My favorite holiday's almost here!

Hi all, Amanda here! I’m getting quite excited because we are fast approaching on my favorite holiday. That’s right, it’s that time of year to get out every flag you own, bake a delicious apple pie, fire up the BBQ, and spend the evening watching an awesome fireworks display.

While I am very proud to be an American, my patriotism is not the reason the 4^th of July is my favorite day of the year. I love it because it’s such a simple holiday that doesn’t require gifts, cards, and all of the stress and anxiety that so many of our holidays are accompanied with. It’s just a day to hang out with your friends and family, and celebrate our fine country by doing just about whatever pleases you.

The key ingredients that make my 4^th of July experience amazing are as follows: hot dogs, apple pie, one huge watermelon, a pool, beach, or any body of water(optional),  friends and/or family, and fireworks. That’s it! Pretty simple considering this is the day I look forward to all year!

What else makes this holiday so amazing? Super simple decorations; most of which nature really helps us out with. Look around you, or out your nearest window. I’m sure just by glancing around you might spot some beautiful things that are already red, white, or blue. Berries, flowers, candles, and maybe a gorgeous crystal blue sky. Ok, now throw all those things together, and you’re set!

Here’s a recipe for a deliciously American dessert that’s just as pretty to look at as it is scrumptious to eat, and it’s easy as can be!

http://bit.ly/N2ZtTO

Red, White and Blue Strawberry Shortcake

         1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

         1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

         1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained

         2 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced

If you’re like me and think that nothing says America like an apple pie, here’s a great recipe from allrecipes.com. It got a 5 star rating, so give it a try! I know I will!

 Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

         1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

         1/2 cup unsalted butter

         3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

         1/2 cup white sugar

         1/2 cup packed brown sugar

         1/4 cup water

         8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

For the baking instructions head to this link: http://bit.ly/NCd5X6

This year, I’ll be spending the 4^th at a friends parents house. So, of course, I’m wondering what to bring as a hostess gift. I could always just bring the pie, but after perusing around online I found a great idea for all-American hostess gift that’s perfect for an outdoor BBQ that I’d like to share.

One thing that will always put a damper on your holiday BBQ is the presence of pesky mosquitoes. I recently attended a BBQ that was missing one key element. Citronella candles! Leave the bug spray at home, and make your host some homemade citronella candles, just in case they don’t have any, or they can use them at the next outdoor fete.

I found this wonderful DIY project guide at designsponge.com. Check out the link!

http://bit.ly/QkRTIA

Here’s what you need to know:

materials:

1. old wax candles, or any type of safely melt-able wax (i used leftover soy wax from old candle projects)
2. crayons (for coloring the wax)
3. container for melting wax (a sauce pan with another heat safe container inside will be fine, or you can purchase wax containers at a craft store)
4. wicks (available at craft stores)
5. citronella oil (available at health food stores, online, or some specialty hardware stores)
6. stir stick or spoon (for wax)
7. thermometer
8. letter stickers (optional, these are found in craft stores and hardware stores – these are for signs and mailbox labels, etc)
9. old pickle or jam jars or tin cans (look for tins with cute labels, there are a lot once you start looking!)
10. hot glue

instructions:

1. clean out your jars and tin cans. dry completely. if you are making messages on your jars, carefully stick the letter stickers to the outside of your jars in an even line.

2. put your pot on the stove with some water and your other container inside it.

3. attach your wick bases to the bottom center of your jars and tins with a dab of hot glue.

4. when the water is 140 degrees, put your wax in. stir every once in a while as it starts to melt. add your crayons as well.

5. when all the wax is melted to an even liquid (it will look like the consistency of olive oil), add a few drops of citronella oil and stir (about one drop for a small candle, two to three for larger ones).

6. remove the container and pour into your containers, leaving about a half inch of wick exposed.

7. let cool. if you want to give your jar candles as a gift, cover the lid of the jar with some pretty fabric and screw back on to the jar. wrap the tin can candles with a little kitchen twine and finish with a bow.

One last thing folks, let’s all have a great day but let’s also be safe out there!

I just read a horrifying fact about backyard fires. Apparently every year barbecue grills on residential properties cause more than 1,500 structural fires, and 4,200 outdoor fires. Many of these fires occurred when a propane grill was used for the first time after winter storage.

Here’s a link to BBQ safety tips, and a safety checklist from the NYC Fire Department:

http://on.nyc.gov/OxyoiF

May you all have a wonderful 4^th of July! Let’s all have a great safe day, and relish in the awesomeness of our beautiful country.

If you have any tips or recipes for me, please share!

Happy 4^th of July!

Meet Snooty the Manatee Ambassador

Meet the Manatee Ambassador, Snooty from the South Florida Museum's Parker Manatee Aquarium. 

To find out more about Snooty, please visit - www.southfloridamuseum.org/theaquarium

Facebook - www.facebook.com/whatyoucando365

Twitter - www.twitter.com/whatyoucando

Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com

Website - www.whatyoucando.com

Starring - Marilyn Margold and Snooty the Manatee

Directed, Shot and Edited by - Alicia Arinella

Produced by - On the Leesh Productions, INC.

Music By - Banana Whale

What You Can Do Logo Created by - SCG Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by - Shutterstock Inc., Used by Permission

Special Thanks- Marilyn Margold and everyone at the South Florida Museum and Dennis Arinella

Missy's Homestead Part 7 - Plant Sharing

Missy's Homestead 7 - Plant Sharing 

I love sharing.  I love sharing food a bottle of wine, sharing my time with people who need it, carpooling...you get the idea.  During the spring when I was growing my veggie starts I couldn't afford to buy all the seeds I needed.  My sister in law was also starting some veggies in her garden but she had purchased different seeds than I had.  We decided that it would make sense if we both shared our starts with each other.  So she gave me half of her crops and I gave her half of mine.  Not only did we save money on seeds and space to grow those starts but we also got to double our crops.  That got me thinking that maybe next year I should organize some type of seed exchange!  I could coordinate with everyone about what they were growing and have a little exchange party all while drinking some homemade beer!  This would be similar to doing a clothing exchange with your friends.  Something that has become rather popular these days.  Getting new cloths, saving money and getting ride of those cloths that you no longer want taking up room in your closet.

Another great plant sharing that I have recently gotten into is succulent sharing.  Succulents have always fascinated me because you can take an arm off a plant, put it in water, and it will grow its own root system.  My mother in law recently gave me a few cuttings from a christmas cactus that her grandmother gave her cutting from.  It now sits on my table and I currently have a few arms in water that have broken off from my plant.  I am planning on giving my best friend her own cutting next time I see her.  This is a great way to give someone something special without spending a lot of money but is very meaningful. My childhood neighbor growing up was a huge succulent fan.  She use to have cactuses that were like the size of her house.   Last month my mother mentioned to her that I was looking to start my own little succulent garden.  Slowly over the past couple months anytime something would break off her larger plants she was put that piece into the dirt and save it for me.  I found an apple box for a dollar at a yard sell and put them all in the apple box.  It looks so cute and cost nothing but is so meaningful to me because she gave me all of those cuttings from her plants that she has cared for for years.  

Buying new plants is always fun.  And sometimes you have to buy new plants in order to get what you want because you may not be able to propagate a new plant from a cutting.  But why not try doing a little plant sharing with your friends.  You might find yourself with something new and interesting.

Consume Move, Buy Less. Until Next week.

Cheers!   Missy

Missy's Homestead Part 6 - 3 Leg Style

Now that we live in the little cottage in Sonoma County I have this beautiful space where I can sit outside, enjoy the sun, garden and watch my dog be more happy than she has ever been in her life.  We have a wonderful bbq that we got as a hand-me-down from my husband's grandfather, so now that we can cook outside I wanted to be able to eat outside.
Which always requires some sort of table! 

hmmmm I smell project.

I decided that I didn't want just your everyday outdoor table.  No I wanted to take an old door and make a table.  Awhile back I noticed that the people who live next to me, in my back ally, had 2 very cool looking oldie-timey (yes this is a official term...in my mind) doors that I fell in love with and in my mind had already made a table with.  However, I couldn't start making the table until I actually asked if they were getting rid of the doors.  So for weeks I kind of waited around in my garden for longer than normal hoping that my nice neighbors would come out so I could ask them about the doors.  No luck.  Until finally one day they did come out.  We said hello, exchanged some pleasantries and of course I asked them if they needed me to take those doors off of their hands.  Get them out of the drive way.  Clean up the streets.  Of course much to my disappointment they were already planning on using those great looking doors for a project of their own.  Darn.  Oh well on to the next door...wherever it maybe.  

As time went on I still had no door.  I happened to be in King City visiting my family one weekend when I mentioned to Dad that I was looking for a door and if he found one to let me know.   Of course dad laughed and was like "well...I happen to have this old door in the back of my shop,  could you use that?"  I laughed right back at him and was like "dad if it is a free door I will take it!"  A couple weeks later Dad and Mom visited up at our cottage and brought that old door.  It wasn't exactly like the doors I had imagined but it would work just fine.

The next quest was to find some used legs.  I decided that the place to go was this amazing salvage yard called Heritage Salvage.  They specialize in used wood materials like fence boards, old windows etc. So I went into the very back looking for old table legs that I could attach to my door.  Much to my excitement I found some legs that would work great!  The trouble was is that at some point someone bought one of the four legs and so I was left with 3 perfectly, sturdy legs or 4 very flimsy legs that couldn't hold up a door let alone anything else.

Fine I said.  We will make it a 3 legged table!  We bought some lag bolts and screwed a couple holes into the door and stuck the legs into the door.  And Just like that I had a back yard table!  We drilled a hole in the middle so that I could stick an umbrella in, which has proven to be a very necessary accessory to the table, as it has been very sunny and hot the last several weeks.  Of course it is not totally flat on top because of the square grooves but it works.  And I think it looks awesome.  It does kinda of look like it belongs in an MC Esher painting but who cares.  I was able to make something I really needed out of all recycled materials.  And my dad got to finally get rid of that funky door he was keeping "for some reason."

On to the next homestead project.  And remember Consume More, Buy Less.

Cheers!

Missy

Missy's Homestead Part 5 - Get a Hobby: Mine is Home brewing.

As you may know if you have been following my little blog I am currently back in California and living in beautiful Sonoma County. I am trying my best to be a good steward of the earth and working on being more involved with the community. I try my best to buy locally sourced/made products, consume and reuse more and buy less.  I am trying to create what I love to call my own little homestead.  And in my option no good homestead would be complete without something delicious to drink which was made right on the "Farm" (I put that in quotes because I don't actually live on a farm it is more of a backyard cottage)  But I digress...let us get back to the main issue at hand and that is: Beer.

(Brewing Shows)

Beer.  You may or may not like it, but I love it and I love making it.  I have been home brewing now for about 6 years, it was something I started doing on the stove of my  little Manhattan apartment. 

 When I was home brewing in NYC I was doing a modified version from what most serious home brewers would do when they have ample space outdoors.  So I didn't really have as much waste to dispose of i.e. spent grain and/or use as much water for cleaning large home brewing equipment.   I must say that if you are interested in saving money and truly enjoy knowing what ingredients go into making something that you consume, home brewing is a pretty great way to do that.  Just like baking your own cookies, making your own soap or shampoo etc. when you make something yourself you know what your putting inside your body. Also you can typically make it in bulk and there for save money on buying individually packaged items that had to travel a long way to get to the store.

When I was home brewing in nyc I only used a small amount of grain that I would need to dispose of and I would usually dry it out and make bread or something.  I also made my own ice to cool my little 3 gallon pot down with.  But now that I am here in CA I have tons or space to home brew on a larger and more proper scale.  However, that means consuming and using more water and now instead of a pound or two of spent grain I have like 20-30lbs.  

Now in commercial brewing most breweries have literally tons and tons of spent grain that they need to dispose of and so most places contract out with a local farmer who comes and takes away that grain to feed to their cows or sheep etc.  Luckily for me the neighbors across the street have chickens and goats so after we are done we walk the grain over to them so the goats can enjoy the spoils.  When I was brewing 5 gallon batches on my stove, making my own ice to cool down the pot wasn't very hard if I started making ice a day or two before.  However when you are making 35 gallons of beer there is just no way you can cool it down the same way.  So we use what is called a Wort Chiller that is a big coil that is set inside the beer and then has cold water run through to chill off the liquid.  When the beer is done brewing and we need to chill it down we use the water that comes out the other end of the chiller to clean carboys and any other equipment that we have dirtied from the brew. This way all that water is not wasted.

Another way that I am able to reuse instead of buy more when I make beer is by recycling, cleaning and then filling again any bottles that I put my home brew in.  I just have a separate  container that I keep those in after I use them and clean them out each time.  This way I don't have to buy more bottles.  

For me I happen to love beer and beer making but for those of you out there that might not feel the same way that is okay.  There are many other ways out there to save money, help the environment and be a good steward of the earth all while making your own products and having fun.    For example you could make your own soap, wine, cheese, olive oil, soda, you could raise chickens, bees, make kombucha, grow a garden, you could do canning, or knit, crochet the list goes on and on and on.  Get out there and figure out what you enjoy and figure out a way that you can take some pressure off the environment buy consuming more and buying less.

For those of you out there that might be interested in learning more about home brewing here is a link to the best book out there:  

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Edition/dp/0060531053

Okay that is all for this post.  Keep tuning in for more of my homestead adventures.  I have been considering making my own laundry detergent....i think it might be kind of awesome.

Cheers!

Missy

Missy's Homestead Part 4 - Trash that is not really Trash equals Compost

Compost has always intrigued me.  

When I was living in NYC I was not as diligent at composting my organic materials as I could have been.  I could have used a small indoor composter or I could have just as easily brought my organic matter down to my husbands restaurant where they had a company come and pick up their organic material from the kitchen.  And even still I didn't compost.  What was wrong with me?

Was I Lazy? Uninterested?  I am still not totally sure.  I just really never thought about it.  

Well now I can honestly say that I think about it.  I think about it all the time.  And I try my very best to save and compost anything that can be composted.  In our backyard, out by the garden, we have a black trash can looking device that lets us dump our organic matter in the top and pull out fresh compost from the bottom.  I had never really seen these devices before I moved to Sonoma County.  I new people had them  but we never composted as a child and no one I knew had owned one.  I was a little concerned at first that it would smell or that I would think using this freshly made "compost" would be gross.  But much to my surprise the compost bin never really smells and every couple months I can't wait to use my fresh homemade compost on my garden.  I do have to say that we get our fair share of little flying bugs from time to time but I think that is very normal.  The only bad thing that I have to say about our particular composter is that it is not totally rodent proof.  I think that the next time I buy one I would get one that was suspended above the ground and that I could spin to mix the compost up.  We have since had to rodent proof our composter since the time I opened it up and there were some very happy creatures who were extremely startled after I started screaming like a little girl, dropping my compost bowl, and running away.  (What happened to me out here in the country?! I never screamed at those rats when they were chasing me down the Subway platform?!!!?)

I try to make the composting as intuitive as possible because when you get in the groove of cooking and cleaning you can often unknowingly forget at throw out items that are easily compostable.  I keep a small tin bowl on the side of my sink and anytime I need to discard some organic matter I throw it in the bowl.  When the bowl gets full I walk out and dump it right in the compost bin.  I was shocked when I started to learn that you can compost so many things you would think needed to be thrown out. Like Egg Shells, Coffee Filters, Paper Towels, plain cooked pasta etc.  Follow this link for a longer list of things you thought you couldn't compost but can: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/surprising-compost-items.htm

Another option that I was thrilled to find out about since living here in Sonoma County was that even if you don't have a compost bin at your house you can put your compostable items in a paper bag and put them in your trash green bin.  The county will now recycle and compost that matter for you.  I thought that was such a great idea that I sometimes do that with my materials to help support such a great service that the county is now offering to the residence.  Every little bit of consuming/reusing waste that you can do rather than creating more is good for our earth.

For those of you fabulous people that still live in the empire state and particularly in my favorite town: NYC, here is a link that you can follow about composting options in NYC.  http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/compost/composting_nyc.shtml

Recycle more, Waste Less.

More to come and Cheers for now!

Melissa J

P.S. I am contemplating Chickens and Bees in the next 9 months...holy moly homestead batman