Today, I have a guest post from Annie Warmke, resident farmer of Blue Rock Station Green Living Farm. Annie announced an intriguing project in the fall: Thanks for Nothing, a month of no spending. Now that she’s half way through the experiment, I asked her to write a bit about how it’s going. As a business owner, a woman farmer, and a grandmother I tend to not be conventional about some of the things that [...]

I rarely use a drinking straw. In the entirety of my nearly 11 year marriage to Alex, we have only purchased one box of 100 plastic straws, many of which were used for crafting, not drinking, purposes. Along came Lil and our family’s straw consumption sky rocketed. Straws are fun for kids and easier to use than a drinking glass. Lil is more likely to finish a drink, especially a smoothie, if she uses a [...]

If you’ve ever come to a Hounds in the Kitchen class or event, chances are you’ve seen my Earthlust stainless steel water bottle. I carry my beloved bottle nearly everywhere I go. It’s safe (no BPA or other nasties), easy to clean in the dishwasher, and sipping is a cinch. (Yes, I am one of those people who dribble down my chin when I drink from a wide-mouthed vessel.) The 20 ounce size is perfect [...]

Ok, so I am actually (and thankfully) NOT a professional laundress. No one pays me for the service of drying clothes outside, just as I collect no paycheck for growing fruits and vegetables, cooking, canning, homeschooling, or writing this here blog. I do, however, save $1.05 in electric costs per load of laundry NOT dried in the dryer. (Want to know how much your dryer costs per load? Look for the amps and volts on [...]

Earth Day, the annual 24 hour period begun in 1970 to draw attention to environmental causes, is coming soon on Friday, April 22. Columbus Area Opportunities Green Columbus has scheduled a week’s worth of activities to lighten up and work towards a more sustainable city. On April 16 and 17, they are hosting work sites around the city. Volunteers who sign up by April 15 will receive sweet perks like swag and a token for [...]

Resolution Number 1 (get my head bone fixed) is underway – I had sinus surgery today.  Even though I am under the influence of narcotic pain killers, I believe I can still count to five well enough to share five interesting things I read this week: 1) Why by American Family – a lovely essay on why it is important and good to fight through the school plans, packing struggles, and overtired kids to travel [...]

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association is one of my favorite local foods groups in the state.  They enable small farms to be certified organic, provide a great resource guide for consumers, hold informative farm tours, and run a great annual conference. On Saturday January 22, OEFFA is hosting a casual conference benefit evening.  Held at Wild Goose Creative from 7 – 9:30 pm, the Winter Warmer will give local food enthusiasts a chance to [...]