Unique fruits and vegetables

I'm not sure if this would be accepted in this country maybe if we call them unique fruits and vegetables. But this is what normal food looks like. I remember the first time I saw a perfectly round tomato I was shocked they looked so round. Having eaten tomato from a plant  made me think that the grocery store got the ruts off the plant... LOL Now those tomatoes are call heirloom tomatoes. And are more per pound.




 

Tis the season......

Getting green presents can be a challenge sometimes. I do have a friend who was telling me how she will be getting me a small coffee cup with a lid to have our coffee at work.  I started to look and nothing is under 16 ounces.  Not something we can drink in a 15 minute break.... so I found this:

Cute Stainless Steel coffee mug

I signed up for the  affiliate program but Blogger is NOT letting the code work... meh....

Don't worry she will not see this she doesn't do the whole internet thing (her words...) So if this isn't good for her I guess she could use this for camping...

Wait the last time she went camping or me for that matter we came back saying "OMG we are TOO old for that shit..."  Next time it will be in a windsteam or something else that is on wheels!!

Picnics that what we could use them for.  But hey I like the looks of these and of course I had to get me one.  Is that a bad thing to get something for yourself during the holidays? I thought hey we will match... symbol of friendship.......... 

I'm going to pop some tags!

Warning this is the original version so the language is not for little ones or work.
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)




It's a cute little rap about thrift store shopping.  Saying things like I have said hey it was 99 cents! You know for work that my shirts get stained it isn't the too bad to find a shirt that isn't too ugly.

You think this rap might make thrift store shopping more popular?

OMG it's a Heat Wave

So the weather man says it's not... but it been over a week with heat advisory that the temps feel like over 100. In this area that is high temps.... goodness.

But my little green heart is thinking I can't wait for a cool night to open my windows!! I was told by a co-worker that that was using more energy (she heard) because the humidity will get into your walls and the air conditioner will have to work even harder the next morning.  Yea I don't believe half I hear and half I read... LOL so off the google.

I found many sites that says that running fans at night is more energy efficient. Because they don't use as much energy as the air conditioner. BUT most of them are not what I would call as a expert site...

So I will keep doing this because my electric bill only went up $10 when I do this... yea that got some raised eyebrows,, AND because I get stuffed up with the air on most of the time.  I really didn't like keeping it on during the night but with the lows in the high 70's and 70% humidity it was unbearable.  UN- BEAR-ABLE!!!

So I guess it is TMI so also tell you I did sleep naked... LOL   BUT it was so hot and sticky in my bedroom.

Now when I am home I have my window air conditioner on and a fan blowing the air to the rest of the house.  When I go to work I turn off my fan turn up  the temp to 75.   Keep the animals from roasted.

Keep cool everyone!!

Holiday American Made Man sized...

So as I said earlier from Diane Sawyer and Nightline:


 "The average American will spend $700 on holiday gifts and goodies this year, totaling more than $465 billion, the National Retail Federation estimates. If that money was spent entirely on US made products it would create 4.6 million jobs. But it doesn't even have to be that big. If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs."

Oh yea I am backing this totally. To buy products made int his country helps the environment because there is less energy used to ship products. Even more our economy needs us to back our local USA made products.... guess I am on a kick here....

I found a few male sporting type gifts... Ok you can give some of these gifts to a female sportsman too... but it the fact I am looking for Dad gifts now....

Leatherman Multi-tools 
They even have a few pink tools that also support Breast Cancer Awareness!
Buck Knives 
Remington


Plus I found a couple more basic companies...
Cutco Cutlery
Coats and Clark (thread and sewing)
Tootsie Rolls.... 

Made In the USA

A quote from Diane Sawyer and Nightline I heard the other night:


"The average American will spend $700 on holiday gifts and goodies this year, totaling more than $465 billion, the National Retail Federation estimates. If that money was spent entirely on US made products it would create 4.6 million jobs. But it doesn't even have to be that big. If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs."

While buying our hliday gifts we should look to see where that item is made. Why wouldn't Americans want to buy $64 on something made in the USA?.  To help keep and get jobs in this country

 Made in America companies that I have found.

For the Foodie:
 Pyrex
Nordic Ware
 All-Clad
KitchenAid Appliances

Kids Toys
 Holgate Toys
K'NEX
 Crayola 

                                                                                    Decortating or Hostess Gifts:
                                                                                    Yankee Candles

So any more you know of? Share the knowledge

Corn Fed Cars.......

After work tonight I had to run some errands go to the grocery store etc... I saw the beautiful sunset and was looking at the beautiful red streaks and dark clouds rolling in.  At the Sheetz on the counter I saw the fuel truck about to fill the underground tanks.  Then I saw the side of the truck.  Available Corn based gasoline..... What? I have to check this out!!

I thought OMG we are getting bio-diesel??  But I thought that the eco-friendly community has reported that bio-diesel hasn't go to be the way to go.. Stating that it would cost to much to make, too much to change cars over to bio-diesel, etc. etc..

I found the info at this site; and learned it was a 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline mix.  Now my dad has told me that he heard that the gas companies put ethanol in the gas in the summer time to cut down on air pollution.  Never found out where that came from or if it is true... but then there has been rumors to the effect that BP adds wax to their fuel...  Guess the next rumor would be there is mud and salt in BP fuel........ ok that was bad....

But at that site they send you to blog to find out if your car can use this mix.... Never did find the program to help me find out.  So I did my own google search and found  Fuel Economy.Gov And searched my car and the car my daughters drive... nope we don't have flex-fuel vehicle.


So what is the difference between gas and the corn based gas....

Ethanol burns cleaner.  This is the fuel that water is a byproduct.  Many green shows will show you the water that a flex fuel car has dripping from it tail pipe and even have the reporters drink it....

But ethanol does lower your MPG. You can expect a 2 mile per gallon lower than what you get on regular gas.  Plus it will help spread out our gas reserves like bread crumbs to meat loaf...

Ethanol however will pay for itself in the long run with the lower MPG.  It runs cleaner so it also helps keep your engine running smoother and with less damage.  Saving you a lot of money in repairs......... And we know how repairs can be costly!!

The double edge Sword of being green

I find that many items that are being label green or eco-friendly are very misleading. Ok yes it true they may have been made from 100% recycled whatevers, but if they are made in China, Japan, or anything overseas is that really green?

Because green is more than just reusing and make something from recycled products. It's about the environment. That includes the gas that the airplanes use to fly the product to the states. The gas it uses to ship the product all over the states. PLUS it is more energy to recycle plastic that to make new plastic or glass. Glass recycling is the easiest. Ever watch a glass blower? All it needs is to be reheated and reshaped. Steel and aluminum are easy to recycle also it the same matter. But still take a lot of energy.

It also sad to say that little of the plastics we put in the blue bags or recycling bins make it to become that can be recycled again. Items that are marked made with recycled plastic can be made from plastic that are just mistakes from the factory never making your grocery store let alone your recycling center. Most of the time the plastic from the recycling center are made into plastic lumber and parking lot bumpers. Not all plastics are recycled!! Eleven states are sueing the American Plastics Council for misleading the public. Because many buy these bottles think that I am recycling them, it won't hurt the environment and are never recycled. New York State is quoting $5 per ton of plastic as what they receive from recycling companies. It doesn't work out to be cost effective. Because before they are shipped they must be separated into each number that you find on the bottom of your plastics. Plus it is a hit or miss business. At one time they will be a big demand for the plastic then none for months. Not a sound business venture in this troubled times it wouldn't not be a sound investment.

Plastic recycling also contributes to health problems. That areas with plastic recycling centers have pollution that can effect those with weak amunine systems. Most of the center however are located in countries with weak environmental controls. I'm sure we all have smelled the horrible smell when someone placed a plastic item to close to the stove, threw it in the fire or overheated in the microwave. :Shudders: Could you imagine that 24/7?

Sad is that the general public is thinking that their recycling, reducing, reusing and buying eco-friendly marked product actually help the environment. But it can have a misleading label, use more energy than needed to remake and just be not worth the extra money.

I would say that reusing would be your best bet. Not buying the water in plastic bottles, but reusing a water bottle or sports bottle. Same with container that hold food and remember don't reheat your food in the microwave in plastic containers.

That buying something just because it says recycled may not be what they claim. Remember that buying local manafactured items is better for the environment and the countries economy................ If you can use what you got you don't need to buy new even if it is marked made from 100% recycled whatever.....