How to Feed Your Food and Save Money!

I just side-dressed my tomatoes and peppers, and I'll share the concoction I brewed up. I'll admit, it was a bit of a guessing game, but this is my first year as an organic farmer, so I'm up for a little experimentation! After reading through the fertilizer section of the book I bought*, I decided to throw together a few ingredients I had on hand, mix them with some cow manure and see what happens:

Ginny's Organic Fertilizer:
40lb bag of cow manure
2 cups white sugar
2 cups citrus vinegar (see my previous post for this recipe)
4 cups soaked eggshells (2 dozen eggshells blended with 4 cups water, soaked overnight)
4 cups cornmeal or masa (I used masa)

I dumped all the above ingredients in my wheelbarrow, mixed it thoroughly with a cultivator, and side-dressed the tomatoes and peppers. I used almost all of it on that bed, so I scattered the rest over the top of my cucumber and greenbean bed, rather than side-dressing. I'm hoping that will be enough to benefit the cucumbers, since they are light feeders, and they share a bed with the beans, which actually  put nitrogen into the soil, anyway. I felt pretty confident about choosing to side-dress the heavily-feeding tomatoes.

To side-dress, simply pull back your mulch and dig a smal trench on one side of your vegetable row, fill it with the fertilizer, then replace the mulch on top of it. Water it in lightly, then you're done! I've been putting it off for a couple weeks, because it seemed such a monumental task. But the entire process (including gathering ingredients and mixing my fertilizer) only took about 30 minutes. Also, except for the cow manure (about $1.50 per 40lb bag), I used ingredients I had on-hand, so I didn't spend much to do this. Several of the ingredients are considered waste products by many, so all-in-all, a very cost-effective way to get nutrients to my plants. Pleasantly surprising!

Do you use an organic fertilizer? Tell us what works for you!

*

Mean, Green, (Inexpensive) Cleanin' Machine

As Friday approaches, I can't help but get excited about mopping my kitchen floors and cleaning bathtubs. Am I crazy? Nope. The new just hasn't worn off my latest discovery, and I'm still so excited about using it! I chunked all my store-bought cleaners, organic or otherwise, and made my own. Two ingredients. About $6 per concentrated gallon. You're so jealous right now, I know!

If you want to follow suit, here's what you need:

1. 1 gallon white vinegar
2. 1 empty gallon jug (I used a milk jug for my first batch)
3. 6-8 citrus peels (orange is best), depending on size

Heres' what you do:

1. Peel and eat the oranges (not in one sitting, silly)
2. Cut your citrus peels into small chunks, small enough to fit through the hole of the milk jug
3. Fill the milk jug up half way with the citrus peel
4. Fill the jug the rest of the way with vinegar
5. Steep for 2-4 weeks
6. Strain the citrus vinegar into a bowl
7. Pour the rest of your original vinegar over the citrus peels from this first batch (to make a second batch)
8. Pour the citrus vinegar into the now empty vinegar bottle and store in a cool, dark place
9. You may want to add a couple more peels into the second batch as you use citrus, to ensure you get an equally potent brew. Don't re-use a third time.

Voila! You now have a concentrated, powerful, fragrant and inexpensive cleaner that your child or pet could drink with no catastrophic effects (OK, I'm not advocating that you let them drink it, nor would he/she find it very appetizing. Just sayin'). I dilute about a cup per gallon of water, and I use it to clean just about every surface in my home except wood.  Never use vinegar on wood! If you have wood floors, you can use a similar method, just use water and lemon peels. And if you mop wood floors with it, use a barely damp mop and make sure you dry immediately (never let water sit on wood).

My Honest Review:
This concoction is just as effective (if not more) on my tile floors as any store-bought cleaner I've ever used. It can be slightly harder to use on tubs and sinks, as it requires some scrubbing for grime. If I run into any grime I can't easily get at with plain ol' "elbow grease," I sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the problem area, then  spray with my citrus vinegar. It will bubble a bit, then I wipe it off. That usually does the trick. But use caution with this method if you're cleaning a surface that could scratch easily. The baking soda is mildly abbrasive.

What changes have you implemented in your home to make it greener and safer for your family or pets? Share!

An Enzyme-Inhibitor Fairy Tale

So, after sending my friend, Mandy, a "teaser" on soaking grains with my usual self-deprecating air of "I'm such a nerd for knowing so much about this," she responded with the following email:

"Cue a little doe-eyed girl at your feet like I am waiting for you to read me a wonderful fairy tale book."

Which prompted the following response that I just couldn't resist posting here:

"The wonderful fairy tale of enzyme-inhibitors? My pleasure.

There once lived a beautiful princess named Phosphorous. Phosphorous lived in nuts, grains, seeds and legumes, and had the magical ability to metabolize protein, calcium, and glucose. Phosphorous could form teeth and bones, and make cells grow. She was also essential to heart muscle contraction and kidney function. But one of her most amazing abilities was helping the body to utilize vitamins in order to assist other body functions to convert food into energy, and maintain the blood's pH.

But one day an evil witch who did not want the nuts, grains, seeds or legumes to start sprouting randomly, locked Phosphorous in a tower called Phytic Acid, from which she could not escape. Some vitamins and minerals that came in contact with this horrible tower would instantly bind to it and be escorted out of the bloodstream. With Phosphorous bound in the tower, what would happen to the people who needed her? They would not be able to absorb vital nutrients, and they might suffer from weight loss, anemia, bone pain, fatigue, irritability, skin sensitivity, irregular breathing and abnormal growth! Oh my!

Her only hope was the handsome prince, Phytase. Phytase had the key to unlock the tower and free Phosphorous from her prison. But the only way Phytase could perform this amazing rescue was for people to release his power by soaking, fermenting or sprouting the nuts, grains, seeds or legumes where Phosphorous lived. But, alas, the people were ignorant of this ancient practice and neglected it."

Thankfully, the story doesn't end here. More and more people are becoming educated on the importance of properly preparing grains for consumption! Some day our "fairy tale" will have its happy ending, where Phosphorous is free to perform her "magical" abilities.

Always Inexpensive, Always Nourishing

Following is a list of nutrient-dense, nourishing foods that won't bust your budget*. If you're adventurous in the kitchen, choose a few in-season items that you think would make a great meal and see what happens! If you create an awesome recipe, post it in a comment so everyone can try it. If you're not that adventurous, simply choose a couple ingredients you would like to try and google it. That's what I do when I think certain ingredients would make a good combination, but I'm not sure. I find a recipe that sounds promising, then I try it. If you find such a recipe, link to it in a comment so we can all try it, but the author receives proper credit. As always, you should search for local, organic sources for the following items, but compromise as availability/budget restrict your choices. In my area, the following items are usually affordable and freely available even on my limited budget!


Proteins:
Liver
Ground meat
Eggs


Greens/Veggies:
Kale
Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Cabbage
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Spinach
Fresh herbs


Fruits:
Bananas
Grapefruit
Apples
Plums
Avocadoes
Tomatoes
Anaheim peppers (mild)
Jalapeno peppers (not-so-mild)


Grains/Legumes**:
Check the bulk section of your health food or grocery store. Just about any grain or legume purchased this way is quite inexpensive, even when organic.


*Some of these items will still be a teeeeeny bit on the expensive side if they are not in season (i.e., many greens, veggies and fruits). Eating in-season items is always more cost-effective, delicious and healthful!


**Always, always, always soak your grains, legumes, and nuts before cooking them! For general soaking guidelines, consult my "Soaking Basics" page.