Refocusing a room

When a room is too cluttered it loses its purpose. Dining rooms cannot be dined in, bedrooms start looking more like storage areas and playrooms than places to retreat from the world, and craft rooms become extended catchall closets.

There are a few different methods for addressing this problem. Flylady has the steady decluttering method, making a daily practice of removing so many items from a room and doing small tasks until the room is clean. For many people this is a very good method, and it does have its advantages in the long run as once the room is decluttered her method continues as a maintenance routine.

However, there are times where we just need to be in it for the instant gratification, my method (adapted from Vicki Enkoff’s method for cleaning art studios) falls into the instant intense gratification category.

First things first, make sure that you have the time (4 hours will take care of a large very squalorous room if you keep at it, double the time if you actually plan on addressing some of the mess, or plan on cleaning carpets and walls.)

Second make a nice pot of coffee, a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea, or a 6 pack of your favorite libation; you’re taking on a big job and deserve to treat yourself right.

Next get some boxes, totes and garbage bags. Fill them up and take everything out of the room. Move everything into another room, including the furniture, computers, and shelves. Everything goes. Keep a trash bin handy for things that you no longer want, broken items, and trash. Do not make the mistake of putting all of your books or papers in one large box, break heavy things up into smaller containers (you’ll find them later, I promise.) If there is a closet, purge that completely as well. Take all the pictures off the walls and put them in the other room.

Next sweep, vacuum, steam, dust, wipe, squeegee, or polish any remaining surfaces. Touch up paint if you’re so inclined. Bask in the glory of your accomplishment. Do not make direct eye contact with the new stacks of squalor that have formed in the living room. This might be a good time to have a drink and eat something light. It’s also an excellent time to extend your arms and twirl around.

Now move the furniture, one piece at a time, nearly to the doorway of the room. Before taking anything into the room, dust or vacuum it, clean the casters on office chairs, and tighten any loose screws or bolts on everything else. Now put it where you want it. Do this with each piece of furniture and arrange things just as you like them.

Know when to say when, once you like your arrangement stop putting furniture back into the room. Decide if you’re going to sell, give away or use that furniture in another room– but don’t move it back into the room that you’ve just purged if you don’t want it in there. Or if it’s something that is absolutely necessary (like a filing cabinet) find a place for it that is out of sight (like in that closet!)

The last step is the stuff step. Take a large empty box and a trash bin to the doorway of your newly cleaned room. Open one of the bags or boxes of stuff, if you find something that you must keep and can put away in your clean room put it away now. If it is something that should go in the garbage or can be given to charity put it in the proper receptacle.

If the stuff is mostly laundry this last part can be spread over several days, same as above but with the addition of a laundry basket. If it’s clean and keepable, then put it away. If it’s not usable to you put it in the charity box, or the garbage bin. If it’s keepable and needs cleaning put it in the laundry basket. Run the laundry as soon as the basket is full, take a break while the washer and dryer are running, and as soon as the clothes are ready put them away, then restart the process.

Have fun and happy decluttering!

Happiness and lard

First I talk about smoking cigarettes on the cheap, and now I’m advocating lard. Yes. Lard.

I have a deep and abiding loathing of margarine. It’s bad, unhealthy, the taste and texture is wrong, and it screws up recipes. Butter and lard are far superior. Lard more so than even butter in most cases.

Now, all 125 pounds of me can come out of the lard closet and explain why lard is better than hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Mainly because lard is not hydrogenated vegetable oil. It is a solid waxy fat that is washed of salt and rendered from porcine (aka pig) abdomen fat. It doesn’t have a distinct taste or smell, and when melted should be completely clear bearing a light gold color. The containers sold at Walmart and local grocery stores are usually Armour brand and should be avoided unless there are no other alternatives (as they are partially hydrogenated and a pure shocking white– newbie lard!)

While I’m not advocating any sort of diet, I will say that hydrogenated vegetable oil doesn’t seem to suck for baking goods until you compare those baked goods with those made with lard. Lard makes for lighter, moist breads and perfectly crisp flavorful cookies– hydrogenated vegetable oils don’t. If you prefer that lovely buttery taste in pie crusts and cookies, blend 1/2 butter and 1/2 lard– I swear the lard enhances the buttery flavor.

Lard also excels in price, about $2 less than Crisco per pound, $2.30 less than margarine, and about $4.20 less than butter. Also there is no need to refrigerate lard, so long as the container is free from contamination, it can be snapped closed and kept in the pantry or cupboard.

Lard was the cooking fat of choice right up until the 1940s and quite possibly the reason why most modern homemakers cookies and pie crusts don’t taste nearly as good as great-grandma’s is because with the advent of margarine we’ve forsaken lard.

The best proof will be your taste buds, buy some lard (not the newbie lard, go to the butcher and see if they sell prepared lard without the hydrogenation, if not check the farmers markets or check with your favorite search engine.) Then do a side by side comparison with your favorite cookie or bread recipe.

Save money on your tobacco habit

Ultimately quitting a habit like smoking will save money and lead to better health, but addictions being what they are it isn’t reasonable to assume that everyone that wants to save money also absolutely wants to quit smoking. I say this without the least inclination of shame, get off my darned habit!

And if you’re nodding your head thinking “Right on sister!” then you too are a smoker. In that case continue reading.
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Chickens!

First, before getting poultry of any sort (if you live within the city limits) make sure to check out the city codes for keeping animals. Even if you live in a metropolitan area you might be surprised to find out that you can legally keep poultry (although the number of which may be limited.) If you rent be sure to check with your landlord– because there’s nothing sadder than a homeless family and their little chicken.

For our city, the number is not limited there are specifications as to the distance we must keep poultry enclosed from the property line.

Because of our lifestyle the number of chickens we keep is limited to a single chicken, Elle, a gold laced Wyandotte. In exchange for food, shelter, love and devotion Elle provides our family with bug control, high nitrogen poop, hours of entertainment, and an almost daily egg.

Make a decision before buying a chick or chicken as to whether or not you’re going to eventually eat it. This will affect not only the type of chickens you may buy, but also how your family interacts with the chicken. Our family doesn’t eat pets, and even if Elle never lays another egg, she’s safe from the stew pot– therefore we feel it’s appropriate to bond with her as much as we would any other pet.

Also plan out carefully the living arrangement of the chicken. A single chicken can do quite happily with a medium sized pet carrier in the summer (so long as she has an enclosure to stretch her legs and forage around for tasty insects during the day) but in the winter she’ll need a heat source or insulated area to snuggle up on the coldest nights. She’ll also need protection from animals that want to play with her, eat her or eat her eggs. Make sure that raccoons, cats, dogs, and weasels can’t or won’t have access to her and that her enclosure is safe.

To prevent brooding take her egg out as soon as she lays it. If there’s no rooster to fertilize the egg it’s pointless to let her brood because the eggs will never hatch. Take the eggs and rinse them with cold water, put them in the fridge to enjoy later.

As pets, chickens are pretty straightforward. Training a chicken to come to its name, sit, or do tricks is no more difficult than training a puppy (actually, it is arguably easier) once you get over the idea of chicken as “livestock” and embrace the idea of “pet.” As with any bird, the more you handle a chicken the more comfortable with being handled and affectionate it will be.

Chickens can also wear a figure 8 halter (like those used for cats and rabbits) make sure it’s adjusted so that the large band goes under her wings, should you choose to leash train her. And, just as an aside– get used to the idea of people asking you about your hen or giving you funny looks (don’t worry, eventually the neighbors will quit staring.)

As for the cost of keeping a chicken, the amount you’ll save in insect spray, fertilizer (if you garden) and eggs definitely outweighs the food, shelter, and bedding costs of a chicken so they are very economical creatures to keep.

For more information about keeping chickens go to:

Backyard Chickens

Bird Hobbyist (pet chicken page)

Path to Freedom (Raising Chickens in the City Project)

Growing good stuff

I know, it’s autumn, winter is coming and you live in an apartment right? Can’t grow anything even if you wanted to, which you may or may not depending on what it is.

Fine.

Some good super easy indoor growers for apartment dwellers are obviously houseplants, ferns, some herbs (basil, lemon verbena, rue, rosemary, lemon grass, marjoram, mint, catnip) and small chives or onions, and those crappy air plants (which actually aren’t plants, but a small sea animal dyed green and hot glued into a shell.)

Some of the moderately more space (and time) consuming indoor growers are tomato plants (please be careful of these if you have pets or small children the leaves are poisonous) which grow well indoors if given something to climb on and a sunny corner. Sweet potatoes, which require a bed of sorts, and do well in dry heated environments. Avocados (none of mine have actually produced fruit, but if you can convince the plant to grow outward and not just upward, it’s quite lovely and easy to tend.) Corn (has to be planted about 3 or 4 starts in a large planter like those used for a ficus, makes an intriguing arrangement and does produce food.) Citrus trees (from seed) which requires drying the seeds, then sprouting in a moist warm place (dark is good too) and gently transplanting into a larger pot when necessary. Pineapple tops can be rooted and make lovely large houseplants.

What qualifies as a difficult or fussy plant is highly individual. I’ve never been able to get a kiwi seed past the sprout stage, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to grow, or that you shouldn’t try. All it means is that I have more to learn about that particular plant before trying again.

Now, tending to an indoor garden can be just as time consuming as tending to an outdoor one if you jump in both feet first, start small and slowly expand your mad apartment gardening skills to fit your lifestyle. You may be a one fern wonder, that’s perfectly fine. You may find that you only want to grow catnip and wheat grass (extremely easy to grow, careful with the seed and water, it will sprout in carpet if given a chance) to appease the local (self describe) cat gods of your domicile. Whatever your reason, it’s definitely something that can (and maybe should) be tried at least once, or twice.

Recipe: Spiced mashed potatoes

First, I think we should note that this is probably one of the best, completely vegan, recipes if you are into that sort of thing, and does not require gravy or sauce of any sort to impart flavor. It is however, not low carb. By using garlic instead of onion or by adding a handful of walnuts or sunflower seeds to the potatoes while they are simmering you can vary this recipe to your hearts delight. Olive oil will give a more golden color than sunflower oil.

Servings 2 (large)

Ingredients (all to flavor, and texture preference, increase to your hearts delight) 2 large peeled white potatoes or 4 medium sized unpeeled red (or new) potatoes, 3 tbl sp olive or sunflower oil, 3 tbl sp diced red onion, 1/2 tsp basil (dried, use considerably more if fresh), 1/4 diced olives (black or green according to preference), 1/4 cup diced bell pepper (any color) and salt (to taste.)

Cut the potatoes into thick slices (about 1/2 inch each), in a medium sauce pan cover slices with water and bring to a simmer.

In a skillet heat oil to medium high. Put all of the other ingredients into the oil and fry just slightly. Remove from heat, leave uncovered and set aside.

When potatoes are soft enough to smash with a fork, drain water. Mash potatoes to your preferred consistency. Pour the fried ingredients (including the oil) over the potatoes. Add salt if needed. Garnish with olives or slices of bell pepper, serve hot.

Large batches can be made ahead of time and frozen, also makes a good stuffing for twice baked potatoes.

Oregon, cost of living outpacing wages

I just caught a blurb of this study on the radio. My friend Google News supplied the link.

“Living wages has gone up seven percent… Cost of living has gone up14-percent and the health costs have gone up 37-percent,” said Rich Rohde of Oregon Action.

Read the full article.

Now, this definitely smacks of economic depression although unemployment (traditionally a major factor in a depression) was not addressed in the article. I don’t believe in fear mongering, but I do believe we should all have a realistic view of where we are, and where we might be heading. This is not the view I’d prefer to take,however I’d have to poke my eyes out to ignore it.

So what do we do? What are we going to do? How do we deal with this?

I know that having chickens in backyard and planting a smattering of corn is not ideal for everyone. I know sewing one’s own clothes or house linens is not for everyone. One man’s passion is another’s pain, and it’s very easy for some of us to forget that.

Apples!

I so love apple butter. There was a place just outside of Astoria, Oregon that had the most divine apple butter road side stand, when I was a kid we’d always stop by, leaving our money in a jar (it was honor system) and go home happy. I haven’t been up that way in years, I imagine that the stand is long gone and the orchard behind it has changed hands at least a few times.

But the taste remains. Small red pie apples, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

I make my own apple butter now, usually from the green Granny smith variety of apples, a little honey, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s not complicated, and doesn’t take that much patience and is definitely worth the effort.

First, find a good deal on apples. If you aren’t familiar with the apples you’re buying don’t worry, you can always tweak the recipe with some sugar or lemon to come up with the flavor you most prefer. If you want to have some fun, mix different apples together for a unique treat.

I almost always start with a big bowl of ice water and a few table spoons of salt, peel and core the apples (ideally at least 1 pound.) Once that’s done you can start cooking down. In a large sauce pan simmer a quart of water (more or less doesn’t really mater), start putting apples in, and turn down the heat a little (just enough to prevent the sugars in the apples from caramelizing, as the apples turn to pulp and the water evaporates keep adding apples. Cook down as much as humanly possible without going insane (for me this is about an hour) have a book or crossword puzzle to entertain you. Take an ordinary table spoon and use your mixing spoon to drizzle a little sauce on it, taste. If it’s too bitter add sugar, brown sugar, honey or corn syrup; if it’s too sweet add some lemon juice or citric acid powder.

When the apple butter reaches the desired consistency season to taste with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Freeze or can according to preference.

Now, some people make apple butter so that it’s barely any thicker than apple sauce, I’m not going to say that’s at all wrong, because it is a matter of taste. However, thicker apple butter doesn’t make toast at all soggy, so the consistency I go for is rather thick. Thicker apple butter takes more time, so if you must leave the kitchen, just pour what you have into a crockpot and set it to low or medium. It should be fine while you’re away.

If you want to make your apple butter just a little less humble for gift giving, make a batch of caramel and alternate layers of caramel and apple butter. It’s extremely rich, and when heated makes a fantastic topping for baked cheese cake or ice cream.

Steal this website

I spent this morning reawakening my inner rebel by reading Abbie Hoffman’s Steal this Book. To be sure I don’t believe theft and vandalism are to be encouraged for any reason, but what is left is a guide on being resourceful outside of the conventional box.

In a way this website is modeled after the same idea, the idea that a mom doesn’t have to have a job to have a life. The idea that food isn’t always at the grocery store, and that the schools don’t always know what is best for all children. I’ve been really negligent when it came to this blog, and for that I’m sorry, because these are the ideas that stack up as *good* in my book.

What I’ve been facing is a crisis of sorts, that crisis is time. With my school schedule looming in the near future, preparing my home for winter, squirreling away the last of the garden, and home educating the kids, it keeps a soul busy.

The more I think about it the more I think we should not protest commercialism or capitalism-at-any-cost. We should simply just do more making, more growing, and more adapting than buying. Eventually someone has to get the point, someone has to catch on that we can’t be run around like sheep, eating the grain we’re told to eat.

more than messy handwriting

Dysgraphia is in the realm of learning disorder, Wikipedia sums it up well in the first sentence: “… a deficiency in the ability to write, regardless of the ability to read, not due to intellectual impairment.”

The spacing and formation of letters (as well as the omitting of words and characters completely) isn’t limited to the adjectives “shaky” or “sloppy” that would be a gross understatement.

In my son’s case it looks as if he’s trying to imitate a ransom note cut from different magazines and glued down blindfolded. Backwards. Standing on his head. With both hands tied behind his back.

At this point I need to mention that I’m terribly disappointed that he wasn’t tested for this particular learning disorder when he was tested for every other learning disorder in the known universe.

We were told he just doesn’t like to practice his letters and to push him to practice more. Of course this leads to a downward spiral where he’s simply focusing on the shape and spacing of the letters and not learning anything at all about writing. When we finally found out what was going on the advice changed.

Turns out that extended periods of practice is counter productive for people with dysgraphia. The advice we were given was to have him trace the alphabet on a regular basis and do as much to teach him grammar and spelling without writing. This is where touch typing comes in handy, as does spoken quizzes and having him make visual presentations using models and photographs.

Obviously this didn’t work in so well with the Charlotte Mason method where copy work is really essential to grammar and spelling skills, as is essaying and creative writing.

The problem with avoiding writing is that writing by hand is so essential to most methods of teaching (both in home ed and in a more formal environment) so it takes some time to not only adapt to a different learning style, but to get the student back up to speed on some basics that have been missed due to the handwriting issues.

I’m not sure I have any expertise in this area beyond my own experience but my advice is that if you suspect your child is not writing because of dysgraphia, seek out a learning specialist as soon as possible and ask for a full evaluation.