Food, Food and More Food!

Well, it’s official, the holidays are here. I’m sure most of us have already put on five pounds after Thursday’s Thanksgiving feast. I won’t even step on the scale.

But, while we’re on the subject of food, I would like to mention its importance. As I have mentioned before, I feel that food is the most important thing in life next to quality water. And I’m talking about REAL food - you know, the stuff that grows out of the ground and hasn’t been passed through every hand and machine before reaching your freezer and eventually your mouth. It is the stuff that keeps us going, the stuff that heals us, the stuff that we should all learn to love and appreciate.

I personally have had quite a few issues with food throughout my life, I joke that I blame my mother’s cooking (sorry mom, just teasing, as usual), especially highly processed foods which my body seems to be rejecting more and more as I get older. Processed foods make me feel lethargic, achy, or give me stomach pain. As I incorporate more fresh, healthy produce into my daily diet I feel that food is working for me and not against me. I’m still figuring the whole situation out. My best tip to people is to simply figure out what foods their bodies agree with and gain from. There have been extensive studies on the advantages of fresh, whole foods and the disadvantages of prepackaged, chemically enhanced foods. As I move forward with my homesteading project I plan to make as many things from scratch as I can so that I know what goes into them.

This brings me to Monday night. While on break from Tango class, I realized I had forgotten to bring a snack with me. I usually try to bring almonds or something. Yeah, I’m one of those crazy ladies who randomly will pull food out of her purse. I went to the vending machine and the best thing I could find was Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars: Oats ‘N Honey. Now, these bars I normally enjoy, but after I ate it my stomach was really upset. Besides my personal problems with the granola bar, I was thinking that instead of buying prepared and prepackaged granola bars, why don’t I just make my own. Then I will be reducing the impact I have by not buying a packaged and shipped item. Plus, I’ll have more control over what’s going into my body. Looking on the back at the ingredients I can already see that there are some things that could be eliminated or reduced.

Here is the recipe for Homemade Granola Bars with coconut, apricots, dates and cranberries, (ingredients were about $10 for about 15 bars). I found the recipe from Ina Garten at Food Network. They were quick and easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for them to cool for a couple of hours. But they are delicious granola bars and I plan on making them weekly from now on. Leroy personally thinks they taste like the Nature Valley bars but much better because they taste fresher. I hope you get around to making some too. (The picture doesn't do them justice).

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and were able to enjoy some whole foods. Leroy and I spent it with Joshua of Yreka and his family. I made a Pistachio Cream Pie (a recipe from my friend’s mother) all from scratch (about $10-$15 depending on whether you already have the staples such as flour, etc.; pistachios were the bulk of cost at $7.80 for a pound). It was so creamy and only moderately sweet, which I enjoy. I am quite impressed with myself. Leroy made a blackberry pie with blackberries picked from Joshua’s backyard. He also made a lemon tart, which was…ahem…rather tart. (It should be noted that I have an utter distaste for any desert that calls for something as tart as lemon or orange. Ewww!) The next evening Leroy and I had our own little Thanksgiving with a Tofurky, homemade Mushroom Gravy, salad, brussels sprouts and, of course, mashed potatoes. It was very nice.

As I come to a close I would like to repeat my request that you please make sure to eat your fruits and veggies everyday! I watched the documentary Beautiful Truth this week while thinking of my dear aunt who has just been diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer and I further realized the amazing healing powers of good wholesome food. I highly recommend the film for anyone interested in nutrition and alternative healing.

If anyone is in need of local fresh fruits and vegetables, AmpleHarvest.org can direct you to your nearest food pantry where local farmers donate their extra harvest in order to further reduce the starvation of many Americans who go without food (healthy food) every day. Or, contact AmpleHarvest.org if you are a farmer interested in donating your surplus.

And, although many of you have already completed your Black Friday shopping sprees, I thought I would share this article from Mother EarthNews about Christmas shopping and giving presents. I think there are a few tips in there which can help those who would like to become conscientious shoppers or reduce the amount of money they spend this holiday season.

I think that concludes the post for this week. Who knows what is to come for the next. For now, I lay resting while Leroy makes me homemade Creamy Tomato Garlic soup, garlic being the active ingredient to getting better soon. I swear by it.

Happy Holidays to you all! 

-Lady Bug

The Race is On . . . Or is it?

I was recently hit with what I’m calling a “quarter life crisis.” For most of my life I’ve had great plans of going off to New York, or if necessary, Los Angeles, to work as an independent filmmaker in order to provide the world with beautiful, thought-provoking stories. Then something hit me. I suddenly had no desire to work in the film industry whatsoever. I didn’t want to go to New York, Los Angeles, or any city for that matter. I didn’t want to have to go around making kissy face with every single high powered piece of silicon on the block. I didn’t want to live my life as a neurotic, high strung, superficial psycho, (no offense to those who happily work in the film industry) running around like a chicken with her head cut off only to eventually become a lonely, old, childless cat-lady suffering from extreme paranoia. Okay, so I dramatized that last bit, but that’s what I do, and to be honest, that was my fear.

I felt terrible. I had no clue what to do with my life. There are few people who can exist without a purpose. And as I go into my senior year of college, I’m panicking at the idea of having no clues or paths lying directly in front of me telling me where I should go next. So, I laid around feeling sorry for myself for a while. And then for some unknown reason, I thought I should start gardening. Now, this is coming from a girl who couldn’t remember to water a plant to save her life. I have been neglectful of plants which were given to me at one time or another only to be left with no choice but to throw them out. (Heather, I’m sorry, please don’t let my not watering our rose be a reflection of our friendship). And as a teenager I had nightmares after having to rake a field everyday for one summer. But I had seen documentaries such as, The Garden and Dirt!, which both further inspired me to actually go request a plot out in the garden and sow some seeds.

I began to feel a little better once I got my plot and put some seeds in the ground. Every evening I would go out to the garden to water my plot and visit with my fellow gardeners; they would encourage me as I told them about my inability to be a farmer due to black thumb disease. Then, a miraculous thing happened, my seeds were sprouting! I swear, it was what I imagine it would be like to find out that you’re pregnant (that is assuming one would want to be pregnant). Radishes, cow peas, green beans, arugula, collard greens, zucchini, and some mysterious flower, were all rearing their little heads out of my plot. It was a sight to see. Soon the radishes were ready, which were certainly the most delicious radishes I’ve ever had, and the green beans came too. But everything else was taking its natural sweet time.

Fall came and everything changed as it usually does. At this point I had decided that I would continue studying English and Literature and then go onto get a Masters in the Art of Teaching rather than Film. It was time to go back to school, it was starting to get cold, and I was not sure if what I had planted in the garden would come to harvest since I started so late in the summer. That familiar depressing lull returned as I was no longer out in the garden every evening chatting it up with my neighbors and friends. The end of summer and beginning of fall tends to do this to most people. And despite being excited about my new plans to earn the MAT and teach high school literature, I was still struggling with some sort of inner crisis. It was as if something was screaming inside of me. I had a day dream about working out on a farm and I reminisced about times gone by where I’ve spent time in nature, times where I’ve felt human.

That was it! I wanted to lead a healthy, natural lifestyle where I could get back to being human. I’m tired of being another rat in the race. I thought, “Someday, I’m gonna buy me some property, build me a home and live off the land, and off the grid.” This made so much sense to me because to this day I still romanticize the era when stories such as Little Women or Little House on the Prairie took place. What about our ancestors who survived wonderfully with the skills of their labor? Our great-great grandparents lived whole, happy lives without every widget flying down the consumer turnpike. They fed and clothed themselves and their families with local food and products.

It didn’t take me long to realize that as I was day dreaming my life away and wasting precious time I could simply begin to learn about homesteading. Why couldn’t I start living a self-sustained life? I know I live in an in-efficient apartment in the suburbs, but what if I attempted to become as self-sustaining as I can under my current circumstances? It could be years before I have an opportunity to live out in the country. Why not be here right now.

I’m already beginning to feel more centered as I no longer am racing off to some imagined future but rather bringing myself into the present life I live. I have very little clue as to what I’m doing, I have so much to learn. But here I plan to document my journey, along with my significant other, Leroy, dedicated loomer (a person who knits with a loom) and editor-in-chief, as we learn the traditions of yesteryear.

I am doing this because I feel that this is where my heart has led me to be. I am also doing this because, yes, I do care about the environment and there are many things which homesteaders do which are beneficial to the environment and to the homestead itself. Not merely because homesteaders actively do it for the environment, but because waste actually costs more money. A closed loop system is best. And of course, there is always economics. There are many economic advantages to doing homesteading. And for many people, and this is fine - each to his or her own - money talks. In hard economic times, homesteading, even to a small extent, can really save a family from dealing with further hardship. I do have to admit, being a student, I am always broke so I do have to keep economic advantages in mind. However, it is never a top priority. My top priority will always be my health.

The Plan

The plan is to simply go with it. Everything has an organic process. It’s not a race. I can’t simply snap my fingers and have a homestead over night. Although, that would be kind of amazing but then you would lose all you stand to gain from taking on the journey.

Basically, every day I am going to try to think about and incorporate homesteading into my life. I am reading from a large stack of books like a mad woman in order to absorb as much information as possible. Currently I am reading, The NEW Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency: The Classic Guide for Realists and Dreamers by John Seymour. I have a subscription to MotherEarth News. And I am beginning to gather people from my community whom I would like to interview and learn from. Here are some things I am beginning to think about: food, water, energy, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products and arts and crafts.

FOOD- It’s my number one priority. It’s the most vital means of survival next to water. It is fall right now but over Christmas break I am going to lay out a plan for my little plot. I am also going to be working with a friend of mine and any others who have something to say on the subject of obtaining meat products in a self-sufficient way or at least locally. I plan on buying less and less prepackaged food, such as corn tortillas or salsa, and making them myself. I will be keeping track of spending costs to make comparisons in the future as noted earlier.

WATER- We don’t pay a water bill because we live in an apartment but I would like to try to conserve water by putting a collection pan in the sink while I do the dishes or by taking really fast showers.

ENERGY- This is one area I am completely clueless on. I mean, I know about solar and wind and have been looking into purchasing a small solar panel but I am still doing research and let me say, there is a lot of information out there. I hope to get in touch with the right people in my community to help power up this dirty electric run apartment.

CLOTHING- I may be purchasing a treadle sewing machine soon. However, I am just okay at sewing. But I need to make some napkins and curtains and I think I can handle that.

CLEANING PRODUCTS- There are plenty of recipes out there for anything you need to clean. I prefer natural anyway. I used to own a cleaning business and still have the cleaning rags which I wash and reuse rather than using paper towels.

TOILETRIES- I am not sure what to do about the toilet paper issue. But we don’t use paper towels or napkins. I would like to begin making my own soap and have already started making my own face lotion.

ARTS & CRAFTS- This is probably one of my favorite parts. I am currently trying to make Christmas presents for people rather than buying them since I really don’t have any money. I am planning on talking about these projects later, after the presents have been handed out. But I am borrowing tools from friends since, again, I don’t have money to buy them.

I am sure there is more that I am not thinking about at this moment, but it’s a good start. I am very excited as I begin my journey and I hope you all decide to follow me as I learn and explore the wondrous world of homesteading.