Diatomaceous Earth or DE

So I ran across this information today from the Unintentional Urban Farmer and just had to share it.  We have used Diatomaceous Earth (DE) for over the past 10 plus but I see, after reading this, I am not using it enough!  Hope you too find some new ideas to apply to your farm for great and healthy living after reading this!


Diatomaceous Earth is marvelous and I wouldn't be without it in my poultry supplies. It has many uses for my birds but also other animals and bug control around the home. It consists of micro skeletons of fossilized remains of deceased diatoms, which are a type of algae found in both sea water and fresh water.

Diatomaceous Earth has a wide variety of uses such as in filtration (drinking water filters, fish tanks and swimming pools), abrasives (it is in some toothpastes and facial scrubs), as an absorbent for liquids (like cat litter), and it is used in dynamite to make it more stable. Food grade diatomaceous earth is particularly useful to reduce internal and external parasites (such as Worms, Lice and Mites) in animals, including poultry.

The powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of mites and lice, which causes them to dehydrate and then die. For internal parasites, the abrasive microscopically sharp edges will kill many of the worms with regular use (it must be used daily for it to be effective) although remember there are also larvae in the bloodstream that won't be killed by diatomaceous earth. It is for this reason, I personally believe using a chemical wormer two or three times per year to make sure.

Always remember to wear a dust mask when using dusting powders to avoid inhalation. Good poultry suppliers will sell food grade diatomaceous earth in tubs that can be used in the following ways as an organic approach to parasite control. Do not be tempted to buy industrial diatomaceous earth that is intended for other applications as it will have a different composition and may be dangerous to your health or that of your birds.

1. Removing lice and mites. Diatomaceous earth can be dusted between the feathers and onto the skin regularly. It can be added to dust baths which is particularly useful. Since it is a natural/organic product, it can be used on your chickens. Many other products and louse powders state that they are for use in nest boxes and on bedding, not on your birds. This is because they are not licensed for use on chickens which produce eggs for human consumption.

2. Added to poultry feed - daily use of diatom as a feed additive may result in fewer worms, less mortality and better feathering. There are many different trace minerals contained in diatomaceous earth that are beneficial to poultry. The dose that is commonly used in most animals from poultry to cats, dogs and even cattle is between 2 and 5% (follow the manufacturers recommendations) added to their feed.

3. Other uses - it has a huge variety of other uses from water filtration to cat litter and it is often mixed with grains during storage to prevent mites getting into it and to keep it dry. The other main use I have for it around the home is for an organic approach to flea control on our pets.

Diatomaceous Earth is particularly useful if you keep poultry and is well worth having to help in the battle against worms, red mite and lice.

A Mirror or a Two-way Mirror?

Saw this posted to facebook and had to share it with all y'all.  How can you tell when you are in a room, restroom, motel etc. with a mirror or a 2-way glass?  A police-woman pointed out this tip at a seminar given for businesswoman regarding techniques to be safe and private while traveling.  It takes about 30 seconds and can be used on ANY mirror!

When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms, changing rooms, etc., many of us are totally unaware that someone may be watching us.  Know you can know for sure if that seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall is a real mirror, or actually a 2-way mirror (i.e., they can see you, but you can't see them)?  There have been many cases of people installing 2-way mirrors in female changing rooms . It is very difficult to positively identify the surface by looking at it but with this trick, YOU will know before you are exposed!

TWO WAY GLASS IMAGE verses MIRROR IMAGE

Two-way Mirror (left) versus Real Mirror (right)

Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail, BEWARE, it is a 2-WAY MIRROR.  If however, there is a GAP between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is a GENUINE mirror.

Here is a quick way to remember:  "No Space, Leave the Place" So remember, every time you see a mirror, do the "fingernail test." It doesn't cost you anything.  This is a great tip to share with your girlfriends, sisters, daughters, etc. and you men should share it as well!

It's Christmastime

With all the Christmas music playing in the stores, why not try a new rendition of classics this season.  Michael Buble is SO talented and he is teaming up with some amazing vocal talent in this years newest Christmas album.  ENJOY!

PRICE MATCHING

Alright - here is some interesting news.  All Target Stores are price matching with SELECT ONLINE RETAILERS for the holidays.

Beginning November 1st through December 16th (MINUS BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY WEEKEND), all Target stores will price match from:

 Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BabiesRUs.com, ToysRUs.com and BestBuy.com.  

Procrastination

This is just SO true and if I had more time, I would tell you why.  That will have to wait until another day.

Enjoy this "Tale of Mere Existence".

Why NOT Drink Cokes?

Here's why.  You may not be aware of what happens to your body when you drink these sugared carbonated drinks.

For starters, when somebody drinks a Coke…

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
• more than 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
• more than 60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
• more than 60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

I found some more interesting information from Wade Meredith as well and you may want to go and read about it yourself.  Be Healthy!

How to Store Fresh Veggies and Fruits

I saw this on a blog and had to share it with my readers.  So many times we just don't know how to store fresh fruits and veggies...this will help you get it right.

There are a few things to consider: what needs to be in the refrigerator, and what needs a cool place and what can't be by other foods and stored by itself.  If you can make a few minor corrections in how you store your food, you will find it will keep longer and you will save money as you enjoy fresher produce.

ROOM TEMPERATURE or COOL PANTRY:

Avocados       Apricots          Bananas          Citrus

Garlic              Kiwi               Melons            Nectarines

Onions            Pears               Peaches           Plums

Pineapple        Potatoes

REFRIGERATE:

Apples            Beans              Berries            Broccoli

Cabbage         Carrots             Cauliflower    Celery

Cherries          Corn                Cucumber      Eggplant

Ginger            Grapes             Jalapenos       Leafy greens

Mushrooms    Zucchini

It kind of comes down to which fruits and vegetables give off the natural gas, ethelyne.  Ethelyne can affect the other fruits and veggies that they are stored next to.  You don't need to buy special bags, but you do need to know which produce doesn't take too kindly to others.

Apples - Do not wash until just before eating, keep them sealed in the plastic produce bag, in the refrigerator. They give off a lot of ethelyne gas, so don't store them next to anything else.Avocados - Keep them at room temperature.  If you need one to ripen quickly, put it in a brown paper bag along with a banana.  If it is ripe and you need to slow the ripening process, put it in the fridge.

Bananas - They produce more ethelyne gas than any other fruit.  Keep them away from other produce,   on the counter-top, away from other produce.  Once they are ripe you can stop the ripening process by putting them in the fridge, just be sure to put them in a sealed bag.  The skin will turn black, but the fruit will be fine.Beans (snap, string or wax) - Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Do not wash until just before use.Berries - You know when you buy berries and they look like they have a dusty layer one them...? That is called bloom, and it serves as a natural preservative.  Never wash berries until just before use.  Pick through them and throw away any berries that are bruised or molding.  Store loosely in shallow containers, cover with plastic and keep them in the refrigerator.Broccoli & Cauliflower - These need to be kept in their wrapping/packaging and kept in the fridge.  Do not wash until just before using.

Cabbage - Keep in the fridge, in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before usingCarrots - Whole carrots?  Wash them thoroughly.  If they have green tops, cut off all but an inch.  Wrap them in a damp paper towel, seal in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer.  "Baby" carrots?  You can put them in a plastic container, covered in water.  Be sure to change the water every few days.  (Note: this may reduce the flavor of the "baby" carrot.)Celery - Give it a rinse, loosely wrap it in a paper towel, then tightly wrap the entire stalk in aluminum foil and keep in the crisper.  It will keep fresh and crisp for weeks.  (I actually have had celery that I bought to make stuffing at Thanksgiving still be fresh and crunchy for Bloody Marys on New Year's Day! Amazing!)

Cherries - Store in fridge in plastic bag.  Do not wash until just before eating.Citrus - Since citrus fruits have thicker skin, they are easier to store.  They'll stay fresh for about 2 weeks in the fridge, about a week on the counter.  It doesn't matter if they are near other produce.

Corn - Husks on? Store loose and uncovered in the fridge.  Husks off?  Wrap in foil and store in the crisper drawer. It will keep for 1 to 2 days.Cucumber - Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.Eggplant - Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.Garlic - Store at room temperature. Whole heads will last 3 to 5 weeks, but once cloves are separated, they will last about 10 days. Grapes - Do not wash until just before eating, as they also have a bloom.  Store them in the fridge, in the plastic bags they come in, or poke holes in a plastic bag to allow for air circulation.  They say they should last up to 2 weeks.  (I have never seen them last longer than a week before getting shriveled up and gross...)Jalapeno Peppers - Store in plastic bag, in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.Kiwi Fruit - store at room temperature until ripe, then cover with plastic and refrigerate.  Will keep for about a week.Lettuces, Leafy Greens & Spinach - Wash, wrap loosely in paper-towels, then bag it... paper towel and all.Melons - Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. They will keep for about a week.Mushrooms - Do not wash until just before using.  Pre-sliced? Store in the refrigerator in their original packaging. They will last for about a week. Whole?  Store loosely in a brown paper bag in the refrigeratorOnions - Store in a cool, dry place that has good air circulation.  (Store in the fridge if you don't have such a place.) They will keep for 2 to 3 months.  DO NOT STORE WITH POTATOES.  (If next to each other they spoil faster.  Who knew?)Pears - If they aren't ripe, store them at room temperature.  Once they ripen, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the fridge.  They will keep for about a week.Peaches, Plums, Nectarines & Apricots - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to eat.  They will keep from 3 to 5 days.  Do not wash until ready to eat. Pineapple - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Potatoes - Store in a cool, dry, dark place that has good air circulation. They will keep for 2 to 3 months.  DO NOT STORE WITH ONIONS.  (If next to each other they spoil faster.  Who knew?)  Sweet Potatoes keep at room temperature for a week or in a cool dark place for about a month.

Tomatoes - Store them in a cool, dry place.  Don't store them in plastic bags as the trapped ethylene will make them ripen more quickly. Once ripe, you can put them in the fridge to slow the ripening process, but let them come to room temperature before using them. Zucchini - Refrigerate in a plastic bag.  Do not wash until just before using.

Freezing Berries:

Rinse them.

Dry them.

Place them on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes

When the outsides of the berries are frozen, put them in a zippy bag and freeze for later.

I did that with the blueberries a while back and I'm just now down to about 1 container worth and they are just as yummy now as they were when we got them.  ENJOY!

Cannonball's!

I know you all have done a cannonball in a swimming pool but this genius took it up a notch.

Sometimes there is just no words to define, well, stupid.  Don't try this at home, please. Yikes.

Old Butch

John was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets,' and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs. He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced. This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now, he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.

John's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover. To John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.

John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Saint Lawrence County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.

The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Piece Prize," but they also awarded him the "Pulletsurprise" as well.

The Dress Code

An Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman, a Welshman, a Latvian, a Turk, a German, an Indian, several Americans (including a Hawaiian and an Alaskan), an Argentinean, a Dane, an Australian, a Slovak, an Egyptian, a Japanese, a Moroccan, a Frenchman, a New Zealander, a Spaniard, a Russian, a Guatemalan, a Colombian, a Pakistani, a Malaysian, a Croatian, a Uzbek, a Cypriot, a Pole, a Lithuanian, a Chinese, a Sri Lankan, a Lebanese, a Cayman Islander, a Ugandan, a Vietnamese, a Korean, a Uruguayan, a Czech, an Icelander, a Mexican, a Finn, a Honduran, a Panamanian, an Andorran, an Israeli, a Venezuelan, an Iranian, a Fijian, a Peruvian, an Estonian, a Syrian, a Brazilian, a Portuguese, a Liechtensteiner, a Mongolian, a Hungarian, a Canadian, a Moldovan, a Haitian, a Norfolk Islander, a Macedonian, a Bolivian, a Cook Islander, a Tajikistani, a Samoan, an Armenian, an Aruban, an Albanian, a Greenlander, a Micronesian, a Virgin Islander,

a Georgian, a Bahaman, a Belarusian, a Cuban, a Tongan, a Cambodian, a Qatari, an Azerbaijani, a Romanian, a Chilean, a Jamaican, a Filipino, a Ukrainian, a Dutchman, a Ecuadorian, a Costa Rican, a Swede, a Bulgarian, a Serb, a Swiss, a Greek, a Belgian, a Singaporean, an Italian, a Norwegian and 2 Africans... 

walk into a very fine restaurant.

"I'm sorry," says the maître d', after scrutinizing the group...

"You can't come in here without a Thai. "