All Things Supercinski

A few weeks ago, we got the quarter of a grass-fed cow we ordered and had processed. Our freezer is overflowing with ground beef, steaks, roasts and cuts of beef I’ve never prepared before.

So far, it is delicious. You can read more about some reasons why we chose grass-fed beef here. We were pleased with the service and price we got from this local farm, so I’m happy to recommend them.

We managed to make it to the Farmer’s Market last week, and Josiah loved every second of it. I let him pay the farmer and carry home our finds. Here he is showing off the longest green bean I had ever seen.

These were delicious green beans, though amazingly long. I also stocked up on the best honey ever from a local beekeeper who sells unprocessed honey while sporting a cool beekeeping hat.

Increasingly, I find my views aligning with so-called agrarians, who are predominately agrarians with (and predominately) because of their Christian faith.

I hope you will take the time to read these items and be challenged to rethink the modern mindset we all so easily and comfortably fit into.

Here are a few items and essays I’ve found recently. The most eloquent is Wendell Berry, a prominent writer, poet, and agrarian.

Farming and the Global Economy

Choice quotes:

The people who benefit from this state of affairs have been at pains to convince us that the agricultural practices and policies that have almost annihilated the farming population have greatly benefited the population of food consumers. But more and more consumers are now becoming aware that our supposed abundance of cheap and healthful food is to a considerable extent illusory. They are beginning to see that the social, ecological, and even the economic costs of such “cheap food” are, in fact, great. They are beginning to see that a system of food production that is dependent on massive applications of drugs and chemicals cannot, by definition, produce “pure food.” And they are beginning to see that a kind of agriculture that involves unprecedented erosion and depletion of soil, unprecedented waste of water, and unprecedented destruction of the farm population cannot by any accommodation of sense or fantasy be called “sustainable.”

If a safe, sustainable local food economy appeals to some of us as a goal that we would like to work for, then we must be careful to recognize not only the great power of the interests arrayed against us but also our own weakness. The hope for such a food economy as we desire is represented by no political party and is spoken for by no national public officials of any consequence. Our national political leaders do not know what we are talking about, and they are without the local affections and allegiances that would permit them to learn what we are talking about.

Marching Away From Babylon

This is at least four months of compostable kitchen scraps that I’d been saving in our deep freezer for when Thomas was ready to work the compost this spring. That’s a lot of trash that will be converted into treasure for our garden. (And a much less smelly kitchen trash can!)

Did you know that my husband is not only a computer genius (in my book), but also a certified Master Composter? I’m so proud. Are you interested in learning more about how you can turn your kitchen scraps into valuable soil amendments? We wrote the article below for a small, online magazine (which has since ceased publication), and you might find the information helpful. Read more »

We got everything in the ground this week–better late than never. I’m not quite sure what we were thinking by expanding everything by almost double when we’ll have a newborn joining us during harvest-time.

This is our garden last year:

And this year:

This year we planted: 12 Roma tomato plants, 4 bigger variety tomatoes, 8 bell peppers, 6 cantaloupe, 6 small watermelons, zucchini, squash, spaghetti squash, green beans, potatoes (in the trash cans), and there is a lot of lettuce and spinach that was planted some time ago. We also have rosemary, basil and oregano in the herb garden.

I’ve answered questions about cloth diapering and what we do via email/real life conversations to so many friends and blog friends in the past; I figured it will be easiest just to put it all in one place. And since Lynsey asked for more information, here is more than you probably ever wanted to know.

We went around and around about the whole idea of cloth diapering when I was pregnant with Josiah. It would save on trash, but what about water? What kind do you get? How do I know if they are good ones? We ended up putting off our decision until we met some people in real life who actually used them, let me watch them in action, and even let me borrow a few to try out. We bought our first set of diapers when Josiah was seven months old and haven’t looked back.

The cost has probably been the same as we would have spent diapering him in the cheapest disposables full time, but New Baby and Subsequent Baby(s?) will be diapered for almost free. It isn’t nearly as much work as you probably imagine it to be, and Josiah has a nice, healthy little bum. Our water use has stayed almost the same, in the summer we use one more unit of water than we did before we had a kid, so I know it isn’t just wasting tons of water and we don’t live in a place prone to drought. Read more »

It has been ages since I wrote a “Getting Greener” post, and I apologize. Perhaps you have a New Year’s resolution or goal to make less of an impact on our environment? Have you tried making your own household cleaners?

The heating element in our oven went out in the middle of baking a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day. I resolved to clean our oven before it was replaced, and I did it without harsh chemicals or hours of scrubbing. I’m horrible about oven cleaning, and commercial oven cleaners are one of the most toxic cleaners you can buy. Have you ever read the warning label on those things? Frightening! I used this recipe from the book, Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan.

Sleep-It-Off Oven Cleaner
Ingredients: salt, baking soda, water, a shaker (I used an old Parmesan cheese shaker), and a spray bottle with water and a couple tablespoons of Dr. Bronner’s or dishwashing soap (like Dawn).

Mix ¼ cup salt with ¾ cup baking soda. Fill the shaker.

Spray the oven with soap and water spray. Shake the salt-soda mixture on. Spray again with water until the mixture is slightly damp and pasty. For the side walls, make a thick paste and sponge it on.

Leave it overnight. In the morning, get a putty knife/scraper, and scrape off the goop and pile it onto an old newspaper. Use a scotch-brite sponge to work off any tough spots. Wipe down with a soap and water spray. Rinse.

That’s it! It worked amazingly well, even on my oven that I haven’t cleaned in over two years.

Over a month ago, I made and began using homemade laundry detergent. It works very well, but I haven’t used it on diapers, I’m too scared of buildup. I made a powder detergent since I didn’t have a bucket large enough for liquid. It was so easy and cheap, cheap, cheap.

Powder Laundry Detergent
1 bar Zote soap, or Fels Naptha or Ivory (in laundry aisle of your supermarket)
2 cups washing soda (not baking soda, this is also in the laundry aisle of your supermarket, made by Arm & Hammer)
2 cups Borax (also in your laundry aisle)

Cut soap bar into large chunks and feed through your food processor grater. Combine grated soap, borax and washing soda in food processor with the processing blade. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your food processor. This will mix it all up and make it into a fine powder.

Store it in an old plastic tub or some other sealing container. You only need 1-2 tablespoons per load. It won’t make as many suds, but it really cleans amazingly well, and it does not leave your clothes smelling like perfume. I was able to wash my food processor easily with lots of hot water, but next time, I’m just going to make a quadruple batch since the hardest part is cleaning the food processor.

If you want a simple and easy cleaner to start out with, you’ll be hooked with this easy to make tub cleaner. I think it’s in the other recipe list, but it’s so easy, you don’t even need to measure!

Tub Paste
Squirt some peppermint (my favorite for cleaning) Dr. Bronner’s soap, about 1/4 cup or more, into a sealing container. I use a cleaned, 32-ounce, plastic yogurt container.

Add about half as much water as you did soap.

Mix in baking soda, adding a little at a time until it forms a nice thick paste, about the consistency of store-bought cake frosting. If you add too much baking soda, thin it with a little water.

To use, scoop some cleaner out onto a dampened sponge and scrub your bath tub. It works amazingly well and smells so good, you’ll want to eat it.