Composting – Back to the earth

For the last two years my dear husband has been building a compost pile. Mostly banana peels, coffee grounds, and other fruit and veggie peels and refuse. I’d tried growing avocados to no avail so I threw the avocado pits into the compost.

Guess what? The plants sprouted! Yippee. They look great. They’re growing now like weeds. Composting is SO easy. The ground where I live is very hard. Just too hard and rocky to grow anything. Buying soil can be expensive, time consuming and hard on your back hauling it to your car and back home.

So now I have bins in my fenced garden area (I purchased a dog pen earlier this year) and put bins into the area. I just throw the compost and leaves into the bins. Plants grow better, it’s cheaper, less hard on your joints and backs and better on your wallet. Keeps the skins out of the landfills and regenerates into the earth.

So now fellow divers, this is one excuse you could use if you’re caught dumpster diving fruits and veggies behind a store. You’re an organic small farmer looking for compost.

I will be taking pictures this week to show you of my compost pile and my garden. For a small time gardener like myself, it’s not bad.

Southern Heat and Health Recovery

This heat this summer has been a real bear. We have had bouts of rain and cooler weather, but the hot heat has prevailed. Either I’m getting older and less tolerant of the heat OR it’s really getting hotter.

My dear handsome handyman husband put rain gutters on our house. He purchased two totes and we now have quite a bit of rain water to water the garden. Storing rain water just makes sense. It’s less demand on the municipal grid for water and it saves money for all of us.

Since he’s installed the gutters we’ve had a few bouts of serious rain. No flooding thank God. On each of these occasions, I put on my swimsuit and literally stood under the gutter. The cold rain water just gushed on me and let me tell you boys and girls, it felt great! The cold water plus the ionized air from the lightning just gave me a sense of well being. I was so relaxed from the first dunk I laid on the couch and crashed! So try it if you like. Remember as kids we always played in the rain, didn’t you?

Some things in our garden did not take, despite watering and taking really good care of the plants. The things that did do well were tomatoes, tomatillos, serrano peppers, loofahs and maybe just maybe the avocado plant I started just might take.

The dumpsters in my area have been really picked clean. I think there are a lot of other divers in my area. I’ve found a few things, but with the extreme heat, food is not one of them.

For about two years I’ve not been able to shake flu like symptoms, chronic sinunitis and just generally feeling poorly. Despite all the supplements, exercise and good clean water, something wasn’t right.

I went to a low income clinic that services the indigent and the poor. It’s a great place. Had a tooth pulled and one filled. Was on antibiotics for 7 days. The nurse told me that tooth had been bad for a long time. I ignored it. I didn’t want to go to the dentist as I knew the bill would be high. A wonderful lady told me about the clinic and shortly thereafter I had the work done.

For those of you who don’t like epi you can have yourself numbed by carbocaine. It contains NO epi. My heart didn’t race and I felt fine. I was sore but I was fine.

Since the tooth has been pulled and the infection left my body I feel a 1000% better. It was that darn tooth. Not surprisingly, my blood pressure dropped 30 points and my joint pain has dropped significantly. I still have shoulder and elbow injuries from diving alone for many years, but they’re not as bad. There is a clear connection between dental infections and bad health. So if you’ve put off going to the dentist, please go. If you can’t afford it, find a local low income clinic like I did and just get it done. You’ll feel a lot better.

So everyone in UDD land? How was your summer?

 

 

 

Suet Cake Madness and Indigent Health Care

I’ve captured a pic of the suet cake above that my husband had to reinforce with gusto. The first suet cake and holder we suspect was taken by a squirrel.

The second suet cake was taken by a big black crow. We found the holder and the cake in the woods near the house. We took the remains and put it on the porch. Lo and behold we witness a possum taking the entire tray and chain to the woods. He outran us.

This time, my husband put it on with such reinforcements that it would be hard to get off. Even by humans. We decided that if any critter takes this one off, we’re done with suet cakes.

The last 2 weeks we’ve found some good stuff diving. Chocolate malted balls, gardening gloves, nasal strips, OTC aspirin, shampoo and conditioner. Because I had been so sick I just didn’t feel like diving.

So I finally went to the doctor. A female one. Since I live in a rural area, high end health care is hard to find. I finally went to a rural indigent clinic that services the poor and low income. I found a wonderful doctor who gave me a complete exam and blood workup. I had to tweak my diet and pay attention to my health, which I was not doing.

I’ve lost now 22 pounds and feeling much better. I need to lose more but it’s coming off. I’m keeping a food diary and am exercising 4-5 days a week. Your health is so important. You don’t realize it until you lose it.

I monitor my blood pressure regularly. Drinking hibiscus tea has lowered it substantially.

I was sleeping poorly, possibly sleep apnea. Waking up with pounding headaches and BP through the roof. After losing some weight, exercising, taking hibiscus tea, magnesium supplements, DHEA and tart cherry juice, I feel like a new woman. All of these supplements together have eliminated a lot of my joint pain and given me much more REM sleep. Which is necessary for total health.

The last stop is the dentist. I have to go. I spoke to a man yesterday who had bad teeth. He’s going to the local indigent clinic for dentures. He said his heart problems were due to his rotten teeth, poor thing. So he’s now getting the care he deserves and needs to stay alive.

I’ll be posting more now and adding a little bit more health tips as I go along.

Sirloin Roast Manifestation

I’m at the grocery store tonight shopping for my regular weekly trip. Beef has gotten so pricey here lately, I’m just not buying as much. I had wanted to make a pot roast but the tender cuts of meat were way too expensive. So I passed.

I told my husband let’s go behind the store, let’s see what they have thrown out. I go to the first dumpster and guess what was squashed to the left of the trash bag?

A 1.5 pound sirloin steak roast, cold (fresh kill), well within date and completely red, no brown marks. I grabbed the package and we took off. Here I was bemoaning the price of sirloin steak and resigned myself to not having it.

So tonight I’ll be cooking that in the crockpot with burgundy french onion soup. Served with carrots, mashed potatoes and sweet tea.

Manifestation or coincidence? Who knows?

 

Feeding yourself on SNAP and self-care

Living on SNAP benefits and making do on less is a way of life for most people. I feel for many folks who are hurting. So if my site can help you find free food, that could also subsidize your SNAP benefits along with couponing.

You can dumpster dive for coupons. Many stores like Walmart, will actually give you money back if you use a coupon to offset a clearance or close out item. For example, closeout item is $1.00, coupon is $1.25. Money back your total shopping. What’s not to like about that?

A few weeks ago I had coupons for toothpaste. With the coupon offsetting the closeout prices, the toothpaste was free. The only thing I paid was sales tax.

Yes I troll closeout and clearance aisles. I wait patiently until the items get really cheap. If I can use a coupon, great, if not, I still get a great bargain. So many times I’ve purchased good shampoo, conditioner and shower gel for next to nothing. It’s a great item to store and it doesn’t go bad.

If you’re a mom and receiving WIC, please note that in most stores (if you don’t already know) many items are eligible for this now. Many fruits and vegetables are WIC eligible. If you’re receiving SNAP, I’d spend your WIC first and stock up on the fresh fruits and veggies I could.

I alluded to in another article that I wasn’t feeling well. I just couldn’t shake what was going on with me. I’ve spent exhaustive research and realized I had a serious candida problem, which creates all sorts of issues. This is what I did.

My husband purchased a collodial silver generator on Amazon for $40. You literally plug the silver rods in the water for about 3 hours and voila, your own collodial silver water. Ladies and gentleman, it has worked like a charm. I feel MUCH better. Not 100% but much better. I know $40 is a lot of money for a lot of people, but save up a little bit each month. And buy one, I guarantee you, you’ll feel better.

I’m taking 1000 to 5000 milligrams of vitamin C each day. I’ve found that taking Vitamin C has helped my joint pain tremendously.

I’m a big fan of Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. At least twice a day I put in 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons ACV and room temperature water. It acts as a anti-viral and natural antibiotic. I thought it would taste hideous, but it’s really not that bad.

But back to diving. Now that it’s colder and less chance of meat or any other food spoiling in the hot sun, it’s back to diving behind the stores!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Sunday night finds

Now that it’s getting cooler, my food diving will start to go back up. Tonight I spotted a box alone in the dumpster just waiting for me. It had about 6 bags of cheeto type puffs (those are crack like to me, I can’t stop eating them) which will go to the local food pantry, some Halloween coasters new in container, some plastic forks, knives and cups and a few other odds and ends.

I’ve been looking for an orphanage of something of that sort that I could contribute to on a regular basis. I have a number of new blow dryers, curling irons and straighteners that were waiting for the right recipient. I have found those recipients. Orphaned children and teenagers who are either a by product of deceased parents, or neglected kids in need. Hillary was right, it does take a village to raise a child. Especially children who are parentless, hungry or near homeless.

I’m on my last final stages of my current antibiotic. I’m starting to feel better, but Pharma Antibiotics can do more harm the good. I’ve been juicing quite a bit and am feeling the difference. I’ve been making carrot juice with cilantro (which is a heavy metal detoxer) and carrot juice with parsley (a diuretic and a good tonic for UTI’s). I’m no longer buying commerical juices in the store. It’s a little more expensive to buy the fruit and juice it rather than the boxed juice, but in the long run I save money as I’m not going to the doctor. I’m also doing Vitamin C therapy and drinking lots of good water.

I do believe the right fruits and vegetables, good sleep and clean water makes a huge difference in your health. The right foods make the right attitude.

What do you eat or drink to stay healthy?

Fall Harvest Update

Hello all you fine ladies and gentleman who read my blog. This has been a grueling hot summer. Actually too hot for diving (food wise). Pickings have been slim. We’ve found an occasional box of cleansers, paper goods or non-food items but nothing to write home about. Now that the hot weather is finally coming to an end, I can work on insulating my old home and cleaning up clutter.

We had a serious power outage here that knocked down huge trees and left the residents here without electricity. Of all times to have a power outage in the middle of July with no AC and no means of cooling off. We took cold showers every two hours and fanned ourselves. We finally drove to another town where they did have power and sat in the AC and charged our phones at a local fast food joint.

About a week later I got hit with a nasty viral type bacterial infection. I was in agony. I’m a very holistic person, but this wasn’t being treated with natural medicine, so off to the urgent care I go. I was given some strong antibiotics that had such serious side affects I was homebound. I found out later (unfortunately) that Ciproflaxin has long term damaging side affects, which I’m still getting over.

I’ve come to the conclusion that eating a vegan or near vegan diet is the only choice for us. The last two times I’ve eaten pork I’ve felt very lousy for a few days. So has my husband. I believe it’s the parasites in the pork. So we’re merging into a diet of more fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, potatoes, soups and salads and maybe fish occasionally. But steak, pork and bacon are out. Don’t get me wrong I love those foods. Maybe once in a while I’ll eat them. But for now, at my age, those foods are not good for me and they’re anti-aging. When you look at people who are either raw foodies or vegans, they look far younger than their age.

I’ve been focusing on my garden. We didn’t grow enough to feed us for a long time, but enough to put some veggies in the freezer for long term use. We saved tomatillos, serrano peppers, habanero peppers, peppermint, lemon balm, tomatoes, strawberries, corn, oregano and basil. Not bad for a first timer.

I’m not that great of a gardener yet, but I’m still learning and doing better each time. We bought a dog pen with a roof on it. We’re going be placing bins inside thedog pen (keeping the critters out that way) and growing food there.

It’s better to learn and be quite proficient in gardening and growing your own food now. Dig a well before you’re thirsty I’ve been told. Whether or not a collapse happens economically or environmentally, it’s always good to have some sort of food freedom. This way if disaster strikes you are prepared, if not you have organic veggies that you know what was put into them.

So for now, it’s remodel, garden and heal from these toxic pharma drugs. Once things get cooler I’ll be back to diving again.

Potato Bake

It’s way too hot to cook in the kitchen. So until it gets cooler cooking is done outside on the propane grill we purchased. Propane is cheap to cook with and cooks fast. I have a side burner I use for cooking eggs, potatoes or anything stir fry. This keeps the heat out of the kitchen and saves a lot of money on your electric bill. You can always go back into your bedroom with the AC on later to cool off.

My husband found 2 large bags of potatoes all by themselves in the dumpster. There were a lot more but he didn’t want to attract attention by staying there any longer. He uses a 6 foot fishing gaffe we bought at a local sporting good store to hook out larger bags or bags way down in the dumpster.

He washes the potatoes and throws out any bad or spoiled ones. That’s why they threw out the bags. There were a few bad ones in the mix.

He lets them dry overnight. Then, they are put in a big stock pot and cooked on the propane grill outside for about 1-2 hours. Once they are soft and cooked they go inside.

We purchased a potato ricer at a local discount retailer. Works very well. The potato ricer mashes the potato for either mashed potatoes, potato pancakes or home fried potatoes. They’re all good.

We put them into ziploc bags and allow them to cool for several hours before we freeze them. I usually cook them for breakfast with eggs. They make a great sort of hash brown.

The potato ricer was reasonably priced, stainless steel and very sturdy. They’re also good for carrots. Many young mothers use them to smash up their food for their little ones.

On a side note; I had made some strawberry vodka liquer with some dived strawberries out of the freezer. This stuff is so good you can drink it straight. So for a summer cocktail I use one shot of the strawberry liquer with tonic water. It’s a very refreshing light drink.

Here’s to a marvelous summer.

Food Freedom

Started planting our own food, (some of it for now) and things are looking good. My dear husband has planted lettuce, tomatoes, tomatillos (good for green salsa verde), peppermint and lemon balm (which smell fabulous and will be putting them in sun tea today), corn (which is starting to sprout and do very well), serrano and jalapeno peppers.

I’m very excited. Each and every day my husband water the plants and I spray the leaves. I talk to the plants. Plants have consciousness so kind and loving words help them grow. I always wanted to be able to walk outside, snip off a bunch of lettuce and make a nice green salad. I’ve committed to eating one raw meal a day.

I plan on canning and drying some of the food, eating some of it fresh and any leftover will be given to two women I know. One is a senior on a fixed income and the other one is one of the working poor. She works three jobs to survive. So do what I can to help her.

Have seen other divers out and about. Have not been finding much. Some lemons here, some potatoes, there. That’s about it.

We collect rainwater. I then take a 2-liter bottle and dip it into the rain barrel. Then when I need to water my plants, it’s an easier pour and re-using water is a good thing.

Many talk green, but hear ye hear ye, I am green.

I am a mountain woman. I am a pioneer. I am a vanguard of the old. I revere nature and animals. I respect nature.

Taco Bell Dinner and Living Green

Had a good haul the other day. Found over a dozen boxes of those Taco Bell make at home dinners (all you need is the ground beef), a dozen or so boxes of cereal and an entire box of thank you notes. All of us are used to sending emails and we don’t send letters anymore. There were thank you notes, blank cards, shower notices, baby shower invites, etc. It was all good stuff to have.

Now for the living green part. I purchased a simple shower from Amazon. It works great! It’s reasonably priced and will fit 2 liter bottles and the 1.25 liter bottle. You have to have the 2 liter bottles sitting out in the sun to heat up. It’s too darn cold if you don’t. I stood in my shower and used the first part to wet my hair and shampoo. Rinsed off. While my conditioner was seeping in, I used my shower poofer to wash. Rinsed off. Used 3 1.25 liter bottles to take a shower and I felt fine and clean. It’s a good investment, I highly recommend it.

I’ve been purchasing the solar lights from the dollar store. They work very well. Another way they can be used is in your house. If you have an area of the house you don’t go in as much at night like the bathroom, put one there. Charge it up during the day and put it in your bathroom at night. Stick it into that green foam block that people use for fake plants in a vase. You save electricity and help the planet at the same time.