80 Ways to Save the Earth Tote Bag

I stumbled across the pattern for this tote while doing a web search. It is a tote bag knitted with yarn and plastic grocery bags cut into strips and tied together into yarn. The strap for the bag is soda can tabs strung together. It is is coolest thing I have seen lately, and a great way to keep those plastic bags out of the landfill. It was quick and easy to do. I used a variegated yarn, but any will do. If you want to try it yourself the pattern is at :

http://www.darngoodyarn.com/2009/06/80-ways-to-save-the-earth-tote-bag/

Update on Brandon

Sorry this took so long to update. Brandon died August 14th. He was only 17. His heart never recovered. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Prayer request

Would anyone who happens to read my blog please pray for a family friend. His name is Brandon French. He is 17 and had a massive heart attack yesterday. He is in a coma at the U of M hospital right now. He is a good kid and like family to my best friend. He is her son's best friend. They are going to try to bring him out of the coma tomorrow. Please pray he will be healed and for strength for his family. His parents are not doing well right now. They are refusing to eat until they know how he is going to turn out.

Baby Shower Gifts

These are pictures of a baby shower gift I made this month. I made a bag for the expectant mother to carry all of her things to the hospital, a travel bathroom bag, and a sleep mask. They are all coordinated. I filled the bathroom bag with trial size shampoo, conditioner, etc. All she has to do is add her clothes and she is good to go. One less thing to worry about as the time approaches.

Save Money on Vanilla Extract

I make my own vanilla extract. It is easy and far cheaper than buying teeny bottles of it at the store. Imitation vanilla flavoring is made with an ingredient of paint thinner, so making your own is healthier too. I just made a fifth of vanilla extract for about $13. I bought 2 vanilla beans at Meijer for $6.99 and a fifth of cheap vodka for $5.75. Just put the vanilla beans in the vodka and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Vanilla extract. If you look at the store bought bottles of real vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla) it says vanilla beans and alcohol are the main ingredients. I stumbled across a website selling a bunch of 25 tahitian vanilla beans for $29.99(1.20). That is far cheaper than what I paid at Meijers($3.50 each). Next time I need to make some I will order the beans from them and have it even cheaper. The link for the beans is:http://www.fotvn.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13 Hope this helps y'all live more frugally.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Like others, I too decided it was cool enough to bake today. I made a strawberry rhubarb crunch for my hubby. He wanted pie, but crunch is easier. I don't do pie crusts well. I thought I would share the recipe.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRUNCH

1 cup sifted flour (I used oat bran flour)
3/4 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced strawberries and rhubarb, mixed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon; place half the crumb mixture in 9-inch square pan. Add fruit. Combine sugar, cornstarch, 1 cup water and vanilla in medium saucepan ; cook until thick and clear. Pour over fruit; cover with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

White yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea Millefolum) -Yarrow is a common plant that grows wild all over the world. It has feathery leaves, white, yellow, or pink flowers sometimes they look like daisy, some of them grow in heads like dill or queen anne's lace. All parts of the plant is used medicinally.

Some common names are soldier's woundwort, milfoil, nosebleed plant, and old man's pepper. It grows in poor, well drained soil. It improves soil and the leaves make a good addition to compost. Yarrow is a good companion plant. It repels some bad insects and attracts good ones, such as predatory wasps, ladybugs, and hoverflies. It improves the health of sickly plants growing next to it and increases the potency of other herbs around it.

Yarrow flowers are used for allergic mucus problems including hay fever. A tea from yarrow, peppermint, and elderflower will cure colds and flu. An infusion of the flowers can be applied to eczema. Yarrow intensifies the medicinal action of other herbs taken with it.

Yarrow leaves are used to stop bleeding from cuts and nosebleeds. The root, when chewed, will relieve a toothache. The stalks are dried and used by the Chinese to forecast the future.

Yarrow overall promotes good digestion, improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and in the Middle Ages, was used to flavor beer.