Urban Foraging: Dandelion Coffee

Start by foraging for dandelions. For best results search in fall or early spring. After the Dandelions have experienced a frost, their flavor will enhance. When you have found some, bring them into the kitchen and wash thoroughly. Cut off all the green: You only need the carrot like roots. 

Grind the roots in a food processor until they resemble orzo or bloated over-cooked rice. 

Spread the ground roots out on a cookie sheet that you don't mind staining.

Place grounds in a oven at 220 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to watch carefully so they don't burn. When they are done you will notice that the roots are the color of coffee grounds. You will also notice faint smoke tendrils coming from the roasted roots.

You can further grind the grounds or leave them chunky. To brew: In a pot bring 1 cup of water to 1 tablespoon of Dandelion Coffee to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and use a small strainer to sift out the grounds. 

Dandelion Coffee is a non-GMO, sustainable, environmentally sound product. It has no caffeine and is loaded with health benefits. And best of all you can gather these weeds for FREE.

Grocery Shopping By Bike

Front and rear racks

 Have you been considering using your car less and your bike more? Well, we have made that change in our life and we love it. Last year we decided to cut down how much we use our car. Every time we used our car we made poor choices (fast food, general waste). We were neglecting our health, our family time, and always seemed to be in a rush. So, we slowed down. We did not make the choice based on financial reasons; but have seen extra money in our bank accounts at the end of the month.  This post is for the beginner to help out and show what we have learned.

Wald 520 Amazon

GET THE RIGHT GEAR:
Wald makes a rear basket/rack {the 520} that will carry at least two large bags of groceries, and  you can strap a few more to the rack. We have this setup on my moms vintage 1968 Western Flyer bicycle. She likes the weight in the back, so it doesn't interfere with her steering.  This setup is ideal if you will heed our advice and shop frequently as apposed to loading up and forgetting you don't have a trunk.  This is not for the person who wants to take off the basket and only use it occasionally. (This basket is bolted to your bike in several locations to make it secure.)

Linus panniers

Rack and panniers:
Similar to the Wald 520, only not as permanent. There are several great racks on the market; but when shopping for groceries - you need one that can hold the weight; groceries are heavy.
Panniers come in different sizes and materials. We have two kinds, one made by Linus, and one set we purchased on eBay. The Linus set is great for light weight loads but I'm sure they could hold a lot more than we toss in them. Our eBay set is from a Chinese store and we paid around $20.00. Our Chinese panniers have zippers, pockets, reflective tape and hold the weight without flopping about. The Linus set however, can roll up into a neat little bundle.

TIPS:
DO NOT FORGET TO BRING A LOCK, AND USE IT
Shop more frequently. Think Daily or Weekly not Monthly
Plan your trips. If out at night bring lights and reflective gear.
Try to purchase whole foods and purchase less processed foods.
Buy a quality rack we like the Wald 215 they have two colors and a wood version.
Enjoy you new Slow Life and take the time to smell the roses.

Our Dutch Bicycles

Sew Your Own Pet Clothes Upcycle

I found a few patterns while I was shopping at my local fabric store. I inquired at a few big stores like Joann and Hancock to see if they were there too, and they are. The patterns run for about $17.00 US, which is pretty steep, but if you shop at a pattern sale you could score them for a dollar or two, so keep your peepers open. Patterns 2695 and 2755 are from Simplicity, and are for upcycled pet clothes you can search for them online by typing Go Green Simplicity. 

Save Money And Go Green

You might have been wondering "how can I save money and go green?" Here are my top ten tips to save money while enjoying a greener lifestyle. My motto has always been: don't spend money to save money.

MY TOP #3

1. Pack Waste Free School/Work Lunches: Waste free lunches are great for the environment and for your pocketbook. A typical lunch at a fast food restaurant can cost upwards of $5.00 each, and school lunches are not always the best choice for your children. In our school district they give children "gasp" greasy pizza, chips and soda! You will need a pvc free lunch bag or box, a cloth napkin, a BPA free water bottle, reusable containers, BPA free sandwich wraps, reusable utensils (fork spoon knife.*) *check with school district Don't blow your budget, just do your homework, all the above items can be found around your home or purchased inexpensively.


2. Change your lightbulbs: If you haven't changed to using Compact Fluorescent bulbs consider it. If every household replaced just three 60-watt incandescent bulbs with CF bulbs, the pollution savings would be like taking 3.5 million vehicles off the road. On average a home will save about $47.00. CONCERNS> CF bulbs do contain trace amounts of mercury. But don't worry — there is far less mercury in CFs than in thermometers or even old thermostats. Years from now when they burn out and you can recycle them. Visit Recycleabulb to find your closest recycling location.


3. Coupons: Yes couponing does take a little time but it can pay off! 

Print coupons at Organic Valley save on milk eggs cheese and more. 

Print coupons at Horizon Dairy . 

Print coupons at Brown Cow Farm . 

Mambo Sprouts , they are a great resource and you can print coupons from great natural and organic companies. 

Print coupons at Simply Organic great spices seasonings and baking needs.

 Print coupons at Ecover and save on cleaning products. 

Print coupons at Seventh Generation sign up for free. 

Print coupons at Santa Cruz Organics

Seven More Tips

1. Make your own laundry soap and cleaning supplies: find links on side bar


2. Don't buy bottled water, filter tap water and fill-up a reusable water bottle.


3. Use real dishes and avoid disposable products such as plates, cups, napkins and cutlery.


4. Defrost fridge and freezer: freezers work best when near capacity and fridge no more than 3/4 full also check seals and clean coils.


5. Fix leaks a leaky sink that drips 1 drop per second wastes 3,000 gallons of water a year.. so fix it! Toilets can leak up to 200 gallons a day check toilet by adding cranberry juice to toilet wait 15 minutes if you see pink you have a leak then flush the toilet to avoid stains. Replacement parts are cheap, it is a EASY FIX!
6. Use reusable towels and dishcloths in place of paper towels and disposable dish sponges.

Free Hip Reusable Bag Pattern

I came across this beautiful reusable bag idea. It was created by a super awesome lady Kendra Stanley of San Fransisco . She had a incredible idea not only to move from plastic and paper : she came up with a way to reuse old raincoats. Kendra has a fantastic and hip pattern at
city bag trade
Click on the link for the free down-loadable pattern and instructions. This would make a great handmade gift idea for the person that has everything !

Adirondack Pallet Chair

I had found a pallet down the street ,and I had been looking into recycling it into a planting table . I found a few plans to make several different benches and things > Then I came across this video and I knew this was the project( forget the table). I thought I would share the video so in case you came across a pallet you too would want to maybe recycle it in to a super cool Adirondack chair. I will share some pics in a few days .
If you want to buy plans check out studiomama.com

Handmade Newspaper Planters

I found this video at YouTube I think this is a fantastic recycling idea/project . I have made about twelve so far and they hold up well even when being watered . I know of several projects like paper mache to do with newspapers but this is a real helpful ,and useful project. I give this idea five stars*****. Most people use peat pots to plant in because they are biodegradable but most don't know that peat is considered a non- renewable resource and we can not continue to deplete this natural resource . However considering that most newspapers are printed on recycled paper and use soy based inks this project is win/ win .

Reducing Your Pets Carbon Footprint

Here are just a few ways to reduce your pets carbon pawprint. There are several reason why you should help, but I am not going to cover them in the intro.

Build a pet waste composter. Why ? Because everyday we throw are pets waste away in the trash spreading disease to wildlife and contaminating the water supply. Find out how to build a  waste composter at Suite 101 how_to_build_your_own_pet_waste_composter

When picking up your dogs feces "aka poop", use Bio Bags, they are made from GMO free corn and have no polyethylene, bonus they also meet California standards. P.S.  they are 100% biodegradable!

Buy Organic Pet Food to reduce the amount of chemicals in your pets diet as well as reduce environmental damage.
Newman's Own
Natural Planet's Organics
Natura
Raw Advantage

Switch your Dog to being Vegan, vegetarians and vegans have a lower carbon footprint, because their food needs less processing and is less cruel.
Try: V-Dog or make your own

Stop using chemical and clay filled cat litter; Clay is strip mined and does NOT reabsorb in the Earth. Silica dust can cause cancer, it is a very well known carcinogen. Most cat litters also have sodium bentonite,  that can be ingested by your cat it can cause gastrointestinal issues and immune problems.
Try:
Good Mews made from recycled paper safe and 100% biodegradable
Worlds Best made from corn > biodegradable and septic safe
Yesterdays News made from post consumer paper and over 99% dust free
SWheat made from secondary processed wheat 100% biodegradable and compostable

Pet Toys And Bedding; most of us buy pet beds, clothing and toys from big stores
and the stuff we purchase there is mass produced.

Buy bedding that is made from post consumer materials
Recycle used pet products
Reduce the amount of unnecessary products
Buy Eco conscious shampoos
Reduce the amount of mass produced products we buy
Buy sustainable or post consumer products
DIY safe fun toys and healthy food
Talk to manager s of stores and see if they will carry eco-conscious pet supplies

Reusable Grocery Bags

Using one reusable bag for one year can easily replace 270 to 700 disposable bags.
Families brings home around 1,000 bags every year. Most of these bags end up in landfills. That really adds up, around 100 billion plastic bags are sent to landfill in the US each year, and it can take up to 1,000 years for a bag to decompose. Plastic bags don't evaporate or biodegrade they photo-degrade  and break down into tiny toxic pieces that contaminate soil, water, and harm wildlife. I thought I would share some of my favorite bags that I have run across that do a great job !! Each bag I picked has a five star rating from me, they are strong, durable and I love having them !!!





12" wide x 16" high x 6" deep -100% certified organic heavyweight unbleached cotton canvas -gusseted sides to allow it to fold flat and stand to pack like traditional paper bags -holds up to 40 lbs  machine wash cold / drip dry- grown woven and sewn in the USA (Available at Amazon)

Made from super strong rip-stop nylon (holds 25 lbs) and are only 2 oz -Machine washable, and folds up into a 5"x5" pouch small enough to tuck into your handbag or pocket - It has a big gusset in the bottom so they will sit flat when they are filled (good for eggs and milk)-Handles are the perfect length: you can hold them in your hand, on your forearm, or over your shoulder (Available at Amazon)

Hunger and malnutrition are the No. 1 risk to global health, killing more people than AIDS, malaria, and TB combined. In fact, every five seconds, a child dies because he or she is hungry. The FEED bag is a product of the United Nations World Food Program, and was designed to raise awareness and funds for hungry children. Each FEED bag sold will provide a school year of meals for one child in need and give them the hope of an education and a regular meal. Whether you tote your FEED bag to school, work, play, or shopping, remember that your bag helped to feed and educate a child. This bags is great fr someone who wants to do their part environmentally and is a humanitarian .( Available at Amazon)

Coffee Cuffs

I have started selling handknit coffee cuffs in my Etsy shop . I have been making them for friends and family and now am introducing them to my Etsy audience . Bringing your own sleeve is a fantastic way to cut down on waste , I am all about reducing . I will admit I also bring my own travel mug to the shop as well BECAUSE I don't need to waste a cup either .