I know it is actually easier and definitely cheaper in the long run to be organic. One just needs to be a bit more attuned to what is going on with the plants and take appropriate measures instead of a one gun fits all aproach of chemicals. The challenge here is trying to get a little harvest in the mean time while building the soil organic matter and food web. I've noticed that mulch laid down her seems to decompose about four times as fast as a similar mulch put down up there in Michigan. They do say that the higher the zone number the larger the amount of organic material needed to amend the soil. I grew up near Traverse City, Michigan and still spend time up in Alden (South end of Torch Lake, to the east of the Grand Traverse Bays.) I wish I could afford to live up there full time. I like the cornmeal idea as it not only feeds microbes but in turn combats some fungal diseases. Same with milk against powdery mildew while at the same time fertilizing.

We've started eating a lot of pork here, trying to eat leaner meat and all. Here are 2 recent pork recipes that we've enjoyed a lot: * Champagne Pork Chops in Chipotle-Mustard Cream Sauce * Moist pork chops in a spicy cream sauce. Very easy and quick to put together. Chipotle Mustard works really well in this recipe, but you can use any flavored mustard. Ingredients: 4 boneless Pork Chops For Marinade 1 Cup Champagne 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic 1 Tablespoon Steak Seasoning 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil For Pan Sauce 1 Cup Champagne 2 Tablespoon Chipotle Mustard 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream 1 Tablespoon Parsley, chopped (fresh if possible) Directions: 1. Put all marinade ingredients into a ziplock bag along with pork chops. and let marinate for up to 24 hours. 2. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 3. Add pork chops, turn down heat to medium, and cook pork chops on both sides until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. 4. Remove pork chops from pan. 5. Deglaze pan with champagne. 6. Wisk in mustard and cream. 7. Stir in parsley. 8. Return chops to pan to heat through. - and - * Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan-Sage Crust * Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups Breadcrumbs (made from crustless French bread or store bought) 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese (about 3 ounces) 1 Tablespoon Sage (dried) 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest 2 Eggs, large 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour 4 Pork Chops (each about 1 inch thick) 2 Tablespoons Butter (1/4 stick) 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil Lemon wedges (optional) Orange wedges (optional) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon zest in pie dish. 3. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. 4. Place flour on plate; season generously with salt and pepper. 5. Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess. Dip chops into eggs, then coat on both sides with breadcrumb mixture. 6. Melt butter with oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. 7. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. 8. Transfer skillet with pork to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes. 9. Transfer pork chops to plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and orange wedges, if desired, and serve.

Here's one that doesn't require any cooking. 1 large bar of Zote, or 2 small bars 1 1/2 cups borax 1 1/2 cups washing soda Grate the soap, add the borax and soda and combine. An empty 5 lb pail from Sun OxyWash (an OxyClean clone, sold here at Dollar General stores) is ideal. Use 2 tablespoons in a front loading washer. If you are making soap for a front loading washer, or a top loading HE washer, DO NOT use Kirk's Castile soap. Kirk's is specially formulated to create lots of suds. You want a low sudsing soap in an HE machine, or you will get suds lock. This is not good, and can damage the washer. Fels Naptha, Zote, Sunlite are laundry soaps and all good choices.

Yes, it is called rebatching, and I will avoid it if at all possible. It's time consuming and tedious. To let you know, I make cp soap by the 10 pound recipes. I presently have 2 buckets of soap scraps, I would guess about a 2 or 3 cubic foot container. Instead of rebatching it I will add it to a new recipe of soap. Unlike what you have, this is still virgin soap scraps, not previously used. I will make soap and give these away or use them ourselves. What I would do if I had these previous used scraps, I would just add it to a new bar as they are being used; they do stick fairly readily, and they rarely come off. If you are going to still rebatch, I would grate them, then lightly mist them (not dripping) the night before, then add them to a crockpot on low or medium heat. You will need to set aside about 4 hours or so, depending on how much soap you need to do. The trick is to add just enough water (by the tablespoon) to keep the soap pliable and not dry, while you are trying to mash it, until it is thoroughly melted. Be careful, this soap is very hot while in the crock! Any scent of the scraps will disappear in the final product, so if you want it scented, then let the soap cool down a bit and mix in scent just before pour/mashing it into any molds. hth