Homemade Yogurt

I'm making my first batch of yogurt tonight! I've been wanting to try this for a while, but I thought you had to have a yogurt maker. I looked at several yogurt makers online and was unsure about which one to get. Luckily, before I ordered one, I found the directions for making yogurt in a crock pot. Since I already have a crock pot, it makes sense to try this method first.

Here's what you do (this and more info can be found here)...

Plug in your crock pot and turn it on low. Add 8 cups (1/2 gallon) of whole milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crock pot. Leave the cover on and let it sit for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, scoop out 2 cups of the milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup store-bought yogurt with live cultures. (After you've made a batch, you can keep some of your homemade yogurt to start a new batch.) Dump the contents back into the crock pot; stir to combine and replace the lid. Keep it unplugged and wrap a heavy bath towel around the crock pot for insulation. Go to bed or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened, but it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt. If you want, blend in fruit. Chill in plastic containers in the fridge. It will last 7 to 10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter for your next batch.

My yogurt is currently at the "let it sit for 3 hours" stage. At 11:30 I'll add the 1/2 cup of store-bought yogurt. In the morning I'll have homemade yogurt! I don't know about you, but I get tired of buying all those plastic yogurt containers that don't recycle (at least they don't around here). I've been using some to store things like beads, crayons, and marbles for the kids, but I've still got a huge pile in my laundry room. (I wonder if a local daycare might be able to use them for crafts?) I also like to save money when I can. Today I bought a quart of yogurt for $2.28 and a gallon of milk for $2.68. After some calculating...If I end up with 2 quarts of yogurt, I will have paid $0.67 per quart (plus $0.29 for the yogurt I used as a starter). Not bad!

Green Period, Revisited

Ladies, this is mostly a reminder prompted by the fact that it's about time to hit the pool, lake, or beach. If you didn't read my earlier post about reusable menstrual products, you can read it here. It's an overview of what's out there. I mentioned some of the advantages of reusable products (less waste in landfills, no risk of TSS, money savings), but I thought of another last week. I somehow neglected to mention "wicking" in my other post. When you wear a tampon, any moisture present outside your body wicks up the removal string. Chlorine-laden pool water, for example. A menstrual cup doesn't absorb, so there's no wicking. Just another thing to recommend the Diva Cup (or other brand of your choice).

Please see my other post for links to more information, or just search the internet.

Reusing and Recycling in the Garden

Spring is here! (Although you couldn't tell it yesterday when it was snowing.) It's time to be gardening. I've been doing a little, but I hope to do more. I did get my tomato and pepper plants put in last week. I had to cover them up before the snow came, but they all survived. I use plastic milk jugs that have had their bottoms cut off to protect them. The plants are small enough that these work perfectly. I had these left from last year and will store them in case I need them next year. If they get crushed or ruined I can recycle them. I read about cutting them into strips to use as plant labels, but I haven't actually done it. I usually just plant my seeds, try to remember what I put where, and get a surprise when they sprout.

I use livestock panels to support my tomato plants. I've been using them for years and will be able to use them for years to come. I also use them for cucumbers, beans, and peas. I've also used cane poles that I cut beside the road to our property. I've used pantyhose with runs in them to tie the tomato plants to the panels, but I don't wear pantyhose much anymore so I usually use plain ol' twine.

I read about using egg shells to start seeds that dislike transplanting. I haven't tried this - I toss all my egg shells into my "compost bucket" - but I love the idea. I've used the peat pellets, but they didn't decompose as quickly as I expected. When you get ready to transplant your seedlings, you crush the egg shell a little (so the roots can grow), then plant the whole thing. What I don't know is how you water the seeds and seedlings while they're in the shells without drowning the little fellas.

Of course composting is a great way to recycle kitchen scraps. I keep a "compost bucket" on the counter by the sink. It's just a plastic bowl with a lid. I throw apple cores, egg shells, orange peels, etc. into the bowl, then dump the contents on my compost pile when it starts to get full.

How do you reuse and recycle in your garden?

WalMart Woes

This evening I was at WalMart. As always, I had my reusable shopping bags with me. I've never had anyone give me trouble about them...until today. Naturally my bags were buried underneath my purchases, so I unloaded a few things onto the conveyor belt to get to them, telling the cashier that I had brought my own bags. Meanwhile, she's swiping stuff and putting it in plastic bags. Grrr!

I bought several bath towels and she said "I can't bag these. It'll take too long." Huh?! Fold them in half and stick them in the bag! So I did it myself. She likes the plastic bags because they're already hanging on the little racks for her. She was also counting the minutes (13, to be exact) until she got off work and lamenting the fact she was called in from the garden section to check out customers.

WalMart has huge boxes as you walk in the store for recycling plastic bags. They sell reusable bags. They were also (and may still be) giving you a free reusable bag with goodies if they failed to ask you whether you wanted to apply for a WalMart credit card. So why the attitude?

Sorry...I just had to vent :)

Dapper Diapers

I impressed a friend of mine the other day. I was looking at some pictures of his new baby on Facebook when I spied a cloth diaper peeking out of Baby's onesie. Here are the comments that followed:

Me: Is that a bumGenius I see??
Friend: Why yes it is. I'm surprised (a) that you know what they are and (b) you can tell from that picture.

What can I say? I'm a cloth diaper junkie. I always get excited when I find out someone uses cloth diapers. My husband wasn't surprised when I bragged about them to my pregnant dental hygienist. He used to kid me about spending so much time on DiaperSwappers. Several people have asked me "Why do you use cloth diapers? Why don't you just buy disposables?" Here's why (in no particular order):

1. Cloth diapers are cheaper over the long run. When you use disposables, you're literally throwing money away.

2. Cloth diapers are better for the environnment. According to one site "It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing." Also, "when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at wastewater plants. This treated wastewater is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled disposable diapers into a landfill."

3. Cloth diapers are healthier for Baby. Possible health hazards due to disposable diapers include toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions, male infertility, asthma, urinary tract infections in baby girls, and immune system and hormone system impairment.

4. Cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training because the child feels wet. The chemicals in disposables absorb so much moisture that the child never feels wet.

5. Cloth diapers are so darn cute!

Green Period

This post is mainly for the ladies. Gentleman, please share this information with your wives, sisters, daughters, etc. Feminine hygiene products are kind of a taboo topic, but here are some things you should think about if you haven't already.

There are contradictory articles about whether disposable feminine hygiene products, even tampons made entirely from cotton, contain dioxin. There's no question that tampons and disposable pads take up a lot of room in landfills. The cost of these products adds up over time. Many women get "diaper rash" from pads. Also, tampons are associated with toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

Reusable menstrual pads (aka "mama cloth") are a safe, green alternative to disposable pads. They can be made from a variety of fabrics and in different sizes and absorbencies (from liners to post-partum). Most have a snap to hold them in place, while some are "lay-in" types. Many women report that their periods are lighter and they no longer experience cramping after switching to cloth pads. If you cloth diaper and/or use family cloth, just launder your mama cloth the same way. Otherwise, you can rinse it in the sink and wash with dark towels.

For women who prefer tampons to pads, there are menstrual cups (Diva Cup, LadyCup, The Keeper, to name a few). Worn internally, menstrual cups catch your flow instead of absorbing it. You may only need to empty it 2 or 3 times a day (maybe every 2 or 3 hours) depending on how heavy your flow is. After emptying, you can rinse it or simply wipe it out, then reinsert it. Between cycles wash with hot soapy water and store it in the fabric pouch that came with it. Menstrual cups come in 2 sizes - one for women who are under 30 and have never had a child, one for women who are over 30 and/or have had a child.

Mama cloth and menstrual cups can last for years. This means far less waste for the planet and more money in your pocket. (You may be surprised at how much a pad or cup costs, but remember it will last for years. You'll pay more up front, but you'll save money over the long run.) They're also healthier for your body. You may think these products sound "gross," especially if this is the first time you've heard about them. They're no more gross than disposable products. I encourage you to seriously think about these alternatives before dismissing them.

For more information...

Green Families Search for "diva cup" and "mama cloth" for TONS of information. From fabrics to troubleshooting, these ladies discuss it all.

iHerb offers both sizes of the Diva Cup. Use the code NEM401 to save $5.

eBay offers the Diva Cup and the LadyCup.

Etsy is a great place to find mama cloth made by work-at-home moms.

Produce Bag Tutorial

Last week I showed you a picture of the reusable produce bag I made. Some of you expressed an interest in making your own, so I wrote up a tutorial (with pictures!). It takes up quite a bit of screen room, so I thought I'd post it on my blog and direct you there if you're interested. Click here for the tutorial.

Bag Lady

I’m a bag lady. I love bags. I have a bunch of bags I take when I go shopping. I place them on the conveyor belt first so the checker knows I don’t want plastic. When I have a few extra things to take on visits to my parents’ house, I put them in my bags. When we go on a picnic I fill my bags with non-perishable items, reusable plastic plates and silverware, and cloth napkins. For my birthday, my mother-in-law “wrapped” one of my presents in a cloth bag. I was as excited about the bag as I was by what was in it!


I recently discovered reusable produce bags. I hate bringing my produce home in plastic bags (I do recycle them) but I need some way to corral a dozen apples or a few pounds of sweet potatoes. I could have ordered some online but, being a little crafty, I thought I could make some myself. So the other night I bought some tulle and gave it a try (I had some extra ribbon at home). I made them a little larger than necessary and I didn’t get the drawstring right until my second attempt. Otherwise I’m fairly happy with them. I haven’t been shopping since, but tonight I’ll be at the grocery store and try them out. I'll let you know how they work.

Edited to add: Tutorial now posted!