Corn Chowder

I made a delicious corn chowder yesterday with recycled bacon (leftover bacon from breakfast).  I thought I would share the recipe.  It is delicious and even better on the second day when the flavors have had a chance to marry.  The perfect recipe for a cold winter's day.

6 slices of crispy bacon cut into small pieces
1 medium onion chopped
3 medium yukon gold potatoes cubed (yukon gold potatoes help to thicken the soup)
2 1/2 cups of water
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 can creamed corn
1 can kernel corn drained (or substitute fresh corn)
2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, saute the bacon, onions and potatoes on medium until the onions are soft.  Add water and bullion cubes.  Add cream corn and kernel corn.  Simmer until potatoes are cooked through.  In a small sauce pan, heat half and half until warm.  Add warm half and half to other ingredients.  Add Butter.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Heat through and serve.  Delicious!!

O Christmas Tree

Christmas is over and if you have a live Christmas tree in your home, it's time to consider recycling it.  Christmas trees can certainly be placed in your compost heap.  It will decompose over time.  Just be sure to remove all of the decorations including tinsel before placing it in your heap.  If you cut it into smaller pieces it will decompose quicker.

Some cities and towns collect trees for their own recycling programs and will chip and shred the trees into mulch.  Check with your city or town for guidelines and dates for curbside pick up.

Placing your tree in your yard until spring is another alternative.  Birds and wildlife will seek the refuge of the branches of your tree during the harsh days of winter.  The branches will protect the birds and wildlife from snow, wind and cold.  Pete and I will lay our tree on it's side in a quiet location in our yard.  We'll place a bird feeder nearby and peanut butter suet in it's branches because finding food is also difficult in winter.  Then in March/April we'll place it into the compost heap to decompose.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

                                        How lovely are thy branches!

Not only green when summer's here

But in the coldest time of year.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

How lovely are thy branches!

Recycling Christmas Cards

This is a fun and easy project from BHG using Christmas cards.  Using a compass, make circles ranging from large to small.  Scallop the edges of some.  Slice and remove a 3/16 inch wedge with your scissors to the center of each circle.  Form each circle into a cone shape and tape to hold it in place.  Cut a styrofoam ball in half.  Place the styrofoam flat side down and push a wooden dowel (to desired height) into the center. Stack your cones starting with the largest at the base pushing it down the length of the dowel and into place.  Wind a rubberband around the dowel between each layer.  Continue until your tree takes shape.  Top with a ribbon.  No that's a beautiful way to recycle!!

Falling Leaves

Most of the  leaves have fallen from the trees and Pete and I have spent the last two weeks with the leaf blower and rakes preparing for winter.  We topped off the compost bin with a nice bunch of leaves, sent most to the compost heap and sent some into the woods for the sake of time and energy.  Most importantly, we covered the garden flowers and plants with leaves.  The leaves make a wonderful blanket for the upcoming winter months when the bitter cold, snow and ice can stress or even kill plants....especially newly established ones.  We'll clean those flower beds in the Spring.  For now, we'll let natures blanket keep our flowers and plants safe.

Recycling Pumpkins

Now that Halloween is over, we will be putting our Halloween pumpkins into the compost can.  Pumpkins make great compost and that's a great way to recycle.

Chemistry at the Eco Depot

Once or twice a year, Pete and I head to the Eco Depot to dispose of our household hazardous waste (which we store in a box out in the garage) such as motor oil, oil based paints, varnishes, rechargeable batteries, electronic equipment, pool chemicals, fertilizers and unknowns.  There's a complete list of hazardous waste that you can dispose of at http://www.rirrc.org/resident/household-hazardous-waste/.  In Rhode Island, the Eco Depot is located at the Central Landfill site but also travels to local towns.  On a recent occasion the Eco Depot was in the parking lot of our city hall/library.  We made a time appointment by phone a few days before.  We loaded our hazardous wastes into the back of the truck and made our way to the site.  Upon arrival, we were directed first to the electronics truck where we could drop off old televisions and computers, both of which contain elements that are hazardous to the environment.  Next stop was the chemicals area where we were greeted by men and women in hazmat uniforms.  We stayed in our truck and they removed the items from the back of the truck and brought them to the table of chemists.  The chemists tested these items and then disposed of them into barrels that were located behind them.  Here is where we dropped off motor oil, oil based paints, varnishes, aerosol cans, and rechargeable batteries, etc.  You may have something that you are unsure of, something that has been in your basement for so long that the label is missing and the can rusted or possibly a number of different products were mixed together to save space.  Not to worry, the chemists can take care of that for you.  It was fascinating to watch them at work.  It also felt great to dispose of these items properly and safely and keep them from polluting Mother Earth.   Consider your States Eco Depot before putting hazardous household waste into your regular trash.  * The Eco Depot is a completely FREE service and you never have to leave the comfort of your car/truck.  All items are removed from your vehicle for you.  *Everyday batteries (non rechargeable) can be disposed of in your everyday household trash.  *Latex paints can also be disposed of in regular household trash.  Simply remove the lid and allow the paint to dry before disposing of it.  If you have a large quantity, you can purchase a packet of paint dryer at your local hardware store to speed the drying process.

Preparing the Garden for Winter

Fall is in the air with warm days and crisp evenings and it's time to prepare the garden for winter.  This week we'll be enjoying the last of our garden's bounty.  Then, we'll pull out the plants, transfer them to the compost bin to recycle them, incorporate 2 bags of composted cow manure and the compost from the bin to the soil and bed down the strawberry plants for the winter.  Strawberry plants are a marvel.  If you purchase one plant, it will produce offshoots (when it matures) similar to the way spider plants do.  In early spring, we purchased a hanging strawberry plant for the deck and we soon had a number of offshoots from that one plant.  We snipped them from the base plant and planted them in their own pots, watered them daily until the roots took hold and soon had 4 potted strawberry plants from the purchase of one.   Pete and I enjoyed fresh berries all summer.  There's nothing like a fresh strawberry on a summer day.  We shared a few with an ambitious chipmunk as well.  This week, I will remove the strawberry plants from their pots and bed them in the garden for the winter.  I'll cover the plants with fresh hay as soon as the first frost threatens.  This layer of hay will protect the plants until Spring and the cycle will continue. These plants will have offshoots and soon we'll be enjoying a daily supply of fresh strawberries all from the purchase of one.

My sidekick...................

Kitty Kitty.....my diabetic cat!!

Stepping away from the Neighborhood Guild

I spent a better part of the summer planning classes.  My dining room looked like a craft shop with projects and supplies scattered about.  I had talked to Joyce about the possibilities after the bead class n June.  She had been encouraging, offering ideas and suggestions to take part not only in classes but also birthday parties, set up a Facebook page and print out a newsletter.   She had suggested me to an after school program in the area.  She said to start planning for the Winter/Spring brochure as soon as I had submitted my proposals for Fall/Winter.  I was busy.....busy planning for ideas to incorporate boy/girl scout programs into my repertoire and coming up with new, fun ideas for recycled projects.  

In early summer I submitted my proposals for classes and birthday parties to Cathy, the person to whom these things are submitted.  Proposals themselves are time consuming.  They include your idea for a class, the cost per student, the cost of supplies and the date and time for your class.  They are a modified lesson plan and they take thought.  I submitted my proposals on time and it was my understanding that "no news is good news" and if Cathy had any problems with my submitted proposals, she would contact me.  I had heard nothing and so thinking that all was well, I continued on with the purchase of supplies for these classes.  I was also working on prototypes for each class in that I felt it was necessary for me to have actually made one of the projects ahead of time, to show the students a finished project and to work out the kinks so that the students could accomplish the project in the 2 hour time frame.  My first Fall class would have been the first week of October and with time pressing on, I ordered the recycled tissue paper that I would need for the upcoming project....480 sheets of recycled tissue paper at an upfront cost of $27.30 + shipping.  As an instructor of these classes, we are responsible for all supplies.  So, if I am having a class of 12 students, I would need to supply all necessary materials for those 12 students and I will not know if I have any students at all until 4 days or less before the class.  I may need to supply 12 pairs of scissors, 12 pencils, 12 rulers, 12 bottles of glue, etc.  or I may not have a class at all if no one signs up.  All of this is at the Instructors upfront expense.  As an instructor, you may need to order some supplies ahead of time because of shipping and so I did in excited anticipation of this first class.  I checked the Fall brochure early last week just after it came out and was incredibly disappointed to see that only 2 of 7 classes and neither of the 2 birthday parties that I had submitted were included.  I can't really express just how disappointed I am.  After months of planning and anticipation, just when I was thinking how great this is, the rug was literally pulled out from me.  Had Cathy contacted me beforehand, I could have planned for it.  I could have saved myself the time, energy and money that I had put in to make this program a success.  I did my part.  The Neighborhood Guild needed to do theirs.  The lack of communication was both inconsiderate and unkind given the time, energy and money that we as instructors must put in ahead of time.  To expect Instructors to wait until the brochure comes out in print to see if our classes made the cut is incredibly unfair.  

I immediately sent an email to Joyce to express my disappointment. She emailed back that she would find out from Cathy just why she did not include more of my classes (not that any excuse would make a difference).  I have heard nothing since.   In all fairness to Joyce, she is to be married soon and I am sure she is overwhelmed with wedding plans.  I must say that I do not hold any resentment for Joyce, who interviewed and suggested they hire me.  She has done, as far as I can see, all that she can to encourage the growth of the program and save the Tri Pond cabin.  Unfortunately, the program will not grow and the Tri Pond cabin will not be saved if her efforts and those of the new instructors are not supported.  As a result, I am stepping away from the Neighborhood Guild and onward to my next adventure.    *Oh! and all of those supplies that i have been purchasing, the 12 of everything, will be donated to a worthy cause.

A Renewable Source of Water

At our home, water is precious.  We are on well water and are always conscious that we need to conserve.  We have had a rain barrel for years.  The rain barrel in the back of the house is used for many things but primarily it supplements the frog pond during the dog days of summer.  The barrel is at a naturally higher elevation than the pond.  A garden hose and gravity is all that is needed to keep good, fresh water in the pond.  When the water is running, we have seen frogs place themselves under the running water as if in a very refreshing shower.  The rain barrel in the front of the house is a new addition (this year).  We added it to help with watering the garden (also a new addition this year).  Having a rain barrel is an easy way to RECYCLE rain water from your roof.  Shorten your drain spout, place a good, clean plastic trash can under it to catch the water and you are in business.  You can take the lid and cut a square to fit your spout to keep debris out, but we don't bother with that.  The rain barrel in the front of our house is strategically located behind our rhododendron to keep it hidden and it is also within close proximity to the garden for ease of use.  Pete placed a spigot on this barrel so that I can add a garden hose to water my plants with ease.  He raised it up on cinder blocks so that the barrel is higher than the plants and in this way the water runs out by gravity.  It works very, very well.  I can water the garden 4 times from one full barrel.  One rain storm and the barrel refills.  It's a wonderful renewable source of water.

HURRICANE IRENE

I won't soon forget Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene.  We are fine and our home is fine, but the landscape of our property will never be the same.  Many of our trees suffered serious damage and one, very special tree, was pulled out by the roots and destroyed by the wind.  It was an Ornamental Plum tree with deep purple, red leaves that adorned our back walkway, providing us with a canopy of shade and privacy.  We planted it as a family 20 years ago, when our children were very young.  The memory's associated with this tree and our children are as clear as if we had planted the tree yesterday.  I can't fully express the loss.  It was like losing a dear friend.  I know that we are very lucky and that there are many, many others who have suffered greater losses, but as my wise friend Nan said "That doesn't diminish your loss."  This past week and a half, Pete and I have worked diligently, cleaning up the mess left by this storm.  We have picked up buckets of debris and tree limbs.  Pete has been using a chain saw to manage the bigger stuff and the smaller branches we have burned in the fire pit.  Pete used the chain saw to remove our beautiful tree.  Piece by piece, it was hauled to our "Compost Heap."  The Heap is a location at the rear of our property where we dispose of larger compostable materials such as brush, larger tree limbs and Christmas trees.  This has become the final resting place for our beloved tree and here it's branches will provide a refuge for birds and other wildlife during the cold winter months.  Eventually, our tree will decompose and be RECYCLED to the earth.  You know what they say about life giving you lemons...well, this is our way of making lemonade.  This weekend, Pete and I will make new memory's and we will plant a new tree, a new friend to someday provide us with a beautiful canopy of shade and privacy.

The Composting Revolution

You can contribute to the 'composting revolution' by recycling your own yard and kitchen wastes at home.  We use a handy kitchen composter that I purchased at TJMaxx for about $14.00.  It is stainless steel, easy to clean and has a filter to prevent odors.  We place all of our household compostable waste in this bucket including vegetable and fruit, coffee grounds and filter, and eggshells. 

Outside, we have a much larger composter which we made from a large, clean plastic garbage can.  We drilled holes in the side using a large drill bit and here we deposit our yard waste (brown) and empty our kitchen composter (green).  We turn the contents over once a week and add a little water if it looks too dry.

Brown materials include:
*dry yellow or brown leaves and grass
*the woody stalks of plants such as sunflowers and corn
*paper and wood products, such as sawdust, chopped up twigs and shredded newspaper and junk mail
*dryer lint
*straw
*wood ash (not too much)

Green materials include:
*Kitchen scraps, such as vegetables, fruit and eggshells 
*coffee grinds with the filter and tea bags
*fresh green leaves and grass clippings
*fresh weeds that haven’t seeded
*composted manure – cow, sheep, chicken, rabbit

Add a little more brown than green to your composter to get the right balance of nitrogen vs. carbon and after a few weeks or months you will have a great source of soil conditioner and organic fertilizer for your garden and vegetable plants! Now that's being A Crafty Recycler!!

Recycled Magazine Trinket Boxes

I would be happy to share how to do RECYCLED crafts.  Just send me an email and I'll get back to you with all the information that you need.

Your crafty recycling ideas

I will be sharing my ideas for Earth friendly projects and I would love to hear and see your recycled craft ideas.  Together we can help planet Earth with Earth friendly projects.  Let me know what you do to help planet Earth.

An Earth friendly way to tackle weeds

A Green Idea #1.......Are weeds taking over? Mix 1 gallon of white vinegar and 4 ounces of lemon juice and put this combination into a spray bottle. The combination of these two acids makes an inexpensive ( at about $2.00 a gallon) and potent weed killer and will not harm pets or wildlife. Compare this with the price of Roundup ( toxic to both humans and pets) at $16.80 for 16 ounces. On a sunny day, spray the weeds and they will soon wilt. After the next rain, the vinegar/lemon solution will wash down to the roots. Reapply after a heavy rain. I use this solution on my rock walkways and the cracks and crevices near the garage door. *Be careful not spray on your lawn or on plants that you want to keep.