The 100 Thing Challenge Cont'd

Never have I considered myself a "stuff" person. I've always, even as a kid, appreciated the minimalist lifestyle. Shopping has never been one of my favorite past times, clothes and fashion are definitely not my thing, and I am soothed by an uncluttered, almost empty home. So I was very surprised to learn just how attached to my stuff I really am.

I've been slowly working my way through my closets and drawers, evaluating the importance of all my little knic-knacs, sorting through my piles of books. I've definitely made progress. A day of closet cleaning left me with an empty shelf, an empty dresser drawer, and only a pair of shoes and my knitting basket on the closet floor. We sold a box of books at our local used bookstore and have a box to donate to the library. And the boxes for donation/selling out in the garage keep getting fuller while our shelves and closets get  a little more breathing room. It feels good. I'm feeling lighter.

I'm struck by just how illogical and emotional our attachment to material things is. I can look at an object and know that I have not used/worn/read it in the past few years and that I will never use/wear/read it again. I can recognize that it has no sentimental or great monetary value and that it will continue to sit in a box in a closet for the rest of my life. Yet I still hesitate to get rid of it. And when I do finally donate or sell said object, I have a moment of panic that maybe I should have kept it, "just in case".

But here's the worst part. After all this soul searching and cleansing and feeling so good looking at my empty closet shelf, I want to buy more stuff. This is how it all starts. You want to buy something, just one thing, one thing that you really "need" or you somehow justify buying it. Then all those "one things" start to add up without you realizing it. And there is always just one more thing you want to buy. Soon your closets and garage are full so you think about buying a larger house. Then you realize your bank account is just a bit too low and your credit card a bit too high, but you still want the stuff and the bigger house to put it in, so you start worrying about jobs and how to get more money. Then you read a few blogs and get inspired to change your evil ways and downsize, be happier with less. So you purge your closets and curtail your spending and you feel better. But then you think about that one thing you need at the store. And when you are at the store you see a few more things you need or would look so good in that new empty spot on the bookshelf. Its a vicious cycle.

I have always known that there is no permanent satisfaction in buying things and that true happiness is not found in material things. I truly hate being stressed over finances and feeling pressured to work outside our home just to increase our income when we can already afford everything we need. So I have been surprised by just how powerful the urge is to keep spending money on things we don't need. When I think of spending money as an addictive, unhealthy habit, it makes it easier to clean out the closets and say no to the salesman.

100 Thing Challenge: Part I

Just the other day I stumbled upon this great little blog. Its titled "A Guy Named Dave " http://guynameddave.com  Dave, the blog's author, started a movement known as the "100 Thing Challenge". Its really two blogs, one about the challenge and one about his pursuit of a simpler, more fulfilling life (sound familiar?). Basically, Dave decided to try and live with just 100 personal items. Read his blog and you'll see that he doesn't actually live with just 100 items. There are exceptions (like items shared by his family), some "items" are really groups (like socks and underwear are counted as one item). But the point is, he makes an honest effort to live with far less stuff. Check it out.
I am always looking for inspiration and I have been inspired by the 100 Thing Challenge. At first, it seemed simple. Its important to have a concrete measurement of success when striving towards any goal. "Owning less stuff" is a hard goal to achieve. I like the idea of having an actual number to aim for. Then I started thinking about all the stuff I owned. How far do I take this? Its easy enough to be honest about all the clothes I own that I really don't wear, but how many pairs of pants should I keep? Books are a healthy habit. Is it bad to own so many? Are my cell phone, computer, and camera really necessary? What about things that help me lessen my ecological footprint, like hankies and reusable shopping bags? Should those count in my 100 items? And don't even get me started on the "baby gear" (although I will admit that 4 strollers is probably 3 too many). If I stick to only the things that belong to me (my husband has not yet chosen to participate), and don't count shared family/household items (such as the furniture), and don't count things that are essential (such as car seats) that is still an amazing amount of "stuff" that fills my home. So how to include those items that belong to the entire family? (Fortunately my children are still too young to have a say in this little project.)

I have begun to appreciate just how difficult this challenge really is.

I hadn't even started and already it was beginning to seem impossible, unreasonable, unnecessary. Why limit ourselves to an arbitrary number? If we value and use everything we own, why not keep it? Then I thought about all the money we have spent in the past few months on "organization and storage". How we think about needing a bigger house, a bigger car, a larger garage/storage area. I need to at least try.

The key to achieving such an overwhelming project is to take it one little step at a time. So I am not going to worry about all of our stuff. I am going to start with my closet and then move on to my kids' closets. We really don't need so many clothes and the large pile of shoes by the door drives me nuts. Honestly, if you have a pile of clothes on the floor because there is no where to hang them, you have too many. Then I will just slowly start working my way through my personal items.  Starting now, I am going to try not to buy any more stuff. Have you ever tried to have a day where you didn't spend any money? Try it, you may be surprised at how hard it is.

I think I'll start with a list of what I own, that will help put it in perspective. Stay tuned.....Better yet, join me! I'd love to hear about your pursuit of a less cluttered life!

Beautiful Brussels Sprouts

The garden harvest is a bit sparse this time of year. However, I am super excited about our latest harvest - Brussels sprouts! If you have only ever had over-boiled, mushy Brussels sprouts, you are missing out. I wouldn't blame you for not liking them. We never boil or steam them. It tends to make them taste too bitter and sulfurous. I suggest mixing them with some other winter veggies, such as carrots and cauliflower, toss with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 450-degrees until fork tender. Delicious! You will be a Brussels sprouts convert for sure. Although our little garden sprouts were the perfect size for roasting, I decided to try something different. I made a delicious Brussels sprout slaw, which even my vegetable averse 2 year old ate. Be brave, give it a try. Hope you enjoy!

Lemony Brussels Sprout Slaw

• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
• 1 Granny Smith or other tart apple - peeled and diced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, and salt and pepper. These measurements are just a starting point - adjust to your own taste. Toss with the Brussels sprouts, apple, and shallot. Its best to let the slaw mellow for an hour or so.

If she likes it, you just might!

Advertising Overload

I was so disheartened when I picked up our day-after-Thanksgiving newspaper. It was twice as big as the Sunday paper, and all ads! When did a holiday about gratitude and family become focused on shopping?! Is getting up at 4am to wait in line to buy electronics and toys really the holiday tradition we want our kids to remember? I am happy to say that I have been so inundated with "Black Friday" advertisements (even NPR has Black Friday sales!) that I am thoroughly turned off by the idea of shopping for anything. We don't need anymore stuff, no matter how good a deal it is. My friends and family don't need me to buy them anymore stuff. This year, we made a conscious decision to say no to Black Friday and keep Thanksgiving a holiday for giving thanks for what we already have.

Fine China

Since the move to our new house this past summer, my husband and I have been slowly sorting through all the boxes of stuff we have accumulated over the years. While digging through the garage this evening, we came across two large boxes of dishes that had been given to us by my mother awhile back when she was cleaning out her garage. The dishes, white with gold trim, were intended to be a set for the holiday table. Now, I certainly have very fond memories of setting our holiday table with my grandmother's beautiful china. And I secretly covet said china, which has been promised to my younger sister. However, as a general rule, I do not believe in having a complete set of dishes that only get used a few times a year. It seems a waste of space to store it all, not to mention a waste of a perfectly good set of dishes. We already struggle to find space for our everyday kitchen wares. I'll admit, both my husband and I hesitated when deciding whether or not to keep the dishes - the attachment to "stuff" is hard to overcome. But I already feel so much better knowing that soon the dishes will find a new home, hopefully with someone who will use them regularly and not pack them away to be forgotten in the back of their garage.

Let the Holidays Begin!

Hello faithful readers. So sorry for the lack of new posts, life got busy. I think I have finally gotten the hang of taking care of two little ones, so hopefully I will have more time to write about our pursuit of the simple pleasures in life. And what better time to recommit to living simply than the holiday season?! Its the time of year when everywhere you turn someone is telling you to buy, buy, buy! There is so much pressure to host the perfect parties, cook the perfect meals, and give the perfect gifts. Its takes a great deal of effort to resist the urge to run up the credit cards and run down your energy and enthusiasm. Its all a bit too stressful, wasteful, and overwhelming. This year, we are going to try our best to enjoy the true gifts of the holiday season. So stay tuned for some wonderful fall recipes, winter gardening updates, and our efforts to give simple yet meaningful gifts.

Summer Squash

It happens every year. I plant far too many summer squash plants. No matter how many times I remind myself that two or three plants is enough, I can't help myself.

They just look so small...

But before you know it, they grow ...

And begin producing a ridiculous amount of squash....

Just a bit of a gardening note before I proceed: squash should not be planted this close together - it encourages diseases like powdery mildew and decreases the amount of squash produced. Nor should squash be allowed to grow this large. Harvest them when they are small for the best flavor.

I love summer squash, but I'm not a fan of freezing it. I'd much rather cook delicious winter squash than frozen or out-of-season summer squash. So it was becoming a dilemma, what to do with all this excess produce (it is inevitable that your friends and neighbors will also be inundated by their own plentiful harvests and hence will not want any of yours). Last summer I was all about jam. This summer it has been pickles. I have learned that summer squash make delicious pickles. There are a variety of recipes for canning squash pickles and I have had success with every one I have tried. This is a particularly good and easy one...

Zucchini Pickles  

(recipe from a newspaper clipping from Food Day in the Oregonian, August 2010)

Makes 1 quart or 2 pints

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 large pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound summer squash cut into spears
• 1 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 TBS granulated sugar

Place the garlic, mustard seed, coriander seeds, and red peppers in the jar. Pack squash spears into the jar. They will shrink after the brine is added, so pack as tightly as you can without smashing them.
In a saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the squash. Attach lids, let cool, and refrigerate.
The pickles will be ready by the next day. However, they are better if allowed to pickle for a week. These are definitely a perfect addition to a fall BBQ or your lunchtime sandwich. You might not use all of the pickling brine. Don't throw it away! It will keep for about 2 weeks in your fridge for use as a salad dressing or marinade.

This is a recipe I make weekly during the summer. I have no idea where this recipe came from, but I can not claim credit for it. These muffins are a perfect breakfast served with some fresh fruit. They are so moist I never add any butter or jam to them. My daughter absolutely loves them and regularly asks to have one for a snack. I usually make a full batch of batter but freeze or refrigerate half for later (this is particularly useful if you have guests in town and want a nice breakfast without any work). Feel free to experiment with the amount of sugar and oil.

Squash Bran Muffins

Makes 24 large muffins

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBS cinammon
• 2 cups wheat bran
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 molasses
• 3 cups finely grated summer squash (or carrots)
• 1 cup raisins

Sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the bran.
Beat the eggs. Add the oil, sugar, and molasses.
Add the grated squash and raisins. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just enough to combine.
Bake at 350-degrees for 25 minutes.

Of course my absolute favorite squash recipe is to simply slice them, coat with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and throw them on the BBQ. I actually just pulled several of our squash plants yesterday to make room for some fall crops of salad greens, onions, garlic, and carrots. I have had my fill of squash for the year, but I know that it won't be long before I am looking forward to BBQ summer squash and squash bran muffins.