Vegan Shepherd's Pie

What You Need:
5lb Bag of Potatoes (any variety you prefer)
Morning Star Starters, One Bag (it's a meat substitute, so if you have a brand you prefer, get that!)
About 3 Carrots
1 Medium Onion
2 cans of Peas
2 cans of Corn
Vegetable Broth/Stock
Rice Milk
Non-Dairy Butter Substitute
Sea Salt
Your Choice of Spices
Vegan Cheese Substitute (optional)

How It's Done:
You'll have to pardon my lack of formal direction here.  I know I'm lacking cook times and specific measurements.  I cook by taste and approximations. Feel free to experiment to get the right taste or texture for your particular preferences.  Also, some prefer all fresh veggies, so feel free to substitute as you like!  So with that said, here's the directions:

1. Chop up your potatoes and put them in boiling water, just as you would for normal mashed potatoes.  You'll be boiling these while working on the other preparations, so keep an eye on them.  They'll be ready when they're soft and tender.
2. In the mean time, chop up your carrots and onions into small pieces.  I prefer about the size of the peas so everything is pretty even, but whatever you prefer will do.  Just keep them on the small side so they'll cook evenly.
3. Mix the vegetables and meat substitute together in a large casserole dish (I usually a 9"x13" or something of the like, preferably a deeper one since the whole thing can be thicker) until well blended.  Pour in enough vegetable broth to partially cover the vegetables.  Feel free to add a little bit of spices if the taste suits you.  I particularly like garlic.
4. Strain the potatoes and mash them.  Add, a scoop full of butter substitute (I estimate about a tablespoon), enough rice milk to make the potatoes nice and creamy (about a cup, maybe a cup and a half, look for the texture you like), a pinch or two of salt, and a little bit of garlic and pepper to taste.
5. Spread the potatoes over the top of the casserole dish, covering the vegetables and broth.
6. Cook at 400 degrees until the top is crisp and slightly golden.  This takes about 20-30 minutes on average, but just check it.  I don't preheat the oven, but it will cook a little faster and more even if you do, so again, it's up to you.
7. If you want to use a vegan melting cheese, add it when the potatoes start to turn gold and cook until it the cheese is just melted.  Otherwise, remove from the oven and let stand five minutes to cool.

This is a pretty loose recipe, but it's definitely a good start for anyone who would like to adapt old favorite recipes to something vegan.  The rice milk definitely makes the potatoes so much sweeter.

So, there it is, a (very loose) recipe for vegan shepherd's pie!  Feel free to take it, experiment, and make it your own!  I'd love to hear what others do with this recipe!

Gerber Cloth Diapers, A Brief Review

A few months back, during one of my swaps, my swap partner sent me some cloth diapers.  I thought it was totally awesome.  They were just the inexpensive Gerber ones, but I figured they were better than nothing.  I'd heard horrible reviews about how these diapers aren't absorbent.  They tend to leak everywhere and fill rather quickly.  For even a light soaker, it would be better to double them up.  Still, I couldn't be picky and they were a gift, so I was happy to give them a try.  What can I say?  At less than a dollar a diaper, they were perfectly in my price range.  Now if only I still had my old diaper covers!

In my time cloth diapering, I haven't had a chance to try out many brands or different types.  My experience has been pretty limited.  My daughter was only on disposables.  My older son wore nothing but Kissaluv's fitted diapers for the brief time I could manage cloth, though I wish I could have done it longer.  Now I've got these Gerber diapers and only a few of the Kissaluv's and a Happy Heiny to round things out.  Given how expensive disposable diapers are, I took the chance to switch over to cloth.  We've got a washer and dryer here, which meant I could cycle through the dozen diapers I had in a day and still have clean diapers, even if I only had one day's supply.

What my swap partner sent me were Gerber Prefold Birdseye 3-ply cloth diapers in a 12 pack.  The first day I tried them, they really did leak.  I wasn't terribly pleased.  I was beginning to think I should start doubling them up or adding a liner.  Given that I don't have any covers right now, soaking through is definitely a concern of mine.  I know no cloth diaper will ever be leak-free without a cover, but I've found that I can actually work things so that they hold a little better where he needs it most by folding over the extra fabric.  I'm also considering adding a second one folded on the inside so I can have a soaker to absorb some of the extra.  I've also noticed that after additional washings, they seem to be getting a little more absorbent.  Perhaps it's because I use a free and clear laundry soap and avoid bleach at all costs.  I've noticed that his pee diapers are just a little damp on the outside, unless he pees in his sleep, because then he can sleep through it and really soak himself.  His poop diapers have all pretty much been contained.  We had one leak thus far, but I think if I add an additional soaker that wouldn't have happened.  It would add bulk to the butt, of course, but that's not too big of a deal.  They work for us.  They work well enough that I just picked up two more packs to hold us over until we can get something fancier and they can be demoted to burp cloths and cleaning rags.  They're also work well enough to stuff the Happy Heiny diaper I have, though I've found I need two to last through the night.

The verdict?  They're not bad for being cheap Gerber diapers.  By the fact that I can pick them up at Walmart for $11, that's right in my budget right now.  Over time we do plan to upgrade and replace them with better and more absorbent diapers, perhaps some Chinese prefolds, Kissaluv's fitted, and Happy Heinys, but for now, they'll hold us over and spare us the cost of additional disposables until we can save up.  I bought $22 in diapers today, and that saved me buying a pack of disposables that would have cost the same and lasted, what?  A couple of weeks at best?  Poor little boy's rashes would have gotten worse and he would have continued to be unhappy.  Personally, if you can afford to save up and buy something higher quality, I'd say do it, even if it is just some nice prefolds.  If not?  Well, these are something good that can hold you over for at-home use if you can accept the need for a doubler or soaker and can tolerate the potential leaks until you can save up for something higher quality.

Building the Community

It may not be there yet, but I've made the first step.  A sustainable community is in the making!  Better still, it's not just a vision from my own head.  I now have others who share the vision.  We're taking the first step of the way.  We've got an idea.  Now we just have to implement it.

Not so long ago I met a really great couple.  We got along really well.  Our families are very different, yet share enough similarities to make everything work.  They have no children, but they get along really well with our three.  Her husband gets along wonderfully with my boyfriend.  They play video games together.  She and I share a lot of the same ideas and can spend forever talking.  We've got a lot of the same ideas and a lot in common.  I'm not really surprised at the way things are turning out.

It wasn't long before we talked about starting a sustainable community.  We have some great ideas.  We're talking about trying to buy up land.  We want to work with green energy.  We want to focus on sustainable living, healthy habits, and teaching the outside community how to live in a way that is healthy for their whole family (pets included!) and is good for the environment.

This is the tragic thing about today's society, we don't know how to take care of themselves and the world around them.  The standard American diet is incredibly unhealthy.  Most Americans have very low and unhealthy fitness levels.  Many of the chemicals we put in our bodies through foods, medications, and that absorb into the body through cleaning agents and soaps and inhalation.  There are allergens everywhere, but often times go unnoticed because we don't know to look.  These allergens are so integrated into our society that we just get used to the way they make us feel and think it's normal.  Many families have problems with raising their children and can use some help finding techniques that work, which is why shows and books like Super Nanny are so popular.  The same goes with pets and training.  Very few people know environmentally friendly ways to care for their home.  Fewer still know anything about green living.  It would be good for families to have a chance to learn about all of that so they can develop a sustainable life of their own.

Our goal is to set up a whole community.  We would like to have an inner community of those who follow our vision and fit with the family, and a more extended community that lives outside our small family group.  We're looking to buy a substantial amount of land, if we can, including a plot of land that already has wind power.  We've also talked about planning to buy up some of the other local land to house other families from the community.  We hope to have a holistic healing center that includes everything from natural medicines to massage therapy and energy healing (reiki and chakra therapies).  We'll add a dance studio and hopefully that will turn into a full arts and movement center, including yoga and pilates.  If we can find people who are interested in running them, we would love to have a space for martial arts in more of a "warrior's center" and a birth center, but those will have to come in time, should we find the right people.  We want to set up a homeschooling group for the children.  Group discussions for parenting classes would be wonderful.  Lessons in the proper care and training of domesticated animals would also be an option.  Finally, we'd like to have a spiritual center where we hold rituals and lessons in spirituality.  Ideally, we would also have both a men's group and a women's group so each gender could explore spirituality with people of their own gender, with celebrations and classes that bring both groups together as well.  We could hold drum circles and bonfires.  Can you tell we've got a lot of plans?

Maybe this seems like thinking big.  This is a lot for one small family tribe to accomplish, but thinking big is where it all begins.  Field of Dreams had it right with the line, "If you build it, they will come."  I've noticed with every community I've been in, once you create a home for it, interested people will come from the most unexpected places.  If there's an interest out there, this community will come together, and there's always people interested in alternative lifestyles and means of living.  It sets a good example for the rest of the community.  If we can do this, others can too!  Besides, nothing ever got accomplished by thinking small.  It truly is the dreamers that change the world.

We're only able to take small steps and make plans right now, but it feels good to have a life dream finally coming together.  I'm finally feeling like I've found my home, somewhere I can be happy.  I'm finally starting to really build my tribe.  We're going to be capable of incredible things, since we've already put our minds to it.  Now all we need to do is make it happen.

Sustainablity Tip: Plastic Eggs

So, Easter is over, and if your family is anything like mine, you've got a ton of plastic eggs floating around the house.  While families striving for sustainability would prefer something more natural, such as hard-boiled and dyed eggs or knitted or crochet wool, sometimes you end up with plastic eggs from community Easter egg hunts, church events, or from family Easters with those who don't follow sustainable habits.  In my house, there are usually more than a few eggs floating around.  Rather than toss them in the trash, here's an idea of what you can do to reuse those eggs!

There are eggs in all shapes and sizes these days, from absolutely tiny, to incredibly large.  These eggs have varying hardness levels, from your cheap dollar store special with thin walls that break easily, to seriously heavy duty shells that often come with packages containing specialty toys for the Easter season.  Whatever kind of plastic egg you have, here's a quick craft that will make use of those eggs, and provide a fun craft to your egg collecting kids!

Chick Shake!

What you need:
As many plastic Easter eggs as you would like to make
A variety of fillings (seeds, pebbles, sand, and beads all work really well to create different sounds)
Glue (craft glue works, but some may prefer something more hardcore.)
Craft paints
Glitter glue

What to do:

Fill each egg with a small amount of your filling.  Put a small amount of beads, sand, seeds, pebbles, or whatever it is you choose to fill your eggs so they are about a third of the way full.    Close your eggs and shake them to see how they sound.  You want to be careful when shaking them to be sure they don't open!  Adjust the amount and substance in each egg until you get a sound you like.

When you've gotten the sound you want, put a small amount of glue on the lip of the egg that overlaps to seal it.  I find it easier to put the glue on the outside of the inner lip.  Then I wipe off the excess glue with a rag.  Set the egg aside until the glue dries.

Once your egg is glued shut, take your craft paints and glitter glues to decorate the egg however you like!  Encourage children to make each of their eggs unique.  If your kids don't know what to paint, or aren't the imaginative sort, encourage them to paint something that reminds them of what they did on Easter or ask them who can come up with the most colorful pattern.  After all the painting is done, leave the eggs to dry.  If your kids have covered the eggs with a lot of paint or put it thickly on, you may want to let them dry overnight.

The end result?  You now have some cool musical shakers that have saved a little more plastic from ending up in a landfill!  Enjoy making music with your kids!

Sustainable Tip of the Day: Open a Window!

It's a wonderfully warm day today in the state of Texas.  The air is fresh and clean.  It's a wonderful day to be outside, enjoying the fresh air, even if it is a slightly overcast day, so why not bring some of that wonderful fresh air inside?

That's the sustainable tip of the day!  Opening a window will allow fresh air to enter your house which has tons of benefits!  Often times there's a breeze, so air circulating in the house will keep it cool.  As long as the weather is nice outside, you'll be bringing that fresh warm (or slightly cool if that's the kind of day you prefer!) air into your home.  Especially in Southern regions where the instinct is to turn on your AC the moment the heat is no longer required, opening a window to let the fresh air in can save a lot on electricity too.  The house will be cooled naturally.  Saving on electricity is better on your wallet, and better on the environment!  Better still, airing out your house can help clear out dust and stale air that has been sitting in the house all winter long.  Come summer, for many places it's much too hot to enjoy simply opening up a window, so enjoy this nice weather while it lasts!

Shade and Container Gardening

One of the things I most wanted to do this year was start a small vegetable garden.  I was willing to go with a container garden, since I knew we would be moving and didn't know what the conditions would be like.  I had looked into ideas for hanging tomato plants to make the most out of balconies, what kinds of containers I could get my hands on, and even looking into various supply places that offer rack type systems for urban gardening.  I had it all figured out in my mind once we realized what apartment complex we were intending to move into.  I would make use of every inch of that space, if possible, with money saving plants.  Better still, the greenery would help to beautify my apartment, keep nosy neighbors from being able to get too great of a view in the house, and otherwise improve my living conditions.

Here's where my brilliant plan went wrong.  We happened to get a North facing apartment.  What did this mean for my gardening?  While there are plenty of plants that enjoy growing in full shade, fruits and vegetables aren't in that number.  While there are some vegetables, like greens (lettuce, broccoli, and that kind of thing) and root vegetables (potatoes, etc) are happy to grow in the shade, they need at least some sun every day to grow at all.  Well, there goes that idea!  Now if I want a vegetable garden, I'm going to have to employ the use of grow lamps so that I can get anything to grow!  So much for sustainable living!  I wonder if my yield in vegetables would justify the expense of electricity for the grow lamps...

I'm learning day by day that this sustainable living stuff is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, especially if you don't live in the ideal conditions for it.  I've heard wonderful stories about rooftop container gardens, sustainable gardens in back yards, and so much more, but as fate would have it, I don't have the conditions for any of those things.

I guess I'm going to have to wait until we can own our own land or move to somewhere more ideal for gardening for that to happen.  It's sad that one of my sustainable living dreams is so easily knocked down because of the situation we have to be in, or at least we have to be more creative about it.  I guess at this time I need to stop and focus on other things, like living a more healthy lifestyle, producing less waste, and being as environmentally aware as possible in other respects.

Progress

This whole challenge was set with the expectation that it would be a whole lot harder than it was.  With the way I was consuming caffeine, I thought that would be impossible.  I was drinking one energy drink every day as well as lots of caffeinated sodas.  The exercise plan was likely to be difficult on me because getting out and exercising is so incredibly hard when you're stuck at home with three kids!  I'm finding it's far easier to get in the habit than I thought it would be.

It has now been about four days since I had any caffeine at all.  It's been three days since I've had any soda.  Instead, I've been reaching for juice or water.  It was tempting to get myself something caffeinated while at the store the other day, but my willpower held out.  I will admit, I haven't felt better without the caffeine.  It hasn't seemed to make a positive difference at all.  Of course, that may be different if you ask the people around me.

The exercise thing probably would still be a challenge were it not for the Wii Fit Plus.  Wednesday and Thursday have always been active days for me because of dance class.  I take an hour and a half class in the evening on Wednesday and I teach an hour long class on Thursdays.  Because of that, I know those days are going to be active.  The rest of the week, however, varies, and usually it ends up with me finding good excuses not to leave the house.  Instead, I can now exercise in the comfort of my home by doing things that are fun instead of feeling like I'm working out.  Better yet, I can do the exercises with my kids, so they're getting a benefit from it too.  We're having fun and I don't have to worry about adding the time it takes to pack up and leave the house to any exercise routine.  I also don't have to worry about cranky kids who don't want to walk or anything like that.  Better still, the baby can spend some time hanging out on the floor or in his swing, watching all the older people engage in crazy activities.  It means I don't have to wear him to go for a walk or anything like that.  Now there's no excuse for me to slack on that front.  I even managed to fit in over an hour of exercise yesterday before going to class.  Chances are, this is something I can stick with!

So it looks like I'm going to be able to hold to my plans after all.  While it started off kind of rocky, it seems it's all going to come together.  As long as I keep this up, this goal could be easy!  Of course, I say that now, at the start of the journey.  We'll see what happens as time moves on.