Confessions of a Closet Environmentalist tagged me with my very first meme. I have been directed to share 7 random facts with you folks.
The rules come from The Bedroom Reader and are as follows:
"Each person tagged gives seven random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write on their blog seven facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and need to read your blog."
Here is more information about me than you really want to know. Okay so maybe I already crossed that line talking about snot, but here goes anyway.
1. I am still confused by the blogging world. The terms befuddle me. For instance, ‘meme’. I looked it up on Wikipedia and have a vague sense now of what it means. But what about ‘trackback’? And how about the really slick banners some blogs have? Did they design them themselves? How?!
2. I am a practical gal. Someone asked me on Monday why I read green blogs instead of sites with information about climate change, peak oil, etc. It’s because I already know those things are problems. What I want to know is what to do about it. Give me ideas and practical actions!
3. I like reading weird books like The Secret Life of Dust, Kitchen Science, The Owner’s Manual for the Brain, and Caring for the Dead. It’s that practical angle again.
4. My green side wars constantly with my frugal side. For example, I can buy 20 pounds of jasmine rice imported from Thailand for $21.50 or I can buy 25 pounds of California-grown jasmine rice for over $45. I haven’t resolved this one yet. It’s a no-brainer from the local food standpoint but also a no-brainer, with a different answer, from the budget standpoint.
5. I don’t own a TV but I love movies. The only ones I like to see in theaters are foreign films; the subtitles keep away the unruly audience members.
6. I prefer function over fashion. My wardrobe mainstays are jeans or durable pants and t-shirts. Sweat shirts in the winter. I don’t even own make-up. But secretly I like the show "What Not to Wear" (seen at MIL's on her TV).
7. My vehicle has 10 bumperstickers on it plus 2 window stickers. My bike has 8 bumperstickers on it. I’m opinionated and you’re gonna know about it!
Here are the seven folks falling victim to my tagging: Little Blog in the Big Woods (no fair including anything already on your looong list!), Visualize Whirled Peas, This Green Life, Con$umer Di$obendience, Do You Realize?, The Compact, and Crunchy Chicken . Your turn!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Gearing up for Low Impact Week
Even though many of us are striving to reduce our shopping, sometimes greening up means having to buy stuff: CFLs to lower power use, re-usable products, supplies, plants and seeds to grow your own food, and so on.
When my sweetie and I discussed our plans for Low Impact Week , it became evident that this project would involve making some investments. Greening up can be an expensive enterprise as anyone who’s replaced all of their lightbulbs with CFLs can attest to. In some cases, the financial payback can be lengthy; solar panels are a good example. Other changes, such as eating fewer animal products, can result in immediate savings in the grocery budget as well as long-term savings in health costs. While personal cost is an important criteria in the decision-making process, environmental and social responsibility must be factored in as well, at least to the extent it is financially feasible for your household.
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve spent a fair amount of money on items that will lower our impact. We carefully considered the cost and quality of these things as well as their durability and long-term usefulness. We've learned to avoid buying the cheapest option available; it makes no sense to buy something cheap that has to be replaced annually when a slightly more expensive option will last much longer.
Here are some of our recent purchases – the first five were new but the rest were found at thrift stores or yard sales:
1. Xtracycle retrofit kit - still need a used mountain bike to put it on.
2. On/off flow control switch for shower head to shut off water when soaping up
3. Silicone liners for baking pans to replace disposable parchment paper
4. Hardware cloth for sifting compost
5. CFLs for most frequently used lights in house
6. Pots for container gardening
7. Compost and seeds (Free at the local food bank!) to grow some food
8. Self-erecting greenhouse for winter gardening
9. Larger pan for my solar oven
10. Re-fillable cups and mugs for any beverage purchases when out
11. Bandana to use as hand towel when away from home
I'm still searching for hankies...but I loaded up on recycled tissues and toilet paper!
Look for more discussions on “gear” during Low Impact Week, starting tomorrow, as well as new actions and behavior modification.
When my sweetie and I discussed our plans for Low Impact Week , it became evident that this project would involve making some investments. Greening up can be an expensive enterprise as anyone who’s replaced all of their lightbulbs with CFLs can attest to. In some cases, the financial payback can be lengthy; solar panels are a good example. Other changes, such as eating fewer animal products, can result in immediate savings in the grocery budget as well as long-term savings in health costs. While personal cost is an important criteria in the decision-making process, environmental and social responsibility must be factored in as well, at least to the extent it is financially feasible for your household.
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve spent a fair amount of money on items that will lower our impact. We carefully considered the cost and quality of these things as well as their durability and long-term usefulness. We've learned to avoid buying the cheapest option available; it makes no sense to buy something cheap that has to be replaced annually when a slightly more expensive option will last much longer.
Here are some of our recent purchases – the first five were new but the rest were found at thrift stores or yard sales:
1. Xtracycle retrofit kit - still need a used mountain bike to put it on.
2. On/off flow control switch for shower head to shut off water when soaping up
3. Silicone liners for baking pans to replace disposable parchment paper
4. Hardware cloth for sifting compost
5. CFLs for most frequently used lights in house
6. Pots for container gardening
7. Compost and seeds (Free at the local food bank!) to grow some food
8. Self-erecting greenhouse for winter gardening
9. Larger pan for my solar oven
10. Re-fillable cups and mugs for any beverage purchases when out
11. Bandana to use as hand towel when away from home
I'm still searching for hankies...but I loaded up on recycled tissues and toilet paper!
Look for more discussions on “gear” during Low Impact Week, starting tomorrow, as well as new actions and behavior modification.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Things I've Seen This Week
Motorcyclist riding with helmet on handlebars. Must subscribe to widely-held belief that a helmet hanging on the bike will automatically protect his head in a wreck.
Gas-guzzling SUV parked in electric car spot at used bookstore. That’s just wrong.
Boxers. I don’t want to know the color of your underwear. Pull your pants up!
“Annoy a Conservative” and “Annoy a Liberal” bumper sticker on the same vehicle. Must be interesting conversation at the dinner table.
More people on bicycles. Yay!
Gas-guzzling SUV parked in electric car spot at used bookstore. That’s just wrong.
Boxers. I don’t want to know the color of your underwear. Pull your pants up!
“Annoy a Conservative” and “Annoy a Liberal” bumper sticker on the same vehicle. Must be interesting conversation at the dinner table.
More people on bicycles. Yay!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Bountiful Harvest
I joined the local CSA over a year ago, shortly after discovering its existence. Community Supported Agriculture offers me an easy way to get locally-grown organic food. Although CSAs vary in the specifics, members usually pay the farmer at the beginning of a season for a share of the harvest and then receive farm fresh produce (and/or other products such as eggs and milk) each week. Some CSAs may require that members also help out on the farm for a certain number of hours.
This is a wonderful way to help support local agriculture and small businesses while getting great-tasting food. Harvesting produce at the peak of ripeness for immediate use results in better taste and texture than produce in grocery stores that has to hold up to longer shipping times and far more handling. Our CSA farmer is able to grow many heirloom and native varieties that simply would not do well in a supermarket situation and the difference is incredible.
If you have a brown thumb like me or want to supplement your own garden’s produce, check out Local Harvest to find a CSA near you. The site also lists farms, farmer’s markets, and even restaurants that use regional and seasonal ingredients.
The founder of our CSA advises new members that they need to shift their thinking when it comes to planning meals. Your planning needs to transition from a recipe-driven menu to one driven by available ingredients.
When I listed the harvest I picked up yesterday to start planning this week’s menu, I included the few perishable items leftover from the previous week. Then I realized just how much other food I have on hand from a year with the CSA, such as candied grapefruit peel, dry beans, and frozen herbs (and pumpkin puree). As we continue to become accustomed to the bountiful harvest available close to home, we shift more of our food consumption to locally grown food.
Joining a CSA can seem like a daunting financial commitment because of the large payment at the beginning of the season rather than buying groceries a week at a time. Depending on how much food comes in your share and how many people it must feed in your household, you may find that you no longer even go to the grocery store for produce. You may also find that you eat out less because you have plenty of wonderful tasty food at home. I have learned to be less wasteful with my produce because I’ve met the actual farmer who grows my food. The guilt is overwhelming when I let any of his beautiful harvest go to waste. (Well, actually it goes to compost, but still…)
The flip side of all this bounty is that you may get tired of the same vegetables and/or fruit several weeks in a row. Our farm has had an outstanding beet year. We like beets and I’m learning different ways to prepare them, but I’m ready for those summer melons! One solution to menu monotony is to put up some of your share to use at other times of the year. Roasted beet puree is in my freezer currently, right alongside the pumpkin puree leftover from last fall. Since each farm is different, you may want to find out how much variety you can expect in your weekly CSA share.
Being a member of the CSA brings back fond memories of my childhood when my dad and later my grandfather cultivated a quarter-acre, growing most of the produce eaten by my family. When I left for college, it was an unpleasant shock to find myself dependent on less flavorful store-bought produce and products. Unfortunately, my personal gardening attempts generally ended poorly. Seeds refused to sprout for me and vegetable plants died under my care.
When asked, I describe myself as a “destructive gardener”. Your plants need pruning? Call me. Need dead trees removed? I’m your girl. Amazingly though, the starts I received from the CSA this spring are stubbornly refusing to die and they are even daring to grow. We’ll have to see whether they have the audacity to produce anything edible. If not, I’ve always got the CSA.
Get your bumper sticker from Cafe Press.
This is a wonderful way to help support local agriculture and small businesses while getting great-tasting food. Harvesting produce at the peak of ripeness for immediate use results in better taste and texture than produce in grocery stores that has to hold up to longer shipping times and far more handling. Our CSA farmer is able to grow many heirloom and native varieties that simply would not do well in a supermarket situation and the difference is incredible.
If you have a brown thumb like me or want to supplement your own garden’s produce, check out Local Harvest to find a CSA near you. The site also lists farms, farmer’s markets, and even restaurants that use regional and seasonal ingredients.
The founder of our CSA advises new members that they need to shift their thinking when it comes to planning meals. Your planning needs to transition from a recipe-driven menu to one driven by available ingredients.
When I listed the harvest I picked up yesterday to start planning this week’s menu, I included the few perishable items leftover from the previous week. Then I realized just how much other food I have on hand from a year with the CSA, such as candied grapefruit peel, dry beans, and frozen herbs (and pumpkin puree). As we continue to become accustomed to the bountiful harvest available close to home, we shift more of our food consumption to locally grown food.
Joining a CSA can seem like a daunting financial commitment because of the large payment at the beginning of the season rather than buying groceries a week at a time. Depending on how much food comes in your share and how many people it must feed in your household, you may find that you no longer even go to the grocery store for produce. You may also find that you eat out less because you have plenty of wonderful tasty food at home. I have learned to be less wasteful with my produce because I’ve met the actual farmer who grows my food. The guilt is overwhelming when I let any of his beautiful harvest go to waste. (Well, actually it goes to compost, but still…)
The flip side of all this bounty is that you may get tired of the same vegetables and/or fruit several weeks in a row. Our farm has had an outstanding beet year. We like beets and I’m learning different ways to prepare them, but I’m ready for those summer melons! One solution to menu monotony is to put up some of your share to use at other times of the year. Roasted beet puree is in my freezer currently, right alongside the pumpkin puree leftover from last fall. Since each farm is different, you may want to find out how much variety you can expect in your weekly CSA share.
Being a member of the CSA brings back fond memories of my childhood when my dad and later my grandfather cultivated a quarter-acre, growing most of the produce eaten by my family. When I left for college, it was an unpleasant shock to find myself dependent on less flavorful store-bought produce and products. Unfortunately, my personal gardening attempts generally ended poorly. Seeds refused to sprout for me and vegetable plants died under my care.
When asked, I describe myself as a “destructive gardener”. Your plants need pruning? Call me. Need dead trees removed? I’m your girl. Amazingly though, the starts I received from the CSA this spring are stubbornly refusing to die and they are even daring to grow. We’ll have to see whether they have the audacity to produce anything edible. If not, I’ve always got the CSA.Get your bumper sticker from Cafe Press.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Composting Snot
I’ve been looking at ways to reduce the biggest component of our garbage: snot-filled Kleenex. Yes, I’m ashamed to admit that I use a major name brand of tissue that’s not even made from recycled fibers. I feel bad about this but my sweetie and I can easily go through 50 tissues day, especially with allergies this time of year.
“All the more reason you should buy recycled!,” you say. I agree, but my nose simply cannot take being wiped with the equivalent of 400-grit sandpaper over two dozen times a day. The skin and tissue (mine!) would be beyond raw.
We’ve thought about the hankie route. The concern again is with the sheer volume of mucus. There is no way a single kerchief is going to absorb that much snot. And, I’m usually not squeamish, but there is also no way that I want to store a disgusting soaked hankie in my pocket or purse. To be on the safe side, we would need at least a dozen hankies each. Where does one store that many, both clean and soiled? Do we buy a gross (a dozen dozen) to keep on hand so that we don’t have to do laundry every night? I just can’t figure out the logistics of this, especially with scarce water resources in the desert.
Maybe there’s an alternative to adding to the waste stream. In my research on what is allowable in compost, a number of sites list used paper towels and tissues. Well, we very rarely use paper towels, but we sure do use tissues. My concern here is with bacteria and other nasties.
A study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in October 2006 reports:
On Joseph Jenkins’ Humanure site, he instructs composters to allow composted toilet material to age for one year before applying it to your soil. If the compost temperature is maintained at the proper heat levels, the finished compost can be used on food crops.
So yes, I’m confident that in the right composting conditions, composting our snotty tissues would render the pathogens harmless. Unfortunately, our current situation does not allow us to set up an appropriate composting system and have the time to age it properly.
Will I be composting my snot anytime soon? Probably not. Will I try composting my snot in the future? You bet! I’ve already warned my sweetie that we will be doing the humanure thing at some point. (Hopefully this won’t be grounds for divorce!)
What I will do now is try every brand of recycled tissue available in the area to see if there is one that can be used at least 10-25% of the time. I will also look into a small hankie stash for those days when the mucus is not running out of my nasal passages with the stamina and determination of a marathon runner.
“All the more reason you should buy recycled!,” you say. I agree, but my nose simply cannot take being wiped with the equivalent of 400-grit sandpaper over two dozen times a day. The skin and tissue (mine!) would be beyond raw.
We’ve thought about the hankie route. The concern again is with the sheer volume of mucus. There is no way a single kerchief is going to absorb that much snot. And, I’m usually not squeamish, but there is also no way that I want to store a disgusting soaked hankie in my pocket or purse. To be on the safe side, we would need at least a dozen hankies each. Where does one store that many, both clean and soiled? Do we buy a gross (a dozen dozen) to keep on hand so that we don’t have to do laundry every night? I just can’t figure out the logistics of this, especially with scarce water resources in the desert.
Maybe there’s an alternative to adding to the waste stream. In my research on what is allowable in compost, a number of sites list used paper towels and tissues. Well, we very rarely use paper towels, but we sure do use tissues. My concern here is with bacteria and other nasties.
A study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in October 2006 reports:
Many people carry Staphylococcus aureus, a potential disease-causing microbe, in their nose and now new research shows that large amounts of this organism and other bacteria are released into the air with every sneeze.In a discussion on food poisoning, Health A to Z cautions:
It is estimated that 50% of healthy people have the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in their nasal passages and throat, and on their skin and hair. Rubbing a runny nose, then touching food can introduce the bacteria into cooked food. Bacteria flourish at room temperature, and will rapidly grow into quantities capable of making people sick.Could I safely throw our tissues in the compost pile and then confidently use that compost on food crops? I’ve searched online and had trouble finding any references at all to whether this is a legitimate concern. Yesterday, I saw that John and Louisa in the UK recommend that you do not try to compost your snot due to the possibility that pathogens will survive the composting process.
On Joseph Jenkins’ Humanure site, he instructs composters to allow composted toilet material to age for one year before applying it to your soil. If the compost temperature is maintained at the proper heat levels, the finished compost can be used on food crops.
So yes, I’m confident that in the right composting conditions, composting our snotty tissues would render the pathogens harmless. Unfortunately, our current situation does not allow us to set up an appropriate composting system and have the time to age it properly.
Will I be composting my snot anytime soon? Probably not. Will I try composting my snot in the future? You bet! I’ve already warned my sweetie that we will be doing the humanure thing at some point. (Hopefully this won’t be grounds for divorce!)
What I will do now is try every brand of recycled tissue available in the area to see if there is one that can be used at least 10-25% of the time. I will also look into a small hankie stash for those days when the mucus is not running out of my nasal passages with the stamina and determination of a marathon runner.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Raising the Coffee Bar
Do you love fancy coffee drinks but can’t really afford them, even if you’d like to support your friendly neighborhood business? You don’t need to spend almost five bucks at a coffee shop just to get jolted awake in the morning. You can get your full dose of caffeine and sugar in your own kitchen for a lot less money. Save the coffee shop visit for a special treat after a long hard bike ride! Here’s the recipe for my morning latte - try it if you dare.
First, put 2 heaping tablespoons of freshly ground coffee, enough for a strong cup of brew, into a small French Press. Pour in half as much very hot water as needed for a full mug of coffee. While this is steeping, heat 3/4 cup vanilla soymilk until hot, but not boiling. Here's the tricky part: add as much sugar to the hot soymilk as it will hold in suspension. In other words, if it won't dissolve, there may be too much sugar. Using an Aerolatte, the best invention since the coffee roaster, froth the soymilk and sugar up to twice its volume. Pour this into a large mug and don’t forget to spoon in all that wonderful silky foam. Carefully push the French Press plunger down, and pour the coffee into the mug. Enjoy!
Keep in mind that it's easiest to clean the French Press soon after making the coffee. I know you want to relax and nurse your latte for a while, but trust me here. You don’t want nasty old grounds or oils contaminating your next delicious latte. Wash well and rinse thoroughly.
Here are some easy ways to make your morning latte more environmentally friendly:
1. Ride your bike or walk to the store to buy your coffee beans, sugar, and soymilk.
2. Buy organic shade-grown coffee. Try to find the closest source to your area.
3. Buy or make your own organic soymilk.
4. Recharge your Aerolatte batteries in a solar battery recharger.
5. Compost your used coffee grounds or sprinkle them directly around acid-loving plants in your garden such as lilacs, roses, blueberries, camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
You can get extra points for being green by heating the brewing water and soymilk in your solar oven. Unfortunately this means you’ll have to wait until mid-morning for your coffee, but what a great excuse to sleep in. “Sorry, Honey, I just can’t make the coffee until the sun’s up at a higher angle.”
First, put 2 heaping tablespoons of freshly ground coffee, enough for a strong cup of brew, into a small French Press. Pour in half as much very hot water as needed for a full mug of coffee. While this is steeping, heat 3/4 cup vanilla soymilk until hot, but not boiling. Here's the tricky part: add as much sugar to the hot soymilk as it will hold in suspension. In other words, if it won't dissolve, there may be too much sugar. Using an Aerolatte, the best invention since the coffee roaster, froth the soymilk and sugar up to twice its volume. Pour this into a large mug and don’t forget to spoon in all that wonderful silky foam. Carefully push the French Press plunger down, and pour the coffee into the mug. Enjoy!
Keep in mind that it's easiest to clean the French Press soon after making the coffee. I know you want to relax and nurse your latte for a while, but trust me here. You don’t want nasty old grounds or oils contaminating your next delicious latte. Wash well and rinse thoroughly.
Here are some easy ways to make your morning latte more environmentally friendly:
1. Ride your bike or walk to the store to buy your coffee beans, sugar, and soymilk.
2. Buy organic shade-grown coffee. Try to find the closest source to your area.
3. Buy or make your own organic soymilk.
4. Recharge your Aerolatte batteries in a solar battery recharger.
5. Compost your used coffee grounds or sprinkle them directly around acid-loving plants in your garden such as lilacs, roses, blueberries, camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
You can get extra points for being green by heating the brewing water and soymilk in your solar oven. Unfortunately this means you’ll have to wait until mid-morning for your coffee, but what a great excuse to sleep in. “Sorry, Honey, I just can’t make the coffee until the sun’s up at a higher angle.”
Friday, May 25, 2007
What's in a (blog) name?
I struggled over what to name my blog. Chile has been my online persona for years so I knew she’d have to run the show. My interests are diverse, although you’ll soon discover I am obsessed with food, and I didn’t want to choose a name that would pigeonhole my subject choices.
“Cooking with Chile?” Nah, I want to talk about other issues too. Besides, with that name, the green chile aficionados would expect all chile recipes all the time. I’ll throw in a few but I also like sushi.
“Chile Chats?” Hm, do rants count as chats? I want to leave the option open for the occasional rant. “Functional Frugalism?” Too limiting and sounds dreary. “My Mind Wanders?” Maybe that describes my reality a little too well…
I finally realized I needed something nonsensical and "Chile Chews" was born. A friend asked me if “Chews” was supposed to be read as a noun or verb. I told her I didn’t care. Read it however you want. Since my sweetie likes Reed’s Ginger Chews, chewy pepper candy is what I personally thought of.
Now before anybody looks too close and points it out, I have to admit that my blog title photo is not technically a green chile. It’s actually an unusually long, skinny bell pepper. I was toolazy environmentally-conscious to drive to the store three miles away to get a real green chile when I could fake it with an organic bell pepper from the natural foods store just ½ mile from my home.
How does one make a pepper look interesting? My first photo indicated that peppers had a naturally … sensuous look to them. Yikes!
After finally getting the nice nature shot of a pepper up in the blog title, I decided to forge ahead with the candy idea. There are no recipes online for candying chiles. After all, who in their right mind would candy a pepper? My only option was to try adapting a recipe for candied orange peels.
First the seeded and stemmed pepper was simmered in a strong sugar syrup for half an hour. Then the pieces were drained. (Any suggestions on uses for pepper-flavored syrup?) They were pretty soft and limp, but I hoped coating them in sugar would help cure them the way it does for orange peels. After several hours, the sugarcoated pieces were still moist, so they spent the night lounging in the dehydrator. Finally, dry but still somewhat pliable candied pepper pieces were ready for tasting.
You might be wondering why the pieces are so large. Well, to paraphrase Heinlein, I believe that moderation is for monks. Take big bites out of life! Unfortunately, these big bites were rather lacking in snack-appeal.
I’d already sunk quite a lot of time and effort into this crazy project, and I absolutely hate wasting food. By this time, I’d really begun to question whether I was falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy.
As described by Robert Todd Carroll in the Skeptic’s Dictionary:
Call me an idiot, but I wasn’t willing to toss these into the compost pile yet. Viewing the candied pepper as an ingredient rather than a snack food might be the answer. After a few modifications, a unique batch of cornbread was baking in the oven.
Jan Tz’s Cornbread
1 1/4 c soymilk
1 tbs + 1 tsp vinegar
1 c cornmeal
1 c unbleached flour
2 tbs sugar – replaced with all of the candied pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
Additions: 3 tbs frozen corn kernels & 3 tbs chopped roasted red pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 8" square pan with Pam.
Combine soymilk and vinegar. Set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
When the oven reaches temperature, pour the soured soymilk into the dry ingredients. Mix quickly, and don't over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, the top will be golden and a toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
Let cool before trying to cut.
Note: Jan’s delicious quick bread recipes are vegan and have no added fat. She uses the combination of vinegar and baking soda to provide leavening.
I am pleased to report that the cornbread came out delicious.
Finally, a tasty end to this misbegotten quest to make “chile chews”. Maybe I’m not such an idiot after all.
“Cooking with Chile?” Nah, I want to talk about other issues too. Besides, with that name, the green chile aficionados would expect all chile recipes all the time. I’ll throw in a few but I also like sushi.
“Chile Chats?” Hm, do rants count as chats? I want to leave the option open for the occasional rant. “Functional Frugalism?” Too limiting and sounds dreary. “My Mind Wanders?” Maybe that describes my reality a little too well…
I finally realized I needed something nonsensical and "Chile Chews" was born. A friend asked me if “Chews” was supposed to be read as a noun or verb. I told her I didn’t care. Read it however you want. Since my sweetie likes Reed’s Ginger Chews, chewy pepper candy is what I personally thought of.
Now before anybody looks too close and points it out, I have to admit that my blog title photo is not technically a green chile. It’s actually an unusually long, skinny bell pepper. I was too
How does one make a pepper look interesting? My first photo indicated that peppers had a naturally … sensuous look to them. Yikes!
After finally getting the nice nature shot of a pepper up in the blog title, I decided to forge ahead with the candy idea. There are no recipes online for candying chiles. After all, who in their right mind would candy a pepper? My only option was to try adapting a recipe for candied orange peels.
First the seeded and stemmed pepper was simmered in a strong sugar syrup for half an hour. Then the pieces were drained. (Any suggestions on uses for pepper-flavored syrup?) They were pretty soft and limp, but I hoped coating them in sugar would help cure them the way it does for orange peels. After several hours, the sugarcoated pieces were still moist, so they spent the night lounging in the dehydrator. Finally, dry but still somewhat pliable candied pepper pieces were ready for tasting.
You might be wondering why the pieces are so large. Well, to paraphrase Heinlein, I believe that moderation is for monks. Take big bites out of life! Unfortunately, these big bites were rather lacking in snack-appeal.
I’d already sunk quite a lot of time and effort into this crazy project, and I absolutely hate wasting food. By this time, I’d really begun to question whether I was falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy.
As described by Robert Todd Carroll in the Skeptic’s Dictionary:
When one makes a hopeless investment, one sometimes reasons: I can’t stop now, otherwise what I’ve invested so far will be lost. This is true, of course, but irrelevant to whether one should continue to invest in the project. Everything one has invested is lost regardless. If there is no hope for success in the future from the investment, then the fact that one has already lost a bundle should lead one to the conclusion that the rational thing to do is to withdraw from the project.
To continue to invest in a hopeless project is irrational. Such behavior may be a pathetic attempt to delay having to face the consequences of one's poor judgment. The irrationality is a way to save face, to appear to be knowledgeable, when in fact one is acting like an idiot.
Call me an idiot, but I wasn’t willing to toss these into the compost pile yet. Viewing the candied pepper as an ingredient rather than a snack food might be the answer. After a few modifications, a unique batch of cornbread was baking in the oven.
Jan Tz’s Cornbread
1 1/4 c soymilk
1 tbs + 1 tsp vinegar
1 c cornmeal
1 c unbleached flour
2 tbs sugar – replaced with all of the candied pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
Additions: 3 tbs frozen corn kernels & 3 tbs chopped roasted red pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 8" square pan with Pam.
Combine soymilk and vinegar. Set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
When the oven reaches temperature, pour the soured soymilk into the dry ingredients. Mix quickly, and don't over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, the top will be golden and a toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
Let cool before trying to cut.
Note: Jan’s delicious quick bread recipes are vegan and have no added fat. She uses the combination of vinegar and baking soda to provide leavening.
I am pleased to report that the cornbread came out delicious.
Finally, a tasty end to this misbegotten quest to make “chile chews”. Maybe I’m not such an idiot after all.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Low Impact Week is coming!
UPDATE: Follow along with my adventures through Low Impact Week by clicking here.
See Crunchy Chicken’s blog to find out what it is and why you should care.
This project is a great introduction for folks new to the idea of living more lightly on the planet, a good challenge for already green people to ramp up their commitment, and a painful kick in the pants for those of us who have let our efforts slide.
Yep, I’m in that last category. I’ve been ultra-green in the past. I’ve worked in the field of conservation and environmental education. I know how important it is to be mindful of how I carry on this business of living. I’ve even lived off the grid. Unfortunately, I’ve found that over the years, my level of commitment varies with income, time, and stress. Thankfully my interest has been renewed again lately and I’m jumping back in the pond with both feet. It’s great to see so much enthusiasm lately, both from the many folks new to low impact living as well as those who have been doing it for years.
I kept track of my numbers last week with Crunchy Chicken’s scorecard. Since the project was already on my mind, I found I was already modifying my behavior and probably lowered my impact at least a small amount automatically. A comparison with utility records from the same time period last year will perhaps give a more accurate picture of whether I make a difference in early June or not. My sweetie and I discussed the list of suggested actions for the week, talked about what we’re already doing, and brainstormed about what else we could be doing.
Since there are seven categories in this one week challenge, I plan to address one category each day during the first week of June and talk about what we’re doing. Get your butt in gear if you want to join in. Tomorrow’s the last chance to start recording a test week’s worth of your current impact!
See Crunchy Chicken’s blog to find out what it is and why you should care.
This project is a great introduction for folks new to the idea of living more lightly on the planet, a good challenge for already green people to ramp up their commitment, and a painful kick in the pants for those of us who have let our efforts slide.
Yep, I’m in that last category. I’ve been ultra-green in the past. I’ve worked in the field of conservation and environmental education. I know how important it is to be mindful of how I carry on this business of living. I’ve even lived off the grid. Unfortunately, I’ve found that over the years, my level of commitment varies with income, time, and stress. Thankfully my interest has been renewed again lately and I’m jumping back in the pond with both feet. It’s great to see so much enthusiasm lately, both from the many folks new to low impact living as well as those who have been doing it for years.
I kept track of my numbers last week with Crunchy Chicken’s scorecard. Since the project was already on my mind, I found I was already modifying my behavior and probably lowered my impact at least a small amount automatically. A comparison with utility records from the same time period last year will perhaps give a more accurate picture of whether I make a difference in early June or not. My sweetie and I discussed the list of suggested actions for the week, talked about what we’re already doing, and brainstormed about what else we could be doing.
Since there are seven categories in this one week challenge, I plan to address one category each day during the first week of June and talk about what we’re doing. Get your butt in gear if you want to join in. Tomorrow’s the last chance to start recording a test week’s worth of your current impact!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Frugal Soup
I was rearranging the pantry one morning last month and needed space in the legume area. This was easily accomplished by removing the large jar holding only 1/3 cup of lentils. Hm, I thought to myself, I guess I'm making soup today. I put the lentils in some water to boil with a dried red chile pepper. There were salvageable parts from a few aging garlic cloves that also went into the pot. At the same time, I started heating a pan of water for vegetable stock. The garlic skins went into that one.
This soup ended up being one of those use-it-up, clean-it-out soups. For seasoning, I planned to use the 2 packages of vegan instant garlic-vegetable soup that were...cough...slightly expired. I had just cleaned all the mud off the carrots I picked up at the CSA the night before so several of those went in. The carrot ends and peel went into the stock pan. The bundle of baby leeks went in after a good rinsing. (Ends in the stock.) I picked through the previous week's rainbow chard packs to get all the good crisp leaves out and sliced them finely, stems and all. By the time the lentils were starting to get tender, the veggies were ready to add along with the soup mixes.
Then I started checking the other containers in the fridge and freezer to see what else might be available. Hm, that last couple tablespoons of ketchup was just crowding the shelf. Yep, ketchup went in my soup. As long as tomato is now part of the flavoring, I might as well toss in a frozen tablespoon cube of tomato paste. Oops! Forgot that I wanted to add some of the dried mushrooms. Whew. By this time, the soup had grown considerably and I found I’d added way too much liquid. (The separate vegetable stock had been strained and added to the pot for flavor.)
A quarter of a box of whole wheat spaghetti seemed a good addition after it was broken up into short pieces. However, the soup still seemed...thin. So, I added a can of great northern beans. And then decided to thicken it up with bulgur. That soaked in the hot soup with the heat off for half an hour.
At only 10 in the morning, I had to eat a bowl of this soup because it turned out so tasty! A simple third-cup of lentils yielded enough soup to feed about 8-10 people. Later, I made some croutons with the whole wheat bread that had been languishing in the freezer for a while.
This soup ended up being one of those use-it-up, clean-it-out soups. For seasoning, I planned to use the 2 packages of vegan instant garlic-vegetable soup that were...cough...slightly expired. I had just cleaned all the mud off the carrots I picked up at the CSA the night before so several of those went in. The carrot ends and peel went into the stock pan. The bundle of baby leeks went in after a good rinsing. (Ends in the stock.) I picked through the previous week's rainbow chard packs to get all the good crisp leaves out and sliced them finely, stems and all. By the time the lentils were starting to get tender, the veggies were ready to add along with the soup mixes.
Then I started checking the other containers in the fridge and freezer to see what else might be available. Hm, that last couple tablespoons of ketchup was just crowding the shelf. Yep, ketchup went in my soup. As long as tomato is now part of the flavoring, I might as well toss in a frozen tablespoon cube of tomato paste. Oops! Forgot that I wanted to add some of the dried mushrooms. Whew. By this time, the soup had grown considerably and I found I’d added way too much liquid. (The separate vegetable stock had been strained and added to the pot for flavor.)
A quarter of a box of whole wheat spaghetti seemed a good addition after it was broken up into short pieces. However, the soup still seemed...thin. So, I added a can of great northern beans. And then decided to thicken it up with bulgur. That soaked in the hot soup with the heat off for half an hour.
At only 10 in the morning, I had to eat a bowl of this soup because it turned out so tasty! A simple third-cup of lentils yielded enough soup to feed about 8-10 people. Later, I made some croutons with the whole wheat bread that had been languishing in the freezer for a while.
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