Working with Whey - My Oatmeal Dilemma

Several months ago, while discussing healthy foods with a friend, my friend mentioned that she uses her whey (leftover product from making cheese) in her oatmeal. Whey has protein in it, and probably other trace nutrients from milk. I decided to give it a go.

It sucked. I used only whey for my liquid, and the oatmeal tasted like a nasty acrid mush. My mouth still curls in disgust when I think of it. It makes my Dad's oatmeal taste nice. (cringe)

So, I have tried to make whey in oatmeal edible. I've used less of it, etc. No matter what I still taste a little of that acrid tang. I would recommend using it for no more than 1/3 of your oatmeal liquid.

In trying to doctor this up so my kids wouldn't turn their noses up at it, I discovered a nice little combo. Whey and nutmeg. Ground nutmeg helps cover most of the acrid aftertaste. I don't use a lot. Only a pinch. And if you like cinnamon, a small pinch (which goes a long way) is also very yummy.

Also of note, I have discovered there are two different kinds of whey (thank you wikipedia): sweet whey and acid whey. My whey is acid whey (it's leftover from making ricotta). Perhaps I'd have better results with sweet whey, but until I make a cheddar, swiss or rennet cheese, I'll just use nutmeg.

Any successful whey recipes any of ya'll use (including oatmeal)?

Where's the Idea Plumber?

So, my ideas are totally backed up. The only solution is an idea flush. That means I'll be posting 3-4 times a week for the next 2 weeks or so. Talk about crazy. It must be 'cause it's Spring.

Meal Planning, and then Some

I am not a calendar person, nor am I a consistent person. I've struggled for years with meal planning, studying consistently.... stuff of that nature. (Not things, like, say showering.) When I was a kid and teenager, my schedule and my food and my academic/exercise goals were set by parents, activities, sports and school. Now that I'm a grown-up, especially a stay-at-home mom, I have to set my goals, schedule, etc. myself. So... much... harder!

This past year I realized our family was eating out way too much. We were also starting to throw out a lot more food than I was comfortable with. So, I started loosely planning our meals once a week. It didn't work. At all.

So, in October of last year, I tried a new approach. I printed of several blank calendars. And then I planned a month of meals in one sitting. It takes about a half hour to an hour. I Love it! Why? Lots of reasons. Here are a few:

1. We have a varied diet. We never end up having pasta 3 nights in a row 'cause I can't get out of my zone or it's easy. When I plan, I sit down with a few cookbooks, the last months calendar, and any recipes I've printed. We're always trying something new.

2. Planning for leftovers, busy nights, and being out of town. When I know a day or night is going to be tiring, or we need to empty the fridge before a trip, I just calendar it in. Done and Done.

3. Setting food goals. For example, I have a goal to have a meal with bean or lentils at least once a week. I just feel like their a good inexpensive staple that we should get used to. Also, my husband and I have started making our own sushi. We decided we want one night each month to make sushi, so we can experiment.

4. Planning to use perishable ingredients. I'm still not the best at this, but I'm good with expensive ingredients. For example, when I buy proscuitto, I make a fancy carbonera and potato gatto on different nights that week. That way it doesn't go bad before I can use it.

5. Shopping list. Every month when I make a new menu calendar, I use the back of the last one to make a shopping list. I put the date of all the Saturdays in the month (our typical shopping day, since we like to shop as a family). Then I look at the meals for the next week. I figure out any perishables or specialty items that we'll need for the week and write them down. As time goes by and we run out of the normal staples, I just throw it on the bottom of the list for the next week.

6. Cooking dinner is way easier since I don't have to actually think of what to make or wonder if I have the ingredients.

7. Every month I get to reevaluate and remotivate myself.

I don't always get to every meal. Things come up; we eat out on occasion; I switch stuff around. I've been doing this for several months now, and it works for me. I don't expect it to be the answer for everyone. I still wanted to share it though. Here's a photo with a close up so you can see some of the menu items. (Unfortunately, I missed a night that has wantons and stir-fry, one of our favorites.)



One last thing. Two months ago I decided to expand my "calendar." I now have 3 calendars on my fridge. One is the menu. One is activities with/for my kids (art, library, music class, parks, walks, etc.) since I struggle with playing with my kids. One is for family and personal scripture study. I pick a scripture (one verse) to read with my kids at breakfast and we talk about it a little (I pick a theme for each week, like prayer or joy or friends). For myself, I do my best to keep it varied. I also plan in days to catch up, 'cause I am all too aware that I'm going to miss days. The stuff I miss, I put it on my calendar the next month.

Anyway, hope this helps jump start some ideas for others out there! Have fun finding the system that works for you!

Saving Water - Update

We figured out a way to transport the water outside, and I think I'm going to like it. At first, we bought a fairly heavy duty dolly, but it could barely lift the barrel and it was way heavy to move. So, feast your eyes on this:



We found a $10 spa/pool tube, 24 feet long, with connectors. Is it perfect? Heck no! I have to put a bucket under the connection because there's a bit of leakage no matter how tight I get the connector. It gets the water outside my door, though. And from there I can set up a hose to spread the water wherever I need it. Or at least I won't spill water in my house every time I carry a bucket through. Also, once the barrel is emptied, I can roll up the black tubing and carry the barrel back into the garage so I don't have this unsightly blue mass in my yard. So, total, the system cost us $30 (we got our water barrel for $20; they're usually $30 used, $60 new). How much will it save us in water? I have no clue, but I'm sure it will save not only money but peace of mind, so it's totally worth it.

Oh, and just for fun, here's a pretty pick of borage flowers. (Borage is totally edible, leaf and flower, and helps tomatoes and strawberries grow.)

Saving Water - Holy Laundry Madness, Batman!

While visiting some family, I heard someone complain about water being diverted from orchards to small lakes in order to try and save an endangered species of fish. This person thought it was terrible to take water from orchards that have been around for generations, effectively killing trees and livelihoods, for the sake of an obscure fish that obviously just can't cut it.

I am also upset to hear about the orchards. Even though they are typically monocultures (i.e. not very good for the soil), they do produce healthy food and livelihoods. However, two points made me very upset. The ecological biologist in me was quite upset at such a close-minded view of the fish, for two reasons: it's likely our fault that it's going extinct in the first place, and more importantly it's part of an elaborate ecosystem that could be severely damaged, affecting animals or plants that we do care about.

The other point that made me upset was that this was coming from a person who washes at least one load of laundry per day (often superfluously), used to wash kids every night (also unnecessary unless they're really dirty), and waters the garden every single day - sometimes twice (actually bad for the garden and water supply).

The real problem with California water probably isn't the orchards or the endangered fish. It's probably the way people in California WASTE water. I waste as well, often due to habits or convenience.

Here is a shocking picture:
This is a 55 gallon water barrel, filled 3/4 of the way full with the dirty water from one... ONE load of laundry. This is an old machine, granted. I can't justify getting a new one though, 'cause it will just end up in a landfill or used by someone who will also just waste the water from it.

Either way, that's about 35-40 gallons of water that used to be considered drinkable. That's enough to sustain my family for 5 days! Kind of ridiculous in my opinion to waste that much drinkable water. Or that much water in general.

Here's a pic from the side to give a better idea of how much water it is:
I was in total shock when I came in and saw how much water goes into a load of washing. For our family I do probably 5 full loads per week. That's soooo much wasted water! So, I've come up with a plan. I'm using the water in my garden.

Say what? Oh, yeah. Garden water. Will it kill my plants? No way. I think I posted about how I do my laundry a few weeks ago. My water is totally and absolutely appropriate and most likely beneficial for my garden. Can anyone use their laundry water? Nope. You gotta look into your detergents and make sure there's no toxins for your plant or you. Also, I wouldn't use water used to clean diapers or clothing with blood, feces, urine, etc. (Unless you use a different bucket and you're doing the humanure thing... however, I doubt that's most of us at this point.)

How do I transport it? Well... that's tricky. We're thinking of getting a dolly so I can wheel this big boy out to the garden (our washer is in the garage). For now, I'm transporting it in small bucket loads so I don't kill my back. It takes a while, but it's worth it and I am watering my garden. We'll figure out a way, even if it's extending the hose so I can feed it out the window to a spot behind the fence. We'll definitely have to see how it goes.

One good thing is how much we'll save in water. I can easily water 50 sq. ft. of garden per wash load. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to saturate my entire garden, and most likely the lawn, once a week (which is all most gardens need).



Another water saving idea: When I'm in the kitchen waiting for the faucet water to warm up (usually for washing dishes), I put the water in glass jars I keep by the sink. I can fill 3-4 spaghetti sauce jars while waiting for hot water. I keep that water beside the sink and use it several ways: as our water for boiling pasta, for our filtered water, for a cup of herbal tea... almost anything. If you live in an area with mosquitos, you might want to cover yours with the lid.

I'm also thinking of having a bucket by the shower, to put in to catch water that's wasted while waiting for the shower to warm up. I probably waste so much more water than I even realize. Here's hoping we can all find ways to reduce or reuse our consumed water. 'Cause if we all did something we wouldn't need to choose between our orchards and wildlife.

Motherly Advice

So, I was talking to a friend today who shares my motherly faux pas: we don't love our newborn babies! We don't gush; we don't bond; we just nurse and change diapers to our new little time absorber. Does this mean we don't love our kids? No way! Getting through the newborn stage is just a hurdle to a better time of life.

Anyway, the point is there are a few social stances, particularly around motherhood, that I think should be discussed more often. Why is it you never hear about some things until you're already in the thick of it?

Like, Mastitis. Hello! If a new mom is lucky someone warned her of mastitis and it's symptoms during pregnancy. But I didn't hear about it until a year plus after I had my first. Thank goodness I've never experienced it personally. What is so wrong about discussing something that can go wrong with our boobs? Do we just not talk about them enough amongst other females so that we can glean a bit of forewarning? I'm not sure. I just know a lot of new mom's who have already established nursing patterns and then hear about this horrible malady. I guess this one boils down to: why don't we talk about it when things go wrong with our breasts? At least with other women?

Another pregnancy related topic is Miscarriages. I wish we would talk about them more. I've had three, and I am happy for each one of them. They all taught me something about myself. I have known women who have had horrible and devastating miscarriage experiences. But, I've known many more women who have had normal, healthy (although sometimes painful) miscarriages. A healthy miscarriage is one where the built up uterine lining completely sloughs off. Otherwise you need a dilation and cuterage; this can still be healthy, but it is more involved. A healthy miscarriage is getting rid of a embryo/fetus that: 1) your body isn't ready to handle yet, or 2) is so genetically or environmentally out of whack that the baby most likely wouldn't survive if it was born.

Maybe the really horrible miscarriages would be easier for women to deal with if they didn't feel so alone. Many, many women have miscarriages. It's so much better to talk about a miscarriage, even if it wasn't traumatizing, because then someone else doesn't feel alone. It also helps women who have never had one. They tend to tiptoe around women who have miscarriages because they don't understand what it's like. If we talked more, we'd all be better able to cope and show compassion.

Then there's No Baby Cravings. As in not feeling compelled to hold or touch other people's babies. Or feeling the need to have one yourself. I feel lucky. I've known since I was a teenager I wanted to be a mom. Probably 'cause I have a brother 11 years younger than me that I loved to watch when he was younger.

Not everyone wants a baby, and that's ok! It's one of the greatest lessons I learned from a miscarriage. I was relieved when I miscarried. I had tried to convince myself I needed to be happy about being pregnant, but it just wasn't true. If you don't want a baby, dread being pregnant, or already are and are miserable, then that's how you feel. Be responsible, but don't lie, especially to yourself.

Don't misunderstand me on one point. I believe in personal revelation from God, and if you get a personal message from heaven (hopefully not the lightening rod version) letting you know to have a baby, listen. Still, obeying doesn't mean burying your feelings. You need to be honest with yourself.

Which leads to my main faux pas: Not Loving Newborns. How did we end up with the notion that all moms immediately bond with and fall in love with their babies? I know a handful of women in my acquaintance who don't, including myself. All of them are relieved to find someone else who doesn't love/bond with/gush over their brand new baby. Loving someone is a choice; it is also a process.

I do know women who have an immediate bond. Maybe their incredibly talented in loving; maybe their chemical reaction is stronger. I don't know. As long as they don't stare incredulously at me when I say I don't love or crave newborns, they can love/crave/bond with/gush over newborns all they want, and I won't treat them like they're crazy.


One day while I was in the grocery store a child of mine was climbing between two crates with an ice chest balanced on top, and I was trying to get her out to prevent some kind of painful accident. A woman and her husband moving to the checkout line noticed me. Out of the blue she began to ask me about my children and pregnancy and, basically, how to cope. Ends up she and her husband just found out they were pregnant. They were probably already in their 30s (not a bad thing), and probably used to working and just having the two of them.

I realized after a few sentences that she was panicking about being pregnant. So, I told her that I didn't love my babies at first; that time taught me to love them and their personalities. I also told her it was ok to not feel ready, or to not even want to be pregnant. My husband also piped in that they'd have to do more take out than going to restaurants for the first bit (soooo true).

Her shoulders relaxed and I could see the half amazed look as she realized that she didn't have to live up to our societal image of the ideal new mom. I really hope that woman, her husband and their new baby are ok. I think they will be. I really hope we can all open up a bit more and broaden our view of what a mother should be.... herself. Maybe then no one will feel like they have to ask a complete stranger for emotional support in a grocery store.

Oh my Honey

A few weeks ago I went on a local raw honey shopping spree. Since my kids are old enough (over 1 year) and one has had allergy problems before, I've been wanting to try raw honey for a while. Local raw honey is supposed to be good for preventing allergies as it contains pollen from allergens in your area. I don't know personally if it works, but either way it's also fun to support local producers.

What I wasn't expecting was the selection. (I knew about pricing, which is way more expensive.) I didn't know I'd be able to pick from several different local brands and lots of different flavors. I came home with 4 flavors from two companies: Wildflower, Sage, Mango, and Alfalfa.

Never have my taste-buds been so enthralled by honey. Holy cow. The Wildflower and Sage honey are the most like the honey you buy at the store. Still, they have awesome undertones. These are my daughters favorites.

Mango smells and tastes like mango. With honey, of course. I hadn't expected such a pronounced flavor. There is a bit of an aftertaste, but if you have it with bread or yogurt, it's loverly.

Alfalfa is my favorite. It's a deep amber color and it tastes divine. It's so rich and deep it almost tastes dark. You don't need much for a full flavor experience. I love it.

So, what's the end story? I don't care if it's more expensive; I am never going back to regular store honey. I never realized how much depth it lacks. Even my husband, who has never been a fan of honey, likes this honey. Local raw honey is just that good.

Green Laundry Love

Laundry can be such a chore. And it builds up so fast. But, there are some things I really love about laundry. Like, hanging my clothes out to dry. Now that it's starting to warm up (or out of the rainy season for some of us), we're getting close to a time when you can hang your knickers out.

Doesn't that take longer? Sure does. But, I still love it. At first, it was out of necessity. We moved into a new place and bought an old used washer but no dryer. I liked the idea of saving electricity anyway. We invested in collapsible clothes dryers (about $60 worth, new), which work great. I get about two loads done, up to 3 on a nice hot day.Luckily for me, just before the torrential rains (I'm exaggerating) an inspired friend was getting rid of her dryer and kept asking me if I wanted it. I figured it was better off in my garage than a dump, and it ended up being incredibly useful. I could've hung my clothes inside, but man would our house have been cramped for a few months. Guess I'm not that motivated (sigh). Anyway, here are some of my pros and cons to line/hang/sun-drying.

the Benefits of Sun-drying: Save electricity and give yourself a green ego boost without having to buy an expensive new eco-dryer. Your clothes smell like real sunshine. And spending more time outdoors, which can give a major emotional boost. Oh, and getting to do at least one household chore slowly, giving your brain a breather from the chaos that is modern life. Ahhhh.

the Detriments of Sun-drying: It takes longer; you can't just plow through the laundry in one crazy folding day. Bugs. As in, the occasional spider thinking your clothes horse is the perfect perch or a moth liking your clothes as a hiding place. These two problems only occur if A) you keep your clothes out overnight, and B) you don't use any kind of scent to keep the bugs away (I put some lavender oil and eucalyptus oil in with any washload I intend to hang-dry). Also, if you happen to leave your clothes out in the rain, you may or may not end up with mud splattered on your clothes.


To make my laundry even more economically and ecologically friendly, I use soapnuts (I use Naturoli brand; they also make a heavenly massage oil) with a drop of lavender and eucalyptus oil on the bag holding the nuts. I use Borax with whites. And I use 1/2C white vinegar as a fabric softener. I have yet to discover a really great homemade ecologically friendly stain treatment, but since most of the stains wash out with what I do anyway, I don't really sweat it. I've been using these for over a year with great success.

Someday I'm even going to drain my wash water into a big bucket and use that water in my garden. Since everything I use is plant based with no detergents (I'm pretty sure borax is ok; let me know of I'm wrong), there's absolutely no problem with using it for a garden, especially for flowers. And when my soapnuts are almost dead, I save them in a small container. When it's full, I boil the nuts to get the rest of the saponin (active agent) out and then use that soap to wash my car.

How do you keep your laundry green?