Gonna wash that carcinogen right outta my hair...

Sometimes I wish we lived in Europe. They have much smaller houses, great accents, and, as legend tells it, the women don't worry so much about shaving their legs (what a relief!). They also label their genetically-modified foods and refuse to stock personal care products that contain toxic chemicals.

Check out the The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to find out about formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane that is present in many mainstream baby shampoos, body washes, and disposable diaper wipes. The links in their articles are well worth the time it takes to explore--there's a ton of information that's presented in a layman's terms. If your curious where the products you use--either for yourself or your baby--fall in terms of tested toxicity, check out the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. You can sort the lists there either by tested score or alphabetically. I found alphabetically to be be easiest, simply because of the vast number of products tested. There's also a great article here: click.

It's bothersome to me, this whole "Toxic Tub" issue. And it's easy to say that we were raised using the same products and we turned out fine, but did we? Our children are being diagnosed with autism at a frighteningly high and medically unexplained rate. Infertility is rampant...

...oh, and there is more to say, but there's squeaking and giggling coming from the next room, so it's on with my day I go...check out the websites. It's troubling, but eye-opening. And just in time, too, since I'm running out of moisturizer. Time to try something new!

End of Season=Beginning of Yard

'Tis the season for the awesome "End of Season" sales at the local nurseries. We wandered through Garland Nursery last night and, while we spent $80, we saved $65. When we moved in, I had visions of English Garden or Victorian-esque landscaping, but we are on the opposite end of the spectrum now, leaning more toward tropical plants and grasses, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Our loot:

It looked far more impressive when it was all piled in the back of the car, but it was dark when we got home, so there are no pictures of our jungle on wheels.

This crazy bulb will turn into a gorgeous Fritillaria 'Rubra Maxima'.

(aka Emperor of the Garden. We're calling it The Emperor's New Groove))

The bulb has to be planted six inches deep and on its side, so the hole on the top can drain. So bizarre. So exciting!

The Biggest Girl was pretty sure this hole was dug for the new volleyball tree. I have to admit, it was a pretty good fit.

Rather than the volleyball, the hole was for the Kniphofia 'Early Hybrids'.

(aka Red Hot Poker)(or Tritoma)(or Torch Lily)

Root-bound much?

We saw these in full bloom while we were running errands one day this past summer and both of us were so excited to find them at the sale. They're so unique and bold.

The two plants will eventually grow together to create one giant mass of gorgeous uniquey boldness.

Our greatest find, though, was this:

Ophiopogon p. Nigrescens

(aka Black Mondo)(or Black Monkey Grass)

It's the creepiest looking plant I've ever seen and I love it! The leaves are a super dark purplish-black and it will sprout pink flowers next fall. I can't wait!

We also grabbed two Heuchera (aka Dolce Peache Melba). They actually looked like lettuce from a distance. Their curly leaves are a great contrast to the sharp grasses that seemed to have dominated our selections. They'll also have tiny flowers that hover above the perennial leafy base (which is what we have here).

The least expensive of our treasures was the $1.50 Carex Flagellifera.

(aka Toffee Twist)

Not only does it have a wild, tangled look to it, but it also dances in the slightest of breezes. There's a very strong possibility we might head out tomorrow to see if they have any left. It's an easy filler that provides so much movement and looks great in the sun.

Imperata cylindrica

(aka Japanese Blood Grass)

It's looking a bit puny right now, but I have complete faith in this little guy. I saw it when I was flipping through the Western Garden Book and knew we needed one. Funny how plants just start to speak to you...

Miscanthus sinensis

(aka Gold Bar)

We saw this one and jumped on it. Another grass...who knew we'd come home with so many grasses? It's pretty tiny now--about a foot tall--but it will be 3'-5' tall once it settles in.

aaahh...the Euphorbia wulfenii...

One of the homes around the corner has this and, again, we were pretty excited to find a healthy one to bring home to our yard.

Though we bought it several weeks ago, this poor Rosmarinus officinalis Gorizia (aka Rosemary, as you might have guessed) has been languishing away in a pot, just waiting to sink its roots into the ground. Finally! We planted it!

We also stashed some Allium sphaerocephalon bulbs and were careful to mark their locations so we don't accidentally pull them when they start coming in next Spring.

All the plants we chose are, in theory, deer resistant, which is so important here, given the number of deer that galavant about after nightfall. Hopefully, they'll just admire our handiwork and find a snack elsewhere.

...and that's all for now. We've got one more nursery to visit, but the chances of us leaving the house today are dwindling rapidly as the moments go by. Something about kickin' ass early in the day makes it easier to lounge about in sweatpants and watch football all afternoon without feeling like a slacker...

Oh, and I'm adding a link to the Sunset Garden site in the link list. Be warned--it will take hours of your life and leave you feeling inspired.

Day 10!

It grew while I wasn't sleeping!

We had some thunderstorms last night--very rare for this area--and my mathematical equations for the night goes like this:

If x=Toddler and y=Thunderstorm

And a=Mommy and b=Sleep

Then x+y=a-b

But, the delirium is taking a backseat to the thrill of new grass! Germination time is listed as 10-14 days and, sure enough, here we are on the morning of Day 10 and we've got tiny grass in patches all over the lawn. I was really starting to get concerned that something had gone awry in the topsoil spreading, fertilizing, seed spreading, watering series of events, but apparently all I needed to do was quit watching to proverbial pot so it could boil. The number of rocks in the lawn is a little bothersome--those puppies were buried under 4-6" of topsoil before it started raining. We're going to have to go on a serious Rock Patrol as soon as we can walk on the lawn. Nevertheless, this is a major victory and today is officially a success!

I wonder if all that thunder was the Grass Fairy...

Seven Things...

Gayla at You Grow Girl challenged all her readers, of which I am one, to a "Seven Random Things" MeMe. One reader (of those who participate) will win a copy of Gayla's first book, the aptly-titled You Grow Girl. While my initial temptation is to simply read the submissions of others and lurk about anonymously, I started thinking about it and realized I not only have a list of seven things but, in the spirit of the challenge, they also just happen to be garden/yard-related.

So, here you go: Seven Things I Want To Accomplish in Our Yard!

1. I'd like to build something cool to both protect and hide the air-conditioner. It's just sitting there right now, all exposed to the elements. I know it doesn't have feelings, but I feel like I should put a sweater on it or something. Instead, I'm thinking maybe gravel around the base of it and some 4-foot fencing of some sort, set about a foot away from the unit. With some low maintenance plants on the outside of the structure...it could be the prettiest air-conditioner in the West.

2. Fences are going to be a big deal. The one in the front is going to both keep deer out and keep the Biggest Girl in, but it absolutely will not be made of pre-fab pickets. In fact, I saw a fence made of corrugated roofing and it looked so fabulous that I'm beginning to entertain the idea. The back yard is going to have the tall, privacy fence, but, again, I'm really loving the corrugated look. It's going to take some more research, but I'm hoping to have both planned (at least) by the Spring.

3. I'd like the entire backyard to be a garden that allows us to be as self-reliant as possible when it comes to fruits and veggies. I know there will be things we will still have to buy (citrus and bananas, at the very least), but I reeeally want to be able to step out back and pick our dinner, rather than having to get ready, get Buns ready, get in the car, drive, get out of the car, get Buns out of the car, go into the store...it just seems like so much work and it would be nice to just wander into the yard to do my "shopping".

4. If I'm going to become a fabulous gardner, I'm also going to have to learn to preserve. I'm talking canning, dehydrating, and the like. This won't really take place in the yard, but it's a necessary step in the process and that's why it's on the list. I have a dishwasher that can sanitize (see...I was thinking ahead!), but, past that, I'm a total amateur. I can freeze things pretty well, but the thought of canning my own salsa=woohoo!

5. Grass. I would really like it if my grass would grow. It's been 9 days since I scattered the seed and, with a germination time of 10-14 days, I'm fully expecting to wake up in the morning (day 10!) and see a soft, neon green blanket of fuzzy grass. This is one of the most nerve-wracking projects I've ever tackled! There are greasy forehead prints on the living room window and I'm pretty sure my neighbors must think I'm wacky, what with all the staring at the lawn at all hours of the day. I can't help it. I want grass. Just grow already!

6. I want a funky, beautiful yard. The neighborhood we live in is sadly lacking in landscaping character and I am so determined to change that. Part of the problem is that it's a relatively new development and, therefore, the landscaping is relatively new, as well. Past that, though, it's all so...safe. So expected. Not here. Nope. I'm going for it. The Bauer's Dracaena is our jumping off point and I am so excited to see where we land. I want the plants we choose to be unexpected, but fabulous. It's a little scary leaping out of the lavender/hydrangea/boxwood box and into the world of more exotic landscaping, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

7. I want to make sure this is a family thing. I'm definitely the one with the vision, but it's not just my yard. It's our yard and I hope the Biggest Girl and Mr. Mallard get as much out of it as I do. Working on the yard together is a great chance for us to have some family time that doesn't require an admission ticket or an overpriced snack of some sort. It's just us and the plants and the dirt and I can't imagine a better time or, once we get the garden going, a better opportunity to teach our awesome baby girl how to live a simple, beautiful, healthy life.

And there you have it! Seven things I want to accomplish in our yard. My To-Do list for the next six months, essentially. While it all seems like a lot of work, I'm truly thrilled to have the chance to make this list. Having this yard, that just happens to be attached to our first house, represents so much more to me than just a list of chores. It's the greatest blank canvas ever and we are so lucky, especially in these times, to be in a position to get our hands dirty as we build and grow something of our own.

So...do you have seven things? hmmm?

A Woman's Nation

Working with the Center for American Progress, Maria Shriver has compiled a report on the status of women in America today, namely as our position contrasts to that of women in generations past. I can't say with any certainty that the report or the accompanying Special Report series ("A Woman's Nation") on NBC Nightly News will be worth the time it takes to read and/or watch, but I'm tuning in--6:30pm on NBC here.

Here are some links of interest related to the The Shriver Report:

www.awomansnation.com Along with the report are additional essays that look interesting. There's a lot of information on the site, so if you don't have time to sit in front of the computer and read, you can download the full report from the Center for American Progress site. It's 454 pages long, though, so I'm guessing (hoping!) there will be a book version released. The Kindle version will be available tomorrow...

NBC's "A Woman's Nation" site is here: click

The Huffington Post has the mother load of reviews by both men and women. Use the site search to find even more. The comments are worth peeking at, as well. People are pretty worked up. The pros and cons of the feminist movement are rearing their beautiful and alarming heads every day across the nation and this report is bringing both sides into the ring swinging.

Powell's Books Contest!

Powell's Books--the Portland institution, purveyor of quality used (and new) books and my favorite bookstore on the planet--is celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Powells.com with a 15-day contest. Along with daily prizes, the grand prize is $1,500 to spend at powells.com. Can you imagine?! It could take years to spend that much! Oh, I've already started making my list, though...click here to enter the contest: click

Don't forget to go back and enter every day between now and October 30th. You'll have a shot at the daily prizes (gift cards, books, Powell's merchandise, etc.) and each time you enter the daily contest, you'll be entered into the grand prize drawing.

...and, if you've got some time, take a look around the site. They've got some great newsletters you can receive, the ongoing saga of "Fup. Store Cat.", their book reviews are top notch, and we can't forget all the renowned authors that stop by as guest bloggers. It's so much more than just a bookstore, but a celebration of all things nerdy and word-related. If every town (or even state) had a store like this, we'd be a nation of bookworms!

Got Coffee?

Oh, coffee...my sweet, darling coffee. Where would I be without my coffee? I'd be cranky and I'd have a wicked headache, I guess. I'd also be fairly lethargic and I'd probably be crying about having given up my last remaining vice. Alas, it shall not be! Nope. We have an espresso machine at home and I firmly believe you should, as well.

My years (and years and years) of barista experience give me an edge when it comes to making lattes and mochas at home. There was a time I wouldn't go near anything other than a cup of coffee--did you know a 16-ounce cup of coffee has twice as much caffeine as a 16-ounce latte? True story. But after a trip to Seattle for a wedding and the most delicious soy caramel latte ever, my love of lattes began to grow. I still have regular coffee in the morning, but I truly look forward to my afternoon latte/mocha treats.

So, here's what I'd do if I were you:

1. Go to wholelattelove.com and start looking around. Check out their buying guide. If you've got an upscale kitchen store nearby, hit them up and let them tell you about the machines they have on their shelves. A little homework will go a long way here.

2. Keep in mind that you do not have to spend a ton of money. We got ours (Krups XP4030) on sale at Macy's for about $150. It's not the greatest machine in the whole wide world, but it's 16 months old and it's still running like a champ (knock on wood). I will say, though, that I rarely, if ever, steam milk. I actually prefer my lattes kind of lukewarm, so I just add cold milk to my espresso and I'm good to go. Point is: Don't spend a fortune. It's not necessary. Unless you're getting an Ascaso and, if you are, I'd appreciate it if you would go ahead and get me one, too.

3. Don't get a Nespresso. Don't get anything that requires a "pod". You're robbing yourself of both quality and the experience of actually making coffee. Get a machine that uses fresh ground beans and get a good grinder to go with it. You'll save yourself a ton of money in the long run and have the freedom to use whatever coffee you darn well please, rather than being a slave to the pod people. You'll also be able guarantee your coffee is fresh and, as always, reduce the amount of waste you create by not having to pop open (and throw away) one of those infernal little pods every time you want a treat.

4. Once you've decided what to get and you've got it and you're staring at it with starry eyes and you want to use it, but you're not exactly sure what to do, head to your local independent coffee shop and, when they aren't super busy, ask if one of their baristas could just quickly walk you through the process. It's not tough, but there is definitely some rather unappreciated art and skill involved.

5. Get some fancy syrups. I found a Pumpkin Spice syrup that is going to save me so much money this winter. It's also going to keep me from having to put pants on and leave the house when I feel the urge to Pumpkin up. Fabulous!

Here's a little video to inspire you. And if you get bored, go to youtube and look up "latte art". Mind-boggling! (also mind-boggling: the spell-check thinks "youtube" is a word. When did that happen?) So, yeah...the video: How to Make a Latte

Update (10/15/09): So, after I posted this last night, I started wondering how well our machine would steam. I tried it this afternoon and it turns out that for all the great work it does making the espresso shots, it totally FAILS when it comes to steaming. Major failure. Like, "Christmas is coming and I think I might know what I want" fail. If you know for certain you aren't going to steam milk, the Krups XP4030 is the machine for you. If you think you might want to steam your milk even once...keep looking. And let me know if you find a machine that steams well!

That is all.

Harvest Spice Muffins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

One batch makes roughly 24 mini muffins AND a dozen regular muffins.

1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed of excess moisture

2 cups shredded carrots

1 shredded apple (a good baking apple--whichever is your favorite)

Zest of one orange, finely chopped

One handful chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds...whatever you like)

1 1/3 cups flour

2/3 whole wheat flour

1/4 wheat germ

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 quick dashes ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

Toss the zucchini, carrots, apple, orange zest and nuts until just mixed.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugars, wheat germ, spices, baking soda and salt.

In a third bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce and vanilla.

Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. The batter will be gooey and thick. Once it's blended, fold in the veggies/fruits/nuts.

Grease or line your muffin tins and then fill them 2/3 full. Bake mini muffins for about 15 minutes, regular muffins for 20-25 minutes. Cool them in the pans for a good ten minutes before you pop 'em out and let them cool the rest of the way on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover them and store them in the fridge (or freeze them for an easy grab-and-go snack to take on an adventure).

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These are delicious and loaded with healthiness. I shredded the zucchini first and let it sit in a colander while I mixed everything else, squeezing it from time to time to help get all the water out (juicy little squash, that zuke). When it was time to bake, I split my batter in two. With the first half, I made mini muffins for the Biggest Girl. With the second half, I stirred in some chopped pecans and made some regular-size muffins for Mr. Mallard to take to work (I'll pilfer the mini muffins, since there's no way one toddler can tackle 24 mini muffins, right?). If I had been making them for myself, I would have added a reasonable amount of raisins, currants or dried cranberries, but I am the only one in the house that will eat raisins (or any raisin-like thing), so I left them out. You could also go vegan with this recipe by substituting 1 cup mashed, ripe banana plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder for the eggs (or use a pre-packaged egg subsitute, but those kind of freak me out). I haven't done this, yet, but I think the banana would blend really well with all the other flavors.

...and the food photography attempts are getting better. It's tougher than it seems!

A week (and a day) in pictures

One of the great/awful things about new construction is the lack of a completed lawn. The unlimited possibilities a rough grade yard presents are both exhilarating and overwhelming. If you can do anything you want, where do you start? What do you do?! All those years of "I can't wait to have a yard!" finally become "We have a yard...kind of" and the time had come to bust a move.

This is the perfect time of year to get a lawn started, so last Saturday we had 12 cubic yards of topsoil delivered. Before we moved it, I outlined the area that will eventually be the lawn...

The white line represents our imaginary fence, so the goal was to get the topsoil inside the lines. Since the ground is new and will settle quite a bit over the winter, we're going to wait until Spring before we tackle a permanent fence.

12 cubic yards of topsoil

That's $322 worth of dirt.

Actually, it's a blend of screened loam and compost, so it's not just dirt.

It's designer dirt.

Pictures of this mound simply don't do it justice. It had the potential to be soul-crushing. I was determined not to be defeated, though. It took us five solid hours of motion, but, using only wheelbarrows and shovels, we moved and spread every last bit of it. It was rough work, but there was no way I was going to bail and have to get up and face it again the next morning.

We had some help...

...until the revolt.

While the dirt settled a bit, I moved to inside projects.

First up, switching the dryer door.

To put the clothes in the dryer, I had to lean over the top of the dryer door. Not a huge inconvenience, but knowing there was a solution made it more annoying.

Ta-da! It was a little more frustrating than I thought it would be, but it's done and I love it. If you're going to attempt this, I would highly recommend having a second pair of hands around for assistance and moral support.

My second pair of hands was great for the moral support, but preferred to simply point at things, rather than lift and help.

During the middle of the week I was running errands like crazy, gathering all the supplies we needed to finish the lawn. I also tried some new recipes, but that's another story for a less lawn-oriented time...

So, this weekend we put in a temporary fence...

It's a 4-foot welded wire fence with a 2"x4" mesh of galvanized wire and it's attached to 6' poles that are pounded into the ground to meet the top of the wire. It's not the prettiest thing, but it's keeping the deer and turkeys off our lawn, so that's nice. And there's a funny story about how I knocked myself out the last time I was pounding in fence posts, so I was not allowed to work on this task unsupervised. You knock yourself out one time...

Finally...

This morning I was up at the crack of dawn. I leveled the topsoil and then spread Ferti-lome winterizer, fertilizer, and grass seed--all before 9:30am. Because I'm just badass like that.

As of 2pm, it hadn't started growing yet. That hasn't stopped me from standing at the front window to gaze upon my newest work of art. It's amazing and I am so excited to see how it all turns out.

Oh, and I planted a tree this morning, too (more badass points). It's a Bauer's Dracaena and it is the inspiration for all that will come. I always thought I wanted a very traditional yard, but I was wrong. We're going funky.

In the meantime...

The stone walkway is fabulous.

The lemon balm is healthy and happy.

The espresso maker is still one of my best friends and I'm finally going to start using the coffee grounds to create a mulch for the flowerbeds.

All those barista years are paying off at home.

If you need me, I'll be the one with my forehead leaning against the picture window, waiting for the lawn to grow.

BHG-Win stuff and things and cash!

Apparently, Better Homes and Gardens looooves to give stuff away. For the month of October, they've teamed up with Cooking.com to offer daily prizes of the awesome variety--coffeemakers, food processors, mixers, and all kinds of other cooking-related goodies--plus a chance to win $5,000 cash. Not too shabby, eh? Enter here: click.