August 30: A Nod to Cabbage Patch Kids

Courtesy of http://www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I love you and miss you.

This post isn't about going lean or green, but it was too funny not to share. A friend brought this wonderful photo to my attention last week which was posted on the above website. If you need a good laugh, visit that site. I forwarded the link to some coworkers and we all laughed about it. My boss said, "The funniest thing is someone actually paid for these!" Anyone born in the 1970s had a cabbage patch kid. They were these really ugly dolls with ridiculous names and you took an oath promising to be a good "parent." As we're telling stories about our own CPKs, I realize that I actually had my own awkward photo taken with my CPK, Charmaine Belvadina. My brother was going into the Air Force Academy and we had to meet with Senator Grottburg, and apparently I though it'd be a great idea not only to take Charmaine but also include her in the photo. The only thing more awkward than that is the fact that the Senator held me... and I was eight years old. Enjoy....

August 27: Ripe for the Picking

The tomatoes are finally ripe for the picking in my garden, and I picked a bunch tonight. I planted two kinds this year, don't ask me what they're called but they're pictured above in a bowl my mom made (Mom, you rock!). Don't they look delicious?

I grew most of my vegetable garden from seed this year. You know how you get a gazillion little seeds in one envelope, and they're only good for a year or two? What a waste! So a couple coworkers and I swapped seeds with each other. Brilliant! I hope we do it again next year. The down side is that I started my seeds indoors a little late, and add onto that a slow start to the Summer, so everything's producing later than usual.

I already ate the lettuce. It was so fun to go out and pick off a few leaves to put in a sandwich, or on burgers, or to make spring rolls. Weren't those spring rolls delicious, Teresa? The lettuce, a fresh basil leaf from the kitchen herb garden, julienne carrots from the Farmers Market, rolled up in rice paper and dipped in spicy peanut sauce from Trader Joe's. Yum!

I just cut off a head of broccoli last weekend and made a pasta salad with it, along with some fresh basil. Broccoli direct from the garden is so flavorful, it almost has a peppery taste. I cut it down pretty far so I should get at least one more head out of it.

I picked a couple zucchini a couple weeks ago and made zucchini bread. There's a few more babies out there that aren't quite ready. I have to keep an eye on those or all of a sudden they'll be the size of my thigh. I can't wait to make zucchini fritters, a recipe Kara gave me a couple years ago, in exchange for the Zu-Canoes recipe from Moosewood.

The artichoke plant has three little heads on it, it's gorgeous! I'm not sure how big they're supposed to get or when I'm supposed to pick them. I am tempted to pick the biggest one, but then again, it's so beautiful I don't want to pick it just yet.

The spaghetti squash is trailing all over the garden. I'm not sure how to control that one. I think it'll bloom later so maybe all the other veggies will be cleared out anyway and it can have all the space it wants to meander.

The pole beans are all the way up the pole and going crazy, but not a single bean is growing! What's up with that? My coworker said her's was like that and then suddenly overnight she had a bunch of beans. Maybe one of these mornings it'll be covered in beans. Or maybe I've actually planted magic beans that'll reach all the way into the sky and through the clouds to a giant's house.

August 22: Make Your Own Household Cleaners

Today's adventure was to make my own environmentally-friendly household cleaner. Over the Winter I attended the annual Fix-It Fair in my neighborhood hosted by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which is this AWESOME event with booths and classes all day long all about creating a healthy home.

One class I attended was on household cleansers. They taught us about all the hazardous ingredients, and some safer, more sustainable options. For example, oven cleaners. Why would you clean your oven with something that instructs you to open the windows to avoid breathing dangerous vapors? So you can bake it into your food next time you use the oven? In fact, why would you clean any area you use to prepare food with something that you couldn't safely ingest? I picked up a handbook with safe alternatives and this weekend decided to make my own cleanser. It worked great! Honestly, even better than commercial cleaners. Here's the recipe I used to mop the floors:

All-Purpose Cleanser:
1/4 cup vegetable soap*
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
2 gallons water

* I got Dr. Bronner's with Tea Tree oil at New Season's for $5, next time I can refill the bottle from the bulk section and reduce waste from packaging. I've seen Dr. Bronner's at Trader Joe's too.

If you're interested in learning more about green cleaners, click here: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24199

If you're interested in finding a Fix-It Fair near you, click here: http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=41892

August 16: A 15-Year Streak is Broken!

I finally rode a bike today for the first time in 15 years! Here's me during my first few pedals. I was wobbly and precarious, but the saying is true: you never forget how to ride a bike.

The bike ride was inspired by a new Bike Boulevard I recently learned the city is putting in right past my house almost all the way to work. An elevated bike lane, reversed stop signs so cross-traffic has to stop, speed bumps to slow cars down. It's fate, just as I'm beginning my adventure to go green[er], the universe throws me a bike boulevard. I figured I owed myself (and the universe) another go at riding bikes.

We did the Waterfront Loop which was about 12 miles starting along Springwater Corrridor, across the Sellwood Bridge, up the waterfront, and back across the Steel Bridge. We stopped for snacks and lots of pictures. My butt was sore, but all told, it was a fun experience. Thanks to my friend Erica for loaning me her bike and a big thanks to Terri for embarking on this bike riding adventure!

Check out the link for the Bike Boulevard project: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50518 It's the North-Northeast Going boulevard!

Day #3 Recap

Victories

• None to speak of really

Slips

• Broke down and got a bag of Ghardetto's from the vending machine at work. Need to have more snacks at work.

Costs

• Bag of Ghardettos: $0.85

Insights

It was kind of a blah day. I really didn't institute any changes. I've been thinking about changing my commuting habits. If I take Tri-Met to work it's actually more expensive than driving, and takes longer, but friendlier toward the environment. I think the universe is telling me to bike commute -- my neighbor and coworker told me her bike commute only takes 25 minutes door-to-door. That's only 10 minutes longer than driving. AND (here's the exciting part), the city is making a new bike boulevard that goes past my house and almost all the way to work. They're making a raised bike lane, reversing stop signs so cross traffic has to stop, and putting in speed bumps to slow cars down. Here's the link: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50518. I haven't been on a bike in 15 years... time to test the saying, do you really never forget how to ride a bike?

Day 2 Recap

I just hand washed that car yesterday -- and now it's RAINING!

Victories

• Brought leftovers to work for lunch today. Half of a burrito from Laughing Planet
• Supported a local yarn shop
• Helped a neighbor hoist a chicken coop into their backyard. Fresh, local, humane eggs in the Spring!

Slips

• Stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work to buy dinner since I didn't want anything I had at home. Bad. Very bad. And it's only Day 2
• Spent a lot of money on yarn, but it's for a baby shower gift

Costs

• Frozen pizza and a bottle of wine: $11
• 4 skeins of merino wool yarn: $27

Insights

This is freaking hard. I've already fallen off the wagon! And I hated watching my hand-washed car get rained on today... grrrrrrrr!!!

Day #1 Recap

Victories

• Washed my car myself
• Made all my meals, and used food I had (mostly -- see below). Including a quinoa pilaf with leftover onion, tomato, frozen corn, lime juice, and the chile peppers someone from work brought in from their garden last week
• Planned lunches ahead for the week

Costs

• $2.89: Eggs and milk

Slips

• Well, I did go out and buy eggs to make zucchini bread, but that's not really a slip is it? And I also got milk because I'm going to make myself eat the cereal I bought for making Puppy Chow. No more letting things go bad and then throwing them out. I REALLY wanted to go buy chips to eat while watching Dr. Phil. But I resisted... mainly because I knew I'd have to admit to it here

Insights

So often I buy food for one recipe and let the rest go to waste. The basil I bought to make pesto shrivels to a slimy mess in the refridgerator drawer. The baguette goes stale and the brie grows mold that I thought would be a good snack one night and then didn't feel like eating it again. NO MORE!!!

Saving Money Tip #1 - Make More Meals - Greek Scramble!

Alright, so I called in sick to work and therefore have the time to make my meals today. I made a greek scramble for breakfast, I wish I could have used spinach from my garden but it's pretty puny still. Here's the recipe:

2 eggs
2 cups spinach leaves
3T sliced olives
2 links veggie sausage
2T feta
1T olive oil

Heat a skillet over medium heat for a couple minutes. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Microwave the veggie sausage links for about a minute, then slice them. Add olive oil to skillet and let heat for a minute. Add spinach to skillet, cook until wilted. Pour eggs over the spinach, let the eggs set up just a little bit. Pull eggs away from the sides of the skillet to let the raw egg pour down to get cooked. Push the eggs around a bit. Before they're all the way cooked, add the feta and mix around. Shortly after add the olives and veggie sausage. Salt to taste after plating.

Here we go!

Day 1. I am joining the blog-o-sphere. This blog is about my adventures in saving money and going green(er), hopefully at the same time.

First off, I want to track my spending out here, publicly, for accountability. I got the idea from a study I worked on using food diaries as a tool for weight loss. It's effective. Writing down everything you eat helps you see what (and how much) you actually eat, and someone else reviewing your food diaries keeps you accountable. So why wouldn't the same theory apply to spending? I'm sure it does!

Second, I want to incorporate more environmentally sustainable habits into my life. I consider myself to be pretty concious already, but I'm ready to push the envelope a little further. I realized how wasteful I still am as I was cleaning up after a house project yesterday. I replaced the rotting plywood surface of my deck with pressure treated wood. As I was walking that old wood around to the trash can, I started contemplating how I could repurpose it. Any ideas?