Zevia is "The Natural Alternative to Diet Soda". It uses stevia, which currently can only be sold as a dietary supplement in the US (although that may change in the near future). All four flavors (Cola, Twist (lemon lime), Orange, and Ginger Root Beer) are all natural. Zevia contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners. Best of all, it tastes great, especially the Ginger Root Beer.
UPDATE: The Zevia blog has information about this, along with quotes from two emails I sent them!
Online stores that sell coffee pods
Other links
- Perfect Pod Maker - make your own coffee pods
- Single Serve Coffee - a blog about single serve coffee
I suspect they are doing this for two reasons:
- Increase the number of coffee pod buyers
- Sell more through word-of-mouth advertising (that's what the $20 coupons are for)
For each cup (8 fl. oz.) of milk (dairy or non-dairy -- I used oat), add:
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa
- 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Heat while stirring. I used the Cocomotion
It's almost December, and that means it is time for ...
GARDEN CATALOGS!!!!
I've received three catalogs this week.
- Totally Tomatoes - As the name suggests, they have a lot of varieties of tomatoes. They also have a good selection of peppers.
- Gurney's - They sell a wide variety of products, including seeds, annual plants, trees, shrubs, and other perennials. I've had good results with plants from Gurney's in the past.
- High Mowing Organic Seeds - A wide selection of certified organic seeds.
I'm looking forward to browsing through these catalogs!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm taking a short break from cooking, but I'll be back at it soon.
If you're still looking for recipes, here are a few:
- Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie (Currently the most popular page on this blog)
- Cranberry Orange Relish
- Pumpkin Muffins, if you need a break from pie
- An interesting recipe from the Google Executive Chef in San Francisco: Buttercup Squash Soufflé (I have not tried this, but it sounds good!)
I recently bought a small succulent plant from Lowe's. However, it isn't immediately clear from the receipt that this was a plant:
Fall brings overnight frost, which marks the end of the gardening season. As most vegetables are annuals, it is time to clean up the garden and start preparations for next year. I made good use of my new tractor this year. As I took tomato cages out of the ground, I put them in the cart that I had behind the tractor for easy transport back to the garage. Then, I went over the remaining plants with the mower to chop them up before getting the tiller out. That made it much easier to till everything under. There were no long vines to wrap around the tines of the tiller. One pass with the tiller is all it took.
I also took some time to look around the rest of the yard. Some of the fruit trees will need some pruning early next year. I also need to build trellises for the raspberries. I have some space in the raspberry row for a few more raspberry plants, or maybe some blackberries.
I don't have room for any more fruit trees (at least not without taking the elm tree out). I will be adding one more blueberry bush next spring. I also have a place for another row of small bushes, but it is somewhat shaded by the neighbor's maple trees.
I've done some searching, and it seems that plants in the Ribes genus will tolerate some shade, and may actually prefer it in some cases. This genus includes gooseberries and currants. The hardy kiwi appears to tolerate shade as well, but I think I may stick with the gooseberries and currants. I should have enough room to plant several different varieties. I planted one gooseberry this spring, and it has done very well. The rabbits don't seem to bother it. I assume they don't like the thorns. (I think I could use a few more plants with built-in defenses like that!)
I haven't decided on any particular varieties yet. If anyone has any favorites of either currants (any color) or gooseberries, feel free to mention them in the comments. :)
I recently found out about Blog Action Day, so I thought I'd join in the fun. :)
What can you do to help the environment? Even if you don't have the resources for large projects, there are small things that anyone can do to help.
If you have a garden, or even just a lawn, switch to organic fertilizers and pesticides. Start a compost bin. Leave the grass clippings on the yard. If you have a small yard (1/4 acre or smaller), consider switching to an electric (corded or cordless) mower or a manual reel mower.
Even if you don't have a yard, you can support farmers that use organic methods (no synthetic chemicals) when you buy organic food at the supermarket. Buy locally produced food when possible to reduce the environmental impact of transporting food.
Even small changes can make a difference.
