Ruinwen put this on her blog and invited others to participate, and I thought, why not?
According to Wikipedia these are the three events, two births, and one holiday (those numbers are what's required in the meme) on July 11. (You just have to type in the month and date folks!)
Events:
1616 Samuel de Champlain returns to Quebec. Ok...this spoke to me because I spent many happy summers at my aunt's old-fashioned 1950s-style "camp" on Lake Champlain in Vermont (my aunt was also a French teacher in the Burlington VT public schools).
1804Aaron Burr kills Alex Hamilton in a duel (when I was studying US History, this story just caught my fancy. I probably knew this was on my birthday back at that time, but it had slipped my mind!)
1955 The phrase In God We Trust was added to all US currency. (very appropriate considering my main occupation as an accountant!)
Births
1920 Yul Brenner - and I've had an infatuation with men who have no hair all my life - I LOVED Yul in The King and I!
1955 Sela Ward - I remember watching her biography on Lifetime and hearing that she was not only born on the same day as I, but also the same year - we are the same AGE!
Now why on earth don't I look as good as she does???
Holiday
World Population Day. I have always been a family planning supporter meaning: make sure you're ready to have a family, and can afford to have children, and don't have more than you can afford, financially and emotionally, to care for! In short, be a responsible parent...(my ex wasn't, and I've had years to pay for that)
Ok...I'm not tagging anyone either (Ruinwen didn't), but if you'd like to do this - that's cool!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Eat Local Challenge (Redux)
I'm going to participate again in the Eat Local Challenge this time promising to eat one main meal each week from mostly local sources of food and blog about it here! Actually began that this weekend (tho' it's only supposed to be starting on June 24) - see the post below!
I'll add that I'm going to do my best to make that one meal a (lacto-ovo) vegetarian one.
I'll post the button in the sidebar...the main premise is to think about where food comes from, be intentional about choosing healthier foods (without additives, trans fats, as organic as possible - that sort of thing).
I think I can do that!
(((hugs)))
I'll add that I'm going to do my best to make that one meal a (lacto-ovo) vegetarian one.
I'll post the button in the sidebar...the main premise is to think about where food comes from, be intentional about choosing healthier foods (without additives, trans fats, as organic as possible - that sort of thing).
I think I can do that!
(((hugs)))
Saturday, June 16, 2007
To Market To Market...
But not for a pig.
lolol
A few vegies for Fresh From the Market...plus a loaf of On The Rise bakery's Rosemary Sourdough bread. I'm trying to eat more simply, more healthfully.
So new and different squashes! An amazingly good tomato...I'm told you cook the squash the same as summer squash - so I added Mrs. Dash and steamed them. Absolutely delish! The bread and tomato were wonderful, too. Unfortunately, the vegies aren't local yet. They're from South Carolina. But the bread is Roanoke, thru and thru!
Then while on the market I got a couple of basil plants and a curly leaf parsley (I like it better than flat leaf) to go with the two little yellow pear tomato plants my SIL finally found. Couldn't find the Sungolds I planted and fell in love with last summer, but I do like these. So here is my "front yard garden" - yes, I'm still planting in pots!
lolol
A few vegies for Fresh From the Market...plus a loaf of On The Rise bakery's Rosemary Sourdough bread. I'm trying to eat more simply, more healthfully.
So new and different squashes! An amazingly good tomato...I'm told you cook the squash the same as summer squash - so I added Mrs. Dash and steamed them. Absolutely delish! The bread and tomato were wonderful, too. Unfortunately, the vegies aren't local yet. They're from South Carolina. But the bread is Roanoke, thru and thru!
Then while on the market I got a couple of basil plants and a curly leaf parsley (I like it better than flat leaf) to go with the two little yellow pear tomato plants my SIL finally found. Couldn't find the Sungolds I planted and fell in love with last summer, but I do like these. So here is my "front yard garden" - yes, I'm still planting in pots!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Being Green...
Birdsong and Carole have been posting about how Easy It Is To Be Green in a meme and I wanted to add my practices. I think, tho' that's it's best if I do this here, rather than my knitting blog as it pertains more to this one...and while I'm sure I can't hold a candle to the things I know my friend Jane does, I was raised by one of the best Depression Era Penny-Pinchers and New England Tightwads, so some of the things I do, I might not want to admit to publicly! lololol...
1. I have one of these. I rewash ziplock bags (as long as meat hasn't been inside) and this little device allows them to dry very quickly! I used to wash and reuse aluminum foil, but since I rarely use it anymore, it's a non-issue. I gave these wonderful contraptions to several households on my Christmas list one year and I know they ALL use them and LOVE them! It saves $$, and keeps a lot of plastic out of the landfills!
2. I pack my lunch and eat at my desk most days of the week. I use washable containers and limit the amount of single serve packaging unless it's recyclable - like aluminum cans. I like to have V-8 as a snack at work, but usually I buy a bottle and portion it out into small containers to take in my lunch.
3. I don't actually "buy in bulk" b/c I'm only one person. But if I buy enough for a family of 4 or 6, it's still reducing the packaging considerably. I'll make a stir-fry and package in reusable (washable) containers in the freezer. I've always heard how hard it is to cook for one. I don't. WHEN I cook, I do enough for 4-6 and freeze the rest in single serves - for lunches, for dinners. I've been bad about this for a couple of months...gotta fix that!
4. I reduce, reuse, recycle. Since my move, I'm 2 blocks (I know that sounds awfully close, but they are long blocks!) from the recycling center. When I moved, I collected boxes from the liquor store for packing and gathered newspaper from friends. When I was finished (yeah, sure, I'm STILL unpacking), there was a friend in the office getting ready to move. I brought her boxes as I unpacked them and she used them, then took them to the recycler! (I love that...) The liquor store would have trashed them.
5. I trip chain. I try very hard to plan where I have to go and combine my errands so I have limited back-tracking to do. Our public transportation system leaves a lot to be desired. :(
6. Thrift stores, yard sales, and reuse shops (including book exchanges) are some of the most fun ways to shop - tho' I must admit with the cost of gasoline, I doing fewer and fewer yard sales these days. (Most of my furniture is at least second-hand, tho' I do often have it re-upholstered - I like antiques)
7. I check out books/videos/books on tape fro my library. I pre-screen (as much as possible) knitting books before I buy. I'm trying to get to the point of releasing my current books (not knitting books!) into the second-hand market...it's hard.
8. I only wash full loads of laundry on cold.
9. When I moved to this new house, I realized that even by filling the dishwasher to capacity (which takes a long time for one person who really doesn't cook much) I would still use less water if I half-filled two dishpans with water - one to wash, one to rinse - once or twice a week! The water is then saved and used to water plants and shrubs in front of the house.
10. I moved into town and reduced my commute by 15 minutes each way. I try to keep my car tuned up, air in tires, all the stuff you're supposed to do to get good mileage. While I have a small SUV, it's an "economy car" according to the insurance company and gets 27 mpg on the highway. But I have a dream of owning one of THESE, at least for around town...
Wonder if I can find one in Grape (oh, I know it should be GREEN, considering the title of this post - but I am not THERE in my color preferences...)?
1. I have one of these. I rewash ziplock bags (as long as meat hasn't been inside) and this little device allows them to dry very quickly! I used to wash and reuse aluminum foil, but since I rarely use it anymore, it's a non-issue. I gave these wonderful contraptions to several households on my Christmas list one year and I know they ALL use them and LOVE them! It saves $$, and keeps a lot of plastic out of the landfills!
2. I pack my lunch and eat at my desk most days of the week. I use washable containers and limit the amount of single serve packaging unless it's recyclable - like aluminum cans. I like to have V-8 as a snack at work, but usually I buy a bottle and portion it out into small containers to take in my lunch.
3. I don't actually "buy in bulk" b/c I'm only one person. But if I buy enough for a family of 4 or 6, it's still reducing the packaging considerably. I'll make a stir-fry and package in reusable (washable) containers in the freezer. I've always heard how hard it is to cook for one. I don't. WHEN I cook, I do enough for 4-6 and freeze the rest in single serves - for lunches, for dinners. I've been bad about this for a couple of months...gotta fix that!
4. I reduce, reuse, recycle. Since my move, I'm 2 blocks (I know that sounds awfully close, but they are long blocks!) from the recycling center. When I moved, I collected boxes from the liquor store for packing and gathered newspaper from friends. When I was finished (yeah, sure, I'm STILL unpacking), there was a friend in the office getting ready to move. I brought her boxes as I unpacked them and she used them, then took them to the recycler! (I love that...) The liquor store would have trashed them.
5. I trip chain. I try very hard to plan where I have to go and combine my errands so I have limited back-tracking to do. Our public transportation system leaves a lot to be desired. :(
6. Thrift stores, yard sales, and reuse shops (including book exchanges) are some of the most fun ways to shop - tho' I must admit with the cost of gasoline, I doing fewer and fewer yard sales these days. (Most of my furniture is at least second-hand, tho' I do often have it re-upholstered - I like antiques)
7. I check out books/videos/books on tape fro my library. I pre-screen (as much as possible) knitting books before I buy. I'm trying to get to the point of releasing my current books (not knitting books!) into the second-hand market...it's hard.
8. I only wash full loads of laundry on cold.
9. When I moved to this new house, I realized that even by filling the dishwasher to capacity (which takes a long time for one person who really doesn't cook much) I would still use less water if I half-filled two dishpans with water - one to wash, one to rinse - once or twice a week! The water is then saved and used to water plants and shrubs in front of the house.
10. I moved into town and reduced my commute by 15 minutes each way. I try to keep my car tuned up, air in tires, all the stuff you're supposed to do to get good mileage. While I have a small SUV, it's an "economy car" according to the insurance company and gets 27 mpg on the highway. But I have a dream of owning one of THESE, at least for around town...
Wonder if I can find one in Grape (oh, I know it should be GREEN, considering the title of this post - but I am not THERE in my color preferences...)?
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Is it? Love? Infatuation? or...
a serious emotional disorder?
No. No male could begin to get me thinking this way. No male has the "power" to make my heart go "pitty-pat" these days...not like this, anyway!
It's Ravelry!
I'm obsessed with finding all the neat things it offers, adding in my projects, linking to KALS I run (or co-run), photographing my stash, uploading my library, finding my friends and making new ones.
This is another example of the addiction that knitting and the internet communities concerned with this craft is for me. I am possessed by Ravelry. Amazed at the creators ability to envision what this could become...
I really really hope, tho' that this time the bloom won't come off THIS rose!
lololol
(make sure you sign up, okay? It took about 2 months for me to get in, don't let another day go by before you knock on the Ravelry door!)
No. No male could begin to get me thinking this way. No male has the "power" to make my heart go "pitty-pat" these days...not like this, anyway!
It's Ravelry!
I'm obsessed with finding all the neat things it offers, adding in my projects, linking to KALS I run (or co-run), photographing my stash, uploading my library, finding my friends and making new ones.
This is another example of the addiction that knitting and the internet communities concerned with this craft is for me. I am possessed by Ravelry. Amazed at the creators ability to envision what this could become...
I really really hope, tho' that this time the bloom won't come off THIS rose!
lololol
(make sure you sign up, okay? It took about 2 months for me to get in, don't let another day go by before you knock on the Ravelry door!)
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Put a Little Soy in Your Life?
Ok...this was last night's dinner. Looks good, huh?
Please don't ask for the recipe...I did a number on the seasonings - and it wasn't as good as it looks...which made me very very sad.
The vegies, tofu (omg, when did they start selling PRE-cubed tofu? Whee!), and brown rice were fine.
But it was extremely bland...(sigh)
Maybe I'll follow a recipe next time. LOL
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Just as a Follow-up
I think this is a great blog (all the way around!) for vegan recipes but I can't wait to try THIS very, very soon!
That Time of Year Again...
so because it's the growing season, and I somehow always pick a place to live that makes it hard to grow anything (it's completely out of the question where I am now!), and because my history - and my family's history - is that of vegetarianism, and because what I put in my mouth matters to me....
It's Fresh From the Farmer's Market time...Or Eat Local Time...(take your pick! Or better yet, do BOTH!)
For me, it really is about health. So I've been spending a lot of blog time recently seeking out vegetarian (and vegan, and macrobiotic) blogs...collecting recipes (I'm reminded of the early days of learning about blogs and knitting - I was consumed). This focus works in well with my general life view anyway...
I was at my local Co-op on Saturday and discovered a freshly prepared and packaged macrobiotic meal (they have a deli, and oh, my, it's beyond anything you've ever seen in the grocery store, let me tell you!). I was intrigued, as I've been eating more and more whole grains and vegies, less and less white flour/sugar and prepared items...Once I had tasted it, I was over the rainbow (tho' I must admit anything with lots of garlic easily wins me over...), three different items: a brown rice and lentil mixture, a narrow lazagna noodle with pickled coleslaw filling, and a spicy pasta and minced vegies mix - I couldn't believe how good it all was!
I'm probably not going the vegan route, or even going back to the lacto-ovo vegetarian I used to be. I'll always eat fish, as it's vital to my heart health. And I just can't see why nightshades like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are not considered healthful (as in macrobiotics) so don't look for them to leave my diet, either.
But I can surely get on board this Fresh From the Farmer's Market bandwagon.
And frankly, I think it's all about making the most healthful, and freshest choices you can make! I'll try to share links and recipes I create (b/c I do tend to be that kind of cook - give me a basic idea and I'll morph it...) so you can see what I'm up to.
This won't become a food blog - it's really all about my current thinking on a hodgepodge of lifestyle and craft ideas, anyway! And cooking is just another craft in my mind...
(((hugs)))
It's Fresh From the Farmer's Market time...Or Eat Local Time...(take your pick! Or better yet, do BOTH!)
For me, it really is about health. So I've been spending a lot of blog time recently seeking out vegetarian (and vegan, and macrobiotic) blogs...collecting recipes (I'm reminded of the early days of learning about blogs and knitting - I was consumed). This focus works in well with my general life view anyway...
I was at my local Co-op on Saturday and discovered a freshly prepared and packaged macrobiotic meal (they have a deli, and oh, my, it's beyond anything you've ever seen in the grocery store, let me tell you!). I was intrigued, as I've been eating more and more whole grains and vegies, less and less white flour/sugar and prepared items...Once I had tasted it, I was over the rainbow (tho' I must admit anything with lots of garlic easily wins me over...), three different items: a brown rice and lentil mixture, a narrow lazagna noodle with pickled coleslaw filling, and a spicy pasta and minced vegies mix - I couldn't believe how good it all was!
I'm probably not going the vegan route, or even going back to the lacto-ovo vegetarian I used to be. I'll always eat fish, as it's vital to my heart health. And I just can't see why nightshades like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are not considered healthful (as in macrobiotics) so don't look for them to leave my diet, either.
But I can surely get on board this Fresh From the Farmer's Market bandwagon.
And frankly, I think it's all about making the most healthful, and freshest choices you can make! I'll try to share links and recipes I create (b/c I do tend to be that kind of cook - give me a basic idea and I'll morph it...) so you can see what I'm up to.
This won't become a food blog - it's really all about my current thinking on a hodgepodge of lifestyle and craft ideas, anyway! And cooking is just another craft in my mind...
(((hugs)))
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