Give Yoga a Try
Friday, November 14, 2008
When I’m stressed, feeling sore, or just realizing I need to start exercising again, I turn to yoga. It’s a great stress reducer, and when you finish with a session you feel like you had a massage. Ok, maybe that’s after you’ve been doing it for a month or so. But even after the first time you will be more aware of your body and stretching out your back always feels good.
If you haven’t tried yoga before you may think you have to be flexible to do it. That’s like thinking to go to a cooking class you have to own a restaurant! We all start slowly, right from what you can do right now. Each body type will find some poses easy and others more challenging. You’ll be rewarded with better posture and an inner sense of calm. Who doesn’t want that?
If you have back problems or just want to start slowly, there are wonderful gentle yoga classes geared for you, and gentle yoga dvds you can use right in your own home. You are never too old for yoga, you may need some help modifying poses though - and there are classes and dvds geared just for seniors.
Another issue that came up during my practice was my wrists. I don’t have carpel tunnel exactly, but I do have many of the symptoms. Gripitz Exercise Blocks were the answer for me. They allow me to do all the poses that I couldn’t do before due to the stress on my wrists. Downward dogs are my friend again!
All you need to start is a non-slip surface. A yoga mat is great for this, but if you already have an exercise mat that should work fine. You will be on the floor some, so you may want to put it on a carpeted area. You can use a beach towel or bath sheet instead of a yoga strap. You can always buy a set that has a mat, strap and blocks when you’ve decided you want to commit to your practice.
There are classes everywhere these days from churches and community centers to yoga studios. If you’re on the shy side, you can try a dvd at home. If you get FitTV where you are there is a show called Namaste Yoga that you can do for free. There is also an advanced class called Inhale on the Oxygen channel, and it’s very tough.
Another free alternative is YogaToday.com. They have a new video online everyday . You don’t have to sign up to watch them, and they have some geared towards beginners.
You can also go to Yoga Journal’s website and look at their Beginners Q & A to get even more information.
Take some time this week to focus on yourself. You deserve it!
Slow Cooking for Your Health
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Fall is the perfect time to start cooking again. The kitchen isn’t as stuffy and you won’t break out in a sweat just thinking about turning on the stove. Plus you can easily cook with no oil and less salt in a slow cooker.
Tip: It’s also a great way to cook dried beans. Just store them in the freezer for later. It’s much cheaper than buying canned beans and there’s no added salt!
In the past women cooked food over low fires all day long so they could get other household tasks done at the same time they were cooking dinner. You can still get a Le Creuset Round French Oven like the one pictured, and keep that tradition. It’s certainly on my wish list, but out of my budget’s reach for the moment. Still, it would be great for a big pot of red beans and rice.
But I’m more of a slow cooker/crock pot kind of gal. It costs less and you can go to work and leave it on all day. If you are on a strict budget you can pick one up at a yard sale or thrift store. You can usually find one for under 25.00. At Amazon you can get a slow cooker for anywhere from 15.00 to 150.00. Make sure to read some reviews on their site before buying one. Some work better than others.
One of the easiest meals to make is soup. Simply throw some veggies, broth (or water), and herbs in the slow cooker before you go to work. If you want a ‘creamy’ soup save some calories and fat and throw a potato into the pot. Once it’s cooked and you blend the soup it will have the consistency and color that you’re expecting with none of the fat or cholesterol that real cream soups have! Try ‘cream-less’ of cauliflower or broccoli. It makes a great meal with a slice of whole grain toast.
A nice fall apple or pear is a great addition to a squash soup. It adds sweetness and some body. Here’s my latest variation:
Slow Cooker Pear Delicata Squash Soup
- 1 delicata squash, peeled and cubed (you can use butternut squash if you can’t find a delicata)
- 2 pears, peeled and cored then cubed
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock (or filtered water with Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon no-chicken, or another vegetarian chicken-like bouillon cube)
- 1 tbsp Port (or red wine)
- sprig of fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
Throw everything into the slow cooker and cook on low 6 - 10 hours. Remove the thyme spring and use a hand blender to puree everything together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Coupon for Vegan Cheese!
Monday, November 10, 2008Save $1.00 on any Vegan® or Rice Vegan® Product. This includes all varieties and flavors. Go to Galaxy Foods' website and print out a coupon. It's not everyday that you can snag vegan coupons.
Eco-Frugal Ways to Keep Your House Clean
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
When I'm trying to cut back on my grocery budget, one of the first things to go is the expensive eco-friendly cleaners. I'm not about to go back to my college days of mystery chemicals just because it only costs a dollar. But what can you make from things you may already have?
My first homemade cleaner was floor soap. In my bucket of warm water I added a little Dr. Bronner's liquid soap and a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus essential oil.
Not only did it clean my kitchen floor, it also made my house smell wonderful for days. The trick with liquid soap and floors is to only use a few drops. If you use too much you'll have to rinse the floors or they will be sticky.
Don't have any Dr. Bronner's? It can be expensive these days, but you could try Trader Joe's for a cheaper option. Or better yet, use a few drops of your shampoo or dish soap if it's natural. My friend Gail turned me on to using shampoo to clean the bathtub. It's made to get the oil out of your hair, and it gets the bath oil out of your tub better than anything I ever tried before it.
White vinegar cut with water in a spray bottle is a super cheap window cleaner. Mix 2 tsp. for each quart of water. You can't get much cheaper than that unless you just don't clean your windows or mirrors at all!
White vinegar and water mixed 1 to 1 is a great multipurpose cleaner. You can add a little lemon juice or essential oil to mask the strong vinegar odor. Just don't use on marble or stone surfaces. You can also substitute 1/2 cup vinegar for fabric softener.
In fact vinegar, baking soda, lemon, liquid soap, borax, and essential oils are the basis of many homemade cleansers. This article on associated content has recipes for Eucalyptus-Mint Disinfecting Soap, Lemon-Mint Window Wash, and Heavenly Bedding Laundry Detergent. They require a little more effort than my quick recipes, but once you make a bottle you'll have it for a few months at least.
The alternative recipes on WSWMD cover all the rooms in your house plus metal cleaners and diaper pail deodorizers. So make sure you take a look there before running out to spend your hard earned money on something that is more than 1/2 water anyhow.
Stop by Care2.com to find recipes for creamy soft scrubber, oven cleaner, and mold killer.
So take some time and look through your cleaning supplies. Is there anything you are about to run out of? How long it would take to make your own instead of driving to the store? Do you have some ingredients around the house that would work? You may have to invest in a few spray bottles or containers, but you'll be able to use them over and over again.
Think of all the money you'll save once you don't have to spend 20.00+ on cleaning supplies that go against your moral grain. Plus your house just may smell better than you ever thought possible.
My Kind of Jack-o'-lantern
Tuesday, October 28, 2008A Barack-o'-lantern!!
If you live in Durham, check out this great pumpkin at:
Ox & Rabbit Soda and Sundries
732 9th St
Durham, NC27705
Now get off your bum and vote early if you can. You'll be glad you did. I voted Saturday and it feels good to know that I've done my part.
Halloween Costumes with a Conscience
Thursday, October 23, 2008
If you are looking for a way to support environmentally conscious businesses this Halloween, consider costumes by Tom Arma. If his name sounds familiar, perhaps you have seen his Please Save the Animals
If you are the DIY type or know someone who is, McCall's sells patterns of his costumes to sew yourself. Look for McCall's M8938.
His entire Signature Collection can be found online at Halloween Express and at more than 250 stores nationwide, available in sizes ranging from 6 months - 5 years old.
Plant a Cool Weather Vegetable Garden
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
It may seem like the season to grow food is coming to an end, but really it’s just time to plant some cool weather loving veggies. It can be disheartening to see those heirloom tomatoes go, but I’ll be glad to have more lettuce, arugula, and broccoli again.
I am inspired by Eliot Coleman’s book Four Season Harvest. I feel like if he can do it in Maine, I should be able to do it too. He also has a great article posted on his website that you should check out – A Garden for All Seasons.
My farmers’ market goes longer than most, but eventually I’ll have to go a few months without my Saturday trip. I have to admit that I like the idea of ‘shopping’ in my backyard instead of a chain store that may not have any local produce.
This year is my first full-fledged try at a fall/winter garden. Last year we had such a drought here, that I went ahead and let the bunnies have my seedlings. But this year is going to be different. In my backyard, I have to put bird netting over my beds if I want to get my share. It may not be as pretty, but I actually get to eat some of the food I plant!
When you decide to plant your fall/winter plants, one of the first things you’ll want to do is check your local extension office for information for your area. The USDA site has listings for many US extension offices on their website. I got some great info for North Carolina from NC State University, and I’m sure your state will have a growers guide as well. Mine provided a fall planting guide and an article on growing a fall garden in particular.
This year I’ll be planning a few varieties of lettuce, Swiss chard, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, Chinese cabbage, arugula, carrots and maybe more if I can fit it all in. Part of my evil plan is to use row covers over my raised beds and produce food all winter.
Even in the coldest places, you can create a mini greenhouse over your raised beds by using windows, or heavy plastic secured to the ground. Below are links to a few do-it-yourself cold frame plans. You want to make sure the plants in your cold frame don’t get too hot, so you will need to prop open the lid when it gets above 40 degrees and remove it completely at the 50 degree mark. If you live in a super cold area, you can always cover the cold frame with blankets or newspaper when the temperatures dip down below 20 degrees.
- HGTV Cold Frame Savvy
- Do It Yourself Keep Your Plants All Winter with a Cold Frame
- PVP Free Cold frame Plan
Don’t forget to add some compost to your soil to freshen it up before you plant your fall crop. Typically you will water your garden less in the fall, but you want to keep an eye on it. In my area, the weather can be unpredictable. For example, it’s in the 90’s today, and it’s September.
I’m always looking for great sources of information on the web. There is nothing like learning what not to do. Garden Web has great forums, and you can go to the Four Season Vegetable Gardening forum to get some information, or ask questions to some of the experts there. Also try one of the Exchange Forums to find people to trade some seeds with. It’s a great an inexpensive way to try new things and the group trades are tons of fun. I love getting surprise packages. There’s even an all veggie one.
Some helpful articles:
- Ed Hume Seeds – Growing Vegetables in a Cold Frame
- Organic Gardening – Second Harvest
- Organic Gardening – Winter Vegetable Gardening