Clever Uses for Spent Spices

I have many more spices in my spice cabinet than I actually use, and most have been there for years. Ground spices lose their volatile oils after a time and shouldn’t be kept longer than a year or two.   I’ve even heard 6 months.  Many of mine are way past their potency and won’t add much flavoring to food; yet, I can’t just throw them away.   I recently read an article with some clever uses for old spices, a few of which I want to share with you.

To freshen your carpet (and your vacuum), you can sprinkle old spices like cinnamon, thyme, cloves or nutmeg directly on your carpet and then vacuum up.  What a perfect alternative to a toxic room freshener!  Try a small area first to make sure the spice colors won’t stain your carpet before applying to the entire rug.

Strong-smelling spices are often used in insect repellents, and the same theory holds true in the garden.  Sprinkle your old pepper, oregano, sage, peppermint, cayenne, chili powder, etc. around your rows of plants to keep insect pests away.  It won’t hurt your plant and is definitely worth a try.  Gardening is often a battle between mother nature and man, like on our farm where we have at least 25 geese and goslings, as well as rabbits, hedgehogs and even a fox who all seem to eat the vegetables as quickly as they come up.  Chili powder, red pepper and cayenne apparently keep squirrels, rabbits and other animals away as well.  I just spread old pepper flakes around our corn – I’ll keep you posted about its effectiveness.

Here’s an unlikely tip. According to Organic Authority, adding a few teaspoons of black pepper to your laundry load will keep colors bright and prevent fading.  Why not?  It’s certainly not toxic and may prolong the life of your clothes.

Enhance your summer cookouts by adding your old spices to the charcoal.  Cooking them helps to release the remaining volatile oils. You’ll love the extra boost of flavor and the aroma.  You can also toss freshly picked herbs right into the charcoal.  I especially like rosemary.

The pigment from nutmeg, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric make safe, natural paints when mixed with water.  Or place old spices in a sachet to freshen your dresser drawers.

Specialty tea and spice stores selling small jars of spices or spices in bulk are gaining popularity.  Farmers’ markets sometimes sell spices too.  I prefer to buy them in smaller containers so I know that I can use them up before they lose their potency.   But if not, I really like the idea of reusing old spices in fun ways.

Information compiled from Earth911.com, Kathryn Sukalich, 10 Ways to Use Up Old Spices.

 

Green Moving

My husband and I are selling our house where we have spent 28 happy, important years. We raised our family here, expanding and changing the house as our family grew.  Now that the kids have gone, it’s time for another loving family.  We will move to a smaller place where we can lessen our carbon footprint.

I am sorting through years and years of accumulated “stuff”, making piles for giveaway, piles for recycling, piles for storage, piles for the kids. Vietnam Veterans, Big Brother/Big Sister, the Epilepsy Foundation and other service organizations gladly come to your home for unwanted items still in good shape or you can drop them off in their donation bins. Freecycle.org is another way to get rid of things.  Our town dump recycles electronics, appliances, books, metal, and clothes.  They also have a “dumptique” where you can dispose of discarded items – you barely get out of the car before someone grabs something!

I curse all the technology around the house that is obsolete almost immediately and comes with way too much packaging and the ubiquitous wires, plugs, and chargers that go with only one device.  I can’t believe all the CDs that no one listens to and cameras that no one uses now that we all have smart phones.  It’s shocking how quickly video games, players, and VHS tapes are outdated.   They can be donated thankfully, to thrift stores and freecycle.org.

Then, there are those things that can’t be donated or recycled and that I just can’t throw into the landfill, like dried-up make-up,  partly used personal care products, old partially used paint cans, spent markers and pens, half-burned petroleum-based candles, the countless samples doctors give out that definitely shouldn’t end up in the water table – the list goes on and on.  These items pose a real challenge.   GreenAmerica.org posted a list of where to recycle all sorts of unusual plastics like old yoga mats, Brita pitcher filters, and technotrash, and there are websites that offer ideas for reusing and crafting items like torn blue jeans. Unfortunately however, some items have to be thrown away.

It’s a lot of work to dispose of things properly, but it feels good, it’s cathartic.  I keep coming back to the thought however, that we all have way too much stuff!  Recycle, yes, reuse yes, but let’s reduce too!  Now, in my next phase the key is not to re-accumulate!  Who needs anything anyway?

If you aren’t familiar with Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Stuff”, it’s really worth watching this clever 20-minute animated documentary about the lifecycle of material goods.  Click here to visit her website.

 

Paper Napkins or Cloth?

 

“In a Gentle Way You Can Shake the World.” – Gandhi

When I came across this wonderful quote, I started thinking about gentle changes that positively impact the earth.  One such change is to switch from paper to cloth napkins.  It sounds silly, but here is the math.  If 50% of the U.S. population used 3 paper napkins a day, that would total 450,000,000 napkins for 1 day or 164,250,000,000 napkins over a 1-year period.  That’s a staggering number of paper napkins!

The manufacture of both cloth and paper napkins obviously uses resources and energy. According to a report published by the Environmental Paper Network, however, the paper industry (which includes all paper products) is the 4th largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among United States manufacturing industries, and accounts for 25% of landfill waste and 1/3 of municipal landfill waste.  Additionally, in the manufacture of paper napkins, the chlorine bleach used to whiten them contains toxic compounds and the dyes in decorative napkins are also questionable.  And, paper napkins are only used once!

napkins (Photo credit: pinprick)

Cloth napkins alternatively, can be used over and over, often lasting for generations.  They can be energy intensive too, but there are several ways to minimize their environmental impact.

• Unless it’s organic cotton, it’s best to avoid cotton cloth napkins.  Cotton is labeled the world’s “dirtiest” crop because of its heavy insecticide usage.  Instead use linen (which comes from the fibers of the flax plant), hemp, vintage or your own made from fabric remnants.

• Reuse cloth napkins for 2 or 3 days, depending on how dirty they get.  Buy different colored napkins for each member of the family.  I jokingly match the napkin color to each family member’s personality, my napkin being green of course.  You can also individualize napkin rings.

• Wash the napkins with regular loads of laundry with environmentally safe detergent, and air-dry them.  In addition to saving energy by air-drying them, I find I don’t have to iron them!

Paper napkins are clearly more convenient, and for entertaining large crowds, picnicking or eating on the run, they make sense. Just make sure to use recycled paper ones.  According to MotherNatureNetwork, “If every household in the U.S. replaced one package of virgin fiber napkins with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees.”

Most of the time, however, use cloth ones.  Dig out your grandmother’s beautiful linen napkins and find yourself brought back to a simpler, slower time when gathering around the dinner table for meals and conversation was routine. That’s a pretty gentle change to me!

Information compiled from greengroundswell.com, mnn.com and thedailygreen.com.

 

 

The Dump

English: Recyclables at transfer station near Gainesville, FL. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The dump, recycling center, transfer station, whatever it is called in your area, is a must visit!  In our town of 30,000, we don’t have trash or recycling pick up, so most people go to the dump. There they recycle newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cardboard, plastic containers, cans, glass bottles and jars, computer monitors, television sets and for a small fee, old appliances, yard debris, bulky metal, etc.  It’s almost a local gathering spot – politicians politic there and neighbors and friends greet each other.  It’s old fashioned and fun.

While this seems a little outdated, it occurs to me every time I go to the dump that everyone needs to experience sorting and throwing recyclables in the appropriate container.  The amount of recyclables in our town alone is shocking!  Multiply that by the number of towns and cities in the US and the world.  Think of all the areas of the country that don’t recycle. According to the Clean Air Council, “Every year, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times.”  “The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups every year.” “Every year, Americans use approximately 1 billion shopping bags, creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste.^”   With the garbage produced in America alone, you could form a line of filled-up garbage trucks and reach the moon or cover the state of Texas two and a half times.  And shockingly, America is not the number one producer of garbage in the world!

Recycling is only part of the answer. What we need is a paradigm shift to focus on reducing consumption at home and in the workplace.  There is a lot we can do: buy fewer disposable products, avoid purchasing products with too much packaging, service appliances to keep them working efficiently, fix things instead of throwing them away, buy local, don’t give into impulse buying, go with quality not quantity, purchase biodegradable products, check out thrift and vintage shops and always use less energy and water.  Reducing consumption is crucial to a sustainable future.

Take your kids, your friends, your students, your coworkers on a field trip to a transfer station and get a tangible look at the amount of trash we dispose of.  It’s eye-opening!

Information compiled from http://www.wisegeek.com, cleanaircouncil.org

 

Earth Month Contest Winners

Thank you to all you readers who entered the Earth Month Contest!  I  enjoyed reading everyone’s green ideas and am thrilled to see so many people incorporating green habits into their life.

The winners are:

Ashley Bunker of Brewster, Ma, wrote that she now uses a Brita Water Filter; turns off the water when she brushes her teeth and only turns it on to rinse; and joined recyclebank.com, a website dedicated to recycling which offers prizes as well.  Check out Ashley’s blog, the savingsmomma.com where “family, fun, food, and fashion meet frugality”.

Pam Budner of Winchester, MA reuses her ziplock plastic bags and rinses them with Basic-H2 biodegradeable cleanser.  She pours leftover green tea on her houseplants and watches them flourish.  No more fertilizer for Pam!  And when she plants new plants, she always keeps the plastic markers that are stuck in the pot and puts them in a gardening file.  That way, she always knows what she has planted and keeps the markers out of the recycle bin and landfill.  Pam is a health care coach and Shaklee representative.  Go to gogreenwithpam.com for more information.

Nissa M., the cloth diaper guru, posted that she exclusively uses cloth diapers to reduce waste, she has removed chemicals from her life – she now uses non-toxic cleansers and is converting to an organic lawn – and she is learning how to compost.   She also set up rain barrels for her garden. This mother of a 21 month old has a PhD in biomedical research and has learned just about everything she can about cloth diapering! Check out her blog at clothdiaperguru.com.

Congratulations to the winners and to all other readers who are making positive changes in their lifestyles.  Keep going greener!

UNCLOG YOUR DRAINS SAFELY

One of my readers contacted me about unclogging her bathroom sink.  As a conscientious environmentalist, she was surprised and frustrated when baking soda and vinegar didn’t unclog her drain.  She was adamant about not using conventional, off the shelf products with lye and other toxic chemicals and wondered if there were other natural products that work.

Baking soda and vinegar really do work, but it‘s important to use the right amount and follow the directions of this tried and true recipe I’ve listed below.  For stubborn clogs, you may even have to repeat it a couple of times.

Unclog Your Drain Safely Recipe 

Important:  Do not use this recipe if there is standing water in the sink.

Pour ½ to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain; slowly pour ½ to 1 cup of vinegar (distilled white vinegar is good) after.  Cover the drain immediately with a cloth or rag so the fizzing interaction cannot escape. (This is the same fizzing action that happened when “erupting volcanoes” with the kids by mixing baking soda and vinegar.)  Let it sit for 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes depending on the severity of the clog.  Follow with a gallon of boiling water.  If necessary, pour more boiling water down the drain or repeat the entire process.

Some recipes add a cup of salt to the boiling water, followed by running warm water for 10 minutes to clear any product from the drain.  If this doesn’t work, try using a sink plunger after pouring down the liquids.  The plunger creates suction and forces open the clog.

Image via Wikipedia

This procedure by the way also cleans your pipes at the same time.  And unlike conventional chemical products, baking soda and vinegar won’t harm your pipes and of course not you or the water table.

I used to tell my kids if you are ever stranded on an island, make sure you have baking soda with you. There are millions of uses – culinary, medicinal and for cleaning.  Click here to read more.

 

Information compiled from Home Comforts – The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson and thegoodhuman.com.  

Home Comforts is a great book, a true encyclopedia of anything and everything having to do with the home.

 

 

 

CUCUMBER AND VODKA – NOT A COCKTAIL BUT A GREEN ALTERNATIVE!

Many foods and spirits can be used as green alternatives to conventional household and personal care products.  Below are some ideas sent to me from a couple of readers.

Cucumber is a nutritious vegetable with many more medicinal uses than listed here.

• Cucumbers are loaded with vitamins and minerals and make an energy-boosting snack.
• Rubbing a cucumber slice on a fogged up mirror will eliminate the fog and provide aromatherapy at the same time.
• Cucumber slices in an aluminum pie tin will repel grubs and slugs from your garden.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off an undetectable scent to humans but not to garden pests.
• Cucumber is especially beneficial for the skin.  Rub a slice of cucumber on your cellulite and wrinkles to tighten the skin. Cucumber also reduces eye puffiness.
  

  Image by Betsy Wild

• Eating a few cucumber slices after over imbibing and before going to bed helps to eliminate a hangover.  The sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes in the cucumber replenish essential nutrients.
• Shine your shoes with cucumber – the chemicals provide a quick shine that also repels water.
• A cucumber slice pressed on the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds kills bad breath germs.
• Clean your faucets and stainless steel with cucumber slices – it safely removes tarnish and leaves a shine.

Vodka has the same antiseptic properties as rubbing alcohol.  It’s expensive, but in a pinch you can:

• Clean windows with diluted vodka as an alternative to chemical cleansers.
• Shine chrome with a cloth soaked in vodka.
• Preserve cut flowers by mixing a few drops of vodka with a teaspoon of sugar.
• Remove stains like ink, grass and some foods from upholstery.  Dip a clean cloth in vodka and rub it on the fabric.
• Kill broadleaf weeds – Mix 1 ounce of vodka, a few drops of liquid dish soap and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.  Apply on a sunny day to cause the weeds to dry out.
• Clean mold and mildew – spray tiles and caulk with vodka and let stand for 20 minutes.  Scrub with a brush and rinse thoroughly.
• Soothe sore muscles with a cold pack made from equal parts vodka and water.  Put in a resealable bag and freeze.
• Spritz the insides of your shoes with vodka to eliminate the odor.

 

Vodka information compiled from THISOLDHOUSE.COM (Jan/Feb.2012). 

Cucumber information compiled from: www.cropking.com/cucumberbenefit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREEN BEDDING FOR AN UNUSUAL HOLIDAY GIFT

Image via Wikipedia

Need an unusual and green holiday gift idea?  Consider giving organic or natural fiber sheets and blankets.  We spend one third of our life sleeping, so go for the healthier option.  Permanent press, easy care, no iron, and cotton/polyester blends have usually been treated with formaldehyde, which has been linked to cancer, asthma and other ailments. Some sheets are labeled formaldehyde-free, but most do not indicate whether or not they contain formaldehyde.  Conventional cotton is often bleached and treated with dyes, and is one of the most heavily sprayed products, accounting for up to 25% of insecticides used worldwide.

Organic cotton, linen, hemp or bamboo bedding are all natural alternatives free of toxic chemicals, minimizing environmental pollution in the growing and manufacturing process. They usually use low impact dyes as well.  Bamboo sheets actually wick away moisture and are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. They are perfect for people with skin allergies.  A great eco-choice, bamboo is naturally pest free, fast growing and sustainable. When purchasing bamboo sheets (or clothes), look for 100% Viscose from Bamboo.   Some bamboo textiles are actually rayon, which is made using toxic chemicals.

A beautiful natural wool, organic cotton, flannel or for a real splurge, cashmere blanket or throw also makes a lovely holiday gift that can be passed down for generations.  A warm bed with natural fiber bedding allows you to turn down the thermostat, increasing the eco-benefits since you’ll save money and energy!  A cooler bedroom is better for sleeping anyway.

Natural fiber and organic cotton bedding will wrinkle and costs a little more, but they are more breathable, comfortable and last longer. You can find natural and organic bedding online at Gaiam.com and GreenEarth Bamboo, as well as other online stores.  Bed, Bath and Beyond, Pottery Barn, Target and other major department stores also have a selection.

Introduce your family and friends to a healthier, cozier night’s sleep with natural fiber sheets and blankets.  While you are at it, get some for yourself – you won’t believe the difference!

Click here for more information about “Greening your Bedroom”.

Information compiled from green.life@sierraclub.org, treehugger.com and Green Living by the editors of The Environmental Magazine.

 

A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE? GET RID OF IT NATURALLY

Image via Wikipedia

This year I have noticed a proliferation of mice in my house and even had a squirrel yesterday!  A recent article in the Boston Globe entitled, “Where did all the acorns go?” by David Abel, maintains that acorns have all but disappeared this fall, a phenomenon that affects the ecosystem,  everything from chipmunks to owls with mice, chipmunks and squirrels most affected.  Typically, a mature oak tree will produce about 250 pounds of acorns, serving as seeds for saplings and food for rodents and other animals. The oaks this year have each produced less than half a pound of acorns.

Whether this explains the increase of mice indoors or not, no one wants them in their homes. Rather than use a toxin to kill them and deal with their smelling, decomposing bodies, I prefer repellent techniques.  A cat is the most likely solution, but cats like to torture mice and are always proud to show you their slaughter.  A fox and cat spray is one of the best ways to repel mice.   The odor is not detectable to humans, but is to mice who fear these predators.  You can order a chemical-free product called Shake Away containing fox urine granules from amazon.com.  Another deterrent is to strategically place cotton balls soaked in peppermint essential oil where the mouse enters the house and along his trail. They hate the smell of mint! Eucalyptus or spearmint oil works too.  You can also try the plug-in ultrasonic rodent repeller device with an always-changing frequency to which mice cannot adapt.  The high-pitched sound does not affect cats and dogs. You can order one from gaiam.com.

Mice are generally looking for food or a place to nest, so make sure you don’t have anything in your garage or home to tempt them.  Keep your woodpiles outside of the garage as well as your garbage cans.  Garbage cans in the house should be covered and obviously not kept around long.

If the above solutions don’t work, you’ll have to resort to catching them in a mousetrap, which kills them instantly.

Information compiled from: http://micecrazy.com/natural-way-to-get-rid-of-mice.php; http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/11/16/where-did-all-acorns/vLXezOKg2YznpAvQycY8LK/story.html 

GREEN QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Image via Wikipedia

Some of my readers emailed me with questions, which hopefully will be pertinent to you too.

Question:  Several of my colleagues microwave their lunches with plastic wrap.  I’ve heard this isn’t a good idea, but these people are intelligent professionals.  What do you think?

Answer: Intelligence doesn’t have anything to do with it.  It’s a matter of being informed.  Both the plastics industry and government health industries maintain that plastic wrap is safe to use, though consumer and environmental groups say otherwise.  Some plastic wraps could contain PVC or other chlorinated substances that can release dioxin, a known toxin and health hazard.  Saran Wrap has been reformulated to remove PVC and I imagine others have too.  But, who knows what’s in the new compounds? I always err on the side of caution and prefer to cover the food with a paper towel (unbleached) or natural wax paper. I also use glass microwave containers instead of plastic.  It is always important to use cookware specially manufactured for microwave use, and if you do cover with plastic wrap, the plastic should not touch the food.  Otherwise it could melt on your food.  You don’t want that!

Question:  I am a textile artist and wonder what to do with my leftover fabric scraps.

Image via Wikipedia

Also, how do I recycle wood and cardboard with paint on it?  Good for you for not throwing them away!  Every seamstress has the same problem I imagine.  One obvious solution is to reuse them for other projects such as fabric flower cards, bookmarks, pillowcases, beanbags, or gift-wrap.  There are endless suggestions online.  But you could also donate them to a preschool, kindergarten or arts school for their craft projects or contact a sewing shop to see if anyone needs fabric scraps for quilting, for example.  What about putting a notice on craigslist for an artist who might want fabric scarps? As far as recycling wood and cardboard with paint on them, it’s not a good idea to recycle painted wood.  Recycled wood is usually used for fuel or chipped for mulch.  Either way you wouldn’t want the paint toxins leaching into the soil or the air.  You can dispose of wood with latex or water-based paint in your trash, but wood with lead or oil based paints should be taken to hazardous waste collection.

Readers, send me your questions!  I’d love to answer them.

 

Information compiled from:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/cooking_safely_in_the_microwave/index.asp#3; http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/