SU - Top 5 Reasons Why Cast Iron Is The Greenest Choice For Non-Stick Cooking | Greenopolis

 

SU - Top 5 Reasons Why Cast Iron Is The Greenest Choice For Non-Stick Cooking | Greenopolis

Dependable, that’s what cast iron is. It will last for centuries if properly cared for, and it has a natural non-stick surface that’s eco-friendly.
When I was a bride, my Granny gave me two of her cast iron skillets. A tiny, 6 inch one for making cornbread for two; and a 12 inch skillet for everything else. She told me all I’d ever need to be a good cook was those two skillets, a sauce pan, a stock pot and a casserole dish. And in a pinch, she said, I didn’t really even need the casserole.

Cast iron has been around for hundreds of years. Before fancy teflon cookware was even a notion, cast iron was the standard for good cooks everywhere. Dependable, that’s what cast iron is. It will last for centuries if properly cared for, and it has a natural non-stick surface that’s eco-friendly. You can bake a pan of cornbread, scramble some eggs, make your favorite vegetarian black bean chili or sear a perfect steak. Cast iron cookware is the definition of all-purpose.
If you don’t already have a cast iron skillet, here are a few reasons to go to your nearest resale shop or garage sale and begin looking for one. You won’t regret it.
Top 5 Reasons Why Cast Iron Cookware Is So Green...

Cast iron is naturally non-stick. Properly seasoned (see below) nothing will stick to it. Cast iron eliminates the need for the costly, toxic chemicals used to create the non-stick surfaces in modern cookware.
Eco-easy clean up. All cast iron cookware requires for clean up is hot water and a stiff brush, so you avoid any harmful chemicals in detergent or solvents.

Cast iron can take the heat. It can withstand much hotter temperatures and will distribute the heat more evenly than traditional cookware. And since it holds heat well, you can use less energy to cook. Plus it’s perfect for outdoor cooking. Just remember that cast iron gets hot. so use an oven mitt when handling a hot pan.

It’s a great upcycling opportunity. Don’t ever worry about buying a cast iron skillet or other cast iron cooking vessel—like a dutch oven—from a resale shop or garage sale. Even if it looks rusty and dirty, it can be cleaned and re-seasoned and continue on cooking, forever.
It’s good for you. Cast iron cookware leaches small amounts of iron into food, so you get a little extra iron each time you use it.  Almost anyone, especially women in their child bearing years, will benefit from this.
How To Properly Season Cast Iron Cookware
First, wash your cast iron cookware. This is the only time you will need soap to clean it, but you want to be sure you remove any dust or dirt. If you have a brand new cast iron piece, you will need to do this to remove the wax coating that is on it to keep it from rusting until it’s seasoned. 

Coat your piece in some type of oil. Cast iron has a porous surface. The seasoning process will fill and smooth the surface to make it non-stick. Some type of oil is used to facilitate this process. I use Crisco vegetable shortening. Traditionalists would use lard. You can use plain old cooking oil, too, but you will get better results with Crisco. You want to coat the entire cooking surface with the shortening.  Don’t glob it on, but every nook and cranny should have a nice, medium layer of shortening. Use about as much as you would use to coat a cake pan for baking.

Bake it in the oven. Next, you just pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and put your cast iron pan in for an hour or so.  After heating, turn off the oven and let it cool completely while still in the oven. Then it’s ready to go!
Heating the cookware creates the oxidation that prevents rust and makes the surface non-stick. Some cast iron users advocate heating the pan slightly before applying the Crisco to ensure that the pan is completely dry and to open the pores of the pan before seasoning. Not a bad idea, but remember cast iron gets HOT.  Use oven mitts. 
Newly seasoned cast iron will take on a dark brown coating. After long use, it will become glossy black. The non-stick properties of the pan will increase with time and use, so use your cast iron often. Remember, seasoning is a process. Even though cast iron can be used immediately after the first seasoning, your cookware will get better and better over time.
How do I re-season a used cast iron piece? If you buy a cast iron piece second hand, the process is still basically the same to re-season it, with one exception. First wash it in hot soapy water, as above. Then I put it in my oven on the highest setting (or on the self-cleaning setting if you have one) and let it bake for a few hours without any oil or shortening. This will remove any rust and the old seasoning. Let it cool, then follow the steps above to re-season.
Caring For Your Cast Iron Cookware
After each use, clean your piece with very hot water and scrub with a stiff brush to remove any particles left behind.  Don’t use soap, it will remove the seasoning.  After you scrub the pan, give it a light coating with some Crisco or vegetable oil and store it in the oven.  Why?  Because the oven will have less moisture, this will help keep your cast iron from ever rusting.  Plus, each time you use your oven is an opportunity to further season your pan.  Even if you take your cast iron pan out while using your oven, give it a light coating of shortening before putting it back in the warm oven.  Especially if it’s a new piece, this will help develop the seasoning further.
I have treasured those skillets Granny gave me, and I’ve added to my collection over the years.  A dutch oven in 1989 and a griddle just last year.  At a garage sale in Los Angeles about 15 years ago, I bought a giant, deep skillet that turned out to be called a Texas skillet.  (An omen, I guess since I live in Texas now. )  I love my cast iron cookware.  I’m guessing you will, too.

For Sebrina's favorite Cast Iron Skillet Thanksgiving recipes - including her cornbread - CLICK HERE NOW!

How To Make a Gift Box Using a Greeting Card | Greenopolis

 

 

 

Instructions on How To Make a Gift Box Using a Greeting Card:

• Cut the card in half across the crease.

• Choose the side that you want to be the bottom half and cut about 1/8 inch from one long side and one short side.

• On the inside part of both cards, measure about 1 inch from the edge length and width wise. If you want a deeper box, cut 2 inches from the edge.

• Lightly draw a grid that you can fold over and cut.

• Fold the cards towards the inside along the lines drawn.

• Hold the card lengthwise and cut along the vertical lines to where the lines intersect.

• Put a piece of double sided tape on the flaps.

• Fold the box up along the lines and fold in the flaps.

• Fold up the end flap so that it sticks to the tape.

• Do the same for the other side and the other box. • Place the larger box on top of the smaller.

Frugality and the Environment

 Reposted With Thanks To: www.myspace.com/208282786

Frugality and the Environment
 
It’s no coincidence that most frugal people are environmentally​ conscious, and vice versa. Frugal lifestyle choices tend to be environmentally​ friendly choices. It’s almost impossible to be concerned about the environment without taking actions that lessen your own environmental impact. Similarly, it’s difficult to be frugal and still have a large negative effect on the environment. The two lifestyles are connected in such a way that dedicating yourself to one or the other almost guarantees commitment to the other, whether you fully realize it or not.
True frugality is not just about saving money, although that’s often the most noticeable benefit and the reason people initially “turn frugal.” True frugality is about using fewer resources, getting more use out of existing goods, and throwing away less over a lifetime.
Sound familiar? Those ideas are also at the heart of environmental consciousness. Understanding the connection between the two movements and making some lifestyle changes that reflect that understanding will result in a healthier financial picture for you and a healthier future for the earth.
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. You’ll prevent plastic bags from entering the landfills and, if your store offers rebates for using cloth and/or charges for plastic as many are beginning to do, you’ll save money.

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.

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
 
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. Learn to cook from scratch
 
You’ll eat healthier without all the preservatives, and homemade foods are much less expensive than processed foods. 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.
These last three ideas derive from a slogan used to motivate the home front during World War II: “Use it up, Wear it Out, Make it do.” It was sound advice then and remains so today.

8. “Use it up”
 
Use everything you buy and waste nothing. Don’t buy more food than you can eat before it goes bad and don’t throw away leftovers. Get every bit you can out of bottles and tubes of shampoo, moisturizer, etc. Find second lives for products and packaging such as using jars or cans for storage, using magazines for craft projects, reusing boxes for gift wrapping or storage, using bread bags for carrying lunches to work, or using old clothes for rags or craft material. Get creative and come up with your own ideas. Using things up not only ensures that you get every penny from your purchases, it also limits the amount of waste entering the trash stream.

9. “Wear it out”
 
Drive your car until it dies. Wear your clothes and shoes until they wear out. Use your lawnmower until it begs to be taken to the landfill. Avoid upgrading your electronics and computers until they either break or become so obsolete that they no longer perform the functions you need (need, not want). Wearing it out means that you don’t throw things away just for the sake of wanting something newer, flashier, or “cooler.” You only replace when an item is truly worn out beyond repair, becomes unsafe, or prevents you from getting the job done.

10. “Make it do”
 
Tons of stuff ends up in landfills that only needs minor repair work to be serviceable again. Take the time to mend your clothes, refinish your furniture, or repair your lawnmower. Learning basic home, car, and appliance maintenance/​repair techniques will keep you from having to shell out big bucks every time something breaks, and your knowledge will keep salvageable items out of landfills.



You don’t have to give up all your conveniences and go back to frontier-style living to make a big difference to both your wallet and the environment. The more willing you are to learn and experiment, the greater your potential savings and environmental conservation.
There are plenty of places to find ideas, but one of my favorites for those new to frugality is The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. Just remember that even small changes will make a difference. After a while, you just might find yourself eager to do more as you acquire more skills (and start seeing those savings accumulate in your account).
~ By Jennifer Derrick, originally entitled
"10 Frugal Moves That Improve the Environment"

Posted by Lexi with Love

Talking Dog

A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale. '

He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.


The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.
'You talk?' he asks.
'Yep,' the Lab replies.


After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'


The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.'


'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.'

'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'


The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.
'Ten dollars,' the guy says.
'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'
'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that crap.

20 DIY & Craft Projects: {Pets} : TipNut.com

 

20 DIY & Craft Projects: {Pets}

Pet Pillow Project By bhg.com

1. Lucky Dog! Wrap Pillow: (as seen in picture) Create a homemade pillow for your favorite four-legged friend.
2. How to Make a Raised Dog Feeder: A glue gun, wooden shadow box picture frame, napkin rings and voila! nice little station for your pet’s eating area.
3. Weekend Warriors: Mr. Sambolini’s Solution for a Messy Litter Box: A litter-box enclosure that contains the mess and looks more like “an attractive storage chest” than a sandy mess. Also see more unique ideas for cat litter boxes here (scroll down a bit).
4. DIY Project: Gumball Machine Fish Bowl: This Gumball Machine Fish Bowl is sure to get some compliments in your home! It’s a fun and quirky addition to a living room or child’s room, and it’s very easy to make.
5. Pet Pouches: Here’s how to make a little “wallet” to store a plastic baggie right on your dog’s collar (so handy when going for walks!).
6. How to Convert an Old TV Into a Fish Tank: Have you discovered a dinosaur of a TV set in your attic? It sure can’t compete with today’s flat-panel units, but it doesn’t have to head straight for the junk pile — if you’re creative. Here’s how to make it do something those plasmas will never pull off: turn it into a fish tank!
7. Crochet a Candy Corn Pet Sweater!: Making this sweater is really easy and only requires a little crochet knowledge. This particular pattern fits a 12 to 20 pounder, but is easily adapted to any size four-legged animal.
8. Recycled Skirt Into 2 Piece Dog Bed: Clever & cozy bed for your pet.
9. Recyled Dog Collar Tutorial: It’s easy to make a new dog collar from your old one!
10. Felted Kitty Balls: Felt is an attractive material for kitty play: its toughness is necessary for what is after all play-murder, and its chewy but giving texture is satisfactorily similar to that of a well-fed mouse.
11. Collapsible Dog Bowl: This collapsible dog bowl is perfect for traveling pet owners.
12. Baby Sock Cat Toy: This simple and inexpensive mouse-size toy, filled with catnip and sewn by hand, will provide your cat with hours of entertainment. Check out how to grow your own catnip here: Grow Your Own Catnip.
13. Raised Dog Bed: Raised pet beds help with both fleas (they live on the floor, and can only jump so high) and warmth.
14. Dog Dining Station: This easy-to-build dog feeding station raises your pet’s food and water to a more comfortable level and keeps your floor neat.
15. Catnip Fish Toy: This whimsical fish-shaped toy is sure to become one of your cat’s favorite playthings. Although available in any pet store, catnip (Nepeta cataria) can be grown in a range of soils, dried, and used to make this project (downloadable fish toy template available via pdf).
16. Cardboard Cat Playhouse: Your cat will love to meander through her very own playhouse, which you can construct from three cardboard boxes in just a few simple steps.
17. Cat Bed Junk Project: Turn an old wood end-table into a charming cat (or dog) bed.
18. DIY Aviary From An Old Wardrobe: Not a detailed how-to, but easy enough to figure out (it’s gorgeous!).
19. How to Make a Collapsible Travel Dish for Your Pet: This project modifies a basic origami fold to create a pet bowl that holds water with no leaks.
20. How to Make a Pet Bed from Recycled Sweaters: Crochet a pet bed from old sweaters using the same technique as crocheting rag rugs.

Bonus: Also see this list of 22 different ideas for pet storage projects: Smart Storage For Pet Stuff.

20 DIY & Craft Projects: {Pets} : TipNut.com

How to Build a PVC Hoop House – Gardening Tip : TipNut.com

 

Today’s feature is from Westside Gardener with instructions for How to Build A PVC Hoophouse For Your Garden:

An unheated PVC hoophouse can be a useful addition to your garden. It keeps excessive rain off the plants, blocks the wind, raises daytime temperatures 5-10 degrees (and often much more), and keeps frosts and heavy dew off the leaves. This can extend your warm-season gardening a month or more at both ends, and makes it possible for year-round gardeners to grow a wider variety of plants through the winter.

PVC hoophouses are inexpensive to build, and can be put up in about an hour. Take a look, and decide for yourself!

Where I live there are plenty of things that don’t grow well because the season’s too short. My yard’s a bit small for a hoop house, but I do have good success with cold frames, it’s a temporary solution for holding bedding plants and seedlings. When the weather turns nice, just take them out and plant in your garden and containers.

A cold frame’s not as great as a hoop house (where you could grow large amounts of plants directly in the ground, protected), but it’s a nice perk.

For more DIY greenhouse and gardening projects, see Sherry’s Greenhouse Projects List, that’s where I found the hoop house plans.

Don't Miss These Tips:

• How To Build A Cold Frame With An Old Window
• How To Build A Raised Garden Bed – Cheap
• Diggin It: No Dig Gardening

How to Build a PVC Hoop House – Gardening Tip : TipNut.com

Plastic Tunnel Cold Frame: DIY : TipNut.com

 

Plastic Tunnel Cold Frame: DIY

Today’s feature is from The Door Garden with this DIY project for a Simple Plastic Tunnel Cold Frame or Row Cover:

Plastic Tunnel Cold Frame Project By doorgarden.com

A simple plastic tunnel like this can serve as a cold frame to grow salad greens all winter long, to grow out tomatoes and other tender plants, to extend the season for an early Spring start or a late Fall harvest, or even as a screen house to keep birds off of your strawberries or vine borer moths off of your squashes.

You can also use one of these to dry out water logged beds and warm up the soil so that you can begin planting in early Spring. These devices are so useful, cheap, easy, and quick to build that everyone should have at least one – it’s almost as good as having your own polytunnel greenhouse.

Materials Needed:

• 5-5′ lengths of 3/4″ (inside diameter) polyethylene water pipe
• 10 – 1/2″ x 1/2″ x 14″ wooden stakes
• 1 – 12′ x 6′ x 4 mil clear plastic sheet
• 4 – 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ x 8′ wood strips
• staples and nails

Please visit the site above for all the project details.

Don't Miss These Tips:

• How To Build A Cold Frame With An Old Window
• DIY: How To Make A Greenhouse From Old Windows
• How to Build a PVC Hoop House – Gardening Tip

Plastic Tunnel Cold Frame: DIY : TipNut.com

Start A Homegrown Revolution - A Revolution In Your Kitchen

Reposted by Kindness of Strangers for the Earth and Animals

Thank you All!






(fullscreen)


HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION

Radical Change Taking Root




LEARN A TRADE!



Artisan Trades ~

Carpenter ~

Plumber ~

Blacksmith


LEARN A SKILL



Permaculture ~

Sustainability ~

Aquaponics ~

Organic horticulture


LINKS

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Natural Building How-To: Earthen Plastering


​



The revolution begins with seemingly small daily gestures & choices.

If many of us make better choices, we can change the world

"Think globally - Act locally"

Thank you to!
Sea Shepherd Pirate


Start a revolution in your kitchen


By Marco Visscher,
Ode magazine


The shopping list that really contributes to a better world involves local, biological farmers, fair trade products and vitamin supplements. Here are some steps for an action plan.


Local food

Buying fresh, local seasonal food reduces the need for transport and, consequently, the burden on the environment. In addition, it is beneficial to the local economy. The presence of local markets enables farmers to grow various crops, thus avoiding monoculture and promoting biodiversity. Buying directly from the farmer strengthens the bond between producer and consumer–and is attractive to both.


Fair trade

Fair trade products are traded on the basis of paying a fair price to the producers in developing countries. The products are sold in third world aid shops, but also in supermarkets. Fair-trade quality marks ensure that the terms of fair trade have been observed. To find fair-trade organizations in your country contact the International Federation for Alternative Trade.


Organic food

In biological agriculture pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics and other artificial additives are not used. This method of agriculture is better for the quality of the soil, the environment and both farmers’ and consumers’ health. Biological products have a higher nutritional value. Biological food is available at organic food stores and some supermarkets. Mind the quality mark.


Slow food

The right to indulge in good food is defended by Slowfood, an international organization that has its roots in Italy and by now has about 50,000 members in over 50 countries, from leading chefs to lovers of good food. Slow food promotes a diversity of flavors, traditional production methods and small-scale production. The organization aims to preserve local food traditions.


Vitamins and minerals

Every human being needs vitamins and minerals. Usually, food is the source of vitamins and minerals, but as farmland contains increasingly less nutritional value, it can be advisable to take vitamin and mineral supplements. Some laboratories offer the possibility to examine exactly which vitamins and minerals you need. Do not use random supplements, because more is not always better. Also keep in mind that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins varies for each individual. You can always take extra minerals, because you may assume that your magnesium and zinc intake is inadequate.


SUPPORT

Fairfood intends to hold to account authorities and companies within Europe on the human right to food, as laid down in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to Fairfood, the EU could, for example, introduce restrictions to the trade in so-called “starvation food”:​ Food destined for the West, which results in starvation in its land of origin.


Oakland, California-​based Food First is a progressive United States think tank that seeks to put an end to poverty and starvation by reforming Western trade and agricultural policy and by formulating solutions to food issues. Food First organizes actions and such, and publishes books.


The Hunger Project in New York wants to put an end to hunger. To this aim the organization involves local populations in developing countries, because the people themselves are sufficiently creative to become the “architects of their own development.​” The Hunger Project explicitly is not a charity, but aims to increase the independence of those who suffer from hunger on a daily basis.


Vïa Campesina is an international movement that represents millions of small and middle-scale farmers, primarily in developing countries. The movement promotes solidarity between farmers who are forced to compete with each other in the world market. Via Campesina holds the view that a country should first produce adequate food to support its own people, before it invites foreign agri-companies to cultivate its farmland.






Don't Be Trashy - Please Recycle!

- & More -



Katia 4 Peace & Planet ♥



Adapted from The Druidry Handbook

by John Greer




You can comfortably reshape your life

using simple methods like these.

They are logical, doable, inexpensive,

and all together combine to help you live a life as a caretaker,

instead of as an exploiter of the earth.

What better way to live?







1. If you have room for a garden, or can join a public garden, grow some of your own food using organic methods.



2. Buy organic, recycled and other Earth-friendly products instead of conventional ones, even when they cost more.



3. Set the heat 10 degrees cooler and the air conditioning 10 degrees warmer, replace high-wattage light bulbs with efficient ones, and make a habit of turning off anything that doesn’t actually need to be on.



4. Improve your home’s heat efficiency by adding insulation, installing insulated window coverings, weather-​.​.​.​.​.​.​stripping doors, and putting gaskets behind electrical outlets.



5. Put flow restrictors on your faucets and showerhead to save water. If you can’t replace existing toilets with a low-flow version, place a half-gallon jug full of water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount used in each flush.



6. Never buy anything on impulse. If you think you want something, wait at least 24 hours and see if you still want it then.



7. Plant trees whenever and wherever you can, and tend and water them until they can survive on their own.



8. Take a hard look at the electric or gas-powered devices you own. How many could you replace with low-tech equivalents, or simply get rid of? Gather up any that can be replaced or discarded and donate them to charity.



9. Contact your local water, electricity, and heating fuel utilities to find out what conservation programs, rebates, and incentives they offer, and use of them.



10. Shop at a local farmers’ market or join a community-​.​.​.​.​.​.​supported agriculture program.



11. Learn how to entertain yourself and your family and friends instead of letting an energy-wasting machine do it for you. Television and computer games are no substitute for life!



12. Instead of a grass lawn, landscape with plant species are native to your area. Local conservation groups can tell you which plants support native butterflies and birds.



13. Whenever you possible can, walk, bicycle, carpool, or take public transit instead of driving a car.



14. Replace chemical cleansers, laundry detergents, and garden compounds with natural or biodegradable equivalents.



15. Take care of as much of your everyday health care needs as you can using natural methods. Modern medicine is among the most wasteful and polluting of all industries.



16. Live as close as possible to work or school so that you minimize the time and energy wasted in commuting.



17. If you’re building a home, include as many Earth-friendly elements in its design and construction as you can.



18. Compost all your yard waste and vegetable kitchen scraps in a composter or worm bin, and return the compost to the soil.



19. Recycle everything you possibly can.



20. Donate old clothes, housewares, and appliances to charity,
or find other uses for them instead of throwing them away.





 












See Katia 4 Peace & Planet ♥'​s Recent Bulletins

Cheap, Easy-to-Build Storage Shelves

REPOSTED WITH THANKS TO: http://www.myspace.com/rockymountainhorse


If you have an unfinished basement, a garage or a storage shed, you can store much more in it if you have shelves. Built-in shelves are great, but if you’re renting or want the flexibility to rearrange the shelving units, you might want to make some free-standing shelves. Here’s a simple method for building some inexpensive storage shelves — and you can build them without power tools.



Materials to make two shelving units:

* 1 1/2-inch-thick sheet of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB). A full sheet is 4-..feet-..by-8-feet. Cost: about $7.50
* 16 8-foot 2-by-4s. Cost: $1.85 x 16 = $29.60
* 5 pounds of 3-inch deck screws. Cost: $28.24. You could probably find cheaper screws.

Process:

1) Cut the 4-..foot-by-8-foot sheet of plywood or OSB into six pieces that are 4 feet by 16 inches. This requires five cuts. The lumberyard or building center might cut the plywood for you if you don’t have a power saw. Accounting for the width of the saw blade, these pieces will be slightly less than 16 inches wide.

2) Cut 12 pieces of 2-by-4 to 13 inches.

3) Cut six of the 2-by-4s in half. These will be slightly less than 48 inches.

4) Make six frames for the shelves. Put the 13-inch pieces between the ends of the 48-inch pieces and join each corner with two screws.




5) Attach the plywood pieces to the tops of the shelf frames with screws — two on each long side at least, more if you’d like. Note that the OSB will likely have a smooth side and a rough side. Keep this in mind as you attach it to the frames. Either side will work — this is only personal preference.



6) Attach an 8-foot 2-by-4 to each corner of the shelves, three shelves per unit. Use two or three screws per joint. You can pick a height for each shelf that works for you. Try to keep the shelves as level as possible.

7) Set the shelves in place.

Tips:

* For safety, attach at least one corner leg to a ceiling joist or something secure to stabilize the unit.
* If the shelving units aren’t perfectly level, you can use shims to level them — or use the method for leveling a table from Build Your Own Table (scroll down to “Make Your Table Stable”).
* The legs can be shorter than 8 feet. You might want to trim these to fit your space. I cut 13 inches from each and used those pieces for the frames, so I had longer leftover pieces.

~Source~

~Bulletin brought to you by~

-Sue

Homemade Soy Milk

Okara Felafel ~ Okara Burgers

Have you always wanted to know what you could do with left-over soy bean pulp after making so milk? Well....here ya go!




Okara Burgers

What To Eat