Maple Syrup: a local discovery

Did you know that maple syrup can come from any maple tree - even the ones outside of Vermont and Canada?!?  Well, apparently the answer is yes, it can.

I recently discovered a local farm that makes maple syrup and since we've been on a pancake kick lately, I planned a little field trip. (I should really learn my husband's whole-grain pancake recipe and share it.  It's that good!)

Here's what I learned.

Any maple tree can make maple syrup.  Even the one in our front yard (!) but it takes a lot of sap to make syrup.  From a hard maple tree it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.  It takes 60 gallons from a soft maple... so much for the one in my front yard.

It takes many hours and even up to days (Little House on the Prairie style) to reduce it down that far.  The farm where we went recently got a new "oven," which reduced their boiling time to only about 5 hours.

Maple syrup tastes different depending on where and how the tree is grown.  It's kind of like wine.  I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur of maple syrup (or of anything really!) but this stuff was delicious.  It tastes a little like caramel.  Yum!

And, yes, it's already half gone!

Oh, and it's cooooold when the sap flows!!  Temperatures need to be freezing over night and just above freezing during the day.  Once that fluctuation in temperatures changes so does the sap and the "season" is over.
 
What local treasures are waiting for you just outside your back door?  

Peace,

Stacey

Buy "Local" Books Online

O.K., by now you know I don't really like to shop.  (Oh, if my teenaged self could see me now!)  When I have to get something, I try to find it used.  Buying used usually means that it takes a lot more time to find.  That is unless you're looking to buy used books!  Amazon.com has made it so easy.  In fact, it's so easy that there's almost no point in buying one new anymore.  (Almost!)  Here's a simple little tip for greening your used book buying, which is inherently green already.  Find the one that's closest to where you live. Obviously, if there's a used book store in your town, you've already found the one that's the most local.  If you're not so lucky or they are out of what you want, here's an example for buying one of my favorite books on amazon:

In the third column (Seller Information) it lists specifically where the book ships from so all I need to do is figure out which state (in this case Utah, Oregon, Maryland, or Virginia) is closest to where I live and buy that one because the price and condition of each are all similar.  Ebay and Etsy also list where your goods will ship from.  

The shorter the distance the book has to travel/ship, the less gas it will take to get to me, Yeah for a smaller carbon footprint!

That's it.  Easy enough, huh?  Happy shopping! 
Peace,
Stacey

Barn Wood Shelves

My reclaimed barn wood shelves went up in the kitchen last weekend!

And I couldn't be happier.  (Well, maybe if the painting was finished but let's not get greedy here!)

I found a listing on craigslist for reclaimed wood from local barns.  (Yes, craigslist again!)  Our vision was to use something exactly like that for the "new" kitchen shelves... that was until one of my friends asked me about the wood she had just purchased.  She was concerned about lead paint and unlike our floors, her's came with a enough of that antique red paint to raise a red (pun intended) flag!  

But I digress... I found something local AND reclaimed!  What a score!  I just asked for pieces where all the paint had faded or chipped off... mostly.

Who needs a truck when a Prius can haul 7' boards?

We were still concerned about the lead issue so we decided not to sand this wood.  We'd learned from installing our reclaimed floors that after about 5 coats of water-based polyurethane, most of the bumps, scratches, and splinters are smooth. That's what we ("we" meaning Mr. Green Stuff) did here.  After many, many coats, we ("we" includes me here because I held the boards!) cut the barn siding to the proper length to transform them into our shelves.

I searched for months trying to find some used shelving brackets that would be strong enough and fit properly. I failed.  I finally found these super, cute ones from a manufacturer in Texas.

And even though someone had his doubts about the sturdiness of my purchases and someone else hem-hawed around because of the old paint, as you can see, they're up now!  And we're both happy!

Let's just hope there is no more drama involving these shelves!

Peace,

Stacey

Roasted Pecans - Super EASY!!

I referenced this in the comments of my Easy Granola recipe so I thought I'd just make a post out of it so here's my "recipe" for roasted pecans.  I say "recipe" because it's not much of a recipe and virtually no cooking skills are required!  Seriously.  Here goes.

First, find some local pecans.

Mine were still in the shell so my next step was to shell them.  Your fingers might be luckier.

Next, spread them on an unlined baking sheet.  Make sure none of the pecans are overlapping each other.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, flip pecans, respread so none overlap, and bake for 2 more minutes.

Enjoy!

These are delicious warm so I just bought 10 more pounds to have enough to enjoy and enough to freeze.  I like to use these frozen pecans in baked goods until the next season.

What's your favorite pecan recipe?

Peace,

Stacey

31 Days of Green Little Things: Buy the Most Local – Even When It’s Not Very Local

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Green Little Things!  This is where I discuss the little things I do to help the environment.

This really is a little thing but when I talk about buying things from the same continent the usual response is something along the lines of “oh, I never thought about that.”  I briefly discussed this in my post about buying natural rather than synthetic clothes when possible.

It’s easiest to describe through example so here’s a scenario:

You’ve lost a few pounds by avoiding processed food and you need a need a new pair of jeans.  Of course, you’re donating your old ones because you want to keep your closet organized and give your old jeans a new life in someone else’s wardrobe.  In the meantime, you’ve found a few pairs you like.  How do you pick the pair to take home? 

Well, when all things are equal (natural materials, similar price, etc.) I pick the pair that was made nearest to my home.  Recently, I had a choice of Indonesia, China, and Nicaragua.  Most of us know at Nicaragua is the closest to the U.S. so those are in my house today. 

No, it’s not the ideal choice.  I would have preferred a hemp/organic cotton blend that was made in the U.S. but like I’ve said before I try to make the best choice presented to me then try to avoid the guilt of not being able to make the ideal choice.

Pay attention though.  A guy at my local wine shop tried to talk me into some Chilean wine because he thought all the Americas could count as one giant continent. 

I've also had a salesman tell me that practically everything these days comes from a different continent so we just have to accept it.  It probably goes without saying but in case you were wondering, I didn't buy anything from him.

One of my friends joked that she was going to need to refresh her geography skills.  Honestly though, if I have no idea where a country is located, it's safe to assume that it’s probably far, far away.  

See.  I told you it was little.  Just think before you buy.  And make the best choice available.

Peace,

Stacey

To follow other "31 Days" journeys, check out The Nester.  She's hosting this party. 
I started a Facebook page for my blog.  "Like" it if you're so inclined.

31 Days of Green Little Things: My Hot Salsa Recipe

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Green Little Things!  This is my place to talk about the little things that I do to help the environment.  I'm glad you're here.

Today’s little thing is actually two things wrapped into one.  (Happy Friday!)  Buy local and make your own.  I love buying things that are locally grown because I can usually talk to the farmer to ask about her growing methods, the produce is super-fresh because it was just picked, and it didn’t travel thousands of miles to arrive in my kitchen.  Win. Win. Win.  I’m learning how to make a lot of things on my own so I know everything in it.  Another win!

I’m sharing my favorite homemade salsa recipe because you can (most likely) still find everything at your local farmers' market.  (If not, it’s so good that you should head to the grocery store. Seriously.)  If you’re not sure where the closest farmers’ market is, check out Local Harvest. It is a great resource to find farmers' markets, restaurants that sources local products, CSAs, and even wool for your next knitting project.  Anyway!

Here’s my salsarific recipe:

6-8 medium tomatoes (almost 2 pounds)

½ medium red onions

1 large or 2 small jalapeños (remove the seeds and ribs for a milder taste)

½ red or orange bell pepper

2 small garlic cloves

1 ear of corn-on-the-cob (about ½ cup)

½ cup cilantro

2 tablespoons of lime juice

Pinch of salt

Remove seeds and dice tomatoes into ¼ inch (or smaller) chunks.

Mince onions, jalapeños, bell pepper, and garlic cloves.

Cut corn kernels off the cob.

Finely chop cilantro.

Place tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, bell peppers, garlic, corn, and cilantro into a large bowl.

Add lime juice and salt.

Stir together.

Place half into food processor or blender and pulse 5-10 times until pureed.

Return pureed half to bowl and mix together.

Enjoy with tortilla chips, in tacos, in omelets, or on burgers. 

If you have any left, store in a glass jar in the fridge.

I love reusing peanut butter jars because of the wide-mouths.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the salsa is not "chunky" nor "pureed."  It's just the right mix of both.  Now I just need to figure out how to extend the growing season, and therefore the farmers’ market, beyond the end of this month.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy salsa?  Let me know in the comments.

Peace,

Stacey

To follow other "31 Days" journeys, check out The Nester.  She's hosting this party.  Thanks for the motivation to join this year.
today, I'm also linking up with Foodie Friends Friday. 
I started a Facebook page for my blog.  "Like" it if you're so inclined.