If you want to improve the soil structure then something like Nature's Helper (fine, aged bark chips) or another 'soil improver' would be better than vermiculite. The vermiculite is a permanent solution, so in one way, it's good, but it will NEVER break down and will be there for years to come. The benefit from adding OM, which will eventually be broken down by the microherd in the soil, is that it will all eventually improve your soil, making it more permeable and more fertile. The vermiculite will most likely do nothing, long term, for the improvement of your fulvic and humic acids. I would check to see if there is a municipal source of compost, and see if they will deliver - if they won't, then borrow a pick-up truck, if you don't own one, and get a few loads. It should be free, or nearly so, esp. if you pick up. I know there is a commercial operation near here where a freind got a pick-up load of mushroom compost and top soil for about $30 (about 2 cu. yards). Have you been adding the manure and compost to your garden beds for the past few years? I repeat what I wrote earlier - if you have been adding 4" or more of OM each year for a number of years, then you probably should have pretty good soil by now. If, however, this is only the second year or so you have been adding, then, yes, you could probably add more. One source of free or nearly so, OM is the local tree services, and the companies that trim the powerlines - they end up with truckloads of chippings, and are usually happy to dump one or more loads if you ask. The main draw-back is that the chippings are fresh and pretty coarse, so you have to be able to let them sit for at least a year - 2 is better - before using them. They do make a decent mulch, 'though you have to pick out the bigger pieces. If nothing else, it's a good "brown" additive to your new compost pile. You might also see if you can get the "spoiled" hay or straw. If nothing else, and for the future, see if you can get the bales people have used for fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations. By the time that they have sat out in the rain for a few weeks, they aren't really usable for either feed or bedding. Most people would probably give them to you, rather than have the garbage collecter take them, if their garbage service will even do so. I kinow nothing about the cotton by-products, they aren't locally available, so will let someone else comment on that.

Quinoa most definitely IS a carb- however, it is a carb with a lot of protein (like beans and wheat germ). I am not a big fan of the flavor of quinoa so I havent tried the pasta. There are some really gnarly whole wheat pastas out there-- if you are averse to the taste or texture of whole wheat, two brands I recommend are de cecco and bio naturae. My local grocery recently started carrying both-- before that, I found them at the health food store. In the whole scheme of things, pasta is not the worst thing you can eat-- the key is portion control. I don't know about you all, but pasta is one of the things with which I can easily over indulge. A few healthy tips for pasta: 1. cook it al dente. Overcooking pasta increases its glycemic index-- meaning it is digested faster and spikes your blood sugar which can cause you to overeat. 2. ALWAYS serve a pasta with a protein-- chick peas, chicken, chicken sausage, lean beef, tofu. Protein satisfies your hunger the most effectively and helps you to be satisfied on a modest serving size. 3. Add fiber (and nutrients)-- whole grain pasta, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, beans, etc. all add fiber and nutrients to your pasta. The extra bulk helps fill you up faster and also slows digestion so that your blood sugar doesnt spike. 4. Start with a salad or antipasto-- and use an oil and vinegar dressing. This will keep you from filling up on pasta and the extra fiber and the acid slow down digestion. 5. Be mindful of the serving size -- cereal and pasta are two things we can easily overestimate the serving sizes. 1/2 a cup is a typical serving size but check the box. Restaurants often serve enough pasta for 4 servings. Oy! Serving pasta with a salad and protein really helps to keep the serving size in line. 6. Consider replacing the pasta in some of your meals with a veggie. Some people embrace spaghetti squash-- I really like using zucchini. I make a zucchini torte that is basically my old lasagna recipe substituting zucchini ribbons for the pasta. I prefer it to lasagna and everyone who has tried it has raved about it.

SLC, sorry I didn't get get your message until tonight. Here's a couple of cajun shrimp dishes. Sounds like you're adding some great stuff to your repertoire. I really don't mind cooking as long as I don't have to deal with leftovers, so it is actually fun planning and cooking for company once in a while. Shrimp is my favorite seafood and I love creole-cajun dishes. CAJUN STYLE BROILED SHRIMP Serves 2 as an appetizer 5-6 uncooked shrimp ¼ cup butter, melted (½ stick) 1 Tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce (Franks Red Hot or Crystal are good) 2 cloves garlic, pressed ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp coarsely ground or cracked black pepper ½ tsp finely chopped fresh parsley Pinch dried rosemary Lemon wedges Prepare the oven to 400 degrees F. Shell and de-vein the shrimp. In a small baking dish, combine the melted butter with the hot sauce, garlic, salt, cracked pepper, parsley, and rosemary. Stir. Arrange the shrimp side by side in the baking dish and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately broil the shrimp for 2-4 minutes or until the shrimp are done, but not chewy. Squeeze some lemon juice over the shrimp. Serve the shrimp sizzling hot in the baking dish This is from Ruths Chris Steak House and in keeping with their New Orleans flavor of many of their dishes. CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP LINGUINE From Cooking Light Magazine Serves 4 1 cup water 1 can (14 oz) fat-free, less sodium, chicken broth 6 oz. uncooked linguine 1 pound med. Shrimp, peeled & de-veined 1 ½ Tbsp. butter 1 large red bell pepper, ½" slices ¼ tsp. salt ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 8-oz pkg. pre-sliced mushrooms 2 tsp. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning 2/3 cup half-&-half Combine 1 cup water & broth in Dutch oven; bring to boil. Break pasta in half, add to pan. Boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan. Cover and simmer 3 more minutes or until shrimp are done; drain. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sliced red pepper; saute 4 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add flour, seasoning and salt to pan; saute 30 seconds. Stir in half-&-half; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add pasta mixture and parsley to pan. Toss. I like this with steamed broccoli, fresh French bread, and glass of red wine.

Maryanntx, I sure hope all is going well for you and that you'll be back on your feet 100% in no time! Whether lurking or posting here & there I enjoy your posts. Best wishes to you and yours. I like pretty much all Stouffers stuff. Boston Market is pretty good too. Frankly there's a lot of things you can put together with minimal fuss too. Some other quickie meals I like is frozen meatballs heated in some canned gravy. Bake some potatoes or use instants to go with it. Warm up a can of veg and some garlic bread. Country style ribs and baby back ribs (braised) are surprisingly easy. I use a small convection oven to lightly brown them for a few minutes, then line a pan with foil. Put the rib inthere, season them how you like, put in some teriyaki sauce (or whatever you like) and have some liquid, whether beer, wine, broth, water, pop, juice or ??? but have a lot of liquid to make them tender. Cook at about 250 for several hours to get them tender. At the low temp it doesn't matter if it goes even an hour over! Generally they'll just get more tender. A bagged salad is fine but cole slaw seems a requirement (deli is fine). Whack-a-tube biscuits go good with it too. And works well in a crock pot or an electric roaster. Oh let's see, Tater Tot Hotdish, Macaroni Hotdish. Even a simple meatloaf isn't all that time consuming to put together, then put in the oven with some potatoes. Boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked up and mixed in with some quick cooking rice is nice too. Another use for frozen meatballs would be meatball subs. Actually, you could make a huge pot of them, simmered in the sauce. Then one meal of meatball subs. Another of Spaghetti & meatballs, and leftovers can be made into a hotdish with some macaroni, onions, kidney beans and top it with cheese. I also enjoy a chef's salad. Get a couple slices of 1/2" ham, turkey, maybe some other meats, some good cheeses you like, bag of salad greens, a couple hard cooked eggs and put together a big tasty salad. I like pepperoni in mine. A turkey breast isn't all that tough either if you can handle it. Or have hubby clean it and you just pop it into the oven. Could use a cooking bag or a roaster. There's some decent canned gravies out there. Stove Top stuffing works for me. Then if you're adventurous, just see what's in the cupboards. I had a package of hamburger I needed to use and didn't know what I felt like. So I cooked it up and started grabbing canned goods. Some canned sliced potatoes, diced tomatoes, a can of BBQ Manwich, some minced onion, can of corn, some pepperoni slices, can of kidney beans, and a can of wild rice along with some seasonings. I just called it the "Slop du-jour" and it was actually pretty tasty. Another vote for a pot roast too. Use cooking bags if you like or a crockpot/electric roaster. And another think I actually enjoy on occasion is simply some crackers or toast with sausage and cheese slices. Occasonally top it with a glass of wine and you have a fru-fru party meal! Right now it's hot and sticky here so I went to the store and picked up some deli ham, turkey, nice bakery buns, coleslaw, steakhouse potato salad and some ice cream sandwiches. That's my menu for the next few days! Gourmet, or Gourmand? Your choice. :) Course I even like a peanut butter sandwich... throw some bacon on it toasted for a real taste treat. Oh yeah, grilled ham & cheese sandwiches too. Sloppy joes.... This isn't the time of year for soups & stews but if you like, hey, why not. Soup and sandwich is a good meal too, maybe a side salad? Hope it gives you some ideas. Health and happiness to all.