Thanksgiving Leftovers-What to do???

It is this time of year that most families find themselves saddled to the hilt with the task of providing the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. That dinner will result in leftovers for days, sometimes weeks, and in some cases, even months! If preserved and re-worked properly, one person could feasibly eat Thanksgiving Day leftovers for the rest of the year! Some might think this sounds like I am telling a tale here, but I am actually COMPLETELY SERIOUS.
In 2007, I found myself living alone in a one bedroom apartment. This afforded me a lot of benefits, such as, being able to stretch my groceries for a long time. :)  Thanksgiving of 2007 provided me with enough food via leftovers from the family feast, that I did not need to buy groceries until well after the new year!!!  From Jello-salad to turkey to leftover rolls, I made use of every leftover item from my family's Thanksgiving dinner and the Thanksgiving dinner from my office as well. With proper refrigeration, flash freezing, and a bit of creativity, I made fantastic meals for an entire month.
I challenge you to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers this year, whether it be by donating to the local women's shelter, re-working leftovers to feed your family, or even using table scraps for beauty treatments. How thankful are you really?

To get you started, here are a few helpful links:

Thanksgiving Beauty

Turkey Pot Pie

Being Thankful for Leftovers


Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!!!

Link of the Week: WE 11/12: Little House in the Suburbs

As winter is closely approaching, we often find the need to keep those little tootsies as warm as possible. Like many folks, I am not a huge fan of socks or slippers, but I will wear them if I am forced to.
Something I have found that helps a lot during the cold months (especially where wood floors are concerned), is a good old fashioned rag rug. Rag rugs are UBER easy to make and can be fashioned out of just about anything now a days! So, if you are looking for an alternative to resting those feet on a cold floor this winter, wander on over to Little House in the Suburbs and check out her No-Sew Rag Rug tutorial. It's easy, promotes recycling what you already have, and will keep those floors and feet toasty!
No-Sew Rag Rug

Enjoy!

Link of the Week: Green Building Elements WE 11/5

With things getting a little chilly in Virginia and heat being so expensive, I think this would be an appropriate link for the week:
GBE: Candle Radiator

 Everyone needs a little warmth these days, and why crank up the heater in your home when there's a more resourceful way to heat that room in the house you barely use? Check out the Candle Radiator from GBE. It really works-I made three!!!! PLUS-what a great way to enjoy your Candles by Jennifer??? (shameless plug-haha)
Enjoy!!!!

Link of The Week: Miss Minimalist-WE10/22

I am posting the link of the week early this week since I will be scrambling as I prep for a 3 day minivay this weekend. Hooray!

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life
This weeks link takes me to one of my favorite reads as far as blogs go: Miss Minimalist. Want to know how to simplify your life? Want to know how to downsize? Want to know how to make your money work for you and the environment and NOT against you? Check out 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life. Is it logical? Yes. Is it do-able? Totally. Moreover, it is a completely inspiring list. :)
Enjoy!!!!

Link of the Week- BlissTree

I was approached last week and asked if I could make more links readily available to readers.


Ummm,......OF COURSE I CAN!!!!!
So, in response, I have now started a link of the week. :)

 Bliss Tree-100 things
 This week's link is from my friends over at  blisstree.com.
I often hear folks exclaim that they have to run to the store and buy something random, at least 3-4 times a week. Of course, when I why that venture is so important, I often get the response of, "Well I cannot MAKE IT at home!?!?!"  Actually..........yes you can......at least SOME of it.

I am living proof that homemade is almost always the cheaper alternative, as well as the tastier one. For example, the Lay's company has made a fortune across the country selling their dips on the shelves of every grocery and quickstop, but I can bet you that my homemade dip is cheaper, tastier, and better for you.
The proof??? I made FOUR PANS of dip for one four hour UFC viewing event in my home last month. It cost me a total of $3, contained fresh-local & canned ingredients, AND left no non-recyclable waste. (It was also REALLY neat to hear grown men say, "This is made with chickpeas? REALLY?" HAHAHA.)

So, take a moment and wander over to BlissTree and check out their list of 100 things you can make yourself.....and maybe even give a few a try. :)

"What IS a muse nowadays, much less an environmental one?"

Yesterday, when handing my card to a fellow in the bee industry, I was asked the question, "What IS a muse nowadays, much less an environmental one?" Although my business cards, letterhead, blog, and twitter all proudly display the title, this is the fist time anyone has asked the question!

Dictionary.com defines a muse as follows:
noun

1.

Classical Mythology .

a.

any of a number of sister goddesses, originally given as Aoede (song), Melete (meditation), and Mneme (memory), but latterly and more commonly as the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over various arts: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (lyric poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (religious music), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy); identified by the Romans with the Camenae.

b.

any goddess presiding over a particular art.

2.

( sometimes lowercase ) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.

3.

( lowercase ) the genius or powers characteristic of a poet.

---

Origin:
1350–1400;  ME Muse  < MF < L Mūsa  < Gk Moûsa

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/muse

With that preface in mind, it was several years ago that friends and family began taking notice of my innate ability to save the environment, live cheaply, AND inspire others to do so at the same time. Quite often when someone was in need or had an interest, I became the go-to girl for finding a way of fulfilling that need that was beneficial for all parties involved: person & environment.
What it all comes down to is SO simple-it's about thinking outside the box, and radiating it. :)

You just moved into an apartment and you have no furniture?? Show me what you do have, find me a curb on a Sunday night, and give me a week-I will have your entire place furnished and have saved good items from piling up in the landfill.
Hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and need a table to sit eight? No problem-I need 2 old doors, a saw,some screws, and a can of paint.......easily found on craigslist.com. This year, why not make the dinner BYOC (bring your own chair) for added fun??? Start a new tradition!!!!
No cash for Christmas gifts this year??? Everyone loves something homemade. :) There are a TON of recipes and ideas on the web nowadays-USE THEM!!!! (I make candles for my loved ones from all recycled materials that folks give me year long that they would normally throw out.)

For years, I have been putting bugs into the ears of folks I know from every walk of life. It is for this reason that I was dubbed "The Environmental Muse" by  my good friend Frankie of  Frankie B. Designs. No matter where I go, or what I do, I always try to leave things better then I found them. I always try to make the right decision for both the environment and others-these two should go hand-in-hand anyways.
So, if 1 person reads this blog.....ever.....then hopefully they can take away a little green inspiration with them. Knowing that I have made a difference in one life, one patch of green..............well, that makes all the difference. :)

Ebay- foe or friend???

Keeping a trunk full of dusty books because one day you will use them to make a boatload of cash to contribute to your retirement??? Why not find out if it REALLY is worth it?? Take the EBay reality check quiz and find out if you are sitting on a potential treasure trove or if you are just harboring a moth-bearing mess that lines the pockets of publishers everywhere.
Ebay Reality Check – The True Value of Your Treasures