Slow Down to Go Faster

The words “going on vacation” can sometimes conjure up the desire to escape the “day job” and as often as possible. For these folks, sitting on a beach is probably the most appropriate option, because the idea of working while on “vacation” wouldnt enter the picture.

And yes, working on a farm can beat sitting on a beach; or and can be way more more rewarding than tourism of the conventional sort.

1. You can stay longer

If you’re working on a farm, you typically stick around one place longer than the typical tourist.You’re able to get a more real understanding of the environment and culture. You ‘ll get a genuine sense of place and even of having “come home”.

You ‘ll also have time to truly relax, and because you aren’t flying frantically around a country or region, doing the “if it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium” routine. . It’s something most conventional tourists never notice, because they turn up and leave during the “tourist season,” or when the boss gives them the pefunctory two weeks in summer.

2. You can travel cheap

You usually find yourself pay a huge premium for food, accommodations and entertainment, which are located in the tourist zones aka “tourist traps”. If you avoid the “tourist traps” by living and working with a farming community, you will get room and board for next to no money Often you can arrange some kind of work-trade in exchange for a place to stay. This makes it feasible to travel for months at a time.

3. You can experience reality

Even though you’re technically still a tourist in a foreign land (and don’t be tempted to forget this), we get a deeper glimpse into what “real life” is like for the locals.

To find a more “authentic” experience, you have to make the effort to do what the touristy tourists aren’t doing, When you get out of the “tourist trap” zone, you must respect the cultural values of the local community. Flaunting material wealth or otherwise disturbing the peace is not cool.

4. You can enjoy a deeper, more meaningful experience

When you work on a farm, you and the locals are mano o mano. You share a common purpose, whether it’s building or repairing a home, planting or harvesting a crop, or tending the animals. When you share this experience with the locals, you come to know what is valuable to them, and what is valuable to that place.
It’s the finding and playing “a game bigger than yourself” and the lessons learned is actually what many people seek when they travel.

You will return home transformed, a new person with fresh insights into the world and a broader, deeper context and meaning for your life. Slow down to go faster.

To Market to Farmer’s Market We Go

Good friends, good food, hobnobbing in town… what else is there? When it comes to enjoying everything that your community has to offer, few places are better than your local farmers’ market. It is here that you can meet friends, enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch, and—most importantly—connect with the people who grow your food. Local farmers’ markets are a great way to find a wide variety of locally grown, in-season produce. We hit it again as part of the Whitehall Frontier Days extravaganza Gosh so much great stuff in one small town.

Farmer’s markets are making a difference in the way we are eating and are growing in popularity all the time. This is an excellent trend and I hope it continues.1. FreshnessWhat better way to spend part of your Saturday or Sunday (or Mon-Fri) than paying a visit to your local farmer’s market? Going to the market is a mix of culture, community and of course, free tastings.

Listed below are some tips to help you make the most out of the food you buy and the experience you enjoy, (they are not in any particular order). If you have any more to add, please let us know.

• When was this picked?- Usually farmers pick their produce the day before or the morning of the farmer’s market. Knowing when it was picked will give you an idea of how ripe it is. Generally speaking, farmers want to harvest produce when it’s perfectly ripe, so you shouldn’t have to wait very long before you can eat it. It’s not a bad idea to ask. Also here is a guide on how to choose perfectly ripe fruits and veggies.

• Where’s the farm?- This is another important question to ask. Our assumption is that all the food at the farmers market was grown locally. This is not always the case. If the food was trucked in from hundreds of miles away, then shopping at the farmers market will be no better than shopping at the supermarket.

• Organic- Not all the foods at the farmers market are organic. The best practice is to ask. Many times, local farm representatives will tell you that their food is “organic,” despite the fact that they do not carry a “certified organic” label. The reason behind this is that for some small farms these certifications cost a lot of money that can prove financially prohibitive. In general I trust the farmers at the market, and in most cases, I think their hearts and practices are in the right place. If they say their produce is organic, I believe them. However, even if the food is not organic and was grown conventionally (using pesticides and fertilizers) and locally, this is still a good thing and definitely the next best choice in environmentally friendly agriculture.

• Sustainable- If you’re interested, you can ask your farmer if they perform crop rotations and employ bio-diversity on their farm. These practices usually help the farm become a closed loop where the plants, animals and soil all benefit from each other.

• Are those free range eggs- There is a stand at our farmers market that sells eggs. If yours has one also, it may not be a bad idea to ask all of the above plus whether the chickens are allowed to roam about freely. I noticed the last time we were at the market the egg stand put up a sign that listed all of these answers, so they must get these questions frequently.

• Is it in season- Because most food at the farmers market is grown locally, generally it’s in season. Just in case you are curious, here is a link to check what’s in season in your area.

• Recipes and Storage- Who better to ask how to prepare and store the food than the person that grew it? Farmers usually enjoy the produce they grow and have some good tips and tricks on cooking it and making it keep for awhile. Who knows, you may even walk away with an old family recipe.

• Make a list and check it twice.- Sometimes the excitement of the farmers market can send us into a buying frenzy…I think cheap, fresh food has that effect. However, stick to the list. If you’ve got your meals planned out for the week, get those necessary ingredients first. After that, you can check out some other treats. The key is not to buy so much food that it spoils before you can eat it. Since most of the produce is ripe when you buy it, it’s shelf life is probably only a few days.

As long as the earth exists, planting and harvesting, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop.
Genesis 8:22

Getting grilled … naturally

We’re ready to go berry picking and want to spit watermelon seeds over the back fence.

Barbecues, gardens, and brats oh my.  June is Outdoor Home Month here at the inn

Decisions, decisions, gas or charcoal, Portable built in? BBQ season is firing up fast. It’s burn, baby burn time.
What to look for when buying a charcoal grill:

1. * A tightly fitting domed lid so you can do indirect grilling
2. * Vents on the top and bottom for adjusting the airflow and, thus, the heat.
3. * A hinged grill grate, which makes it easy to add wood chips to the coals
4. * Front loading charcoal grills are good when you want to smoke a lot of food or grill over wood.
5. * Sturdy construction and optional side tables.

What to look for when buying a gas grill:

1. * At least two heat zones, so you can indirect grill.
2. * A built-in gas gauge and thermometer.
3. * An easy to empty and clean drip pan.
4. * A smoker box with a dedicated burner (optional, but a nice feature)
5. * A rotisserie attachment with a dedicated burner (optional, but a nice feature)
6. * A side burner (optional, but a nice feature)
7. * Side tables (you can never have enough work space

Two Fish Creek Finds are the portable Weber” Baby Q packs alot of punch for a wont burn up your wallet either.

With the new Solar Grill by Tammock you can barbecue electricity, gas or brickettes. So they say, just unfold, aim at the sun, and start grilling.

How does it work? The Solar Grill has a flexible mirror, which focuses the sun beams on the barbecue cup allowing it to heat up. If it actually works, this thing sounds handy for camping or on the balcony where regular barbecues are a hazard or forbidden. Eco friendly and frugal for the environment.

Whichever you choose, better for the land, and way tastier is grass-fed organic beef. It has less fat on it than conventionally raised corn-fed cows and leaner beef cooks faster, so organic beef will tend to need less time on the grill. It will also continue to cook even after you remove it from the heat and let it “rest” for a few minutes before eating it. Here, some simple tips to bring out the best from organic beef.

• Ask the butcher for smaller and thicker steaks. That way you can get a nice “crust” on the outside without overcooking the inside. This is particularly true for the popular tenderloin cut — because it does not have a lot of intramuscular fat, it is particularly vulnerable to overcooking.
• Experiment with shorter cooking times. I always recommend the more “tender” cuts, since they need less time to cook and yield a juicy steak. Ribeyes and strip steaks top my list.
• When possible, ask the butcher for the “center” cuts — they are the most tender. More affordable pieces, such as skirt and flank steaks, are delicious as well. A simple overnight marinade, preferably with some acidity (i.e., vinegar or lemon juice), greatly enhances the flavor and tenderizes the meat.
• If you’re grilling Porterhouses or T-bone steaks, make a simple sauce (a barbecue sauce, glaze, or vinaigrette) ahead of time. Both cuts feature part tenderloin and part strip steak — two cuts with very different cooking times — divided by the bone in the center. To compensate, sear them on the grill and immediately coat them in your sauce of choice for an added burst of flavor and moisture.
• Additional food for thought… tips here.

Herbed Chuck Steaks… of course a recipe…

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds beef chuck steaks, well trimmed

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, water, oil, thyme, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the steaks, mixing well, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Prepare an outdoor grill with an oiled rack set 6 inches from the coals. On a gas grill, set heat to medium.
3. Remove steaks from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Grill 14 to 20 minutes for rare, 20 minutes for medium, or 26 minutes for well done, brushing with reserved marinade. Remove from grill and carve into thin slices.
And for dessert ..peaches and cream. These are a cinch when you’ve already got a grill fired up. A peach’s natural sweetness will caramelize to a luscious glaze after just a little grill time. Plop them atop a scoop of your favorite sorbet or frozen yogurt for a luscious, low-cal dream come true.

Ingredients

* 2 each peaches
* 1 teaspoon canola oil
* 2 scoops nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt or fruit sorbet
* 1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut

Cooking Instructions

Preheat grill to high. Brush peach halves with oil. Grill until tender. Place 2 peach halves in each bowl and top with a scoop of frozen yogurt (or sorbet)

And since sundown begins the Sabbath, you shall be grilled in the
Ten Commandments of BBQ

1. * Know thy cooking methods: direct and indirect.
2. * Thou shalt not peek under the lid.
3. * Thou shalt not add volatile fuel to the fire.
4. * Remember the air vents and keep them open.
5. * Honor the gray-ashed briquet.
6. * Thou shalt not flip food more than once .
7. * Thou shalt not pierce meat with a fork.
8. * Burned barbecue is bad barbecue.
9. * Thou shall control flare-ups with a closed lid, not a spray bottle.
10. * Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors’ secret barbecue recipe, ribs, steaks, burgers, chops nor any food which they grill.

A Slacker’s Guide to Gardening

We are so blessed here to have our onsite greenhouse .. .it’s the perfect complement to the farmer’s market I love the *idea* of gardening, making things grow and thrive and eating the freshest of vegetables and fruits.

Sadly, the fantasy doesn’t always live up to the reality.

This whole gardening thing is fairly new to me, but these are some of the things I’ve learned in my quest to reduce the amount of work.

1. Pick your plants and seeds carefully. You’re looking for words like “Perennial” and “Enthusiastic self-seeder.” aka Things You Won’t Have to Plant Again. “Thrives on neglect” is another good one.

2. Don’t pull up weeds in a section of garden until you’re ready to plant that section. Nature abhors a vacuum, and if you pull weeds up without putting in new things, all it means is new weeds will come up and you’ll have to pull them, too. Besides, from a distance, who can tell? Hell, they’re green, aren’t they? When in doubt, throw in some marigold seed. Not only are they green, but they have pretty flowers and they are a natural insect repellent.

3. A remarkable number of garden problems can be solved by the addition of two things: water and mulch. By mulch I don’t mean gravel and bark and stuff; that takes work. I mean, stuff from the chicken house, old hay, newspapers, things like that. The mulch stops the weeds and holds in the water, resulting in Less Work.

4. Get animals, such as chickens, ducks, rabbits, or goats. What you clean out of the garden, give to the animals. What you clean out of the animals’ pen, dump in the garden. The circle of life. It’s a beautiful thing. (However, do keep the animals and the garden away from each other; the animals may have a different idea from you on what constitutes a ‘weed,’ and this can result in More Work.)

5. Redefine your idea of ‘weed.’ If you can eat it, it’s not a weed, it’s a vegetable. If I could get into the whole eating dandelions thing, I could save a hell of a lot of time.

6. If it’s ripe, pull it. Don’t wait for it to be perfect. If you do, either some damn bird or animal or insect will get to it before you do, or it’ll bolt or die or turn into a baseball bat or something, resulting in Wasted Work.

7. For every outdoor spigot you have, get one of these from somewhere. It’s called a manifold, and it lets you turn one faucet into four. Collect all the garden hose you can—garage sales are good. Then pick up a bunch of these. It’s called a soaker hose, and it’s a hose with a bunch of holes in it. The difference is that these are there on purpose.

Run a length of garden hose from all the new faucets to all the garden spaces, and surround them with soaker hoses. From then on, watering consists of sauntering outside, turning on a spigot, moving a switch on the selected faucet, and having a beer while you wait.

If you really want to be lazy, put battery-operated timers on each of the faucets and set them up to run on different days. Yes, this is all some work to begin with, but it’s just once a season. Leave them out there all winter. So what if it cracks? It’s just a $10 hose, and that way you won’t have to take it down in the fall and set it up again in the spring.

8. Especially if you do #7, set your lawnmower to 3 inches. At least. And say, maybe pick up some hose repair kits while you’re at it.

9. If you have a drip irrigation system, a couple of times a year it’ll suddenly quit working. You’ll think the well ran dry. You’ll think your neighbor was stealing your water. You’ll worry about the dwindling aquifer. You’ll look fruitlessly for leakage. Nine times out of ten, the connector between the hose and the system has gotten clogged with dirt or earwigs or something. Check it first. And check both sides.

10. For God’s sake, don’t get green-handled garden tools, gloves, etc. I spend half my time in the garden trying to find the damn things. Wait til May and get pink ones, even if you’re a guy. Better still, wait til August when they’re on sale. Ponder the notion of pink garden hose while you’re at it.

11. When it gets over 90, there are only two jobs I do. First, I mow the lawn, because I have a riding mower and no matter how hot it is, at least I’m sitting down. Besides, it has a cup holder. Second, I do things involving water—fixing the irrigation, hosing off the house and trash cans, etc.—because at least that way if I get wet it feels good.

12. If you’re uncoiling something dark for the first time—hoses, edging, etc.—pick a nice day, leave the damn thing in the sun for a half hour and go have a beer. You’ll both be a lot happier.

13. Practice the following phrases:

“I’m xeriscaping.”

“I’m creating natural habitat.”

“It’s a native plant garden.”

But in the “green segment”… do check out this handy dandy watering can for your container gardens or seedlings. Don’t let the flowers dry out with this classically designed recycled copper watering can. Handcrafted from hammered recycled copper.

$49.00 at Gaiam

Sustaining Yourself

Despite all the campaigns to promote fruit and vegetable intake - only a third of Americans eat two or more pieces of fruit per day. 25% don’t eat any vegetables at all (ref).

Why not? Recent research from Mintel shows 5 reasons for not eating healthy:

1. Availability
2. Cost
3. Confusion
4. Time constraints
5. Taste concerns

there are a myriad reasons why we don’t eat healthy foods. One of these is the issue of convenience. Driving a long way to a farmer’s market to get fresh organic produce is not workable for some. We even have one here during summer months in Whitehall. Will probably hit it after the my horse show on Saturday with Alle in tow to come home for a few months.

However, if sustainable eating does interest you, here are some resources that may help.

1. USDA Farmers Market Directory
2. Local Harvest - Find local farms and farmers markets.
3. Eat Wild - Pasture-based farming
4. Eat Well Guide - Find restaurants, farms, and stores.
5. Heritage Foods - Find restaurants and stores supplying heritage foods.
6. Food Routes - Help source locally grown foods.
7. Co-op Directory - Find food co-ops.
8. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - Local food directory.
9. CSA Farm Search - Find farmers involved in Community Supported Agriculture.
10. Finding harvest calendars for each state (for eating local produce in season). This site also has an excellent guide to finding hormone-free dairy products

And now you can sustain yourself with today’s Fish Creek FindThe WoodGas Camp Stove A revolution in outdoor cooking, this tough stove starts quickly and easily; weighs only 2 pounds; uses 90% less fuel than ordinary stoves; and burns almost any plant-based fuel. You can even burn wet plant material.

Using a small (battery- or solar-powered) fan to draw fresh air into the unit’s dual stage combustion chamber, the WoodGas stove effectively burns fuel twice — allowing for a cleaner, hotter, more efficient stove.

Developed by a scientist with more than 30 years experience in biomass energy, the compact Stove is perfect for backpacking, hiking, camping, tailgating, hurricane preparedness, or making s’mores in the backyard. Get cookin’

Go Green to save Green

It’s no coincidence that most frugal people are environmentally conscious, and vice versa. Frugal lifestyle choices tend to be environmentally friendly choices. What a win - win.. for your pocketbook and the planet. It’s almost impossible to be concerned about the environment without taking actions that lessen your own impact on the enviro.. Ah grasshopper, the circle of life, it’s all connected . True frugality is not just about saving money, although that’s often the most noticeable benefit and the reason people initially “go frugal.” To me frugality involves reusing whatever I can. Frugality also involves turning the water off when I brush my teeth, doing most of my laundry in cold water, hanging it up to dry, keeping my thermostat turned down, combining my errands to save on gas, keeping lights off if at all possible, and using fluorescent light bulbs whenever I can. By doing these things both my purse and the planet can hopefully see a “darker shade of green”.

So how easy is it to improve the environment and your bottom line simultaneously? Here are ten frugal changes you can make that also benefit the environment.

1. Use homemade cleansers rather than commercial preparations: Commercial cleansers are overpriced, over packaged, and full of harsh chemicals. There are very few cleaning projects that baking soda, vinegar, and water cannot handle. These ingredients are inexpensive and easy on the environment. Recipes are widely available online and in books about frugality.

2. Switch to cloth whenever possible: Reusable cloth napkins, diapers, and cleaning rags are all kinder to the environment than disposable. Cloth creates less waste and requires fewer resources to manufacture than disposable or paper products. Cloth items are also less expensive over the life of the item than their disposable counterparts. Take reusable cloth bags to the store.

3. Buy used whenever possible: Buying used from yard sales, thrift shops, and consignment stores means that no additional resources went into making your item, and you’ve prevented the used item from ending up in a landfill prematurely. Used items are generally much less expensive than new, saving you money. Want to take this one step further? Borrow or rent items rather than buying when possible. Organize a neighborhood tool or craft supply swap, visit your local library and borrow books, or rent movies and games rather than buying. You’re helping the environment by using existing items, and you’re saving yourself even more money by not buying. Can you say “Goodwill”? Pun intended!

4. Use Mother Nature’s free utilities: If you’re allowed to have a clothesline, get one and use it. Let the sun dry your clothes for free. Even if you can’t have a clothesline, indoor drying racks work just as well. Use nature to your advantage in other ways. Open your windows for air rather than cranking up the AC. In the winter, open your blinds to get some free heat. Collect rainwater and use it for watering your garden and flowers. You’ll be using fewer resources and lowering your utility bills in the process.

5. Take up “>gardening, but don’t use commercial pesticides or fertilizers: Growing some of your own food will save you money and result in healthier, less processed food. You’ll save even more money by composting for fertilizer and using natural pest control techniques, such as introducing repelling insects and plants into your garden. These methods are both frugal (almost free, even) and environmentally friendly.

6. Consume fewer resources: There are many ways to conserve electricity, water, natural gas, and gasoline. Simply turning off unused lights and checking for leaky faucets are good places to start with electricity and water. Driving the speed limit and maintaining your car are simple ways to save fuel. Check online, in books about frugality, and with your utility for more conservation ideas. Each idea you implement not only conserves more resources, but saves you more money as well.

7. Innkeeper’s Tip: Learn to cook from scratch: You’ll eat healthier without all the preservatives, and homemade foods are much less expensive than processed foods. The guests appreciate it too ! And think of all the packaging you’ll keep out of the landfills if you cut down your use of over packaged, individually wrapped foods.

And Time is on your side, for 51 more things you can do to save the environment

Hey, we shall inherit the earth

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Celebrated Earth Day out with Patrick on a trail ride near Mill Creek. Bordering National Forest it’s in the n the heart of Amish arm Country. Hey!” shouted a farmer; he invokes “PP”, the private property principle. When it comes to beauty and nature, I’m with Bakunin – property is theft, at least when the receiver of the stolen Indian property is just hogging the view. We’ll see how fast GaZi and company feel like going on this nice soft turf,. Before the landowner and I could get very far along on our debate over the proposition that the revolution had been for the pursuit of happiness rather than for property, he started worrying that his canine was making a break for for it. He started calling his dog JB, who was running quietly along behind us. Sometimes dogs would rather run with horses than bark at them. Patrick always brings Jack his jack russell wherever he goes. That this little dog has survived horses and miles he’s done is a major miracle… but I digress.  JB trotted along , until its owner, driving parallel in his pickup, caught up with us all and coaxed his dog back.

After this hit and run, we had a great ride for 5 miles or so along the creek, and through the fields, orchards and  and all around beauty that defines Mill Creek.. Being in Amish Country , this part of the valley does not suffer from much human pressure, and it’s not bristling with keep out indicators, nor so many abandoned appliances, not too many shotgun shells and bald tires half-sunk into the soil.

Sometimes the water ran so close to the top of its banks that it seemed like a gentle, winding stream. It went alongside a wild, uncultivated reserve, and past an alpaca farm – shorn. Their scrawny bodies and ostrich necks topped by a poof of furry untrimmed head make them more startlingly more ludicrous looking than those frou frou Park Avenue poodles. In a couple of places along the streams we had to be creative to find a crossing. Following one, the soft  ground encouraged G-man to exaggerate the hidden possibilities of danger lurking in the creek’s overgrowth on one side  into justification for a fast gaiting charge for half a mile,  until we emerged at an untravelled road/  A n an old bridge over the creek allowed us to  cross and head back down and loop back.

Sometimes on this ride and others in farming areas , when you look out across a field of some tall ripening grassy crop like wheat or rye, a blackbird suddenly flies up out of the nowhere and followed by the others, but the flock is so numerous and the flight so short that for a little while some birds are still appearing at the same time others are disappearing. Another spook opportunity for our menagerie.

At 8 mpg I added a lot of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere getting here. Trot on friends, trot on.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Native American Proverb

How Green is Your Garden

One of the things I’ve discovered in my ongoing quest to live in an environmentally responsible manner is, the more I learn, the more reasons I find to live even greener and more sustainably.

April has been designated as National Gardening Month. Five years ago, the National Gardening Association began pushing the Greening of America, one garden at a time.Imagine the positive impact if everyone planted something. It doesn’t have to be a whole garden, but just something. Grass is just a flower bed in waiting. A pot of herbs, a container full of salad greens or a hanging pot of flowers on a deck. I encourage you to decide to do something to celebrate National Gardening Month in your little corner of the world.

Thought I’d give a brief tour of my greenhouse. It is an amazing thing to bundle up against the cold in February and walk to the greenhouse….the bitter wind, perhaps even snow, is stinging my eyes and I shiver as I walk. But once I step into the greenhouse, I am comfortable in a T-shirt and jeans and the smell….the warmth…it is like stepping into spring!

My greenhouse is heated. It is a large professional greenhouse , fortunately here and ready to go when we moved here. The hanging fan is one of the circulating fans. Installed on the ceiling are thermostats which will turn the heat on and off at specified temperatures.

Heres a list of frugal possibilities to get you moving:

1. Let your fingers do the walking. git ‘r growing here at Gardenweb.. tons of inspiration and info..

2. Find out if your community has a local garden club. If so, put the next meeting on your calendar & make arrangements to attend.

3. If you have kids or grandkids that visit, plant something with them. Radishes are probably the speediest crop you could choose, but beans, lettuces and carrots are fun too.

4. Contact your city to see if they sponsor a city wide clean up day. If so, volunteer to help clean up one of their targeted areas.

5. If your city has a spring yard waste program, plan to participate by cleaning out a new garden area in your yard. Many cities are going Green by turning all the yard wastes into usable compost.

6. If you’ve never planted a vegetable garden, start now. If you’ve always had a veggie garden, plant at least one extra row and donate to your local food bank at harvest time.

7. If you don’t have space to plant a big garden but want to, make arrangements with a local P-Patch or Community Garden Plot and get to planting.

8. Contact your local Master Gardeners program. If they do soil testing, take in a sample of your garden soil for evaluation.

9. Research public gardens in your area and make plans to view them when they are at their peak.

10. If you have any plants, share them this month. Take a cutting to a friend, divide a houseplant and share one with a nursing home resident…spread the green. And remember, a weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill
except for learning how to grow in rows.

How to Be Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Charming, St. Patrick’s Day,, the “wearing of the green” takes on more significance than ever.

At least people are starting to pay attention. Bit by bit, the world is going green. And what better way to celebrate eco-progress than on that greenest of holidays, St. Patrick’s Day?

Admittedly, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the most elevated of occasions. It’s a tip of the hat to Ireland and its national patron — and an opportunity for everyone, Irish or not, to have a bit of fun. That’s the spirit in which we present Lighter Footstep’s list of ways to “green” your St. Patrick’s Day.

So settle in for a bit of earth-friendly blarney, and let’s green our St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Buy organic beer
What’s St. Patrick’s day without a mug or two of beer? Beer is one of humankind’s most ancient inventions, probably discovered when soaked grains fermented in the presence of airborne yeast spores. The process has certainly become more sophisticated over the centuries, giving rise to any number of beer tastes and styles. But it’s all basically the same stuff: water plus grain plus yeast equals a fun night at the local pub with your mates.

Good luck separating an Irishman from his Guinness. Its rich, chocolatey body is ubiquitous in all corners of Irish society (and much of the United Kingdom, for matter). Quite a few pints will be hoisted this weekend in honor of St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland.

Consumer interest in organic foods has certainly caught the eye of most beer manufacturers, who are now producing a broad assortment of brews produced with ingredients which meet organic production standards. Even giants like Anheuser-Busch have gotten into the act.

But one company bucking the trend is Guinness. Given their domination of the Irish market, if you’re looking for an organic St. Patrick’s libation, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

An obvious choice for fans of traditional stouts Old Plowshare Stout. It’s brewed by California’s North Coast Brewing Company, a pioneer in organic beers. There’s also Peak Organic Beers in a variety styles ranging from pale to amber ales. The good news is that your local health food store or well-supplied beer seller is likely to have an organic brew to meet your tastes. Just be sure someone is functioning as the Designated Leprechaun before getting behind the wheel.

Wear the Green (organics) proudly
It’s a great time to be an eco-friendly consumer. Not only are organic food finally filtering their way down to your local big-box grocery, it’s easier than ever before to find quality organic clothing.
Growing cotton takes it’s toll in n terms of water use and the sheer tonnage of pesticides used to keep conventional fields healthy. But that’s not the only way farm cotton, one of humankind’s best-loved and versatile fibers. Sustainable cotton production addresses these concerns, which are better for the land and the people who work it.

Wear the green all year long. Most major clothing companies — even Levi’s — now carries an organic line or two. Looking for something organic with an Irish touch? Try this shamrock beauty from OfflineTshirts.com. It’ll bring good luck to you and the earth.

Go veggie with your Irish cooking
Cutting back on meat consumption is an earth-friendly choice. And there’s no reason to let traditionally meat-heavy Irish cooking get your way. Try your hand at producing a veggie version of an old classic, Beef and Guinness Stew. You’ll find an easy recipe at About.com which substitutes seitan — a wheat gluten food — for the dish’s conventional ingredients. TheFoody.com has a delicious (and meat-free) version of Irish Vegetable Stew and there are all manner of veggie “bangers” available at your local health or whole foods store just waiting to be fried. Wash it all down with one of those organic beers. Irish eyes are smiling.

Plant something green
Seems obvious, doesn’t it? If you’re green at heart, put some green in your garden. Or you can pay to have something planted where it will do the most good.

For a St. Patrick’s Day twist, scatter some organic clover seed in your garden. It’s attractive, bee-friendly, and helps hold moisture into the soil.

And hopefully this post isn’t going to torture anyone who chose to give up chocolate for Lent but any chocolate that has less guilt associated with it is worth talking about. Many of us will enjoy a choco-bunny or some Peeps this Easter but for me the Cadbury egg has always been a special treat. Cadbury has committed themselves to a greener Easter this year by reducing their use of plastic as part of their ‘Purple Goes Green‘ campaign which was officially kicked off in July 2007. Cadbury is committed to ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of around a million cocoa farmers and their communities through the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership. The chocolate bunny has gone green
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to cook up something Irish. Most Celtic-themed recipes I found involve a lot of meat and/or beer and/or whiskey. With spring in the air, I opted for something a little sweeter, and made Irish Rice Pudding from the current issue of Rachael Ray Magazine. I love rice pudding, but admit I only order it on occasion and never dreamt of making. This recipe seemed easy enough to give it a whirl… perhaps too easy!

Present Simplicity

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
- Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Painter and Sculptor

One of the major reasons I made my childhood dream come true of moving to Montana come true sooner rather than later was to simplify my life. While I know I thrive the more gigs I have going (guests, horses, blogging on, on), it’s more on a relaxed , simpler level.

If you really think about it, we don’t need much to survive. That’s not to say that I’m telling you to sell all your material possessions and live in the mountains to hunt your own food. I’m just saying humans have a tendency to overcomplicate their lives without even knowing it and as a result, feel overwhelmed with everything going on in their lives.

This is where simplicity comes into play. So much can be said for living a simple life.

You get stuck in this circle of life where you’re almost on a merry go round and operating on automatic. Most of us have been conditioned by the media, advertising, and society in general to live lives according to their standards. We have been conditioned to equate success with the purchase of certain material possessions or the obtainment of certain jobs. When we live by the standards set by those outside of us, we get overwhelmed with all the things in our life simply because we are not living our own life – we are living the lives of others.

People stuck in this “cycle” live lives that involve buying material possessions in an effort to alleviate that gnawing feeling they have inside themselves and to fill that meaningless void within as well. When they find those things don’t work, they find themselves stuck with a problem in that they’ve traveled too deep in this journey to the point where turning back would mean losing face to those around them, so they continue this façade to fulfill the expectations of those around them, instead of their own. That void, that empty feeling they possess is a result of living lives of purpose given to them by those outside of them. Been there done that… ugh

1. Simplifying your life allows you to have the opportunity to fill that void by giving you the time and resources to figure out what you truly want to do.

2. And if you have figured out what you truly want to do, simplifying your life will give you the time and resources to do it.

Especially since moving to Montana, moving towards self-sufficiency feels great spiritually and environmentally. There is a movement towards self-sufficiency in North America, with many families taking steps towards sustainable living. The practice of consuming only homegrown foods and the trend towards organic clothing and gardening are forms of sustainable living and self-sufficiency.

Probably the greatest thing you’ll find after you figure out what you want to do, is that more often than not, you will continue to lead a simple life. Your purpose in life overrides any of those things that tend to complicate our lives. Our purpose becomes more important than the latest car, gadet, whatever and we become content with the things we have that allow us to live our purpose.

Most people are super busy busy, confined almost every moment to the indoors at school and work, and on weekends so burdened with shopping and chores that like-it-or-not (and I don’t) we are becoming more and more disconnected from the natural world. We simply can’t get outdoors enough! And the problem is different for different age groups. For example, my almost eighty two year -year-old mother loves to walk… she’s out there communing with nature pretty much come hell or high water. Nothing beats a day on the horses (even those shall we say challenging rides?) We all need inspiration on this one, as parents (teenagers, anyone?), for ourselves, to help those who are aging:

Kids
1. Do an outdoor activity outdoors that requires that they get dirty (such as playing in the mud)
2. Take wildlife-watching walks
3. Take a trip to a working farm

Adults
1. Go camping
2. Spend time outdoors gardening, taking walks, picnicing–whatever suits
3. Connect to your local farms or farmers’ markets

I shall remind myself of “present simplicity” as I prepare a Shabbos Challah. This one’s hearty and, whole-grain.

You will need:
4 cups warm water
3 TBSP dry yeast
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs
12-13 cups whole wheat flour (or a combination of flours)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt

Stir together 4 Cups Warm Water & 3 Tbsp of dry yeast.

Add:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs

Stir in 5 cups of flour. Let the mixture rest for about 45 min to an hour until it bubbles. This is the first rising.

(I like to use Robin Hood Multigrain Flour for the first 5 cups. )

After one hour, add 1 TBSP course salt and stir in about 7 more cups of flour (I use whole wheat). Lightly flour a board and knead dough 7-10 minutes until mixed. As you work, add only as much flour as necessary to allow you to handle the dough.

(Want to avoid a mess? Do the kneading on your kitchen table, but put one of those clear shabbos tablecloth covers over the table first. Then put down a wet towel with a board over it. The wet towel will help avoid the board slipping)

Separate challah and lightly grease pans. Shape the dough into loaves and rolls. Place the loaves in the pans and let rise 45 min to 1 hour.

Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired. Bake until brown, 45-50 minutes for loaves. Remove from pans and cool on racks

This recipe is inspired by the “Easy Whole Wheat Challah” recipe in The Spice and Spirit of Kosher-Jewish Cooking
Trot on friends, trot on.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage
Anais Nin