It is that time a year again!

Spring! Spring brings warm days and cool evenings.  And things start to grow like the weeds in your yard.  But did you know that the dandelion once was a wanted "weed" or should I say herb that people would trade for? They would be a prized item.

Dandelion is rich in many nutrients calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, selenium, and zinc. It is a good herb to use as a diuretic. Dandelion has been found to stimulate mucus membranes, sooth the digestive tract, stimulates digestion, absorb toxins from the bowel, and cleaning the kidneys and liver. Careful it also acts as mild laxative.

I have not seen studies to back this up most sites just stating that it is being tested and the results are indicating to have a possible effect ..... To help lower the bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Helps strengthen the heart and prevent strokes. Help with diabetes. Protection from cancer, including breast and prostate cancers. I don't know if all that is true but it can't hurt if you have these issues to deal with. AS always CHECK with your DOCTOR before using a herb if you have any these conditions or any health conditions. If you have hay fever you maybe not want to try dandelion leaves for the possible allergic reaction.

Eating the Dandelion Leaves: 

Young leaves of the Dandelion are the tastiest. Dandelion is only pleasantly bitter if you eat the early spring tender leaves. When the leaf get older the center rib gets tough and very bitter. You can try to blanch the leaves but I found them still to bitter. It is best to tear into pieces, rather than cut, to keep the flavor. Like lettuce
Mix into spring mix salads. Hey even the bagged lettuce mix has the dandelion leaf. I have a friend that is allergic to the leaf and we went out to a nice restaurant and they had dandelion leaves in the salad.
Dandelion can be steamed, added to stir-fries and many other dishes which call for greens or spinach. Can add to spinach dishes with the spinach.

Something else I found was that you could even make a delicious sandwich. I haven't done this but I thought I pass it along..... To make a dandelion leaf sandwich just lay the leaves between slices of bread and butter and sprinkled with salt. Add a little lemon-juice and pepper for flavor.

Dandelion leaves can be used in facial steam, as well as face packs. It is good for skins issues like acne, eczema, psoriasis.

Other parts are used also:

The root is also used as a coffee substitute. Sometime mixed with coffee to help give it a better taste. Of course it is roasted just like coffee beans.

The flowers are used to make dandelion Wine.  I never tried or tasted dandelion wine but my parents said it was good, but a pain ti make.


… A man can let his wife know he loves her by giving her a dozen large roses,
while his small grandson can do the same with a fistful of dandelion flowers!

Do we really need all this Stuff?

One of the best green ideas is too not have to buy the last widget that comes out because you want to keep up with the Jones. That fixing your stuff is better than tossing your stuff. This video explains so well.  I had to share.

Pizza box solar oven

Miss Animal Rights is helping make plans for the Earth Day Celebration we are part of on April 24th this year. She is planning to make a few pizza box solar ovens. We found the plans at Solar Now Inc.

I was one of the few people picked on Houseparty DIGIORNO Champions House Party Event. We shipped the party items in a take out pizza box! But then I will get some from work. I was asked to donate some cash to the Children Miracle Network for the "privilege". No problem there!


SO I think I might make a solar box oven like this so I can cook my lunch for we are going to be there all day... Plus it would be a interesting thing to share with.  I have always wanted to make a solar box oven but having to find a box that has a lid that isn't to small because another box needs to fit inside the box with the lid.  But I do have the Plexiglas  for the top!! I guess I will have to go with what I find first.......

Carbon Neutral Blogs!!

Reading the new blogs posted today I see that 3 Little Ones post My Blog is Carbon Neutral is Yours? Oh I had to check this out!!!

Mach Green is a German movement to help cut the CO2 emissions. Raising awareness of ecological aspects of the production of flyers and found that it was more eco-friendly to advertise online. Blogs are become the new way that companies are using the advertising power of the online community. That why the mom blogs are the biggest target.

So go to Machs Grun and find out how make your blog carbon neutral!!!

Just a few easy steps to make it green:

1. Write a blog post about the initiative + insert your favorite button
2. E-mail the link to your post to CO2-neutral@kaufda.de
3. We plant a tree for your blog in Plumas’!

Machs Grun

Let make our blogs carbon neutral!!

A better Cup

So Starbucks is sponsoring a contest the Betacup Challenge to make a better cup to keep their promise of serving 100 percent of its drinks in reusable or recyclable cups by 2015.
Well we did get them to stop using hormones, rBGH” and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) milk in there stores.

If you have a idea on how to help Starbucks do this, please feel free to visit this site.

But looking around this site I found it sad that they posted a page on why people do not use  reusable cups.

What about why they should????
Saving energy in the making the paper cups, the trash they produce and the waste of one time use....

Reading the comments on this page of  wanting  a cup that fits the  car cup holder spot and a lid..
Well sweetie there is a web site with a cup called I am not a paper cup you can order at Amazon! It is a porcelain cup with a lid. However I found one at Bed, Bath and Beyond for cheaper (plus you don't have to pay for shipping and handling.) 
For me it wasn't  any gas wasted, it is located right next to work.  Picked it up one day before work and used it....... I do use it at work for coffee.......  Going to get Miss Animal Rights the pink one, I think she would  love it if it had  a pink ribbon.  For the new followers she loves anything with the pink ribbon on it, partly because both both her grandmothers had breast cancer...... that and that is her favorite color.  guess you could say that it is double duty.  Doing something for the cure and something she likes.....   

   Many places will give you a discount to get a coffee or drink with a reusable cup.  Brueggers Bagel Shop charges a refill charge for a travel mug. Even Starbucks; gives you a discount on reusable cups.......

Being green and saving money!

Ideas in Action

I saw this cute bag (well kinda cute bag) at Wally world the other day and thought I could make one like that. Then I remembered I had a string bag with a rip. I thought I saved it for the handles to make another grocery bag but I couldn't find it.  So I found this under my car seat. It shrank in the washer.  The pink ripped one got that way from the washer.  SO I thought why not fix this one too.   I can't stand the small handles and they don't fit over my arm when I have my winter coat on so that's why it found its way to under my car seat.  I didn't like to use it.


  
The bag I saw had a string bag outside and a lining inside. I almost used that material that is under the bag. Then I slept on it. I got the idea this morning to use a old t-shirt. The t-shirt will stretch just like the string bag does. So I went looking for a t-shirt. Nope, none in the goodwill box. But I found a ripped sweater. Yes that will work too.

I cut the top of the sweater right below the arm holes.  I sewed that  shut and used a french seam to make it stronger.  I pined the bottom (now the top of the bag lining) to the opening of the string bag.  I sewed around the bag. Giving the handles a X reinforcement  so they will be stronger and not rip with too much weight.

It doesn't look very big does it?   Doesn't look like much but I like it... I had to sew  on long handles and like the long handled string bags. 

Here it is in use with ketch-up, 2 boxes, 2 litter of pop. jar of peanuts and a can of chips with more room!! .

It's getting hot in here......

Warning A rant... I work at a grocery store and the weather is very nice the last couple of days. In the 70s so nice but people seems to forget that the temp realy can climb in a parked car in a parking lot. There is no shade in this grocery store parking lot.  But still people bring their dogs along for ride...  And leave them while they shop. Oh they are only running in for a minute or two the dog will be fine.

Wait a minute really? ON the day before Easter people think that they can run in to the store and be out in a minute or two?????? OMG!!!  My store was so busy that the lines where long starting at 8 AM... Ok that when I went in........ and it was hard to walk threw the store.  It was like Christmas Eve.... No way you are getting out in a couple of minutes............. Gesh!!   every time I went outside for breaks or lunch I heard a dog barking...

Studies have shown that even at 70 degrees F  the insides of a car can get at hot as 112 degrees F....
Let alone the summer time brings news stories of animals dying while humans go shopping, swimming or what ever. Plus the stories of babies and children dying in parked cars while the adults go drinking (the most I have heard was that reason or they where drunk and forgot where they parked), shopping or what ever.......  AND YES they get charged with the deaths. Sorry the only thing you can say to keep you from being charged is I never watched a TV and didn't know that could happen because I have can't feel heat.....   I don't get it.  I don't usually watch the news but have seen and heard stories about this.
.

Plus what about the stress of having to bark the entire  time the "human" is gone. You are getting drink or stopping by the drive threw but what about your fur baby with a coat on in your HOT CAR??   . Sorry this is so irritating to me that it still happens year after year, poor little animals and children dying because someone forgets this can happen!!!!!!!!!

 But then I went a did search for cool pictures of dogs and found My Dog is Cool where you can download flyers and posters to raise awareness about the dangers of hot cars and dogs. Guess I will leave some fliers on cars (but not at work I could get into trouble because we do have a camera system..)

Think they will get the picture then??? I wonder......