Rather Expensive Recycling

I like the TerraCycle company their use of old soda bottles and such to sell their worm tea is a great was to recycle plastic bottles without having to shred them up and melt them into little plastic pellets to become something new.

But this idea is a little off the mark and I'll tell ya why I think so. They are recycling old yogurt containers into little herb gardens for kids. While that may sound nice its rather expensive for what you get. I saw these at Walmart for $2.50



What you get is three old yogurt containers filled with dirt and a few seeds added. Why would you PAY $2.50 for that? You can easily just save your own containers fill them with dirt and lets your kids pick their own seeds which you can get as low as $ .99 for about 50 seeds. Use a few seeds in each container and save the rest in an air tight container to use again next year at no extra cost! I showed a picture of my seedlings growing believe it or not in the exact same containers and I'm reusing them this year to grow more seeds.

Make It YourSelf Monday

This is a first time recipe for me but it is something I've always wanted to try but thought it would be too difficult. It turns out it's really really easy and extremely tasty. Today's Recipe is the Crustless Quiche. I got the directions from about.com under the low carb diet section (for my hubby on Adkins)

Crustless Quiche:

Ingredients
4 Eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cup liquid ...I used whole cream but you can use milk, unsweetened soy milk or condensed milk.
cheese
other ingredients depending on what flavor quiche you want. We used bell peppers onions and beef (cut small into very small chunks)
Preheat oven to 375

1st thoroughly cook other ingredients (not the eggs milk and cheese)

2nd place cooked ingredients in 9' pie pan and cover with cheese

3rd blend eggs and cream together
( I used 1 1/2 cups next time I think I'll use just 1)

4th pour over ingredients in Pie Pan

Last Cook in oven for 30 to 45 min
quiche is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes
out clean. If it browns on top too fast
cover with foil.

ENJOY

A Most Welcome Visitor

This guy has been hanging out in my garden. I've been trying for wweeks to get a shot of him but he is very fast. Today though I was able to get very close. 5r is still a little hard to see since he is half in shadow and I was using my cell phone to take the shot.

I'm very happy to see him. Not only will he be eating garden pests right and left but he is a good indicator of the health of the environment. Not as good as a frog would be but there is no available water source for a frog so I'll take what I can get.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Sustainable Ecosystems and Community News:

The Myth of Mountaintop Removal Reclamation

I found a very interesting article over at ENN and thought I would share it with you. It definitely makes you think twice about those new Coal Commercials that try and convince us how environmentally friendly coal is.

Sustainable Ecosystems and Community News:

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Make It Yourself Monday

I hate to admit it but my hubby and I use to love the On -Cor Salisbury Steaks. I also hate to admit that before the kids were born we could polish on a family pack by ourselves. Yeah I know kind of why I'm working on the weight loss bit now.



Now a days I make it myself and I have to tell you it's a whole lot tastier then the stuff in the box. The Recipe I use comes from a set of cook books my hubby got from his mom. It's the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (copyright 1966)

I don't even know if this set is still in print but you can have the Salisbury Steak recipe cause I'm going to share it with you .

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Sauce

1 lb beef chuck, ground
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can chopped mushrooms drained (feel free to use 1 cup fresh)
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls Flour
1 tsp curry powder
1 Cup Water
1 beef bouillon cube

Mix meat, salt, and pepper and shape into 4 patties. Pan fry in lightly greased skillet until it reaches desired doneness. Remove from the skillet and keep hot. Cook mushrooms in butter for 2 or 3 minutes. Blend in flour and curry powder. Add water and bouillon cube; cook until smooth and thickened. Pour over meat patties and serve.

Makes 4 Servings

This is a simple recipe to make and beats the boxed stuff hands down.

Don't You Love ...

Don't you love company scare tactics to separate you from your money?

I was at the gym the other day when I looked up at the TV and saw a commercial for this


This is the Lysol no touch Hand Soap System. On the commercial they showed the HORROR of your regular pump soap. OMG look how many germs on on that pump.

AAAAHHHHHH RUN AWAY

UMM So What?

You are about to USE a product that is designed to kill the germs on your hand other wise why use it?

Lysol wants you to be scared of the big bad germs so you will buy their more expensive soap pump.... which by the way wastes more plastic and batteries. Save your cash and just buy a bar of soap. It's cheaper and just as effective at killing germs as the more expensive stuff.

Make It Your Self Monday

A couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for Baking Mix. Today I'm going to share a couple easy recipes using it.


PANCAKES:

2 Cups Baking Mix
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs

1 Heat skillet or griddle and spray with cooking spray.
2. Stir all ingredients until mixed well.
3. Pour 1/4 cup on to hot skillet for each pancake and cook until edges are dry flip and brown the other side.

For variations add 1 cup chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries, apples and 1 tbls cinnamon, or our personal favorite 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup smashed banana.

BISCUITS:

2 1/4 Cup baking mix
2/3 Cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Mix ingredients until you get a soft ball of dough
3. Place dough on flour covered surface and coat turn to coat. knead and roll until 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut using biscuit cutter.
5. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes.

You can also make drop biscuits by dropping spoonfuls on to cookie sheet instead of rolling out and cutting.

CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE


Topping:
1/3 c baking mix
1/3 packed brown sugar
1 tbls cinnamon
2 tbls firm butter
Mix all dry ingredients together then cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly.

Cake:
2 cups baking mix
2/3 cups milk or water
2 tbls sugar
1tsp vanilla
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350
2.Grease a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pan
3. Mix all ingredients until blended and pour into pan.
4. Sprinkle with topping and bake 18 to 22 minutes.

You can make this Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake by chopping up a small apple and putting it on top before the topping.