Last year we put in the new compost bin that we picked up at Costco. It’s made in Canada from recycled plastic and not very pretty to look at, but that’s ok. Functional is good enough, pretty is just a bonus. I left it alone for a full year, only adding material. It has been nearing full, so it was…
When I started making our homemade tortillas, I didn’t have any lard in the house (post holiday pie baking wiped out my big tub), so olive oil it was, knowing they should be good, but maybe not as good as they could be. Still, they turned out wonderful, as has all the batches I’ve made since. We go through a…
We recently ran frighteningly low on honey, and my brain being, well, it’s usual scatter-brained brain, forgot to buy more on the last two trips to Grande Prairie. It was on the list; I did go down that aisle. Maybe something shiny distracted me. Anyway…. We use honey in our homemade bread, so we use a fair amount of the…
I’m on a quest lately, to make peanut butter snack bars my boys will like more than store bought ones. Because, you know, they’re expensive and why pay extra for all that crap they put in factory food? So that was this morning, making the 3rd batch in 2 weeks. The first couple batches were eaten, and they were enjoyed,…
If you follow me on facebook, you probably noticed a few pictures I’ve posted of our recent “guests”. They are gypsy moths (or the caterpillars that will turn into them) and they don’t want to move out. Google says that BTK is “the thing” to get rid of them. We are in very rural Alberta and it took some work…
Bees + GMO crops = GMO honey. I was thinking about this the other day and Google Alerts was so kind as to send me this. Honey that contains traces of pollen from genetically modified crops needs special authorization before it can be sold, the European Union’s top court said Tuesday, in a judgment that could have widespread consequences on…
I’m going to do it. I’ve been putting it off for years. I’m going to risk my life and play with caustic chemicals and make my own soap. I’m not taking the cheater way out and grinding up a store bought bar and adding stuff to it. Yes, I was going for melodramatic. I know lye isn’t a big deal…
Random stuffs…… Yes, the planet has gone through these cycles before. We’re making it worse, we’re making it faster. Humans have this amazing ability to create miracles when faced with problems (call it god or whatever if you want, I think we’re just smart) – every time there’s a war, our technology advances by leaps and bounds. When there’s an…
DoubleDanger sent this link through Twitter. It looks like Monsanto’s efforts are rewarding them in a similar manner to overuse of antibiotics creating superbugs. The gospel of high-tech genetically modified (GM) crops is not sounding quite so sweet in the land of the converted. A new pest, the evil pigweed, is hitting headlines and chomping its way across Sun Belt…
On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm, our family is taking part in Earth Hour—a global event in which millions of people will turn out their lights to make a statement of concern about our planet and climate change. Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour got started just two years ago and is now the largest event of…
A group called CAC (Citizens Against Chickens) has formed and are trying to drowned out the voices of those of us who want chickens. Chickens (hens) are legal in Portland any many surrounding towns, Eugene, Corvallis and MANY big cities (NYC for one) across the country. Chickens do NOT equal “poor white trash” or lower property values. Chickens are not…
Imagine a bunch of men deciding to do the opposite of what the people they represent want – welcome to America :eyeroll It happens here in Salem even – again I write about chickens. 4 of our councilmen want to kill the whole chicken issue before it goes to public vote. Don’t let it happen! We need your voices! If…