Storing Herbs

If you have more fresh herbs than you can use before they wilt and dry out, try this instead. Chop them up into fine pieces, or cut with a kitchen scissors. Mush the herb pieces into an ice cube tray and fill to the top with water, then freeze. The herbs will keep their flavor much better than if you were to dry them.
One bunch of herbs will fill 3 or 4 cubes.
Make sure you label them though - I don't think getting cilantro and mint mixed up would be a very good thing!

Every Tuesday is Christmas!

Here is a pic of my awesome CSA box and what I got this week. Getting this farm share is some of the best $360 that Brent and I have spent this year. Every Tuesday on Brent's lunch hour, we drive over to this person's garage, where a box of fresh organic veggies are waiting for us. We get almost more than we can eat in a week, and our fridge is always full now.
I also have a new zest for cooking - trying new things I've never cooked or eaten before. This week I get to try kohlrabi for the first time ever. Last week I cooked sugar snap peas - wow, how did I never eat those before?
The cost comes out to about $12 a week - a lot less than I would pay for that in the grocery - and a lot less than I would pay for some of the delicious dinners we have been having at our house!

Find a CSA near you - Local Harvest.org

Mmmm Strawberries

Before

After


Note - that gallon of berries is way more than the jam I made. I just ran out of jars. Although I don't think I will make any more jam - what we have now will probably last about a year.

Check out my chart!

While I was away, Brent sold a piece of his business equipment and made a significant payment toward our business debt - we are down to about $8500 now! Check out our chart on the No Credit Needed Network here.

Makin' babies, baby.

When a man and woman love each other very much, sometimes they decide that they want to be a daddy and mommy. The man and woman have a very special (and fun) evening, and nine months later, they have a new baby.
Ah, but sometimes it is not that easy....

If you are going to start down the road of trying to make a baby, here's a few things that Brent and I have learned on our journey.

-Best book in the world - Taking Charge of Your Fertiltiy. Do not borrow or go to the library for this book - buy it for yourself. I would recommend it for any woman even if you are not thinking about pregnancy (preventing or acheiving). It is so informative on menstrual cycles and many other women's issues. This is money well, well spent.

-After a few months of trying, the addiction to pregnancy tests may occur. Pee On A Stick.com is a great website with a lot of information on how pregnancy tests work, which are the most sensitive, and ratings on which are best. Also there are places to buy bulk pregnancy and ovulation tests online for about $1 each instead of $10 at Walgreens.

-If you are in the market for a basal thermometer, look for a thermometer that keeps a record of the last few temperatures taken. This is very nice for when you fall back asleep after temping at 5 AM. Also, if anyone finds one that is backlit, please tell me - turning on the flashlight at dawn to read the thermometer is not so easy on the eyes.

After a while, you may realize that it will not be an easy road to parenthood. It is not an easy thing to deal with infertility - it is not only emotionally draining, but costly too. Tread carefully - each decision will have to be made with total communication between you and your spouse. If both of you are not on the same page, it will be a trainwreck in your relationship. Here are some more tips if you get this far....

Just to clarify, if you have failed to concieve after one year of trying, it is considered infertility and you should see a doctor to find out what's up. If you are over 30, you should start thinking about doctors after six months of trying.

- Dudes, get tested first. It's cheaper and far easier for the guys to get their sperm levels tested first. There are many invasive and expensive tests that women will have to endure - for guys, only one. And it could be actually fun too....(okay, not going to comment too much on that)

- Consider getting a job that will cover infertility testing and therepy. It may seem a little extreme, but it will lessen the sticker shock when you get that doctor bill.

Well, I wanted to say more, but it's late and I can't think straight. In the future, I'll share part two of the Makin' Babies topic - Immaculate Conception - How to Get a Kid Without Actually Having Sex. I'm sure you're all looking forward to it - I know we are.... (rolls eyes)

Nine super easy ways to save a buck on your vacation

1. Bring a book to the airport instead of buying a magazine
2. Bring juice and snacks to the airport - they are super overpriced there
3. Go to the grocery store and buy some foods to make in your room instead of eating out every meal. Even if you go to the super expensive organic grocer, it will be significanly cheaper than eating out.
4. If you're driving cross country, check which states have cheapest gas. Also, if you're driving on an interstate tollway, gas is at least a nickel or dime cheaper if you get completely off the tollway. You will not pay more in tolls if you exit and then come back. But you wil l pay more in gas at the convenient tollway gas stations. Same goes for the Overpass Expressway places - much more expensive.
5. Instead of going to all the touristy places, try searching for 'free' or 'weird attractions'. You might find some very interesting places that no one has ever heard of.
6. Continental breakfasts - oh yeah. Just make sure you eat some fruit and not just doughnuts.
7. Reset your thermostat and turn down your water heater (most have a vacation setting) if you are going to be away for more than 2 days.
8. Look into public transportation in your area. If your hotel is close to some stops, you could save a bunch on parking fees.
9. Go on a business trip and get your company to pay for everything.... this one's my favorite :)

Sleep Green

Here is a website where you can look up Eco-friendly hotels. If you don’t stay in one, most hotels now give you the option of saving water by not having your sheets and/or your towels laundered every day. You don't do that at home do you? Look around the room for a little card that shows you what to do if you don't need fresh linens daily. If your hotel doesn’t do that, maybe you can suggest it.

Keep your ticket

If you get a parking pass for any reason, don't store it on your dashboard, even if there is a little clip there that looks like it holds parking tickets. It might fall under your dashboard and then you'll have to pay for a whole day even though you've only been there for 20 minutes. And then it will obscure your VIN number and you'll never be able to get it out and you'll always be reminded of the $25 you wasted because you put your ticket on the dash instead of the overhead sun visor like you usually do.

Trust me on this one.

Veggies on the go

Vegetarian or Vegan going to a new city? Try happycow.net to find out what veg friendly restaurants and stores are in your area.

I, by the way, ate at the most wonderful vegan restaurant yesterday in Fort Worth - the Spiral Diner. Mmmmm. Check it out if you're ever in the area.

Keep your arms, head, and stomach inside the plane

Don't like to fly? I get kind of queasy sometimes, so this time I brought along some candied ginger to chew on when we were taking off and landing. It worked great. Ginger will calm your stomach and it tastes pretty good too. If you're plain nervous about the whole ordeal, try Rescue Remedy. It is a blend of flower and herb essential oils that will calm your nerves for any situation.

Healthy Eating While Away

I know it's easy to throw your healthy eating out the window when you're on vacation, but it's even more important to watch what you eat when you're travelling. You will be driving or flying long distances, sitting for hours one day, and walking miles the next. Buy a juice smoothie and mixed nuts for snacks instead of chips and a soda. Try to avoid high sugar snacks like candy - they will only make you more tired in the long run. Drink tons of water. I'm not suggesting that you don't splurge at that chic French Café down the street, but don't overdo it - and you may come back from your vacation energized instead of more tired than when you left.

Get outta town!

I'm posting from Dallas, TX the next two weeks - on a business trip. So I thought I would have a travel theme while I’m away. If you're planning on going on a vacation or trip ever again for the rest of your life, stay tuned, and I will have some Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise tips for you!