
7. Urban Agriculture, by David Tracey: I'll be doing a review/giveaway of this one as well in the upcoming weeks.
8. Mini Farming, by Brett Markham: This one is geared towards those who have 1/4 acre to work with.
9. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Homesteading, by Sundari Elizabeth Kraft: This book covers the basics as well as everything from composting to clean energy.
10. The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan: Here's a short review post - this one is geared more towards a larger amount of land than most people have in their urban/suburban backyards, but it's valuable nonetheless.
Consider yourselves warned: There be Amazon affiliate links in this post.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Non-Toxic Avenger: The Book Club!
It will be in the same format as most of my other book clubs: each section will start with an overview, followed by discussion questions. The only key difference is that I'm the author on this one!
Here's the tentative schedule for the book club:
| 2/6 | Part 1: Laying It All Out | |
| 2/13 | Part 2: Getting Started | |
| 2/20 | Part 3: The Baseline | |
| 2/27 | Part 4: Adjusting to Non-Toxic Living | |
| 3/5 | Part 5: Going a Little Bonkers | |
| 3/12 | Part 6: Figuring It All Out | |
| 3/19 | Part 7: Wrapping It Up |
You don't need to have read the book to participate, although it does help!
I've created a page on Facebook if you'd like to participate in the book club that way as well. Just head on over and "LIKE" it!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Blog book tour - Week 4
This week wraps up the month long blog book tour for my new book, The Non-Toxic Avenger. I'll be visiting the following blog and, as the post goes up, I'll be updating this post with the direct link. I hope that the blog tour has given you some more info about the book! I'll post a wrap-up with links to everything next week so it's in one spot.
Thanks to everyone who has participated!
| Tour Date | Blog | Type of Post |
| 1/24/12 | http://www.climatemama.com | Book Review |
Thanks to everyone who has participated!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Random bits of nothingness
I'm out of town and don't have time to post much, so here are a few things for ya from how I spent my day last Saturday...
Before my Dad's funeral.
Do not touch prickly pear fruit. No matter how much you want to eat it. They are, not surprisingly, prickly. I spent a good half hour pulling invisible prickles out of my hands.
Flavor Flav drives a Prius. And he is a very huggy person. That is all.
Before my Dad's funeral.
Do not touch prickly pear fruit. No matter how much you want to eat it. They are, not surprisingly, prickly. I spent a good half hour pulling invisible prickles out of my hands.
Flavor Flav drives a Prius. And he is a very huggy person. That is all.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Blog book tour - Week 3
This week I'll be visiting the following blogs. As the posts are up I'll be letting you know the direct links. I'm hoping this will give you more information about my new book, The Non-Toxic Avenger, as well as let the readers of the other blogs learn about it as well.
Thanks to everyone who is participating!
| Tour Date | Blog | Type of Post |
| 1/16/12 | http://tippecanoegreen.blogspot.com | Book Review |
| 1/17/12 | http://eco-novice.com/ | Book Excerpt |
| 1/18/12 | http://www.GroovyGreenLiving.com | Interview |
| 1/19/12 | http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/ | Book Review |
| 1/20/12 | http://www.InWomenWeTrust.com | Book Excerpt |
Thanks to everyone who is participating!
Friday, January 13, 2012
The smoke screen of hidden flame retardants
The following was originally posted on the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families blog:
When my children were babies, their health and safety were high priorities for me as their mother. They still are. I made sure I breastfed my children as long as possible and made sure I bought them car seats with the highest safety ratings.
As a mom, I take pride in making sure that I am doing everything I can for their well being. I expect that children's products available on the market are safe and contain nothing to expose their young, growing bodies to hazardous chemicals. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.
A report released on Wednesday from Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States shows that children and families are exposed to chemical flame retardants in children's products. These toxic flame retardants were found in 85% of the products tested, ranging from nursing pillows, changing pads to car seats. The most prevalent flame retardant found was chlorinated Tris (TDCPP), a chemical that was voluntarily removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s when it was found to cause adverse health effects. In fact, California recently classified chlorinated Tris as a carcinogen, and evidence links the chemical to neurotoxicity as well as hormone disruption. It's a chemical that should not be anywhere near our children.
So, that nursing pillow from My Brest Friend that I received as a gift and used with both my kids when they were tiny? Two different kinds of toxic flame retardants. The co-sleeper my babies slept in by Arm's Reach? Five different kinds of toxic flame retardants. The Babies R Us Changing Pad that we used for at least three years? Three different kinds of toxic flame retardants. And the Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat and Britax Roundabout car seats that got years and years of use? All contain chlorinated Tris.
To say this makes me irate is an understatement. Without research like this, how would consumers even know what kind of toxic exposures our children are being subjected to? And, furthermore, this illustrates the fact that there are probably far more undiscovered toxins lurking in the many household products that are surrounding us.
To read the rest of this post and find out how you can avoid flame retardants in your kid's products, please visit the original article here on the Safer Chemicals blog.
Pin It
As a mom, I take pride in making sure that I am doing everything I can for their well being. I expect that children's products available on the market are safe and contain nothing to expose their young, growing bodies to hazardous chemicals. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.
A report released on Wednesday from Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States shows that children and families are exposed to chemical flame retardants in children's products. These toxic flame retardants were found in 85% of the products tested, ranging from nursing pillows, changing pads to car seats. The most prevalent flame retardant found was chlorinated Tris (TDCPP), a chemical that was voluntarily removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s when it was found to cause adverse health effects. In fact, California recently classified chlorinated Tris as a carcinogen, and evidence links the chemical to neurotoxicity as well as hormone disruption. It's a chemical that should not be anywhere near our children.
So, that nursing pillow from My Brest Friend that I received as a gift and used with both my kids when they were tiny? Two different kinds of toxic flame retardants. The co-sleeper my babies slept in by Arm's Reach? Five different kinds of toxic flame retardants. The Babies R Us Changing Pad that we used for at least three years? Three different kinds of toxic flame retardants. And the Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat and Britax Roundabout car seats that got years and years of use? All contain chlorinated Tris.
To say this makes me irate is an understatement. Without research like this, how would consumers even know what kind of toxic exposures our children are being subjected to? And, furthermore, this illustrates the fact that there are probably far more undiscovered toxins lurking in the many household products that are surrounding us.
To read the rest of this post and find out how you can avoid flame retardants in your kid's products, please visit the original article here on the Safer Chemicals blog.
Pin It
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Top 10 Homestead Goals for 2012
Well, since I already have the book and I have a lot of goals, I decided I wanted to share them in a post. I also wanted to find out what your homesteading goals are for this year, urban or otherwise.
Here are mine (in no particular order):
Top 10 Homestead Goals for 2012
1. Double the number of chickens we have (we are getting 3 more chicks in March)
2. Go in on a pig share (done this past weekend - post to follow)
3. Add one more raised bed in the backyard (work in progress)
4. Get front yard re-landscaped to remove grass and put in edibles (March/April 2012)
5. Get started with meat rabbits (May 2012)
6. Buy some pasture land in Eastern WA (working on convincing the hubs on this one :)
7. More canning - tomato sauce and pickles, relish and, of course, jam
8. Join the Honey CSA from Urban Bee Company since we won't be hosting a hive
9. Get into goat cheese making (working with a local source)
10. Learn how to dispatch rabbits and chickens (hooking up with The Urban Farm Handbook authors Annette, for rabbits, and Joshua, for chickens)
So, what are your homesteading goals for 2012?
Pig pic from the wonderful Conyac Brothers' Farmstead in Marysville, WA.
Pin It
This post is part of this week's Homestead Barn Hop.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Blog book tour - Week 2
This week I'll be visiting the following blogs. As the posts are up I'll be letting you know the direct links. I'm hoping this will give you more information about my new book, The Non-Toxic Avenger, as well as let the readers of the other blogs learn about it as well.
Thanks to everyone who is participating!
| Tour Date | Blog | Type of Post |
| 1/9/12 | http://www.bestofmotherearth.com | Book Review |
| 1/11/12 | http://www.thegreenparent.com/ | Guest post |
| 1/11/12 | http://blog.saferchemicals.org/ | Guest Post |
| 1/12/12 | http://www.mindfulmomma.com | Book Review |
| 1/12/12 | http://www.greenokla.com/ | Book Review |
| 1/13/12 | http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/ | Book Endorsements |
Thanks to everyone who is participating!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Non-Toxic New Year's Resolution
No, I'm talking about the toxins we are exposed to in our every day lives. Toxins like Bisphenol A (BPA) that's found in plastics, canned foods and on store receipts that cause hormone disruption. And, what about Triclosan, a potent anti-bacterial, that's found in many things from hand soaps to toothpaste and tennis shoes that can contribute to super resistant bacteria and cause a whole host of health issues not just for humans but for fish and aquatic life downstream?
I propose that this year you look at not just the amount of food and what kind you are eating when trying to be healthy, but also what you are putting on your skin and breathing in that also impacts your long term health. And, because the whole topic of toxins in consumer products can be extremely overwhelming, I recommend people focus on the following low-hanging fruit of toxins.
For this year's New Year's Resolution try this instead of or in addition to your other pledges:
1. Get rid of the anti-bacterial soaps. Nobody needs them - studies show that good hand washing is just as effective at cleaning as anti-bacterials. Avoid the ingredient: Triclosan
2. Ditch the non-stick. Start with your frying pans and work your way through your bakeware. Choose quality stainless steel, glass or cast iron instead.
3. Avoid artificial fragrances. You'll be surprised at how many products in your home contain artificial fragrances which house the chemicals phthalates, which are powerful endocrine disruptors. Avoid the ingredients: artificial fragrance or parfum.
4. Stay away from canned food. Most canned items are lined with BPA, which has been shown to cause healthy breast cells to act like cancerous ones. Make your own soup and store it in glass jars, buy dried beans and look for BPA free cans. And, while you're at it, stay away from soda cans.
5. Buy organic food. Stay away from pesticides by choosing organic foods over conventionally sprayed ones. Your body and the environment will thank you.
Are you willing to pledge to lower your toxic exposure? Which ones are you avoiding?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
30 minute mozzarella
Last weekend, my husband and I hit up The Cellar Homebrew near our place for some cheese making supplies. Since we got a cast iron pizza pan for Christmas to replace our old non-stick Teflon pizza pan, we wanted to try out making pizzas. And what better way to top our homemade pizza dough and pizza sauce I canned from last summer's tomato bonanza than by adding fresh made mozzarella?
I dusted off my old Home Cheese Making book that I've had for years (and never made anything from) and decided to actually use it. Over the years, I've been too lazy to scout out the odds and ends required to make mozzarella, opting for easy homemade cheeses instead.
Since we were busy with other things over New Year's weekend, we went with the 30 minute recipe, rather than the more traditional one. The 30 minute recipe is super easy and goes a little something like this:
1. Mix citric acid into gallon of whole milk (make sure it's not ultra pasteurized or it doesn't work)
2. Heat until warm
3. Add rennet
4. Stir and heat until 100 degrees or so - the curds will magically appear
5. Remove curds with slotted spoon
6. Microwave on high for 1 minute, drain whey and knead with spoon
7. Microwave for 35 seconds, drain whey and knead with spoon
8. Repeat #7 and knead in some cheese salt
9. Eat or store
I was flabbergasted at how easy this was and how quickly it came together. My husband was dubious about the whole process and predicted it would take me an hour and a half at least to have some form of cheese ready to go. Nay sayer, I tell you!
With the cheese all ready to go, we sliced it up and put it on the pizza. It was very good, but not exactly what I expected.
My final thoughts
It certainly wasn't like the fresh mozzarella balls we buy from our favorite market. It wasn't as creamy and looked more like a combo of fresh and the Organic Valley regular mozzarella we buy. I was hoping we would be making caprese salad like crazy, but I wouldn't use it for that. The texture is all wrong.
Would I make it again? Maybe. I think I'd rather try making the longer, more involved mozzarella recipe from the book and see how they compare.
Photographic evidence
Here are some pictures of the process for your viewing pleasure:
Right after adding in the rennet, the curds separate from the whey.
The cheese curds after removing them with a slotted spoon.
Paco, casting a spell, "You must give me all the cheese..."
Melty cheese, right out of the microwave.
The finished product. Note the cheese browned in a rather oddly brown way.
Have you tried making mozzarella? Did you do the 30 minute kind or did you go the traditional route?
This post is part of this week's Homestead Barn Hop and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.
Since we were busy with other things over New Year's weekend, we went with the 30 minute recipe, rather than the more traditional one. The 30 minute recipe is super easy and goes a little something like this:
1. Mix citric acid into gallon of whole milk (make sure it's not ultra pasteurized or it doesn't work)
2. Heat until warm
3. Add rennet
4. Stir and heat until 100 degrees or so - the curds will magically appear
5. Remove curds with slotted spoon
6. Microwave on high for 1 minute, drain whey and knead with spoon
7. Microwave for 35 seconds, drain whey and knead with spoon
8. Repeat #7 and knead in some cheese salt
9. Eat or store
I was flabbergasted at how easy this was and how quickly it came together. My husband was dubious about the whole process and predicted it would take me an hour and a half at least to have some form of cheese ready to go. Nay sayer, I tell you!
With the cheese all ready to go, we sliced it up and put it on the pizza. It was very good, but not exactly what I expected.
My final thoughts
It certainly wasn't like the fresh mozzarella balls we buy from our favorite market. It wasn't as creamy and looked more like a combo of fresh and the Organic Valley regular mozzarella we buy. I was hoping we would be making caprese salad like crazy, but I wouldn't use it for that. The texture is all wrong.
Would I make it again? Maybe. I think I'd rather try making the longer, more involved mozzarella recipe from the book and see how they compare.
Photographic evidence
Here are some pictures of the process for your viewing pleasure:
Right after adding in the rennet, the curds separate from the whey.
The cheese curds after removing them with a slotted spoon.
Paco, casting a spell, "You must give me all the cheese..."
Melty cheese, right out of the microwave.
The finished product. Note the cheese browned in a rather oddly brown way.
Have you tried making mozzarella? Did you do the 30 minute kind or did you go the traditional route?
This post is part of this week's Homestead Barn Hop and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Blog book tour - 2012!
Hey everybody! Tomorrow kicks off my blog book tour. What's that, you ask? Well, it's like a regular book tour, but rather than travel all over the country (with a high travel carbon footprint), I'm virtually doing a book tour on people's blogs. For the most part, this tour will be three weeks long and will visit several dozen blogs.
This week I'll be visiting the following blogs. As the posts are up I'll be letting you know the direct links. I'm hoping this will give you more information about my new book, The Non-Toxic Avenger, as well as let the readers of the other blogs learn about it as well.
This week I'll be visiting the following blogs. As the posts are up I'll be letting you know the direct links. I'm hoping this will give you more information about my new book, The Non-Toxic Avenger, as well as let the readers of the other blogs learn about it as well.
| Tour Date | Blog | Type of Post |
| 1/2/12 | http://www.thecrunchychicken.com | Book Tour Launch! |
| 1/3/12 | http://eco-novice.com/ | Healthy Child, Healthy World Nomination and Q&A |
| 1/3/12 | http://farmersdaughterct.com/ | Book review |
| 1/3/12 | http://www.momscleanairforce.org/ | Guest post on clean air |
| 1/5/12 | http://www.mnn.com/ | Book excerpt |
| 1/6/12 | http://www.RetroHousewifeGoesGreen.com | Interview |
| 1/6/12 | http://www.strocel.com/ | Podcast with Amber (20 minute interview) |
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
Just thought I'd throw out there some of the stuff I'll be working on in 2012:
1. Blog book tour - The month of January, a bunch of blogs will be participating in my blog book tour for The Non-Toxic Avenger. I'll be posting a list of participants tomorrow as well as links and updates plus reviews, interviews, excerpts and more as they get posted. I'm also continuing my radio and TV interview campaign as well as book signings and will post those when the are up online or otherwise available.
2. Working on my next book - I'm going to be wrapping up my book on pioneer living in the city this spring, so you can look forward to seeing that one on the shelves (digital or otherwise) this fall.
3. Getting more chickens - My husband and family are game for adding a few more chickens to the menagerie. This time, rather than getting pullets, we'll be getting chicks so hopefully this next batch is a little more human friendly.
4. Front lawn edible landscaping - We've been thinking of doing this for a while now and I'm hoping that we get it going in 2012. We have a huge front lawn that is just begging to be replaced with edibles.
5. More urban farming - I want to up our game when it comes to producing food in the city. I don't think bees are in our immediate future, but maybe this year we'll get on that honey CSA instead. I also want to get more involved in learning processing of rabbits and chickens.
6. Blog more consistently - I felt like 2011 had a bunch of bald spots when it came to posting and that I relied on Facebook more instead. I can't guarantee anything, but I'm going to try!
What about you? What are you planning on doing in 2012?
1. Blog book tour - The month of January, a bunch of blogs will be participating in my blog book tour for The Non-Toxic Avenger. I'll be posting a list of participants tomorrow as well as links and updates plus reviews, interviews, excerpts and more as they get posted. I'm also continuing my radio and TV interview campaign as well as book signings and will post those when the are up online or otherwise available.
2. Working on my next book - I'm going to be wrapping up my book on pioneer living in the city this spring, so you can look forward to seeing that one on the shelves (digital or otherwise) this fall.
3. Getting more chickens - My husband and family are game for adding a few more chickens to the menagerie. This time, rather than getting pullets, we'll be getting chicks so hopefully this next batch is a little more human friendly.
4. Front lawn edible landscaping - We've been thinking of doing this for a while now and I'm hoping that we get it going in 2012. We have a huge front lawn that is just begging to be replaced with edibles.
5. More urban farming - I want to up our game when it comes to producing food in the city. I don't think bees are in our immediate future, but maybe this year we'll get on that honey CSA instead. I also want to get more involved in learning processing of rabbits and chickens.
6. Blog more consistently - I felt like 2011 had a bunch of bald spots when it came to posting and that I relied on Facebook more instead. I can't guarantee anything, but I'm going to try!
What about you? What are you planning on doing in 2012?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The Urban Farm Handbook review
It also will appeal to those of us (my family included) who want the ideals of country living, but still have the benefits of city living - energy efficiency, improved transportation, access to the arts, excellent dining, etc.
The Urban Farm Handbook, by Annette Cottrell (of sustainableeats.com) and Joshua McNichols (who, apparently, lives nearby me), will want to make you grind your own grain, raise mealworms in your house to feed your flock of backyard chickens, make your own chevre from your dairy goats (where legal, of course), dispatch your own bunnies and beyond.
I get a lot of books to review, but I cannot say enough good things about this book. You'll just have to trust me on this one. If you are interested in the local food movement, even if you do live out in the sticks (you lucky bastards), you will really enjoy this book.
Normally, I'd do a giveaway of the books I've read, but this one's a keeper. Sorry, you're going to have to buy it yourself :)
Friday, December 30, 2011
Best of 2011
While I'm off on vacation, I thought I'd bring back the posts that caused the most "excitement" in the last year.
And the top 5 posts are....
1. Urban Homesteaders - Cease and Desist: I can't believe it's been almost a year since the whole "urban homesteaders" trademark activity hit the fan when the Dervaes family started pursuing people and organizations who had the audacity to use their brilliant concoction of words never before used by man.
2. The Skinny vs. Curvy Ideal: This clearly must have been a result of people Googling the wrong thing, but nonetheless, it got over 2,000 pageviews.
3. Top 5 Easy Homemade Cheeses: What can I say? Everybody loves easy. And most people love cheese. A winning combo.
4. Urban Homesteaders Blog Like a Pirate Day: On the heels of the whole silliness involved with trademarking common terms, bloggers come out in force to thrown down against those arrogant enough to trademark them.
5. BPA-free Canned Tomatoes: Hitting the news this year was research after research showing the unsavory health consequences of consuming BPA through food, drink and touch. The popularity of this post shows that people are serious about finding alternatives to BPA laced cans. BPA, most recently, was shown to make healthy breast cells act like cancerous ones, render the chemo drug Tamoxifen useless and push women's hearts into deadly arrhythmias. Better living through chemistry? No thanks.
And the top 5 posts are....
1. Urban Homesteaders - Cease and Desist: I can't believe it's been almost a year since the whole "urban homesteaders" trademark activity hit the fan when the Dervaes family started pursuing people and organizations who had the audacity to use their brilliant concoction of words never before used by man.
2. The Skinny vs. Curvy Ideal: This clearly must have been a result of people Googling the wrong thing, but nonetheless, it got over 2,000 pageviews.
3. Top 5 Easy Homemade Cheeses: What can I say? Everybody loves easy. And most people love cheese. A winning combo.
4. Urban Homesteaders Blog Like a Pirate Day: On the heels of the whole silliness involved with trademarking common terms, bloggers come out in force to thrown down against those arrogant enough to trademark them.
5. BPA-free Canned Tomatoes: Hitting the news this year was research after research showing the unsavory health consequences of consuming BPA through food, drink and touch. The popularity of this post shows that people are serious about finding alternatives to BPA laced cans. BPA, most recently, was shown to make healthy breast cells act like cancerous ones, render the chemo drug Tamoxifen useless and push women's hearts into deadly arrhythmias. Better living through chemistry? No thanks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin