Food wasting away

I went grocery shopping yesterday and did a little fridge clean out in preparation for February's Food Waste Reduction Challenge. No I wasn't cheating to get rid of food I know I wasn't going to eat - just composting food that was past its prime and inedible. You know, the real scary stuff.

But, even though I had a few days before I embarked on really reducing the food waste I'm generating, I couldn't help but start last night. That meant that the few teaspoons of lemon juice leftover from my husband's homemade blackberry pie (with blackberries we froze last summer and local leaf lard for the crust) got saved to use for the million avocados that are all ripening at once. Yes, we have a load of avocados from my brother's backyard.

That also meant that the leftover dough from the lattice crust from the pie ended up getting baked with sugar and cinnamon for last night's dessert. I don't have much control over the food waste generated from my kids, it just means that I have to be really diligent about giving them food that I know they will eat in portions they will finish. I'm not talking about being short-order cook for them, but meal planning with things I know they will eat.

One thing that has been brought up in the comments of people pledging to do the challenge so far is the notion that food scraps given to the chickens, goats, pigs, etc. don't count. Well, if you are looking at it from a cost standpoint, if that's what you normally budget into feeding your critters, by all means, give them the left-overs, but if it's just a mental sleight-of-hand to assuage your guilt over throwing out food, then you'll be better off (financially) saving the human food for the humans and planning better what the animals eat.

I do the same legerdemain thing with compost. I don't feel so guilty throwing out food because in goes in the compost, but I should. It's better to eat the food because it not only saves me money, but it saves from an environmental standpoint. Throwing out (or composting) food and replacing it takes an environmental toll from a production, transportation and packaging perspective since all of these processes emit CO2. Plus, it's just wasteful. Compost the things you can't eat (banana peels and the like) and eat the things you can. Sounds obvious, but we all need to be reminded of this.

If you are interested in signing up for this year's Food Waste Challenge, you can sign up here!

For those of you who get a kick out of eating seemingly inedible things, I'll cover in a future post how to turn your food scraps into something edible. Yum!

Food Waste Reduction Challenge 2010

It's that time of year again to do the Food Waste Reduction Challenge. I think in the intervening 11 months, many of us have stopped focusing on how much food waste we are generating and need a little kick in the hiney to focus on what we are throwing away (or composting). So, let's begin.

You all know the stats: 50% of the garbage that goes into the landfill is edible food. Even if your food goes out into the compost or picked up by your local yard waste service for composting, it's still not only a waste of money, but it's also a waste of energy.

Really, how bad is it? A University of Arizona study showed that 40 to 50% of U.S. edible food never gets eaten. That's $100 billion worth of edible food discarded every year in the U.S.. It's a tremendous waste of resources and one that we are all guilty in contributing to.

There's also a large environmental impact as well if your food waste gets sent to a landfill. Food waste is the largest landfill contributor to methane gas production, so unless your municipality has a landfill-to-gas capture, your rotten bananas and forgotten pickles are contributing to global climate change.

How is it a waste of energy? Because there's a lot of energy that goes into growing and transporting your food (unless you grow it all yourself, in which case the impact is a lot less), throwing it out just means you have to replace it with more food.

Do you have a food waste problem? Most likely you do. This is one of those challenges that we all can and should do. So, now's the time to sign up for the Food Waste Reduction Challenge. But, what does it entail?

The Rules
Well, it's pretty simple. Your goal for the month of February 2010 is to try to reduce the amount of food you throw out or put into the compost. This does not include inedible food waste like egg shells or banana peels (unless you have a use for them I don't know about).

Your job is to keep track of the food that you have on hand and make sure that it gets eaten or preserved before it goes bad and needs to be disposed. All it takes is a little planning, some organization and the willingness to be creative. Just remember to cook wisely and shop wisely.

So, every week starting now, go through your fridge, cabinets and cellar storage and see what's getting close to its pull date or is starting to turn. If it's getting near, plan on eating it, making it into a meal, preserving it or freezing it. Since this is an important challenge that will help you reduce your waste and save money I'm going to host it for the whole month of February.

If you are interested in signing up for the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, add your name to the comments of this post. I'll check in occasionally to see how you all are doing or if you have any food saving recipes or tips to share with others. If you want to put the graphic up on your blog, just paste the following code:

<a href="http://www.thecrunchychicken.com/2010/01/food-waste-reduction-challenge-2010.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k-Jn_mvDYDISxWSgTnSFp4QwpcGvIl6t2311pIG5KjyVnL_jrdirnmgwaauCvr3zwXYxy4XOGKx-VCaKZQPIjLJ2ygcvD8ZFmI1Ie-Tdmf1R_Nx0hvrLGjF2OLyoptosV2OHXKVPWb8K/s259/foodwaste.jpg" border="0" alt="Food Waste Reduction Challenge - February 2010" /></a>

Related reading:
One Country's Table Scraps, Another Country's Meal (NY Times)
All About: Food Waste (CNN)
Wasted Food (blog)

Sustainable dress chosen!

Thanks to everyone who voted on yesterday's poll for which dress I should wear to the Seattle Premiere of my green makeover show, Mission: Sustainable. I also want to thank the readers who suggested some alternatives that were sustainable. That helped me decide to go with something that wasn't an off-the-rack dress.

And, instead of choosing a rental, a used dress or something that wasn't obvious that it was sustainable, I ended up choosing a ballgown style dress that is made of recycled neckties. I did this as it would be clear that the dress is made of repurposed materials.

In addition, the designer of the dress is local (from WA state) and will be doing some alterations to my measurements. How much more sustainable is that? Not only is the dress made of recycled materials, but it's local!

I couldn't ask for a better combination to help support the underlying goals of Mission: Sustainable. I wouldn't feel as confident wearing a commercially made, unsustainable dress and, I'm sure, the dress will be quite the conversation piece!

The pictures on this post are photos of the actual dress I will be getting. The model is my height and about my measurements, so there will be only a few alterations to get it to fit perfectly. So, what you see is what you'll get!

Anyway, if you are interested in learning more about the designer of the dress you can check out her site, Glamarita, and her Etsy shop!

See you on the green carpet!

Seattle Premiere - pick my dress!

The Seattle Premiere of the green makeover show, Mission: Sustainable, is coming up fast and I best get prepared for it. For those of you who live in the area, here are the details. It's open to the public, so please come attend and bring your friends while you're at it!

Date: February 11, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion
Cost: FREE to the public

"Heart-warming," "Hilarious" and "Inspiring" are just a few of the words being used to describe the pilot episode of Mission: Sustainable that follows one Seattle family’s experience as they work with a team of sustainability experts [that would be me - I'm the personal care consultant on the show] to lower their impact on the planet.

Join us for the green carpet event of the season at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion. Come view the 45 minute pilot, mix and mingle with the cast and crew of Mission: Sustainable, enjoy live music with special guest, The Fiasco, and visit the booths of local sustainable companies.

Oh yeah, and there will be free food from a variety of local producers and vendors.

Help pick my dress!

For those of you who can't make it (or can), you can help me out by picking what to wear. Since I rarely hit the red, or green carpet, for that matter, I have nothing to wear. I want to do something formal and may end up renting to reduce ye olde impact.

So, your job is to help me decide what the heck to wear. Here are your choices. Click on the image to see it more biggerer and vote below:

Update: I decided to go with a sustainable dress for the premiere. You can read all about it here!


Pick my green carpet dress!

Sex and Sustainability seminar slides

For those of you who attended my seminar in Eugene titled Sex and Sustainability where I covered alternative menstrual products, green contraception and sustainable sex toys, I've posted the slides up on Scribd.

So, if you want to check them out you can see them here:

Sex and Sustainability

They may not make total sense without having seen the presentation, but you've got the slides for your viewing pleasure nonetheless. Since this seminar was actually filmed, I'll eventually get the video of that up on my blog once it's available.

Oh, and, the slides may be considered NSFW. But, I think they are pretty non-graphic.

Eco-friendly cosmetic procedures

I know what you are saying. Is there such a thing as eco-friendly cosmetic surgery? Well, no, there's not. But some procedures are better than others and I intend to cover them here. So, sit down, relax those furrowed brows and read on.

When I was down in Eugene last week, one woman who had stopped in to watch a preview of the pilot of Mission: Sustainable asked me for some suggestions about eco-friendly anti-aging products. This sweet older woman was convinced (and lamenting) that if she had stooped to using more traditional anti-aging products over the years, her face would look a lot younger. She did have a fairly heavily-lined face that made her look a lot older than she probably was and I could tell she was really troubled by it.

Because this isn't the first time people have asked me about anti-aging products, I figure it's about time I tackled the whole subject. I know we are all concerned about going green, but many are also concerned with looking younger or, at least, our age. Should environmentalists have to skip out on everything? I don't think so.

In today's post I'm going to start with the heavy hitters. And by that, I mean cosmetic procedures. I'll follow-up with a look at anti-aging skincare soon, but for older women, where anti-aging products probably aren't going to help as much in comparison, they are going to be considering something you can't get out of a box from the local store.

So, let's begin with the most popular procedures used to combat wrinkles that I think are the safest and most eco-friendly: fillers and Botox.

Fat fillers
Fat fillers are used to plump up hollow cheeks, thin lips, an aging forehead, eyes, and scars. There is no issue with a foreign substance in your body as the fat used in the injection is taken directly from another area of your body. The fat cells are removed from the butt, stomach, or thighs, processed and purified and then injected beneath the skin into the target area.

Fat fillers never result in a 100% improvement and can last anywhere from a few weeks to a year. Since transplanted fat cells die without a blood supply within 3 - 4 days and since it takes 3 - 4 days until the first capillaries reach the injected fat cells, the "take" of fat cells isn't guaranteed. Some survive but most of them don't and are reabsorbed in the body.

So, if you are looking for long-term results, this procedure may work for you, but it also may just result in very short-term results as well. The best thing about it is you are experiencing the ultimate in recycling. You are basically just taking the fat you don't want out of one area and moving it to an area where you do want it. As we age, we lose fat in our faces, which makes us look older. Replacing that fat restores a more youthful look. Not quite back to the baby fat stage though no matter how much junk you have in your trunk to share!

Dermal fillers
Dermal fillers are administered by a physician (preferably a board-certified dermatologist, cosmetic or plastic surgeon). If you are interested in a filler to plump up lines, go with a temporary filler that is collagen based. Collagen injections can help erase frown lines, crow's feet and nasolabial folds or smile lines. It's also great for smoothing out scars.

Please stay away from the silicone or synthetic based fillers. Some synthetics are even designed to be more long-term, so if you don't like the results, you are stuck with them for a while or you can have them reversed by another procedure that essentially dissolves the material out.

You can go for a human-based or an animal-based collagen filler. Collagen fillers last for four or more months and the more you get it done, the longer it lasts as more and more of the collagen remains. There is a trade off if you choose an animal-based collagen filler because they have the risk of allergy associated with them. But, if you don't have an allergy, there should be little risk otherwise.

I can't say the same for synthetics like ArteFill, made from PMMA, a type of plastic. The reason why people choose a non-collagen filler (like ArteFill) is because they last longer. You are saving money over the long-term, but at what potential risk? They are FDA approved, but I'm not sure I would want an artificial substance injected into my face.

I still don't know what to make of Sculptra, another synthetic (but "biocompatible" whatever that means), and hyaluronic acid-based fillers like Restylane and Juvederm. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring polysaccharide (carbohydrate) that exists in human tissue, but I don't know how it is produced for these products and what the long-term issues of having in injected into your face are. Finally, there are some claims that the hyaluronic acid based fillers can trigger auto-immune diseases.

And, please. No collagen injections in your lips. Nobody looks good with that shit. I'm talking to you, Nicole Kidman.

Botox
Botox is the number one cosmetic procedure in the United States and is used as an anti-wrinkle treatment for crow's feet, frown lines, and to eliminate furrows in the forehead. It works by paralyzing facial muscles. Since it is a neurotoxin, there is a risk of it spreading beyond the treatment site and there is risk of losing some facial expressions if over-administered. I'm talking to you, Nicole Kidman. But, the effects last 4 - 6 months, so it, too, lasts only for the short-term.

Is Botox eco-friendly? Well, no medical procedure is eco-friendly since there is petroleum and plastic involved in the manufacture of the product and the syringe and a whole host of other things. But, Botox can be argued to be 'natural' in that it is a protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Think of it as a bad canning job injected in your face. What's more natural than that?

Now, before y'all get your panties in a knot, I'm not suggesting you run out and pump your faces full of fat, collagen and Botulism. But, since I've been asked a number of times about anti-aging products and the like, it's better to know what your options are then not.

What about you? Have you ever considered fillers or Botox? If not, what's your opinion about the popularity of these procedures?

Resources:
Fat fillers
Dermal fillers
Botox
Botulinum toxin

Potty Talk seminar slides

For those of you who attended my seminar in Eugene titled Potty Talk where I covered recycled toilet paper vs. conventional, using cloth wipes instead of T.P. and using urine as a nitrogen rich plant fertilizer, I've posted the slides up on Scribd.

So, if you want to check them out you can see them here:

Potty Talk

They may not make total sense without having seen the presentation, but you've got them for your viewing pleasure nonetheless.

Note: There are two photos that I use in the slides that I don't reference at the end, one is the cloth wipes picture from Wallypop and the other is a cloth wipe bathroom setup from SortaCrunchy's blog.

Pioneer Skills: making ink from berries

Want to find out how to make your own ink using some basic, commonly found ingredients? You won't be able to refill your ballpoint or fountain pens with this ink, but find yourself a good quill pen and you'll be on your way. This makes for a great project to do with the kids.

Writing with a quill pen gives your handwriting an antiqued look, so it's great to use for invitations, art projects or for keepsakes. If you're real serious, you can also invest in a dipping pen, but the ink you make will need to be a little thicker. You can make your own quill pen from feathers by following these instructions or watching this video.

Most pioneers couldn't afford to buy ink, since true ink was fairly expensive, so they made their own using different ingredients depending on what color ink they needed. Some pioneers used not just berries, but powdered roots and nuts as well to create their ink. You can made different colored inks depending on which berry you use.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ripe berries (blueberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, elderberries, raspberries are good choices)
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Place berries in a strainer and hold it over a bowl.

2. Crush the berries against the strainer so that the berry juice strains into the bowl.

3. Once all your berries are crushed and you are left with just pulp (to put in compost or use for something else!), add the vinegar and salt to the juice. The vinegar helps the ink retain its color and the salt prevents molding.

4. If the berry ink is too thick, thin it with water, adding a little at a time to get it to desired consistency.

5. Store in a baby food jar or a small canning jar and keep refrigerated.

Resources:
Quill Thrill: Recipes for Homemade Ink
Recipes for Quill Pen Ink
Homemade Ink from Berries

Snuggie Sutra - don't Freeze Yer Bits

I'm going to be on a local news station next week talking about the Freeze Yer Buns Challenge, and I was preparing some information for them to make graphs and whatnot when I stumbled upon this really funny website, The Snuggie Sutra.

For those of you who are lowering your thermostat to save money this winter and to reduce your carbon footprint, you may have run across problems when it comes to getting it on. Given the fact that the ambient air temperature in your bedroom may be a bit too nippy when you're fully naked, the author of this site has come up with some suggestions of how to work your Snuggie into your lovemaking. In other words, it's the Kama Sutra, but with Snuggies.

Now, I'm in no way promoting the Snuggie given the fact that it's a totally unsustainable product and, from what I've heard, really poorly made, but if it keeps you warm enough to lower your thermostat, then go for it! If you are a DIY kinda person, there are tons of patterns online for making your own

And, once you've got your Snuggie or Slanket, spend the rest of this year's Freeze Yer Buns Challenge working your way through the Snuggie Sutra. That's an order.

Image courtesy of The Snuggie Sutra

Related posts:
NY Times: Chilled by Choice
USA Today: Freeze Yer Buns Challenge
Freeze Yer Buns Challenge

Good Earth = Good Times

I had a total blast this last weekend down in Eugene, OR at the Good Earth Home, Garden & Living Show, America's 1st sustainable home and garden show. We got some great feedback from the test audiences during the screenings of the pilot episode of the show Mission: Sustainable, on which I'm a cast member and personal care consultant.

Mission: Sustainable is a green makeover show that's currently in development. We are in the final edits on the pilot and will be hosting a Seattle Premiere Event on February 11th in the Fischer Pavilion in the Seattle Center. I'll post more on that soon, but if you're local, mark your calendars! After the premiere, we'll be pitching the show to cable networks.

Anyway, Eugene was a lot of fun. In addition to the screenings and Q & A with the cast members, I did two seminars. The first one was called Potty Talk and I covered recycled toilet paper vs. conventional, using cloth wipes instead of T.P. and using urine as a nitrogen rich plant fertilizer.

The second talk was called Sex and Sustainability where I covered alternative menstrual products, green contraception and sustainable sex toys. I'll try to get the PowerPoint slides for both talks up sometime soon and, since my second talk was filmed, I'll post the presentation for your viewing pleasure when our Director of Photography is done editing it.

Top 5 highlights of the trip (in no particular order):

1. The woman in the audience during my first talk who was old hat with all of my suggestions. The best part? She uses her used toilet paper as a fire starter in her fireplace. She claimed that it is the only thing that works for her to get her fire going. She even asks visitors to her home to save their used TP so she can use it to start her fireplace. Brings a whole new twist to the saying, "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." She made me seem almost normal!

2. The semi-stoned guy who visited our Mission:Sustainable booth and was totally convinced that he'd seen the show on TV before. In fact, he'd seen it a couple of times and wanted to let us know that he was going to keep watching it he liked it so much. Even though it hasn't yet been aired.

3. The peak oil, conspiracy theory nutball that stopped by the booth to blind-side us and with whom I spent 15 minutes going toe-to-toe on issues regarding peak oil with a sprinkling of environmentalism, politics and a number of other topics thrown in for good measure. Proving that we're not just a bunch of greenwashing reality show airheads.

4. Getting to hang out with some of the most awesome, talented and knowledgeable individuals in Seattle who just so also happen to be my fellow cast members and crew.

5. All the free beer and wine samples, the free chair massage, and the guys milling around outside the conference room waiting for the sex toys part of the presentation to begin. One guy waited until I started that bit and then came in, sat down, put his feet up, hands behind his head and reclined as if he were about to watch a porn show in his own living room.

There are so many more fun moments, and you'd have to have been there to understand them but, needless to say, I certainly won't forget this weekend.

GladRags winner

The winner of last week's GladRags Giveaway, where the winner gets to choose their very own pattern in the Color Pad Sampler Kit (which includes):

• 3 Day Pads
  
• 3 Pantyliners
  
• 1 Night Pad
  
• 1 Classic Carry Bag
  
• 1 Mesh Laundry Bag

is Krista R!

Congratulations and send me your contact info as well as what pattern you would like!

For those of you burning with curiosity, I'll fill you in on my trip to the Good Earth Home, Garden and Living show in Eugene in tomorrow's post!

NY Times - Chilled by Choice

Holy smokes! I'm in the NY Times again today. This time they are referencing my Freeze Yer Buns Challenge, but mostly talking about folks who use no heat.

I have to admit that I think people who live in sub-freezing and 15 degree temperatures are a bit off their rockers. But, either way, it's interesting to read their attitudes about the cold.

So, go check out the article! And come back and tell me what you think about going with no heat. Would you do it?

GladRags giveaway

If you missed out on last week's LunaPads giveaway, or you didn't win, you have an opportunity at another great giveaway for a set of cloth menstrual pads.

Last week's giveaway was in honor of my preparations for this weekend's seminars at the Eugene Home, Garden and Living show in Oregon. I have two presentations prepared. I'm not sure which ones I will end up giving since there has been some concern about whether or not the content is family-friendly or if I may offend any of the more conservative attendees.

What am I planning on talking about? The first talk I have planned is called Potty Talk and will cover everything you ever wanted to know about switching over to cloth wipes (instead of toilet paper) and using urine as a nitrogen fertilizer. The second talk is called Sex and Sustainability and will cover alternatives in menstrual products, contraception and the chemicals/materials in adult toys.

I'm really hoping to be able to do the Sex and Sustainability talk since I think the information in it is valuable and not at all salacious. Anyway, this second talk will have a show n' tell section at the end with items from what I'm covering: cloth pads, a DivaCup and alternative adult toys. That part will be salacious :)

One of the items I'll have with me will be a sample GladRags pad so people can get an idea of what they look like if they've never seen them before. As such, this week's giveaway is sponsored by GladRags themselves and they have generously offered up this almighty starter set, the Color Pad Sampler Kit, and the winner gets to pick out whatever print they want!

The Pad Sampler Kit contains the following lovelies:

3 Day Pads

3 Pantyliners

1 Night Pad

1 Classic Carry Bag

1 Mesh Laundry Bag

To enter to win this GladRags Set, they ask that, in addition to adding your name to the comments of this post, you comment with something from their site. For example, something new you learned, a product you would most like to try, or a print you like the best.

You have until Saturday, January 23rd, at midnight PST to sign up. I'll announce the winner when I get back next week. Good luck!

Naturally Bare review

It's a bloody miracle! I've actually posted something over on Green Goddess Dressing, my other blog that I've been dutifully ignoring for months now.

If you would like to read a scathing review of Sally Hansen's Naturally Bare Honey Wax, then mosey on over to my most recent post!

From first appearances, it looks like an all-natural, earth friendly product. And, in many ways it is. If you like icky chemicals that have been found in breast cancer tissue.

Pioneer Skills: hand dipped beeswax candles

Lighting with pure beeswax candles made with cotton wicks was one of the many methods of lighting during pioneer times and, I'm sure, the least air-polluting. Burning beeswax has been claimed to clean the air in your home by ionizing it. I make no such grandiose claims, just that beeswax candles smell great and burn cleanly.

Interest in beekeeping, even in urban areas, is on the rise so even if you don't raise your own, you should have access to a local source of beeswax through your farmers market. If you can't find any there, check online resources for beeswax and try to select an organic source.

I chose to explain how to make hand dipped beeswax candles, mostly because the amount of equipment you need is minimal. You don't need molds or any fancy wick suspension system or the like. Just a container of melted beeswax and some wicks.

I suspect this was also the main method of making candles back in pioneer days because of its simplicity. It would also be one of those projects that took time and could be done as a social event. I envision women sitting around the beeswax, making candles and talking. I suggest you host a beeswax candle making party to keep the tradition alive.

This also makes a good project for kids, as long as they are old enough to be careful around hot wax.

Supply list

Beeswax (get organic beeswax from a local beekeeper if you can)

100% cotton candle wicks (organic cotton if you can)

Metal container (to melt the beeswax, you can use a medium, tall tin can for this)

Pot

Instructions:

1. Fill the metal container about 3/4 full of beeswax. If you don't feel like chopping up large chunks of beeswax, which is, notably, a huge pain, you can use beeswax pellets if you can find them, but they are much more expensive than buying bulk beeswax. Place your metal container in a pot of water so that it hits about halfway up the container. Heat the water over medium heat until the wax is melted and turn the heat down to simmer.

2. Trim the wicks into 16 inch pieces. Dip each end of the wick about 6" into the wax, alternately ends, about a second in and a second to pull out. Wait 15 seconds in between dips for the previous "layer" to cool. Once you get the hang of it, you'll get into a candle dipping rhythm that can be quite meditative.

3. When your candle has reached the appropriate diameter (1/2 to 1 inch), it's time to cool them. If your candles are looking a tad too rustic for your tastes, you can roll them in wax paper on a hard surface for a smoother finish. Let them cool by hanging them over a thick rod. Trim the bottom of the candle if you like.

Problem solving:
*If you are finding the the wick is floating in the wax during the first few dips, you can tie some washers or other weight to the dipping end.
*If you want to speed things up a bit, you can dip the candles into cool water in between dips.
*If you are having issues with clumpy wax or remelting your candle as you are dipping, keep the temperature around 160 degrees F. 150 to 180 is a safe range for dipping.
*For a clean finish, increase the temperature of the wax to 180 degrees for the last dip.

References:
How to make hand dipped beeswax candles
Making hand dipped candles

LunaPads SuperChicken set winner

Hear ye, hear ye.

The lucky winner of the LunaPads giveaway is....

Julia of Color Me Green!

Email me your contact infromation, and I'll send you the set of cloth pads! Congratulations!

For those of you who are interested in giving cloth pads a try, I'll be doing another giveaway this week, this time with GladRags. So, keep an eye out for that contest!

Pioneer Woman Cooks winners

Well, the odds for winning a book in this last giveaway of The Pioneer Woman Cooks were pretty high this time around. But, I won't dawdle and will just announce the winners.

And the random number generator says:

1. Peak Oil Hausfrau - who, strangely, enough also lives in OK
2. Robbie, of Going Green Mama, APLS and the Green Phone Booth
3. Jenny, of Proud to Be a Farmer's Daughter

Send your contact information to me and I'll forward it to Ree. She'll be sending you the books!

Congratulations you guys!

LunaPads giveaway

Consider yourselves lucky. Since I'm uber-busy this week working hard on preparing my seminar for the Eugene Home, Garden and Living show in Oregon next weekend, I don't have time to write on all the burning topics that are totally stuck in my craw.

So, in the meantime, in honor of my seminar topic (in which I'm planning on covering alternative menstrual care products), I'm doing a giveaway of cloth menstrual pads to hopefully encourage one lucky winner to give this sustainable alternative a whirl.

Now, this is no ordinary sample of cloth pads, but a whole get-you-hooked-up kit which will contain these lovely items from LunaPads:

1. Waterproof carry case (for cloth pad transport)
2. Five (5) Maxi pads (with 3 liners each for a total of 15 liners)
3. Five (5) Mini pads (with 3 liners each for a total of 15 liners)

The LunaPad includes 2 parts: a pad with wings that fasten around the gusset of your underwear with a sewn-on plastic snap, and a liner that is worn on top of the pad and held in place with ric-rac bands. This design allows you to change liners quickly and easily without having to change your whole pad. Watch this video to see how Lunapads are worn.

To enter to win this LunaPads SuperChicken Set, just add your name to the comments of this post. You have until Friday, January 15th, at midnight PST to sign up. I'll announce the winner this weekend.

Good luck!

Pioneer Woman Cooks book giveaway

I've done one giveaway already for this book. Since the interest was so high for the first giveaway and since Ree offered up an additional three books, I'm having another giveaway. And, yes, people, you read correctly. Three books.

If you've read The Pioneer Woman's blog, you've seen the recipe section of her site and probably have fallen in love with the not only the recipes, but the pictures and everything else related to her life on a cattle ranch.

Ree was kind enough to send me a review copy back in October of her new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, a luxuriously picturesque book that there are not enough adjectives to describe. This book, which lists for $27.50, includes several of the recipes on her blog as well as a ton of new ones, all including the same sort of step-by-step pictures and instructions that you've grown to love. In addition there's a bunch of pictures from around the farm and information about the family (like, did you know that Marlboro Man's real name is Ladd?).

If you are not familiar with her blog (and, if not, have been under a rock?), then I urge you to go check it out if you are at all interested in life in the country. I must warn you, however, that her blog and life is not a sustainable existence so don't expect any stories of living off the land. This is a true working cattle ranch.

From the book description:

After years of living in Los Angeles, I made a pit stop in my hometown in Oklahoma on the way to a new, exciting life in Chicago. It was during my stay at home that I met Marlboro Man, a mysterious cowboy with steely blue eyes and a muscular, work-honed body.

A strict vegetarian, I fell hard and fast, and before I knew it we were married and living on his ranch in the middle of nowhere, taking care of animals, and managing a brood of four young children. I had no idea how I'd wound up there, but I knew it was exactly where I belonged.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is a homespun collection of photography, rural stories, and scrumptious recipes that have defined my experience in the country. I share many of the delicious cowboy-tested recipes I've learned to make during my years as an accidental ranch wife—including Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce, Lasagna, Fried Chicken, Patsy's Blackberry Cobbler, and Cinnamon Rolls—not to mention several "cowgirl-friendly" dishes, such as Sherried Tomato Soup, Olive Cheese Bread, and Creme Brulee. I show my recipes in full color, step-by-step detail, so it's as easy as pie to follow along.

Now, I know a lot of you probably have some New Years resolutions to work on but, believe me, even though her recipes won't exactly be in Cooking Light anytime soon, they are totally worth the calories!

To enter the book giveaway, just add your name to the comments of this post. You have until Friday, January 15th, at midnight PST to sign up. I'll announce the three winners this weekend.

Pioneer Skills: lemon verbena perfume

For those of you who are fans of Little House on the Prairie, you'll know that Laura was totally fascinated by the fact that her teacher, Miss Beadle, wore lemon verbena perfume. If you were a fan of the show, Mr. Edwards gave Laura lemon verbena perfume in two episodes. So, what better thing to learn as a pioneer skill than how to make your own lemon verbena perfume?

The Spanish first brought lemon verbena to Europe, where it was used widely in perfume in the 18th century. Today, even though the herb lemon verbena can be used in teas and savory dishes, it is still a fragrance widely used in perfumes. Lemon verbena has a woodsy scent, which helps add spiciness to many fragrances. And, because of the woodsy smell, lemon verbena in cologne makes a great scent for men as well as women.

Start with 100-proof vodka as a carrier for your perfume. The vodka is almost completely odorless and evaporates quickly when used on the skin, leaving behind just the fragrance. Combine about 24 drops of lemon verbena essential oil with two teaspoons of distilled water and two teaspoons of vodka. Pour all ingredients into a dark glass bottle and let them steep for at least 48 hours. Shake the bottle occasionally to mix the scent.

In the book "Gone with the Wind," lemon verbena was one of Scarlett O'Hara's mother's favorite scents. During that era, people made lemon verbena lavender perfume using pure essential oils. Lemon verbena lavender perfume makes a great combination since the lavender provides a relaxing scent while lemon verbena is refreshing. Bergamot acts as a refreshing top note. Start with 1/4 cup vodka and add 1/2 teaspoon lemon verbena oil, 5 drops of lavender essential oil and 5 drops of bergamot essential oil. Store and mix as above.