I don’t have any pets, but I came across this natural flea fighter on Care2 and wanted to share it. Usually I test any recipes or remedies that I post, but since I don’t have dogs, cats, or fleas I cannot tell you how well it works or ways that I may alter it. However, if any of you do try this I would love to hear your thoughts through some comment feedback.

Citrus peel extract is an excellent choice against fleas for dogs, because its components—d-limonene and linalool—kill all stages of the flea’s life cycle. I have completely eradicated our home and dogs of fleas using citrus peel extract—I don’t think anything else works as well. Still, you must use caution: while it is a natural material, and much safer for health and the environment than toxic synthetic pesticides, it is not without problems, especially for asthmatics (see “Caution,â€? below). Citrus shouldn’t be used around cats.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: For Fleas from and on Dogs
Assuming you don’t own a cat, and you keep your windows open when using citrus peel extract products, get rid of fleas in your house by washing floors twice a week with a solution of 1/4 cup citrus peel extract (available in health food stores–citra solve is one brand) in 1 to 2 gallons of water. Spray bedding with a mixture of 2 teaspoons citrus peel extract and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.To make a fur rub for the dog, cut up 4 lemons, and simmer for one hour in 1 quart of water, adding more water as it evaporates. Cool the mixture, strain, and massage into the dog’s coat. Note that there are a number of pure citrus-peel-based pet products on the market (see Shop for Supplies, below).For Cats *and* Dogs
Herbal repellents work well to repel fleas. Make an herbal infusion by adding a handful of dried herbs (available in most health food stores) to a tea pot and fill with boiling water. Let the “tea� set overnight, and then strain it into a spray bottle. Recommended herbs include southernwood, rue, rosemary, sage, catmint, eucalyptus, and leaves from the black walnut tree. Start with just a small amount to make sure the pet can tolerate the herb.

Boric acid and borax are also widely used against fleas. Sprinkle a thin powder or boric acid or borax on carpets, leave on for a few days, and then vacuum up.

Other Flea Controls

• Feed your dogs (but not cats) garlic and yeast.
• Wash your pets frequently.
• Use a flea comb.
• Make your own flea shampoo.
• Use a natural flea collar.

HELPFUL HINTS: Caution

• One controversial study found that when fed extremely high doses of d-limonene, male rats developed cancer. There was no evidence that it did so in female rats or in mice of either sex.
• Citrus-peel extract is a strong volatile organic chemical (VOC). Make sure you use adequate ventilation when using. Asthmatics should not use this approach.
• Don’t use pennyroyal around pets, especially pregnant pets or people.
• Avoid pet’s eyes when using any of the above recommended ingredients.

The air is cool. The leaves are beginning to transform from the greens of summer to the earthy, bright colors of fire.

Sky is swallowed by gray and the days of rain guide me into a slow and deep rhythm. When the sun appears and reminds me that it is not far away, I run outside to catch its warm and joyful gift.

Increasingly swift,

The temperature rests low and we cozy in under a pile of blankets.

My attention turns to things of comfort. Mugs of thick hot chocolate. Yarn. Fabric. Creativity. Books. Sleep.

This season brings to me an unexpected challenge,

a struggle to care about the consequences of my actions.

Convenience and warmth sit so easily next to my water soaked, clean clothes. I want to put my clothes in the dryer.

I don’t care.

I sigh.

No matter how much I want to I just can’t shake that I do care. I will hang my clothes to dry. The fan that allows me to borrow its gentle breeze for these cold and wet months treads much lighter than the dryer for which I yearn.

Autumn moves about with a gentleness. I will try to do the same.

So, today, I have been trying to decide between two recipes both of which I want to share with you. Each of them allow you to stroll through the farmer’s market looking for the perfect piece of fruit which you will then purchase and bake into this delicious breakfast item.

I think this is an enjoy the sunshine, a cup coffee, and muffin all while in your pj’s kind of weekend. Muffin it is.

When I made these muffins about a month ago cherries were all I could think about. So, in order to satisfy my cherry cravings they found their way into much of my baking. The recipe below (which is an adapted recipe from the fabulous SouleMama blog) uses cherries, but basically you can substitute whatever fruit is in season and suits your fancy.

1.5 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking soda

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange rind (optional, but oh-so-good)

2 cups pitted cherries (if, like me, you don’t have a cherry-pitter this takes fooooreeeevverrr.)

Mix dry in a large bowl. Mix wet separately. Add wet to dry. Stir in fruit. Spoon into greased muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Make a cup of coffee and dive in.

Ideas for fruit substitutions (depending on the season these may or may not be available to you): Apples, peaches, strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or even a combination of them.

Sorry there are no pictures.  We ate them up before I had a chance to take a picture for you.  Yes.  They were that good.
Have a great weekend!

Co-op America posted a list of 21 things you didn’t know you could recycle and I am sharing it with you.

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, www.goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them. 800/YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org.

2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, www.batteryrecycling.com.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they can use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new: 888/454-3223, www.auraltech.com.

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, www.dressforsuccess.org. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding. Consider holding a clothes swap at your office, school, faith congregation or community center. Swap clothes with friends and colleagues, and save money on a new fall wardrobe and back-to-school clothes.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: www.ikea.com.

7. Compostable bio-plastics: You probably won’t be able to compost these in your home compost bin or pile. Find a municipal composter to take them to at www.findacomposter.com.

8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.

9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need.

11. Foam packing: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, 410/451-8340, www.epspackaging.org/info.html

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1/each.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or giving or selling them at iReuse.com. iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state: 202/682-8000, www.recycleoil.org.

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, www.collectivegood.com. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: www.donateaphone.com. Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, www.reclamere.com.

16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, www.playitagainsports.com.

17. “Technotrash�: Easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, cell phones, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305-GREENDISK, www.greendisk.com.

18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. www.nikereuseashoe.com. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. www.oneworldrunning.com.

19. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Recycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt cups. 888/354-7296, www.recycline.com.

20. Tyvek envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866/33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff you just can’t recycle: When practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.

A lot of what I learn is done as I go. I read, I research, and I experiment. I tend to get enough information to get me started and then go after it. This is something that I love. I love diving into new projects and figuring it out as I go along. However, while there are SO many aspects about self-education that I love, there is a inherent tendency to make a lot of mistakes. Making mistakes is part of the learning process for us all and I like it so much because I tend to find a fuller understanding as I problem solve. My indoor, turned outdoor, compost bin is a classic example of how self-educating can go terribly wrong and in the end become a really positive experience.

This is a story of a series of innocent mistakes becoming one big disgusting mess, and how, with help, Kendall and I were able to save our compost from the trash and our trash from the freezer.

We started the compost bin for a lot of really good reasons, but I was squeamish of worms and this was the beginning of things going bad because it led to mistake number one, neglecting the bin. Mistake number two was adding too many food scraps into one bin. It is something that many of us try to do in too many parts of our life–try to pack something too big in a package that is too small. A few victims of this are the bikini, storage lockers, to-do lists, that super cute pair of shoes that is half off, and…my compost bin. I should have learned that when I was having to put my full body weight on the lid to get it to close that I needed to figure out a new plan. Instead I continued on and unfortunately so does the list of mistakes.

These are my mistakes listed out as best as I could list such a complicated mess:

1. Overall neglect of the bin–I got really excited about starting and not so excited or into maintaining it.
2. Adding too many food scraps to one bin.
3. Our CSA share was too large for us to eat and we were regularly adding whole pieces of uneaten, rotten produce.
4. Major fruit fly infestation from neglect.
5. Standing liquid from the decomposing produce and rain water (which we hadn’t accounted for when we put the bin outside to save our apartment from the fruit flies), and not adding any newspaper to keep the moisture level in balance.
6. We began turning it too often in a desperate attempt to do something to save it.
7. Not enough oxygen circulation.

So, what we ended up with was a bin with worms, standing vegetable/fruit/rain water, rotting food, fruit flies, maggots, and to top it off it smelled like feces. I don’t think it was possible for my compost to become a more nauseating bin of nastiness. We had just moved into a new apartment when the bin really started to go downhill. I was so embarrassed to be caught by my neighbors with the lid open, the foul fecal odor thick in the air, fruit flies swarming out all around me, and the swamp of rotting food; yet, out of pure determination I continued to open the lid and add my food scraps.

The situation got so bad that Kendall gently said to me that he thought our compost bin was a goner. We talked about throwing it out and starting over, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. There was a Seattle Tilth brochure that Kendall had picked up a couple of weeks ago about composting and it had a hotline number to call. Each time I called I talked to someone who was helpful, kind, and patient. They really want you to succeed in composting and for it to be something that over time just becomes a regular part of your life.

Here is the information that they shared with me that saved our compost:

1. Stop adding food scraps to our bin until we got the problem under control. We didn’t want to throw our food scraps away so we put them in a garbage bag in our freezer.
2. We needed to buy more worms and start a second bin. We were adding too many food scraps and the worms couldn’t eat through it all. Now, I rotate bins. I will have one bin function as my active bin for a couple of weeks while the other one rests.
3. We needed to drill holes in the bottom of both bins, buy 2 more bins to stack underneath the compost bins to catch the “compost tea” which would now begin to drain. All the food we were adding had a lot of moisture in it and so when the food started to break down the moisture left the food and was trapped in the bin. Putting the bin outside made the moisture problem worse because of how damp Seattle is. The worms stopped eating the food because they were drowning. Tip: When it is time to dump the bucket of nutrient-rich “tea” you can dilute it with water and use it to water your plants or your garden.
4. Stop turning the compost so often. While this does speed up the composting, this process creates a lot of heat and, therefore, creating a perfect environment for larva (maggots) and other critters. Compost bins are little ecosystems so there are going to be some critters especially if you have an outdoor bin, but it should not be overrun with them.
5. Start layering the compost bin with newspaper. The worms don’t like to live in the same place they eat. The newspaper layer gives them somewhere to go. This also helps with the fruit fly problem. Now I always make sure the food scraps are covered by a layer of newspaper. So, I either add it under an already existing layer of newspaper or add more if it is time.
6. Go on a fruit fly killing spree. It is important to get the fruit fly population under control because they multiply so quickly. I went outside with my spray bottle of cleaner and a rag and killed as many as I could. It is also important to keep the outside of the bins and the “tea” bin really clean in order to cut off their food supply. So, for a couple of days or weeks you will just really need to be on top of it pristine. We started slacking before we should have and the problem came back. Can you tell we have a problem with follow-through?
7. Crack open the lids a bit to let oxygen in. I open my lids in the evening for a couple of hours. This helps with the fruit flies, the smell, and the composting of the food. Oxygen is an important part of composting. Without oxygen decomposition will slow down as much as 90%.

I now have two very healthy compost bins and couldn’t be happier about it. This has been such a great learning process for me and the care I have put into restoring it has even managed to create an affection for my worms and the role they play in keeping my ecosystem balanced and healthy. The biggest thing that I learned is that composting isn’t difficult, but that it is important to keep the contents in balance–if it is too wet, then, make it drier with drainage holes and dry newspaper; if it is too dry, then, add wet newspaper; there needs to be a balance between the worms and the food scraps; and just like all of us it needs room to breathe.

Having a compost bin doesn’t take a lot of work. However, it does need to be maintained and whenever I have begun to slack on this I am revisited by old compost problems.

Oh, and after canceling our CSA and going to the Farmer’s Market instead I found a new farmer who is starting a compost pile and would love to take the trash in my freezer off my hands!

I hope none of you are in need of saving your compost bin, but if you do and are able to be patient and give it a little extra care for while it is possible to rescue even the most hopeless bins.

I am a bad test taker. I really am. I have test anxiety and don’t do well on tests as a result. This is the only reason I can come up with for doing so poorly on those stupid environmental impact, ecological footprint tests. Seriously, I can’t think of any other reason. It cannot be something I am doing or not doing that might actually give me a score of 2.6 planets or a carbon output of 5 tons/year. I kind of want to cheat on these tests. How stupid is that? These tests are designed to make us more aware of our impact and I want to cheat. Stupid, I know. But true.

I feel like I am working to make changes to my life and that I am very conscious of living a life that reflects my values. Taking tests like these ones though can sometimes make me feel like I am failing at doing that.

Then I remember that I am a work in progress.

These tests are good to take because they give me a reality check. I am still using more resources than one person should use. Hence, the 2.6 planets. However, it is important to remember that they don’t look at the details of the whole picture. They aren’t meant to. They are meant to be short and easy (so people will actually be willing to take them) and to give you a general idea of the impact you are making. I think that they are good for serving this purpose. I do have a ways to go, but I have also come very far. When I first took one of those tests a couple of years ago I was at around 7 planets. So, when I remember that, I realize how far I have come. There are still many changes I can and need to make. And…there are also a lot that I have already made while walking this path that have indeed made a big difference.

I will continue to use these tests to mark my progress, point me in the right direction, AND I will remember that they don’t tell the whole story.

Off to continue my journey.

Coming home from your local farmer’s market with a basket of fresh veggies, fruit, and maybe for us carnivores, some ethical meat choices. One of my favorite parts of summer are the simple meals prepared by cutting up a few fresh veggies, maybe grilling some meat, and polishing it all off with a bowl or strawberries or maybe even a peach cobbler.
With our boards and counters getting so much use it is important to keep them clean. The answer to keeping our counters and cutting boards clean IS NOT bleach. My southern friends, more than any other people I know, LOVE bleach. They love feeling like they have killed every last germ and they even love the way bleach smells. Because I care about the health and well being of my dear friends I am going to share a few alternative cleaning recipes.

Here are a few germ-killing solutions for your cutting board and your counters from Care2:

Plain Old Soap and Water:
The Environmental Protection Agency notes that soap and hot water kill bacteria. Wash the cutting board with soap and water (note: use real liquid soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s); it is effective to do this using a good scrub brush, to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Hydrogen peroxide and white distilled vinegar:
Wash your board with hydrogen peroxide followed by straight white distilled vinegar. Leaving each one to rest on the cutting board for 10 minutes or so before rinsing. (The smell of the vinegar will dissipate.)

A straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—such as you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses).

Lavender antibacterial spray:
If you like the smell of lavender, make an antibacterial spray by mixing about 20 drops of the pure essential oil of lavender to 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Shake to blend. Spray on the cutting board and don’t rinse.

New research is proving that the old folk recipes using herbs and essential oils to kill germs, such as those used by 14th century doctors during the Black Plague, were based on good science. Many essential oils, such as the oils of lavender and thyme, are more antiseptic than phenol, the industry standard. Research is also showing that antibacterial plant oils may not cause drug resistance, as could be the case with common chemical disinfectants. The essential oil-based spray, below, leaves a lovely, clean scent. It is a good choice to use for misting your cutting board after use.

Ingredients:

1. Get outside, sweat, and catch every breeze you can.
2. Sit, lay, sleep, rest, read, and chat under the shade of a tree.
3. Water. Drinks lots of it and find some body of water to swim, splash, sit, or dangle your feet in. We took a walk to The Sound and dipped our feet in the deliciously, cold, clear water.
4. Enjoy little treats. Make some iced tea. Eat popsicles and ice cream/frozen yogurt. Fill up on cucumber sandwiches and slices of watermelon.
5. Go on a long, slow, gentle walk visiting your favorite places.
6. Adjust your attitude. Come to terms with the fact that you are just. going. to. be. hot. When you try to fight weather you lose. If you live in Seattle you just know that you are going to get wet, everyone is. Just put on a rain jacket and keep going about your life. It is not the end of the world to have frizzy, rain jacket hair or wet legs. If you live in Texas just know that you are going to be hot, everyone is. If you try to fight it you are going to be miserable and you. are. going. to. lose. Cranking air conditioners is only going to keep making the world warmer (Ahem…global warming and we all know how that is going to turn out.)
7. Cool off before bed with a short “slow cool” rinse. This means you start off with luke warm water and continue to make it colder until it is as cold as you can stand it. Dry off. Get in bed.

Directions:

1. Slowly combine the ingredients* above on a hot, summer day along with a generous amount of (aluminum-free) deodorant and (paraben-free) sunblock. Continue to mix until the days become cooler.

*Add more of the ingredients you love and adjust the mixture to your environment. If you have to stay indoors to work replace going outside with opening ALL your windows and doors, add some Jon Mellencamp music, and mix in as many of the ingredients as possible.

It has been a while since I have done a Take Action post, but thanks to a couple of e-mails from Environmental Working Group (EWG), and a Worsted Witch reminder I have gotten my act together to let you all know about a quick and easy way for you all to help support organic farming.

EWG is very close to their goal of 30,000 signatures, but they are still a couple thousand short. Follow this link to the petition page and take 1 minute to fill out your information (name, e-mail address, and zip-code…seriously, that is all) and press the “Sign now!” button.

“The farm bill, which is reexamined approximately every five years—it’s come around again in 2007—determines which U.S. crops will be subsidized by the government, and which will not.” ¹ “Congress is about to vote on a new Farm Bill, which could be the first to include fair funding for organics.” ² You taking the time to sign this petition gets us a step closer to this happening!

You have until Sunday, July 15th to do this.  Thank you for your support!

¹Jasmine, Worsted Witch; ²EWG

One of the changes I have made lately is eating in-season local food. It is kind of bizarre, funny, ironic, and telling that it is soooooo difficult to find year round, in-season, local, organic food. This used to be the norm. People used to just eat year round in-season organic food and it didn’t have to be labeled as such.

However, with those struggles behind me for a couple of months, I get to enjoy the bounty of summer and fall. It is a wonderful and easy time to find local, in-season food. If you are looking for a fun outing to go on with friends or family I would highly recommend finding an organic (or one that is sustainable and chemical free) farm that lets you go and pick your own food. It really is just a great way to spend a day. Talking with the farmers, being outside, harvesting food, and enjoying great company (or solitude–sometimes a person just needs quiet, outdoor time). You can make this a regular thing or a one-time-berry-picking-adventure. Either way is great.

This weekend Kendall and I are planning on a berry-picking-adventure. Since our decision to eat local year round, I have been saving jars to do some canning and jam making. There is really no point in going out and buying a bunch of expensive jars. Save the jam, pickle, olive, salsa, and whatever else kind of jars of food you buy, and refill them with you own homemade goodness (this is a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone kind of thing since we are also trying to reduce our trash).

I will post some delicious berry recipes for you all to enjoy. To find a farm near you go to local harvest or do some google-ing.  If you feel up for a little work call ahead to see if they could use any volunteers for the day you are planning on being on the farm (it will be more helpful for them if they know you are coming because they will be able to plan their day accordingly).