Homemade Compost Bin (recycled materials too!)

I feel very accomplished.  We had a huge to-do list that we wanted to finish by the end of this past weekend.  "Dee" and I buckled down and did all but three things.  I say we did a really good job!

One of our to-do projects was to build a compost bin.  We completed one side of it (pics below).  We will add another bin in a week or two so that we have one bin for new green compost, and one for the compost that's been rotting away and turning into soil.  The green pile we are piling up now (with weeds, kitchen scraps, leaves, etc), we will end up using in summer 2012.  That way we always have compost.

Here's the progress we made.  Granted, these pictures don't really show all the hard work involved.  We reused pallets, pulled them apart, and re-built them to have planks close together.  That way when we turn our compost, it won't be falling through the cracks and getting lost behind the bin.

Us in progress putting together the planks.  We're working on the ones on the ground.

The one propped up against the tree is what we started with (some were spaced farther apart that that one).  The one laying on the ground is our finished product, after taking off planks and putting them back on.  Then, of course, we had to saw off the tops because the planks were too long.

This is the space we cleared for our compost bin.

Here are our two compost piles- one is "green" from this year, and one is "brown" and already well on it's way to being composted for the garden next year.

I'm guessing these are bean sprouts from some beans that got  moldy before we consumed them all.  I think that's pretty cool!

Our grand finale masterpiece!!  It doesn't seem like much work but it really was!  We will add another bin to the side of this one, and I'll post a pic of the adjoining bins later.

Bowfishing

I just learned that my younger brother is into bowfishing.  I've never done it or seen anyone do it, so I decided to do some research on the sport.

Here's a great website that describes the basics about bowfishing.  It seems like a neat sport, and seems more involved (and intriguing) than fishing with a rod.  I may have to try it some time!

Dandelions- stuff you probably didn't know

How many times do we look out our windows in disgust, thinking about all the weeding that needs to be done. 

Not to fret!  (although I still do since we have so many).  Those dandelions can be put to good use... you can eat them!  According to the website, dandelions are one of the top 6 herbs in the chinese medicine chest, they rank in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value, and the third richest source of Vitamin A of all foods, after cod-liver oil and beef liver.

Somehow I get the feeling that these "weeds" are good for us.

My husband and I have talked about incorporating dandelions into our diet since we moved into our new house.  We have yet to do it, but after reading the article above, I am more inclinded to do so!

UPDATE NOTE:  I washed the dandelion leaves (June), eager to make a yummy salad, only to find the greens very bitter.  I did some more research and appearantly you need to pick the leaves BEFORE THE PLANT FLOWERS.  So this means harvest time for leaves is early spring.  Harvesting the leaf and freezing it like spinach is a great option to use the plant later.  Use in lasagna, pasta, or any other recipe that calls for spinach.  Of course, the yellow flowers are good for recipes too, so any time you find enough for a recipe, eat up (recipes below).
Here are a few recipes:

- http://oldfashionedliving.com/dandelion.html

- http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/dandelions/

- http://www.learningherbs.com/dandelion_recipes.html

Let me know if you try these recipes or others, and what your thoughts are!

Basha/ Shelter

Watch this video for some cool knot tips to build a temporary "tent" out of a tarp.  A tarp and long rope would be good to have in your supplies. 

- Basha (poncho)

Warts- Home remedies

If you have warts like I have and would like to try some natural ways to get rid of them, here are some suggestions (I am going to try these since I have two warts and let you know how it goes):

- dandelion milk (milk secreted from the end of the herb can be directly applied to wart)
- rub vitamin E on wart 2-3 times daily
- soak in vinegar
- aloe vera juice
- soak in baking soda
- rub crushed garlic on the wart (be careful not to let it blister)
- soak in hot water to soften and kill virus
- use duct tape to cover wart
- apply castor oil
- soak in pineapple juice

Eventually your body recognizes the wart as a virus and kills them naturally.  However, this can take years before your body attacks them (I know from my childhood).

Solar Ovens

Here are some cool ideas for making ovens and using the sun to cook your food:

Using a tire and glass:
http://solarcooking.org/images/tirecooker.jpg

The collapsable box:
http://solarcooking.org/plans/collapsible-box.htm

To pasteurize water or milk:
http://solarcooking.org/plans/spasteur.htm

Using a shoe box:
http://www.uberpest.com/cooker.html

Antiseptics

Watch this video about antiseptics.

Say WHAT?!

Here are some inventive things you can do with tampons and condoms (other than their original purposes).  Seriously, check it out.  You never know when this information could come in handy.  The last item is for the ladies... never tried it but it sounds like a good tool to have around.

Tampons

Condoms

Wiz ("she-wee")


Need I emphasize the fact that all three of these would be handy to have in times of emergency???

How to navigate without a compass

- How to know when the sun will set (nice to know for daily living)

- How to find North and South with a wrist watch

- How to find North and South with a stick

- How to find North and South using the stars

Crawdad/ minnow catcher

Here is the most simplistic form of a crawdad/minnow catcher if you're in need of food.

You need two things:
- a 2 liter bottle
- a knife

Watch this kid demonstrate what to do.  You may never need it, but if you watch this you'll always remember.  You can even use it while camping :)

Homemade Water Purifier

There may come a time when you have to purify your own water, but you don't have the fancy equipment to do it.  Here are some practical ways to do this.  I found a youtube collection of short 1-2 minute clips of how to make your own purifier.  I'm not sure why they are broken up like this, but I put them in sequence.  Click on the links below:

- Introduction (and how to make charcoal)
- How to make the purifier
- Purifying process

- Water tablets

Buy furniture plans, and make it yourself-- for cheap!

I just read an article that I think is really innovative and awesome for those of us who want to make our own stuff, but don't quite have the ingenious or experience (or time) to actually design something that will look decent.

Christian Schoeneman creates plans for different furniture, sells the plans to you, the buyer, for $5-$10, and you get to be the one who assembles the masterpiece!  All this for super cheap!  I think it's awesome.

Actually, my husband "Dee" and I were planning on buying bunk bed plans (from another site) and make the bed ourselves.  Christian is another person who markets this same idea.  How creative!  If you are interested, go to Christian's website on etsy and look at what he has to offer.

You never know... maybe you'll find something of interest for your next project!

Unusual uses for Asprin

A couple of aspirin can do more than alleviate your headache -- they also help cut flowers last longer, remove laundry stains, and even ease the sting of mosquito bites.
(Safety tip: If you have aspirin allergies do not use these methods.)

Flower Power

Freshly cut flowers are lovely; if only they'd stay fresh a little longer. Well, they can with a little help from the contents of your own medicine cabinet (we're talking real aspirin, like Bayer -- not ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or other common pain relievers). The next time you get a fresh bouquet, crush a few aspirin tablets using the back of a spoon and add the powder to a vase filled with water. The salicylic acid in the aspirin will help keep the water clean and free of flower-damaging bacteria.

Stain Removal

Aspirin can also take the headache out of doing the laundry -- especially when dealing with stubborn protein stains like sweat, egg, and antiperspirants can be removed with an aspirin solution.
- For sweat and antiperspirant stains: Crush a couple of aspirin and mix them into a half a cup of warm water. Use the mixture to saturate the stain and then let it sit a couple of hours. Launder as usual and the stains will be gone! (For really tough stains you may have to either soak longer or re-treat the area).
- For an egg stains: Scrape off as much of the stain as you can and make a paste of crushed aspirin and water. Working from the back side of the fabric, spread the paste over the stained area and work it in with a soft toothbrush. Then rinse it with some warm water.

Pest Control

Warm summer months bring sun and fun -- but also insects who want to bite and sting. But the itch of mosquito bites and bee stings can be soothed with -- you guessed it -- aspirin. Wet the pill and set it on the bite for instant relief.

(All information found here).

Fixing a Toilet

Our toilet was leaking, so we looked into what it would take to fix it. 

At first we thought that we would have to replace the entire toilet, but after some researching we realized that we could try to replace the parts first, and if that didn't work, then we'd have to replace the entire toilet.

My husband "D" and I were both a little bit daunted by the idea of taking on this project (don't ask me why, it wasn't that tough).  Maybe it was because we have a to-do list that's a mile long. 

Anyways, I replaced the nuts and washers and tightened them.  That didn't work.  Then we bought a new wax ring.  We sponged out the water from the toilet, unscrewed the nuts, and pulled the toilet up.  It was super heavy (and is super old).  I was glad to have my hubby to do the lifting.

We then removed the old wax ring with an old putty knife, cleaned the floor and toilet surfaces that touched the floor, and then proceeded to put the new wax ring on.  We tried squishing the wax to the toilet like the picture showed, but it kept falling off.  We opted to put the wax ring on the floor (where the drain pipe is) and place the toilet on top of it.

Placing the toilet on the floor and lining up the bolts was not as easy as it should have been.  Our bolts were crooked, and the toilet was so heavy (I think they make the newer ones a little lighter, but I'm not sure), that it took several tries before everything was aligned.  After that, we applied pressure (entire body weight) to ensure a good, tight seal.  The next step is to screw on the washer and nuts tight (but not so tight that it breaks the porcelain.  The last step is to check the nuts periodically for the next couple of days and make sure that they are snug.  Sometimes the wax settles in and requires a little more tightening.

There you have it!  If you have to replace the entire toilet, then the proceedure is the same except for you'll have a clean, new toilet to work with.  :)

Top Ten Natural Pain Killers

Fish oil

Fish oil contains two essential omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids are known to block the production of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines and leukotrienes in the body, which are responsible for a range of painful conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, gout and sinusitis. Researchers found that eating 3 g of fish fats a day relieved the joint pain, inflammation, and morning stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and reduced the drug requirement. In another study of rheumatoid arthritis patients, daily supplementation with 2.7 grams of EPA and 1.8 grams of DHA resulted in striking reduction in the number of tender joints and increase in the time span before fatigue appeared. Various other studies have put forth that the same dosage of fish oil can reduce the severity of Crohn’s disease by more than 50 per cent and make it possible for many patients to stop anti-inflammatory medication and steroids.

Olive oil

Olive oil has been found to contain a natural chemical which acts like the anti-inflammatory pain killer ibuprofen. The active ingredient in olive oil is oleocanthal, which influences the same biochemical pathway as ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The researchers concluded that 50 gram of extra-virgin olive oil was comparable to about 10 per cent of the ibuprofen dose recommended for adult pain relief. Although headache will not be cured with this, yet regular olive oil consumption is expected to provide some of the long-lasting benefits of ibuprofen.

Tart cherries

According to researchers at Michigan State University, the eating about 20 tart cherries may relieve pain better than aspirin and may also exhibit antioxidant properties comparable to supplements like vitamin E. That number of cherries are said to contain 12-25 milligrams of the active ingredients, called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins inhibited cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 enzymes, which were the targets of anti-inflammatory drugs at doses more than ten times lower than aspirin. Thus daily consumption of cherries has shown the potential to reduce pain related to inflammation, arthritis and gout.

Saliva

Saliva has been found to generate a natural painkiller of up to six times more strength than morphine. The substance produced by human saliva is similar to opiorphin and has been said to generate a new class of natural painkillers that are far better than the traditional drug morphine, which has many addictive and psychosomatic side effects. The researchers demonstrated that the opiorphin acts in nerve cells of the spine and stops the usual destruction of the natural pain-killing opiates, known as the enkephalins.

White willow bark

White willow bark decreases pain by blocking the production of inflammatory prostaglandins. White willow bark is also a very effective fever reducer. It is said to contain a compound called salicylic acid and aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid) is a synthetic form of this compound. White willow bark provides all pain-relieving benefits of aspirin. Conventionally is safer then aspirin and other synthetically derived salicylate based anti-inflammatory drugs. No contra-indications and serious side effects have ever been reported by medical science. It is said to provide relief to headache, toothache, backache or even arthritis.

It is important to keep in mind that white willow bark should not be taken with aspirin, or by people who sensitive to salicylates. Though it is far less irritating to the stomach, yet it should be avoided by people with gastritis or ulcers, or could be used in suppository form only. It should not be used by children under 16, because of the associated possibility of developing Reye's syndrome in children during a viral infection.

MSM

MSM (methyl-sulphonyl-methane) is a naturally-occurring sulphur compound. It is a powerful painkiller with anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and analgesic properties, and it inhibits the transmission of pain impulses. In a double-blind study conducted at the UCLA School of Medicine in America, researchers showed that 80 per cent pain control was achieved within six weeks in degenerative arthritis patients receiving MSM, but only a negligible improvement was observed in the control group. It is available both as a dietary supplement and as a cream for topical application.

Glucosamine and chondroitin

Glucosamine and chondroitin are nutritional supplements that significantly reduce the pain of arthritic joints. In Europe oral glucosamine is a commonly used pain killer and is even approved as a prescription drug. They may also be effective in topical use. The results of a study put forth that a cream containing glucosamine, chondroitin and camphor decreased arthritic knee pain more than a placebo cream.

Boswellia

Clinical trials have proved that the Indian herb boswellia is as effective as conventional drugs for both chronic and minor pains. Boswellic acids, the active ingredients in boswellia, are more potent and less toxic than standard NSAIDs. Boswellic acids decrease the production of inflammatory compounds, the leukotrienes that are implicated in many chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Boswellia is available both as a supplement and as a topical cream. A comparative study conducted on 175 rheumatoid arthritis patients demonstrated that 97 per cent of these patients had moderate to excellent recovery from pain, swelling and morning stiffness after consuming 450 to 750 mg of boswellic acids daily for three to four weeks. These results were comparable to those for patients taking ketoprofen and phenylbutazone, but unlike the drug treatments boswellic acids produced no adverse effects.

Devil’s claw

Devil’s claw, native to South Africa is another herb that is best known for alleviating back pain and arthritis. The active ingredients in this herb are called iridoid glycosides that are responsible for producing its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. A French trial found it as effective as, and safer than, the anti-arthritis drug diacerhein. One four-month study included around 120 people with knee and hip osteoarthritis and put forth that devil’s claw decreased pain and increased function as good as a regular osteoarthritis medicine, but with a lot fewer side effects. People with gastric ulcers should consume devil’s claw with caution since it increases the gastric acid production.

Curcumin

Turmeric contains the compound curcumin, which is a powerful painkiller known to block inflammatory proteins and enhance the body’s ability to suppress inflammation. Turmeric is used in place of NSAIDs without any side effects to the organs including stomach, heart, liver and kidneys. Various studies put forth that curcumin eases the chronic pain of rheumatoid arthritis. The pain relievers found in curcumin stop the neurotransmitter substance P from sending its pain signals to the brain. Curcumin also decreases inflammation by reducing prostaglandin activity. 400 to 600 mg of curcumin should be consumed three times daily. In order to improve absorption, it can be consumed with equal amounts of bromelain, an anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapples–20 minutes before meals.

(All of this information is from this site)

How to make your own vinegar

A couple of days ago I mentioned some of the ways you can use vinegar (see this blog).  Then he asked an interesting question, "Can we make our own vinegar?"

That question lead me to research, and I came across this website.  This describes the entire process clearly, and gives options to make several different kinds of vinegar (apple cider, white wine, honey, clover, dandelion, and gourmet).

When I showed Dean that we could make dandelion vinegar, his eyes lit up and he said, "We should make that one!"  So, we have one more kitchen project to try this year.

If you try this (or have done it before), let me know how it goes and add any suggestions you have!

Feeding your infant in an emergency

How are you going to feed your baby in the event of a crisis?  What if you can't get to a store that has formula?  What if you can't breastfeed, you if the breastfeeding mother died?  How will your child survive?

I was reading an article about a mother who was breastfeeding her 8 week old baby.  In her article she mentioned the catastrophe of the Chinese earthquake in 2008 (watch this video).  During that time, thousands of babies needed to be fed.  Fortunately, there was a wet nurse who went around and fed as many babies as she could.

The author then began to wonder what she or her husband would do in the event that breastfeeding and formula was not an option.  She researched and found this recipe below.  She seriously cautions NOT to use it for an extended time, and only in emergency situations, but that it will sustain your baby for a limited time. 

(Another important thing to consider is that most women can lactate, especially if they have given birth or breastfed before. Adoptive mothers lactate all the time. Use that as an option before this recipe).

Mix:


2 - 12 oz. cans of evaporated milk
32 oz. water
2 Tbsp. Karo syrup
3 ml. Poly-Vi-Sol vitamins

As a precautionary step, it would be wise to have these ingredients on your storage shelf.  The author also suggested having a battery operated breast pump (with spare batteries) on hand.  It is better to be prepared than to not have the necessary ingredients later.

Making peanut butter

I was applying peanut butter to a slice of bread when a questions popped in my head: can I make my own peanut butter?  I found this recipe below, and as soon as we run out of the pb that's open, I'm giong to try this.  Here's how to make your own peanut butter (found here).


(another person said that you can skip the salt, sweets, and oil if you like.  Just blend the peanuts together and walla!).

What you need:

15 ounces of shelled and skinned roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of honey
1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut oil
What you do:

- Put the peanuts, salt, and honey into the bowl of a food processor.
- Process for a minute or until the mixture begins to smoothen.
- Drizzle the oil in while it continues to process.
- Process this mixture until creamy (2-3 minutes) or whatever texture you like.
- Store in an airtight container; it'll be good for up to two months!