Veni Vini Vino

I am pleased to report that I have been featured as a guest writer on a friends' blog that focuses on the wines of this lovely region - The Oregon Wine Blog. When Jason and I were down in Jacksonville visiting House Alive, we stopped in at a local wine cellar, picked up a bottle of wine, and eventually I wrote up a nice review. If you have a few minutes check it out - support another amazing blog out there!

I thought that I'd put together a simple bit explaining what makes a wine organic. Often in liquor stores (and more often in food co-ops) we will see areas designated "organic wine," but the term "organic" is often so overused that it often becomes meaningless beyond green packaging and Pollanesque supermarket pastoral. I will admit that I have not really spent time figuring it out (I generally go for local first, organic second when it comes to wine).

For starters, there needs to be an acknowledgment that along with confusion around what it means to be "organic" in our supermarkets, each country in the world has a different standard. This is important to think about when dealing with wine seeing as so much of the wine in this country is imported (other food as well). What is agreed upon across the board is that the way the grapes are grown is very important. There should be no pesticides or chemicals and all other methods of growing need to be earth-friendly.

Where things start to become hazy is the position on sulfites. Sulfites are a naturally-occurring product of fermentation, and an excellent wine preservative. However, because many people are allergic to them, in order to be considered an organic wine there can be no added sulfites. This is the US standard, so if you have a sulfite allergy be sure that the organic wine you are about to drink is domestic. That said, there is no such thing as a completely sulfite-free wine.

At Semi-Urban Homesteader (as stated earlier) we aim to make our purchases from local businesses first, organic businesses second. With fresh meats and produce we find that the two are the same, but with wine this is not always the case. Our choice is to keep money local, support family businesses, and avoid using oil through shorter shipping routes. We count ourselves lucky that when it comes to wine we are able to enjoy the bounty of the Willamette Valley - a sentiment our friends at The Oregon Wine Blog share with us!

Sustainable Sunday: WabiSabi

Ok...I have a confession.

I stole the CD fish idea.

Not so much stole, as used the idea since it was taught to me. I learned it this past summer along with a bunch of other recycling-themed craft projects while working for the business we are profiling today - WabiSabi.

I spent my last summer working at WabiSabi, or Wabi for short - a nonprofit devoted to sustainability and community empowerment in Moab, UT. Wabi offers two thrift stores - the Warehouse and Thriftique - aimed at reducing the flow of goods into landfills as well as providing low-cost goods to people in a community rampant with rural poverty. The monies earned from the stores is given out to other nonprofits in the area, thus supporting their efforts throughout the county.

It's an amazing system - one I would love to see replicated across the country.

WabiSabi also puts on a series of community events, workshops, and other services. They offer the Make a Difference Grant, a twice-annual offering of money to community members who want to put on an event, workshop or project that improves life in Moab. In the summer the WabiSabi Kid's Art Tent travels to local festivals to provide recycled-themed arts and crafts projects for children (hence the CD fish). Over the holidays Wabi puts on Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and throughout the slow (tourist town) season, they offer a series of free Sunday brunches.

This weekend WabiSabi put on its largest annual event - the WabiSabi Fashion Show. It started nine years ago as a fundraiser promoting local artists and recycling held in a small, local, business. It has grown into a massive affair in the Spanish Trail Arena, showcasing fashion made by local artists and providing an opportunity for the community to kick back for an evening. This year's Fashion Show, themed Intergalactic, was held last night and was a wild success.


All in all, WabiSabi is an incredible example of how a business can promote sustainability and bolster its community. Next time you are traveling through Southern Utah be sure to stop in for some awesome new-to-you items!

Juxtapositions

Went to the winter market this weekend here in Corvallis with my friend Matt. Lots of great produce from right here in the area despite the fact that it is February and has been COLD of late. Got home and when I went to unpack my goods I thought this image was pretty funny. Kind of embodies how I enter the world.

Happy weekend all!

Snow Day Play

We woke up to a snowy day here in Corvallis - not something that is within the normal wintry weather. The flakes are fat and wet and accumulating on the ground as I type this.

Now I dislike snow. I grew up in the snow belt of New York state, and waking up to feet of fluffy whiteness on the ground is old hat. When I was home for the holidays it snowed EVERY DAY I was there. I found it ridiculous! Really snow is one of the things I truly complain about. Why do you think I moved to the Pacific Northwest?

That said, when we got a light dusting the other day I got a call in my office from a colleague who seemed pretty pleased with what I can only interpret as an attack of sky dandruff. She said, "when you have a four-year-old the snow becomes a wonderful gift." She described her son, nose pressed to the window of their house, asking how long it would stay and if he could go out and play with it.

Yeah, that made me appreciate the snow.

So today I figured I would celebrate another snow blessing (at least from the kid's perspective) - the snow day - by suggesting a couple of art projects that could be done with kids using old items you can find in your house.


CD Fish
Old CDs of any kind
glue (hot glue works best)
permanent markers
any kind of stiff paper
string, yarn, fishing line (You get the idea)
google-eyes, glitter (optional)

1. cut the paper to resemble different fish parts - fins, tail, etc.
2. take a long piece of paper that is about 3" wide and fold it like an accordion
3. lay out one CD on the table with the silver side down
4. glue the fin and tail pieces to the CD so that it starts to look like a fish
5. glue the string flat to the CD so that it comes out of the top of the fish
6. take another CD and glue it together with the other so that both sides facing out are silver
7. decorate the CDs with marker and other bits to make eyes, scales, spots - whatever you like
8. take the piece of paper that is accordion-folded and thread it through the holes in the CDs
9. now you have a lovely fish creation that can hang in a window!
   

Jar Snow Globes
any kind of old jar that you have kicking around as long as it has a lid that fits tightly
glue (hot glue works best)
any kind of small plastic toy
glitter or confetti (you can make this by cutting up a potato chip bag or old mylar balloon)
paint (optional)

1. glue the toy down onto the inside of the jar so that when you screw the lid on it will be inside(be sure that the toy will fit through the jar lid before you do this)
2. put 1-2 T. of glitter into the jar (use more for larger jars, less for little ones)
3. fill the jar most of the way full of water (the toy will displace a bit when you put it in)
4. put glue into the threads of the jar lid
5. slide the toy into the jar and screw the lid on tightly
6. once you have the jar sealed you can turn it over and paint a scene on the outside as well

Putting it all Together

Now THIS is what I call a feast...


Pork chops - Jason got them in work trade from Afton Field Farm. Dredged in paprika flour and roasted in cast iron.

Potatoes - Purchased at the First Alternative Natural Food Co-op and came from Gathering Together Farm. Marinated in balsamic vinegar and roasted with rosemary, sea salt, and pepper.

Salad - Kale and carrots purchased from Denison Farms and beets from GTF gotten at the Saturday Farmers' Market. Grated and mixed with sesame and flax seeds and tossed with a honey mustard vinaigrette.

Some food needs to be celebrated don't you think?

Sustainable Sunday: First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op

Nearly every food posting we have done includes some mention of the First Alternative Natural Food Co-op here in Corvallis. Whether baking bread, brewing kombucha, making chai, or getting our weekly groceries, we at Semi-Urban Homesteader LOVE this amazing Corvallis landmark.

The Co-op was started in 1970 by a group of 100 local citizens who wanted a source for healthy foods and the opportunity to educate others about sustainability and organic agriculture. Today it boasts over 8000 owners and two wonderful locations. Both the South (flagship) and North Co-op locations provide fresh produce, salad bar, deli items, prodigious bulk options, and high-quality natural and organic foods.

Some of our favorite Co-op features include the North Co-op's wheat grinder, South Co-op's bulk tincture selection, and both stores' ethically-sourced meat, quality wine and beer, and the "Feast Alternative" deli foods.

The Co-op does not just provide food, but events, workshops, and lectures on local issues and educational opportunities. They also work to support local business. The Local 6 program focuses purchasing efforts to buy from farms and businesses in the 6 most immediate counties around Corvallis. Currently they are earning money for local schools by dedicating a percentage of owner share monies.

All in all the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op is an amazing example of people coming together for the health and welfare of their community.

Door Knob Coat Rack

Moving into your first unfurnished place can be challenging - it sure was for us! Fortunately, we are trying to learn as much as we can about carpentry and building, and are interested in creating a home full of recycled and reclaimed beauty.

When last in Portland I went to the ReBuilding Center and got myself the part of a door jamb that included some hardware and holes from past doors. I dug through hundreds of old doorknobs looking for eight that were different shapes and colors.


I used a circular saw to make a diagonal cut through the jamb, dividing it so that one piece was about 2/5 and the other the 3/5. Initially I was going to make one of them 3ft and one 2ft, but there was such amazing hardware and distressing on the ends and throughout that I decided just to use the whole thing.


I set the doorknobs evenly across the center of the jamb and screwed them on. I had to drill pilot holes and then hand-screw them because the phillips bit on my drill is not long enough to get around the curve of the knob.


I opted to mount them on the wall behind the front door using plastic wall mounts because the studs were hard to locate. I chose to hang them off center from one another so that the knobs were staggered for better accessibility.

I am very pleased with how the project turned out. The wall next to the bookcase was very blank, and its great to have our things up off of the floor!