WHAT'S BUGGING YOU?

Here are a few facts that might astound you about your own creepy crawly cuisine............courtesy of the FDA's website.

INSECTS WE EAT (averages....per serving size of 100 grams)

CHOCOLATE - 80 insect fragments
CANNED CITRUS FRUIT JUICE - 5 fly eggs or 1 maggot
CANNED CORN - 2 insect larvae
FROZEN BROCCOLI - 60 aphids, thripes, or mites
FROZEN BRUSSELS SPROUTS - 60 aphids, thripes, or mites
GROUND CINNAMON - 800 insect fragments
GROUND PEPPER - 950 insect fragments
MACARONI AND OTHER NOODLE PRODUCTS - 100 insect fragments
MUSHROOMS - 20 maggots
PEANUT BUTTER - 60 insect fragments
TOMATO SAUCE AND PIZZA SAUCE - 30 fly ggs or 2 maggots
WHEAT FLOUR - 150 insect fragments

This is meant to educate, not alarm. Just know that YOU GET WHAT YOU INSPECT, NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT.

Check those expiration dates, be mindful of storage conditions (even with shelf stable products), and maintain heightened awareness of food safety at all times.

WORD OF THE DAY: ENTOMOPHAGY
The practice of eating insects as food

Bon Appetit!

MAGIC GIRL

Still asleep, my magic girl……….
I watch you as you rest
And wonder why God gave to me this work that is HIS best?
Did I, dare I, do I ………………now deserve so much delight
To have this precious time before my magic girl takes flight

Your innocence so genuine
I hold on tenderly…………..
And cradle you with aging hands , eternity to see………….
Oh magic girl, sweet, gentle child………………
God’s gift to me divine…………….
I love you little magic girl, as if you had been mine.

You are the smallest dance of life, I try to hold on tight………………….
For far too soon my magic girl……… you’ll waltz into the night.
I cannot go to be with you; you’ll travel your own way
But magic girl………………………I watched you sleep,
And loved you much, today.

A Light Bulb Moment

Top of the morning to you, fellow bloggers!

Pour another cup of your favorite brew, revitalize those sleepy brain cells, and let's chat about about "greening" the planet and the pension.

While contemplating the declining value of my retirement investments this morning (now THAT will wake you up, won't it!), I decided to bring a "bit of the Irish" to my blog this month (timely, huh?) with the most succinct and valuable information that I have encountered lately concerning living frugally and sustainably (AKA: green-ly).

I read. I read a lot. I read obsessively. I am an information junkie. (Whew......I feel better now that I have outed myself!) Where am I going with this? It's too much..................it's simply too much. I end up with analysis paralysis. I end up without a road map because I cannot program my GPS. I end up without a picture because I didn't finish reading (or didn't understand) the camera manual. Are you here? Do you understand?

If so, I am sure you can see why I am sooooooooo excited when I find some information that is a no-brain, concise action strategy that helps me live the way I want to live. Spells it out for me. One, two, three..........get on with my day type of easy. Good, eco-friendly, frugal advice. A dumbed down "_____________ for Dummies" page; a succinct summary......................... A PLAN!

THEN, I really get excited! I HAVE A LIGHT BULB MOMENT!!!!!!!!!
Let me share...................

For those of you who just cannot abide not having the research, consult my source at http://www.thesimpledollar.com/ (Archived post from 10Feb2009). (You won't be sorry)

For the rest of us:
RIGHT NOW, USE CFL bulbs for general lighting purposes, INCANDESCENT bulbs for focused reading (where immediate light is important), and LED bulbs in a few very hard-to-reach sockets, since they have a very, very long life span.

AS THE PRICE ON LED BULBS GOES DOWN (which it inevitably will over the next few years), REPLACE THE INCANDESCENT BULBS FIRST AND THEN THE CFL'S. When Will LED Bulbs Be Ready for Prime Time? Sound advice is to keep a close tab on the prices of LED bulbs. Ignoring light quality entirely, LED bulbs are already cheaper than incandescent bulbs over a long period, but as they are manufactured by more and more companies, the prices on such bulbs will drop over time - and a rapid drop will probably occur OVER THE NEXT ONE TO TWO YEARS.

IF YOU ARE SWITCHING DIRECTLY FROM INCANDESCENT BULBS, WAIT UNTIL THE PRICES ON LED BULBS DROP TO HALF OF THEIR CURRENT PRICE, SAY $60 A BULB - then begin replacing incandescent lights. Why not just replace all incandescent bulbs with these bulbs now, since they’re cheaper over the bulb’s lifetime? In the short term, the prices on LED bulbs will actually drop faster than the energy cost savings in buying them now, so hold off for a year or so before replacing all of your incandescent bulbs.

IF YOU ARE JUST LOOKING FOR THE CHEAPEST LIGHTING POSSIBLE, YOUR MAGIC NUMBER FOR LED BULBS IS IN THE $15 PER BULB RANGE. One could estimate that THIS PRICE POINT WILL BE REACHED WITHIN THREE TO FIVE YEARS.

INCIDENTALLY, CFLs CAN NOW BE RECYCLED. Home Depot, Ace Hardware, True Value and Ikea will accept used CFLs. Further, you can contact your public works department or go to ww.epa.gov/bulbrecycling to find a recycling program.

THERE YOU HAVE IT.

Cut and paste it. Delicious it. Digg it or JUST DO IT. (That was a great campaign now wasn't it?) Then, PASS IT ON......................as I have.

Injoy,

The Other Martha at home

Meatless Monday

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

To be able to work for our daily bread and afterwards to enjoy the fruits of our labors is a blessing.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 informs us: "Surely I have seen what is good and excellent for a man: to eat and to drink and to see that which is good in all his wearisome labor in which he toils under the sun for the few days of life which God has given to him, for this is his lot. Moreover, every man to whom God has given riches and empowers him to eat from them and to accept his lot and to rejoice in his labor, this is a gift of God."

Celebrate the beginning of the work week with a simple life affirming meal designed to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer -- - four of the leading causes of death in America. Be a part of the national health campaign called "Meatless Monday".

Sunday's Simplicity

From Revelation 2:17: "I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."

This verse has a special meaning for me that is hard to express. It reminds me that Jesus knows each of us in a very personal way, to the point that he calls us by a name only shared between us.

Consider entertaining during this epiphany season with a table celebrating this promise.

Draw from the beauty and simplicity of nature. Begin with a sage green tablecloth as a backdrop. Add quilted or other textured placemats in deep evergreen on top. Clay pots, antiqued white, placed on their sides might contain moss (gathered outdoors or purchased at craft stores) plus any evergreen sprigs you might enjoy (I love cedar during the holidays and rosemary at other times). Pull in some silver accents (serving pieces, condiment dishes or other décor) and the white stone place cards as a shining contrast to the touches of green. Layer your dinnerware. Begin with a white charger supporting a green edged dinner plate that’s topped with leaves and flowers. A clear glass plate for the top layer covers the greenery and protects the food.

The smooth white stones painted with guests’ names are the highlight.

Enjoy!

The Epiphany Season

As we begin a new year, may we, through God's guidance and our faithful obedience, find new avenues in ways that we have not imagined of holding the Light of God's love so that it may be a Light of revelation for all people.