My new craft obsession - KNITTING!

A couple of weeks ago a dear friend from California taught me the basics of knitting.  I borrowed a set of needles and a ball of yarn and started a "sampler" to practice.  After a few rows of practice, I was ready to get going on my first project.

With this suffocating summer of many 100+ degree days, I couldn't fathom making a scarf.  So, on the heels of my post about cloth in the kitchen, I decided to make a dishcloth.  I searched for simple patterns online and found one that created a waffle weave design. http://homespunliving.blogspot.com/2007/11/waffle-knit-dishcloth-pattern.html  

Once I got the hang of casting on, knitting, and purling (thanks to another friend for teaching that step), I found the rhythm soothing.  I stayed up too late for several nights in a row, but I was able to complete my first knitted dishcloth in less than a week!  So here it is:

I loved seeing the pattern develop and like the variegated color yarn.  I immediately started working on a second dishcloth with the remainder of the yarn and have several other yarn balls waiting in the wings.  I will probably switch patterns after I finish the second one just to keep from getting bored and to challenge myself to get better at more intricate designs. 

I can't wait to see how the dishcloths do in action and how well they hold up in the laundry.  The waffle design will hopefully make for good scrubbing action.

If you are a close friend or family member... one may be headed your way in six months or so! :)

~Carla

If You Ate Today... THANK A FARMER

Hmmm.  I saw this picture on Facebook the other day, and it got my wheels a spinning.  These days, who can we thank for our food?  More than likely, it's not the farmer down the road who grows large crops of soybeans or corn.  Should we thank McDonald's, Hamburger Helper, or Kraft?  And what should we be thanking them for?  The mistreatment of animals, unsanitary conditions, pesticides on our food?  Where do these big brands get their food?  It's certainly not the picturesque farms that we conjure in our minds.  Not the rolling hills, cattle grazing freely, rows of corn ripe and ready to be picked.  

• Two percent of livestock farms now raise 40 percent of all animals in the US. 
• In the United States, 79% of pigs are raised on farms with 2,000 pigs or more.

Facts from:  http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/

For most people, who shop at stores such as Wal-Mart or Kroger for groceries, we can thank huge, industrial OPERATIONS.  Not farmers.  Not men in overalls plowing the fields, but factories designed to maximize output.  Several years ago, Adam and I watched a documentary called "Food Inc." and it changed the way we eat forever. 

This movie opened my eyes and frankly, exposed our food system for what it truly is.  The changes we've made since then have been small, but we feel that any change is better than no change. 

Here are some simple things we can all do to try and change our food system:

1) Eat local, organic food when possible.  Shop at the farmer's market, or the organic section of your supermarket. 
2) Eat foods with less ingredients.  The less processed a food is, the healthier it is for you.  Avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store.
3) Cook your meals at home.
4) Have a "meatless" night at least once a week.
5) Raise a garden.  There is nothing like growing your own food. :)


Check out these links to learn more:

Pesticides on our food:  http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/

Environmental Impact: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/campaign/coolfoods/

Food Rules:  http://michaelpollan.com/books/food-rules/

~Trina

My "One" Ingredient Ice Cream

For some reason, Adam thought it would be a great idea to buy 5 lbs. of bananas last week at Kroger (love you dear :))  Considering only two of us in the household eat solid foods, we were quickly en route to black bananas.  I had pinned (ADDICT) a recipe involving ice cream and bananas.  I was intrigued by this "one ingredient ice cream."  So here is my version...

IngredientS in One Ingredient Ice Cream

1. 3 Frozen bananas (I sliced them and froze them on a plate)
2. Splash or two or three of milk
3. 1 T. Flax seed meal (it does make it a little gritty though)
4. 1-2 T. Cocoa mix (I used Tastefully Simple Malted Cocoa Mix)

 I tossed the bananas into the food processor and added the other ingredients.  After pureeing for a few minutes, the bananas weren't mixing up, so I added more milk.  This did the trick.  It turned into a smooth, dreamy frosty-like mixture.  YUMMO!  Here are some pics to tempt you!  ;)

The best thing is you CAN'T feel bad after you eat this.  With the exception of the cocoa mix, this is a wonderfully healthy recipe.  How awesome is it to get your calcium, potassium, and omega-3's in one dish of ice cream??!  I don't know how I was able to talk myself out of eating the entire bowl in one sitting.  Well, maybe I'll have a little more...


~Trina

Cloth in the kitchen

The combination of paper towels, paper napkins, and little ones making messes in the kitchen can add up to A LOT of waste and A LOT of money.  I see the huge packages of paper towels at the store and imagine the amount of chemicals and energy it took to make a product that will quickly end up in the landfill.  Granted there are many things we use that have a similar lifecycle.  But using disposable paper in the kitchen is an area I feel like we can eliminate with relative ease and affordability.

Cloth Napkins

Several years ago, I was perusing a neighborhood yardsale and found a cute set of yellow cloth napkins.  At the time, I was in the planning stages for my wedding and thought these napkins would be a nice "grown up" addition to our future kitchen.  I tried to talk the lady down to .50 for the set, but she was insistent on $1 firm.  I felt a little defeated, but figured I could afford to part with $1.  The rest of our cloth napkin stash was made complete at our wedding reception where we received four more red and green plaid napkins from our registry.  So in all we have around 10 napkins that we switch out every couple of days when we can no longer find a clean spot to wipe our mouths. :)  I envision needing to add to this collection as we add to our family, but we definitely have enough for the three of us right now.

Unpaper Towels

I've seen on several other blogs and etsy where you can make or purchase "unpaper towels."  These fancy cloth rolls are typically patterned and have snaps so that the "sheets" of cloth can attach to one another.  These rolls can fit on a paper towel holder and function much like a disposable paper towel roll would.

While I think it would be cute to have a nice roll of cloth paper towels, I've managed to survive on the towels and rags I've collected over time.  Think outside the box... or in the case the roll.  A paper towel is meant to clean up larger spills.  So as long as a rag or towel is handy, does it really need to be in the shape of a roll?  Not for me anyway.  I look forward to the day when all my children (present and future) are completely potty trained and I can add their prefold diapers to my kitchen collection.  They are SUPER absorbent!

In order to cut down on the spread of germs, I have tried to institute a policy that solid towels hanging on the oven door are for drying hands; patterned towels hanging near the sink are for drying dishes.  Also I rotate out all of my rags and towels on an almost daily basis.  I can't stand soggy or stiff towels when I'm drying my hands!

To be fair, I do keep a roll of disposable paper towels in my kitchen for guests that might not know where my rags and towels are stored.  I like to joke with my mom that she's a paper towel hog. :)  I typically buy one roll every two months or so unless she's been over.  Then half the roll is gone before she goes home.  :)  (love you Mom! you taught me to keep my kitchen clean, and for that I am eternally grateful!)

So it's seems pretty easy to end our disposable paper product obsession in the kitchen with just a little bit of resourcefulness and a small amount of investment!  Cut up and reuse old ragged bathroom towels, scour yardsales for cloth napkins, repurpose old undershirts... you get the picture.  And clean up is a breeze.  Keep a tub under the sink to collect the dirty cloth or go fancy and buy a wetbag to hang on the pantry door.  Then simply throw all of your kitchen cloth in with your dishrag and hand towel laundry. Not much harder than throwing in the trash can!

What are other areas in your home where you can apply these same ideas?

That ain't organic, is it?

Organic.  What does that word mean to you?  Marketing ploys have me immediately seeing the green and white "USDA organic" label.  I also think of these words: healthy, natural, wholesome.  My parents often are privy to my crunchy ramblings, but I'm not sure that my dad really "gets" it-- as evidenced by this recent event:

Me- "Dad, try this banana bread muffin I made."
Dad- "That ain't organic, is it?"

I just rolled my eyes.  No dad, it's not going to kill you.  It's not poisonous (unlike those beloved Nutty Bars I steal out of your pantry :)).  It's not made of tofu or some other crazy hippie food you think I eat.  This post is for my dad.  Dad--this is what organic means.

From  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255/:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

Why organic?

See dad?  Not at all crazy.  It's the way your grandparents farmed and the way God meant for it to be.  :)

~Trina 

A shot of Apple Cider Vinegar a day keeps the doctor away

I've been using apple cider vinegar (ACV) for a couple of weeks now as a conditioner (more about that later) and have used it in various recipes over the years.  But last week I was cruising around Pinterest and found this link:

40 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

I was intrigued by the number of health benefits that ACV supposedly provides, but I wasn't sure the best way of getting my daily dose.  Trina and I did some research and found several recommendations about chugging a couple of tablespoons of ACV sweetened by raw local honey (which also provides a plethora of health benefits).  Yesterday morning we gave it a try for the first time.  We even roped the hubbies in!  And WHOA! talk about a way to start your day with a bang!!  My throat burned and tingled for several minutes. I could tell this process was going to feel more like a morning chore that I would quickly abandon and figured other people must have different methods.

So we went back to researching a more palatable way of knocking back our ACV shots.  Site after site said, "do not consume ACV without first diluting in an 8 ounce glass of water."  Oops!  But I wasn't convinced that I could stand to drink an entire glass of this pungent stuff.

So here's what I did this morning (Day 2):

• coated my tongue with a tablespoon of honey - still need to get local honey so the store brand honey bear will have to do for now.
• knocked back a shot of ACV
• quickly chased with a large glass of water

Voila!  No burn and no nasty after taste!  Now I don't claim to be any sort of medical expert, so proceed with caution if you decide to follow this process.  If I have problems with a sore throat after a few days, I'll see what changes I can stand to make and update.

~Carla

Making hand soap with Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap

I just finished making my second batch of hand soap using Dr. Bronner's Unscented Baby-Mild Pure Castile Soap. The first batch a few weeks ago seemed to be too diluted so tonight I tried an approximately 1:6 ratio of castile soap to water. Here's how I made the second batch:

1. Rinse out an empty foaming soap pump

2. Measure out about a cup of water and fill soap bottle (more or less as needed)

3. Measure out between 1/8 to 1/4 cup of castile soap and pour into bottle

4. Add essential oil for fragrance if desired - I added 4 drops of lavender. Even though I'm using the "unscented" version of Dr. Bronner's, I felt like my first batch without the oil left a putrid smell on my hands.

5. Replace pump handle and enjoy!

I had the hubby buy-off on which smell he preferred to add to the mixture. He is slowly coming on board with the natural beauty products, so I definitely want him to approve, and therefore use, what we buy or make. In addition to the natural ingredients of this soap mixture, the cost savings are HUGE! I hardly used 1 oz. of a 16 oz. bottle which costs less than $10 at most stores. That's approximately .63 per batch plus a neglible amount of essential oil. I could MAYBE get another brand on sale with coupon match-up for cheaper, but I doubt it would be as natural. Plus it's easy peezy and fun to do!

I'm going to be making more homemade cleaners with Dr. Bronner's soon so stay tuned!

~Carla

Why "Prairie?"

The word prairie conjures up a warm image in my mind: a quaint little cabin in the middle of a grassland,wind gently blowing a patchwork quilt hanging out to dry, sun setting over a tree line just beyond the homestead.  It's the calm place I travel to in my mind when life is a little noisy and hectic.

But why should this prairie remain a figment of my imagination?  Why not work daily to make my world a little simpler?

I love to learn about new products and processes that not only make my family healthier and happier, but also reduce our impact on the earth.  So for me, this blog is a chance to journal what we're up to and whether or not we're staying on course.  I have so many ideas about future posts and look forward to finding snippets in my day to publish them!

~Carla

Breast milk popsicles

Sooo, the babe is 3 1/2 months old.  NO ONE warned me about teething.  We were happily enjoying our non-fussy, sleeping through the night, "good" baby.  Then, he started teething.  It started a week ago.  We were out to dinner and he was sleeping away in his car seat.  Well guess what?  We got our food and you know what happened-- He woke up in a fit of rage, or maybe, pain.  He was frantically grabbing at his ears, so much that I was afraid he had an ear infection.  I actually ended up taking him outside to hold him until we could pack up the food and pay.  Awful.  We tried all the pacifiers and teething toys we had, but nothing seemed to calm that shrill cry.

He has been fussy on and off this week, but today has been one of the worst.  Last night I decided to take a bottle of my milk out of the fridge and pour it into an ice cube tray.  Enter breast milk popsicles.  How, you ask, does one feed a 3 1/2 month old a popsicle?  A mesh feeder.  The ones I have are made by Nuby, and if you can get past the annoying screw-on lid, they are wonderful (I am a speech pathologist and I use them with my kiddos who have feeding issues).  I realize they are for 6+ months, but I'm using breast milk, not food. 

Should have had a bib on!

After 3+ hours of screaming/nursing I decided to pull out my popsicles.  I popped the cubes out and wrestled opened the mesh feeder, but neglected one thing.  The cubes were too big for the feeder bag.  No biggie, break those suckers in half and we were good to go.  He immediately started gnawing on the milk cube.  He did this for about 1-2 minutes, then I think it got to be too cold.  He started screaming again.  In theory, this was a great idea, and I may try it again.  It did give me 1-2 minutes of consolation.  ;) 

Trina

How did we get here?

Hmmm. How did we get here? We don't have a specific point in our lives that we can say was our "aha" moment. People, places, and life events have all influenced this journey. And the latest chapter in our lives, parenthood, has further ignited our passion. This blog is starting out as a journal-a rambling of random thoughts and experiments. We're excited to see where it might lead.