Organic Living for Less

Evil tomato hornworm battle update: score 1 for the rookie organic gardener

So it appears I have won my first battle with evil tomato hornworms.  After their unceremonious removal from my garden, I'm happy to report they have not returned (yet).  And what's more, it seems like the Bt wasn't even necessary (I only used it once).  Simply picking the little buggers off the plant did the trick.  And now that I've declared at least temporary victory, I seriously hope I don't wake up tomorrow to a new set of wormy visitors! But if I do, at least now I know what to do with them...

Rookie organic gardener vs. evil tomato hornworms. Who will win?

Long time no posts, I know.  And of all the things to get me writing again, it turns out creepy crawly things in my garden did the trick.  If you're into gardening or bugs, read on - especially if you have suggestions for how to get rid of hornworms safely/organically!  If those things aren't your cup of tea, I won't be offended if you stop reading right now (not that I would know anyway), since you'll likely be bored, disgusted or both...

So earlier tonight when I innocently stepped outside to check on my veggie garden, I found an unpleasant surprise: hornworms speedily devouring my tomato plants!  Not a pleasant discovery at all - and especially frustrating since I saw the vile green creatures just seconds after happily noticing my first tomatoes were starting to ripen.  Ugh! 

I'd heard about hornworms before, but wasn't prepared for just how creepy they look in person.  After seeing the first one I decided I wasn't touching it until I confirmed it couldn't sting or bite me (take a look at the picture below and you'll see why).

Fortunately, I found a few different places online that said they really can't hurt you, despite their rather scary appearance.  What no one mentioned, however, is the fact they don't come off the vines without a fight.  Imagine my surprise when I attempted to knock Evil Worm #1 into a container of soapy water using a pair of chopsticks (probably not my most brilliant idea) - and got sprayed with some sort of gross, green liquid in the process.  Yuck!  After that very pleasant experience, I took to breaking off the stripped branch each one was eating and dropping the worm, branch and all, into the soapy water.  I eventually found and removed five of the Evil Worms, so I guess I'm lucky I found them when I did & took them off before they destroyed the plants entirely.

Up until now the only thing I've sprayed on the garden is my homemade soap/oil/pepper/garlic spray, but in the interest of not sharing all our food with the bugs, I picked up some Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis) powder and sprinkled it on the plants tonight.  I'd hoped to avoid using it, but I'm afraid if I don't then new eggs will hatch while I'm away at work tomorrow and finish the job their friends started today.  Everything I've read says Bt is safe for people and approved for organic gardening.  Hope so - and hope it works, too!  I don't relish prying mean, goo-spraying worms off my plants throughout the summer.  Or worse, finding they've eaten all the yummy tomatoes we've been waiting so patiently for.

Any other safe/organic ideas for getting rid of hornworms?  Please comment!

Recipe for spinach & mushroom risotto with crisp pancetta - yummy!

One way we've been trying to reduce food spending is by minimizing the food in our fridge that goes to waste.  So a couple weeks ago when we had a bunch of extra mushrooms and spinach sitting there with nothing planned for them, I went in search of a risotto recipe that would combine them.  I couldn't find one that had everything I wanted, so I adapted my own from three different ones.  I was afraid it might not turn out, but it actually ended up being one of the yummiest things we've ever made at home!

If you love risotto but don't want to have to pay to go out for it in a restaurant, give this recipe a try.  You'll have to spend a little time cutting up ingredients and stirring the broth into the rice, but it really turns out well.  It's a dish that's at its best when freshly made - leftovers get a little mushy but are still tasty.  Enjoy!

 

Spinach & Mushroom Risotto with Crisp Pancetta

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped
1.5 cups arborio rice
6 cups hot chicken stock
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter
4-6 oz pancetta, cubed
1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion, garlic and mushrooms for 3-5 minutes, until onion and mushroom are soft.

2. Add rice and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Next add white wine and stir until liquid is absorbed.

3. Add hot chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding more.  Risotto should be ready once last of liquid is absorbed - will take approximately 25-30 minutes total cooking time.

4. While the risotto is cooking, place pancetta on a baking sheet under the broiler to crisp, approximately 5 minutes.  Drain pancetta on paper towel and set aside.

5. Stir in chopped spinach, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper.  Serve immediately, topped with crisp pancetta, and enjoy.

Should McDonald’s Happy Meals be Banned? | Wall St. Cheat Sheet

The slap to Ronald McDonald’s face comes at a very interesting time in American pop culture. Schools are banning soda, The Biggest Loser is helping curb the obesity epidemic, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution is attempting to stop schools from feeding our children garbage for lunch, Food Inc. is educating us about how our food is made, organics are the fastest growing segment of the food industry, and farmer’s markets are staging a major come back.

via wallstcheatsheet.com

Interesting points, but why exactly are we going after the toys instead of the food itself? If we're banning toys because we think the food in a Happy Meal is so bad for you, why aren't we going after changing the food instead of getting rid of the toys???

Update: Purple Prairie's sunscreen rocks!

I posted a few weeks ago about an article on sunscreen best buys - and my choice to try Purple Prairie's products.  Well, I've tried them now and can easily say they make the best safe/organic sunscreens I've tried (and I've tried quite a few!).

First - They work really well.  Maybe a little too well, since after several days on the beach you can hardly tell by my still-pale skin that I was there at all. :)

Second - They have a pleasant scent (almost no scent, really) and rub in better than most of the other safe/organic options.  Other products I've tried in the past have left a really noticeable residue, but Purple Prairie leaves just a faintly visible film (it does have zinc oxide in it, so it won't rub in as well as your typical commercial products).

Third - They're very reasonably-priced - especially the large-sized bottle.

And, no, I'm not getting anything for this review.  Just happy to have found reasonably-priced, safe sunscreens that work well for my family - and wanted to pass the find along...

Summer Farmers' Markets coming back - hooray!

I got an email last week from my village announcing the return of our weekly summer farmers' markets.  So excited they're back, and can't wait until Saturday for the first one of the season!  As much as I love shopping at farmers' markets, though, it's so easy to overspend that I know I'm going to have to adjust my approach a little this year.

One of my challenges is going without a plan - and not knowing what I can expect to find.  One way to address that is to know what's in season and likely to be offered before I go.  Sustainabletable.org has a really nice tool for figuring out what's in season where you live.

The other thing I plan to do differently this year is to do my weekly meal plan before going as well - and then stick to what I need for it.  Okay, maybe I'll let myself splurge on one off the list item each week that looks irresistibly good...

And finally, I plan to use the grocery price book I've been working on, so I'll know what is and isn't a good deal.  If you're new to price books, getrichslowly.org has a helpful post on what they are and how to get started.  

To find farmers' markets in your area, check out Local Harvest.  Happy market-going!

Best sunscreen for the money: Safe brands under $10

Organic sunscreen for under $10? It’s true! For parents on a budget, good sunscreen shouldn't cost a fortune. This summer, I set out to find the best, most effective and chemical-free sunscreens you can buy. What I discovered has changed what I buy in the future to protect my family from sun damage.

via www.examiner.com

While planning for an upcoming vacation, I started researching safe sunscreens the hard way - by reviewing the safety scores on EWG.org then looking up prices and product reviews elsewhere online. Just as I was becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options - and the number of complaints about natural but ineffective products - I fortunately stumbled upon this article and ended my search then and there. The author has tested several of the safest and least expensive sunscreens herself so we don't have to. Perfect!

I settled on Purple Prairie and found the best prices by going directly to their site purpleprairie.com. They ship for free if you spend $40 or more, which is easy to do since they sell a lot of other seemingly great, natural skincare products.

Hope the info helps you save some time, frustration and money, too!

Organic, Biodynamic, Heirloom & Heritage Seed Sources | via Fork & Bottle

Organic, Biodynamic, Heirloom & Heritage Seed SourcesUpdated February, 2010 - JoanneMost of the seeds or starts I buy are organic and heirloom. While nowhere near a complete directory, these are some of the best heirloom and organic seed sources. I’ve concentrated mainly on vegetable seeds, but many of the seeds companies offer a wonderful and dizzying array of flower seeds. Hopefully some of these links will help you in your quest for diversity. – Joanne

via www.forkandbottle.com

I'm getting ready to order some vegetable seeds and just found this fantastic list of sources of organic, biodynamic, heirloom and heritage seeds. The author has actually ordered and planted seeds from a lot of the sources, and has first-hand feedback on them. Very helpful site!

What’s a Home Garden Worth? | Kitchen Gardeners International

There isn’t one right answer, of course, but I’ll give you mine: $2149.15. Last year, my wife Jacqueline suggested to me that we calculate the total value of the produce coming out of our garden over the course of the growing season. Initially, the thought of doing that was about as appealing to me as a recreational root canal. I remember replying something like: “OK, so let me get this right: in addition to raising three busy boys, managing two careers, volunteering in a school garden, and growing most of our own produce, you’re proposing that we weigh every item that comes out of our garden, write it down in a log book, and spend a few leisurely evenings doing math?” Jacqueline, an economics major in college and a native French speaker, answered with a simple "oui" and so the project began.

via kitchengardeners.org

Wondering which veggies to plant in your kitchen garden? Aside from the obvious "plant what you like to eat", if you're trying to save money you might choose to go with the ones that would cost you the most to buy. And the price list in this article can help you figure out which those are.

Starting your first veggie and fruit garden? Make it easy and fun!

I have happy childhood memories of helping out in my grandparents' large backyard garden, but the idea of starting my own fruit and veggie garden is a wee bit intimidating.  Why?  To put it simply, I don't want to screw it up. 

So with "not screwing it up" as my lofty aspiration, I'm now actively searching for ways to make first-time gardening relatively easy - and fun, too!  Here are the tips that have caught my attention so far:

Find a simple approach
Square Foot Gardening is a simple system for raised bed gardening that is supposed to reduce effort, expense and space requirements.  For a quick introduction, borrow the 30-minute DVD from your library.

Plant seeds that grow easily / quickly
Starting seedlings indoors seems kind of complicated for someone just starting out, not to mention incompatible with going away on Spring Break.  So here are some suggestions on veggie, herb and flower seeds that fit the bill as fast, easy growers: http://redwoodbarn.com/DE_seedseasy.html

Skip the seeds, and plant seedlings instead
Find a local nursery that offers organic or heirloom seedlings and make starting your first garden a whole lot easier.  If you're near Chicago, Gethsemane Gardens is a great nursery that offers a variety of herb and vegetable seedlings they've sprouted themselves from heirloom seeds. 

What tips do you have?  Please share!