Sunday, November 2, 2008

Weekly Challenge Update


Well the 57 day strike is over at Boeing- I will be returning to work on the 3rd- sigh I must admit I was enjoying practicing for retirement; I must say that challenges have taught me to live frugally, and more self sustaining. If you haven’t tried a challenge, I highly suggest you start! Also, beansprouts blog started a challenge which is right up my alley- A make your own Christmas gifts challenge!

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge Week 20
Plant something: Kale plants that I bought
Prep something: 3 more pumpkins roasted, pureed and froze. Roasted pumpkin seeds!
Harvest something- A few beans and some lettuce; sunflower heads from the garden for bird food- strung them up with a stick or twig stuck in the head as a perch for birds- I use to do this as a kid
Manage something: Finish putting up the new siding on the north gable
Cook Something New: Cook some of Beth’s Cat food for my cat
Work on Local Food Systems: Not really, but I did buy three more sugar pumpkins for pie/soup/pumpkin bread from my local green grocer- He lowers the price on the day after halloween!
Re-Cycle, Re-Use, Re-Duce, Repair or Compost something: Saved some of the scrap cedar shingles to use in the rocket stove or my chiminea; took the rest for burn barrel on the picket line; cut down sunflowers as their growing season is over- saved the heads for birdfood and put the stalks in the composter
Learn a skill: Nothing much except learned how to recharge Nicad batteries to reduce waste batteries for flashlights, remotes, etc. Found out the NiCad batteries are rechargeable and not much more expensive than the alkaline- great for my digi-cam or as I call it My AA Battery eater! And learned I could make a solar recharger for them! Also learned That you can use the NiCad rechargeble batteries in your solar powered lights if your batteries in them went tits up

MELINDA'S BUY SUSTAINABLY CHALLENGE: Went to St. Vincent’s and bought 2 vegetable peelers, 2 stainless steel bowls with covers and a zester. I needed a new vegetable peeler, they were $6-$14 at the grocery- ridiculous! So I bought two slightly used ones that work fine for $.49 a piece! Since there was a tag sale at St. Vinnie's I got them for $.13 each! Bought two pumpkins from the green grocer that went on sale the day after Halloween! Roasted and pureed and froze them for pie! Roasted the seeds! I Bought four kale plants at Duane’s. Except for groceries, Bought nothing else.

JENNIFER'S STOP THE LEAKS CHALLENGE: Finished the gable project- 2 more to go on the house, two more on the garage. The holes are gone! Will do/finish the house first since the garage is not heated and is an “outbuilding”.

CRUNCHY DOMESTIC GODDESS’ DITCH THE DISPOSABLES CHALLENGE: Didn’t do too well this week- went to a local creperie that opened here in Burien- they put crepes in cardboard boxes which went into my yard waste container, and no bag but I could have eaten them there- but they use chinet paper plates and plastic forks/spoons so I thought it would be better to eat them at home- at least I knew containers would get composted! And bought two pizzas this week- we needed a quick meal one night- the containers also went into yard waste bin! No coffee to go without my stainless steel commuter cup this week though so that was good!

MELINDA'S GROWING CHALLENGE: Trying to figure out why my Kale etc. is not growing. Am going to try bell Cloche’s (I made some out of 2 liter pop bottles)
Any info anyone has on Kale would be appreciated!



Beansprout's Make a Christmas Gift Challenge: Ms. Melanie has a wonderful challenge for November- I make most of my Christmas gifts, so this should be neat and easy. She didn't have a button for the challenge, at least not one I saw so I made her one! I have laready started- I made fruit infused vodka for my relatives, and will make brownies in a jar, ornaments and I am making or rather reupholstering a head board for my mom for christmas, and a turning pig shaped cutting board into a clock for her as well.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad they like the homemade cat food. Did you use the Balance It supplement?