DIY Compost Bin...I'm hoping.

I've been wanting a compost bin real bad for a while now, but I just couldn't sacrifice the $200 they seemed to be running.  Fed up, I went to the web for a solution.  I knew I didn't want to make a compost "pile" in my backyard for a couple reasons.  First, I rent my home and don't want to put a lot of effort into anything that isn't "mine", and also, I feel like those "piles" aren't as efficient in turning over the compost as a bin is.  While surfing the net, I came across a lot of trash can DIY compost bin projects, this one in particular.  Hell, I could do that!  And so I did....

Ingredients:
-  1 outdoor strength plastic trash can w/lid
-  Drill
-  2 bungee chords

Directions:
Go to your local home improvement store, and scope out their trash can selection.  I bought an "indoor" strength trash can by mistake, and in hindsight, I would have definitely bought an outdoor strength trash can instead....so do that.  Basically, the indoor purpose trash can's plastic isn't as heavy duty...and you need heavy duty.  You'll also need a couple bungee chords if you buy a trash can without a locking lid.

You'll also need a drill, and a super cute helper, like Fred, here.  Don't ask me how big the bit was, or any of that jazz.  I just went over to my folks' house, stole my dad's drill, and he wasn't there to advise me so I just grabbed whatever I found.

"Mom, I don't know about this...."

Basically, all you do is drill a bunch of holes into your trash can for ventilation purposes.  Make sure to drill some in the bottom, too, for drainage.  I drilled holes vertically up the side panels.  If you don't have a locking lid, like me, this is where the bungee cords come into play.  Simply drill a hole at the top near the lid large enough for the bungee cord hook to go in.  Then, when you place the lid on your trash can, you can secure it with the bungee cords.  It's pretty self explanatory.  And really, the reason for locking your lid is in case you want to roll your trash can on its side so to mix the composting material.  Otherwise, you can always use a shovel, or pitchfork, to mix upright.

Alright!  Holes drilled!  I saved my juicing scraps from earlier, coffee grounds, and learned you could use fireplace ash, too.  So, here's my pot of organic goodies I'm going to add to my compost.  When starting your compost, you need to put some potting soil, maybe some dried leaves, shredded newspaper, and fertilizer in there with your organic "trash" materials.  The fertilizer helps jump start the process.  Mix it all together, and water the mixture just enough to make it  moist.  Don't place your bin in direct all day sun.  It's probably best to put it somewhere where it might get morning sun, and shade the rest.

Here's a good website listing all the material you can compost.

Well, we'll see how this project goes.  Fred's real happy about composting.  He just knows there's all kinds of trash and edibles in there hiding!!!

Updates 5.1.2010

Hello world!  It's been awhile.  'Member me?  Well, lots has been going on since I last blogged.  Hell, I can't even remember where I left off?!

Culinary.  Food, ahhh, my favorite subject.  Although you guys have been missing food here on my blog, I have NOT been missing it in real life!  I have eaten well the past couple months.  As for baking, my most favorite goodie as of lately has been those damn awesome chocolate chips cookies!  We eat the hell out of 'em, and my waist line can speak for that!  Hands down, this is the best cookie recipe, vegan or not, on the planet.  They rock.

I also made some vegan chocolate cupcakes with vegan buttercream frosting.  Holy cow...AWESOME!  Now, I'll be the first to admit there are two things that almost always come better out of a box than by hand...brownies and cake (just the cake; not the frosting).  Seriously, it's real hard to F-up a box cake, and they always turn out moist and tender.  But, I have found the best ever chocolate cake recipe ever, and it just so happens to be vegan AND the easiest damn cake recipe I've ever made.  It's ridiculous.  Non-vegan Mom approved, and everything.  I'll post the recipe for that soon.

As for the rest of my culinary concerned life, I still remain almost all vegan at my house, and eat meat when it has been prepared for me at someone's house.  Honestly, still don't miss the meat terribly.  Don't get me wrong, it is good, but the cravings are nearly as strong as they are for...DAIRY!  Yes, dairy.  Not so much on milk, but cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, and ice cream...yes, please!!!  I've been keeping some cheeses at the house, and my main "cheater food" is pizza, so I am guilty of eating on some cheese.  I'm sorry, but I just love chevre, and brie, and  manchengo, and cream cheese, and the list goes on.  Sorry vegans, there's just no substitute for that stuff.  I did, however, find some unpasteurized raw chevre style goat cheese at the Farm to Market the other day, and I was so jazzed about finding it!  I've been waiting to try some raw dairy forever, but you really have to have a relationship with a local dairy to have access to it.  It was awesome.  Sorry guys, I just can't give up my red wine and cheese.

I'm still juicing daily, and I don't forsee that habit leaving my lifestyle anytime soon.  I love juicing.  No matter what your food lifestyle is, everyone should juice.  I'm obsessed with juicing.  It's the best thing you can do for your body daily...as well as exercise.

Running.  Yep, still running.  I can't believe it's almost been a year since my first attempts at running.  Granted, I'm not in aa good of running shape as I was back in October, but I still run about 3-4 times a week.  A group of us are running the "Beach to Bay" relay marathon here in a couple weeks, and I'm very excited about it.  Each runner's leg is a little over 4 miles, so I'm not worried about meeting that goal.

In regards to running and food, I am consciously consuming more protein as I have noticed a definite correlation before the two.  When my diet was primarily raw for a while, my running did not suffer majorly from the lack of protein, but when I started moving over to a primarily cooked vegan diet, I did notice I was becoming very weak.  So, I order some raw vegan sprouted rice protein powder, and that has been working out fine.  I shake some up with some water and almond milk after a run, and all is good.  It's some really high-quality stuff, and is an easy protein on our digestive systems.  You can read more about it here.  FYI, I recommend buying the "natural" flavor version, as the other two contain stevia, which can be an od flavor.  Also, if you go with a neutral flavor, you can make it any flavor you want depending on what you mix with it.

Love:  Steven and I have been dating a year!  Can you believe it?!  Cinco de Mayo marks our one year anniversary...how goofy is that?!  On the fifth of each month, we try to make a date night and go treat ourselves to a nice meal.  We call these days our "Cincos," and this one coming up marks our 12th!  It does not seems like a year.  I love you, Steve-o!

Garden:  My container garden is rocking!  I have spinach, romaine, parsley, and tomatoes going right now, and I am proud to say everything is looking great....except for the spinach.  The spinach is just not "flourishing," ya know.  First, caterpillars attacked it, and now that the caterpillars have ceased it's like it just don't want to grow anymore.  Not cool.  So far, I've been all organic on my veggie garden, and hope to stay that way.   I'm wanting to start composting, but I really want to buy one of those compost bins that rotates, and whatnot.  Lord knows with all the juice I drink I have a ton of great compost material, and I know my veggies would like some of that goodness, as well!  I swear, I go out there and visit my veggies morning, noon, and night like they're going to run off, or something!  Ha!  I love watching them grow :-)

Well, I'll leave with that, for now.  I've also had some little trips I've been on, and my work has taken a big spin, but I'd have to write a novel to fit all that in...and who really cares about work, right?! 'Till next time....  -CC Bloom

Green Thumb

She's alive....SHE'S ALIVE!  Yes, I am still alive, hardly, but still beating.  The past month has been insane filled with changes!  Mainly, my work like has really been turned up-side-down lately due to me taking on a side bookkeeping project, which in turn turned out to result in a full-time mental project and 100% catastrophe (more on that later), all while my manager at our mini-storage complex went on a two week long vacation, my computer died at my current full-time place of work (we run a paperless office, might I add), and I was going through my Quickbooks Pro Advisor Certification.  Holy moley, the stress has been high!  Last week really brought about seeing a tiny ray of light at the end of this chaotic tunnel, and hopefully a more organized and peaceful work situation.  Enough of that, for now....

My current projects in the food world have been my garden, and discovering the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe!  Thank goodness for legit vegan chocolate chip cookies!  On to the garden, I am so excited about this endeavor!  I live in a rent house, so I decided to give container gardening a try.  I started out with carrot, romaine lettuce, spinach, tomato, and parsley seed, watched them sprout, grew ancy continuing to watch them sprout for weeks, and now I have some official baby plants!  I really focused on the spinach and romaine, as I am so pumped to save a little money in the juicing facet of my life.  I have 28 heads of spinach and romaine growing, eight cherry tomato plants, and four pots of parsley growing as we speak.  I am SO pumped!  Oh yeah, I'm doing all organic, as well.

Romaine Lettuce

Cherry Tomatoes 

I'll update you all on the perfect choco-chip cookies in the next post ;-)
- CC Bloom