THE YEAR IN REVIEW PART II- The Challenges

Well time to review the Challenges, and how I did. Lets start out with The Independence Days Challenge. Ms. Sharon Astyk started this challenge in 2008. I am guessing here, but I think the idea is to teach us unsuspecting people to prepare themselves to be more self sufficient. Depend on themselves for food, storage, etc.
Well for me this is a challenge that keeps me honest! LOL, I undertook the challenge originally sometime back in 2008 just to see if I couod and to learn new things. Well almost two years and many muddy hands later, I can say that I do fairly well. Thanks to blogs like Chile’s, I have learned some new ways of preserving foods, both store bought and home grown. This challenge gives me the opportunity to try something and fail, or try something and Success. I have learned to make my own jerky, dry my own herbs, learned that jelly making is not that hard and even learned to make candied orange rinds (the diabetic version) as a result of this blog and this challenge. This is an all inclusive challenge that will change your life and work your butt.

THE GROWING CHALLENGE(Seed to Seed)
I joined Melinda’s growing challenge in 2008 as well. The original challenge was to grow something new (new to you) This year the challenge evolved into to saving your seeds for next years garden. As last year I have learned that I cannot grow broccolli, just don’t grow for me! But I also have learned I can grow watermelon, albeit they very small “grapefruit sized watermelon. This challenge gives me the courage to try and grow new things, even if I fail. At least I have lots of pumpkin and squash seeds for next year. Still cant grow a piece of broccolli.

Crunchy’s Freeze your balls off Challenge- AKA Freeze your Bun’s challenge is pretty simple for me- I have no problem lowering the thermostat (I have programmable thermostats) The only problem is, And this year is no execption, I always seem to get the cold or the fluduring the coldest time of year, and need it a tad warmer. But I work through that.

Crunchy’s Buy Hand Challenge: Not too difficult as I already make a great portion of what I give out for Christmas. It’s easier to give a dozen home baked cookies than a box oc chocolates. And tastier. Unless we’re talking Godiva Chocolates. But that’s another post.

Crunchy Domestic Goddess’ Ditch The Disposables Challenge- Shouldn’t be too hard for a devout eco-tree hugger. But this year I chose to wean myself off of plastic cutlery and tissues. Tissues were no problem as I made a big pile of snot rags made from old t-shirts… but that plastic cutlery sneaks up on you. A few fails a few successes.
Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge- Y’all know how much of a consumer I am. LOL. But this is a difficult challenge for me… it is so easy to go to the hardware or other such store when you need a bolt or a part. I didn’t buy a freezer or a mattress (or even a topper during this challenge- which I still think Ms. Chicken comes up with to make me suffer.

Books for treats!

Here is a great Idea to help declutter your kids rooms! Books for treats . So follow Luann's example and give out your old Children's books for Halloween. Feed Kid's Minds! Not their Cavities! Cool thing about this is you get to recycle, reuse, no purchases, declutter and no packaging all in one shot! Super Hat Trick!
Hmmm- wonder if a kid would want a copy of Living Like Ed or the Raintree nursery catalog???

New Old coffee maker

I needed a new coffee maker at work. Actually wanted a hotshot. But didn't want to buy anything new. I had an old Black and Decker "Brew and Go", minus the spiffy commuter mug needed to use it. So i started to think, If i put muggsly underneath the brewing opening, and put Muggsly's cap under Muggsly- It works just great! Now hot coffee and tea! Yea! No new products or nothing! Why couldn't this have come up during the Buy Nothing Challenge??? Cool thing is every cup is fresh and hot, it has a permanent filter, and shuts off automatically when done brewing. Hat Trick! Now to clean up old Windy (my old coffee pot) and put it on free-cycle

Weekly update Challenge

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 18

1. Plant something: Leaks to start. Lettuces. Bok Choy. Took some Dutch Corn salad starts and some Kohlrabi plants and planted in the Victory Garden at the community Garden
2. Harvest something: Beets, Tomatoes, Broccoli, kohlrabi, corn salad, lettuce greens, Spaghetti Squash Fromm Community garden to food Bank-Chard, Tomatoes, Basil
3. Preserve something: Pickled some Hungarian Banana Peppers
4. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): put four outdoor resin chairs for free on the curb; dumped those useless telephone books in the recycling bin (still don’t know how to get off the free yellow pages list or on it); Repaired a water wand for watering the garden by making a small hose to fit around the end of the wand where the connector had broken; Dump trip- got rid of old unusable lumber and recycled some large amounts of cardboard I had been saving for weed block, but am not going to get those beds in this year so out it went into the recycling dumpster at the landfill;
5.Preperation and Storage: Making a sump to finally have a working sink in the garage. Bought my "Fall" socks at costco; Old socks become dust rags
6. Build Community Food Systems: Did my watering day at Community Garden, Harvested some tomatoes, Chard and Basil for the Food Bank
7. Eat the Food (cook or eat something new)- Ate pickled onions and pickled cherry tomatoes;

Melinda’s Growing Challenge: Well- took care of the *&^%$ broccoli heads. Snip. Harvest lasted about 2 minutes. Saved some seeds from dried out pea plants.
SEEDS I HAVE SAVED FOR NEXT YEAR:
Cucumber
Kale
Broccoli
Squash
Peas
Am working on tomatoes seeds but am having a hard time getting them to ferment


Meat Free Mondays: Vegan Brownie and coffee at Burien Press. They have the best Vegan Brownies. Lunch- Deep fried Mushrooms; Dinner (aka lunch at work) Spaghetti with meat free sauce- Dessert- donut peaches

Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: Hee hee. Ha ha this challenge is over . Did I go crazy and on a spending spree? No but I will say that I bought some things I needed and held off buying for the month. But I did decide on buying a mattress topper over buying a new mattress. If it doesn’t work, I will have some nice foam for re-upholstery projects.
This challenge actually has become somewhat of a usual thing with me since doing it in 2008, so I feel confidant to go out in the world and shop with sustainability in mind.

Nothing Special- Weekly Challenge Update

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 17

1. Plant something: Some turnips; kale, leeks, lettuce, salad greens, radishes
2. Harvest something: Turnip, tomatoes, Salad greens, Blackberries, Banana Peppers
Community garden- summer squash, chard, peas, tomatoes 3 pounds to the food bank
3. Preserve something: Pickled cherry tomatoes with raisins,
4. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Saved two coffee canisters for door prize tickets and car show balloting; a couple of pop bottles from work for bell cloches and funnels for some of the self watering planters (Make it easier to fill them from hose) Bought a new PVC Free Shower curtain. My old one will be used as a truck tarp- That will be me driving down the road with the tarp with surfboards on it!
5.Preperation and Storage: Pickled Cherry tomatoes with raisins
6. Build Community Food Systems: Took three pounds of produce from the community garden to the food bank; did my watering day at the community garden,
7. Eat the Food (cook or eat something new)- Double stuffed Banana French Toast; Pickled Cherry Tomatoes; Mascarpone and Blackberry Stuffed French Toast


Melinda’s Growing Challenge: My watermelon plants have baby watermelons!!!! *&^%$## Broccoli update- Have some small heads of broccoli- ridiculously small heads. Saved some pea seeds.

Meat Free Mondays: Breakfast- cup of coffee and a muffin from Burien Press;
Lunch- Walked to the store at work and had a bagel with crème cheese and
some chips; Dinner- Omelet; Snacks- had some kettle corn, no sugar Ice cream

Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: OK.I bought a new shower curtain. I really needed one and got a PVC free one at Ikea. For 3.50. The old one, holes and all, will be used as a tarp to cover my load when hauling to the dump or bringing building supplies home. Other than that nothing except for muffins and coffee at the espresso shop, a bagel and cream cheese and some chip for lunch on Monday, and a can of chili on Wednesday. Oh yeah a hot dog and chips at the Farmers’ Market on Thursday. Oh and paid my fines to the King county library and became an upstanding card carrying member!

How lazy can I be? The Weekly Challenge Update

Just trying to rest- worked the second weekend in a row, Should have all the weekends off next month (YAY) So I didn't get too much done this week. Oh Well!

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 16

1. Plant something: Radish seeds
2. Harvest something: Tomatoes, Cucmbers frorm my garden; Zucchini, eggplant, Swiss Chard and a cucumber from the community garden
3. Preserve something:
4. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): No fancy hacks or nothing, just composted kitchen items, recycled trash
5. Preparation and Storage: Nothing
6. Build Community Food Systems: Took some zucchini, eggplant, Swiss Chard and a cucumber to the food bank from the community garden; attended a community garden planning meeting on where/what to do next (the B/IAS is going away in December).
7. Eat the Food (cook or eat something new)- Tzatziki with Lamb-Burgers

Melinda’s Growing Challenge: Just resting between onslaught of plums and tomatoes. Nothing new to report

Meat Free Mondays: Breakfast- Vegan brownie and coffee from Burien Press. Lunch was a green salad with boiled eggs. Dinner was some deep fried mushrooms, apple and cheese.

Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: I must confess to buying coffee and pastry almost everyday at Burien Press... but local and vegan so I don't mind... as for other purchases... well I didn't make any 'cepting for car club trophies (stain and such) but I will be reimbursed for those. That and I bought the stain on closeout for 1.47. Am getting up tomorrow to buy some shirts at Thrift Stores for work so.... we'll see how I do. (Hard to go to thrift stores without checking out other items I may like for furniture hacks and artsy crap).

Not an exciting week- The Weekly Challenge Update

Not much happened this week- well not entirely true- did get to ride the new light rail here in Seattle, twice! And the usual work for challenges:

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 16

1. Plant something: Transplanted lettuce starts and Dutch Corn salad starts into larger growing pots, planted radishes
2. Harvest something: My garden-Some baby lettuce and some Baby Dutch corn salad, Tomatoes, some greens, hot cherry peppers; fennel; Community Garden: Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Basil, Chives, Radishes
3. Preserve something: Pickled fennel (found recipe in Ready Made magazine);
4. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Turned the compost pile, did the usual recycling and composting
5. Preparation and Storage: Gathered up seeds I have collected from plants and from order and sorting and put into a metal storage box, Ordered some seeds for fall garden from company over in Ellensburg, WA
6. Build Community Food Systems: From Community Garden to food bank- donated about 2.5 pounds of Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Basil, Chives, Radishes; did my watering day at the community garden; Attended a SUBU meeting
7. Eat the Food (cook or eat something new)- Omelet with marinated grilled vegetables, Broiled Tomatoes with Provolone, Ate and Used Leek Flower Blossoms in salad and omelet.

Melinda’s Growing Challenge: Nothing new to report!

Meat Free Mondays: Breakfast- Vegan brownie and coffee from Burien Press. Lunch- Veggie burger patty and mac and cheese; Lunch at work- Tzatziki with Crackers, Dinner Omelet with mushrooms; Dessert apple slices w/ peanut butter



Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: Ordered seeds from Irish Eyes Seed company in Ellensburg, WA. At least local (sort of- and used to grow food), Coffee and pastry almost every morning from Burien Press. And I bought Romeo an antler chew. Lunch out twice this week, but only paid once. The other was bought for me!

Compost and Garden Parties- The Weekly Challenge Update

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 15

1. Plant something: My garden-
2. Harvest something: 9 pounds of PLUMS; 2 pounds of TOMATOES;
3. Harvest Something From the Victory Garden for the Food bank- 2 pounds of Chard,1 pound of romaine lettuce,¼ pound of Jalapeno Peppers, ¼ pound of Basil, ½ pound Icicle Radish
4. Preserve something: More Basil Cubes, Dehydrated some banana chips and Cantaloupe slices.



5. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Made a rolling Bar out of an old A/V cart., Took the top (seat part) od a wicker stool/table that had been damaged- gonna make a new side table out of it. Took my Compost Bin to deposit compostable waste in to the community garden party
6. Preparation and Storage: Am looking to add some new shelves to the pantry to help with canned goods and canning supplies. And no Ms. Crunchy I will not buy new ones- luckily I have some old shelving in the garage.
7. Build Community Food Systems: Took 4 pounds of veggies to the food bank from the community garden, Did my watering day at the community garden. Participated in the Community Garden Party.


8. Eat the Food (cook or eat something new)- Marinated Veggie Kabobs that I took to the garden party.


Melinda’s Growing Challenge: Seeds- I got seeds dammit! From the Broccoli that wont grow (one plant bolted and seeded during the hot weather) and -I don’t know if this counts, My Friends Rebecca and Bill gave me an envelope of Kale seeds from their garden. Oh yeah I am saving some tomato seeds from the varieties that I have grown fond of.

Meat Free Mondays: Breakfast was a raspberry muffin from Burien Press. Lunch was a veggie burger, some chips and some fruit. Dinner was more fruit and some cereal.

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Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: Have not done any shopping per say except for projects. I made an outdoor bar table out of a stop sign and some plumbing pipe and fittings- only thing bought for this project was 4 wood screws, and technically I didn’t buy them I used my gift card I received from Ace Hardware. I can happily say for the first two days I only bought a 2” PVC Bushing, to make a fruit picker out of, Some clear plastic tubing (not counting as it is to make a sight gage for work out of) A thermometer for the Community garden. Oh yeah a replacement grill for the BBQ I made out of a steel truck wheel. I should get credit for that one though- the wheel came from Freecycle, the legs I had sitting around. The only part I bought was the grill. I would have looked at free cycle, but then what to do with rest of the BBQ? I thought it was more wasteful to take an old BBQ just for the grill, and then throw away the base- of course I could have taken it to the recycle center as scrap or made a funky planter out of it. I bought an Ikea office chair from Value Village for 4.99. Used it was. I am making a new office chair out of it. So I will probably have to by some wood and screws in the near future. Oh Yeah I bought a (broken) Wicker table/stool at VV the same day that will be come a new table when I add atray bought at a thrift store months ago to the top. Nothing new or boxy was bought by Rob this week. And I got two new books, “Depletion and Abundance” by Sharon Astyk and “Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn ” By Fritz Haeg. But both where paid and ordered for before August 1st, and Edible Estates was a used book, so I doubt that counts against me. Every morning I have coffee and most mornings a muffin or pastry from Burien Press Espresso shop. Not apologizing for that- they are a new local shop and really nice folks and I want to see them succeed.

BBQ's and Vertical Gardens- The Weekly Challenge Update

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 14

1. Plant something: My garden-Planted some sage; mustard greens, turnip greens, Nasturtiums, Chard and romaine lettuce in the Vertical Garden; planted mustard and turnip greens in Victory garden and radishes
2. Harvest something: PLUMS; TOMATOES; Red Onions; Cucumbers, dill, radishes
3. Harvest Something From the Victory Garden for the Food bank- Icicle Radishes- ½ pound, three little pickling cucumbers ½ pound
4. Preserve something: More Basil Cubes, Dried and jarred dill;

A bbq Grill I made out of on old truck wheel!

Vertical Garden

5. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Repaired a pair of Vice Grips- found a metric bolt that fits where the adjustment bolt fell out of and got lost; made a moderate repair to my Nuetron Electric Lawnmower; Made a BBQ out of a steel truck wheel; repaired a fan (thank God cause it is hot out); found a Shoe holder to make a vertical garden out of at the thrift store; made a box planter out of an old TV stand and another out of the drawer from the old TV stand,
6. Preparation and Storage: Bought 5 boxes of Ak Mak crackers on a great sale
7. Build Community Food Systems: Took 3 pounds of lettuce and Swiss Chard to the food bank;
8. Eat the Food Cook (cook or eat something new): Plum Turnovers, Plum Crumble, Made tzatziki, using the cucmbers, some garlic and dill from my garden


Melinda’s Growing Challenge: I have seen the heads of broccoili. I will not be defeated by broccoili plants. Muwhahaha.

Meat Free Mondays: Ate some plum cobbler for breakfast; had a veggie burger, salad and watermelon for lunch, dinner was cheese and ak mak crackers, with a plum turnover

Crunchy’s Buy Nothing Challenge: Started of with a bang- have not bought a new mattress or freezer- looking on Craig’s list for freezer to make Ms. Crunchy happy- So I can happily say for the first two days I only bought a 2” PVC Bushing, to make a fruit picker out of, Some clear plastic tubing (not counting as it is to make a sight gage for work out of) A thermometer for the Community garden. Oh yeah a replacement grill for the BBQ I made out of a steel truck wheel. I should get credit for that one though- the wheel came from Freecycle, the legs I had sitting around. The only part I bought was the grill. I would have looked at free cycle, but then what to do with rest of the BBQ? I thought it was more wasteful to take an old BBQ just for the grill, and then through away the base- of course I could have taken it to the recycle center as scrap.

Birdhouses and Chicken poop- The Weekly Challenge Update

Busy time at Casa Del Rob- the Golden Plum tree is making me work in the hot weather, giving me pounds of fresh plums; Trying to figure out how I can do my artsy thing during the buy nothing challenge; Romeo and Sammy keep me hopping! Well onto the challenges:

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 13

1. Plant something: Experimenting with mints in a hanging (topsy turvey ) planter, transplanted some india mustard to the victory garden, planted a lavendar plant there, dug up two pumpkin plants and donated to the Bias to have some pumpkins growing by Halloween/day of the dead, Planted bok choy and corn salad seeds in victory garden, at home started some bok choy plants, some lettuce plants, planted sweet potato slips that I started on window sill(a little late I know but hey they wanted to be planted!)
2. Harvest something: Plum tree is wild with plums, been picking two or three pounds every day. Arugula and mustard greens that where starting to bolt; Bought some pickling cucumbers a garden stand; borage leaves; lettuce; basil, tomatoes
3. Harvest Something From the Victory Garden for the Food bank- Fennel, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, and plums from my tree
4. Preserve something: Canned pickles; froze some basil cubes, made and froze some plum turnovers,
5. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Made a birdhouse from license plates, turn and added chicken manure to compost bin, made some fresh bedding for worm bin
6. Preparation and Storage: Stored the pickles in the pantry, still working on eating last years! Obtain some large terra-cotta planters from thrift store; Bought a fancy sprouter (found on sale at the Grainery- marked down because one tier had two minute cracks - doesn't take away from performance)

7. Build Community Food Systems: Took some plums to the food bank along with the Fennel, leaf lettuce and Swiss Chard grown in the Victory Garden; Did my watering day at the community gardens, Helping to plan a garden party at the community gardens
8. Eat the Food/Cook or eat something new): Made a salad with the mustard greens, arugula, some lettuce, (new)Plum turnovers, Used basil in spaghetti sauce;


Melinda’s Growing Challenge: I have artichokes on my artichoke plant- planted some lettuce and bok choy inside to start plants, still waiting on the broccoli to make a show!

Meat Free Mondays: This Monday I ate some oatmeal for breakfast with toast and homemade raspberry jam; At lunch My mom prepared a BBQ sandwich with TVP BBQ Beef; and fresh fruit,(gotta hand it to Ma- she really takes this Meat Free Monday thing serious- Thanks Ma!); for dinner I had a Brioche Roll with peanut butter and jam, and some rye-krisp crackers with pub cheese. And plums- I had plums! Lots of plums and tomatoes

A look at some of Romeo's Puppy Bling

Prepping For Crunchys Dont buy nothing challenge starting in August- Bought some metal working tools, Bought Romeo a stainless steel Water Bottle that I could hang from his leash, bought a fancy sprouter (found on sale at the grainery- marked down because one tier had two cracks - doesn't take away from performance)

DONT BUY NUTHIN'

Ok Ms. Crunchola is at it again. Her timing is impeccable. She picks the time of year when I need to go out and buy a new mattress to put this challenge on. Oh well I can live another month on my old broken down mattress. Screw the economy, we got another challenge on. Maybe someone will put a new tempurpedic on freecycle. Maybe pigs will fly out my butt.