EYCC: Decreasing Tree Products Part II

After 2 weeks of regular use I am still as enamored with cloth TP as I was the first day. My only issue with it so far is the name Family Wipes that seems to have taken a hold on the web. I prefer Toilet Cloth (TC) or just Cloth Wipes. Whatever you call it, it is definitely not for everyone. I have read lots about it and those who actually try it LOVE it and those opposed are VERY opposed. What I will do here is summarize two of the main issues with TC and how I have gotten around it. I will also share some of what I have learned along the way.

Our collection in a cute basket.

A lot of comments from those opposed that get posted are about:

1. Smell and
   
2. Diseases
   

One thing I am definitely not interested in is a smelly bathroom. Many people put their used wipes into a garbage can with a lid for later washing. Assuring everyone that there is no smell or only a smell when you open the lid. Others use a vinegar and tea tree oil solution in their can to "kill" the diseases and quash the smell but leaving a vinegary solution mixed with...in a can for a couple of days...definitely not up my alley. So I have come up with what I think is a good solution for this issue. I have decided to wash my wipes with my hands after every use! You are supposed to wash your hands anyways after you go just in case you got any on you, so why not wash your wipe(s) too! Did you know that 92% of Americans say they wash their hands after going to the bathroom but only 78% of women and 66% of men actually do (ew!)! If everyone used my TC method, they would all wash their hands!

With the exception of Hepatitis A and E, all of the diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral route can be prevented with proper sanitation (keeping food and fecal matter separate and drinking treated water) and hand washing. So if the simple act of washing your hands with soap kills the diseases transmitted via bowel movements, why would this be any different for TC? The simple fact is washing your TC with soap and water whether it is boiling or not will kill everything on them the same way it kills the bacteria and viruses on your hands when you wash them. Except Hep A and E which can be killed by using bleach. So unless you have Hep A or E, washing your wipes with your hands also addresses disease transmission. Since you are washing your own wipe(s) you won't be exposed to anything that is not already in your body!

TP Line for drying after washing.

This is also helps to protect the people who actually do our laundry. Since we don't actually have a washing machine, pre-washing our wipes keeps them from encountering anything they weren't expecting. It also keeps them from being exposed any bacteria whether they are harmful or not. Humans naturally have bacteria, fungi and protozoa in our digestive tract that help us digest our food but they also suppress the growth of pathogenic microbes, boost our gut's immune system, play a key role in gut metabolism, mediate the synthesis of vitamins and are known to play a role in preventing allergies and inflammatory bowel syndrome. But not everyone's gut flora is the same and although it may not be harmful, it is best to keep them to yourself. However, if you do find yourself with Hepatitis A or E, you should take every precaution necessary to not spread it to anyone, including family members, so it might be best to discontinue the use of cloth wipes until you are no longer contagious and talk to your Dr. about it.

Diagram from: http://www.customprobiotics.com/about_probiotics.htm

We settled on washing our wipes with soap and warm water under the bathtub tap (not on full blast!) after every use and hanging them on our makeshift line in front of the window to dry. We opted for the tub to keep them away from things like toothbrushes. We also toss them in the laundry once a week to get that extra dryer fluffiness. This system works really well! We always have a clean and fluffy supply of soft TC!
I had the stomach flu (or Gasteroenteritis...which is not actually related to influenza, so calling it a flu is a misnomer) last week so I really put the wipes to the test! We all know the SF can make things a little messier than normal...in this case you may just want to jump right in the shower and skip the wipe altogether! This works on a normal day but when you have the SF, 20 showers a day isn't great for your skin or the water supply! Alternatively, a quick rinse of your wipe before a thorough soaping goes a long way. I also have to add...there is nothing like a fleece wipe to keep your behind happy in a heavy use situation! No more irritation or stuck on paper bits.

Finally, there is the issue of guests. We definitely don't want to impose our ways on anyone, so we have kept a role of paper in the bathroom for our guests. I still have to think about how to deal with guests who would like to try using TC. Perhaps a separate "guest" pile and line? It will definitely need more thought. I would love any comments in the whole TC issue and any suggestions on methods and guests would be much appreciated!

This initiative has been a great success. We have eliminated the use of toilet paper, which was our #1 use of paper products, and we are loving it! :)

EYCC: Decreasing Tree Products

About 2 weeks ago I joined EcoYogini's Earth Yoga Challenge for Change (EYCC) challenging us to truly connect with our environment, with ourselves and to make a change rather than just think about it. It is a truly inspiring initiative that I signed up wholeheartedly for...thinking this might just be the sort of thing I need to take my eco-game to the next level.

Typical Nova Scotia Forest

First item on the Challenge: Decrease our dependence on unnecessary tree products. So I went over the things we already do to decrease tree products in our household.

1. Cancel all deliveries of flyers or junk mail
2. Reuse both sides of every envelope (great for lists!) or other scrap paper
3. Don't buy processed foods
4. Don't buy paper towels or tissue paper
5. Reuse all gift wrapping
6. Print on both sides of my paper at work or re-use it as scrap
7. Buy only post-consumer recycled paper and toilet paper
8. Encourage my students to print double sided or re-use paper already printed on one side
9. Read all my references for my PhD as a .pdf on my computer

These are all great and have reduced our paper consumption to one recycling bag a month! I realized that our biggest consumption of paper was toilet paper used for its intended purpose and as tissue paper. Ever since I heard about family wipes or cloth toilet paper I had been seriously thinking about it. Well here it was something I had been thinking about doing but never actually did it...

As most of you know I was pretty sick over the weekend and I was appalled at the amount of paper I was using to blow my nose! All of the garbage cans in my house were filling up with used tissue! That was the straw (or tissue) that broke the camel's back. So on Sunday I set out not only to make cloth TP but also some handkerchiefs.
I read a few websites to get sizes and materials for my two items and settled on ~4-5" for the cloth TP and ~8" for the handkerchiefs. You can make your TP and handkerchiefs out of anything you want but the thickness of the material, especially for the TP, can be an issue. Most sites I read also re-purposed old clothing for this new function. T-shirt material being the thinnest usually needs 3-4 layers to be absorbent enough. You also want to consider the softness of your wipes, whether for your nose or other you definitely want it to be soft...so I opted for fleece. I had the remnants of the sweater I used to make my tea cozy to be used up... so out came my machine and I was determined to stop using paper that very day.
I only had the top half of the sweater left but managed to make 16 cloth TP wipes (small grey and blue squares) and 6 handkerchiefs. Of course I had to decorate my handkerchiefs. The Calgary logo is where the sweater came from, Diego drew the two sharks for me and I made them out of bits of blue fleece leftover from the sleeves, the sea stars are bits of t-shirts that were kicking around and the flowers are from the same t-shirt my fish on my tea cozy came from! The only new material in all of this was the thread! :) It took 5 hours to make because of the detailing on the hankies but also because I stitched the edges of each of the cloth wipes and hankies to keep them intact even though fleece is not supposed to fray...plus it looks nice to have a border!
The seastars are my favorite. They are anatomically correct (leave it to a marine biologist!) albeit a little crooked...they were quite fiddly to sew! They were made in the image of a sea star found here in Nova Scotia, Asterias vulgaris or the Northern Sea Star.

Photo from:http://www.coastalsafari.com/SEASHORE.htm

As you can see they have many different colour variations but they all have one thing in common...the white dot. This is called a madreporite and is where they take in seawater for their muscles to work against in their tube feet so they can move. It is also part of their circulatory system and they extract oxygen from the water they take in and release wastes. It is called a water vascular system.

Photo from: http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/

Ok...enough of a tangent...back to the issue at hand cloth TP and handkerchiefs. You might be asking yourself...how has it been working so far? Well, I fell in love from the first wipe! They are so soft!! The handkercheifs are great, I can use the up to eight times before I need to wash them and I love the TP too...up to 3 wipes per square if you are adept at folding! I will continue to use them for at least a week and report back on my methods, techniques and the outcome in Part II of the cloth TP and hankie saga!

Allison needs

I saw this on Sebrina's blog and decided to play along. What you do is type your name into google with the word needs after it (Allison needs) and then write down the first 10 things it says.

1. Allison needs...to get laid (so crude but as long as Diego is involved ;) )
2. Allison needs...a loving home (Don't we all??)
3. Allison needs...more good farmers to raise corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, peanuts, cattle, hogs and sheep. (well...)
4. Allison needs...to stop taking shootout attempts. (I guess I should retire my pair of revolvers ;) )
5. Allison needs...to know everything she can about your organization to best communicate your project or programs for funding or awareness building. (not exactly)
6. Allison needs...a nickname (I've got one of those...Alli)
7. Allison needs...office space (I have that too...)
8. Allison needs...your help (I definitely love having your help to build my recipes and all around as friends!)
9. Allison needs...little help from the beauty shop (why Thank you)
10. Allison needs... to start being investigated by the DA (probably related to the shootout in # 4)

Fun but not as insightful as Sebrina's. I hope you decide to play along!

Food Week: Dessert and a Break

I have been making graphs like a mad woman. I just finished my last (so I think) graph for my presentation last night!!! The conference I am going to starts on Tuesday morning but I have to drive to 10 hours tomorrow to get there and my presentation is on Tuesday! So this will be short and sweet so I can get started!

For my dessert recipe, I will point you towards the Lemon Cheesecake I made for Diego for his Birthday. Click here to see my post with this recipe. I promise I will post my blueberry-peach crumble soon. This one is easy, delicious and a little healthier. ;)

So I am off tomorrow for a few days, so I will not be posting at least until next weekend. Have yourselves a good week! Take care!!!

Food Week: Vegetarian Dish

We aren't vegetarian but we eat a lot of veg. dishes. A new one to me and definitely a favorite from first bite is an Italian recipe I posted a while back. It is a lasagna style dish that uses eggplant instead of noodles. Click here to get to my recipe.

I just couldn't let myself off the hook with two posts in a row linked to a recipe already out there...so I decided to add what I had for lunch too! I made up the recipe and I have to say it was delicious!! It is a warm spinach and beet salad which was perfect on the snow stormy day!


Ingredients:

312 g of Spinach
5 small beets
Heaping handful of pecans
1 tbsp of Olive Oil
2 pinches of salt
Presedent's Choice Fig Balsamic Vinegar
Goat Cheese

I put the whole beets (skin and all) into a pot of water and boiled them until the were done (prick with fork). I peeled the beets while they were still warm with my hands under cold running water. The peel actually just slides off! Then I sliced them. I then put the olive oil and salt in a pan, heated then sauteed the spinach and pecans until the spinach was wilted. I made a bed of the spinach mixture in a bowl and added the sliced beets. I then splashed on some vinegar (the fig on is much milder than regular balsamic but either will do) and topped with goat cheese. I am sure you could even make this with kale!! It was tasty and made lunch for at least 2 people.

Check out other participants' veg recipes here.

Food Week: Dinner

One of my favorite things to make for dinner is mushroom risotto. Its creamy goodness always has a spot on my plate!!!

This is definitely odd since I have just started liking mushrooms this passed year. It is pretty simple but there are a lot of steps and my fav. recipe is not on paper and easier to follow if I just give you the link. This is an awesome website, it has LOTS of recipes and each has its own video, which is very helpful for obscure cooking terms like "beat eggs until fluffy"...when you are new at cooking even this can be obscure! I know I wasn't sure what it meant when I started cooking and baking for real...by this I mean from scratch!

Enjoy!!!

Food Week - Lunch

One of my favorites things about lunch food is cooking a huge batch on Sunday and having it for the week. This week I chose Chili. It is simple and hearty on these last few days (rather weeks...but we won't think about that) of winter. Here is mine all packed up and ready for tomorrow! (ps: I never put anything hot into plastic...nor do I heat it up in plastic...I just can't afford to switch to glass right now... and all my jars are in the freezer)


I don't really have a recipe and it changes slightly everytime depending on what I have on hand (gotta love simple and flexible!). So here is what I did this time.

Chop one large onion and fry it in the bottom of the pot until golden in some olive oil. Just before the onion is done throw in two finely chopped cloves of garlic. Then add 1 lb of ground beef (this is optional). I get this delicious local beef that is grass-fed free range and it is very lean and tastes devine!! The I add salt and pepper to taste and about a table spoon of chili powder and fry for about a minute. Then I add 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes then I fill one of the cans with water and add that. Then I threw in a can of corn, around 200g of each of dry red kidney beans, black beans and navy beans. I also add another 2 tablespoons of chili powder. Then I bring it to a boil and let simmer for at least 1.5 hours. Add salt, pepper and chili powder to taste. I like it spicy so I also add cyanne pepper. Check your pot every 15 mins to stir and see if it needs more water, the beans take up a lot of juice so if it looks too dry add some. In the end it makes a delicious and thick chili, none of this soupy stuff. All in all it makes lunch for the two of us for 5 days and one dinner.

Check out what everyone else has on for lunch here!

Food Week - Breakfast

Hi all!

I am participating in Food Week that is being hosted by Sherrie over at Frenchy's Finds. The first installment is a simple breakfast recipe. So here is our old stand by.

Cut up a whole banana add 1.5 cups of blueberries (I have a whole freezer full of Nova Scotia wild blueberries), 4 dollops of plain yogurt a large pinch of flax seed and almost a handful of almonds (I LOVE ALMONDS!). To top it all off a nice drizzle of maple syrup. Easy, fast and healthy. You can use any fruit, I usually try to use what is in season or what I have in the freezer...with the exception of the banana of course. ;)

Here is a list of all the food week participants if you want to check out all the yumminess or if you want to join in!

Happy Monday!

Comforting Image(s)

This is the last day of Comfort week and I want to say THANKS to Sherrieg for organizing it! I have met so many wonderful people, got to learn about them and share my comforts, thoughts and feelings!

As the last installment of comfort week we have to select an image that brings us comfort and as with most things I cannot decide...

So here are two images I find very comforting:

This is a view of the surface of the ocean, taken while laying on the bottom. This was at one of my study sites along the coast of Nova Scotia in 2007. It reminds me of the peace and serenity I feel while I am under the surface.

The other is delicious Mexican Tacos!!!

These are called rajas con crema or sliced poblano chilis and onions, fried until tender then doused in cream...on a handmade corn tortilla! mmmmm...I can just imagine the comfort of a full belly and the flavour explosion of real Mexican food. : )

I am running off to a party! Have a good Friday evening!!! : )

My two most comforting habits!

Today as part of comfort week we are supposed to share a habit or behaviour that gives us comfort. I have two that I want to share.

Whenever Diego and I walk somewhere together we always hold hands (awwww!). I love holding his hand and I always reach for it when we step off the stoop in the morning to walk to work, or the moment we are shoulder to shoulder strolling down the halls of the University. I always hold his hand in a movie theater or if we are standing/sitting next to each other at a party. I always reach out for it and only realize it after I have his hand firmly in my grasp. I love the warmth of his hands and feeling his fingers our fingers entwined. It is reassuring, warm, calming and comfortable. Sometimes I can feel his pulse in his fingers, so close and so intimate.

The other of course has to do with water...who would have thought! I find my daily swim very comforting. I try to go in the middle of the day when my brain needs a rest. Sitting in front of a computer all day is really hard on the body and mind! It all begins with sliding on my dolphin print swimsuit. I reach the side of the pool and the anticipation of the shock of the cold water makes me a little hesitant but I dive in knowing that it is my refuge, my sanctuary. As I glide through the water in a world of silence I am only aware of the rhythm of my breathing and the beating of my heart. I focus on making myself as streamlined as possible to move through the water with the least resistance. I feel the stress slide off my body and imagine it swirling in the wake behind me. I immerse myself completely into this liquid medium and concentrate on feeling every stroke, the movement of my muscles, willing them to work and relax all at once. I feel free and I feel good. I can now go back and face my computer once again with a fresh mind and body.

If you want to check out other comforting habits click here.

My most comforting place.

I would have to agree with Vicky, the Ocean is definitely the most comforting place for me. I wouldn't be a marine biologist if it wasn't the Ocean! My partner Diego is also in oceanography so we share our fascination with the Ocean. We both love to go beachcombing, having BBQs on the beach, watching sunsets/sunrises and camping.

Those are our blue tents behind the bush...camping with Diego's sister and her husband on a deserted beach in Mexico.

Just us and the egret enjoying the sunset on our deserted beach in Mexico.

However, the best part for both of us is actually being in the Ocean!

Here we are snorkeling in Mexico this past Christmas!

It is such a different world under the surface, the ambient colour and temperature is different depending where you are and the time of year but most important, it is completely different from the conditions above the water!

Here I am on the left in Mexico, look at the brilliant blue of the water and note that my head is not covered! I am also wearing a 4 mm wetsuit (which means it lets a small amount of water between the skin and your suit that you warm up and it stays there).The centre photo was taken while working in Prince Edward Island in the summer of 2007. Here the water is really murky and kinda brown! Here my suit is a 7 mm drysuit (which means no water goes into the suit) and I am wearing merino wool pants and long sleeve top underneath. However, it was warm enough to go gloveless! The last photo was taken in Nova Scotia during my Masters in May 2005. The water is a blueish-green but very cold...maybe 4 degrees Celsius. I am again wearing my drysuit, but this time I am definitely wearing gloves and at least 3 layers of wool and fleece underneath!

I love the feeling that you are floating and can no longer feel the strong pull of gravity.

Sometimes the water can be so clear it feels like you are in a zero gravity world! But of course here in Nova Scotia clear water usually means really cold water!!!

The variety of life is astonishing! In the tropics, the waters are dominated by sand with islands of corals and sponges. These are likened to oases in a desert and are where much of the life aggregates.

A mixed schoal of fish, surrounding a mostly dead coral head.

A moray eel living in a hole in a coral and sponge reef.

But in more northern latitudes you get a predominance of large seaweeds that form huge beds full of life!

Beautiful frilly kelp plants on a boulder with a ground cover of a large branched green algae called Codium and a mixed yellowy turf in Nova Scotia.

A close up of the turf and our favorit friend the American Lobster!

Not to mention the sounds...or lack thereof in Nova Scotian waters (except for thos pesky power boats) and the loud crackling of the coral reef in the Caribbean.

To me the underwater world is my place of comfort! I always dreamed of being a mermaid or dolphin as a kid. I guess a Marine Biologist is the next best thing!!!

Most Comforting thing(s) in my home

By far the most comforting things in my home are our 4 fish tanks. In the kitchen we have a 120 gallon Reef Tank. It is 6' x 2' x 2' and fills one corner of our kitchen. The computer seen in the photo is where I am sitting as I write!


Here are some of the inhabitants. A pink skunk clownfish guarding it's pink bubble-tip anemone and an assortment of corals in the fore- and back-ground. 99% of everything you see in our marine tanks was either tank raised, homemade (rock) or purchased from someone who was closing down their tank.

We also have a 50 gallon marine tank in our bedroom. Which is so relaxing to look at before bed. The lights go out around 10 pm but we have blue lights to imitate moonlight that turn on at night and make everything glow!!!

In the living room we have 2x50 gallon freshwater tanks. One is planted with angelfish,
and the other is filled with driftwood and is home to our oscar, kukulkan,


and his large pleco friend.

Freshwater fish and plants are all bred and raised in captivity. To learn more about the freshwater fish, click on the links!

Happy Tuesday!!

Comfort Food, better late than never!

Like most people, I too love soup at this time of year. For me one of the most comforting things about food is making it and one of my favorite foods to make (and eat...soooo yummy!) is kale and pancetta quiche.

Quiche filling:
4 oz (125 g) pancetta or bacon, diced
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups (1.5 L) chopped kale
1/4 cup (50 mL) water
4 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste (usually a pinch of each)
1 tbsp (15 mL) dijon mustard
3/4 cup (175 mL) shredded swiss or emmental cheese

Sour Cream Pastry:
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour - I use Spearville Mill's Unbleached Whole White flour
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup (50 mL) cold lard (you could sub in shortening)
2 tbsp (25 mL) cold water
4 tsp (20 mL) sour cream

Preparation

Sour Cream Pastry: In bowl, whisk flour with salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Whisk water with sour cream; drizzle over dry ingredients, stirring briskly with fork to form ragged dough. Press into disc. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. You can refrigerate the dough for 24 hr.

On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to generous 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness. Fit into 9-inch (23 cm) glass pie plate. Trim to 3/4-inch (2 cm) overhang; fold overhang under and flute edge. Prick all over with fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Line shell with foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in bottom third of 400°F (200°C) oven for about 15 minutes or until rim is light golden. Remove weights and foil; bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until pastry is golden. Let cool on rack. I usually make this the night before and keep it in the fridge so it makes putting together the quiche much faster.

In skillet, fry pancetta over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.

Here you have two choices, you can drain off the fat from the pancetta and add the olive oil, or keep the fat and ditch the oil (I use option 2); fry onion and garlic over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes.

Add kale and water; cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and fry for 1 minute. In bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper. You can refrigerate pancetta and egg mixtures separately for up to 24 hours.

Brush pastry shell with mustard; sprinkle with 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the cheese and the pancetta mixture. Pour in egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.

Recipe from: Canadian Living Magazine

Comfort Week!

This week I am participating in a theme week that Sherrieg is hosting. It is called comfort week and here are all the participants and their contributions.

Here are the themes for each day, take directly from Sherrieg's site:

Monday: food: your favourite comfort food (with recipes, if possible!)
Tuesday: home: the most comfortable (or comforting) thing in your home
Wednesday: place : the place most comfortable to you
Thursday: habit: a behaviour or routine that brings you comfort
Friday: image: a picture that represents total comfort to you; either an image of your own or a link to one you love

So, since today is Tuesday and I arrived too late last night to get around to posting for Monday...I will do a double post...