A Steamy Love Affair

I've known this fellow for about 10 years. When we met it was love at first sight. He was tall, lean and yellow, just what I was looking for in a long-time companion. What a bonus that he had Enviro right in his name! I knew we were meant for each other.

Let me introduce you to the Eureka Envirosteamer. A perfect floor cleaning device if I have ever seen one. It needs no chemicals, soap or replacement parts. That means no costs are involved after it is taken home and no more trips to the store, yay!

I bought mine for around $100. That comes out to about $10 per year for the length of time I've had it and it is showing no signs of slowing down. Even the two cloth pads that attach to the bottom are in good shape. How much do you spend per year on floor cleaning supplies?

So let me explain how it works. The canister on the bottom holds about 2 cups of water. I can usually clean the kitchen and both bathrooms without refilling. The water is heated and turns to steam which is channeled through the cloth pad attached to the bottom. The steam and cloth work together to scrub the floor clean. Since virtually no water is used the floor dries almost instantly. The cloth pad goes right into the washing machine.

The advantages of cleaning with steam are numerous. No chemicals or chemical odors. Kills mold, mildew and bacteria. Great for those with allergies (read this review from Allergy Consumer Review http://www.allergyconsumerreview.com/eureka-enviro-steamer.html ) because it penetrates into the pores of hard surfaces. And I will mention again, NO TRIPS TO THE STORE TO BUY MORE STUFF!!

Alas, the Envirosteamer is no longer available in stores. There are several available on Ebay from $9.99-75. (For the 310 model. The 300 is even cheaper, but does not have all the same features.)http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_nkwZeurekaQ20enviroQ20steamerQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZR40QQ_mdoZ
If you can get one at these super cheap prices, do it! Then you can have a steamy love affair just like mine.

Bathroom Recycling

Take a moment to think about the contents of your bathroom garbage can. Toilet paper rolls, hair, used band-aids, toenails, shampoo bottles, tissue paper, toothpaste boxes..... Much of this stuff is recyclable. But let's get real. Who is going to sort all the disgusting stuff from the recyclables before adding it to your outside cans? Aside from making my kids do it when I am really angry at them, no one. Not even me. Not even for Mother Earth.



Also on the list of things I am too lazy to do is to walk those recyclables individually to the proper kitchen receptacles as they need to be disposed of. Seriously, when the shampoo, conditioner or body soap run out I am usually naked. When the t.p. runs out I am uh...you know. By the time I am properly clothed and not otherwise busy, I have forgotten all about that walk to the kitchen.



So here is my solution. A paper bag in each bathroom marked 'recycling'. When it's full, we will throw the whole thing into the recycling can. Now I can continue to be lazy and not feel guilty about it!

How to get your spouse/children to eat tofu, part 2

More great ideas from Sandy Hardin...

Tofu is bland and easily accepts the neighboring flavors. An easy way to introduce tofu into your diet is to slowly substitute small amounts of tofu for ground meat. My husband's first taste of tofu was in meatballs.

I made the Frugal Gourmet's "Roman Style Meatballs," but substituted mashed tofu for the pork. You can get the recipe at http://www.bigoven.com/136577-Meatballs,-Roman-Style-recipe.html. My husband ate half the batch before I had a chance to tell him they were laced with tofu.

You can substitute a quarter of the ground meat in any recipe without changing the taste and texture. I use this trick to stretch the meat in meatloaf, burgers, taco filling, meatballs, and beef patties with brown gravy. I've also added mashed tofu to tuna salad and egg salad. (My kids clamor for the chance to squeeze the tofu to bits.) I've even made eggless egg salad, using all tofu.

Silken (soft) tofu provides a good protein boost to shakes and smoothies. I fed my kids small tofu cubes, straight from the carton, when they were first learning to use their fingers to feed themselves.

Eggless Salad Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved Show: Food 911 Episode: Terrific Tofu in Honolulu HI
2 pounds soft tofu
1/2 cup soy-based mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup diced green onions
Salt and pepper
Place the tofu in a mixing bowl and mash with a wooden spoon. Mix in the remaining ingredients and combine well. Chill slightly, then serve on a bed of mixed greens or as a sandwich.

How to get your spouse/children to eat tofu, part 1

We are on quite a roll with the tofu theme, so we might as well roll with it for the rest of the week. Here is more from Sandy...


Everything tastes good fried, and tofu is no exception. This was how I got my husband to try tofu on its own.

Make this fried tofu for a snack.

Drain a brick of tofu (firm or extra firm -- do not use silken) on a clean tea towel or paper towel for half an hour.

Cut the tofu into cubes, about 1 inch.

Heat a frying pan with one inch of oil. When you stick a wooden cooking utensil, such as chopsticks or wooden spoon/fork, into the oil and get tiny bubbles, the oil is hot enough.

Gently put the tofu in the oil, not crowding the pan. You may need to fry in batches.

Turn the cubes in the oil, until golden brown.

Drain the cubes on paper towel. Just like making fried chicken or french fries.

While the tofu is still hot, sprinkle with some seasoning. I like to douse the cubes with cajun seasoning.

You can cut the raw tofu into different shapes before frying.


Crispy fried tofu goes great with beer. If you want to stir fry with fried tofu, omit the sprinkled seasonings; add to veggies towards the end of the cooking.

Tofu Revisited

Thanks to Sandy for answering my mom's questions in yesterday's comments section. Her information was so in depth, I thought I would post it here to make sure it gets read. I have also included two recipes I found which look quite simple(www.recipegoldmine.com). I haven't tested them yet, so if you do, let us know how they turn out!

From cook and conservationist extraordinaire, Sandy...

The four places I've seen tofu placed, in a "regular" supermarket (we have Safeway and Lucky [Savemart] here in SF), are in the produce section, near the bagged lettuce and cut-up veggies; in the Oriental produce section; in the refrigerated case next to the eggs, sometimes next to dairy; and in the meat department in the "fake meat" section. I get mine from Trader Joe's, which is placed between the cheese and dip sections.

If you're lucky, you'll find several kinds of tofu to select from. If possible, stay away from the vacuum packed tofu (looks like packed in a juice box). That kind is designed for long shelf life, and tastes inferior to the fresh tofu that is packed in water in a plastic tub. You can also buy fresh tofu by the block from the Asian supermarkets.

Calorie wise, tofu contains 320 calories per pound. Ground beef, the 80%lean/20%fat kind, weighs in at 1152 calories per pound. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_calories_are_in_one_pound_of_ground_beef. As a bonus, tofu can be a source of calcium; look for calcium sulfate in the ingredients list. A double bonus is that tofu, which contains estrogen, can alleviate some symptoms of menopause.

(Warning to Jen: several studies have indicated that eating too much soy in the early stages of pregnancy *may* interfere with male reproductive system formation. I guess estrogen doesn't play nice with testosterone. That Venus and Mars thing again! I digress....)

Price wise, Trader Joe's organic firm tofu sells for $1/lb. Regular tofu sold at the big supermarkets costs a little more. Regular 80/20 ground beef here costs $2.69-$3/lb. 90/10 organic ground beef costs $4-$5/lb.

My next post will be how I use tofu, including how I got my Mid-West husband, raised on Velveeta and Wonder Bread, to eat tofu.


Cheese Tofu Casserole
1/2 block tofu (10 to 12 ounce), well drained
1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice tofu into 6 pieces. Blot tofu slices with absorbent paper to remove excess water. Brush an oblong baking dish with butter or margarine. Arrange tofu slices in the dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the tofu. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce. Top with soft bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow the casserole to set for 10 minutes before serving.


Italian Casserole
1 pound firm tofu
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon parsley
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 quart spaghetti sauce
1/2 pound large shell macaroni
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Drain and mash tofu.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add tofu and all spices. Mix well and stir until tofu stops steaming (5 to 10 minutes).

Add one cup of spaghetti sauce and simmer 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil macaroni until tender.

In a 2-quart baking dish, layer 1/2 of the cooked macaroni, 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 of the tofu mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat, using all remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce bubbles.

Vegetarian Awareness Month

Veronica just informed me that October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. http://www.earthsave.org/news/19981001.htm Coincidentally, this ties in perfectly with something that has been on my mind lately! In two separate conversations with my friends, Jean & Sandy, they told me that their families rarely eat meat as a part of dinner. For both of them, it is a matter of the high price of organically fed, humanely raised meat. As a vegetarian, I don't think about the meat my family is eating enough. These conversations have inspired me to include more tofu, and less meat in my children's daily diets.

Tofu is a virtually tasteless base for any type of dish. It takes on any seasoning, so it can be Asian, Mexican, American, Italian, etc. There are a million different ways to use it. There are many different types of tofu, so it is a good idea to research what each type is good for before you dive into cooking with it. (Most recipes will tell you what kind of tofu they require.)

I have been afraid of cooking tofu for a very long time. I recently came to realize that it is all about the seasoning you use. I was telling Sandy about my desire to cook with it more and she loaned me a very informative book titled, "Giant book of Tofu cooking" http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Book-Tofu-Cooking-Delicious/dp/080692957X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222200232&sr=8-1

If you are new to cooking with tofu, this is a great starter book. (I am making Fried Tofu in Mushroom Sauce tonight

The price difference between meat and tofu is huge. Especially if you are dedicated to buying environmentally-friendly products. Most tofu is around $2 per pound. It goes quite far as an ingredient because it is best used with other foods and not just as a main dish. Start by substituting tofu for ground beef in a casserole, sloppy joes or tacos. As you gain confidence in it as an ingredient, check out this web site for easy tofu recipes. http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/tofu-recipes.php

Homemade Kitchen Cleanser - 24 cents

I don't think there could be an easier way to cut costs than this simple kitchen cleanser.

2 tablespoons liquid dish soap
2 cups of water.
Put in spray bottle and shake.

Use any dish soap you like. Trader Joe's Tea Tree Lavender is my favorite.. It smells great, is environmentally responsible and only cost $3.

So let's do the math.
Formula 409 kitchen cleanser = $4.
A reused spray bottle = $0.
Trader Joe's dish soap = $3
Price per bottle of homemade cleanser = 24 cents.
Savings = $3. 76 per bottle

(I can fill my reused spray bottle 12.5 times with the recipe above. The cost of the dish soap divided by 12.5 equals 24 cents per bottle for the homemade spray.)

I have been using it for about a week now and am totally happy with it. It cleans all normal kitchen spills including grease.

How can you not do this?

Poor Little Apples

Three little apples that no one would eat. They traveled from grocery store to home to the cabin to home over a period of 2 weeks. Much worse for the wear, bruised and battered...sigh...what to do?

Applesauce, of course! The recipe in Laurel's Kitchen calls for 6 apples, a handful of raisins, 1/2 cup water or apple juice and lemon juice or peel. I only had the 3 apples, but I figured I could cut the recipe in half pretty easily. The raisins sounded gross, so I left them out. I opted for the apple juice to to give my dried out apples a little boost. I was going to add the lemon juice, but while I was prepping the apples, Rowan asked for then left much of an orange uneaten. I tried to eat it, but it tasted like rancid orange juice! It's citrus, right? So I cut it up & tossed it in the pot with the cored and cut apples.

The next step was to add the apple juice and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender. Then into the blender with some cinnamon to puree. I added more apple juice as I pureed to get it to the consistency I wanted.

The result was about 3 cups of extremely yummy applesauce. I actually ate it before I got around to taking a picture! It was a great breakfast for several mornings mixed with some plain yogurt.

Keeping up with the Joneses, Eco-Style

by guest writer Veronica Armstrong

So, we live in Texas and come August it's hotter than a pile of red ants eatin' a habanero pepper. Most "pretty" species of plants die out by mid July, they just can't take that Southern sun. We plant accordingly. Choosing only native plants and ones that will come back every year without reseeding or replanting is right up my cheap-skate alley. Besides, I hate to see plants die, it makes my soul sad. Knowing they are just dormant and will return next year warms my heart right up.

Here is a list of not only beautiful plants but very hardy to dry environments: Echinacea purpurea (Purple cone flower)- also good to make tea from the seeds, Callirhoe involucuata (wine cups), Lantana, Oenothera Speciosa (pink primrose), Verbena, Salvia Farinacea (Mealy Blue Sage). All of these return year after year and with a vengeance.

We also save coins by using rain barrels to water all of these flowery spectacles. The rain barrels are placed under our rain gutters and catch those rare and precious drops of water all year round. I even use that water to water all my indoor plants.

We feed our flowers some good vitamins every 6 months out of our compost. I was a bit hesitant gettin' a compost because I thought it would smell to high-heaven (enraging the neighbors to call "the association" on me for being one of them-thar hippy-folk) but it only smells like dirt. I say a healthy "howdy" to all my wormy-grubby friends in the compost when I throw in egg shells and bits of plant/veggie scraps. Then I give 'em a ride in the giant spin machine, bringing all the good stuff to the top.

It's amazing how little garbage we produce now. With recycling paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, and throwing all our scraps in the compost, we only make one bag of garbage a week between the four of us. Nice! Take care erbody, happy gardening and y'all come back now, ya hear!

The Library

I passed a billboard yesterday that said, " Read to your children for 15 minutes each day." CRAP!! I sure hope I haven't done any serious harm! I usually read to my kids for at least an hour a day. Oh well, they won't like it, but I guess we will have to cut back. I always do what billboards tell me to...

Anyway, we own an enormous number of books but after a million readings, they do get a little stale. I could never buy enough books to keep any of us happy, so we go to the library regularly.

The library is a great resource for more than just books. We also borrow stories on CD for those long trips and books & cartridges for Lydia's Leap Pad. Our library also loans music CDs, videos and DVDs.

Here are a couple of tips to make the most of your trip to the library:

Check out the maximum # of items each time. You may be surprised at what a high number it is! In our area it is 50 per library card.

Keep borrowed items for maximum number of days. This will cut down on the number of trips you make and the amount of gas you use! If you check out the max. # of items, you will have plenty to last. Here the lending period is 21 days. Check with your local library to see what yours is.

Electronic Reminders. Visit your library's website to see if they offer automatic reminders for return dates. Our library sends out a reminder 3 days before materials are due. So far, this has helped us avoid all late charges, yay!

Designated spot for library books. Keep your library books in one spot! We have a basket under a table. Any books that don't fit in the basket can be kept neatly behind it. This saves a lot of time a stress when the time comes to return them.

Keep your receipt. I keep the receipt for the books we have borrowed at the bottom of the basket. If one goes missing, it is much easier to take inventory then ask the kids specifically for a book than to search willy-nilly for the illusive #50.

Pretty & Responsible!

My sister-in-law Veronica, sent me this press release (link at the bottom) from the company she works for, Burnes Home Accents. Here is what she had to say.

"Our company is moving forward with an Eco/Sustainable line of frames. Pretty cool! AND, we have partnered with the Save The Earth Foundation, and some proceeds of our Eco line of frames goes to the foundation. Their logo and statements will be on all our minimized packaging for these frames. Very cool! We even have a "sustainable- go green" department now. "

http://www.prweb.com/releases/sustainability/social_consciousness/prweb1227134.htm

The Perils of Gardening

I hope I don't scare folks off with back-to-back days of precautionary tales, but I have to tell it like it is.

Behold, the Tomato Hornworm. This fellow was found yesterday, devouring the cherry tomato plant given to me by my grandparents. I had vague memories of such beasts in my grandparents garden when I was a kid (their dog, Muff, liked to eat them), but I wasn't sure if this was the same thing. So I snapped a picture and sent it off to my parents to take a look. Dad did some quick internet research for me and confirmed that it was indeed a Tomato Hornworm.

Lydia made a thorough search of our tomato pots, but found no other critters. With only 3 plants, I guess we are not a high-traffic garden!

So what to do with it? Dad said I had to kill it, but if you know me at all, you know I could do no such thing. No one in the house would touch it, and I didn't want to introduce pesticides into our garden. The only alternative I could think of was catch and release. I used my shears to clip off a small branch of the plant, and we put him in the front yard. This morning, he was gone. Maybe a bird found a juicy meal, maybe the Hornworm found greener pastures. Dad says I will find him right back in my garden. If so, I might just let him have it! That would be some impressive dedication!

For more info and some gruesome pictures check out this link. http://www.gardengrapevine.com/TomatoWorm.html

The Perils of Conservation

Yesterday morning as I was hanging my laundry to dry, I was swarmed by bees! Okay, maybe swarmed is a bit overly-dramatic. Two of the little suckers landed in my laundry basket. They seemed to be using their proboscides to search for the moisture in the laundry. Every time I pulled laundry out from under them, they flew at me. I waved them away as carefully as possible considering their value as pollinators, but they just kept coming back. It took me quite a while to hang the laundry and the job was not up to my usual standards

Once I was done, I went inside for the camera. When I got back outside, I counted 7 honey bees hovering around the rack. Unfortunately, my camera is really slow, so this is the only picture I got.

Check out this link to learn more about the honey bee and the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder that has been destroying colonies for the past few years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bee