Product Recalls

1. Photon Climbing Carabiners and Quickdraws Recalled Due to Risk of Injury http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11201.html

2. Aquarium Heaters Recalled by United Pet Group Due to Fire and Laceration Hazards http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11202.html

3. June Deadline Set for End to Globe Fire Sprinkler Model J Sprinkler Recall; Property Owners Should Act Now To Request Replacement of Sprinkler Heads http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11203.html

4. Disney Princess Plastic Trikes Recalled by Kiddieland Due to Laceration Hazard http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11205.html

5. Children's Scooters Recalled by Kiddieland Due to Laceration Hazard http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11206.html

6. 75 Drownings and Near-Drownings in 15 Weeks; Pool Safely PSAs Urge Parents to Watch Children At All Times Around Pools and Spas This Summer http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11204.html

Frugality Saves Money and the Planet

Being Frugal = Being Cheap! This attitude is pure BS. We was fed this notion during the affluent years immediately following World War II by advertisers who simply wanted to make a buck. While I can’t begrudge them for wanting to earn a living I can tell you that each one of us who bought into the idea that we simply must have the latest make and model of everything from cars to electronics are creating more hardship for the rest of us. This artificial ‘need’ drives product prices up and allows manufacturers to handout latest updates in piecemeal fashion in such a way that they make the most money from the consumer. You need only look at how Apple releases small ‘improvements’ to their latest product and then a few months later releases a newer more improved version when they could have released all of the latest techs at one time. It’s become the American way.

Now that I’ve had a chance to stand on my soap box, I’ll get to the point of this post.

Many of our parents and/or grandparents went through many financial hardships due to our nations involvement in World War II. They learned how to be frugal, to save a buck by reusing items for other purposes and to simply get the most out of everything they owned. Most of us seem to have lost the drive to practice this same frugality due to the abundance we have been fortunate enough to experience. Those days of abundance are slipping into our past and we must learn how to stretch our dollars much the same way our parents and grandparents learned.

Frugality is a label that far too many people associate with being poor. But many others - and the number is growing – see the wisdom of being frugal, not just for the sake of saving money, but also for the sake of saving our planet. What we can learn from this group of non-conforming, trend-bucking, advertisement-rejecting, maoney-saving heroes is we can live without stuffing our landfills with items with still-useable life left in them.

There are many great tips for saving money and our limited resources:

Saving paper and the trees it comes from

Save paper and ridding us of the temptation to spend by getting rid of unwanted catalogs – and hopefully eventually scale back the US Postal Service.

Send an e-mail to optout@abacus-us.com with your name and mailing information. Abacus is the database used by nearly all product catalogs.

Create a free account at catalogchoice.org, and choose the catalogs that you'd like to unsubscribe from. They'll take care of all the details, so you don't have to.

Stop unsolicited credit card offers:

Go to optoutprescreen.com, and follow the instructions on the website to opt-out of "firm" offers. These are the credit card offers that come marked as "pre-approved."

Saving Water and the cost of using it and cleaning it

We flush a lot of water and money down our toilets. The easiest and of course more expensive way to control this loss is by replacing your old standard toilet bowl - uses up to 7 gallons per flush – with a low-flow toilet – 1.6 gallons per flush. Pennies and gallons do add up quickly.

Other, less expensive methods are:

1. Install an adjustable flapper.

You can save up to three gallons of water per flush by replacing your current flapper with an adjustable flapper. Find them at any hardware store or home improvement store.

2. Install a tank bag.

Purchase a tank bag; fill it with water, and hang it in your toilet tank. It'll displace some of the water, thereby reducing the amount of water needed to refill the tank after each flush.

3. Install a fill cycle diverter

The toilet tank and bowl may fill at the same time, but they don't fill at the same rate, (the bowl fills faster) and since the fill valve doesn't shut off until the tank is full, this means that water continues to be fed to the bowl. So, where does this extra water go? Straight down the drain! Install a fill cycle diverter, a small piece that connects to the fill line and overflow tube, and that water will be diverted back to the tank where it can be put to use.

4. Check for leaks

Most home improvement stores will offer a free leak detection tablet to drop into your tank so that you can find a leak. This is a great way to pinpoint what needs to be repaired or replaced.

Replace disposable products with reusable products

One-time use products are very wasteful. Here are some that will help save money, time and the environment:

• Reusable water bottles
• Cloth diapers
• Refillable cooking oil sprayer
• Refillable ink pens
• Safety razor or an electric razor
• Homemade dryer sheets
• Cloth napkins
• Wash cloths or rags
• Food storage containers
• Reusable sandwich bags

I’m sure that if you look around your home you will find many other ways to save a few pennies here and there. Also, while grocery shopping, take a look at the packaging and see if maybe that coffee can or butter container or cool whip tub just might have an additional use or two,

We can make it if we try.

Choose Happiness

Many people live in the past, brooding over bad choices they'd made or someone's negative behavior to them years ago. Others live in the future, worrying about events that may happen --- or may not. Here is the way to achieve lives of joy, courage, love and serenity is to live in the moment, to see the wonders of the present, to feel gratitude for what is happening right this minute. Right now we're writing our life stories, and we can choose how the script will read. Right now we can put behind us self-doubt, anger, frustration. 

Right now, we can choose happiness.

How to buy Groceries Wisely

I found these tips in Farmers Almanac and want to pass it along. Some of them may seem logical and you may have thought briefly of them before but now is the time to test them for yourself.

• Avoid buying items on shelves at eye level. Sure they’re easier to get to—and that’s why grocers put them there! Better buys are usually found on the highest and lowest shelves.
• Avoid special displays at the ends of supermarket aisles. Many times, grocers doctor up those areas to make the items look as though they’re on sale.

Store brands are generally cheaper than the heavily advertised name brands and many store brands are manufactured by the same folks who make your favorite name-brand product. The difference is not in the quality of the product but, especially with canned goods, in the uniformity. Maybe all the green beans aren’t the same length, or perhaps the corn kernels are smaller than the name brand’s. Check them out before you dismiss them; nine times out of ten, you’ll be satisfied with the quality, and they’ll save you money.

When you compare prices, especially on nonfood items, always make sure to compare the unit prices (the price per pound, ounce, or other unit). Normally, the unit price is listed on the same shelf tag that lists the product price.

Save money on your food bill by opting for less tender cuts of meat—flank steak, for instance—and marinating it overnight before you cook it.

• Store-bought oil and vinegar dressing make an easy marinade.
• Place the meat in a sealable plastic bag, pour in the dressing squeeze out all the air, and place the bag on a plate.
• Put the plate in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. The acid in the vinegar will break down the tough connective tissue in the meat, tenderizing it.

One way to reduce the amount of time you spend food shopping is to pick one store you like and always do your shopping there. Once you’re familiar with the layout of the store, you’ll be able to find what you need quickly. Knowing where to go also decreases the chances of making impulse purchases, the bane of the bargain hunter.

If you have a hard time sticking to your shopping list, try eating just before you head to the grocery store. Shopping on an empty stomach makes everything look good. Your willpower is likely to be a lot stronger if you plan your shopping trip for after a meal.

To get the biggest saving with coupons, use them only where and when you can double or even triple them.

Food co-ops are grocery stores run by their members. They generally offer better prices than their commercial counterparts. Unlike those larger stores, many co-ops sell certain foods in bulk. Some co-ops run on a membership basis; others allow anyone to shop but offer discounts to members.

To find a food co-op near you go to Co op Directory Service

The most dangerous thing you’ll do all day

A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise conducted by scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.

That is a very shocking statistic.

Similar research actually dates back to 1953, when British researchers found that (sitting) bus drivers were twice as likely to die of heart attacks as (standing) trolley operators.

It doesn’t matter how much you exercise or how well you eat. If you sit most of the day, your risk of leaving this world clutching your chest—whether you’re a man or women—as much as doubles.

This is going to cause a re-thinking in desk height. I’m going to push my chair back and kneel on a pillow. But then I’ll probably debelop knee joint problems.

Researchers don’t know why but suspect an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which breaks down fat in the bloodstream and turns it into energy. Researchers found that standing rats have ten times more of the stuff coursing through their bodies than laying rats. It doesn’t matter how fit the rats are; when they leave their feet, their LPL levels plummet. It is believed the same happens in humans.

See this article formore info

ECOoler Evaporative Cooler Partition

This attractive partition, called ECOoler, designed by Mey Kahn and Boaz Kahn combines two traditional Middle-Eastern elements to create an environmentally friendly cooling system. One part Mashrabiya, an ornate architectural partition made of clay or cement bricks, the other part Jara, a clay jug that acts as an evaporative cooler. It’s comprised of slip cast ceramic tubular tiles that are joined together using common garden hose fittings and connected to a water supply. [via LikeCool]

Product Recall: Skippy Peanut Butter Spread

Unilever Announces Recall of Skippy® Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Spread Due to Possible Health Risk Limited Recall of 6 Best-If-Used-By Dates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 4, 2011, Englewood Cliffs, NJ – Unilever United States, Inc. today announced a limited recall of Skippy® Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy® Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread, because it may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). No other Skippy® products are affected by this recall.

The product was distributed to retail outlets in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The affected product, which is packaged in 16.3 oz plastic jars, is as follows:

    •        UPCs: 048001006812 and 048001006782 (located on the side of the jar’s label below the bar code.)

    •        Best-If-Used-By Dates: MAY1612LR1, MAY1712LR1, MAY1812LR1, MAY1912LR1, MAY2012LR1 and MAY2112LR1

              (Stamped on the lid of the jar.)

To date, no illnesses related to this issue have been reported.

The recall was initiated as the result of a routine sampling program by the company, which revealed that these finished products may contain the bacteria.

Consumers who have purchased Skippy® Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Spread with the above UPCs and Best-If-Used-By-Dates are urged to discard the product immediately and call the company for a replacement coupon. Consumers can contact the company at 1-800-453-3432, which is operational 24 hours a day, for information on the recall. In addition, a consumer services representative is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM EST.

Slow Cookers Recall

Burlington Coat Factory Recalls Slow Cookers Due to Fire Hazard

Another item made in China recalled due to fire hazard.

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2011

Release #11-150

Firm's Recall Hotline: (888) 223-2628

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Burlington Coat Factory Recalls Slow Cookers Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Slow Cooker

Units: About 7,460

Retailer: Burlington Coat Factory, of Burlington, N.J.

Importer/Distributor: Lehrhoff ABL, of Carlstadt, N.J.

Hazard: The slow cooker's control panel can overheat and melt, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: The manufacturer has received 60 reports of the control panels smoking, melting and sparking, and three reports of panels catching fire. Fourteen incidents resulted in minor damage to countertops. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Bella Kitchen 5-quart programmable slow cookers. The slow cookers are black with "Bella Kitchen" printed on the control panel. Only slow cookers with model number WJ-5000DE and date codes 0907 or 0909 are included in this recall. The model number and the four-digit date code are printed on a label on the underside of the product.

Sold at: Burlington Coat Factory stores from June 2010 through December 2010 for $20.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the slow cooker immediately, unplug it and return the slow cooker to Burlington Coat Factory for a full refund or store credit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Burlington Coat Factory toll-free at (888) 223-2628 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website.

Get more details on CPSC's web site.

Cannabis-enhancing plant to be marketed worldwide as new drug

When consumed, kanna decreases anxiety, suppresses the appetite, causes euphoria and enhances the effects of other psychoactive herbs.

South African Bushmen have been chewing kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) for hundreds of years to reduce stress, relieve hunger and elevate their moods. Now there are plans to market the exotic plant worldwide as a new over-the-counter drug, according to PhysOrg.com.

The first license ever issued to market kanna was given to the South African company HGH Pharmaceutical, who intend to sell it as a dietary supplement.

"We're positioning [the product] for everyday people who are having a stressful time in the office, feeling a bit of social anxiety, tension or in a low mood," said Nigel Gericke, director of research at HGH.

Though the company intends to produce their kanna product in pill form, the plant is traditionally chewed, smoked or made into a tea. When it is consumed, users are said to receive a head rush similar to the effect of smoking a cigarette, but without the risk of chemical addiction or health concerns.

At intoxicating levels, kanna taken alone can cause euphoria and sedation. Users also claim increased personal insight, as well as a grounded feeling without any perceptual dulling.

Aside from its potential health benefits and mood-altering qualities, the plant is also well known for its ability to enhance the effects of other psychoactive drugs-- particularly cannabis. Thus, its role as a potentiator for more controversial drugs could lead to road blocks in getting approval by U.S. regulators. The American company working with HGH to distribute the product in the U.S. said it did not know when exactly it could be available for consumers, though they were tentatively planning a product launch sometime in 2011.

"It's a product with huge potential," said Ben-Erik Van Wyk, a University of Johannesburg botanist. "Anyone who has chewed it and has experienced the sensation of the plant definitely knows there's something happening."

Van Wyk also said that he hopes the product can draw attention to the ancient wisdom of the San Bushmen, and raise awareness about the need to protect cultural diversity around the world. There is also great optimism that the marketing and production of the plant could boost local economies.

Pier 1 Imports Recalls Golden Tea Lights Due to Fire Hazard

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 245-4595

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Golden tea lights sold with ornament tea light holders

Units: About 370,000 tea lights in United States and 30,000 tea lights in Canada

Importer: Pier 1 Imports(r), of Fort Worth, Texas

Hazard: The flame from the tea lights can burn with a high flame, posing a fire hazard.

Injuries/Incidents: The firm has received four reports of high flames. In one of these incidents, the consumer suffered a minor burn.

Description: This recall involves all tea lights in golden tin cups sold in sets of five with either the Red Ornament Tea Light Holder (SKU 2473959) or the White Ornament Tea Light Holder (SKU 2473961). The SKU number is found on the packaging.

Sold exclusively at: Pier 1 Imports stores from September 2010 through January 2011 for between $2 and $8.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled tea lights and return them to their nearest Pier 1 Imports store to receive new tea lights.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Pier 1 Imports at (800) 245-4595 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit Pier 1 Imports' website at Pier 1 Imports

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at Health Canada Consumer Product Safety

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including a picture of the recalled products, please go to: NEWS from CPSC and HC

Spiral Staircases

I would love to have a home large enough to have one or all of these spiral staircases. They have got to be the sexiest thing you can have in your home.

I found these at curbly

Bad Food + Bad Habits = Bad Health. Any Questions?

A recent report from an American Stroke Association conference tells us that strokes are rising dramatically among young and middle-aged Americans while dropping in older people, a sign that the obesity epidemic may be starting to shift the age burden of the disease.

The numbers improved for people over 65. Strokes dropped 25 percent, but still represent the highest numbers at 300 per 10,000 hospitalizations. For males 15 to 34, there were about 15 stroke cases per 10,000, and for girls and women in that age group there were about 4 per 10,000.

I hesitate to present these numbers here because admittedly they look pretty small. And if people look at the numbers as small it is doubtful they will see any urgency in changing their habits.

Health professionals have been pointing out the causes of stroke for years as bad food and lack of exercise. In the past we have accepted the higher chance of stroke as a part of the aging process, brought on by years of high calorie and high cholesterol intake coupled with an increasing lack of exercise. Then we are forced to rely on medical science to correct our abuse.

Now, we discover we are falling victim to these bad habits at a much younger age. What has changed? Fifty years ago our youth ate better quality food and got more exercise. Today’s youth eat more processed foods and are less physically challenged.

How can we be aware of the causes of stroke and yet do nothing to prevent it? Certainly, the family dynamic has changed over the past fifty years. We are seeing an increase in the number of single-parent homes which results in a decline in home cooked meals and thus convenience foods are on the increase and our schools no longer push physical activity as part of their regular curriculum.

Convenience food is not inherently dangerous to our health. It’s the manner in which it is processed. A large portion of processed food comes from fast food restaurants who, despite their claims of making a healthier product, continue to serve us meat that has been so fully injected with antibiotics and growth hormones that there is no way these chemicals are not finding their way into our bodies. Vegetables found in grocery stores, if we eat them, are genetically modified to make them bigger and more resistant to the heavy use of pesticides. Then they are injected or sprayed with stabilizers to give them a longer shelf life and picked before their time to ‘ripen’ on the long trip to the grocery store. All of these factors lessen their natural ability to develop the nutrients we think we are getting.

Is the use of all of these chemicals and processes connected to our increasing waistlines and poor health? No one seems to be able to conclusively connect those dots and corporate agriculture is certainly not going out of their way to find out. It would cut into their profits.

Additional Side Effects

1 - Health costs continue to rise for everyone because not enough people are keeping themselves healthy.

2 - CAFO’s – Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations – increasing in size and number because people eat meat,

• pollute adjacent streams due to the large amount of concentrated effluent,
• inject large amounts of antibiotics and pesticides into our food supply due to overcrowding at these facilities,
• support environmental degradation through growing feed which uses intensive methods which uses excessive fertilizer and pesticides.

3 - Processed food adds about three-fourths of the salt we eat, especially tomato sauce, soups, condiments and canned foods.

The bottom line is that corporate profits continue to increase, our waistlines continue to increase, environmental pollution continues to increase, our health decreases, our life-expectancy decreases.

In my opinion, this formula is a very poor substitute for quality of life. Is convenience really a good reason for this to continue?

If we expect to reverse the spread of stroke we need to grow more of our own food, eat less meat and more vegetables, and exercise more. All of this is within our power and everyone will benefit from it.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Ingredients:

1 cup Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda

1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

1 cup Fels Naptha, shaved

1 gallon water

2 cups boiling water

This is super easy:

Fels Naptha shaved

Boil a half quart of water (2 cups). While this is heating up, shave the Fels Naptha bar until you get one cup full. This stuff will melt quicker and more uniformly if you make the pieces very small. The first batch I made I used a cheese grater but that was hard on my wrist so this time I used a knife to shave pieces off and then chopped them into finer pieces. You can put the pieces in the water and wait for it to boil but it melts better if you wait to add them to boiling water.

Next, pour one cup each Borax and Booster. Stir until it is all dissolved.

Pour this mixture into a bucket containing one gallon water. Mix it all well and pour into storage containers. I got these three from a hobby craft store for five bucks a piece. They must hold more than a quart each because they took the gallon of water plus two cups leaving only small amount.

Before each use the soap it needs to be shaken well because it tends to separate. I use a quarter to one half cup per load.

I feel I need to point out a couple things. The fragrance of the Fels Naptha is quite over powering. It is not a 'bad' smell, it is just strong. I suggest that once the package is opened it be kept in an airtight container. I use Wet Ones plastic box shown in the photo.

Also, the Borax picks up moisture fairly easily so keep it in an airtight package as well.

These products have been around for over a hundred years and are made of all natural materials. Modern laundry detergents are all based on these three natural materials plus other chemicals to do things like add a fragrance or not leave a residue in the measuring cup or add fabric softener chemicals. There is no residue left on your clothing and they come out clean every time.

The fact that these ‘new’ laundry detergents contain these chemicals is a major reason why I choose not to use them.

A little about the products:

Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda is a detergent booster and household cleaner. In production since 1874. 100% fragrance and phosphate free. It is sodium carbonate and is used for a variety of cleaning chores besides laundry.

20 Mule Team Borax is an all natural laundry booster & multi-purpose household cleaner. Removes stains on many surfaces such as tile/grout, sinks, pots & pans, fine china, mattress odors, outdoor furniture (plastic and metal), garbage pails, etc.

Fels Naptha is a heavy duty laundry bar soap used to remove stains (works especially well on oil-based stains).

Now I ask you, can you use laundry detergent to clean anything other than laundry, No, because it has been diluted so that you need to buy the corporations other chemical based products too.

Do yourself and the environment a favor and bypass the chemically laden products and use an all-natural product that you can make yourself.

Disclosures

This policy is valid from October 15, 2010

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact  unwashedcreativity@gmail.com.

This blog does not accept any form of compensation for any reviews or comments made concerning any product or service mentioned.

The owner of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites or any various other topics. I will always strive to give my honest assessment and opinion on every post. All findings, beliefs, experiences on topics posted here are mine alone and are not influenced by any other person unless otherwise noted in the post.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

Whole Wheat Crepes and Cherry Compote

I woke up this morning wanting crepes. Never made them before. They turned out delicious. I used Krusteaz Wheat & Honey pancake mix and frozen cherries. When you live within a budget you make the best of what you have.

The wheat pancake mix was thinned out as much as I dared make it without it being completely watery. When I poured it onto the hot skillet, I tilted the skillet to allow the mix to spread out to form a larger thinner pancake. I was so afraid of burning the first one that I flipped it a little before its time, but after that I exercised a bit more patience and they came out remarkably well.

The compote was made by using frozen cherries, 3/4 cup water, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup lime juice (RealLime worked great). Bring to a boil, reduce heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasional. In a separate bowl I mixed together 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and orange juice. After removing the cherries from the heat and mixed the cornstarch/orange juice mixture in and placed the pan back to boil for one minute. After boiling for another minute, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes to thicken.

This was a really great tasting breakfast. Things tend to get a bit hectic while making the cakes but they were well worth it.

I thought the compote was a tad bit too sweet so will cut back a little on the sigar next time.

The whipped cream on top was a wonderful touch. We had Cool Whip and Ready Whip so I used a little of each for comparison and found the Ready Whip much better. After all it is a real dairy product whereas Cool Whip is not.

Note: I did not get paid in anyway for mentioning any brand name mentioned here. The mix has been a favorite of our family for a very long time. The juice was easier than squeezing a bunch of limes.

Sustainable Home Design

Architect Kendricks Bangs Kellogg designed this home of gracefully arranged, gently curved concrete forms, all resting on cantilevered, shaped, concrete platforms, that span up to fifty feet and ten feet across. This home is designed for energy gains from the thermal mass.

More at materialicious

Safe Chicken Handling Practices

I was recently asked how long cooked chicken will keep in a refrigerator and remain safe to eat. I did a little digging and found the general guideline is four to seven days. And this advice is good only if it has been handled, packaged and stored properly. It will keep slightly longer if you freeze it.

The health department recommends keeping meat no longer than seven days after the purchase date. This is true if your fridge holds food at 41F. If the temperature is higher then no longer than three days.

There is no definitive method for the detection of bacteria without bacteriological and chemical tests, so the best we can do is follow these guidelines:

• Handle food in a sanitary manner - wash hands, clean and sanitize food contact surfaces, protect from cross-contamination, package and store properly.
• Keep potentially hazardous food out of the temperature danger zone (140F to 40F). Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
• Reheat leftover cooked foods thoroughly (to 165F).
• Use food within a reasonable time.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

While we are on the topic of chicken safety and storage, here are a few guidelines and information:

It is not necessary to wash raw chicken. Any bacteria which might be present are destroyed by cooking.

Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled chicken would have cherry red skin and is condemned at the plant.

Chicken is kept cold during distribution to retail stored to prevent the growth of bacteria and to increase its shelf life. Chicken should be cold to to the touch and placed in a disposable plastic bag, get one from the produce section if they are not available in the meat department.

At home, immediately place chicken in a refrigerator that maintains 40F and use within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0F.  If freezing for longer than two months overwrap the store package with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place inside a freezer bag.

Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn", which appears as grayish brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before of after cooking the chicken.

When purchasing fully cooked rotisserie or fast food chicken, be sure it is hot at time of purchase. Use within two hours or cut into several pieces and refrigerate in shallow, covered containers. Eat within 3 to 4 days, either cold or reheated to 165F (hot and steaming).

Never defrost a chicken by leaving it on the counter. You can safely defrost frozen chicken by setting it in the refrigerator, or placing it in cold water (in a leak proof bag fully covered), or by using the microwave defrost settings.

In Celebration of St Brigid and Candlemas

Halfway point to Spring, Groundhogs Day. Yea! This is one of three celebrations taking place on this honored day, February 2^nd. The other two are religious in nature, The Christian holiday, Candlemas and the Pagan holiday, Imbolic

Photo: celtic symbol Imbolic.jpg

"Imbolc" is derived from the Gaelic “oimele” which means “ewes milk.” This major Sabbat lies opposite Lammas, and represents the very beginning of spring. This festival is for the Maiden, her renewal, and has strong roots with the festivals for the Irish goddess Brigid. The ancient Celtic goddess Brigid was honored on this day, and even after she was absorbed into the Church as St. Brigid, celebrations for her changed very little from their Pagan roots. A traditional plated St Brigid’s Cross.

“Candlemas” is from the adaptations of rites for the Virgin Mary that the European churches held at the same time of year. Candlemas is a celebration of light, the day of candles, but in many parts of the world it is thought of by both young and old as pancake day!

The plow is an integral part of Imbolc ritual, this being the earliest time of year in Europe to begin ground breaking or preparations for spring planting. Some cultural groups decorated plows or held processions around the fields. Seedlings for early spring planting can be started indoors at this time.

On the Celtic Wheel of the Year, Imbolc is celebrated on February 1st and belongs to Brighid, Brigid or Bride, a goddess who in later times became revered as a Christian saint.

Candlemas: A Pagan Festival of Lights.

In celebration of Candlemas the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In celebration of Imbolic. Imbolc is when the first spring cleaning can be done. Having hunkered down for the winter, what can go to make room for the growth of spring? Brigid has many associations with healing. Spend some time with activities for yourself and your own health, either to warm the chill of winter or to ready yourself for the coming spring.

How Candlemas/Imbolic gave birth to Groundhog Day

Like other cross-quarter days, Imbolc is associated with divination, being perceived as a time when the veils between worlds are thinner. One of the more common winter/spring divination rituals is Ground Hog Day. On February 2nd, it is said that a ground hog that comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow foretells six more weeks of winter weather. No shadow on this day and spring is right around the corner.

Most Americans are only familiar with the media glare cast on “Punxsutawney Phil” and a small Pennsylvania town each year, not realizing the more complex European roots of this rite. This practice came with German settlers, the Pennsylvania Dutch, who adapted their own hedgehog observations to a close American native.

Cross Pens

I have two cross pens that, once upon a time, I held in high regard. They cost me only twenty dollars each, but they had a good feel for writing and the ink flowed freely. After replacing the cartridge however, they are given to skipping and freezing up. These refills are marked as being official replacements and I never fathomed that they would fail me. But fail me they have, one too many times it seems.

There is nothing more frustrating than having your free slow of ideas interrupted by a uncooperative writing instrument. These things are tools and as such should perform to the top of their ability every time they are used. If the fault lies with whoever is in charge of making the refill cartridges then they should be made aware of their lapse in skill.

Each time I became frustrated with their lack of performance I reached for a cheap pen costing less than one dollar that have never failed me. Now I question the sanity of purchasing any pen above the one dollar price range. I do enjoy the heft of a slightly larger pen and the smooth even uninterrupted flow of ink onto the writing surface is somewhat sensuous. Its just that Cross no longer satisfies me so I have moved on to another. Farewell Cross, I will miss thee but not your treachery and betrayal.

Making My Own Hand Soap

I’m about to test my skill at making hand soap. This is something I have wanted to do for some time now but, to be honest, have been scared to death to get anywhere near the one substance you cannot make hand soap without: lye. Lye is sodium hydroxide. In case you don’t know anything about sodium hydroxide allow me to enlighten you. This stuff is a corrosive alkaline substance that will eat your skin. I hear it is very painful as your skin dissolves away.

It is used in food preparation (as a curing agent), soap making, biodiesel production, as an oven cleaner and a drain opener.

Now that the harsh scary stuff is covered, let’s find out where you can buy it.

We used to be able to buy lye in every hardware store across the country under the product name: Red Devil Lye, a very powerful drain opener, but the product has been discontinued. It is my guess that a few people were misusing it and the government got the ‘smart’ idea to take it completely away from the rest of us instead of educating us.

Anyway, there are still a few places remaining where you can purchase lye, and they are mainly online, such as:

• Camden-Grey essential oils

• Bramble Berry Soap Making Supplies

• The Lye Guy

• Boyer Corporation

• Essential Depot Bio Products Solutions

• AAA Chemical

• Texas Natural Supply

• Snowdrift Farm

• The Original Soap Dish  

• Biodiesel Barn 

I verified all of these links today and they will all take you directly to the order page.

The only place I know of where you can walk in and  buy it today is Loew’s Home Improvement Centers under the brand name Roebic Crystal Drain Opener.

Oddly enough, there is a web site that shows you how to make lye, but seriously, why go through all the trouble when you can buy it?

I already make my own laundry detergent so the logical next step is t make my own hand soap. The process is very simple and while it is somewhat cheaper, that is not the reason I chose to make my own. I wanted to get away from the ‘extras’ that every commercial laundry soap maker is adding . . .  the fragrances . . .  the ‘power boosters’ . . .  the chemicals. I suppose they each have to do something to make their ‘recipe’ unique, but all basic laundry soaps consist of the exact same stuff. I have not regretted my decision once. The clothes come out with that ‘clean’ smell and when I toss a couple of tennis balls in every dryer load they are soft even without the fabric softeners.

Hand Soap

The variety of hand soap you can make is seemingly endless. Essential oils provide any fragrance you can think of from coconut to lavender to pine to citrus. You can make layered soaps, swirled soaps, pressed flower soaps, I even saw a recipe for 3D rock soap, whatever that is. And the shapes you can make soap into is limited only by your imagination.

Once you get the recipe down pat you can make bath fizzies, lip balms, lotions, and lots more.

Many of the websites I have found so far have tutorials so there really is no reason not to jump right in. Go on and check it out for yourself, I can’t recommend any sites in particular because I haven’t tried it yet. But when I do I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Wedge

Cabbage is a very underrated vegetable. One of the best recipes I have found for it is this one:

Serves 4

Prep time:  5 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

2 T olive oil

1/2 head green cabbage, quartered through the core

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 T sugar

course salt and ground pepper

Start by putting olive oil in a pan (skillet can be used) over medium heat.

Then add the cabbage and cook it until it’s golden brown. Around 3 minutes per each side.

Then add vinegar, sugar and 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a simmer.

Cook the cabbage until it is tender.

You can use a chopstick or fork to test it.

Cook about 12 to 15 minutes then serve with salt and pepper.

You can also replace the salt with soy sauce which I do from time to time.

Sun Dried Tomatoes

I make this anytime of the year that I can find good ripe tomatoes. Ideally they come from my garden but alas, I run out of those way too soon.

Collect perfectly ripe tomatoes, any blemished or under-ripened or over-ripened tomato should be used for some other recipe.

Preheat oven to 200° F.

Gently wash & dry the tomatoes, cut into pieces then scoop out the seeds, remove as much liquid as possible.

Oval Tomatoes (Plum): Cut lengthwise; Round Tomatoes: Cut into quarters.

Place the tomato pieces cut side up on a rack or cookie sheet (covered with several layers of tinfoil), do not allow the tomato pieces to touch each other.

Drizzle or brush good extra virgin olive oil (be generous) over them then lightly sprinkle with fresh thyme (including stems) and coarse sea salt and black pepper.

Optional: Season the tomatoes with garlic pepper or fresh slices of garlic. But you really should.

Place in oven and cook 2 ½ to 6 hours (amount of moisture will determine how long) or when done–texture will be leathery and the tomatoes will have shrunk at least 50%.

When the tomatoes are at room temperature, store in a clean mason jar, with fresh thyme layered between the tomatoes. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, pushing the tomatoes down to get rid of the air.

Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring the tomatoes to room temperature before using.

Saturday Roundup – Food Security

FARM: shop – East London’s radical experiment in food growing and community building

FARM: shop is many things, but foremost it is a radical experiment in how we feed ourselves and how we use space.

As soon as you enter the building it's clear that every corner has been thoroughly investigated for its growing potential; there are plants everywhere, sprouting from unlikely angles, twisting in the lights, floating on rafts. 'The idea here is to grow the maximum amount of food as efficiently as possible, keeping the labor to minimum', says Paul Smyth, one of the co-founders.

In a hot room upstairs there are chillies and tomatoes, the excess heat from which is piped to other parts of the building.

Chickens live in a coop on the flat roof, two pigs roam between raised beds and a polytunnel in the yard, mushrooms are coming in the basement and kefir bacteria for fermenting fine drinks swarm in jars in the entrance corridor.

The shop is the brainchild of three individuals from diverse backgrounds: Sam is primarily a farmer, Paul is an engineer and designer, third member Andy Merritt an artist.

Read the complete story here

The Future Kitchen is Urban Homesteading

Designers are becoming fascinated with urban farming and developing products including ‘Cultivation Cabinets’ – a cupboard in which young edible plants can be grown – such as the one by Bureau Marije van der Park and Maarten Kolk & Guss Kusters. By placing the process of growth into an interior product designers are encouraging us to bring vegetation back into our daily life.

Read the complete story here

Why We Should Question Walmart’s Latest PR Blitz

Walmart made big news Thursday with a press conference alongside the First Lady to announce new company commitments. Most of the mainstream media coverage of the Walmart announcement seemed to buy the company PR that it was taking valiant steps to improve the affordability and health qualities of the food it sells. Among these commitments, Walmart said it will be working with food suppliers to reduce sodium, sugars, and trans fat in certain products by 2015; developing its own seal to help consumers identify healthier products; and addressing hunger by opening Walmart stores in the nation’s “food deserts.”

Do these Walmart promises really hold big upsides for health and food insecurity?

With the typically little critical coverage in the mainstream media, we are left to ponder the impact of these Walmart commitments ourselves.

Read the complete story here

Eating Liberally: What about those smarmy Monsanto ads?

Now that the Supreme Court has declared that corporations are people, too (happy birthday, Citizens United!), Monsanto is apparently out to put a friendly, slightly weatherbeaten, gently grizzled face on industrial agriculture (see above photo, taken at a DC bus stop just outside USDA headquarters.)

This guy looks an awful lot like Henry Fonda playing Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, which seems only fitting since Agribiz may be helping to create a 21st century Dust Bowl.

After decades of boasting about how fossil-fuel intensive industrial agriculture has made it possible for far fewer farmers to produce way more food, Monsanto is now championing the power of farming to create jobs and preserve land. Does this attempt by a biotech behemoth to wrap itself in populist plaid flannel give you the warm and fuzzies, or just burn you up?

Read the complete story here

10 Home Care Tips to Try

1. Use soda cans to fill the bottom of flower pots instead of rocks to make them lighter and easier to move around.

2. Extend the reach of your vacuum cleaner with a cardboard tube. Crush the end of the tube to create a crevice tool.

3. Remove grease spots in your garage with kitty litter. If the spots are fresh the litter should soak up most of the oil.

4. Try a crumpled handful aluminum foil to scrub pans when you're out of a scrubbing brush or pad to get them clean.

5. Fix a slipping screw driver by rubbing a bit of chalk on the tip before using it.

6. Cover your vacuum head with cheesecloth to allow you to vacuum drawers with small items without having to empty the drawer first.

7. Keep your silverware from tarnishing by storing it on top of a sheet of aluminum foil.

8. Polish your silverware and leather using a banana skin. Just make sure to remove the stringy portions before cleaning. Buff with a soft cloth when you're done.

9. Remove coffee or tea stains from rugs with beer. Just use a light beer and some elbow grease to get the stain out.

10. Dishwasher detergent can easily be replaced using 2T baking soda and 2T borax.

I love DIY

There are many sites and blogs to show you how to do crafty things, but there is one site I have enjoyed for quite some time now. Not your typical ‘how to’ showing you how to make trinkets and decorations, Ana White shows you how to build furniture.

The list is long and varied. Everything from beds to kitchen islands. She gives you the plans as well as provides step by step instructions and a handy shopping list.

Her’s an example of her latest offering, two night stands.

Just go to her blog and she will have you building your own furniture in no time.

About

I was given the name Greg Whitaker, it has no special meaning in mythology, I was not name after an ancestor, and this, in my opinion, makes me unique. I am a closet writer, artist, photographer, musician and videographer. My life is lived to the fullest of my financial ability in pursuing this interests and my love for my wife and kids has no bounds.

My occasional forays through past records of my life, which I find written and drawn on various and yellowing scraps of paper and table napkins, are a never ending source of comedy and wonder. Wonder at the occasional burst of talent and comedy at the occasional burst of proof that I have no talent.

Living happily has been my ultimate goal and in spite of uncontrolled outside influences I believe I have managed to do so.

Utah Valley Gardens is where I practice at being self sufficient by growing my own food.

A Storied Existence allows my closet writer and artist to run free. It helps me maintain some semblance of sanity.

Are We Green Yet? Asks the question, well, are we green yet. I explore the sustainable life style, our attempts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and how we celebrate nature and wildlife.

Disenchanted Citizen is my soapbox for political and social issues. Not for the faint of heart.