carbon neutral confirmation =-)

Just wanted to share this with everyone. =-) My official carbon neutral letter =-) =-)

Hi Marjie,


thank you so much for participating in our initiative and making your blog carbon neutral! Your tree will be planted this month by the Arbor Day Foundation. The scheduled start plant date was Monday, April 19 and the trees will be planted by a contracted crew. The roads are being plowed, all contracts solidified, and twelve shipments of 150,000 seedling each are being assembled. We thank you for the support!

There are still some trees looking for a sponsor. So if you know some people who have a blog or website, pass it on and we'll make their blogs carbon neutral too!


Best,

Christin

My blog is carbon neutral!!

Its no big secret, green living is something I promote openly. When I discovered I could green my blog, of course I was on board and super excited!! This German-based company willingly plants a tree for every blog/website that signs up, fantastic concept!

The company's goal is to achieve 1,000,000 trees. (imagine the impact this could have on the world!)
A website or blog creates 0.02g of carbon dioxide every visit. The average life of a tree is 50 years, so by joining I am completely erasing the carbon footprint my blog creates. I love it! =-)

Feel free to participate (hint hint) and spread the word about their Make it Green program! Its free and easy. =-) Simply click the pink button provided in my blog.

Stand for our four legged friends

I'm sure you've seen the pbs specials about aiding rescued and abused animals. Doesn't it just pull at your heart? If you're like me, you have to turn your head as it wrenches everything inside of you. You'd swear at times, those eyes were staring right at you from inside the tv.

Animal Cruelty is illegal, however, it's not well implemented. The suffering on such a massive scale,  causes our eyes to go wide and our jaws to drop. Abuse, neglect, starvation, improper medical care. Surely, there is something we can do. Saving one animal won't save the world, but as a world, can we change to save them?

When supporters act together in a collective way, the change can be astounding. They can be a powerful force, a regular tidal wave of change. So how can we help?

Volunteer
Shelters are always in need of dedicated individuals to assist in care, fundraising, and fostercare

Donate Goods
Many organizations have yard sales to raise money for their cause. Consider donating your unwanted items, some provide a free pickup service.

Monetary Donations
Pet organizations must have an income stream to operate. Cash donations go towards veterinary care, grooming, fostering, and food.

Foster
Unfortunately, time and space is limited for many shelters. Consider helping by providing an animal love and attention, while its waiting for its forever home.

Adoption
An array of animals are always available, waiting for love.

Spay or Neuter Your Pet
Help reduce the overwhelming number of  unwanted animals by spaying or neutering your own pet. There is a vast number of free to low cost programs available across the country

Donate Supplies
Many organizations accept pet related donations (food, etc) and building materials to keep up with the need of the animals they house.

Report Abuse
If you see an animal being abused or neglected, it is your responsibility to notify the authorities.

The ick

Hazards of a child's room

The ick By Marjie Shanks
The ick is stuck to my foot
It desperately wants to stay put
I pry and I try
But it will not comply
The ick is stuck to my foot
Striped red and green
I may need vaccine
From the ick thats stuck to my foot
And I do declare
There's a lego in there
In the ick thats stuck to my foot
Oh, Apple of my eye
You simply cannot deny
That this is ick is to my foot
Never again
Will I clean your pigpen
This ick is stuck to my foot

Coffee Break

Ode to Coffee Ranjit Nair's limericks
O! coffee, where art thou
When I need thee now?
In thy many flavoured blends
A hot cup would be godsend.

I cannot keep awake
Without a short coffee-break.
With thy life-giving aroma
Save me from going into a coma.

Java, Colombian or French Roast
Thy every flavour, I will toast.
To the end thy loyal slave
Three cups a day I will always crave.


It's no big secret, coffee is considered the world's most popular stimulant.The beans, whether, ground or pre-ground provide the enthusiast an inexpensive and basic morning luxury. It's taste and aroma clear fuzzy mornings for billions of coffee lovers all over the globe. Its bold and dependable, can be custom roasted and truly good to the last drop. Maxwell House slogan

I love coffee, it is my (and millions of others) full flavor, french vanilla, fundamental luxury. We all look forward to it, iced, hot, single cup or insulated mug, that smooth velvety black beverage is truly universal. For many devoted drinkers, it's a premeditated daily ritual. So as I enjoy my freshly brewed morning cuppa joe (perhaps you are too) I have provided some coffee facts for your pleasure.


Fun Facts
-Coffee contains no calories (this is without the glug of french vanilla creamer)
-Recent research may indicate coffee lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes
-Coffee is a fruit and grows on trees. It takes 5 years for one of these "plants" to reach maturity.
-For the best brewing results the grounds should be spread evenly across the filter.
-All coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator (known as the "Coffee Belt" or the "Bean Belt")
-Caffeine in coffee has been proven to relieve headaches (I can attribute to this)
-Coffee beans are really berries
-Coffee is the 2nd highest traded commodity in the world! Oil is number 1
-Coffee contains antioxidants
-Caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee's list of prohibited substances. Athletes testing postive for more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of urine can be banned from the Olympic Games. This level is usually reached after 5 cups of coffee.
-The word coffee was orginally a term for wine
-Antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties in coffee help prevent the development of cavities
-Dark roasted coffee has less caffeine than medium roasts, the longer the bean is roasted the more caffeine burns off during the process
-Capuccino is named for the peak of foam, which resembles a Capuchin friar's habit
-Raw beans soaked in water, are chewed like candy in parts of Africa

Crockpot Revolution

Any of you suffer like me, with a cracked pot? (that never not enough time in the day to cook a real meal feeling)? I suppose I can just come right out and say it... I love too cook, however, managing 3 kids, my house, and life in general gets in the way. So I thought: Why not share my, ahem, unnatural obsession with the crockpot (now, now, I know some of you suffer too). Yes, I am referring to that revolutionary electric appliance, gathering dust in the back of cupboards everywhere.

Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall, my crockpot is my friend. I mean, come on, you can cook anything in it. And bonus, it doesn't heat up your kitchen (those of you located in the desert mid-summer know what I am talking about). Besides, making it fast and cooking it slow, ready by dinner, also a real bonus. And did I mention it's energy efficient?

Let's cut to the chase here and prove my crockpot obsession is not insanity. I'll skip those soups, we all know how to do that. (however if you want some recipes, let me know, I can share) Let us instead focus on how easy it is to provide an array of diverse meals, snacks, dips, etc.

Slow Cooker Beef Roast with onions and potatoes
1 large sweet onion (I will never achieve a zen moment when cutting an onion)
3lb boneless beef bottom round roast (By the way, I hate the netting these sometimes come in, cut it off the roast before cooking)
3 potatoes cubed
chopped garlic (fresh or dried)
1 can beef broth
1 package onion soup mix
1/4 cup white flour

In 5-6 quart slow cooker, place chopped onion. Place beef roast on onionPlace potatoes and garlic around beef (This doesn't have to be arranged pretty but I know you're thinking about it, you perfectionist you)In a small bowl mix broth and soup mix, pour over the contents in the pot.Cover, cook on low 9 to 10 hoursI use the flour to thicken up the broth before serving, use a whisk to break up any clumps. It will thicken as it cools.


Fruit and Nut Baked Apples (gasp, that crockpot is good for more than soup!)
4-5 large apples (Some are tart, some are not, I'll leave it to you to decide )
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup dried apricots
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar (you can substite if you are on a diet)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
caramel ice cream topping (optional)

Scoop out the center of each apple, leaving a 1 1/2 inch wide cavity approximately 1/2 inch from the bottom. Remove the apple peel about 1 inch from the top. Brush the edges with the lemon juice.Mix apricots, walnuts (or pecans), brown sugar and cinammom in a small bowl. Add butter and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the apple cavities.Pour 1/2 cup water into the bottom of your crockpot, Arrange the apples in the bottomCover, cook on low 3-4 hours or until apples are tender. Best served warm with the caramel ice cream topping.

Are you overwhelmed yet?.................. I didn't think so

Vegetable Stuffed Pork Chops
4 pork loin chops
1 can corn, drained
1 green bell pepper (optional, some of you may be gagging right now)
1 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 can tomato sauce

Cut pocket into the side of each pork chop. Combine corn, bell pepper, bread crumbs, onion and rice in a large bowl. Stuff pork chops with rice mixture. Secure the pocket with toothpicks.
Place remaining rice mixture into the bottom of the crockpot (have I mentioned it's my friend) Lay the stuffed porkchops on top. Coat the top of each porkchop with tomato sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over the top
Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours

Triple Chocolate Fantasy (I am certain I have your attention now)
2 pounds white almond bark, broken into pieces
1 bar (4 ounces) sweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Place bark, sweetened chocolate and chocolate chips in crockpot.
Cover, cook on high for 1 hour. Do not stir.
Turn crockpot on low, continue cooking for 1 hour, stirring every 15 mintues. Stir in nuts.
Drop mixture by tablespoons onto a baking sheet covered with wax paper, let cool. Store in a sealed container. Enjoy!!
Note: Instead of pecans, try crushed peppermint candy, peanuts, pistachios, toffee marshmallows, or coconut

Delicious, eh?

After all that, I think we can safely make the assumption one can get over the "extra clutter" that a crockpot may provide to your kitchen. In the name of crockpot lovers everywhere, I promote thee! Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the Crockpot!!! (after all it is happiness to crockpot obsessers everywhere)

Who says saving money isn't green?

Going green or green living is something you hear alot these days. But let's face it, most of the products are well over-priced. Now you're wondering how you, that average person or family can save yourself money and go green. I am here to tell you that you can implement go green and SAVE MONEY in the process. The steps aren't hard, believe me, I am, probably, listed high on the ladder of lazy and consider myself a penny pincher (ask my husband), honestly most of us don't have extra money to spend on the hype product. I am not talking solar panels or hybrid cars (although I love mine) here, just simple how to's, do it yourselfers, and recipes to help with your desired goal. Hmmmm...... Save money and energy at the same time, sounds like a winning combination.

Change your filters
See? I told you this was easy. Always be aware of filters in your home and how to change them. The most common filters are in your air conditioning vents (or in my case, the swamp cooler), and your furnace. The older and dirtier the filters get, the more energy the units will have to use to achieve their optimum performance. By simply changing them, you are limiting the energy that the furnace or A/C has to use, which, of course, SAVES YOU MONEY. Filters are not expensive, and can be picked up at a local store, like Wal-mart. I bet some of you are saying you don't know how.... Well, believe me, if I can, you can. I am the most un-mechanical person you will ever meet... Besides, I bet you all know someone nice enough to show you how (and most appliances come with instructions pasted to the inside panel, complete with pictures). To keep things running at optimum performance these filters should be changed at least every 2-3 months.

Watch the doors
Don't you remember your mom telling you over and over to shut the door?(And if you are a parent, I bet you do it too) Whether she was just annoyed that were going in and out at high speed or focused on being energy conscious, she was on to something... If it has a door, make sure it is closed. Leaving the refrigerator or freezer open too long allows the energy too ecape. Therefore, the appliances have to work harder to keep those perishable foods cold. Keeping the door to your house shut, also cuts down on energy use, you won't be allowing the cold or warm air to escape, in turn the furnace and A/C don't have to work as hard. See how one and two tie together nicely? I told this would be easy.


Lightbulbs
Install compact flourescent light bulbs (cfl's, those funny spiral looking lightbulbs), which, by the way use 25% LESS energy than the traditional bulb. Most should be doing this anyway, since the traditional light bulb is on its way out. They won't even be making these anymore. Yes, you read that right, green living is going global! They seem expensive at first, but, please, read on. I installed ours over a year ago, and haven't replaced any of them since. This is with three kids, fascinated with flipping the light switch on and off. Each time you flip the switch off and on, the bulbs filament (the part that produces light) wears out and weakens. A cfl bulb's life expectancy is 2-3 times longer than the traditional. You figure out the math, for 3 kids flipping every switch in my house on and off x 1 year with the better cfl bulb. How many traditional bulbs would that have been?!? Cha-Ching!!! MONEY SAVED.

Make your own laundry soap
I promise you this isn't as hard as it sounds... I started making our laundry soap 6 months ago, love it, and will never go back to store bought. Many states have already banned the phosphates (contribute to the growth of algae, which depletes oxygen needed by fish, do you want that in your ground water?), in traditional laundry soap. Again, we are talking the beginning of a global change. That should tell you something, it's full of chemicals and bad for you and the planet. You can buy phosphate-free laundry soap from your local store or make your own, as I choose to do. I prefere this method because it SAVES MONEY. Seriously, traditional soap like, Tide for example, averages about $0.30 per load, by making it, I cut my cost to about $0.03 per load! No joke! All ingredients can be found, guess what, at your local store. Another benefit is you don't use nearly as much soap because you don't have to.... It cleans and works great (I hate the smell of bleach and no longer use it). It also keeps up with my busy family of 5, I made a batch 2 months ago and its still going strong. MONEY SAVED! I am going to make this really easy for you... by giving you the recipe: (I prefer liquid soap to powder but if you want a powder recipe you can comment and I'd be happy to share a few with you)

• 2 gallons Water (hot)


• 1 bar Soap (grated) (I suggest Ivory,Sunlight, or Zote, or any soap that isn't highly perfumed)


• 2 cups Baking soda or washing soda (found at your local store, in the laundry aisle)


• 2 cups borax (found at your local store, in the laundry aisle)

Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water and baking or washing soda and borax. Add melted soap, stir every hour until cool. It will separate, this is ok, simply stir before you add laundry soap to your washing machine. And store with a lid, when not in use.
Use 1/4-1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.

Note: The hardest part to get used to is the lack of suds, Commercial laundry companies put additives in the laundry detergents to make these bubbles, to convince you that your laundry is really getting clean.

Note:You can add a few drops of an essential oil, if you really want a fragrance to your new laundry soap.

Freecycle

What is junk to you may be someone else's treasure (and vice versa). Reuse groups lik freecyle use email and forums to offer items that no one else wants, for get this, for free! Membership is also free. Find a loving home for would-be orphaned items in your basement, garage, or yard. By doing so, you also cut down on the amount of pile-up in the landfill (think about all the stuff shoved in there and buried under the earth). It's simple, economical, emotionally rewarding and SAVES MONEY.

Green living is not nearly as difficult or expensive as it seems, hopefully these tips have provided proof of that. So why not provide a safer environment for yourself, your family and planet by taking action.