It's Really Cold

I don't know. There's just something 'about' winter. I love it! But I DON'T like turning the furnace on. I don't like how loud it is. I don't like how it dries everybody up. How 'long' can I bundle the kids up in several layers... I'm always contemplating within myself how 'long' I can go without that darn furnace. "Do you think we could make it to November 15th? The 30th? Christmas?" Plus, there's the financial/environmental cost...when really, just some thick socks and a sweatshirt could gain us a few extra days without having to heat.

Yesterday was great! It was cold, but I hung a curtain in the hallway between the living space (kitchen and family room) and the rest of the house. The space heater took the chill off and the food dehydrator was loud, but what could be better than drying tomatoes and warming up the room all at the same time?! By the time my friends came over for The First Annual Seed Swap, it was comfortable. Later, I roasted 3 pumpkins and 1 butternut squash. By then, it was luxuriously warm! And the butternut squash soup that resulted was a smashing success. (Thanks K for your help!)

So, Bubby's Playdough may be frozen, but we're having a good time.

Garden news: I learned my lesson! CHECK THE WEATHER BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, TOMATO GROWERS! All my tomatoes were green orbs of frozen tomato-ness yesterday morning. So I promptly picked 40 green roundies and sliced and dried 'em. Any ideas for how to use these babies? Luckily, I had picked all the more reddish ones the day before - thanks to my Mom's prompting. Thanks, Mom.

First Annual Seed Swap

My friends and I are planning a 1st Annual Seed Swap! I'm very excited as it just seems fitting to collect and save the seeds from my first garden. Here's what will be on my swapping menu:

Grandma Wolfe Mongo Tomato
The Ever Prolific Lemon Cucumber from the West Side
Yummiest Butternut Squash Ever
Oblong Pumpkin
Coriander/Cumin
Upstart of a Cherry Tomato (volunteered itself from my compost 2 years ago)
Basil
Pole Beans
Spaghetti Squash
Zucchini (I think. Better check.)

Minty Tooth Powder

So I've been using a fluoride-free toothpaste for a while now. But I didn't really know why. I did find some some interesting reasons here (about flouride) and here (about sodium lauryl sulfate). I got to thinking, if the paste I've been buying doesn't have any crud in it, what DOES it have in it? Turns out, not much. Therefore, I decided to make some tooth powder myself. Why pay some company to package baking soda and flavoring in a non-recyclable tube?

Actually, it doesn't taste bad at all. And somehow I like the salt in it. Now, if I can get the rest of the family to use it...

Tooth Powder Recipe

2 Tbsp baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
5 drops peppermint oil (I used more like 8 drops)

Here's what I like about this new quotidian ritual: The little spoon I use to pour a bit of powder on my toothbrush each morning. It's sweet.

I'm thinking about flavoring the next batch with a little fennel oil, too. Yum!