FYI- because you can't make this stuff up, I had a major MELT DOWN trying to finish the formatting for my blog on BALANCE!!!
Lately I’ve been “running on empty”. My ability to deal with setbacks is just about non-existent. This time of year in rural Maine is always busy. On top of that I’ve given up (temporary) my search for romance. I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places, called the internet. I’ve meet nice men but……. Plus, we are working on an addition, the building has happened during the time of Covid- it has been setback after setback after material shortages after…. These two factors have contributed to a steady draining, making it much harder to bounce back after a small problem, disappointment or a challenge.
Plus I’m a naturally anxious person. I’ve been anxious since birth, perhaps before. I’ve read about generational trauma but don’t know if it’s been scientifically proven. I do believe an energy link of bitter sadness could follow generations where lives have been destroyed on a slave ship on a trail of tears. My anxiety would have started in a stone cottage, a wee weary woman looking out at a rotting potato field, with way too many children squabbling and babies crying and a husband romancing a bottle.
I’ve tried everything to help calm my mind. Yoga for years. Try my best to meditate and feel so proud if I can get a measly five minutes in. I do best when there is some sort of chant- “ommmm”. That seems to help keep my brain in check. Walking and getting outside help especially if I listen to music or a podcast. Otherwise my brain can take over with endless loop of thoughts. A never ending highway.
Only once have I tried treating my symptoms with conventional medicine. It happened during the Trump/Covid years. The never ending worry and drama of that time lead me to binge watch reality shows. My favorite was Queer Eye. Five gay men transforming the world one makeover at a time. There are seven seasons and I watched the show evolve and change reflecting the times. I would pause when Karamo appeared to see what slogan was on his T-shirt- BLM. Kamala. Each guy had a speciality, but there was an overall message of “you are enough and worthy of love, starting with yourself.” I got deep into the shows and how a haircut and pants that fit could help you feel better about yourself. Cleaning your living space could improve your outlook. Small steps with big results. The thing was I found myself crying as people transformed and lived their best life.
I told my doctor about my Queer Eye tears and she suggested a mild anti-depressant. Nothing habit forming but perhaps my anxiety and worry would lessen. I didn’t notice a difference but did notice the outrageous price but kept taking them. I stopped when listening to a favorite trivia podcast and the host mentioned how she always cried watching Queer Eye. It’s weirdly comforting to know others experience and react as we do.
A new season of Queer Eye is on Netflix. I’m reserving the episodes for non-caloric “treats”. The first episode was fantastic, about young men and the need to open and share. I could relate after my dating escapades, dealing with emotions was a challenge for every man I dated. It gave me a bit more compassion as well as some insight but that's another blog. I hope reading this blog made you laugh not cry. But if you did cry I hope it was a good cleansing cry and you feel a bit of relief.
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You don’t need to invest a lot of money for this delightful activity. Plants for sure and also a teapot with a stainless steel strainer. You could use a smaller tea strainer but a teapot with a larger strainer means you can use bigger pieces and not worry about stems. A well crafted teapot is an excellent investment.
Beyond the sheer pleasure of drinking your homemade brew making your own tea is an act of sustainability. “Believe it or not, the humble teabag often contains a non-biodegradable plastic called polypropylene, which releases billions of microplastic particles every time you brew a cuppa.” We are learning more each day about how invasive plastic is in our daily life and any chance we get to eliminate plastic is an opportunity we should take. In the long run, you will also save money while adding a bit of pleasure and ritual to your day. Tea making will become an act you look forward to.
Here’s a list of my favorite plants. No worries if you don’t have a lot of space, these plants will do fine in a container.
Peppermint- this is the backbone of my herb blend. Super fresh taste and very, very easy to grow- that means it can be invasive so choose your spot carefully. What I love about the mints besides being easy to grow is they add bulk as well as flavor.
Fancy mint- this can be a flavored mint, my favorite is Pineapple but there are many varieties. Wander the herb aisle at your favorite garden shop to find the variety for you. In my garden zone these tend to be a bit tender and often will not over winter.
Chamomile- has a mellow, gentle flavor slightly “appley” flavor and known to help you relax, even get sleepy. You can scatter seeds and lightly cover with soil or transplant. Chamomile often selfs sows so keep your eye out the following spring.
Calendula- this bright orang/yellow flower is pure sunshine and happiness. Their favor is a bit spicy and peppery adding a nice tang to your brew. It’s a very sturdy, forgiving plant and can adapt to a lot of different soil types and selfs sows.
Lavender- has a bright floral flavor, too much is considered “soapy” but it’s one of my favorite additions to my brew. It’s important to pick the right variety for your area as it’s a perennial. Be sure to ask at your garden center for the variety that’s right for your area.
Brewing your own tea is an easy way to add a peaceful ritual to your day, add a bit of flavor to your life and to enjoy a plastic free, very sustainable drink. ENJOY!
]]>It started last fall while listening to a podcast hosted by two young women. It was February of the previous year and most of the conversation centered around love- not so much the traditional image of Valentine love. The romance of a couple eating out, surrounded by roses and chocolates. It was centered on loving your self in order to be able to love others.
At one point they asked each other what advice the’d give their younger self. This made me chuckle, they both sounded like they were in their early 30’s. I can’t remember the advice they gave but it definitely got me thinking about the stories I tell myself about my past in particular. I decided to change my February story and that’s the root of Val Pal.
The way Val Pal works is simple and straight forward. Commit to sending a stranger a piece of mail by Feb 10th. You could buy a card from a local artist or maker or make something yourself. I was so pleased by the response and positive energy Val Pal generated. So many folks were excited to have a small project to focus on and to send something sweet out into the universe.
While it’s wonderful to send out positive vibes into the universe many of us, including myself, struggle with sending kindness to ourselves. An article I found particularly helpful was Self-Kindness: Upgrade Your Thinking on the Modern Daily Knitting blog. It started me on my journey of awareness. With the first step of talking to myself like a toddler when I went into my old patterns of negativity. It’s so much easier to be kind to others!
I’ll definitely do Val Pals again next year and hope you’ll join us.
When we started Dulse & Rugosa our focus was on our seaweed rich shampoo bars. I discovered the power of seaweed while searching for a long term solution to my chronically itchy scalp. Our shampoo bars are work horses and last a long time. We realized we needed to expand our product line to help that annoying bottom line. We have bills to pay.
We wanted a product that served many purposes. First, it needed to be of value to our customers. We also needed a product that fit our environmental standards. A product that’s a joy to create. Finally, our creation needed to reflect our love of place, the state of Maine.
Folks often ask how shower shots work. Simply place a “shot” on the floor of the shower. As the water hits it, it will dissolve. Quickly with a heavy stream of water or slowly under a trickle. As it dissolves, it melts and releases a specific scent. Aromatherapy in the shower.
We have a variety of scents, some to relax including lavender and feel better. Others to uplift including peppermint and sinus relief. PMS or Balance is our most quirky scent, when you most need it it can be quite powerful but if life is fairly balanced it can be a bit UH. We package all our shots as sustainable as possible in compostable not plastic bags. Individual shots are available as well as curated gift boxes.
The actual making of shower shots is production work. We are small assembly line. We use vintage shot glass molds and a lot of muscle power. Each individual shot is topped with a mixture of dry flowers that relates to the scent. Once the shots have dried out they are packaged and ready for sale.
Last summer in particular I noticed how pollinators loved our flower gardens. Many moments were spent outside simply watching pollinators in action. We don’t have to add dried flowers to our shower shots. Most companies that produce them do not. We do it simply because we love flowers and want to add a bit of beauty and love to your shower ritual.
We use a wide variety of flowers. We look for hardy species that can take the changing Maine climate. Wet springs and fall with dry almost drought conditions in the summer. Being able to reseed is an added bonus and we love sunny Calendula for its resiliency.
My favorite story from last summer is a customer visiting our sweet shop noticed all the bees in our front garden. He was memorized and mentioned he hadn’t seen so many bees for years. I encouraged him to sit in the nearby chair and simply observe. I often wondered while sitting if the different species would be able to share a blossom. They can giving me hope for the future.
We’ve noticed since Covid that our quality can be erratic. Occasionally a shower shot will “melt”. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out the problem. One easy solution would be to switch our packaging to plastic which would also save us money. This wasn’t even considered. After quite a bit of observing and tinkering we discovered that we sometimes get wonky batches of baking soda. Being super frugal we try not to waste ingredients but now if we see the baking soda is off we don’t use it. However, because of the compostable packaging, storage conditions, humid summers you might get a melty shower shot. Simply let us know and we will gladly replace it. You don’t have to toss the defective shower shot, use it as a toilet bowl cleaner. This is especially effective before company arrives.
Maine shops that support Dulse & Rugosa and sell our shower shots. I know I’ve forgotten a few and I’ll update as my memory from the summer kicks in. And word of mouth is by far the best way to grow a business, if you have a favorite store where our shower shots would fit please mention us to the staff. XXOO
Granite Hall Store in Round Pound
]]>If you are wanting to start 2023 by reducing a bit of your trash- go back and read any of the blogs. All the info is valid, you will have to makes tweaks to fit your life style. Please remember going zero waste is like any goal or accomplishment, it’s a dance. Two steps forward, one back, a bit of spinning in the same space and then two steps forward.
I’m not going to add to that list but I’d love to hear your suggestions and strategies. Instead I'm sharing another list with ideas about how to help address the imbalance in our economy.
I believe if you want to help heal our planet one step you can take is to “buy local, shop indie”. Sure I’m biased because I have a small business but I have a small business because I want the world to be a better place.
Here’s my list of ways to support small and indie businesses-
Word of mouth really matters- take the time to tell others about your favorite businesses and why you like them.
Sign up for emails- in the ever changing word of social media an email list is a godsend to a small business, it’s where they can actually connect with people who are interested in their product or service
Unsubscribe from emails you never open. In order to sent out batches of emails you need to subscribe to an email server and you pay for the service. If you are on someone’s list but never open an email you still count in terms of payment. It’s very helpful for a small company to have you unsubscribe because they safe money and you will stop getting an email that you’re not interested in.
Post a nice comment on social to help the algorithms used in social media sites. The way this works is a site limits access to how many folks can see a post because they want to make money. Liking, sharing and commenting on a post makes it more “popular” and visible.
Post a picture and tag a business to help spread the word.
Use locations and hashtags, another way to help a business be visible on social media.
Write reviews and share your positive experience. If your experience was negative contact the business first before posting on social media. Social media thrives on negativity so post with caution and kindness.
Say “thank you” whenever possible and be understanding with problems. Chances are if you have a problem you’ll get way better service and results than with a big business.
Buy gift cards especially at busy holiday seasons. It can be quite challenging in today’s ever changing world to keep items stocked and gift cards do help.
When it’s time to make a purchase investigate options and if possible buy small, local and indie first before giving all the big boys your money.
Consider a subscription service. Similar to a CSA for farms a subscription service helps weather the year during slower times. Subscription services are also a great way to support a creative that you admire. The way social media works makes it easy to expect information and inspiration for free but it’s a lot of work and a subscription helps someone stay creative.
Enjoy your zero waste journey and share your success.
]]>Friday August 12 from 4:00-6:00, PM before the popular Delicious Drag Divas Show at Gouldsboro Town Park and and Saturday August 13 from 12:00 to 6:00.
What is a Seaweed Social? It’s a gathering centered around eating and appreciating Maine seaweed. Explore our “grazing table” with seaweed dishes both savory and sweet. On our menu we will feature a wide variety of unique seaweed products from many of Maine’s seaweed producers.
Our menu-
Sea Deviled Eggs with Smithereen Farm Kelp Pickles and Vitamin Sea Smoked Dulse Flakes
Nori Flatbread made with Vitamin Sea Nori Flakes
Cheesy Kelpy Popcorn made with Springtide Seaweed Cheese Kelp
Kelpy Humus made with Ocean’s Balance Kelp Puree
Downeast Spring Rolls made with Nori Sheets
Good Karma Cosmic Dumpling Dipping Sauce
Ocean’s Balance Mariana Dipping Sauce
Maine Homestead Pickles
Spicy Edamame with Ariel’s Hot Pepper Infused Honey and Ocean’s Balance Spicy Seaweed Sprinkle
Turkish Pide made with Curio’s Supeq Spice
Irish moss Pudding made with Maine Coast Sea Vegetable Irish Moss Flakes
Original and Ginger Kelp Krunch Bars from Maine Coast Sea Vegetable
Pirate Brownies made with Ocean’s Balance Dulse Flakes
Jamy Cookies made with Maine Homestead jams and Springtide’s Table Kelp
Iced Emerald Honeybush Tea from Cup of Sea
The Fog Iced Coffee from Precipice Coffee
This event is free and open to everyone who is interested in discovering ways to incorporate seaweed into your diet for taste, nutrition and sustainability. For more info email us at dulseandrugosa@gmail.com
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337 RT 1, Gouldsboro ME
I spent the winter watching reruns of Project Runway and challenging my beliefs about fashion, textiles, waste and love. I’m not a “fashion addict” but I have always loved textiles and for me any kind of needle work is calming and reduces my stress. I’m often knitting or hand sewing after particularly horrible news.
I’m also fascinated by the story fashion and textiles tell. I was home sick for a few days right around the death of Mary Tyler Moore. Laying on the couch with a runny nose, I streamed all the seasons of the Mary Tyler Moore show. She was one of the first women to wear pants on TV! It’s seems quaint and slightly ludicrous now but at the time she was a fashion and equality rebel. In the series, when she first wears pants, it’s almost a costume and really imitated menswear, often with a tie as an accessory. Towards the end of the series she is wearing pants into the newsrooms and its no big deal.
While I totally enjoyed Project Runway- drape, construction, fabric choice, design, the philosophies and personalities of the various designers I couldn’t help but think how wasteful fashion is. That’s what got me interested in thinking about love and waste. Fashion and style plays into the consumption narrative that our society struggles with. According to REMAKE, an average American purchases 16 new items of clothing every 3 months! Often the clothing purchased does not have a real value. A garment might only be worn a few times or simply for a special occasion. Textile waste is a huge problem. Many of the items we purchase are considered fast fashion. These garments are based on “trends” that come and go quickly- so we can buy more! They are inexpensive, non-durable and for the most part exploit both workers and the environment.
With all of these thoughts churning in my mind I came up with a collection called “you are loved”. It’s a circular idea of garments and people being loved. My collection is all repurposed or upcycled clothing. I’ve been thinking creatively about waste and to move towards zero waste in my creative process. I’m even saving thread snips for an abstract project.
Our Vintage Sale and Fashion Show will be July 8,9,10 at our Gouldsboro studio/shop. We have a LOT of clothing we want to get out of storage and onto bodies. We also want to inspire you to look at your current wardrobe differently. We are also thinking creatively about how we can offer our creations to folks who can’t travel to the “edge of nowhere”, also known as Gouldsboro, ME.
Instead of buying a new garment, think about transforming a garment by adding a bit of personality and love. The creative act of transformation turns a “meh” garment into a loved garment. This is for real, it’s a bit of textile magic. We have a lot of inspiration and techniques for you on our blog along with some video tutorials.
You are loved! Claire
]]>When a company sits down and makes a list of adjectives that appeal to a certain type of customer it’s called “green washing”. It can be very effective. When we hear certain words- reusable, refillable, clean fragrances we use our frame of reference and values to make a decision about a product. Green washing happens in the world of beauty and fashion, and its insidious. When you are getting ready to make a purchase, pause, because how we spend our money is a vote for the world we want to inhabit.
We had the chance to shop European awhile back. That’s how we discovered Ritonka Chocolate from Austria. I’m guessing the chocolate will only be available for a limited time due to world circumstances and while the ingredients aren’t “conscious” they are extraordinary. The bars are beautiful and have unique garden based flavors and include many of our favorite flowers. Rose, Marigold, Bee Balm, Cornflower and more. We have dark, milk and white chocolate bars. Honestly, I am not a fan of white chocolate, in general, it’s just too sweet. Ritonka’s white chocolate bar is yummy! It’s topped with lavender buds- it's not an overly floral, soapy taste but instead a delightful crunch. The dried black currents give the bar a cool sour explosion in your mouth.
We take time and care with our products but also with researching products made by other companies. We love to discover new brands that are making thoughtful decisions when creating. It’s quite a bit of work because we have high standards and values. We know you will enjoy this chocolate, it’s a perfect Easter or spring basket goody or just a treat for yourself.
Let us know what you think about "conscious ingredients" or your favorite way to eat flowers.
]]>Of course, there are many other worthy organizations helping to ease the plight of these proud and fierce people. NPR has put together a list-
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help
Another great place to check is local social media. There was a big stuffed animal drive in my area as a Polish American with family ties near the border organized a way to give refugee children a bit of comfort.
We feel at times that our small steps don’t make much of a difference but imagine the joy of a hot bowl of nourishing soup after an arduous journey or cuddling a stuffed animal while trying to sleep in a strange location. We might not see or hear how our actions helped but we can know they did.
I’m an avid “stress stitcher”. Working with thread and a needle is a way to calm anxiety and create something of value. I’ve been inspired by Clare Hunter’s Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle. Banners and buntings have been used to raise awareness and bring about change through many periods of history. Both are easy to make.
Bunting is one of my favorite ways to celebrate a season. Quick and easy to put together its a great way to use up fabric scraps and is a sustainable way to decorate and avoid celebrating with a bunch of plastic. Once a holiday is over, tuck the bunting away- if it’s been outside pop in the laundry first and you can use bunting for many years.
Simple Steps to Make Bunting
-gather together all your materials including fabric, scissors, cardboard to make a template, needle and thread and ribbon or string. You can sew bunting by hand or use a machine. Making bunting is a great family/kid project and can be put together entirely by hand using the running stitch. We have a blog tutorial all about the running stitch here-
https://www.dulseandrugosa.com/blogs/news/lets-get-mending-running-stitch-basics
-decide on the shape for your bunting. Triangles are traditional but rectangles or squares can be easier to cut. You can make single layer bunting but putting two pieces together- with the pretty side showing each way makes your bunting sturdier. If using two layer stitch together.
-cut a length of ribbon, twine or material. I’m working on using up my fabric scraps so I’ve been using lengths of fabric, folded with the wrong sides together as my twine. This is also super easy to sew so it’s great for kids. Place your bunting pieces on your fabric length and stick. Again you can do by hand or machine.
-You are done! Hang and enjoy.
I made my banner using mostly scraps, the blue was from an old fitted sheet. I did need to buy some yellow as that’s a color I didn’t have in my fabric stitch. The blue goes on top representing wide skies and the yellow on the bottom for wheat fields. I added appliquéd shapes- hearts and peace sign cut from bits of fabric. I tend to trace shapes on scrap paper first and then use as a guide for fabric. It’s also a good idea to baste the shapes to the banner before doing your permanent stitching. Basting is a very loose running stitch and holds better than pins. Hem around all the edges. You can make a casing (a wide open at both ends hem) to insert a rod for hanging if you want. I just used a few nails top and bottom to hang my banner.
It’s great to be inspired by the work and skills of others but don’t get intimidated. It’s ok to make mistakes or make something wonky. One of my bunting strings is completely wonky, everything is off kilter. Once I hang it up and it blows in the breeze no one will notice.
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I decided to make my own Valentines. I put on some music, found some old magazines, a glue stick and random bits of paper. Just like a 12 year old working on a fun school project I had a blast.
You don't have to make cards. Buying cards from local artist is a great way to support talent. There are so many cute small batch cards.
Of course, you don't need to make "Valentine" cards. It's always appropriate to send a message of cheer to a family member or friend. I love to send and receive mail. It's so much fun to open your mail box and instead of a bill or letter from the IRS, there's a card from a friend.
XXOO
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Let's start with the closet. Someone who inspires me is Ethically Kate, a sustainable fashion activist/influencer and blogger. For 2022, she is embarking on a #wardrobefreeze2022. Her goal- nothing new will enter her wardrobe in 2022 including second hand clothes. "The world consumes 80 billion garments a year, 400% more than we were 20 years ago." Her blog about her decision and why makes for interesting reading. I can't say I'm going to take the same challenge but reading and being motivated by others is part of being successful on your zw journey. I would like to encourage you to look in your wardrobe find ways to donate items you no longer wear and that are in good repair to reputable organizations. One of my goals this year is to find ways to repurpose not so great clothing into useful items. I hope to share this journey with you. Mending is a great way to revamp your wardrobe. The saying- loved clothes last is true. We have a series of blogs to get you started, along with some YouTube videos.
Mend Along- Let's Mend the World, Not Trash It
Beginning Mending- Tools to Get Started
Let's Get Mending- Running Stitch Basics
Sweater Mends- Learn the Buttonhole Stitch
Mending Basics- Dealing With Stains
The kitchen is another area where simple changes can have a lasting impact. For inspiration, practical tips and recipe ideas I follow The Zero Waste Chef. She has a detailed recipe index and spring 2021 published a cookbook, The Zero Waste Chef. We also have written quite a few blogs featuring ideas for reducing your waste in the kitchen while enjoying tasty food.
Seaweed and Kitchen Scrape Stock- Tasty and Nutritious
We also have stocked our shop with plastic free kitchen options that work including a solid dish soap, a dishwashing bundle, luffa dish sponges and compostable Swedish dish sponges. All these items we use regularly in our kitchen and over the course of a year, you will reduce the amount of plastic packaging in your home.
Finally, the bathroom. This is where it all started for Dulse and Rugosa. While our seaweed rich shampoo bar was developed to help me deal with my chronically itchy scalp it wasn't long before I recognized how great shampoo bars are for reducing plastic waste. I went from being a hair product junkie with a shower filled with plastic bottles to a bathroom minimalist. There can be a transition period when you make the switch, Shampoo Bars for Beginners answers many questions.
Another great swap is solid deodorant. We tried quite a few and this is the one we love. Basically it's the natural deodorant that comes in a plastic tube without the tube. Your hands need a quick rinse not a scrub and it quite effective. Pairing the deodorant with an underarm detox bar is a great way to transition away from conventional chemical forward deodorant and to help with stinky underarm odor.
I hope this blog gave you inspiration, motivation and practical steps to begin or refine your zero waste/ plastic free journey. The last piece of advice- pick up trash while enjoying nature. Seeing how much trash and litter pollutes our world will motivate you to make changes.
Happy Trash Free New Year!
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For weeks Claire has been talking about making chicken wreaths. We love our chickens and of course wanted to spread the holiday cheer...chicken style. So I got out the sketch book and got drawing some chicken stencils. Once we had one that worked for both standing and broody (nesting) chickens Carter started cutting out the chicken wire using my stencil. The day before Carter had wander our back woods picking bags of different types of evergreen tips. Around here in Downeast Maine "tipping" for wreaths is big business this time of year. We see trucks full of tips driving to the wreath makers.
We used the different types of needles to create our feather patterns and differentiate between body, wing, and tail. After we wove in all our greenery came the fun part. Using our sewing stash of ribbons and buttons we decorated our happy chickens. Last we found little forked sticks to use for feet or created nests for the broody mamas using lichens and moss. Making chickens was way more fun then normal round wreaths, you get to give them personality and humor.
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We were disappointed (to put it mildly) about the cancellation of the Common Ground Fair. Mid summer we sat down to make a “plan” for the coming months. We’ve all noticed the weird shortages of seemly random goods including packaging materials like boxes, glass bottles and certain ingredients. We wanted to purchase ahead of time so we wouldn’t get caught with a lot of out of stock products.
As we planned we factored in fairs. We thought about attendance, weather- the rain has been crazy here in Maine, what folks might be wanting, etc. We did a low, medium and high projection to help us decide what to order and to put a schedule together for production. In all our planning we forgot to add catastrophe.
That’s why this blog is all about ways you can help support small businesses and non profits during this time of upheaval. It’s time to actively “dollar vote”. Where you spend your money is a way to support local communities, encourage innovation, support living wages and help heal the planet. Where you shop and what you buy sends a direct message to business owners. Check out Green America for more info and a toolkit.
If you’re not a member of MOFGA now is a great time to join. Many non-profits depend on events to finance their work. This is the second year with no fair and that is a huge loss of revenue for MOFGA. MOFGA is all about helping farmers thrive, making more local, organic food available and building sustainable communities. Your membership supports all this work!
There are also ways to support small businesses without spending money. Joining mailing lists is a direct way you can help a business thrive especially as we head into the winter months. Follow your favorite businesses on social media and like, comment and share. While social media appears to be free there are many hidden costs and how posts get shown. It’s a bit like high school. Get in the habit of quickly “liking” a post or leave a comment or emoji to tell the algorithm this post is trendy. Then more people get to see it. I often think of social media as a black hole and love to meet someone who says they follow us and enjoy our posts. This gives me hope.
Leaving positive reviews really makes a difference. If you love certain products take the time to let others know by leaving a website review. Reviews on google and yelp can help new customers discover a business. Sharing products on social media is another easy way to spread some small business love. Simple acts of kindness to support small and indie businesses.
Anna Lappe wrote, “Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” At Dulse & Rugosa we want a world that is kind and focused on community and planet health. We all need to vote with our dollars whenever possible.
https://annalappe.com/about/
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After a lot of research we found an amazing farm that had u-pick hours that were on a weekday, perfect!! At 7 in the morning the Dulse & Rugosa team (minus the dogs) piled into the car and headed off to Full Fork Farm in China, Maine. We drove the scenic (long) route and ogled gardens, rock walls, and the extent of the brown tail moth invasion.
Full Fork Farm was amazing!!!! Even on a Tuesday morning people were out picking and enjoying the bounty of spring. Most of the people picking were families, it kinda felt like the spring version of the obligatory child in the pumpkin patch instagram photo we all see popping up every fall. We were the only group that was there to seriously pick. And I do mean pick!!! We walked away with 6 flats of berries or 48 quarts. We were not joking around. Claire and Carter are great berry pickers only picking the finest ripest berries but my berry induced OCD kicked in and I had to work really hard to not pick EVERYTHING that was red. It was hard to leave those berries behind.
Each row at Full Fork Farm was a different type of strawberry. What was so amazing was the range of tastes, sizes, and shapes. We were all soo amazed at the range of taste. Each row really did taste like a totally different strawberry. Some were tart (my favorite), others were smaller with more concentrated flavor, and one type was pure strawberry sugar, most of the children were picking in that row.
It was a 90 minute drive to Full Fork Farm and of course we stopped at Cate's Family Farm for more gladiolus corms and meandered down country lanes, so it was late afternoon when we got home and the processing began. That afternoon we set up multiple work stations to prep the berries for freezer camp, so so so many berries. Once the majority of the berries were in the freezer and not covering every flat surface in the house I got to work on making a simple syrup for our herbal sodas at our coffee shop, then strawberry jam, a strawberry rhubarb crisp, and finally some roasted strawberry cheese danish. By the end of the day you would think we would be sick of strawberries but what did we have for dinner??? You guessed it......strawberries.
Strawberry Thyme Simple Syrup for Herbal Sodas
In a pot combine 1 quart of sliced strawberries with 2 cups of water, 1.5-2 cups of sugar, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. I like it on the tarter side with less sugar. Heat this on medium until the sugar melts then let it simmer stirring occasionally for 20ish minutes. Pull the syrup from the heat and allow it to cool. Using either a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth strain the pulp. I freeze the pulp (just remove the thyme) since you can use it for a delicious cake filling. Bottle your simple syrup (a mason jar works great) and put it in the fridge. To make a herbal syrup, pour roughly 1/4 cup of syrup (adjust to taste) over ice and top with sparkling water and maybe a slice of lemon. Delicious!!!
]]>First up is my new favorite savory rhubarb dish. This is based off of a Martha Stewart recipe I found which I changed up and adapted to what was in my fridge. I tuned her Pan Roasted Chicken and Rhubarb into Turkey Meatballs with Rhubarb and Leftover Fridge Vegetable Curry. As with all my recipes I just eyeball everything and change according to what I have (the grocery store is a long drive away.) Bonus: the meatballs use an egg and when you've got chickens springtime means everything you cook has to have eggs in it!!
Turkey Meatballs with Rhubarb and Leftover Fridge Veg Curry
I don't have any pictures cause every time I made it we were too excited to start eating to snap a photo. Trust me it is delicious and beautiful.
Makes dinner and lunch leftovers for 2-3
Meatballs (make these to taste and adjust the spices accordingly
Mix everything but the panko together. Add in enough panko so that the mixture sticks together to form 2 inch balls. Pan sear the meatballs on all sides. Put the meatballs to the side and use the same pan to start your curry. One pan all the way!!!
Rhubarb and Fridge Curry
Use the grease in the pan from the meatballs and lightly toast your spices, add in your onions and garlic. Cook til translucent and add in your rhubarb and some liquid. Cook the rhubarb until it starts to get tender and then add in your other veggies, fresh ginger, and the meatballs. Serve when the rhubarb is fork tender. The first time I made this I cooked it too long and the rhubarb melded into the sauce it was totally delicious but I like it better when the rhubarb stays together or even has a little bit of texture.
Accoutrements to make it extra YUMMY and stretch it even more for lunch
Next up on the rhubarb train is Rhubarb Sorbet and Rhubarb Popsicles. These are crazy easy. Take some rhubarb add sugar and a little water and whatever spices or herbs you want and cook until the rhubarb is tender and falls apart. I used fresh ginger and mint. For the sorbet let that cool and then pour into an ice cream maker and follow the directions, remove the spices or herbs if you used them. For popsciles pour your mixture through cheescloth or a fine mesh strainer, to strain out the rhubarb pulp and any herbs or spices, and then freeze in your popscile molds. These have been especially nice right now as we are in a very unseasonal heat wave. 90 in June!!!! It's Crazy. These were the perfect treat after a day spent digging in the garden.
Finally it's not rhubarb without a pie so here is a slightly different and totally delicious one: Rhubarb Custard Pie. Super, super easy and wicked tasty.
First off make your favorite pie crust. I love King Arthur's All Butter Pie Crust. I found that keeping a stick or two of butter in the freezer worked great for making pie crusts.
Ingredients:
3 cups rhubarb (I usually use more than that)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
large pinch of cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions: Press your pie crust into your pie plate and then dump in your chopped rhubarb. Mix everything else together and then pour the custard over the rhubarb. Put into a preheated 375 oven for 40-50 minutes or sometimes an hour. Cool the pie completely and then dig in. It is soooo good!!
If you have any other great rhubarb recipes let us know. I am always searching for more.
]]>It’s a day to reflect on our personal practices, find ways to do better and to get outside, enjoy nature. It’s also the perfect time to pick up some trash hidden by winter’s ice and snow.
We’ve put together a bit of Earth Day inspiration for you. We hope our list helps you feel connected and inspired by the work of others.
Insta Influencers
@randomactsofgreen, their mission is building a global climate action community to help folks feel empowered to take action.
@kittiekipper, I believe Kittie (don't actually know if that's her name) lives in (I think) Cornwall . I might be short on life details but she collects crap from the beaches, mostly fishing line and ghost nets and turns them into incredible art. She is inspiring and talented.
Facebook Influencer
"Ethically Kate" is a New Zealand influencer that shares her personal eco-journey. She writes in a positive way about sustainable living and finding joy in our every day life. It’s also fun to read about everyday life in new Zealand- imagine going to the beach and swimming most days!
Podcast
I love "Pre-loved Podcast" because I still have the day dream of being a fashion designer or at least a contestant on Project Runway. I enjoy Emily’s weekly interviews with a global twist. The personal stories from England to Peru are a bit of travel and escape during these weird times and the focus of every podcast is getting away from fast fashion and embracing preloved clothing.
A Few of our Favorite Products
Vegan Dish Soap- bubbles and cleans without any plastic. Very long lasting.
Shampoo bars- as a former hair product junkie my switch to shampoo bars has eliminated not just plastic bottle clutter in my shower but plastic bottles in landfills. It can take awhile to find the perfect bar for your hair but the search is worth it.
Luffa sponges- made from the luffa plant these sponges are quite scrubby and when they get worn put 'em in your compost pile. So much better than plastic based ones.
Straw and Tin- I love to sip an iced coffee drink on a hot summer day and this straw is perfect. It's wide so very easy to clean without any special tools.
]]>We've put together a curated list of unique gifts for Mother’s Day. The products are made by independent artist and makers and we’ve made some great bundles that fit personalities and interests as well as being affordable.
Looking to send mom a gift that’s not flowers?
Our Better Than A Bouquet Bundle is an affordable Mother’s Day Gift.
The bundle includes a bar of our nourishing Rose Petal Soap, an Ayurveda Inspired Rose and Cardamom Chocolate bar, a Champagne & Roses seed-bearing lollipop and a sweet Mason Jar Flower Sticker. $20
Do you have an ocean lover, beach lover, or mermaid on your Mother’s Day gift list? Our Mermaid Mama Bundle is the perfect gift.
Included in our bundle is a nourishing bar of Slightly "Seaweedy" soap, an ocean inspired sticker, an Ocean Shower Shot and an ocean themed tea towel. $25
Looking for unique gifts for a chicken lover? Our chicken themed bundle is the perfect gift for anyone who has backyard birds or simply loves chickens.
The bundle includes our exfoliating Chicken Scratch soap, a red rooster sticker, a chicken theme tea towel and a compost chicken dish cloth. $30
Wondering what to give someone who loves to garden? The perfect gift bundle for anyone who loves plants, digging in the dirt and sunshine.
Our Plant Mama Bundle includes our Garden Thyme soap that is sprinkled with petals and leaves from our tiny flower farm, an Ayurveda Inspired chocolates bar (either Raspberry with Beetroot or Peppermint infused with Lavender) a garden themed sticker, a Lavender and a Peppermint Shower Shot and a seed-bearing lollipop (our choice of flavors- they are all delicious). $25
Looking for gifts to give your favorite foodie? Our Cooking Mama bundle is filled with unique cooking gifts.
Our bundle contains a set of handcrafted wooden measuring spoons that will compliment any kitchen, two Swedish-style compostables dish cloths, three natural and compostable luffa kitchen scrubby sponges, a Curio Spice blend, an Ayurveda inspired chocolate bar and a seed-bearing lollipop. In order to keep this bundle affordable it’s our choice of designs and flavors but they are all unique and delicious. $60
Therapeutic and beautiful our Essential Oil Roll are designed to lift your spirits gently and naturally. If you are looking for a natural way to help maintain a healthy mind and body discover our Essential Oil Roll Ons. Our trio has all three soothing and uplifting blends. $35
"A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world."
"From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge." The IWD website invites everyone to share a photo with your hand up high to show you are in. More details on their website.
It's a bit unclear about how IWD began but it's rooted in fighting oppression and inequality and possibly the garment industry. One of my favorite quotes is from history.com-
"Brooklyn, writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman (of “The Yellow Wall-paper” fame) told the congregation of the Parkside Church: “It is true that a woman’s duty is centered in her home and motherhood…[but] home should mean the whole country, and not be confined to three or four rooms or a city or a state.” This rings so true this year with the inauguration Of VP Kamala Harris.
I loved Emily Stochl's Pre-Loved Podcast: International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. It's such an interesting slice of history and the campaign to get consumers to "look for the union label" needs to be reinvented into "shop small and indie".
We're celebrating IWD by the makeover of one of our favorite and nourishing cremes. Meet "Everyone creme"- made for everyone and designed to be used everywhere. Formerly our #resist creme the new label celebrates moving forward, taking care of ourselves so we can take care of others and our planet.
We hope you take some time to celebrate all the accomplishments from the past, look towards the future ready to face challenges and of course taking care of yourself.
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Materials needed-
Fabric with bold shapes to cut out (flowers, whales, rainbows, etc)
Good sharp scissors for “fussy” cutting
Double sided interfacing
Embroidery thread
Needle
Beads
Our first video is inspiration- lots and lots of ideas and examples of adding applique or fancy patches to your loved garments.
This video is step by step instructions for making a patch or applique for a garment.
Happy mending!
]]>Follow along with the video below to get a grasp on the buttonhole stitch. It might be easiest to practice the stitch a few times along a straight edge (just like we demonstrate).
Once you've got a hang of the buttonhole stitch move on to using it to mend your sweater. As always start with a sharp needle and your choice of yarn color. Use the running stitch to outline the hole. This helps to strengthen the fabric around the hole as well as give you some definition and guidance for the mend. Start the buttonhole stitch by drawing your needle up near where the running stitch outline is. Treat the hole as the straight edge that you practiced on. Follow along the outline of the hole so that the looped yarn forms an edge along the inside of the hole. You can mend the hole just like that or you can go further and fill the hole in or you can turn your mended hole into a flower or firework using either the running or a daisy chain stitch. Get creative and most importantly have fun!!!
Next let's deal with stains.
]]>The first and most important thing to remember is to be inspired by other people's skills and mends but don't be intimidated. Just start stitching! It may not be perfect (mine never are) but they are going to be beautiful and most importantly you will have kept clothes out of the trash!!!
Let's start with figuring out what you are going to patch. For your first mend start with denim that is worn (and needs strengthening) but doesn't have a hole. It is just a whole lot easier for your first try. Your patch needs to be at least an inch bigger (all over) then the area you are patching. This is to insure you are stitching on strong fabric so your patch stays put and strengthens your garment.
Choose a pair of jeans to become your patching jeans. Claire chooses jeans that will become her cut off shorts for the coming summer. I choose jeans that either don't fit or I just never wore. However you choose, your patching jeans will create lots of patches (and save many jeans) so don't feel bad about "wasting" that pair of jeans.
Now you've got your patch cut out and are ready to decorate. For your first patch we are going to do a patch on top. This means that you can decorate the patch before it gets put on, it is a lot easier this way. The running stitch is a simple stitch but that doesn't mean it's basic. With just the running stitch you can do soo many creative and amazing mends. The video below goes in to the basics of the running stitch and also a few tips and tricks that we have learned along the way. Claire even learned something new!!!
With the running stitch under your belt take it a bit further. Change the colors of your thread to make strips, rainbows, or even a plaid pattern. Vary the size of your stitches to create interest and texture within your patch. Use stencils (cookie cutters, bottle caps, jar lids, whatever you find around the house) to create outlines inside or around the stencil to make patterns or a scene. Go wild and have fun!!!
Check back next week for more tips, tricks and ideas. We will also post updates on the whale patch Claire is working on (the one she began in the above video) and the details for our mending giveaway.
Happy mending!!! We would love to see your mends and what you are stitching.
Next up is the buttonhole stitch which is perfect for sweater mends.
]]>Let's get started with tools.
I often put off a project or activity I know I’d enjoy because I lack the tools. We've put together a list of tools for beginning menders that's designed to help you over this hurdle.
The first and most important tool you need is a positive can-do attitude. When you are a beginner in anything it can be very intimating to see examples of projects completed by experts. Social media has amplified this. You are mending clothes that you love and clothes that fit and flatter. You are adding a bit of your personality to a garment. You are adding a layer of story and memory. Embrace any imperfections. Don't worry about crooked cutting or uneven stitches- it's all part of the beauty.
Our first mends are going to be denim. We all have a pair of jeans that could use a patch and hopefully a pair of jeans that can be turned into patches. If you don’t have jeans for patch making- look around for a piece of sturdy cotton. Gather the jeans together along with a sharp hand sewing needle, some embroidery thread, scissors, a ruler or tape measure. Another tool I would add to the beginning mending kit is a sweater comb. This is such an easy and fun way to refresh sweaters. I keep my tools in a sweet bag so whenever I want to mend I only have to find the bag not all the tools.
Of course, once you get started with mending you’re going to love it and there are tools for every job. But- you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started, in face, one principal behind mending is to make do and be creative.
Beginning to Mend Tool List-
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Here's the schedule for the month-
Week 1
Patches- we'll explore fixing knees and elbows, crotches and reclaiming ugly jeans
Week 2
Sweater Mends- dealing with moth holes, rips and tears and fuzz balls
Week 3
Stains- decorative patches, embellishment and dying to add new life to worn clothes
Week 4
Socks, Gloves and Mittens- toe and heel holes and repurposing items that are too far gone
We hope you'll join us. "Clothes worth wearing are worth repairing."
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However, life and the zero waste journey are more complicated this year. Actions that became habits disappeared with the realities of the pandemic. Plastic grocery bags, reusable coffee cups, grocery shopping all shifted. The list of tips have been replaced with general, global ideas that begin with simply shifting our perspective and finding an equilibrium that works for our day to day reality.
Strike a balance- You need to find the balance between the realities of current life with the desire to actually make an impact. A perfect example is food, it is just so much more complicated to shop for groceries. Bulk bins are closed or regulated. In Maine, the plastic bag ban was set aside and for quite awhile reused bags were not allowed in stores. Local restaurants need our support but take away while delicious tends to be trashy. So what to do? There is no simple answer except to try and strike a balance and challenge yourself to make the changes that you can.
Make easy swaps- Easy swaps in your household can help reduce the amount of plastic you use. Easy swaps include shampoo bars for bottles of shampoo, dish soap blocks instead of bottles, compostable sponges and scrubbies instead of plastic based ones. Simple swaps that make a big difference and help reduce the amount of trash we produce.
Shop local and small- As you work on balancing reality and reduction goals one step is to shop local and small. One of my biggest sources of trash was milk. I love to start my day with milky coffee and grocery store milk usually comes in plastic bottles. I’m so lucky to have a local farm supply me with fresh milk and yogurt. I pick it up every week and return bottles for refilling. Supporting businesses that are small or local helps keep our economy diverse. We can’t buy every item from a small business but we can make a commitment to buy what we can from indie businesses.
Wear reusable face masks- the amount of new trash generated by the pandemic is massive. We all need to be wearing face masks when in public, for our and others safety. Reusable, wash able face masks are the ecological solution to this problem. The regular use of face masks is a bit like getting use to reusable bags, you need a few, you need to keep them clean and you need to remember to use them.
Repurpose and reuse as much as possible- if you can figure out a way to use a product more than once and for a different purpose you are producing less trash. I joined Misfits Markets. It was one of those balancing decisions. Fresh produce in rural Maine is hard to come by. Also, I stay out of stores as much as possible right now. I’ve been satisfied with Misfits. I’m eating and planning meals around what’s in my box. I’ve been OK with how they packaged. Most produce is loose and unwrapped. Occasionally something is packaged in a container but the boxes are not filled with plastic. What I do get a lot of is packaging to keep the produce from bruising, occasionally plastic based. I’ve used the packaging for insulation on my chicken coop. When it’s paper based I use it on the floor and put sawdust over it and I’ve tacked it over windows and cracks to keep the coop cozy during these chilly days.
I’m so glad 2020 is finally over and all of us are looking forward to a better year. 2021 will still be full of challenges. Be kind to yourself and others and to our planet.
]]>This year because of everyone staying home I didn't even feel the need to get them out to people before Christmas day. My family and friends are home and having smaller holidays and I thought getting cookies in the mail later on would actually be a wonderful surprise!
I don't have any recipes that are handed down but I have a few trusted sources for all my baking fundamentals: namely King Arthur Flour, those guys know their stuff. My favorite cookbook and the one I reach for the most is theirs, also check out their whole wheat flour cookbook, equally amazing!!!! Martha Stewart is another tried and true source of inspiration. I sometimes find her cookies on the blander side so I usually bump up the seasonings with her recipes. Check out her cookbook of just cookies recipes, you will definitely be inspired to bake. Two years ago my mother gave me an amazing cookbook: The Great Minnesota Cookie Book. This is a collection of winning cookies from the Star Tribune's Holiday Cookie Contest and all of them are winners in my book!!! Three of my cookies this year came from this cookbook.
This years cookies were: Iced Gingerbread, Linzer, Alfajores, Chocolate and Vanilla Logs, Viennese Wafers, Cardamom Crescents ,and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip. Here is my criteria for my cookie selection: obviously gingerbread. One cookie that is slightly savory. This year it was the Viennese Wafers that are flavored with lemon zest and thyme from my garden.
At least one sandwich cookie. I love Linzer's with tart current jam (couldn't find any this year so it was four fruits instead).
Last year I made maple sandwich cookies (sooo good) but I ran out of maple syrup so I turned to Alfejores. I lived in Uruguay for a year, my first job out of college, and this is their quintessential cookie. Also, it was pretty fun to make my own dulce de leche.
Of course you need a beautiful cookie. This year's contender was the stunning shortbread log cookies. And of course one nostalgia cookie. For me it was the pumpkin chocolate chip. My mother used to make these as fall treats and I have a vivid memory of eating them in 1st grade and falling in love with this cookie. Even though I love these cookies I have never made them but I happened to have a can of pumpkin hiding in the cupboard so this was a perfect excuse to bake a childhood memory.
I also like to make at least one cookie featuring a different spice blend. Cardamon crescent cookies fit the bill. They are heart warming and crumbly full of almonds and deep cardamon flavor.
I am no where near an expert baker but this is the internet so I feel totally justified in giving tips and advice regardless. Even though the recipe always says softened butter this was the first year that I actually pulled the butter out of the fridge hours before I made the cookies and it was well and truly softened. WOW, what a difference. It took no time at all to whip up the batter. Second tip, making your cookies when it is cold out is a perfect excuse to not clean the fridge. You can chill the dough, and freeze the finished cookies (it was 9 degrees for quite a few days) until you are ready to send them off. Third, baking with duck eggs make things a little trickier though super tasty. Our neighbor gifted me a dozen duck eggs for returning her roaming rooster and I was pumped since I didn't have to go to a grocery store for eggs!!! Down side was that my doughs were pretty sticky (thankful for that super cold outside "fridge") but the tasty richness was worth it. Fourth and final tip is pure baking sacrilege but I hate dishes so... pfft. The first step in all recipes is combing the dry ingredients in a bowl. I get why this is a step but it means that cookies use two bowls instead of one. And besides having an extra dish to clean I don't have the counter space to put a second bowl, almost tiny house and all. Here is my tip: skip this step. Cream the butter, add the eggs, then with a sieve add in your raising agents (baking powder and/or soda) give that a very quick stir and then sift in your flour. Viola!!! Saved you a dish. I used to not bother using a sieve, just dumped it in, but I now buy my flour in bulk and it can get lumpy and compacted. Sieving helps keep things light.
The festive season is all about sharing and what greater way then to share with cookies. Not only are you sending your loved ones home baked goodness but you are gifting your time and creativity to another. Showing you think of them and love them in a more heartfelt way then ordering something off of Amazon. Another great way is gifting them something from a small business but I digress, this is about cookies. I would love to know what your cookie traditions are or even better your recipes. You can never have enough cookie recipes.
]]>We've put together some tips to help make this transition as easy as possible with the reminder that we are all unique. If you feel pressured to be productive and busy maybe give yourself permission to get cozy with a book or go to bed early. Self care is recognizing what works for us and it changes from person to person and over time. If we take care of ourselves we'll have the energy to take care of others and our planet.
We are super excited about our Fall Back Care Pack. I love bulbs and always spend autumn days planting for spring beauty. I also force bulbs indoors but typically wait until the holiday season. Not this year, I've started a bowl of paper whites to hopefully be ready to bloom and spread cheer when we turn back the clock. Our care pack has 4 paper white bulb with easy growing directions and a seasonal Botanical Oil blend called appropriately enough Shine On. A cheerful and uplifting blend of essential oils to take you back to a sunny summer day. This is the perfect gift for anyone you love and cherish-yes- including yourself.
If you are having trouble sleeping as you adjust to the time change try making Insomniac Granola. Maggie Hennessy blogs about her struggle with sleep since the pandemic. Between 2:30 and 4:45 she lulls herself by watching Pride and Prejudice. But after 4:30 if she falls back asleep she has a groggy difficult day ahead of her so she gets up and heads into the kitchen to make granola. Her blog has a great recipe and a few useful tips. My next batch will be baked on parchment paper to help it not turn into caramel. Another tip is don't bake the fruit including raisins, cranberries, etc. Right now I'm eating a high end lovely granola except for the tooth cracking fruit that I pick out and feed to my chickens. Spending time in the kitchen making nourishing food is a great way to beat the fall back blues.
A blog I follow regularly is Modern Mrs Darcy. Often on FaceBook she will post well researched reading list. Books are a great way to transport yourself, its a way to travel, escape and channel emotions- become that bad ass warrior if only for a few hours. What I especially enjoy about her book list is she uses themes and introduces me to authors I would never know about unless I spent the time she does researching. Indie book shop and libraries are also great places to find new books.
Go back to a happy time with music. The other day, Carly was having a great day but it all went down hill because she listened to the wrong music. That got me thinking and I went back in time to high school. Every song that was on the playlist made me feel energized and positive. High school was so long ago, even the bad memories didn't seem that bad. Don't listen to music that makes you sad- your divorce /break up songs should be avoided at all costs. Stay away from any decade that was a struggle unless you really want to cry.
Indulge in a detox cry, for us brought on by a super sad movie. Drink some wine, eat some chocolate and weep. It helps. We usually go for P.S. I Love You but welcome suggestions.
We'd love your suggestions, tips, ideas and recipes to power through the changing seasons and shorter days.
SHINE ON
]]>October is a world wide focus on not wasting so much food and we have some easy tips for you.
First steps are always the hardest but trust us it gets easier. We’ve included a few of our favorite tips and tricks for reducing your personal food waste. At the bottom of the blog you can find links to learn more about food waste, the consequences of not changing our habits, and other people and organizations working on this problem.
Let's start with garden guilt. When our garden dreams in the spring are bigger than our stomachs and when fall rolls around and food rots on the vine or languishes in the back of the fridge. Our gardens were just too big. But the problem is even bigger than that. Beyond our kitchen garden waste 1 in 5 grocery bags of food is wasted; thrown into a landfill. It’s a massive problem both in terms of economics but also for the health of our planet. If food waste were a country it would be ranked third in terms of CO2 emissions. This is such a huge and pervasive problem that it's hard to even wrap your head around the numbers, the sheer quantities, the mountains of wasted food. But as with all problems, little first steps add up to huge change when we all work together.
Food Scrap Stock: this is a simple and tasty trick to make great homemade soups, stews, and risottos. Keep a mason jar or bag in the freezer. Every time you have scraps from cooking: carrot ends, squash tops, onion bits, tomato ends etc.. add it to the freezer bag. When the bag is full it's time to make stock. Get out the slower cooker and add your scrap bag, a hunk of seaweed (we recommend sugar kelp or oarweed), and your favorite blend of spices and some water. Let it simmer for at least a few hours but the longer the better. If you want a meat stock then save your chicken, ham, or beef bones or lobster shells and add them in as well. When the stock looks and tastes good, chill it, strain it and turn it into your favorite comforting soup or stew. If you're not feeling like soup then freeze the stock. A friend of mine just gave me an awesome tip for this. Pour your stock into a freezer or silicone freezer bag. Close it tightly and freeze it flat on a baking tray. When it is frozen solid you end up with a little sliver of stock that takes up hardly any room in your freezer!!!! For more details check out our blog Easy Peasy Soup Stock.
Too Much Garden Produce Freezer Meals: Ready to go homemade freezer meals are a mainstay in our house in the winter. They are the perfect way to make sure that we use everything in the garden and are eating lots of vegetables all year long. The three I make every year are vegetable lasagna (which is awesome cause you can use extra tomatoes by making the sauce yourself and an overabundance of eggs by making homemade noodles), chicken pot pie, and shepherds pie. The key to all of these meals is they start with roasted vegetables. I throw everything that is ready to be picked onto baking trays and roast away. You can add in summer squash, carrots, beets, potatoes, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, winter squash, eggplant, and tomatoes or whatever combination is ripe. Even if you don’t have a garden but bought too much at the farmers market or have a CSA box that you can’t finish, this is the perfect way to make sure that nothing goes to waste and you're eating well in the winter. My pro tip is freeze everything!!! Do you have too many peas, beans, carrots, kale...you name it. Blanch it, spread it on a baking tray and freeze it. When it's solid, scoop it up and put it in a freezer bag then any time you need some veggies you just have to reach in and grab the perfect amount for any meal. Spice up eggs with some frozen kale and corn, make your soups swoon worthy by adding in all your summer veggie favorites. Veggies are expensive in the winter here in Maine and come from far away. By freezing my garden I am able to eat well and eat locally all year long. We have LOTS of recipes on our blogs including Zucchini Tots.
Cheese Bin: This is a trick that Claire learned from watching a Jamie Oliver program. Keep a bag or jar in the freezer where you can stash ends of cheese. Many households end up buying too much cheese and it molds. Especially if you are single, buying the right quantity of food is super hard and lots goes to waste. The cheese bin means that all your cheese gets used. Use the harder cheeses for soup stocks or save up until you have enough to make a bomber mac and cheese. Freezing cheeses can affect the texture of some types of cheese so it is best to make something where the texture doesn’t matter.
Cupboard Crisp/Veggie Baking: Yesterday both Claire and I ended up making an apple dessert. The really good farm stand apples we had bought a week ago weren’t so crisp anymore and we only had a few left. Instead of chucking them in the bin Claire made a small apple crisp and I made an apple cake. Everything got used, nothing was wasted, and we got a tasty dessert. Another great way to use up extra fruit that is a little past its prime to is make and then freeze fruit desserts. That way you don't feel like you have to eat a whole pie, crisp or cake. Freeze individual desserts like hand pies, slices of cake, or turnovers, which means you can always have the perfect portion of dessert. Another great dessert trick is to make desserts using vegetables. In Maine, it's much much easier to grow vegetables than fruit. We always have too much summer squash, carrots and beets. All of these make fabulous desserts, cakes, cupcakes, even frosting. The best part is that all these desserts freeze great too!!! Here's the link for our beet and seaweed cupcake recipe.
Don’t Follow the Recipe: The last tip is that recipes should just be a guideline. Sure for baking you should take less liberties since it is a science but everything else; change it up. If you have more veggies then add more veggies. If you have one ingredient but not the other substitute instead of a shopping trip. Get creative and use what you have. Especially these days when going to the grocery store is a scary ordeal you really don’t need that special ingredient.
To learn more check out the following:
]]>Zucchini tots are super easy to make and such a great way to use up not only zucchini but also whatever else you have in the garden. This is not a traditional recipe with amounts and measurements; just use what you have and adjust accordingly. The super important part about making these tots is that you really need to spice and season these bad boys up. Whatever amount of seasoning you think is enough add some more. Zucchinis are like beans: the more seasoning you add the better. These tots are even better frozen and then re-baked. Seriously, make a ton of these and freeze bags and bags of them. Then in the winter you can make an easy and delicious dinner with just an omelet and these tots and the best part is how many veggies you eat!!
Ingredients:
Some amount of zucchini grated. I use all the big ones. It the center of them is really blown out and seeded then just cut that part out and grate the outsides
Onion and garlic to taste/what you have on hand
Any other additional garden treats (finely chopped kale or chard, hot or sweet peppers, grated carrots, chopped celery)
Finely Chopped Herbs (parsley, basil, cutting celery, thyme, whatever you got growing, or in your spice cupboard)
Beaten Eggs-enough to bind everything together. I usually do 2-3 for a couple large but not toddler sized zucchinis
Bread Crumbs/Panko/Cornmeal- some mixture of all or some of these, enough to hold everything together. The mixture should feel kinda wet but not sopping. You might need to add more as you go since the zuchinni will leak some liquid.
Seasonings to taste and them some- Pepper, dulse, table kelp, Italian Seasonings, fennel or take it a different route and add in curry powder, 5 Spice do what you want and have fun but add in a LOT!!!
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F and really oil a baking pan or line with foil or parchment paper.
Mix everything together and add more eggs, bread crumbs or seasonings as needed.
Scoop 1/2 -1 T of the mixture and form it into a tot like shape.
Bake your tots for roughly 20ish minutes making sure that you flip the tots halfway through. You are looking for a very dark golden brown color on both side and they shouldn't feel spongy or wet. If you are going to eat them right away you might want to bake them even longer.
To Freeze: Allow the tots to cool completely and then freeze them on a baking tray. When they are frozen solid scoop them into a freezer bag and stash for later. When you are ready to eat place them frozen onto a baking tray and bake at 375-400 for 10-15 minutes, or the time it takes to make the rest of your dinner. There is so much moisture in zuchinni that you really can over bake (burn) them and they still will taste amazing. I once really burnt a batch when I got super distracted and they were still great!
If you eating these and realize that there is not enough seasoning make an amazing dipping sauce. Try a curry ketchup, spicy mayo, or a vibrant tomato sauce, all work super well!!
I can't say this enough: make more then you think you will ever eat!!! You'll eat them all and be wishing for more and next year you will be planting extra zucchini plants just to make more tots!!
]]>This is adapted from Bon Appetit Scallion Pancake recipe. It is easily doubled or tripled depending on how many onion tops you have and if you want to freeze them.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups AP Flour
1 T Table Kelp
1 Cup Boiling Water
3-4 Cups Chopped Green Onion (I like a lot of onions in mine!!)
2-3 T Sesame Oil
2-3 T Olive Oil
Directions: In a bowl mix together the flour and the table kelp. Stir in the boiling water and mix until a rough dough forms. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or an overturned bowl so it doesn't dry out and allow it to rest on the counter for at least an hour. When the dough is rested divide it into 8 pieces. Work one piece at a time, keep the rest covered to prevent drying out. On a well floured surface roll a piece out till its as thin as you can stand making it. Spread a liberal 1/2 cup or more of the green onions on to the pancake, spreading them out evenly over the surface. Roll your pancake up from the long side, just like if you were making cinnamon roll, until you have made a long scallion pancake snake.
Then starting at one ends coil the pancake snake into a circle. With the heel of your hand press down and flatten the coil. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Always keeping each piece before and after adding the green onion under cover so they stay moist.
When all 8 pieces have been rolled and green onion-ed its time to start turning them into pancakes. Working one at a time on a well floured surface roll each disk out until its 5-6 inches in diameter. Brush sesame oil onto the top and cook over medium heat on a well oiled skillet (brush with either sesame or olive oil) for 4-5 minutes then flip for another 4-5 minutes. I don't time the cooking I basically use the time it takes to roll of the next coil as my guide. You want the pancakes to be cooked through have some browning and bubbles. If you want to freeze them, allow them to cool completely before putting them in a freezer bag. To reheat them, pull them out fully frozen and cook on a heated skillet until hot and crispy.
]]>One of the problems I've always had with freezer meals is how to package them. For a long time I used aluminum tins but they are flimsy, hard to clean, and really designed to be used only once. I tried to get multiple uses out of them but it was an up hill battle. The other option is to freeze the meals in your baking dishes but then your casserole dish sits in the freezer for months on end. Not really a solution. We came up with a third option. We lined our baking dishes with a few overhanging layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. This way we could freeze the lasagna in our baking tins, pop them out when they are frozen solid and put them back in the tin when it was time to defrost and bake in a few months. We will let you know how it works. Fingers crossed, we've hit on the right idea.
Maine Lobster and Garden Greens Freezer Lasagna
Makes a lot of lasagna (we made 3 plus dinner for 3 with the extra pasta)
Handmade Pasta (based off of King Arthur Flour's recipe)
4 1/2 -5 Cups Flour
7 Large farm fresh eggs
1 T Maine Cost Sea Vegtables (MCSV) Kelp Blend
A glug of olive oil
Ricotta and Garden Greens
5-6 Cups Ricotta
5-6 Cups chopped garden greens (we used kales and rainbow chard) just the leaves but save the stems for the sauce
Small bundle of green spring onions save the bulbs for the sauce
1 T Springtide Kelp Zesty Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Lobster Bechamel Sauce (kinda of)
6 Lobsters cooked and picked out but save 2 cups of the lobster "stock" (put your lobster shells in the freezer for making real stock later in the year
4 T Butter
1/2 T Crushed mustard seeds
1/2 T Celery seeds
Large handful of MCSV Applewood Smoked Dulse roughly chopped
1 T Springtide Seaweed Kelp Zesty Italian Seasoning
1 T Springtide Seaweed Table Kelp
1/2 T Springtide Seaweed Maine Red Bay Seasoning
2 Large Onions chopped
5-6 Cloves Garlic minced
1/2 C (ish) Flour
1 1/2- 2 C Milk
1 1/2-2 C lobster "stock"
1 1/2 C White Wine
Stems and bulbs of the spring onions and mixed greens from the ricotta mix
Salt and pepper to taste
As much Mozzarella and Parmigiana as you want. I like a super cheesy lasagna, Claire likes a less cheesy
Directions
Get the lobster water boiling and the lobster in and cooked. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking "stock". I know lobsters are done with the antennae pull away easily. Allow the lobsters to cool before you start picking out the meat.
Get the pasta going next. Mix the the flour and seaweed together on a clean table. Make a well in the flour and crack in the eggs and the olive oil. With a fork scramble the eggs and then begin to slowly mix in the flour. When the flour is totally incorporated knead the dough until it is smooth and silky. The dough needs to rest. Cover it with either a damp towel or an inverted bowl to keep the dough from drying out.
Next is the sauce. I use my largest pan (a wok actually) to make the sauce. Add the butter and all of your aromatics, spices and smoked seaweed. Allow the garlic and onion to saute a bit and soften then add in the flour to make a roux. I try to limit the dishes I use, mainly because I live in a tiny house and excess dishes can easily take over the kitchen. This is why I make the roux with the onions and all already in. I know this is basically sacrilege to some cooks but I hate excess dishes. Make your roux however you feel comfortable. When the roux looks good add in your milk. Again this is totally up to you. I like my white sauce to be less white and I usually use only a small amount of milk, the rest of the liquid I get from wine and the "stock". If you like a whiter sauce use more milk. If you like more lobster taste in the sauce add more "stock". If you like wine add more wine. Get the sauce to the consistency you like, just remember that this is the liquid that will cook your pasta so you want it a bit on the runny side. When your sauce looks good add in your stems, green onion bulbs, and the lobster. Allow this to simmer for a bit and then take it off the heat.
While the sauce is simmering add a tiny bit of oil into a large pot. Then add in the chopped greens. Allow these to cook until they are a bright green and stir in the green onions. Pull it from the heat and dump in the ricotta. Season this to taste.
Time to roll out the pasta!!!! I used to have a pasta machine but it was all metal except for one tiny plastic part which of course broke. So now I roll my pasta using my trusty unbreakable rolling pin. You can of course do this any way that works for you. Dust your rolling space with a little flour, divide you dough into half or quarter depending on your space and start rolling. I usually start rolling and go until I just don't want to anymore and call it good. Cut your noodles with a sharp knife a few inches wide.
Now it is time to start assembling!!!! In either baking dishes or your foil lined baking dishes spread out a bit of the lobster sauce. Then add in a layer of the noodles. Spread out some ricotta mixture, top with sauce and sprinkle with some mozzarella. Keep going like this until the dish can't hold any more. Allow the lasagna to cool, tightly cover it with foil and allow it to freeze solid. When it it totally frozen, pop it out of the baking dish and wrap it in heavy duty foil (totally reusable) and freezer paper. Clearly label your lasagna put it back in the freezer for a winter day when this is going to taste AMAZING!!!!
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