I’m sharing my soap blog address in case anyone wants to follow along with my successes and setbacks:
http://naturalbornsoap.blogspot.com
I will keep this blog free of soapy stuff unless it is gardening related, like the new gardener bar I made and love, or herbs I’m growing and using, that kind of thing.
Yes it’s almost February.
Resolutions? I don’t recall any resolutions. Don’t you dare scroll down that page!
I said don’t!
That should be an indication how those are going (I’ve had a few people email and ask) 
Soap making is FUN. I already have 100+ bars of soap at various stages of curing. And yes, I’m working on a soap making blog. Of course. I have a blog about everything. Except my dog. Hmmmmm…. I wonder….. no, no, I’m not going there.
This weekend is time to get gardening supplies. Based on my life getting more and more and more and more hectic (did I mention more? I meant MORE HECTIC), I’m just doing herbs. I need a planter, and dirt. I need to go brave my compost bin and see if it’s usable or just nasty. I need seeds. Time to go SHOPPING. Woot!
Also, these ads are annoying. Screw em. The boxes over there ~> are still for rent however.
I’m going to do it. I’ve been putting it off for years. I’m going to risk my life and play with caustic chemicals and make my own soap. I’m not taking the cheater way out and grinding up a store bought bar and adding stuff to it.
Yes, I was going for melodramatic. I know lye isn’t a big deal to work with if you’re careful.
In particular, I want to make an oatmeal honey soap made with all sorts of yummy oils.
Some resources I’m browsing through to make my shopping list, in case anyone is interested in making their own soaps…
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/easy_homemade_s.php
http://www.soapmakingforum.com
http://www.supersoapmaking.com
Have I ever mentioned I’ve really bad at math and almost as bad with science-y stuff? This will be fun!
2010 had a lot of ups and downs here in our little corner of the world. The ups mostly made up for the downs though, and the upcoming 2011 ups will be even better.
I got a jump on my “New Years Resolutions” by quitting smoking (…again…) 4 days ago. My actual resolution will be to not pick it back up.
Another resolution is to actually grow something this year, in containers for now (hopefully 2012 lets me put a garden in the ground!).
I’m thinking herbs for sure, and mushrooms. A couple upside down tomato planters.Maybe some lettuce. I need to think about this one more, and soon!
We recently got a Xbox 360 with Kinect and picked up a workout “game” called YourShape: Fitness Evolved. Love it. Blows the Wii fitness games out of the water. So with that, my resolution is to work out every other day, or more often (never go more than 1 day without working out).
What are you resolutions? Anything good? Think they’ll last more than a couple weeks?
I’m completely looking forward to this year’s turkey day. Family is coming, plus one of my favoritest people ever will be here 
As usual, I’ll be making turkey using the best recipe I’ve ever seen for the best turkey I’ve ever tasted. If you’re looking for the tastiest, creamiest, mashed potatoes ever, try this recipe out. It has the added bonus of being done in the slow cooker so it’s made in advance and ready when you are. More of these recipes are available by clicking on recipes above, or scrolling to the bottom of any page on this site.
Right now though, I’m making this cheese & onion quick bread in the breadmaker. It’s almost done and the house smells SO good. I’m also going to be trying out a cranberry orange bread and will post the recipe if it turns out.
I love this bread straight out of the breadmaker with gobs of butter on it. Done in less than 90 minutes with next to no work!
Add to your breadmaker in the following order and start it on the Quick Bread setting. Makes a 1.5 lb loaf
1c+ 1T warm water (115-125F)
3/4 tsp salt
4tsp sugar
1/2c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4tsp dried onion
3c bread flour
1T bread machine yeast
I’m going over Analytics data today, seeing people looking for a lot of things I haven’t posted about, but should.
If you’re looking for community vegetable gardens in Salem, Oregon, start here. I haven’t had a chance to call any of the number on this page, but it’s a place to start. I’ll post more when I get some real information 
Oh my gosh readers. It’s been far too long since I posted about anything.
Before I go any further with that, I do update the Garden of Eatin’ facebook page a bit more often, so if you are worried I’ve fallen off the face of the planet, head over there and see what I’m up to, or not up to as the case has been for many moons now.
I’ll let you in on a little secret, to the reason I don’t post about things as much as I could – even should. I have some unsavory ex-inlaws who I can’t let have too much information about me. These people are dangerous – kidnap my kids kind of dangerous. So much of what I want to write about – say a new gardening location – can’t be done until after it’s happened and we’re safe and secure. I tried to keep that from being melodramatic, it’s just the truth!
For now, I’m working on some ideas for the Monsanto page. It’s in need of a revamp, and I need to respond to people’s comments and questions. I can say with some certainty, that Territorial Seed does sell a limited amount of Monsanto/Seminis seed but it is my understanding that they are phasing them out. I would like to hear from the horse’s mouth on this, because they are such a big company, I may shoot any email to them and try to get a seed list for my readers to avoid. I cannot do this with all seed companies. I’m in school full time, working at home part time, I have 4 kids and there’s some other huge life changes happening that, again, I can’t talk about until after the fact due to them pesky ex-inlaws.
The funny thing is, I have 2 sets of ex-inlaws and they both are reading this wondering if I’m talking about them or the other one, or both. Ha. Let them wonder!
I expect to do some very small scale gardening this spring, maybe indoor herbs and a few container plants. Most of my posting will be geared less on my own gardening experience and more on recipes, safe seed, and other organic gardening methods. I look forward to posting more, and having a pretty new Monsanto page to show you
I thank each and every one of you for the comments and emails I’ve received in support of me and my little ol’ blog. <3
Are you ready?!?
I rolled 1-14 at random.org, with each commenter being 1 to 14
And the result is 6 – SalemMom. According to SalemMom’s website, she is also known as Dynee Medlock and has “liked” both pages as required so she qualifies as a winner! Congratulations!! Watch for a message on facebook from me (Amy Williams) today!
Thanks to everyone who entered. I wish everyone who entered could win! Keep an eye out for future contests!
Clean Air Gardening is giving away a Spin Big Compost Tumbler, valued at $170, to one lucky winner! Only available in the lower 48 US states.
To enter, simply “like” both Clean Air Gardening and Garden of Eatin’ on Facebook and post a comment to this blog post.
Only those who comment on this blog post, that have “liked” both Facebook pages, will be eligible to win.
Winner will be chosen at random using random.org. If the first winner has not “liked” both facebook pages, another “roll” will be done, and so on. So make sure you’ve “liked” both our pages! The contest will run until July 11, 2010. A winner will be drawn July 12, 2010.
About the Spin Bin Compost Tumbler
We’ve seen a lot of different compost tumblers since we started this business back in 1998, and the Spin Bin composter is our new favorite.
The Spin Bin has a large 60 gallon capacity making it the perfect size for most homeowners. The bin itself is molded in the USA of 100 percent recycled plastic. The dark color absorbs light, heating up the contents inside to boost the composting process.
Wide locking lids on each end make adding materials easy, no matter which end of the compost bin is up.
With 20 ventilation slots, the Spin Bin has superior aeration compared to other compost tumblers. These slots also act as drainage holes for the compost tea to easily drain out into the soil.
Along with the ventilation slots, the bin also has four compost thermometer ports (one on each panel), giving you quick, easy and mess-free access to monitoring your composting process.
The Spin Bin compost tumbler sits on sturdy, 1 inch thick, powder coated steel legs that are made to last outside in the elements. The legs lock together when assembled, making it easy to move the composter around the yard or garden without the legs falling off.
And because the Spin Bin body sits off the ground with its locking lids, animal pests cannot get into the bin to the materials inside.
Spin Bin Compost Tumbler Technical Specifications:
Spin Bin Composter Feature Overview:
There is no cost for the winner. Clean Air Gardening will cover the cost of the product and the shipping fees. All Clean Air Gardening needs is the winner’s address, which they will only use for this one time shipment. The composter is the winner’s, to keep. They never have to return it. Should the composter arrive missing any parts or happen to have any other problems with it, they can contact us and receive our normal customer service as if they had purchased the bin from us.
To prevent fraud, I will contact the winner on facebook via a direct message to obtain your email and mailing address, which I will in turn provide to Clean Air Gardening. After I have sent your information to Clean Air Gardening, I will delete your information and promise never to use it ever, for any reason.
Garden of Eatin’ (and owner Amy Williams) assume no liability for this contest. Any issues that arise must be dealt with directly, between the winner and Clean Air Gardening.
A review is requested, but absolutely not required, of the product.
Give it a chance, it tastes better than the name eludes to
Serves 12-16 – great salad to take to a picnic or backyard BBQ.
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (46 oz) can unsweetened pineapple juice, separate out 1 3/4 cups
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) package acini de pepe pasta
3 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Choose one:
1-1/2 cups mayo (I can’t eat sour cream so this is what I use)
1 cup mayo + 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp (rounded) dried chives
1/2 tsp (rounded) dried parsley
1/2 tsp (rounded) dried dill weed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Milk to thin as needed
In a small bowl, add the mayo (add sour cream if desired), mix in all the spices and use as is for dip, or slowly add milk while constantly stirring til desired thinness is reached for salad dressing.
Let set 30 minutes to blend flavors.
Super simple crab salad that my kids love -
Ranch Dressing from above
16 oz bag noodles (like small shells, corkscrews, etc)
1-2 lb imitation crab (some people like lots, some not as much)
16 oz broccoli florets
Make the dressing first, cover and keep in fridge. Cook the noodles until al dente, drain under cold running water and place in large bowl.
While the noodles cook, steam the broccoli until just tender, then drain under cold running water and place in the bowl with the noodles.
Do not let the noodles or broccoli get mushy.
Chop the crab into small bits and add to the bowl.
Pour the dressing over the top, mix in, and refrigerate for an hour or more to completely cool and allow flavors to blend.
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