The Squash Tree

Yes, that really is a squash growing in the pine tree.


Now, if we could only figure out how to grow money on trees ...


The squash/pumpkin plants were threatening the other plants in the garden so we had to pull them outside of the fence. They obviously didn't seem to mind ...




We have some sad looking tomato plants this year ... early blight has taken it's toll. We are, however, quite lucky compared to those that are dealing with late blight (i.e. certain death for organic tomato farmers).

It is rumored that the price of tomatoes will be double that of last year because of this.

The Big Vegetable Garden - July 2009 Update

Non-typical rain in May led to some worrisome days in late June/early July. But, it seems we're doing OK now. It doesn't look like we'll beat last year's crop but it also doesn't look like it'll be a wash out either. Whew.

The list for this year:

• tomatoes
• potatoes
• purple beans
• green beans
• eggplant
• tomatillos
• hot peppers
• sweet peppers
• chard
• sorrel
• fennel
  
• squash
• mystery vegetable (see picture below)
  
• basil
• parsley
• rosemary
• thyme
• sage

Anyone know what is pictured below???

The Great, Long Kitchen Remodel

Finally the stars have aligned and we have a fully functioning kitchen again!

We choose Wood-Mode cabinets that were produced with some amount of thought given to the environment - not quite as 'green' as recycled or made with really sustainable wood (i.e. bamboo) but it was better than some of the other choices out there. The cabinets are cherry and are really quite beautiful. The functionality that they bring to the space is a dream come true for our small kitchen. :)




For countertops, we wanted Icestone but it was going to be significantly more expensive for us due in part to our layout and the amount of cuts that would be required. And, we would have had at least two seams in the countertops. Now, don't get us wrong, we still LOVE the idea of Icestone but it just didn't work for our space. So, we went with 'galaxy black' granite ... it's sparkly and beautiful and from Canada (and if I was greenwashing this blog I'd say that Canada is kinda local compared to the other locations that granite comes from). In the end, no matter how we look at the granite it's not really environmentally friendly. boo.


The picture above shows a white wall ... there will be a tile backsplash installed one of these days (when I get around to it!!). The tiles ARE environmentally friendly: recycled glass tiles that were leftover from our friends' remodeling project.

Flooring was an interesting adventure. We ordered beautiful bamboo flooring from a very environmentally sustainable company (Green Elements Design placed the order for us with Eco-Timber). So, what's the problem?

Well, if you know your flooring that is not bamboo installed in our kitchen. That is hickory. Why? Well, the bamboo just didn't look right up against the cherry cabinets. Tears were shed and hickory was purchased. Drama! The bamboo is waiting patiently under the spare room bed to be installed in another part of the house (probably the hallway and master bedroom, when we get around to it).


What's next, you ask?

• install the recycled glass backsplash
• finish the trim moulding
• finish painting
• install cherry (hand-crafted by John's friend) breakfast bar counter top
• install some window moulding
• COOK, COOK, COOK!
  

The Great Kitchen Remodel - update

Work, work, work ... but, finally some progress!! These pictures don't show the pain and trials that were endured to get the walls and ceiling in acceptable shape ... but that is all behind us now!

Cabinet-installer extraordinaire:

Shaping up:

Finally, the appliances are back where they belong (minus the stove hood which still needs a good cleaning).

Next up: installing the remainder of the base "L" on this side of the kitchen and some top molding ... then the eco-friendly bamboo flooring! After that, we'll be able to put in the other "L" ... then we need to decide on a countertop material.

The Vegetable Garden 2009

So, we had a successful garden last year - for sure. And, yes, we actually still have some frozen veggies from that harvest (which we have vowed to eat before things start blooming this year). But, we just can't be stopped there ... and so the garden is being expanded.

Not the greatest photo since there isn't much to show the scale ... but this was one massive stump that had to be removed.



To increase the probability of really good vegetables, one must "double dig" the garden. All 350 sq ft of it (an area that is larger than our kitchen!) I gave that chore a go this year and accomplished about 3/8th of the total area - not too bad for a girl that hates shovels. KP: you'd be proud!



A few more weeks and we'll have some little seedlings in the massive garden. Some seedlings have been started in the house and are currently residing in our bedroom. Yes, that's right, in the bedroom ... it just happens to be the room with the best light. :)

The Kitchen Demolition - that is taking FOREVER!

What can I say? We're busy people ... too many irons in the fire.
But, we have a deadline now: the new cabinets are supposed to arrive the first week of May.

This was the gorgeous wallpaper hiding behind the beadboard - wow! I'm excited to take a sledge hammer to this soffit!

Progress ...

New cabinets under the new breakfast bar in the dining room. These will get trimmed out eventually ... and a new countertop is in the works.

This is now the view from the kitchen sink ... you can see all the way across the great room to the TV. Might be time for one of those new fancy flat screen TVs ... ;)

The Kitchen Demolition

So, before I can rightly post about the kitchen renovation I feel that I must share some of the before pics as well as some of the demolition pics ...

Before:


It's hard to understand just how inefficient this kitchen is from the photos ... but, trust me, it is.





I will not be sad to see these cabinets and drawers go ... though, some of them will be repurposed in other parts of the house (storage room and maybe the garage). And the beadboard: buh-bye beadboard!!!


Have you ever taken a sledgehammer to a wall? Wow, what a great feeling ... just don't miss or hit the studs too hard. ;)





This will be the pass-through/breakfast bar area ... you can see clear through the dining room and into the living room. This alone makes the kitchen livable.





The big hole in the wall from the other side ... new cabinets will go on the bottom and then a new countertop will finish off the breakfast bar area. Yay - more storage AND more counter space!


Next up: Add the header and jack studs in that big hole so we can take out the normal studs. Then: pick new cabinets, countertops and floors ... lots to do!!

The List of Things To Do

It's already the middle of January and I'm just getting around to making my list of the 'major' things to do for 2009. Let me start off by saying that I love lists ... love, love, love, love them!! I make at least one a day ... sometimes way more than that depending on how many times I need to change course. ;) I prefer to use scraps of paper for these lists ... finding these all over the house when I do the weekly clean-up is pretty funny but it also saves a bit of paper - who needs to use a new piece for something that is just going to get scratched out (and possibly lost)?? However, you'd think I'd be better about keeping track of my beloved lists!

A list for me is more like an announcement to the universe of the things I want to do. The more I vocalize these things, the better chance they have of actually getting done. ;)

So, the list for 2009:

1. Do more yoga and lose a few pounds/inches. Lucky for me, I was gifted a series of yoga classes at a local studio!
2. Eat less. (easier said than done when you live with an amateur chef.)
3. Travel! On the agenda this year: New Mexico, Minnesota, Colorado, Utah and the Bahamas.
4. Increase the size of the organic vegetable garden and therefore have a larger harvest. We're still debating adding a second plot but it might be that this year we just increase the size of the original garden.
5. Renovate the kitchen - as eco-friendly as possible. We already have the recycled tiles for the backspash and are probably going with the eco-friendly recycled glass countertops. Cabinets and floors are up for discussion still.
6. Get educated on how to start an animal sanctuary. The Utah trip will take me to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for this very purpose!
7. Write more blogs. ;)
   

Uppercase Living Updates & Fundraiser

1. you can order online now! credit cards securely accepted through ProPay:
http://christie.uppercaseliving.net/
click on 'Products' to view the catalog

2. I'm running a fundraiser November 11 through November 30, 2008 ... extended through the Thanksgiving holiday!!


15% of online product sales from my Uppercase Living website

http://christie.uppercaseliving.net
will be donated to Animal Lifesavers Pet Adoption Inc. (a no-kill, animal rescue org out of South River, NJ)
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ252.html

Uppercase Living - vinyl "expressions" to customize your spaces ...
Make your space a reflection of the unique individual you are. Whether you identify with a deeply motivational thought, a beautiful embellishment, a bold image, or a combination of these, Uppercase Living® expressions let you be who you are and let you express that uniqueness in your surroundings. We call this the art of self expression.



Easy to apply to all kinds of surfaces - wall, wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, glass (car windows and mirrors).
Can be removed without ruining surfaces - great for renters!
Many, many colors to choose from.
CUSTOM expressions can be made with the online design tool.
Check out the November customer incentives, too!

View the Catalog on the Website: http://christie.uppercaseliving.net
Register with your name & information.
Click on "Products" to get to the catalog.
Click on "My Design Tool" to create your own custom expressions.
You can save your expressions and/or add them to your cart.
Pay securely with a credit card - service provided by ProPay.
Your order will arrive at your address typically within 2 weeks of placing the order.
Orders Due: 11/30/08 ... EMAIL ME YOUR ORDER CONFIRMATION NUMBER so I can be sure to include you in this fundraiser! :)

christie.arlotta@gmail.com

3. Otherwise, to guarantee delivery before Christmas, place your order before December 1, 2008.

I'm baaaaaaack!

So, truth be told ... blogspot is just so much easier to deal with than my website blog function thingy.

So, I'm moving the blog back here and leaving the website where it is www.christiearlotta.com

The Big Move

Well, I've got a webpage now!

A full serviced page on the webs ... crazy, I know.

So, this blog will now be hosted over here: www.christiearlotta.com ... click on "The Blog".



My new page is hosted by Dreamhost ... chosen for their environmental committments. Hey, a girl has to stay green even if she is becoming a network marketer (enjoy $50 off with this coupon)!

;)

The August Tomato Harvest

So many tomatoes, so little time. I think I hauled in about 40 lbs yesterday. FORTY POUNDS. And we're not done yet ... there are more red ones out there already. There are 8 tomato plants in our garden - and we think they are happy ... organic, biointesive practices seem to be working! It is hard to think that it will get better than this next year ... better soil and less chlorinated water (thanks to our soon-to-be installed rainbarrel).





Here is a peek of my haul from yesterday along with some of our green peppers and the yellow squash from Rutgers:














But, let's not forget the ones I had already put in freezer (some chopped, some whole) ...




You can freeze tomatoes chopped, cooked, or whole ... with or without their skins. I like this page from the U. of Nebraska-Lincoln about how to freeze tomatoes.

We are now in the process of making another batch of tomato sauce (well, John is ... I'm just writing about it). ;)



John's sauce: lots of tomatoes (blanched to remove the skins), onions & peppers & garlic sauteed BEFORE adding the tomatoes, generous helpings of oregano & parsley & whatever other spices are next to the stove, some sugar, and finally a lot of time on the stove to cook down (the pot below was FULL when we started).



Yum!!

The Deck That Should Have Always Been

When we bought this house, we immediately knew something was missing. The back of the house was just not complete. There was a dinky landing off the second story great room and a long staircase down to the ground. After sketching up several ideas, we agreed on a deck design and then went about choosing a material.

Here is the brief rundown and our findings/thoughts of our material search:
Pressure-treated lumber – lots of chemicals and needs to be painted/stained every year. Definitely the least expensive option.
Cedar – beautiful and resists bugs but finding an eco-friendly source was difficult, and not local to New Jersey. And, it would also require painting/staining each year. Not exactly cheap!
Ipe – Brazillian hardwood … beautiful, but … comes from Brazil, requires sealing every year and is PRICEY!
Composite Decking – lots of color choices, eco-friendly in that it is primarily made from wood waste or plastic waste. And, no painting/staining!
Trex Eco-Friendliness
TimberTech Eco-Friendliness

We chose Timbertech www.timbertech.com for its local availability, cost & eco-friendliness –
• TimberTech wood composite products are manufactured with recycled wood waste that would otherwise go into landfills.
• TimberTech recycles water (during the manufacturing process) through a closed loop water system.
• Skids, corrugate and product dust are recycled.
• Unlike wood, TimberTech products are a one-time purchase for most homeowners – with a limited 25-year residential warranty.
• TimberTech products do not require painting, staining or sealing.
• Scrap products are reclaimed and put back into the manufacturing process.

We realize that the claim of zero to low maintenance very much depends on where you live (climate, etc). We expect to have to pressure wash this new deck once a year … hopefully we can do it without nasty chemicals.

The other benefits of this deck for us include: easier access to that jungle of a garden, much easier access to the pool, a quiet place to enjoy morning coffees and the ability to put in a sliding glass door off the bedroom. We have noticed that the dogs will scratch up the stairs if we don’t take some measures … we thought about clipping their nails but Stella growled so we ditched that idea. We are probably going to get either some indoor/outdoor carpet or a plastic runner for the stairs. Little sacrifices for our four-legged friends. :)

And, finally, some photos!

This little spot was designed to hold a rain barrel ... hopefully that will get added soon so we can water the jungle garden with yummy rainwater!

The Decorator In Me: Uppercase Living

I love design - particularly interior and architecture. Before I learned that it takes 5 years of college to be an architect (and many years slaving after that), I totally wanted to be one. :)

I spend a lot of time thinking about and implementing interior design strategies and concepts. Many of you know that I absolutely love Eco-friendly design (er, that is the idea of this blog!) - and I swear there will be more on that VERY soon (new deck being put on the back of our house as I type ...)

My new obsession, however, is this Uppercase Living product. Vinyl "expressions" for your home, office, car, etc. Relatively simple to apply and remove. AND, you can customize them!! Now, I know vinyl is not the best material in terms of Eco-friendliness, but neither is most wall or craft paints. Ever take a whiff of those? Yuck!

Photo of the custom expression on our Great Room wall (our "Hawai'i wall). :)

So, I'm so enamored with this stuff that I am now an independent demonstrator! yay for business ventures!!

Want to order, host a party (either house or catalog) or become a demonstrator? Check out the website and then email me!!! :)





**edited to fix the links** sorry all that are on the RSS feed. ;)

The First Heirloom Tomato

So, first let me just say that I have become addicted to the video feature on the macbook. It's addicting or maybe I just always wanted to be a movie star. I don't know. 

But, seriously, we had a tomato tonight. The first heirloom tomato from our garden and it was AMAZING! No, seriously, amazing. Like, I'm not sure we've ever had a tomato so good. 

Uh, back to that macbook video addiction ... here's the clip of us cutting up said tomato. The eating part was too obscene to publish - sorry. ;) 

LOL - funny how I argue with John about where the tomato is from. Don't miss the martini glass to the side there ... yea, that's mine. ;)

The Zucchini Bread of 2008

We have quite a few LARGE zucchinis from our Rutgers organic farm share and we have a ton of other vegetables to eat. So, what is a girl to do with so many zucchinis? First, you batter and fry them up ... so freakin' good. Then, you ponder and remember how much you loved zucchini bread when you were younger ... find cookbooks and ... what?!?! not a single zucchini bread recipe to be found. Not even in the heralded Joy of Cooking book.

What
the
heck
?

Like any good blogger and semi-foodie, I log in to my epicurious.com account and search for a recipe. Results: one with several (i.e. too many) negative ratings and comments.

Ugh.

I tell you what ... I miss my grandma right about now. You can bet that she would have been able to rattle off a recipe in no time. boo.

But, I've got family ... and family knows some people ... so from the daughter of my sister-in-law's (yay - Susan!) neighbor comes the following recipe:

3 eggs (go organic and cage-free please)
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar (organic and fair trade if you can find it)
2 cups zucchini - grated (notes: 1. from Aunt Nancy & my Mom: you can leave the skins on ... and 2. from Evelyn: a peeler is a stealer of nutrients)
2 tsp vanilla (organic)
3 cups flour (organic)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbl cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts (optional - we like walnuts)

Beat the eggs in a bowl (this should be a large bowl as all the ingredients will end up here).

In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Then add to the eggs - stirring completely.

In yet another bowl (large), combine all the dry ingredients. Then stir into the liquid mixture.

Bake at 350 deg F for about 1 hour. One large or two medium bread/cake (greased or buttered) pans can be used. Watch the bread for the last 15 minutes so you don't overcook.

Our results: pretty darn good but a little dry. Either the loaves were in for a few minutes too long or there wasn't enough oil.

Take #2 will be tomorrow since I only used one zucchini - they are really big. :)

The Silent Vegetable Garden Video

I keep meaning to get around to adding some voice-over to this video ... but, honestly, I got a lot going on at the moment! ;)

The garden is an example of sustainable gardening - in a way that incorporates micro-climates into the mix. Plants are placed much closer together than a traditional garden and different vegetables are placed so that they compliment each other's needs. Sun loving plants shelter shade loving plants, for example. Carrots are placed throughout the garden (there are a lot of them!). The close proximity of all of the vegetable plants crowds out the undesired weeds (for the most part) - leaving more soil for the plants and less weeding for the people (uh, Johnny of course). The potential downside to this approach is access to the fruits ... it is hard to see in the video but it is very difficult to move between the tomato plants and the potato plants are growing any which way they can - rendering Johnny's pathways kinda useless. ;) 

So, here it is in its un-edited (a little long - sorry), un-voiced-over glory. Enjoy the view of what we now call "the jungle" ... organic veggies, no pesticides/no herbicides, hand-dug (by Johnny, of course), and oogled over every day.



There will be more video once we get some tomatoes ... should be sooooon!!

The Tiny Choices Wedding Series - Post #1

Yay - I'm the guest blogger today over at my friends' wonderful page Tiny Choices ...

Go on over there to read all about how my girls threw me an eco-friendly bridal shower.

The Next Big Thing

Are you ready for the next big thing?

Are you a leader?

Are you looking to be financially independent?

Then you owe it to yourself to check this out:

http://www.DNAprofitforlife.com/

You'll want to get back to me with questions that my team and I can answer. :)

christie.arlotta@gmail.com

The Great TN Caper - by Pets Alive

I love animals. Domestic, farm, wild - whatever. I love them all. I don't eat them, I don't wear them. At all. It is a personal, ethical choice. Not one that everyone makes, which is fine, but please at least educate yourself.

But, I think that - just maybe - I love animal rescue people more. 

My husband and I had the pleasure and luck of being able to help out an animal shelter/sanctuary in June in upstate NY. Coincidentally, this helping happened to be on our one month wedding anniversary - though we didn't realize it at the time. It's not that we aren't happy to be married ... it is just that the animals were louder than our post-wedding bells. ;) 

Anyway, we did a nice thing for the shelter (tiled a room with some beautiful donated tiles). We listened to the dogs bark all day while out in their awesome outdoor runs (luckier than most dogs at a shelter - trust me). And, we had a few moments at the end of the day to visit with the cats in their 'cat house' (which was so cool - all rooms devoted to cats! does it get better than that?!?! ... but then we had to be off so that we could get back to our own animals in NJ. It was a few days later that I was alerted by that lovely automated RSS thingy to a new blog by the Pets Alive team.

And, with tears in my eyes, I quote just a small portion that I hope makes you want to read the rest of their post ... 

"Animals can’t ask for help and they don’t deserve the heartache and hurt that so many of them are faced with. It takes animal lovers to step up and help make a difference in their precious, sweet lives. Please do whatever you can, whether it be donating money or time, to do your part to make an animal happy, safe, and healthy. If they could ask themselves, they would, but since they can’t we all need to be their voices for them."

Amazing. I love the PetsAlive staff and vols for EVERYTHING that they do for the animals. Y'all are a true inspiration.