Busy in the Kitchen

Oh I have been cooking some fudge and candies for gifts.  I made  some wonderful glazed nuts to scatter in my packages. of cookies and candies
....
Plus some sugar scrubs.... for the ladies on my list..... Some have part brown sugar and part white sugar with oatmeal cinnamon and  pumpkin spice for a wonderful  oatmeal cookie scrub.
The recipe is kinda easy...

1 cup Brown or white sugar or a combination of each
1/2 cup of ground fine oatmeal
1/2 cup of oil (sunflower, safflower, peanut, almond or grapeseed)


the sugars equal 2 parts while the oil equals 1part and then add a sprinkle of the spices. 
The oil  that you use in everyday cooking isn't the best to make a scrub with but can work in a pinch (if you need to use right away...) but they don't keep and are not the greatest for leaving your skin soft.  Watch out for nut allergies if you or anyone one in your family (or the person you are gifting this to ...) have allergies to nuts use the safflower or grapeseed oils. 
Safflower oil is great for anyone with very dry skin.a heavier oil
Grapeseed for those of us that have very sensitive skin.  very light oil that quickly absorbs.
Plus add a little grapeseed oil to help keep the scrub longer or Vitamin E oil.  I know vitamin E oil or jojoba can be very expensive so when I saw vitamin E oil for cheap I had to get a couple bottles!! So my beautiful ladies with get a  few drops of this wonderful oil added. 

The Reason For the Season

Wow have you seen Yahoo! Ripples Of Kindness ?  It's a site where people can post their acts of kindness, causing a ripple effect.... one act of kindness can cause someone else to do something nice for someone then it just ripples out from there, kinda like that insurance commercial.

Kinda reminding people that the true reason for the season isn't the money we spend.... which most of the time is too much, or if we have little of it, we worry about how we are going to have a holiday.  With unemployment at 9.5 % (or is that just my area??) You have to wonder how many people are finding themselves in the holiday spirit.   

We have always had the random acts of kindness attitude in this house. Yea most of us work with the public...  we know how people can get! But then people can be having a bad day for whatever reason. You  never know what they are going threw.  Like the fact I said earlier, they could be losing their home, a loved one or job! So yea they can be kinda cranky.... Oh ok the restaurant manger in me is out today... So how about trying not to take it personally and do something nice for someone.  It can be a easy as opening that door or holding that door.  Saying I'm sorry if you are in someones way...... You know how that feels when you are in a rush and someone is taking up half the lane with a cart and looking at something... LOL so if the person says "OMG I'm sorry!"  and moves the cart, we say "oh that's ok" ....... Right? Cause that is all we want is some respect and kindness.... So why not ask "Need some help?" if they are looking at the top shelf or if it is something heavy.... You know that the favorite thing for our cart guys is? They love to help our customers load their cars!  Not too many places do that anymore.... and they are told thank-you! Yep 95% of the time they hear a heart felt thank-you so it is their favorite part of their job! So remember that if you are a object of a random act of kindness. LOL cause your thank-you it self is a act of kindness.... funny thing I think we forgot that in this season of rushing here and there trying to find the perfect gift............ You can hear some nasty stuff when it get really busy and people have to wait... So try to cut that cashier some slack, she/he  has been cussed at and yelled at for things they can't control.... A smile is free.....


Have a beautiful day my beautiful readers!! 

Lake Effect Snow

the patio table

If you live by the Great Lakes you know lake effect snow.  It's been snowing for about 3 days now.... Saturday Night I had a drive home.  It normally takes me around 15 minutes at night to get home.  Saturday night  it was about 45 minutes.  I was going around 40 MPH on the expressway.  I really am glad many people in this area have 4 wheel drive but really if it so GREAT why does one feel the need to ride the "slower person back end?" Go around people... Yea you have those types and then you have the very slow types that for all we know might have bad tires, fussy kid or new driver... whatever reason they are going slow they don't need the ride their back-ends and honk at them drivers!! I felt sorry for one driver she looked so young and freaked out.... I slowed down and let her "follow me" because the highway was a blanket of white... geesh there where a few times I wondered was I still in the middle lane??? Oh well it was just us and we had a person at a nice distance behind her!! So today I had off I stayed in the house, well, I had to retrieve  my trash container and that all..

trees in my backyard

The mailman brought me some of my Cyber Monday deals today... I got some reusable grocery bags from the Breast Cancer Awareness Site Store!! I am using them for wrapping!!

  I started my candy cooking for gifts- forgetting that the humidity can effect that... I have some too soft hard candy... humm maybe I can have a taffy pull later???  But the brittle turned out great.... Ok so I cheated I used a microwave recipe....

I know that many people in upstate New York have over a foot of snow and many people in the South are  experiencing wind chill factors of 8 degrees when they are used to 50 to 60 degree weather right now.  The nay sayers the people that like to tease me that Global warming is hoax love to say hwat do I say to that? That Georgia is having a wind chill factors... I say that Global warming is the wrong term that it should be Global weather mess, cause that what is happening.... They tell me that weather goes in cycles... I say OK then why are we breaking weather records for both warm and cold and most are record breaking from the 70's nothing before that??? If it is in cycles should the cycle be bigger than 30 years??
Ahhh they still don't get it, but I know that the biggest factor for me is the pollution

Starting a new Tradition

Well it's going to be a Thanksgiving one that isn't at my house!!! OMG  it been a lllllllllloooooooooonnnnngggggg time that I haven't had to do most of the cooking!!  This year it will be done by Gpa and the college right here in town nephew.  My brother and his wife are coming up. Miss Animal Rights  and Tech are coming too...

I have purchased  some plastic containers for the left over food.... ( I know I was going to cut down but thought that the plastic will be easily to pack to travel.)  My nephew, I,  Miss Animal Rights and Tech have a half a hour drive.  My brother on the other hand has a 3 hour drive home..... So plastic Non BPA plastic won... They  will hopefully be reused Well I know that we will reuse them......  Kinda like a early present to help them take home some extras!!

Now the bad part I work tomorrow and will be picking up some things after work.... yea I get to stand in line.....
My list:
Pumpkin pie
Hawaiian rolls
Apple cider
that set thing for the kid's new place....

So I want to tell you all  
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! 

Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide

You know you see the ads with claims of health from just one item....... well I saw a ad for hydrogen peroxide and had to research this myself. What wonderful things can hydrogen peroxide do that I don't know about.

I know you use to to remove blood from clothes... having a child that gets a bloody nose very easily I have a BIG bottle in the laundry area!! I was told that it breaks down the cells of blood, as to remove the blood...

To use it to spray on your bamboo cutting boards (ok any cutting boards)... to disinfect.
For sore throats use as a gargle.

But to cure things like cancers, common colds, arthritis and more.... Plus fertilize your garden and kill weeds... Sorry I don't buy it!!  and didn't find any where to back this claim... so sorry the closest thing is that colds can be contained by cleaning with hydrogen peroxide but not cured by putting some in your ear before the flu and cold season.  That you do to help remove water from your ear.  And if it works for you great but it is not been proven..

I learn that many of the oxygen  type laundry boosters are made with hydrogen peroxide! So you can use it in your laundry to help whiten but it can also help bleach your clothes....

Where if you do have some sore in your mouth like a canker sore it can be used to help heal that but not used as a preventive measure because it can wear down the teeth enamel. But haven't found anything about yea or nay with brushing with baking soda and peroxide...... Soaking toothbrush in peroxide may work but you don't have to soak for too long.  If it kills e-coli from surfaces why not some funky nasty bug from your brush???

But the most important thing I learn is that the reason that the peroxide is in a brown bottle is that light will destroy it's effectiveness.  SO yes cleaning your fruit and veggies, counter tops, cutting boards,  bath room surfaces and water damage mold is proven effective only when you have fresh hydrogen peroxide water mix:  using a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and filtered water. So keep that little spray bottle by your kitchen sink.  When you wash your fruits and vegetables, you can give a spray of the peroxide  before washing. Spray the cutting board after. Spray then wipe down the counter.  BUT don't plan on keeping any that you didn't use... it does help with water mold... pour that stuff down the drain....

You can clean your house just remember that it is also a bleach to watch colored fabrics....

Then after you clean the bathroom with your peroxide you can highlight your hair by spray your 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water solution threw your hair........

 

AH frightening!!

I have had this poke plant that wants to keep growing by my front window.  Now I have people telling me OMG you don't want a poke plant to grow in your yard gasp the berries are poisonous. Yes this  I know and I tell the kids not to eat the berries it will make them poop with a bad hurting belly ache and then they can't play outside.  Guess what they listen or if they don't I take them inside......... 

SO I thought I try to fix this crazy plant from keep coming back I dug around this root thinking I could easily pull the root out..... so yea that is the root, plus a couple of the roots from stocks growing near it...

I accidentally busted the huge on off while digging all around it...

I googled and found out that roundup will kill it... yea I don't do roundup.... poison in the soil to kill everything...

Then I found a site where it was a forum and someone posted why kill it? It is beautiful. It has purple stems!  It  doesn't  grow to large.
It has beautiful berries that feed many wild animals including birds, that is how you got the plant in the first place....

I have been trying to get my grape vine that has been killing my shrubs in the back yard to line the fence  in the front yard but nope it wants to keep choking my shrubs...
I guess I wouldn't worry about the poke plant.  I have heard that yea I will be see it come back next year (seeing how I still have a real huge root system!!).  You know it does shade that front window the wondow I put my air conditioner in....SO My little feather friends can have a snack on me.....

Too much Candy!!

So trick or treat  week-end is coming up! Oh the candy....The candy.... Oh we used to have candy until Christmas. I would throw it away and replace it with the Christmas candy. Then we throw that away and replace it with Easter Candy.... Well if I only had  something like  Halloween Candy Buyback!


So if you got way to much candy; why not let a dentist buy it back??

. Check out the Halloween Candy Buyback site. Where you can search for a dentist in your area that will give you around  a dollar a pound for your candy.  Wait they do something good with it. They send the candy to Operation Gratitude , who sends it to our soldiers. Win win. You get rid of candy you have too much of, the kids get some pocket money and our soldiers get some candy and a lift in spirits!

Yea the older kids might not like the fact it is only a dollar a pound but hey that one more dollar they didn't have before.. Plus a great way to get rid of the candy that you don't like of course after you bargained with your friends... ( and the candy mom and or dad needed to inspect closer...)

There is a switch

On our ceiling fans there are switches that switch the directions of the blades.  I believe it is clockwise for summer and counter clockwise for winter. But of course we switched the blades to do the other direction the other night when it got down into the 40's.... sigh today it was in the 70's..... Guess it is lucky that we just have to switch this switch on the fan to change the blade direction, not turn the blades or anything major like that...

Ways to help keep your home warm in the cold weather and cool in the warm weather...........

PS....
Miss Animals right learned the hard way to clean your blades first... cough cough, dust bunnies aren't something she likes to save...... That and it doesn't help with her mom standing there laughing and saying dust bunnies be free... Be free........

Pink for what?

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month seems like many items are turning pick.  We have chips, cake mixes, make-up, cleaners, toilet paper, sponges, paper towels,  and more with the famous pink ribbon on it.  Of course we have more personal thing with the pink ribbon too,  we have t-shirt, sweatshirts, aprons, blankets, coffee cups, thermos bottles, water bottles and stickers.

I have no problem with the pink ribbon per say... just that some of the things that sport that beautiful pink ribbon are full of Chemicals that are know to help cause breast cancer. They are called endocrine disruptors because they mimic estrogen in the body. Plus the chemicals that  disrupt hormones... So we have heard the reports of the birth control pill and breast cancer, however they do only raise your chances a small percent.


Studies also have shown that Obesity can play a big part in breast cancer also. Fat cells increased estrogen secretion.

So when I see pink ribbon chips, cookies, cakes, mints, candy and muffin mix....... I have to shake my head.

I get it why this works......... we love to get something for nothing.  We buy some chips that have the pink ribbon, some of our money goes to help fight breast cancer... we get something we want and we get to help fight a horrible disease. It a win win deal!!

We get to fight like a girl.... save the tatas ..... save second base ....... Pray for a cure...

So I leave the food, as I am trying to make more from scratch. Ok once in a while I get a pink ribbon candy item or corn chips....
And I buy the pink ribbon reusable things for Miss Animal Rights who want to do her kitchen in all pink ribbon stuff .......  Yes she has those pink ribbon sponges!!

Ah it's fall......

My crazy cat loves to be out in our Florida room.  In the summer many times we leave the back door open so the animals can go out to the Florida room.  Well Miss ambassador kitty loves that back room.... she will go out there sleep on the window sill.  I had a piece of wood across the  corner where she loves to sleep.  Well the sad part is that now when we let the dog out, she will run out there to jump up in the window. It's all good when it's nice outside but when it is chilly we close that back door, leaving Miss ambassador kitty out there.  She most times sleeps and it seems like at 3 AM in the morning when it is all cold she is heard meowing  her little heart out for someone to open the door.. Plus I am not in the I want kitty love at this time of night....  And she want to love me up for rescuing her from the cold back room.  Now we do look back there to make sure she isn't back there but the girl scoots back there when we open the door.  Some times she hides!! LOL We have to look under the wicker seats out there..... But sometimes she hides too well.....

My bedroom is right next to the Florida room... I hear her before anyone else.........

Oh well it is fall....... warm days and cool nights. My kitty meowing her head off at 3AM..............
And me trying to not get clawed up from 2 cats fighting over my attention after crawling back to bed......

Standing on a Street Corner

So yesterday I had the day off and was driving to the store.  And yes I live in a city not a huge city but big.  I saw the craziest thing standing on the street corner!  I saw 2 football players and 3 cheerleaders. Wait they were not walking home from practice or waiting for the bus. That what I thought when I first pulled up to the light.... Because they walked up to the cars in front of me with their helmets out and the girls where cheering.......  They were begging for money..... I thought WTF.... there is store right there they can stand outside there...Which is a very big thing in this area, groups outside the doors of a store. .. But  they were on the other side of the street also....Right in front of Dairy Queen...... I thought how scary and dangerous this could be.... The other side did have an adult but mine side didn't... I guess I am the worrying parent...

OK I have real problem with the schools having to SELL candy and magazines and that cheap expensive crap that they have those little catalogs to help the school. I mean really our kids having to sell stuff just for the school.  I think that the schools shouldn't have to do this. Dang they are in charge of our children! Their futures and OMG standing on a street corner or door to door should not be something they should do!!!!!!!!!! Arg....

I understand that the ways some schools are cutting back are in the "extras" like sports and other elective programs.  I know that it isn't easy making ends met and it getting harder and harder but pan handing on a busy street??? It was at the area we call 5 corners, where 5 streets come together......

Maybe I am thinking to much or worry to much but this whole thing bothers me......
Would you let your kid stand on a busy street corner to ask for money for his/her sport?

The Other side of the story...

With the green sites warning us of the cosmetic ingredients.  I founds was researching a ingredient when I found this site. Personal Care Truth or Scare. Where I found the article The 12 Most Maligned Cosmetics I like this site because they give you links to sites to back up their claims. Were you can make up your own mind!

I found that the one site that is a database of all cosmetics would disregard  a cosmetic that
listed something that was concerned a harmful ingredient but used a natural substitute.  If studies show ingredient xxxxxx cause a health concern and a product uses  this ingredient   xxxxxx derived from coconut oil ;  the ingredient  was deemed  harmful. I can understand that maybe this is a computer program that does a search of the words. But it seems that they miss the mark to many times and I have yet to see studies to prove the claims.

  So I have been using the site called  Goodguilde.  I find a product and if the ingredient that has a red dot beside it says when I roll over this ingredient, the  warnings are  This ingredient has been restricted for use in cosmetics in fill in country name.. or This ingredient has been banned for use in cosmetics in  fill in country name.  Ok so I use this manly because yea it still bothers me that in Europe and other countries  the companies must prove that the ingredients are safe so they have 1400 ingredients that are banned.. Here in the states 140 ingredients are banned  and they need to prove that the ingredients cause cancer.  Gee business is number one in this country.

Plus it is easy to not search the companies that you never have seen their product and only search the companies you know..... makes it easier for you to modify

Sure if you say so...

It seems like the popular thing around here is to carry a tote bag as a purse.  Not the over size things but open top bags.... Many of my co-workers are carrying them and now my young ladies....  I am getting on the bandwagon and making me one from "fake leather"  material, cause I like tons of pockets and long handles. My purse is falling apart and I need a new one.  I can't find one I like. You know it is always the time you can't find one you like. You always see ones you really like when you have no  money!!  Ok so I did see one online I liked but..... really don't have the extra $250 for a purse. Paid 6 dollars for the material. 

I made Miss Animal Rights a grocery bag from a bright red t-shirt of hers... She has been carrying a  tote bag with the Twilight logo on it... But it is black and now her uniform is all black.  She is getting a little tried of all black.  She saw this and decided to make this her purse!  So in all black with a bright red bag many people have commented on her cool purse.

This is kinda how I made her purse.



Now with all the comments she has a idea. She said I could buy a bunch of  Cleveland Browns tees. I get to make a bunch of these bags and she gets to drive all the way to Cleveland and tailgate party before the Browns games and sell these tote bags.We will split it 50/50. Of course I said huh? I get to do all the work and pay for the materials and you get to drive and sell??? She was like she pays for gas and I pay for shirts. I really don't think that is 50/50 work and expense...  She looked at me and said MOM we'll go to the goodwill stores and places like that.... We pay what a couple dollars for the shirt make a tote bag and charge $25....

Of course I want to change the tote bag a little to make it look more like a tote bag. She is not going for it wants to stay just like her bag..... Well we haven't found any Brown shirts yet.... Really have NOT been to the goodwill stores yet either... giggles.... oh well looks like we have some ideas for holiday gifts for some friends

What's cooking?

Get rid of your Teflon pans when they start to flake!  The pans themselves warn of  high heat with pet birds in the room... that you can kill a pet bird with the overheating of a teflon pan. Of course they down play that the teflon can  make humans sick. But the fact is some of us humans can get sick from overheating the teflon pans themselves and the reaction is flu like systems. You could be having a reaction to the chemicals but think you are just coming down with the flu....Or that the flaking of the coating can and most times is ingested by anyone who eats the food cooked in the pan.  Even DuPont officials found (back in 1986) that the telfon will stay in our bloodstream for up to 2 years. Tests found telfon in all subjects.

What cook ware is concerned green? The basic stainless steel, cooper, Ceramic,  cast iron and  hard anodized pans .  

Stainless steel we know doesn't have the non-stick bonus we want... but is great for things like heating up vegetables and soups.  As long as you don't let them go dry and burn.  Same with the copper pans. Most of the time the copper pans are lined with stainless steel. My mom got us a cooper pan cooking set for my wedding present and I have a most of the pieces left........ Over twenty years old!  Sauce pan, dutch oven and a saute pan with the matching lids.


Cast iron is the pans that are heavy start out as a shinny gray pan and turns into a dull  jet black pan.  The one benefit from this pan is the pan does effect your food, you get some iron from the pan.  I use a cast iron pan quite a bit for the vegetarian meals so Miss Animal Rights can get her iron....Ok so we all can get some iron.... You need to season them after purchasing. Which is adding a thin  layer of oil and cooking at a low temp for hours.  The down fall and Miss Animals Rights hate for the pan, is you need to use oil and watch closely. You see  things can stick to the pan.  The secret is let it brown and cook thoroughly before turning over.... Great for the recipes that we brown the food first then finish cooking in the oven. Because the pan can take the heat! 


Hard anodized is a process that uses electro-chemical interaction to harden the pan. It basically oxidizes the surface of the aluminum, forming aluminum oxide. It's not a coating. It is part of the pan. This keeps the pan from flaking or peeling plus making it non stick for ease in cooking and clean up. This reaction process is  used on the satellites and race cars.

There area couple points that might make you not want to purchase hard anodized pans. First is cost. They do cost more than traditional pans   Bad news for those on a diet;  they don't  well with the non stick  sprays, you need to use oil or butter instead, most times you only need a little . Plus they are not dishwasher friendly.  I know really it is so strange that something so green can't be used in something green like a dishwasher... but I don't have a dishwasher so I got that covered... But there is talk about dishwasher safe hard anodized pans, they might have some on line somewhere but I know I haven't seen them in the stores...  I got some hard anodized pans and really thin they are worth the money.  I am not eating the flakes of Teflon and my food isn't sticking.  


My Dad use to tell me all the time you get what you pay for. I think I got what I paid for ...

 

World Peace Day.....

Today is the International Day of Peace (September 21).
The perfect video for today:






Yea I am so hippy..........

Art is Selective.......

The Bones of Francois Robert:
Art with human bones. It is his collection he calls “Stop the Violence”




How cool is that... I do have to say that reading this on Oddity Central. that he found the bones in a truck really is kinda weird, I mean finding bones in a truck you got at a yard sale and you don't report it? Or that you still have them years later.... ok I can see that being child of a pack rat and ex-wife of one.... 

So he uses this stark white bones places them on black paper. Then he takes a picture of them........ Very striking! 

Yea I have been seeing the blog post with the
30 Day Challenge: An art piece and saw this and had to share.........

SO now you know I have a very very dark unusual side. I find  way out there things like human bones as art very cool.

Right! Corn Sugar sounds so much better.....

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has petitioned the FDA to change the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup to Corn Sugar.  They want to clear up any misbelieves that the product isn't natural.  For it is made with corn hence the name corn sugar.  But the forget to tell you that it is chemically altered and zapped into the product. It isn't even 100% fructose it can be a high as 58% glucose..

  HRCS  (High Fructose Corn Syrup) sales are at a 20 year all time low....  Now the new ad campaign is to change the name and even more commercials on TV a brand new website  Sweet Surprise dot com.... Where they have some experts telling us that the sugar is natural and the body doesn't know the difference - even after studies show that it is. With links to diabetes in study from Rutgers University as well as obesity as a  Princeton Study shows.   Mercury in the product also according to the Ethicurean  The heavy metal blamed for autism and many brain disorders See they use caustic soda is to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. See the caustic soda is made in industrial chlorine plants that where the mercury becomes part of the HFCS. FDA and USDA knew about this and did NOTHING! But here is a site that has a list of the worst and the top of the list Oatmeal to go......

Yes, HFCS  is ok in moderation..  but truly look at your labels and you will see that many items have HFCS in them.  The diabetes study shows that just adding the compound found in tea can off set the effect  in diabetics.....  Many people also say the obesity study could be wrong due to the fact the subjects could be also eating high processed foods, with additives. preservatives and colorings. Yea that can't help the cause either, so that is more reason to cut down on all of them!!

Sales of items that have labels of Contains No High Fructose Corn Syrup are popping up all over the place. Log cabin syrups, ketchup's, both Heinz and Hunts, many things even the throw back  sodas! So I think that the public is catching on.....  I also hope if the FDA agrees with the name change that most consumers will  catch on to that too... Guess No corn sugar isn't as strong sounding as  No  High Fructose Corn Syrup! 

What do you think? A name change fair?  Have you cut back eating htings with HFCS?

A Blast from the Past

 No this is not a review or a giveaway just little oh me found this out and had to share....

I saw  Mrs. Steward's Bluing liquid ad and thought wow I used to see that in my grandmother laundry room but never knew what it was for. Plus I used it to make salt crystals for my Girls Scout troop.. So I had to check out their site.
Seeing  how it was around in my grandmothers day I thought it had to be eco-friendly! Sure enough in was made in the early 1880's.  If you think about it; that when they used to do laundry by hand.  Wash water was used in the garden, and still is in many Amish homes. My grandfather told me that is helps keep the bugs away. Then again he told me that baths did that too... LOL

The bottle to the left was made in the 1920's when the bottle where hand blown. The stamped the bottles necks with the words "This contains Mrs. Stewart's Bluing". That bottle is no doubt worth some money, no it's not mine.  Found this with a google image search with the filter reuse! 

Blue white is the brightest white. So basally this liquid helps the blue in your whites shine or brings them out more. With the effects of bleach, no orange spots on your black clothes from spills or residue from the last load!! All without harmful chemicals. 

A quote from Mrs. Stewards Bluing site:

Basically, bluing is made of a very fine blue iron powder suspended in water ( a "colloidal suspension"). We add a nontoxic amount of a pH balancer and a biocide to prevent the buildup of algae and bacteria. (This may be why Mrs. Stewart's Bluing is loved by farmers who tell us they use it in the water troughs of their farm animals and by owners of lily and fish ponds.)

With the girls and their love for the nasty smelling bleach  that makes me inch if it get on me. It makes me sneeze if I smell it.... I have to try this stuff out again...... Introduce it to the girls ladies,,, for bleach isn't really get some of their clothes white...

Economical too for you don't need to much to add to the wash.  With just 1/4 teaspoon or a couple drops while your water is filling up the machine....... So really is saving you money!  Maybe pennies a load.  

PLUS my granny could have using it on her hair to keep it shinny... It only takes a couple drops of bluing.  well... I not that gray yet...but you never know... I just might try that... when I am completely gray...

Dog owners use it for the white haired dogs also. It is said that is helps their coat look whiter and shiny.  Hummm Our canine is brown..... not going to try that here, but if you have a white hair dog.... go for it

For the teachers out there they have a PDF file Teacher Brochure that has many craft and science projects for you to expore with your class 

Speaking of Fall

Just looking around the web today and found this wonderful tutorial ok a couple of tutorials. Making boots out of sweaters. Number one is embroidery designed sweater boots.
I really don't like the whole embroidery thing. Then I find this blog... Happy Together . She even made some boots for her daughter. With ideas on how to make a pattern to help you sew up a great pair of boots...

Off to try this out...

Discovery and Oil Rigs...

Sorry but my hours have picked up can you tell??? So to draw me out of hiding the news goes crazy... I see. First we have the Gulf Oil Rig explode then we have some guy making news by taking  people hostage  to make them show more green shows.... Sigh..... Violence isn't the answer. Not to mention the whole 9/11 mosque and the attack of the cabby.

Wow another explosion in the Gulf. The platform, known as Vermilion Oil Platform 380A  exploded and luckily the 13 people there was picked up from the water with only one person hurt. They didn't release how bad this person was or any names. But it is burning.... one more thing for the people of Louisiana.  With most of the news show showing Louisiana after Katrina.... Oh yea really what does the American people think that the president could do that would make the gulf oil spill better??? Gessh I think I need to stay off line for awhile... I keep reading how he should have done more... he went to Louisiana faster then the last president-and told BP humm no you need to pay for this your own damn self......... Cutting corners cost you BIG time didn't BP. We need to get BP to do more not the president...

So some guy: who thinks that the Discovery channel  should take off shows like Kate plus 8 and put on a show about gorilla that talks to a 12 year old girl (kinda cool..),  James J. Lee took three office workers hostage having bombs that he treated to drop. The station did know about his guy. He has a website entitled My Demands. A very interesting read but more like a look into madness.  He tells the station that the Kate plus 8 and 19 and counting shows are  encouraging the birth of more  parasitic human infants. AND the station needs to add more show that would encourage human sterilization and infertility. Right!  So just tell people to deny the most basic human desire and biological urge to help the environment.That their show "Planet Green" was more about making money not real solutions.. humm welcome to the US. Someone had to help pay for the show and well it does get kinda irritating that it does seems like one big commercial that many shows turn into. Well  rest in peace James J. Lee. I hope you found your peace.

The whole mosque wanting to be build blocks from ground zero had me saying please, there is one closer than that already built.  Are we going to make them tear it down? But that we need to get along with all religions  cause that is what this country was built on right? Can we say First Amendment? Then I see that  developer Sharif el-Gamal is the past has been in trouble with the law. Things like being with a hooker doesn't bother me but rouging up someone you rent too does. Violence isn't the answer. But then some drunk stabs a cab driver after asking if he was Muslim.
Violence isn't the answer!!!! AND I can't find now... I really wanted to find the site where I read this and really wanted to post the site... But some Muslim  leader basically said that American need to just get over it... I thought WTF? Get over it? AND that the mosque at ground zero has done so much for the al-Qaeda and that many Muslim are running to join. Because of the racial hatred in this country. I thought WTH was this their plan... but Violence isn't the answer. Yea I really am a hippy... But just like most Christians, Jews, Islamic, Mormons, Pagans, or Muslims  we have some good guys and some bad guys....They all  aren't the  al-Qaeda, . They just want to worship peacefully and like I said there is a mosque closer they just want to make a Islamic center.....


Can't we all just get along? Rodney King

Join the Green Blog Hop

Check out some Green blogs with this linky blog hop. It was started by Eco-Friendly and Frugal

But the rules are ... hey they are easy...

1. Add your name... simple! It's ok if it past Friday. It open for the whole week

2. Visit as many blogs as you can/want/ have time for....

3. Post a blog about it, ok you don't have to do that but then we are bloggers right? I had to blog about something I have written a blog in a while...

Bad Egg

Eggs recalled? It is up to nearly 400 million eggs! Wow..

But the company has had long record of violations

Having 20 Years of reprimands, penalties and complaints about its performance in several states.
Including animal cruelty, with undercover videos of workers abusing the chickens.  Violations of human rights and using illegal undocumented foreign workers. Sexuality assaulting the females... Have them live in unhealthy conditions.  .. Doing things that endanger their life like going into a collapsed buildings.   Handling dead chickens and manure with their bare hands and this is the first time that there has been a huge recall?? Makes me wonder... how did they get so lucky this long... with the unhealthy living conditions and disregard for humans rights that something like this didn't happen before now. 


BUT the dollar screams loudly in this country. They can afford to pay over 3.6 million in 1986, 1.5 million in 2001, $345,810 in violations, along with 3.2 million settling a lawsuit..in 2002, and $2.1 million as part of a plea agreement in 2008.  They can continue  to do what they want to who they want....

But also on egg offense the company does fix the wrongs fast according to some of the  state regulators. 

My carpet is gone....

Well years of stains from spills from crazy teens (after they were pre-teens)  and animal accidents having been driving me crazy about my carpet in the living room..... Part of my birthday present Miss Animal Rights and Tech was to rip up the carpet. See they did Miss Animal rights bedroom... and found realy nice hardwood floor... BUT I told them that seeing how I saw the floor when we drilled the hole for the cable for the TV.

      Carpet is most of the time made of nylon, acrylic, polypropylene, or polyester, and is frequently backed with synthetic SB latex, polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The backing or padding is made with SB latex containing  the toxin styrene—considered to to be a  carcinogen. Plus the VOC-containing adhesives that they help tack the carpet down to the floor with.... it's not the healthiest thing to replace.  Plus the carpet holds the dust, dirt and pet dander.  (plus more then just their hair.... You know they keep using the accidents spots cause they can smell it..)... The cleaners that are toxic we use to try to remove the stains  can be overpowering. They leave a residue and some can effect your pets and children.   Plus the stains come right back. All that and they don't disappear?


Oh yea I got one of those $1,000 machines that where suppose to clean the carpet  better than any other machine... They shampooed  my carpet and said if I just keep using their machine the stains will be cleaned.  Because they said regular machine just grind the dirt in. WELL it didn't work and I am glad I didn't pay the extra for the carpet shampooing  tray.... Most carpet holds the dirt and grime cause it is in the padding.

So the green person in me had to find out where I can recycle this.  I found a site that can help you find a center... Carpet America Recovery Effort  is a site to check. The first place to start if you are buying new carpet is the dealer they may recycle your old carpet.

I now have large rugs I use to cover my floors.  You can just throw the rugs in the washing machine and better cleaning.... Sometimes you don't need to wash you can just hang on the line outside and beat the dirt out... I loved doing that when I was younger....

It feels cooler in here but it could just be me cause I don't look down at the stains and the cream colored carpet that has so many discolored spots that make me crazy...... LOL

Now it just the rugs that get balled up from the crazy animals running threw the house........... the four legged too.....

A Clean Giveaway!!

Giveaway closed.......... 

Congratulations to Michele P!

So one night I was just losing time and surfing the web. I found myself at this Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop site.. it was getting late....

I thought wow how great is that mop.... it's a wet mop that you can refill PLUS you can use your own homemade cleaners. You have a removable cleaning pad that made of microfiber and you could wash it.... Saving you more money...  I wanted one! Plus it is Rubbermaid it is well built.

I have one of those other mops that you need to buy cleaning wipes for. The wipes that are too strong smelling for me.. Yea I know you can green them... I have used old towels or washcloths instead of the cleaning cloths . yea that worked but you know part of me wanted someone to come up with a great mop to make life easier. Where I didn't need to wring out the mop or  washcloth and I  could still use my own homemade cleaners!   

The cleaning fairies that live in my house somehow got the wonderful  people at Rubbermaid  to email me like a couple days later and ask if I would like to review the new Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop. Well I answered YES!! Yes!! I am drooling!  I want to...Pick me.. pick me...

So when I got my mop I was on the way to work... LOL I was upset I couldn't use it right away.... But I did put it together that night...... The ones that are shipped for reviews and winners of the giveaways have the mop handle in 2 pieces. The ones that are being sold at the stores starting  in August are one piece.

SO at first it was different then that other spray mop. The spray isn't as close to the floor.  I had the mop at an angle so it did spray pretty far!! LOL. But that worked to my advance in the bathroom. It cleaned so well!  I have a corner that I use to have to scrub clean with a cloth after mopping; but not with the Reveal! Hey something that is easy to use and I don't have to do extra cleaning to finish the job!


Plus no more opps I forgot to get to buy the  cloths for that other spray mop and I have a mess to clean up!! All you have to do is use 2 tablespoons of your favorite eco-friendly cleaner... and hot water. Or make your own cleaner by adding things like vinegar, lemon juice,  baking soda, borax or dish-washing soap.  Please follow all manufacture recommendations when choosing products to clean your floor.  For scented cleaners add a few drops of lemon juice or your favorite scented oil to the mix!

I wasn't sure about the microfiber but I was thinking $$ Store microfiber cleaning cloth...  I hate the way those cloths feels... But I do have a allergy to polyester. But the cleaning pad is like a thick bathroom rug, but very light feeling. It is very thin fibers tightly woven to help soak up water.  I had a spot of dried  up yuck that I poured some of the cleaner (before I put the bottle on the mop) on the yuck to help soften it. The microfiber cloth picked up the mess  like it was nothing.  I also removed the pad thinking that it would drip maybe a little..... nope it wasn't going to drip at all! And really had fun trying to get it to drip....Shaking the pad, swinging around and playing catch and no drips. SO afterward you just throw it in the washer with towels. SO easy to clean. 

 Save money, the environment, your floors and your back.  I know you want one..    So today is my Birthday but I am going to share my present.... NO you get your own  Reveal!
However Rubbermaid can only ship to the U.S. and Canada. Please note that Canadian winners might get charged C.O.D. Rubbermaid cannot do anything to refund the charges.

First visit the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop site..


For extra entries;
Sign up for Rubbermaid's RSS feed
Follow Turning Shades of Green

Grab my Button.

Leave a comment for each action. Sorry you do have to remind me these things sometimes...
The winner will be pick by random.org I let others do the dirty work.
Drawing will be held August 15. 


I received this product for an honest review. Everything was my own thoughts and feelings.

Natural Dyes

Hey a summer project or something you can do at camp is tie dye.  Remember tie dye? Ok maybe some of you weren't around then ok.. snicker all you want.... Here are some ideas for natural dyes without chemicals and additives........ only alum or cream of tartar, which can be found at the grocery store in the spice area.Or washing Soda that is found in the laundry area.  If you have some citrus acid that help as a mordant (helps keep the color) I get mine from the health food store.Then I found that salt for berries and vinegar for roots and leaves......

Mordant is something you add to water and wet down the fabric before you dye the cloth. It helps the dye bond with the fabric.   Dry thoroughly before using any dye. 

Lavender
Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Red Zinger Tea

Violet Blue
Violet Blossoms
Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Hibiscus Tea
Red Wine

Blue
Canned Blueberries
Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled)
Purple Grape Juice

Green
Spinach Leaves (boiled)
Liquid Chlorophyll
Greenish Yellow
Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)

Yellow
Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled)
Carrot Tops (boiled)
Celery Seed (boiled)
Ground Cumin (boiled)
Ground Turmeric (boiled)
Chamomile Tea
Green Tea
Golden Brown
Dill Seeds

Brown
Strong Coffee
Instant Coffee
Black Walnut Shells (boiled)
Black Tea

Orange
Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)
Cooked Carrots
Chili Powder
Paprika

Pink
Beets
Cranberries or Juice
Raspberries
Red Grape Juice
Juice from Pickled Beets

Red
Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Canned Cherries with Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Raspberries

And remember that  mixing colors makes different colors.
Red+ yellow= orange
Blue+ yellow= green
Red + blue = purple
Red+ yellow+ blue = mud... I mean a muddy brown color

Ok So Yell at me if you see me itching.....

Back to work from my few days of paid leave, I took some vacay days.... My last day I was sick as a dog, well I was sicker than the dog... who had to be my bodyguard. Poor thing would follow me into the bathroom and when I started to throw up would stand with his body across mine - the big dog hug.... AS to put himself between me and any harm that could be breaking down the bathroom door..LOL. The kids were gone and it was going to be my relax day... So I threw up, slept here and there, and watched Criminal Minds for hours... LOL I really didn't feel like finding the remote I know it was close, just didn't have the energy.

Miss Animal Rights brings the nicotine patch box in and  reads to me "signs of nicotine poisoning.... " "Check check and do you really want to know?......" Of course her eyes got huge and I had to stop her from dialing 911... I took the patch off.... So I have been smoke free for 5 days I can do it right??? She was like Heckies yea...

I have a rash from 2 of the patch sites.... the worst is the last one.... but I also did some yard work I think I got stung by a bee... so I am a itching mess... I told them at work to yell at me if they see me start to itch. You know I found some anti-itch medicine in our first aide kits. Sunscreen too.. Doesn't work.... Plus my body really doesn't like hydro-cortisone... it makes things worse.

So I came home and thought I try some home remedies.  The bee string is on my ankle and I put a baking soda mix on it because the black middle was looking like a stringer.  Ouch. Now it is still inching.  I got yelled at by Miss Animal Rights, I was crossing my legs and inching without really noticing...

So baking soda paste didn't do anything. Not even sting....My ex put alcohol on his... try it and it still itches . so what is next...

I could take a bath in oatmeal later.  Or a  peppermint tea bath.
Add vinegar to the bath tub too. Some people say only apple cider, other say White....  
I could place a slice of lemon on the bites... but a couple are open... ouch..
Vick vapor rub...  See reason above...
Aloe Vera  juice I think that is better for the dry skin rashes....
Rub on Flax seed oil....
Plaster on honey with cinnamon

Oh I got some honey at the Farmers Market this week-end.....

off to mix some honey and lather it on this bite... ARggg....
owww maybe eat a little too... not with a ton of cinnamon but some toast....


 

What Cooking?

So you want to lower your utilities bills by finding the lowest possible energy using appliances. But the fact is we use 50 percent of our energy for cooking. This includes the hot water heater for cooking and cleaning. So where can you cut back? A table of energy use of kitchen cooking can be found on
Micheal Bluejay site.
   Well the microwave is the cheapest most efficient way of cooking. With it fast cooking times. Now many people don't believe that a microwave is safe. I mean the nickname we call striking in a microwave is nuked? The truth is microwaves are targeting the water and fat molecules. It heats them up not nuking the food with radio active waste. You can warm up food in the microwave.  Only cook somethings nicely.  Where somethings are just better cooked the old fashion way.

The a crock-pot that works on the almost the same amount of energy that a microwave works on for 6.75 hours longer!  Have your crock-pot plugged in and cooking while you are working could cost only around a dime (maybe a little more)!! Not bad for a time saver. Plus during the heat wave- you don't need to heat up the house while cooking... This type of cooking does work best for stews and soups.

Crank on the toaster oven for that quick pizza snack! You don't have to wait for a pre-heating time and it is not too bad on the pocket book with 4 cents for a hour for cooking. Pizza snacks take what a  half a hour at the most... cha-ching...

However if you are cooking a big meal and cook many things at once the oven can be energy saving. If you count the times and what you have cook all together. For around 7 cents for a hour the stove top cooks your food but if you have all 4 burners going that can add up where in the oven it is twice that. However if the oven is full and I have more than 2 items, I am saving energy.  I like to try to cook things together.  I have been know to say since we have the oven on lets cook this too. Or pick the vegetable that can be baked........

3 Little birds

There where a momma bird and her 2 babies that have been staying in the nest over the light on the neighbors porch. I noticed yesterday the babies heads higher than I ever saw them. I thought I should get my camera and take my pictures, I might get lucky and see the momma kicking the babies out of the nest. The babies learning to fly.. Well I went to work and worked till 9PM this morning I see no birds... Oh well I started my mini vacay a day to late......

But I have to post this for the running machine, he loves this song he see on Nick Jr all the time. He loves the moose!!



I sing this all the time, when I get to send time with the running machine. He gets all exited to hear me sing... I love it, his big eyes looking at me like I am a rock star.......
This is my message to you...

Water water....

AH that special water is harder to get rid of... But I am researching recipes on line... But I find some interesting sites including this Web MD page that states that the company is being sued for ahem false claims for being "healthy."

BUT They say it has vitamins that help you stay healthy. I tell them about this page and the fact that Web MD says "it is just soda without the bubbles...."

So really would you save calories or sugar if you made tea? I had to look... I found a conversion calculator that would tell you how many teaspoons,  tablespoons or cups from how may grams on the label in that water we will call X water.. X water has 2.5 servings per bottle. Now the nutrition label says that it contains 13 grams of sugar.  The conversion calculator calculated that equals 6.849 teaspoons of sugar for 20 ounces of X water. And how much sugar do you put in a cup of tea? Almost 7 teaspoons? Wow.....

125 calories for X water


Green tea=0 Sugar= 15 per teaspoon (2 teaspoon= 30)


Or better yet here is the calories for sugar:

Sugar (Serving size)	Calories
Table Sugar, 1 level teaspoon (4g)	15
Table Sugar, 1 heaped teaspoon (6g)	25
Table Sugar, 1 cup	770
Table Sugar, average (1 cube)	25
Icing Sugar, 1 average tablespoon (12g)	48

hummmm...

Oh yea better for you cause it has vitamins, take a vitamin with a meal it adsorbs better.....
X water - does deserve the extra X's now does it??? 

Add lemon juice there some vitamin C
Add fruit juice and more vitamins...
Ok might add more calories too
Let see with adding a 1/2 cup of pineapple juice it is adding 60 more calories but 10 more grams of sugar: but that is natural sugar not processed sugar which is easier for your body to digest.

BUT 30 + 60= 90 for fruit green tea.
X water remember has 125.....